Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corporate Board Structure and Firm Performance: The Context of Pharmaceutical Industry in Bangladesh

This study examines the influence of board structure on firm’s financial performance in the pharmaceutical industry of Bangladesh. Based on existing empirical studies, four major board attributes (board composition, board size, board ownership and CEO duality) have been selected to identify their influence on firm’s financial performance. Tobin’s Q (a market based performance measure) and Return on Asset- ROA (an accounting based performance measure) are considered as financial performance measures. Findings from the study show that there is a significant negative relation between board size and firm’s financial performance. However, association between other three variables- board composition, board ownership and CEO duality with financial performance is insignificant to draw a conclusion. The study recommends smaller but representative board size for pharmaceutical companies of Bangladesh. In addition, this paper argues that as the board of directors are supposed to ensure monitoring activities to increase firm performance; the composition of outside directors as board members should be increased to make it representative.
Genetic variation in nodule size at different sites on the skins of slaughter ostriches

Nodule size is an important indicator of leather quality in the ostrich leather trade. The present study investigated genetic variation in nodule size at five sites on the skin, namely the neck, back, upper leg, flank and butt. Nodule size increased with an increased chronological age at all sites. Estimates of h² for nodule size ranged from 0.09 ± 0.07 on the flank region to 0.24 ± 0.10 on the upper leg region. Genetic correlations between nodule sizes measured at different sites were generally lower than expected, linked to high standard errors and mostly not significant. These preliminary results seem to suggest that nodule size on different locations of the skin is not necessarily the same genetic trait. Apart from the limitations evident from these results, the objective measurement of nodules on ostrich skins is tedious when done manually, with little prospect for automation. The number of nodules per dm² (nodule density) was considered within skin sites as an indirect criterion for the improvement of nodule size. However, genetic correlations between nodule density and nodule size were negative, variable in size and generally not significantly different from zero or unity. Based on these preliminary results, alternative strategies for the genetic improvement of ostrich skin nodule size should be considered.
Ionized and Molecular Gas Kinematics in a z = 1.4 Star-forming Galaxy

We present deep observations of a z = 1.4 massive, star-forming galaxy (SFG) in molecular and ionized gas at comparable spatial resolution (CO 3–2, NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA); Hα, Large Binocular Telescope (LBT)). The kinematic tracers agree well, indicating that both gas phases are subject to the same gravitational potential and physical processes affecting the gas dynamics. We combine the one-dimensional velocity and velocity dispersion profiles in CO and Hα to forward-model the galaxy in a Bayesian framework, combining a thick exponential disk, a bulge, and a dark matter halo. We determine the dynamical support due to baryons and dark matter, and find a dark matter fraction within one effective radius of f DM ( ≤ R e ) = 0.18 − 0.04 + 0.06 . Our result strengthens the evidence for strong baryon-dominance on galactic scales of massive z ∼ 1–3 SFGs recently found based on ionized gas kinematics alone.
Cave development on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Extensive flooded cave systems are developed in a zone 8–12 km inland of the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Quintana Roo, Mexico. In plan, the systems comprise cross-linked anastomosing networks composed of horizontal elliptical tubes (which are actively developing where associated with the present fresh water/saline water mixing zone) and canyon-shaped passages. Both forms are heavily modified by sediment and speleothem infill, and extensive collapse. The pattern of Quintana Roo caves differs both from the mixing chamber form of flank-margin eogenetic caves, and also the dendritic and rectilinear maze patterns of epigenetic continental (telogenetic) caves. Unlike the latter, Quintana Roo caves are formed by coastal zone fresh water/saline water mixing processes. While mixing dissolution is also responsible for development of flank-margin caves, these may be typical of small islands and arid areas with limited coastal discharge, whereas Quintana Roo–type caves are formed when coastal discharge is greater. In the Quintana Roo caves, multiple phases of cave development are associated with glacio-eustatic changes in sea level. Two critical conditions control cave development following lowstands: (1) if the passage remains occupied by the mixing zone and connected to underlying deep cave systems, and (2) for passages above the mixing zone, if active freshwater flow is maintained by tributaries. In the first case, inflow of saline water drives mixing dissolution, enabling removal of the lowstand carbonate fill and continued passage enlargement. In the second, despite limited dissolution in the fresh water, continued removal of uncemented sediments can maintain the cave void. Where neither of these conditions is met, enlargement will cease, and the cave void will become occluded by collapse and sediment infill.
Extracting macroscopic dynamics: model problems and algorithms

