Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DO THE WOMEN MATTER IN CO-OPERATIVE BANKS’ BOARDS?

The topic of gender diversity is assuming greater importance not only for regulatory reasons. In credit cooperative field, the presence of gender diversity can qualify among the mutual aims and social sector should pursue. With reference to cooperative banks, the work aims to verify whether board gender diversity increases the creation of value for stakeholders, in terms of stakeholders’ global value added (shareholders, employees, customers, regulators, community and external environment). We propose an econometric approach based on OLS regression model; the econometric model adopted to test our research hypothesis take into account three dependent variables in order to measure the amount and the distribution of value created by each cooperative bank, like Global Value Added Index, HHI Index and GINI Index. Regarding the regressors in order to express the bank governance profile, the choice of variables is based on the results of the studies relating to bank governance-performance. Our model takes also into account other macro-economic control regressors. The model is tested on a sample of Italian cooperative banks. Previous studies on board gender diversity in cooperative banks are particularly limited as a result of limited information and opacity of this field. The existing studies are limited to analyses of the effects on performance of the separation between ownership and control or of the corporate and governance structures, neglecting the dynamics of gender diversity; recently, some authors have investigated the relationship between the composition of loan portfolios and the structure and membership of the boards of cooperative banks in Spain, without however considering the board gender diversity. Our work allows you to expand the knowledge on the issue of governance of cooperative banks. Our study proposes some indicators to assess the social and mutual performance of cooperative banks; it puts in evidence if board gender diversity may improve the amount and also the equity distribution of the value creation process to stakeholders' cooperative banks. The outcomes of the paper may indicate possible best practices with respect to bank governance in bad economic times. So the gender diversity in board cooperative bank may contribute to support better business performance and, specifically, the bank’s ability to create and distribute finance customers characterized by a lower credit risk. Based on these results, some managerial implications are proposed. **
Characterization of Microbial Mats from a Siliciclastic Tidal Flat (Bahía Blanca Estuary, Argentina)

Biofilms and microbial mats cover the tidal flats of the central zone of the Bahía Blanca estuary (Argentina), creating extensive layers. The objective of this study was to characterize the microphytobenthic communities in these biofilms and mats from sediment cores taken in March, June, September and December 2010. Microorganisms were identified and enumerated by microscopy, and their biomass (chlorophyll a, biovolume) quantified at two different stations in the lower supratidal zone, located ∼210 m apart from each other (namely S1 and S2). Additionally, the colloidal carbohydrates produced by these microbial communities were quantified, together with physical parameters such as temperature, granulometry, moisture and organic matter content of the sediment layers that comprise a typical epibenthic mat. On the other hand, changes in biomass and colloidal carbohydrate content were studied through a half-tidal cycle (7 h). There were significant seasonal differences in microphytobenthic biovolume (P < 0.001) with a considerably lower biomass in summer, but no significant differences in microalgal biovolume between stations (P = 0.454). Cyanobacterial biomass (largely composed of the filamentous Microcoleus chthonoplastes) was dominant on all dates at both stations, followed by pennate diatoms. Chlorophyll a and colloidal carbohydrate contents in sediment presented a similar pattern to that of microalgal biovolume; with a 5-fold variation in chlorophyll a for S1 between consecutive sampling events on September and December. There were significant differences between sampling dates in colloidal carbohydrates (P < 0.001) with the lowest values recorded during fall and winter; conversely there were no significant differences between stations (P = 0.324). Silt was the dominant sediment fraction at S1 while sand dominated throughout the uppermost 20 mm at S2. Chlorophyll a contents did not show significant differences throughout a half-tidal cycle, likely the product of vertical migration along the section sampled. Conversely, the content of colloidal carbohydrates varied 5-fold, showing a significant (P < 0.001) and steady increase with time of exposure to air and pointing to the rapid metabolic rates of the community. In conclusion, the microphytobenthic community of the Bahía Blanca estuary presented marked seasonality in its biological parameters and overall physiognomy, also showing elevated metabolic rates when subject to tidal fluctuations.
A Case Study of District Decentralization and Site-Based Budgeting: Cordell Place School District.

