Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of hydrogen sulfide on the feeding activity of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum

After being exposed to anoxia for 24 h, with and without hydrogen sulfide (H2S; 5 or 30 mg l −1 ), the feeding activities of the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum were examined in the laboratory under normoxic conditions. The clearance rates of clams after exposure to anoxia with 30 mg l −1 H2S (5.1 l h −1 ind. -1 ) were significantly lower than in those exposed to normoxic or anoxic conditions (11.4 or 11.2 l h −1 ind. -1 , respectively). The phytopigment concentration of the digestive glands of clams treated with 30 mg l −1 H2S under anoxic conditions (41.7 μg g −1 , wet weight of digestive gland) was significantly lower than that measured in other experimental treatments in this study (548.4 μg g −1 for normoxia, 461.9 μg g −1 for anoxia only, 479.8 μg g −1 for 5m g l −1 sulfidic anoxia; p < 0.01). Histological examination of clam tissue revealed that the ciliary epi thelium was damaged by a high concentration of H2S. These findings indicate that once the clams suffered damage to their gills by exposure to H2S, their feeding activity was impaired and they could not ingest prey, even when their environment was returned to optimal conditions.
Liberalization of retail sector and the economic impact of the entry of foreign hypermarkets on local retailers in Klang Valley, Malaysia

The primary purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of liberalization of retail sector via the presence of foreign hypermarkets in Malaysia on local retailers. Both quantitative and qualitative methods (survey and interviews) were used to collect and analyze the data. A total of 135 questionnaires were completed. The findings from the survey reveal that the entry of foreign hypermarkets in a town often affects the business environment of the local retail businesses. It is found that the newly established foreign hypermarkets tend to acquire much larger market share from the existing local businesses. The survey found that some businesses benefited from the presence of foreign hypermarkets (especially complementary type of retail businesses) while others do not (specifically those retail businesses that are related to groceries).
Pragmatic awareness of Suggestions: From (Im)Polite Mannerism to Attitudinal Appropriateness

The study seeks to provide a systematic pragmatic analysis of suggestion speech act among Iranian EFL learners. The purposes of the investigation are determining: the application of suggestion semantic formulae, the attitude of appropriateness in terms of confidence in the employment of appropriate supportive moves, polite and impolite mannerism, and the relationship between attitude of appropriateness and mannerism. To this end, an OQPT was administered as a placement test among 60 Iranian EFL learners. These participants along with 10 American native speakers then underwent a suggestion DCT addressing interlocutors with various power statuses (higher, lower, and equal) and social distances (intimate and strange). The DCT also involved attitudinal appropriateness scale and (im)politeness mannerism likert scale. The results indicated variations in the Iranian learners and American speakers’ performances in the employment of semantic formulae as well as in attitudinal appropriateness and (im)politeness manner. Moreover, the output revealed a positive relationship between the attitude and mannerism scales.
The Relationship Between Leverage, Maturity, and Investment Decision: Evidence From Emerging Markets

In this paper, we examine simultaneous relationship between leverage, maturity and over(under)- investment in emerging markets. We divide leverage into short term and long term to investigate the relation between current and future simultaneous relationship between leverage and investment decision, between debt maturity and investment decision, and between leverage and debt maturity. This research used twenty emerging market data from 2006 – 2016. First of all, our results show that firms in emerging markets prefer to use short-term debt to long-term debt to minimize the underinvestment problem. Second, there is a simultaneous non-linear relation between long-term leverage and growth opportunities in emerging markets firms. Third, long-term debt has non-linear effects on investment decision in emerging markets firms. It can be concluded that firms in emerging markets have different characteristics with regard to their capabilities to manage the interaction between leverage, maturity and investment compared to developed markets.
Formation of an ectocarpoid epiflora on blades of Laminaria digitata

The development of ectocarpoid algae on blades of Laminaria digitata (Hudson) Lamouroux has been followed by punching discs in a median line from proximal to distal ends of the blade, and culturing these in the laboratory for a period of 4 wk. Laminaria sporophytes were collected from exposed-shore and sheltered-shore populations on the Isle of Man (UK) but no difference could be detected either in species composition of their epifloras or in distribution and growth of ectocarpoid algae along the frond. The epiphyton was dominated by the microthallus of Ectocarpus fasciculatus, which gave rise to another generation of fertile offspring during the culture period. It is concluded that the success of E. fasciculatus may be due to its particular growth and reproductive characteristics which enable it to maintain a presence on the Laminaria blade throughout its phase of rapid growth.
Tax and Welfare Reforms: Stabilisation and Incentives Effects

