Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Test of a mediation model of psychological capital among hotel salespeople

Purpose This paper aims to propose and test a research model that examines psychological capital as a mediator of the effect of servant leadership on lateness attitude, intention to remain with the organization, service–sales ambidexterity and service-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from hotel salespeople using a three-wave design with a two-week time lag between each wave in Iran. In total, 26 supervisors assessed salespeople’s service-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors. Structural equation modeling was used in the assessment of the direct and mediating effects. Findings The findings reveal that psychological capital functions as a full mediator of the influence of servant leadership on the aforementioned outcomes. Specifically, servant leadership fosters salespeople’s psychological capital. Such employees in turn display reduced lateness attitude and express an increased intent to remain with the organization. They also have favorable perceptions of service–sales ambidexterity and exhibit service-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors at elevated levels. Practical implications Top management of hotels should be committed to the philosophy of servant leadership because salespeople under the umbrella of this leadership style are high on psychological capital. Under these circumstances, such employees can exhibit service–sales ambidexterity by contributing to delivery of exceptional service and enhancing customer satisfaction. They can also contribute to the organization’s competitive advantage via service-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors. Originality/value This study makes a significant contribution to the extant hospitality research by testing psychological capital as a mediator between servant leadership and the previously mentioned consequences.
Ecological research in the large-scale biosphere-atmosphere experiment in Amazonia: early results

The Large-scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA) is a multinational, interdisciplinary research program led by Brazil. Ecological studies in LBA focus on how tropical forest conversion, regrowth, and selective logging influence carbon storage, nutrient dynamics, trace gas fluxes, and the prospect for sustainable land use in the Amazon region. Early results from ecological studies within LBA emphasize the var- iability within the vast Amazon region and the profound effects that land-use and land- cover changes are having on that landscape. The predominant land cover of the Amazon region is evergreen forest; nonetheless, LBA studies have observed strong seasonal patterns in gross primary production, ecosystem respiration, and net ecosystem exchange, as well as phenology and tree growth. The seasonal patterns vary spatially and interannually and evidence suggests that these patterns are driven not only by variations in weather but also by innate biological rhythms of the forest species. Rapid rates of deforestation have marked the forests of the Amazon region over the past three decades. Evidence from ground-based surveys and remote sensing show that substantial areas of forest are being degraded by logging activities and through the collapse of forest edges. Because forest edges and logged forests are susceptible to fire, positive feedback cycles of forest degradation may be initiated by land-use-change events. LBA studies indicate that cleared lands in the Amazon, once released from cultivation or pasture usage, regenerate biomass rapidly. However, the pace of biomass accumulation is dependent upon past land use and the depletion of nutrients by unsustainable land-management practices. The challenge for ongoing research within LBA is to integrate the recognition of diverse patterns and processes into general models for prediction of regional ecosystem function.
Agronomic performance of cassava genotypes from the in vitro shoot tip culture submitted to clonal cleaning

This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic performance of cassava genotypes from the in vitro shoot tip culture to eliminate the cassava frogskin disease for several root and aerial part characteristics. Cassava plants from accessions BGM0315, BGM0464 and BGM0841 infected with cassava frogskin disease were grown in a greenhouse after clonal cleaning. Cuttings from the three accessions were subjected to tetracycline concentrations (0, 5, 10 and 15 mg L) for three minutes, and then maintained in an acclimatized chamber (35 ± 1 °C and 16 hour photoperiod). Shoots were disinfected for excising shoot tips (0.2 mm and 0.4 mm) and inoculated in a culture medium containing the same concentrations of tetracycline used in the cuttings. After 60 days of cultivation, the explants were transferred to medium without antibiotic, 30 days later they were acclimatized for a period of 70 days for subsequent planting in the field. Seven months after planting, agronomical evaluation was held for root and aerial part characteristics. No influence of isolated shoot tip size was noticed on agronomic characteristics, while the addition of tetracycline in the culture medium, specifically at the concentrations of 5 mg L and 15 mg L, was favorable to the development of the root system of plants in the field. The results revealed that the agronomic performance of cassava plants derived from in vitro cultivation are higher for the production of basic propagation material for the following production cycles, as well as root production for commercial use with subsequent generation of income.
Foreign direct investment and human capital: evidence from developing countries