This paper reports on a study of the relationship between teacher evaluation scores in a school implementing knowledgeand skills-based pay and classroom student achievement. The study occurred in a California charter elementary school that was 100 percent Title I, 100 percent free/reduced lunch, and had predominantly limited English speaking students. The school had historically low achievement, and for 4 years, it had been implementing a performance evaluation and pay plan under which teachers were evaluated, rated, and paid accordingly. For the study, data were collected on 34 teachers and all of their students for whom 2 years of achievement data were available. Researchers estimated classroom effects, analyzed their relationship to teacher evaluation scores, and examined teacher evaluation scores as level 2 explanatory variables in hierarchical linear models of student achievement. Results indicated that there was a clear difference in the strength of the relationship between teacher evaluation scores and classroom achievement in reading compared with mathematics or language arts. An appendix presents descriptive statistics. (Contains 37 bibliographic references.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
The dissemination among Staphylococcus aureus of the Staphylococcal Chromosome Cassette mec (SCCmec) which confers multiresistance

Staphylococci are gram-positive bacteria present on the skin of most healthy humans. Although majority of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are commensals that generally do not cause severe clinical problems, some, including Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus haemolyticus, may cause clinically relevant infections and bactereamia related to indwelling devices. In addition, one third of healthy humans carry Staphylococcus aureus, which may cause severe invasive disease. S. aureus accounts for the majority of nosocomial infections around the world, causing high mortality when untreated. Several types of antibiotics, directed to different targets in bacterial metabolism, were employed to fight infections caused by S. aureus. However, S. aureus has acquired resistance to most extant antibiotics, including vancomycin, and evolved to be one of the most difficult-to-treat pathogens in hospitals. This thesis describes the essential role of horizontal gene transfer between the chromosomes of different staphylococci in the dissemination of resistance genes.
AISQA - An Artificial Immune Question Answering System

Question answering (QA) is the task of automatically answering a question posed in natural language. At this time, there exists several QA approaches, and, according to recent evaluation results, most of them are complementary. Some of them use the evolutionary algorithms, such as the genetic algorithm, in itself. In this paper we propose a question answering system that uses the artificial immune algorithms, for searching in the knowledge base to find the right answer. This algorithm is one of the evolutionary algorithms. Search is based on two features: (i) the compatibility between question and answer types, (ii) the overlap and non-overlap information between the question-answer pair. Experimental results are encouraging; they indicate significant increases in the accuracy of proposed system, in comparison with the previous systems.
Numerical Simulation for Fuzzy Fredholm Integral Equations Using Reproducing Kernel Algorithm

In this paper, we simulate the numerical solutions of fuzzy Fredholm integral equations based on the reproducing kernel algorithm. Using parametric form of fuzzy numbers we convert a linear fuzzy integral equation into a linear system of integral equations in crisp case. The solution methodology is based on generating the orthogonal basis from the obtained kernel functions; whilst the orthonormal basis is constructing in order to formulate and utilize the solutions with series form in terms of their parametric form in an appropriate space. Numerical example is provided to illustrate potentiality of our algorithm for solving such fuzzy equations.
The use of statolith microstructures to analyze life history events in the small tropical cephalopod Idiosepius pycmaeus

Populations of the sepoid Idiosepius pygmaeus were located in mangrove and estuarine localities in the Townsville region of North Queensland Australia in 1986. This species was small, easy to observe and collect in the field and sexually dimorphic, with females being much larger than males. Statolith microstructures of I. pygmaeus proved to be a useful ageing tool which can be used to interpret life history phenomena in this species. Increments were calibrated by marking statoliths in situ with tetracycline and counting the rings laid down subsequent to marking. This validated the daily periodicity of the observed rings. Statolith discontinuities (checks) were occasionally seen within the microstructures of some specimens. These discontinuities appear to parallel similar structures found in fish otoliths. Based on statolith analysis, I. pygmaeus matured at an age of 1.5-2 months. Females were larger and grew faster than their male counterparts. Females of similar age were found to vary considerably in size. The estimates of growth rates and longevity for I. pygmaeus suggested multiple generations within one year.
Field Investigations: An Overlooked Form of Laboratory Experience

The types of learning activities that are accepted as constituting a legitimate laboratory experience have expanded considerably over the past decade or so. Traditionally, laboratory instruction was taken to involve hands-on activities around measuring quantitative, technical data associated with some physical phenomenon or the performance of an engineered artefact. More recently virtual laboratories based on computer simulation and remote labs where physical or virtual equipment is accessed at a distance using the internet have become accepted under the umbrella of “laboratory”. The proposed new ABET Criteria 3 (Student Outcomes) has broadened somewhat in respect of experimentation, thereby presenting an opportunity for discussion around laboratory contexts. This paper argues we should adopt a more expansive understanding of what counts as a “laboratory”; one that recognizes the reality that practicing engineers must be adept at creating and conducting investigations that take into account not only technical factors but also the sociocultural, economic and even ethical aspects and impacts of an engineering project. This might include gathering data of many types; technical and non-technical, qualitative and quantitative, captured and analyzed in a variety of media. Interpreting, making sense of, and development of inferences from such diverse data sets is a developmental extension of the skills acquired by a student in a traditional, technical laboratory setting. As such, what might be termed “sociotechnical” laboratory experiences add to, rather than replace, laboratory instruction as we have known it. This paper focuses on one ubiquitous form of engineering experimentation with sociotechnical dimensions, i.e. fieldwork. It uses a case study based on a novel Study Abroad program to illustrate the design and implementation of a socio-technical laboratory, one that emulates an experience of global engineering fieldwork.
Sleep disturbance due to noise: Research over the last and next five years

