Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Nomination and Remuneration Committee on Corporate Financial Performance

This study is an attempt to achieve the main objective by examining the association between the nomination and remuneration committee and the corporate financial performance of the Jordanian companies. This study used OLS regression to test the relationship between independent variable and dependent variable as discussed in the section explaining the study method. The data comprised of 228 companies industrial and services. As this study Jordan attempts to bridge the gap in the existing literature by investigating the association between nomination and remuneration committee and corporate financial performance in the emerging market of Jordan. The findings indicated a significantly positive relationship between the nomination and remuneration committee and the corporate financial performance. Finally, this study provides recommendations for future research.
COMPACT DIFFRACTIVE OPTICS FOR THz IMAGING L. Minkevičius, S. Indrišiūnas, R. Šniaukas, G. Račiukaitis, V. Janonis, V. Tamošiūnas, I. Kašalynas, and G. Valušis

We present a compact diffractive silicon-based multilevel phase Fresnel lens (MPFL) with up to 50 mm in diameter and a numerical aperture up to 0.86 designed and fabricated for compact terahertz (THz) imaging systems. The laser direct writing technology based on a picosecond laser was used to fabricate diffractive optics on silicon with a different number of phase quantization levels P reaching an almost kinoform spherical surface needed for efficient THz beam focusing. Focusing performance was investigated by measuring Gaussian beam intensity distribution in the focal plane and along the optical axis of the lens. The beam waist and the focal depth for each MPFL were evaluated. The influence of the phase quantization number on the focused beam amplitude was estimated, and the power transmission efficiency reaching more than 90% was revealed. The THz imaging of less than 1 mm using a robust 50 mm diameter multilevel THz lens was achieved and demonstrated at 580 GHz frequency.
Willing and Able: A General Model of Organizational Responses to Normative Pressures

We develop a conceptual understanding of when and how organizations respond to normative pressures. More precisely, we examine two main factors underlying the willingness and ability of organizations to respond to an issue: (1) issue salience, and (2) the cost-benefit analysis of resource mobilization. We suggest that decision-makers’ interpretation of issue salience in conjunction with their perception of the costs and benefits of taking action to address the issue generates five potential responses: symbolic compliance and symbolic conformity, substantive compliance and substantive conformity, and inaction. We extend the baseline model by examining a number of boundary conditions. By focusing on the willingness and ability of organizations to respond to normative pressures, and by adopting the issue as the unit of analysis, our model helps explain intra- as well as inter-organizational response heterogeneity to institutional complexity. We contribute to the institutional research tradition and offer useful implications for managerial practice, from strategic management to policy making.
A revised host galaxy association for GRB 020819B: a high-redshift dusty starburst, not a low-redshift gas-poor spiral

The purported spiral host galaxy of GRB 020819B at z = 0.41 has been seminal in establishing our view of the diversity of long-duration gamma-ray burst environments: Optical spectroscopy of this host provided evidence that gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can form even at high metallicities, whereas millimetric observations suggested that GRBs may preferentially form in regions with minimal molecular gas. We report new observations from the Very Large Telescope (Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer and X-shooter), which demonstrate that the purported host is an unrelated foreground galaxy. The probable radio afterglow is coincident with a compact, highly star forming, dusty galaxy at z = 1.9621. The revised redshift naturally explains the apparent non-detection of CO (3–2) line emission at the afterglow site from the Atacama Large Millimetre Observatory. There is no evidence that molecular gas properties in GRB host galaxies are unusual, and limited evidence that GRBs can form readily at a super-Solar metallicity.
Effects of Essential Oils on Telomere Length in Human Cells

Essential oils are used for their reputed health benefits; reversal of inflammation, oxidative damage, and infection are some of the therapeutic effects that essential oils are believed to possess. In many cases, there is scientific evidence to back these claims. However, the purported anti-aging effects of essential oils are not yet supported by the literature. We set out to evaluate the effects of 31 oils on telomere length, believed to play a role in cellular senescence. Cells were subjected to oils in the presence or absence of hydrogen peroxide, and changes in telomere length were measured using a PCR-based assay. Two oils which showed telomere-protective effects were further characterized using a cytogenetic assay, staining for telomeres. Significant variability was seen among these oils with respect to their ability to induce an apparent increase or decrease in telomere length, and to protect against peroxideinduced telomere damage. Expression analysis showed that telomere-protective oils did not increase telomerase (hTERT) gene transcription, but reduced TERF-1, a suppressor of telomere length. Though this mechanism is not yet understood, these data provide a base upon which the community can build, and represent the first formal scientific foray into the study of essential oils on the telomere. Conclusion: Certain essential oils, including those from basil and rosemary, appear to have telomere-protective effects, mediated through a reduction of the TERF-1 telomere-suppressive protein.
The effect of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) extract supplemented into broiler diets, on performance and blood parameters