Reforms aiming at lowering the tax burden and cutting social benefits may boost efficiency and output, and improve market adjustment to shocks, but, by reducing the size of automatic stabilisers, may also imply less cyclical smoothing. This would be problematic in EMU given the loss of national monetary autonomy. This paper argues that the alleged trade-off between efficiency/flexibility and stabilisation depends on the typology of shocks affecting the economy. While higher taxes and benefits stabilise output in the event of demand shocks, if the initial tax burden is high, they may have destabilising effects in the event of supply shocks. As to inflation, very high taxes are destabilising thereby increasing the likelihood of a policy conflict with the central bank. Numerical simulations show that European countries – especially very open ones – may well have a tax burden above the threshold beyond which perverse output stabilisation effects in the event of supply shocks occur. Hence tax reforms may not only improve efficiency, but, if supply shocks prevail, also enhance cyclical stabilisation.
Hybrid Prediction and Fractal Hyperspectral Image Compression

The data size of hyperspectral image is too large for storage and transmission, and it has become a bottleneck restricting its applications. So it is necessary to study a high efficiency compression method for hyperspectral image. Prediction encoding is easy to realize and has been studied widely in the hyperspectral image compression field. Fractal coding has the advantages of high compression ratio, resolution independence, and a fast decoding speed, but its application in the hyperspectral image compression field is not popular. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm for hyperspectral image compression based on hybrid prediction and fractal. Intraband prediction is implemented to the first band and all the remaining bands are encoded by modified fractal coding algorithm. The proposed algorithm can effectively exploit the spectral correlation in hyperspectral image, since each range block is approximated by the domain block in the adjacent band, which is of the same size as the range block. Experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm provides very promising performance at low bitrate. Compared to other algorithms, the encoding complexity is lower, the decoding quality has a great enhancement, and the PSNR can be increased by about 5 dB to 10 dB.
The Determinants of Voluntary Risk Disclosures: The Case of Shariah Compliant Companies in Malaysia

Risk reporting is essential in notifying investors on how companies manage the risks they engage in. Even though companies nowadays release information through press releases, corporate websites, and other forms of communications, they still have to disclose more information in their annual reports. The objective of this study is to examine the determinants of voluntary risk disclosures of Shariah compliant companies (ShCCs) in Malaysia, focusing on the religiosity factor and the ownership structure. A quantitative analysis using secondary data was employed as a method to assess the annual reports of 116 Shariah compliant companies in Malaysia for the financial years of 2012 and 2013. The findings of this study reveal that the voluntary risk disclosures in ShCCs on average are not more than sixty per cent. This study indicates no relationship between the religiosity of board members and directors’ ownership to the level of voluntary risk disclosure. More importantly, this study finds the relationship between the existence of government ownership and voluntary risk disclosure in ShCCs. The study adds value to the current body of knowledge in voluntary risk disclosures and suggests the importance of risk management information in the annual reports of ShCCs as Malaysia grows as a leading country in the Islamic economy.
The Comparison of Laparoscopic and Conventional Surgery for Colorectal Cancers: Evaluation of the Initial Experience

Introduction: This study aimed to analyze the initial experience of our center in laparoscopic colorectal resections and compare it with conventional open surgery. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective case-controlled study, prospective data of colo: rectal cancer patients was analyzed retrospectively. Fifteen laparoscopic (3 right, 6 left, and 6 rectum) and fi fteen open (3 right, 6 left, and 6 rectum) colorectal resections were analyzed for patient demographics, pathological characteristics, and early postoperative complications. Results: Mean operating time was longer in the laparoscopic group (227 ± 83.9 vs. 174.6 ± 54.7 : min) (p= 0.077). On the other hand, mean estimated blood loss was lower in the laparoscopic group as compared with the open group (215.3 ± 97 vs. 223.3 ± 56 mL) (p= 0.500). In the laparoscopic group, retrieved total and metastatic lymph node numbers were higher than in the open group (18 ± 8.3 and 14.7 ± 3.3; 1.1 ± 2.1 and 0.8 ± 1.3, respectively) (p= 0.243 and 0.692). Overall early postoperative complication rate was 23.3%. Surgical site infection (SSI) was seen in 6 (20%) patients; four in the open and two in the laparoscopic group. In one patient, after laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer, anastomotic leakage was seen and managed successfully with conservative methods. Conclusion: Our early results in laparoscopic colorectal surgery was comparable to open approach. Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer is a feasible option, even in the surgeon’s learning period.
Serum lipid profile and lipid pro-atherogenic indices of a cohort of Nigerian adults with varying glycemic and blood pressure phenotypes.