It is generally accepted that the developed and developing world are becoming noisier places with eg. mobile ring tones having the ability to disturb the most tranquil place at any time of day or night. Noise pollution has been described as the ‘modern unseen plague’. Humans are responsible for most of the noise that disturbs sleep in the home – a loud snoring partner is an unwelcome bed-fellow. Noise is generally considered ‘bad’ but is frequently a by-product of well-accepted operations which are valued by the community at large (ie. ‘good’) such as most forms of modern transportation. This is similar to many controversial issues in the world today where there is need for a balance to be achieved between the potential damage that noise can cause and the benefits that accrue to many from modern transport systems. Scientist’s role in such dilemmas is to assess the potential damage to health and well-being and determine the point at which unacceptable damage is likely to occur. Part of the increase in global noise is due to continued growth of a 24h culture in most developed countries which results in more activity and noise intrusion into the night-time and sleep period. Not only is the environment becoming noisier but it seems from some annoyance data that our ‘ears are becoming bigger’ as we are becoming more sensitive and annoyed by noise, particularly aircraft noise. Noise can have a number of unwanted effects ie. reduces the fidelity of communication, interferes with cognitive processes, causes annoyance and complaint and disturbs sleep. Many workers in the field consider sleep disturbance to be the most detrimental to health. This brief review will consider some fundamental issues concerning noise and sleep disturbance, outline some of the developments over the last five years and consider the continuing and emerging issues with some suggestions how research will develop in the future. Noise and sleep disturbance
Roles of the riparian vegetation: the antagonism between flooding risk and the protection of environment

Since the beginning of the 20th century, man has domesticated his environment and caused the modification of hydraulic conditions during floods. In parallel, civil engineering has strongly progressed in the domain of hydraulic structures but especially the construction of dams and dikes has also massively increased and part of the population has lost the culture of risk by thinking they were completely out of danger from flooding. Events of hydrometeorological origin over the last 25 years has reminded man that the hydraulic infrastructures in place for a few centuries now, are not unalterable. An unmanaged vegetal colonization along the edge of watercourses (protection dikes, retention dams, appointed river banks, etc. can present three types of inconvenience as (i) overflow in the case of watercourse containment, (ii) formation of woody jams which generate a risk of bridge obstructions or water retention, (iii) the presence of trees and their roots which damages the containment systems protecting the territories. It is important to manage the development of this vegetation in order to conserve the positive effects on the area while also limiting the negative impacts. The current boom in vegetation engineering techniques shows that man is relearning how to live as a team with nature.
AN INTEGRATED GHSOM-MLP WITH MODIFIED LM ALGORITHM FOR MIXED DATA CLUSTERING

Data clustering is one of the common approaches used to carry out statistical data analysis, which is used in several fields, together with machine learning, data mining, customer requirement, trend investigation, pattern identification and image analysis. Even though many clustering approaches have been available, but most of them manage only the clustering of numerical data. On the other hand, the problem of clustering mixed data is more complicated and difficult as mixed data have nominal attributes. A large number of these algorithms deals with only on numeric data, a small number of algorithms take care of nominal data, and only a very least amount of algorithms can handle both numeric and nominal values. In order to provide an efficient mixed data clustering, there is a significant need for several approaches to handle mixed data clustering. The existing mixed data clustering techniques takes more time for clustering the usage of SOM has the inability to capture the inherent hierarchical structure of data. To overcome this, an integrated GHSOM-MLP with Modified LM Algorithm is proposed in this paper. The experimentation for the proposed technique is carried with the help of UCI Adult Data Set to compare the proposed approach with GHSOM, in terms of number of resultant clusters and mean square error.
Impacts of the East Asian summer monsoon on interannual variations of summertime surface-layer ozone concentrations over China