This experiment was carried out to determine the effect of dietary supplementation of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) ethanol extract, on performance and blood parameters of broilers. One hundred twenty 1-day-old male Ross308 broiler chicks were used in this experiment. The chickens were divided into 3 groups, including one control and 2 treatment containing 40 birds each. Each group was divided into four replicates and the study lasted 42 days. Group 1 (Control group) was fed with only basal diets. Group 2 (ROE 100mg/kg) was fed basal diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg R. officinalis L. Group 3 (ROE 200mg/kg), was fed basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg R. officinalis L. At the end of experiment blood samples collected. Body weight gain (P<0.01) and feed consumption (P<0.001) were decreased when compared with control group, while feed conversion ratio is not affected. Besides, it is detected that rosemary ethanol extract increases the enzymes antioxidant (SOD, GPx, CAT), GSH; reduces lipid peroxidation (MDA) and reduces the ALT, AST, blood glucose level (P>0.05) and LDL-cholesterol (P<0.01). The results of this study showed that lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress parameters significantly decreased after ROE application. Rosemary (R. officinalis L.) ethanol extract at 200 mg/kg administered group was found to create a more positive effect on some biochemical parameters and can be a viable alternative growth promoter in the feeding of broilers.
A new scenario for the Domerian - Toarcian transition

In contrast to the majority of recently published hypotheses, we believe that the main trigger for early Toar- cian anoxia is neither increased primary productivity during the Tenuicostatum and Falciferum Zones nor sudden me- thane hydrate degassing close to the transition between these two zones. In our opinion, this peculiar paleoceanographic episode is linked to a major, though short-lived, regression at the end of Upper Domerian. Sea-level fall resulted from sudden cooling due to increased volcanic activity. This generated global thermal insulation and subsequent glaciation. The regression is responsible for a major hiatus over NW-European epicontinental seas and is later followed by the well-known Lower Toarcian transgression. The interval corresponding to this hiatus allowed vegetation to colonise vast newly emerged surfaces. The leaching and drowning of the accumulated organo-humic matter then triggered the anoxic cycle at the transgressive maximum, concomitant with a global warming. Un nouveau scenario pour le passage Domerien - Toarcien
Improving detoxification Efficiency of PSP-contaminated oysters ( Crassostrea gigas Thunberg )

Shellfish production, and production of marine bivalve molluscs in particular, is the main form of marine aquaculture in the European Union, with a production estimated at 1,200,000 tons in 1999 (Food and Agricultural Organization). Moreover, aquaculture production is rapidly expanding throughout Europe and is becoming a major economic resource in developing areas such as Northern Greece, Ireland, and northwestern Spain. These shellfish, mainly mussels, oysters, and clams, are produced in a natural environment. Due to variations in their environment, these otherwise edible species may however become unsafe for human consumption. Potential problems are amplified due to the nature of shellfish themselves: as they are filter feeders, they consume large amounts of algae. Contaminants, which are not harmful to them, therefore tend to concentrate in shellfish. Toxic algae have been a growing threat these last decades and at least three different types of shellfish poisoning, namely, diarrhetic, amnesic, and paralytic shellfish poisoning (DSP, ASP, and PSP), have been observed in Europe so far.
Effect of two commercial preparations of condensed tannins on the survival of gastrointestinal nematodes of mice and goats in vitro

In vitro studies were carried out to investigate anthelmintic activities of two commercial tannin preparations, quebracho (QT) and wattle (WT), against a freshly isolated mouse nematode (Heligmosomoides polygyrus) and goat nematodes (Haemonchus contortus and Oesophagostomum columbianum). The worms were incubated at 38 - 39 oC in culture media containing varying concentrations of the tannins. Worm activity was monitored for 48 h and the time taken for individual worms to die was recorded. Survival of the nematodes was significantly reduced by the addition of the tannin preparations to the culture media. Addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG), which binds and inactivates tannins, to media containing tannins significantly increased the survival time of the worms, suggesting that the toxicity of the extracts was at least partially due to the tannins. Worms dying in cultures containing QT or WT had darkly stained guts, an indication that death was due to ingestion of the tannins in the media. These results support the hypothesis that tannins in commercial extracts could have direct toxic effects on parasitic nematodes.
Tractor traffic and nitrogen fertilization affect the herbage production of the red clover/grass sward Dirvų išvažinėjimas ir tręšimas azotu veikia žolynų produktyvumą