In many applications, the primary objective of numerical simulation of timeevolving systems is the prediction of coarse-grained, or macroscopic, quantities. The purpose of this review is twofold: first, to describe a number of simple model systems where the coarse-grained or macroscopic behaviour of a system can be explicitly determined from the full, or microscopic, description; and second, to overview some of the emerging algorithmic approaches that have been introduced to extract effective, lower-dimensional, macroscopic dynamics. The model problems we describe may be either stochastic or deterministic in both their microscopic and macroscopic behaviour, leading to four possibilities in the transition from microscopic to macroscopic descriptions. Model problems are given which illustrate all four situations, and mathematical tools for their study are introduced. These model problems are useful in the evaluation of algorithms. We use specific instances of the model problems to illustrate these algorithms. As the subject of algorithm development and analysis is, in many cases, in its infancy, the primary purpose here is to attempt to unify some of the emerging ideas so that individuals new to the field have a structured access to the literature. Furthermore, by discussing the algorithms in the context of the model problems, a platform for understanding existing algorithms and developing new ones is built.
Communication Status in Group and Semantic Network of Science Gifted Students in Small Group Activity

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between the communication status in group and the semantic network of science gifted students. Seven small groups, 5 members in each, participated in small group activities, in which they discussed the calculation of earth density. Both the communication status in group and the semantic network of science gifted students were analyzed using KrKwic, Ucinet 6.0 for Windows. As a result, the semantic network of prime movers in group represented more frequently used words, lesser rate of component, and higher density than that of out lookers. It means that the prime movers have coherent knowledge compared to out lookers, and they output more knowledge for problem solving than out lookers. Therefore, the results of this study may be applied to evaluating the cognitive level of science gifted students and group organization for small group activity.
THE MULTIFRACTAL SCALING OF CLOUD RADIANCES FROM 1M TO 1KM

The cloud radiances and atmospheric dynamics are strongly nonlinearly coupled, the observed scaling of the former from 1 km to planetary scales is prima facae evidence for scale invariant dynamics. In contrast, the scaling properties of radiances at scales < 1 km have not been well studied (contradictory claims have been made) and if a characteristic vertical cloud thickness existed, it could break the scaling of the horizontal radiances. In order to settle this issue, we use ground-based photography to study the cloud radiance eld through the range scales where breaks in scaling have been reported (30 m to 500 m). Over the entire range 1 m to 1 km the two-dimensional (2D) energy spectrum (E(k)) of 38 clouds was found to accurately follow the scaling form E(k) k where k is a wave number and is the spectral exponent. This indirectly shows that there is no characteristic vertical cloud thickness, and that \radiative smoothing" of cloud structures occurs at all scales. We also quantitatively characterize the type of (multifractal) scaling showing that the main dierence between transmitted and reflected radiance elds is the (scale-by-scale) non-conservation parameterH. These ndings lend support to the unied scaling model of the atmosphere which postulates a single anisotropic scaling regime from planetary down to dissipation scales.
Testing the response of macroinvertebrate functional structure and biodiversity to flooding and confinement