Abstract. We apply a global three-dimensional Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) driven by the NASA/GEOS-4 assimilated meteorological fields to quantify the impacts of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) on interannual variations of June-July-August (JJA) surface-layer O3 concentrations over China. With anthropogenic emissions fixed at year 2005 levels, the model simulation for years 1986–2006 shows that the changes in meteorological parameters alone lead to interannual variations in JJA surface-layer O3 concentrations by 2–5% over central eastern China, 1–3% in northwestern China, and 5–10% over the Tibetan Plateau as well as the border and coastal areas of southern China, as the interannual variations are relative to the average O3 concentrations over the 21 yr period. Over the years 1986–2006, the O3 concentration averaged over all of China is found to correlate positively with the EASM index with a large correlation coefficient of +0.75, indicating that JJA O3 concentrations are lower (or higher) in weaker (or stronger) EASM years. Relative to JJA surface-layer O3 concentrations in the strongest EASM years (1990, 1994, 1997, 2002, and 2006), O3 levels in the weakest EASM years (1988, 1989, 1996, 1998, and 2003) are lower over almost all of China with a national mean lower O3 concentration by 2.0 ppbv (parts per billion by volume; or 4%). Regionally, the largest percentage differences in O3 concentration between the weakest and strongest EASM years are found to exceed 6% in northeastern China, southwestern China, and over the Tibetan Plateau. Sensitivity studies show that the difference in transboundary transport of O3 is the most dominant factor that leads to lower-O3 concentrations in the weakest EASM years than in the strongest EASM years, which, together with the enhanced vertical convections in the weakest EASM years, explain about 80% of the differences in surface-layer O3 concentrations between the weakest and strongest EASM years. We also find that the impacts the EASM strength on JJA surface-layer O3 can be particularly strong (comparable in magnitude to the impacts on O3 by changes in anthropogenic emissions over years 1986–2006) for certain years. The largest increases in O3 by anthropogenic emissions are simulated over southeastern China, whereas the largest impacts of the EASM on O3 are found over central and western China.
European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science-2501-1235

The aim of the presented research was to examine the reaction times of 13-14-years old racket athletes (RAs) (badminton, table tennis, court tennis) and video game players (VGPs). A total of 96 subjects (68 male, 28 female) participated voluntarily in the research. The mean age of the participants was 13.38 0.74 years, body weight was 50.60 1.5 kilograms (kg), stature was 157.42  13.12 centimeters (cm). The individuals who met the criterion of spending at least 10 hours a week by training / playing video games for at least 5 years were called as RAs / VGPs. RT against auditory and visual stimuli were recorded by using a MP36 device (Biopac System, USA). Shapiro-Wilk test was used to evaluate whether continuous variables were normally distributed. MannWhitney U-test and Independent Samples “t” test were used for the comparisons of continuous variables between the groups. Pearson and Spearman rank correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the correlations between the continuous variables. Statistical significance level was accepted as p<0.05. SPSS v.21 program was used for statistical analyzes. A statistically significant difference was determined in terms of audio-visual right hand RT (p<0.001) and audio-visual left hand RT (p<0.01) when compared values of VGPs to those of sedentary. However, no statistically significant difference was detected in the audio-visual right-left hand RT values of the VGPs compared to the RAs (p> 0.05). In conclusion, it was determined that the audio-visual hand RT values were similar for the VGPs and RAs.
Exploring the use of enterprise content management systems in different types of Organisations

Researchers and practitioners are starting to realize that it is unlikely that the full advantage of Electronic Content Management Systems (ECMS) can be realized unless both the technology capabilities and organisational context are taken into consideration. This study explores ECMS use in Replication, Diversification, Unification and Coordination type of organisations. A framework of ECMS-use is proposed suggesting different ways of using ECMS to support diverse organisational needs. Following a qualitative case study research approach, interviews were conducted with IT and business managers and ECMS users from each of the four types of organisations. Results suggest that, depending on the organisation’s business needs, ECMS use in organisations can be categorized as 1) Minimal-use, 2) Standard Adoption-use, 3) Customized-use or 4) Leveraged-use. Findings suggest that managers can gain more realistic benefits from ECMS use by understanding why and how different types of ECMS-use can support the way in which their businesses operate.
Cellulose dissolution in an alkali based solvent: influence of additives and pretreatments

The distinction between thermodynamic and kinetics in cellulose dissolution is seldom considered in the literature. Therefore, herein an attempt to discuss this topic and illustrate our hypotheses on the basis of simple experiments was made. It is well-known that cellulose can be dissolved in a aqueous sodium hydroxide (NaOH/H2O) solvent at low temperature but it is here shown that such an alkaline solvent can be considerably improved regarding solubility, stability and rheological properties as a whole if different additives (salts and amphiphilic molecules) are used in the dissolution stage. This work probes new aqueous routes to dissolve cellulose, thereby improving the potential to commercially dissolve cellulose in an inexpensive and environmentally friendly manner.