The main aims of this study are to empirically evaluate the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) along with some other control variables such as: GDP per capita, international remittances, and exports on human capital, measured by gross secondary school enrolment for 34 developing countries over the time period ranging from 1981-2013. The results of fixed-effects model reveal that the inward FDI has statistically positive impact on human capital. Therefore, this study rejects the null hypothesis that there is no significant positive relationship between inward FDI and human capital, where as it accepts the alternative one. Thus findings of the study suggest that policy makers need to devise conductive and investment friendly policy in order to enhance more FDI into the host countries. As a result, it will largely improve the social welfare of the people of these developing countries.
A pilot study to identify quality criteria for community -based medical education in Hong Kong

Background To better prepare students for the health needs of society, there is pressure on medical svhools to provide greater learning opportunities in the community. On challenge is the on-going quality assurance of these programs. Before setting benchmark standards for quality evaluation, a relevant set of criteria must first be defined. the aim of this study was to identify a locally relevant set of quality criteria for assuring undergraduate medical community-based learning in Hong Kong Methods: An audit of the MBBS curriculum was undertaken to identify all eligible community-based learning activities and to obtain information regarding learning objectives, assessments and quality assurance methods. Semi-structured interviews with program coordinators were conducted to explore their perceptions reagrding factors influencing the educational quality of their courses. Interviews were taped, transcripbed and contents thematically analyzed. Results: 10 program coordinators, representing 14 of the 18 eligible programs were interviewed. 59 items were identified and classifed as structural, process or outcome criteria. Physical cahracteritsing of the learning sites such as size, and accessibility, attributes of the teachers, adequate resourcing for community-based leasrning and stability of community partnerships emergeed as key criteria affecting student learning, whilst professionalism and community-based values towards learning or working in community settings and towards service utilization emerged as key outcomes. Conclusion: Community-based learning in Hong Kong has unique challenges whicih require close attention. In order ro ensure the sustainability of the programs, effforts are needed to indentify ways to nurture and maintain realtaionships with community partners with reciprocal benefits.
Evaluation of soil management and use in an Ultisol in a guava orchard in comparison with a sugarcane field and native forest area

Studies to find out alternative inputs are important for sustainable agriculture. In this respect, the use of byproducts from guava processing can partially replace the requirements of mineral fertilizer and add organic matter to the soil, increased water retention capacity and mitigating the effects of traffic on the soil. The aim of the present study was to assess the physical aspects of the soil in function of fertilization of guava trees with organic and mineral fertilizers and to compare the results with those found in areas of sugarcane and native forest. The soil samples were obtained from a commercial guava orchard planted with the ‘Paluma’ (8 years) and ‘Pedro Sato’ (5 years) cultivars, vegetatively propagated, as well as from a cane field (5 years) and native forest for comparison. The results revealed that the soil moisture, density and penetration resistance varied between the different uses and fertilization regimes. The volumetric moisture and density in the areas cultivated with ‘Paluma’ guava trees were similar to those of the native forest. The soil moisture was greater in the rows of the guava trees and the density and penetration resistance were greater in the traffic paths.
Corporate risk disclosures: The influence of institutional shareholders and the audit committee

The extent to which corporations provide transparency about the management and performance of a range of broad types of risk is a governance issue. The corporate regulation of narrative disclosures about risk complexities is lacking in Australia, leaving the practice of corporate risk reporting dependent upon incentives for management to undertake it voluntarily. This study focuses on pressures on management rendered by two key players in the company's principal-agency relationships. These players are the company's large professionally-managed institutional shareholders (principal), and the audit committee of the board (agent).
Effectiveness of Physiotherapy Intervention on the Quality of Life of Women with Breast Cancer who Underwent Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy.