Dyslipidemia is common in patients with Type 2 diabetes and those with hypertension. The lipid profile and lipid pro-atherogenic indices of subjects with varying levels of fasting blood glucose and blood pressures may be different and thus was studied. Standard clinical and anthropometric methods were used to determine/measure all necessary parameters. Data from 189 subjects (90 males), aged 22-84 years, who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. Five glycemic/blood pressure phenotypes were defined, namely: hypoglycemic and normotensive (HN), hypoglycemic and hypertensive (HH), normoglycemic and hypertensive (NH), diabetic and normotensive (DN), and diabetic and hypertensive (DH) and their data compared to the control (normoglycemic and normotensive) group. Hypertensive subjects, irrespective of their fasting blood glucose levels had the worst lipid profile and had higher serum lipid pro-atherogenic indices compared to normotensive subjects. These lipid abnormalities were more prevalent within the older (.45 years old) and the overweight/obese subjects irrespective of sex. The lipid profile of hypertensive subjects should be monitored regularly and adjusted medically if necessary, irrespective of their fasting blood glucose level. Management of diabetes and hypertension (especially in this environment) should apart from targeting lipid abnormalities, emphasize therapeutic lifestyle changes that encourage weight loss.
Economic Theories of the Family and Discrimination in a Social Context: Entitlements of Kondh Tribal Females in India

Economic theories of the family and gender discrimination within the family are examined in the context of Kondh dominated tribal villages in rural western Orissa, India, drawing on results from a survey of 106 wives. The survey involved direct interviews using a structured questionnaire. This article examines the relevance of economic unitary and bargaining theories of the family in this social context, drawing on background literature. Using the survey results, socioeconomic influences on the status of wives within their families are analysed and the entitlements of female and male children are compared and analysed. Because of cultural embedding, it is suggested that the relevance of economic theories of the family depend significantly on cultural context. In many cases, it seems that poverty has a negative influence on the social empowerment of females but it is not the only influence nor always a sufficient condition for discrimination against females.
TESOL in-Service Teachers’ Attitudes towards Computer Use

The way education is being delivered has been altered via the rapid development of computer technology. This is especially the case in the delivery of English language teaching where the combination of various variables is pertinent to computer attitudes to enhance instructional outcomes. This paper reports the study undertaken to elucidate whether the correlation exists between TESOL in-service teachers’ attitudes towards computer and their computer attributes scale and to explore the proportion of variance in TESOL in-service teachers’ attitudes towards computer that can be explained by their cultural perception scale and computer competence scale. A questionnaire (ATCT) was utilized to obtain the necessary information about teachers’ characteristics, their computer attributes, cultural perceptions, computer competence and attitudes of the sample (45) TESOL in-service teachers at Universiti Sains Malaysia. The results revealed that there was a significant correlation between teachers’ computer attitudes and computer attributes. A further finding revealed that both of cultural perception scale and computer competence scale were predictors of teachers’ computer attitudes; yet, cultural perception scale was the best predictor. Suggestions based on these outcomes have been offered in this paper.
SPARK SCIENCE LEARNING SYSTEM (SSLS)

The present research explores the perception of students on their use of the SPARK Science Learning System device and sensors in their science classes as they study the K to 12 science modules in the Philippines. Two groups of students were assigned to be the experimental and the control group of the study. The experimental group was exposed to the SPARK Science Learning System and the other group was not. To determine the perceptions of both groups on their science classes, the instrument, iKnow My Class Survey was utilized. Upon analysis, it has been found out that the difference in the pre-test mean and the post-test mean on the survey conducted was statistically significant with a p-value of less than 0.05 (pvalue = 0.019 < 0.05). Thus, it can be concluded that the use of SPARK Science Learning System incurred better perception of science classes among students.
SUBSTITUTION OF CORNMEAL FOR FLOUR OF SHOOTS AND NON-COMMERCIAL ROOTS OF ARRACACHA (Arracaria xanthorrhiza Bancroft) IN THE PROCESSING OF SEMISWEET BISCUITS

The objective was to develop cornmeal semisweet biscuits with the addition of flour of shoots and non-commercial roots of arracacha ( Arracacia xanthorrhiza Bancroft) and evaluate their nutritional implications and physical characteristics of the product. The flours were obtained from fresh samples of shoots and non-commercial roots of arracacha. Biscuits were prepared in different concentrations of cornmeal, flour of shoots and non-commercial roots of arracacha, totaling seven trials. The flours and the biscuits were nutritionally analyzed and the cost of production was determined. That substitution of cornmeal by flour of non-commercial roots up to 50 % provided fewer-calorie biscuits with higher fiber content. Flour of shoots favored the increase of fibers; however, the biscuits had a darker color and harder texture. In conclusion, the addition of arracacha residues in the production of biscuits promoted increased fiber content and reduced the calorie value.
Acquisition of English Relative Clauses by Korean-speaking Learners of English