In recent years, soil compaction caused by agricultural machinery has been recognized as one of the main factors that can lower yields of perennial crops. At the same time changes in grassland fertilization intensity are observed. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the interaction of different N fertilization rates and the intensity of tractor passes. This study was conducted as a field experiment located on a sandy loam soil classified as Mollic Fluvisol in Mydlniki near Krakow, Poland over a four-year period (2009–2012). The field experiment was established with four replications in a split-plot design with fertilization as the main plot and tractor traffic as the subplot. Three levels of N fertilization: untreated (control), 80 and 160 kg ha-1 N, and four levels of tractor traffic intensity were applied using the following numbers of tractor passes: no passes (control), two passes, four passes and six passes. Nitrogen (N) fertilization significantly affected the percentage of only three species – Trifolium pratense, Lolium perenne and Festuca pratensis in the sward. T. pratense was negatively affected by with higher N rates but two grasses, L. perenne and F. pratensis, showed the opposite response. The tractor traffic significantly affected T. pratense and L. perenne occurrence in the swards. The percentage of T. pratense in the sward was reduced by tractor traffic, and this space was occupied by L. perenne. Changes in the botanical composition reflected in the herbage production. All investigated grass species increased biomass productivity in direct proportion to N rates. Only T. pratense was negatively affected by nitrogen fertilization and since 2011 it started to disappear from the swards treated with higher nitrogen rates. For all investigated components of the mixture no interaction between treatments, tractor traffic and nitrogen fertilization was observed.
Effects of sodium and calcium treatments on the shelf life and quality of pomegranate

Pomegranate (Punicagranatum L.) fruits are very susceptible to chilling injury during cold storage. So, this experiment was conducted to test the effects of calcium chloride treatments on postharvest quality of pomegranates. The present study was carried out in Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University of Isfahan (Khorasgan) branch. Fruits were harvested at mature ripe stage and washed before applying the treatments. Fruits were dipped indistilled water (control), sodium hypochlorite (10%), calcium chloride (4%) and sodium hypochlorite (10%) + calcium chloride (4%) solution for 4 minute. The treated fruits were air - dried at 24±1°C and stored at 5±1°C with 85 ±5 % RH for 2 months subsequent 2weeks on marketing conditions at 20± 2°C. Completely Randomized Factorial Designs was applied to test the significance of treatments and means were compared using Duncan's multiple range test at P = 0.01. Changes in weight loss, firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA) and vitamin C were retained. Weight lossand total soluble solids (TSS) greatly reduced by all sodium and calciumtreatments. Fruits treated with 4% Calcium chloride combination with sodium hypochlorite (10%) retained maximum firmness, vitamin C and titratable acidity (TA). In conclusion, the best treatment to enhance postharvest factors of pomegranates, was the 4% Calcium chloride combination with sodium hypochlorite (10%). This treatment can be proposed as additional substance for pomegranates postharvest quality increasment.
Ekedahl-Oort strata contained in the supersingular locus and Deligne-Lusztig varieties

We study the moduli space of principally polarized abelian varieties over fields of positive characteristic. In this paper we describe certain unions of Ekedahl-Oort strata contained in the supersingular locus in terms of Deligne-Lusztig varieties. As a corollary we show that each Ekedahl-Oort stratum contained in the supersingular locus is reducible except possibly for small p.
Learning Environments Matter: Identifying Influences on the Motivation to Learn Science.

In the light of the poor academic achievement in science by secondary school students in South Africa, students’ motivation for science learning should be enhanced. It is argued that this can only be achieved with insight into which motivational factors to target, with due consideration of the diversity in schools. The study therefore explored the impact of six motivational factors for science learning in a sample of 380 Grade Nine boys and girls from three racial groups, in both public and independent schools. The students completed the Student Motivation for Science Learning questionnaire. Significant differences were identified between different groups and school types. The study is important for identifying the key role of achievement goals, science learning values and science self-efficacies. The main finding emphasises the significant role played by science teachers in motivating students for science in terms of the learning environments that they create. This has important implications for future research, aimed at a better understanding of these environments. Such insights are needed to promote scientific literacy among the school students, and so contribute to the improvement of science achievement in South Africa.
When Good Instruments Go Bad: A Reply to Neumark, Zhang, and Ciccarella

This note examines the instrumental variables method used by Neumark, Zhang, and Ciccarella (2005) to analyze Wal-Mart's effect on retail labor markets, and exposes major flaws in that methodology. Neumark, Zhang, and Ciccarella use an interaction between distance from Wal-Mart's headquarters and time effects to predict Wal-Mart's presence in a county, and find that each Wal-Mart store destroys, on average, approximately 200 retail jobs. These findings are in stark contrast to Basker (2005) who found a small, but positive and statistically significant, effect on jobs. I show that the IV estimates obtained by Neumark, Zhang, and Ciccarella confound Wal-Mart's causal effect with other factors. To illustrate the problem, I show that their methodology implies a large impact of Wal-Mart not only on retail employment but also on county manufacturing employment. Reduced-form estimates of the regressions show statistically and economically indistinguishable effects in counties with and without Wal-Mart presence, implying that other factors are most likely driving the results.
Effects on soil characteristics by different management regimes with root sucker generated hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. × P. tremuloides Michx.) on abandoned agricultural land