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relative importance of flooding- and confinement-related environmental features in explaining macroinvertebrate trait structure and diversity in a pool of wetlands located in a Mediterranean river floodplain. To test hypothesized trait-environment relationships, we employed a recently implemented statistical procedure, the fourth-corner method. We found that flooding-related variables, mainly pH and turbidity, were related to traits that confer an ability of the organism to resist flooding (e.g., small body-shape, protection of eggs) or recuperate faster after flooding (e.g., short life-span, asexual reproduction). In contrast, confinement-related variables, mainly temperature and organic matter, enhanced traits that allow organisms to interact and compete with other organisms (e.g., large size, sexual reproduction) and to efficiently use habitat and resources (e.g., diverse locomotion and feeding strategies). These results are in agreement with predictions made under the River Habitat Templet for lotic ecosystems, and demonstrate the ability of the fourth-corner method to test hypothesis that posit traitenvironment relationships. Trait diversity was slightly higher in flooded than in confined sites, whereas trait richness was not significantly different. This suggests that although trait structure may change in response to the main environmental factors, as evidenced by the fourth-corner method, the number of life-history strategies needed to persist in the face of such constraints remains more or less constant; only their relative dominance differs.
Solar Ellerman Bombs in 1D Radiative Hydrodynamics

Recent observations from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph appear to show impulsive brightenings in high temperature lines, which when combined with simultaneous ground-based observations in Hα, appear co-spatial to Ellerman Bombs (EBs). We use the RADYN one-dimensional radiative transfer code in an attempt to try and reproduce the observed line profiles and simulate the atmospheric conditions of these events. Combined with the MULTI/RH line synthesis codes, we compute the Hα, Ca ii 8542 Å, and Mg ii h and k lines for these simulated events and compare them to previous observations. Our findings hint that the presence of superheated regions in the photosphere (>10,000 K) is not a plausible explanation for the production of EB signatures. While we are able to recreate EB-like line profiles in Hα, Ca ii 8542 Å, and Mg ii h and k, we cannot achieve agreement with all of these simultaneously.
Generalizing the JohnsonLindenstrauss lemma to k-dimensional affine subspaces

Let ε > 0 and 1 ≤ k ≤ n and let {Wl}pl=1 be affine subspaces of R , each of dimension at most k. Let m = O(ε−2(k + log p)) if ε < 1, and m = O(k + log p/log(1 + ε)) if ε ≥ 1. We prove that there is a linear map H : R → R such that for all 1 ≤ l ≤ p and x, y ∈ Wl we have ‖x − y‖2 ≤ ‖H(x) − H(y)‖2 ≤ (1 + ε)‖x − y‖2, i.e. the distance distortion is at most 1+ε. The estimate on m is tight in terms of k and p whenever ε < 1, and is tight on ε, k, p whenever ε ≥ 1. We extend these results to embeddings into general normed spaces Y .
A SMOOTHING METHOD FOR SHAPE OPTIMIZATION: TRACTION METHOD USING THE ROBIN CONDITION

This paper presents an improved version of the traction method that was proposed as a solution to shape optimization problems of domain boundaries in which boundary value problems of partial differential equations are defined. The principle of the traction method is presented based on the theory of the gradient method in Hilbert space. Based on this principle, a new method is proposed by selecting another bounded coercive bilinear form from the previous method. The proposed method obtains domain variation with a solution to a boundary value problem with the Robin condition by using the shape gradient.
An analysis of publications on invasive macrophytes in aquatic ecosystems