This study investigated whether Korean-speaking learners of L2 English differentiate between lexically-headed relatives and headless relatives and demonstrate any preference between the two structures. It further examines whether learners acquire headless relativization in the order predicted by Keenan and Comrie’s (1977) NPAH hypothesis and its application in language acquisition (Comrie, 2007). To this end, data were collected from forty-seven adult Korean speakers (28 female; 19 male) ages 19-36 (with an average age of 25.8), using an elicited imitation task and a grammaticality judgment task. Results from the learners with different proficiency levels showed fewer errors in headless relatives than they did in lexically-headed relatives, regardless of the gap position (subject vs. direct object) and the nature of the test instruments. The learners further showed a subject advantage in the realm of headless relatives, which supports the validity of Keenan and Comrie’s NPAH hypothesis in the acquisition of English headless relativization.
Determinants of External Debt in Jordan: An Empirical Study (1990¨C2014)

This study aimed at investigating the major determinants influencing the external debt in Jordan during the period (1990-2014). To achieve this goal, annual data has been used during the period study, through applying ARDL model which consist of the dependent (external debt) and independent variables (trade openness, term of trade, exchange rate, and gross domestic product per capita). The study reviled that there is a positive statistically significant effect trade variable on the external debt in the long run, and a negative statistically significant effect for the gross domestic product per capita variable (GDPpc) on the external debt. The study recommended that it is very important to depend on the available recourses in trading rather that depend on external debt.
A study of patrilineal genetic diversity in Iranian indigenous horse breeds

1 Department of Animal Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. 2 Department of Biotechnology, Animal Science Research Institute of Iran (ASRI), Karaj, Iran. 3 Department of Animal Science, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. 4 Department of Animal Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran. 5 Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Pardis Hemmat, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Depletion from Self‐regulation: A Resource‐based Account of the Effect of Value Incongruence

Value incongruence between employees and organizations has been identified as a negative work condition. An attitude-based account suggests that value incongruence gives rise to negative attitudes toward organizations and thus causes low performance. To complement this mechanism, we propose a resource-based account based on ego-depletion theory, which suggests that value incongruence consumes an individual’s regulatory resources and leads to low work performance. In support of this view, results from two survey studies and a vignette experiment reveal that value incongruence is positively associated with ego depletion, which in turn is negatively related to work performance. The mediation effect of ego depletion is independent of the attitude-based mechanism as represented by job satisfaction and affective commitment. Consistent with the affective consistency perspective, the relationship between value incongruence and ego depletion is stronger among employees high in positive affectivity, and weaker among employees high in negative affectivity. The corresponding moderated mediation analysis shows that the indirect effects of value incongruence on work performance through ego depletion vary as a function of positive and negative affectivity. This investigation unravels the self-regulatory consequence of value incongruence and shows that the resource-based mechanism of value incongruence operates differentially as a function of dispositional affectivity.
The Relationship between Innovations and Economic Growth in Sri Lanka

Innovation is widely recognized as a major incentive to national economic growth in industrial, newly industrialized, and developing economies (Pavitt and Walker, 1976; Kim, 1980; Archibugi et al., 1991; Ernst and Kim, 2002; Guan and Chen, 2012) and also there is widespread agreement among most economists on the positive link between innovation and growth. The objective of the study is to find out the impact of innovation on economic growth, the long run relationship between economic growth and other economic variables using Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root test and Johansen's test of co-intergration. The researcher used only secondary data for the study and the conclusion was that innovations positively influence economic growth in Sri Lanka. Keywords: Innovation, Economic Growth, unit roots, co-integration, vector auto-regression model
Intraarticular Injection of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Hyaluronic Acid (HA) in Early Knee Osteoarthritis

In OA, the concentration and the molecular weight of HA are reduced, resulting in synovial fluid of lower elasticity and viscosity [5]. When the viscoelasticity of synovial fluid is reduced, the transmission of mechanical force to cartilage may increase its susceptibility to mechanical damage [6]. Treatment of knee OA with local injection of hyaluronic acid has been approved by the FDA, due to its superiority to placebo and other conservative treatments [7].
Coastal salt marshes as global methyl halide sources from determinations of intrinsic production by marsh plants

Emissions of CH3Cl, CH3Br and CH3I were measured biweekly for 12‐ to 24‐month periods between March 2002 and March 2005 from monospecific stands of four dominant southern California coastal salt marsh plants. These measurements revealed large inherent differences between species and more detailed patterns of seasonal production than previously reported. Marsh plants displayed intrinsic abilities to produce methyl halides. Salt marsh plants produced 92% of CH3Cl and 90% of CH3Br emitted and only 41% of the emitted CH3I. Unvegetated areas emitted 7.9% of CH3Cl, 9.9% CH3Br, and 59% of the emitted CH3I. The accuracy of the estimated methyl halide emissions from a coastal marsh and probably other ecosystems can be dramatically improved with increasing the number of species being measured and including emission from barren (mudflats and soil) areas. Estimates of global salt marsh emissions based on vegetated and barren area are 130, 21, 5.5 (mg m−2 yr−1) for CH3Cl, CH3Br, and CH3I, respectively, or 1.2, 3.9, and 0.8% of total global fluxes of these gases.