Abstract: Fast-growing Populus species are becoming frequently used at afforestation of arable land globally and hybrid aspen is promising for short rotation forestry in the northern hemisphere. Knowledge about growth performance of the second-generation plantations, i.e., consisting of root sucker generated shoots after clearcutting of the original stand, is increasing, but less information is available on the effects on soil properties, especially with varying management. We followed the soil effects of three different management regimes, including 4-, 8- and 16-year rotations with thinning measures in the two longer rotations, in root sucker generated hybrid aspen on former agricultural land. The study was performed in a randomized block design and changes in soil variables were estimated by repeated sampling, i.e., at root sucker initiation and after eight years. Concentrations and pools of soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil nutrients, pH and bulk density were analysed in the 0-15 and 15-30 cm mineral soil. Common for all management regimes were unchanged SOC and nutrient pools; pH and bulk density were also unaffected during the study period. Afforestation effects on the vertical distribution of nutrients, i.e., redistribution of NH4-N, K and Mg from deeper to shallower soil by plant uptake and release through litter decomposition, were observed in all management regimes. A different effect was noted for NO3-N where a declining trend was observed. This could indicate a leakage of the ion, but NO3-N distributions in soils are variable which makes interpretations difficult. The results suggest that different management strategies have small initial effects on mineral soil characteristics. However, soil changes need to be followed for an extended period to get more information on the long-term impact of afforestation and management of root sucker generated stands.
A comparison of specific leaf area, chemical composition and leaf construction costs of field plants from 15 habitats differing in productivity

summary Laboratory experiments have shown a large dierence in specific leaf area (SLA, leaf area:leaf mass) between species from nutrient-poor and nutrient-rich habitats, but no systematic dierence in the construction costs (the amount of glucose required to construct 1 g biomass). We examined how far these patterns are congruent with those from field-grown plants. An analysis was made of the vegetation in a range of grasslands and heathlands diering in productivity. The SLA of the dominant species in 15 dierent habitats was determined, as well as chemical composition and construction costs of bulk samples of leaves. SLA in the field was generally lower than in the laboratory, but showed consistency in that the ranking across species remained the same. Species from highly productive habitats had higher SLA than those from sites of low productivity, although individual species sometimes deviated substantially from the general trend. Construction costs were similar for plants from dierent habitats. This was mainly due to the positive correlation between an expensive class of compounds (proteins) and a cheap one (minerals).
Teacher Job Satisfaction and Burnout Viewed through Social Comparisons.

Understanding job satisfaction, stress, and burnout within agricultural education has the potential to impact the profession’s future. Studying these factors through the theoretical lens of social comparison takes a cultural approach by investigating how agriculture teachers interact with and compare themselves to others. The purpose of this study was to determine if relationships existed between social comparison and job satisfaction and/or burnout among secondary agriculture teachers representing six states. Findings indicated that teachers were satisfied with their jobs and tended to engage most frequently in upward assimilative (UA) comparisons, leading to inspiration emotional outcomes. According to the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Educators (MBI–E), teachers experienced low levels of burnout related to personal accomplishment (PA) and depersonalization (DE), and moderate levels related to emotional exhaustion (EE). Seven moderate relationships were found between dimensions of social comparison and either burnout and/or job satisfaction.
Antiulcerogenic activity of Solenostemon monostachyus

Objective: Solenostemon monostachyus P. Beauv (family Lamiaceae) used traditionally by the Ibibios of Southern Nigeria to treat stomach ulcer, malaria and other inflammatory diseases was evaluated for antiulcer activity. Materials and Methods: The effects of extract of Solenostemon monostachyus (75 - 225 mg/kg) and fractions (Aqueous and chloroform, 150 mg/kg) on experimentally induced ulcer were studied in rats using ethanol, indomethacin, reserpine and histamine –induced ulcer models. Results: The effect of ethanol extract of S. monostachyus (75 – 225 mg/kg) and fractions on experimentally induced ulcer were studied in rats. The extract (75 – 225 mg/kg) inhibited ethanol, indomethacin and histamine –induced ulcer models in a dose dependent fashion. The various degrees of inhibitions were statistically significant (p<0.05, 0.01, 0.001). The effect of the extract was comparable to that of the standard drugs used with the dichloromethane fraction having the highest activity. Conclusion: Thus, S. monostachyus extract demonstrated a good antiulcer activity which supports the use of this plant in the traditional medicine to treat ulcers.