In this study, we performed a scientometric analysis of published scientific papers on the biological invasion of macrophytes in freshwater ecosystems to assess the main trends and gaps in research concerning this group of organisms. The analysis showed that publications on invasive macrophytes increased exponentially in the last decade. However, the activity index (a comparison of the quantitative trends of invasive macrophytes in relation to all of the papers on macrophytes) indicated that invasive macrophytes have not been consistently studied more than other topics in the field of limnology over the last decade. The most studied macrophyte species were Myriophyllum spicatum, Hydrilla verticillata, Phragmites australis and Eichhornia crassipes. Certain gaps were related to the limited number of studies on the important species threatening tropical ecosystems, under-representation of investigations on the impacts of invasive macrophytes on fish and lack of studies associating macrophytes with microorganisms (bacteria and fungi). Studies that encompassed several levels of biological complexity were also scarce, indicating that the studies were fragmented at specific levels. Finally, there was a clear geographical bias, with fewer studies occurring in Neotropical and Afrotropical regions. Identification of these gaps may be useful for addressing future studies that might help evaluate the causes of invasion by macrophytes and the impacts of such invasions on freshwater ecosystems.
The Academic Honesty Expectations Gap : An Analysis of Accounting Student and Faculty Perspectives

Responding to calls for increased ethics research in the wake of corporate scandals, this study analyzes accounting student and faculty views toward academic honesty. An instrument presenting vignettes involving potential academic dishonesty was administered to 458 accounting students and 177 accounting faculty. Participants assessed the extent to which the characters described in the situations behaved in an academically honest manner and the extent to which they should be penalized. Results indicate that students and faculty view many situations involving academic honesty differently, implying that an academic honesty expectations gap exists. Results also show that both students and faculty are aware of the gap. There were no significant differences between students and faculty regarding behaviors that were more clearly honest or dishonest. The biggest gap exists for “gray area” situations. These results suggest the importance of establishing a dialogue with students on academic honesty and faculty expectations.
Information Asymmetry and Hybrid Advertising

Pay-for-performance (P4P) pricing schemes such as pay per click and pay per action have increased in popularity in Internet advertising. Meanwhile, pay-per-impression (PPI) schemes persist, and several publishers have begun to offer a hybrid mix of PPI and P4P schemes. Given the proliferation of pricing schemes, this study examines the optimal choices for publishers. The authors highlight two-sided information asymmetries in online advertising markets and the consequent trade-offs faced by a high-quality publisher using P4P schemes. Pay-for-performance schemes enable a high-quality publisher to reveal its superior quality; however, such schemes may incur allocative inefficiencies stemming from inaccurate estimates of advertiser qualities. The authors identify conditions under which a publisher may opt for a PPI, P4P, or hybrid scheme and, in doing so, provide theoretical explanations for the observed variations in the pricing schemes and the increasing popularity of hybrid schemes. Using a new “uncompromised” equilibrium refinement, the authors find that the hybrid scheme can emerge as an equilibrium choice in a variety of conditions. In addition, they provide prescriptive guidelines for firms choosing between different pricing schemes.
Effects of sea level rise on growth of Spartina anglica and oxygen dynamics in rhizosphere and salt marsh sediments

The effect of sea level rise on the growth of Spartina anglica seedlings and on key sed- iment biogeochemical variables (oxygen concentrations and sulfur cycling) was studied for 4 mo in a laboratory experiment. S. anglica, grown under drained and waterlogged conditions, showed no significant differences in leaf elongation and above-ground biomass between treatments. Sulfate reduction rates were not significantly different between treatments (4.1 and 5.3 mmol m -2 d -1 , respec- tively), and although pools of reduced sulfides were high (12.1 to 14.9 mol S m -2 ), no dissolved sulfides were detected in the sediments. Measurements of oxygen concentrations in rhizosphere sediment done with microelectrodes revealed a distinct oxic microzone of up to 2.5 mm around the roots of S. anglica. The oxic microzone comprised 30 to 60% of the S. anglica rhizosphere sediment, suggesting that the root-mediated oxygen supply to the rhizosphere has profound effects on the microbial pro- cesses in the sediments. The sulfate reduction was probably hampered due to the root-mediated loss of oxygen from the plants. There was no difference in oxygen dynamics in the rhizosphere between treatments, indicating that S. anglica is efficient in oxidizing the sediments also under waterlogged conditions. The root-mediated loss of oxygen from S. anglica counteracts the expected changes in sediment conditions as a consequence of sea level rise, e.g. accumulation of phytotoxic compounds such as sulfides. The results suggest that possible negative impacts of sea level rise are more likely to be found for plants with less developed root systems.
Possible New iNsecticides iN the ProtectioN of stored wheat

AlmAsi, R. , D. Posloncec and Z. KoRunic, 2013. Possible new insecticides in the protection of stored wheat. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 19: 1076-1084 With the aim of the efficient control of pests and significant decrease in insecticide residues in stored goods, some new formulations of powder insecticides have been developed by combining natural and synthetic substances. The developed formulations are as follows: the mixture of diatomaceous earth (DE) and deltamethrin (DM) (DE/DM) containing 900g/kg of DE and 1g/kg of DM active substance (a.s.), DE and pyrethrin (Py) (DE/Py) containing 900g/kg of DE and Py 10g/kg a.s. and DE and spinosad (Spin) (DE/Spin) containing 900g/kg of DE and 10g/kg a.s. of spinosad. The goal of this research work was the evaluation of the efficiency of formulations DE/DM, DE/Py and DE/Spin in the control of Sitophilus oryzae l. and Rhizopertha dominica F. on wheat. In the experiments, the wheat variety Pobeda grown in Vojvodina (Serbia) in 2011, containing 12.12% moisture content was used. The applied doses (ppm or grams per 1000 kg of grain) were: DE/DM and DE/Spin 50, 100 and 150, DE/Py -100, 200 and 300. The experiments were carried out at the temperature from 25 to 280C and air humidity (r.h.) of 65 to 80%. The results of the efficiency were evaluated after 7, 14 and 21 days of the exposure of insects to the treated wheat and the effects on the offspring after 66 days (S. oryzae) and after 70 days (R. dominica). The doses of DE/DM (150 ppm) and DE/Py (200 ppm) caused 100% mortality of S. oryzae during 14 days of the exposure to treated wheat and completely suppressed its offspring. However, the highest researched dose of DE/Spin of 150 ppm during 21 days controlled S. oryzae by 98.5% and reduced its offspring by 92%. The lowest doses of all the three formulations (50 ppm of DE/DM and DE/Spin and 100 ppm of DE/Py) controlled the imagoes and offspring of R. dominica by 100%. In the conditions under which the experiment was carried out the recommended doses for S. oryzae control on wheat can be 150 ppm of DE/DM, 200 ppm of DE/Py and probably 200 ppm of DE/Spin, and for the control of R. dominica the lowest doses of all the three formulations.
Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp: How are Foreign Folktales Conveyed in Western Children’s Literature?

This paper seeks to examine how the Middle Eastern folktale Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp was retold to the Western children through critically analyzing 8 English versions of the story and an Arabic version to compare the different English versions to it. Through looking at the settings, the characters and the events as well as the cultural characteristics presented in the books, we found that most of the English versions were not faithful to the Arabic version specifically the Disney version of Aladdin, which was the most Westernized one. Based on the findings of this study, we recommend that teachers, educators and parents should not rely on a single book to be the only source for providing information. Rather, they need to locate different books especially when introducing a certain culture.
Demographics, Fiscal Policy, and U.S. Saving in the 1980s and Beyond

This paper focuses on U.S. saving, demographics, and fiscal policy. We use data from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys of the 1980s to consider the effect of demographic change on past and future U.S. saving rates. Our findings indicate that demographic change may significantly alter the U.S. rate of national saving and current account position over the next 50 years. The gradual aging of the population is predicted to lead to higher saving rates over the next three decades with declines in the rate of saving thereafter. Associated with these predicted saving rate changes is a predicted improvement in the U.S. current account position is the 1990s, with a very gradual deterioration during the subsequent decades. While demographics is a potentially very important factor in explaining saving, it does not appear to explain the drop in the U.S. saving rate in the 1980s. What happened to U.S. saving in the 1980s remains an intriguing puzzle.