Purpose: To evaluate if physiotherapy can contribute to the quality of service provided to Women with Breast Cancer who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Methods: This Quasi-experimental study addressed a sample of 172 women with breast cancer who underwent surgery with SLNB, 90 were included in the control group and 82 in the experimental group. We used the EORTC C30 and BR23 questionnaires to collect data about the quality of life (QoL) in the course of the first 9 months after surgery. The experimental group was submitted to specific physiotherapy techniques while the control group was the target of assessments only. Poisson regression was used to perform the calculation of the Relative Benefit (aRB) and Relative Risk (aRR) adjusted for several confounding factors at the baseline of the study. Results: In the third month after surgery the experimental group showed a higher proportion of patients with substantial clinical improvement in the Global Health Status (GHS) (aRB=2.230; p=0.014) and a lower risk of degradation of the GHS (aRR=0.384; p=0.011), Physical Function (PF) (aRR=0.484; p=0.035), and Arm Symptoms (BRAS) (aRR=0.159; p=0.007), when compared to the control group. Between the 1st and 6th month after surgery, physiotherapy seems to act as a protective factor on the degradation of GHS and PF. Between the 1st and 9th month after surgery the experimental group showed a higher proportion of patients with notable clinical improvement in the GHS (aRB=1.905; p=0.038) and in the BRAS (aRB=1.761; p=0.029) and a lower risk of degradation of the GHS (aRR=0.287; p=0.010) and BRAS (aRR=0.265; p=0.0421) scales. Conclusions: In the course of the acute survival phase, physiotherapy can help to improve the QoL of women with breast cancer who underwent surgeries with SLNB, giving a positive contribution to the quality of service provided to this group of patients.
Study on optimization of stocking density of climbing perch (Anabas testudineus, Bloch 1792) in marginal farmer earthen ponds

The present study was carried to optimize the stocking density of Vietnamese koi (Anabas testudineus) in marginal farmer earthen ponds in Kotalipara Upazilla under Gopalgonj district Bangladesh out from April to July 2015. Three stocking densities (treatments) were compared: ponds with 300, 350 and 400 individuals per decimal. All treatments (T1, T2 and T3) were randomly imputed and in duplicate. SGR (%) value (2.01) was recorded in T1 and the lowest (2.01) in T3. The survival rates were 90±. 20, 85±0.38 and 80±0.15 for T1, T2 and T3 respectively. The FCR was 1.5±0.30, 1.75±0.35 and 1.85±0.14 in T1, T2 and T3 respectively. The highest production was 6669.00 kg/ha in T1, followed by T2 (6246.63 kg/ha) and T3 (6086.08kg/ha) respectively. The highest benefit or net return for T1 Tk. 325941.40/ha and BCR of 1.54 followed by Tk. 146172.13/ha and BCR value of 1.22 in T2 and Tk. 96171.92/ha and BCR value of 1.13 in T3. The stocking density of 300 individuals per decimal was the most profitable system. More research will be needed to further optimize stocking density of Vietnamese koi in marginal farmer earthen ponds.
Dengue Awareness and Practice Among The People Living in Haraincha Village Development Committee of Eastern Nepal

Introduction Dengue is an emerging public health problem across the globe. Almost 50% of world's populations are at risk. In Nepal, the first dengue case was reported in 2004. Three major epidemics have occurred since then: in the year 2006, 2010 and 2012. Since there is no specific treatment and vaccine available, awareness is vital to prevent and control it. Objective This study aimed to assess dengue awareness and prevention practice among the people living in Haraincha Village Development Committee of Morang District in Eastern Nepal. Methodology A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from th th 15 October 2013 to 30 November 2013. Data was collected from 122 households by means of interview using semi structured questionnaires and analyzed in SPSS. Results Two percent had history of dengue contracted outside the country. Almost half were aware about dengue. Among them, 91.7% rightly said that dengue is transmitted during rainy season. The most common mode of transmission cited by them was mosquito bite (83.3%) and only two percent rightly said that biting species is Aedes. Ninety two Percent had wrong belief that stagnant dirty water was common breeding site. The common symptoms stated were fever (80%), headache (50%), myalgia (36%), and retro-orbital pain (7%). Almost 92% were aware that dengue is preventable and 68% knew that treatment is available. The common methods of control practiced were using bed nets (81.83%), spray (51.77%), coil (38.41%) and window-door screen (38.41%). Gender (p=<0.001), ethnicity (p=0.004), education (p=0.020) poverty (p=.006) and natural light inside the household (p=0.002) had significant association with respondent being aware of dengue. Conclusion Dengue awareness was not adequate among the residents of Haraincha although preventive practices regarding vector control was noted. Birat Journal of Health Sciences 2016 1(1): 38-46
Peptide Immunization Against ERG and Immunogenic Mutations to Treat Prostate Cancer

Abstract : The hormonal milieu influences immune tolerance as well as the immune response against viruses and cancer, but the direct effect of androgens on cellular immunity remains largely uncharacterized. We therefore sought to evaluate the effect of androgens on murine and human T cells in vivo and in vitro. We found that murine androgen deprivation in vivo elicited RNA expression patterns conducive to interferon signaling and T cell differentiation. Interrogation of mechanism showed that testosterone regulates Th1 differentiation by inhibiting IL-12 induced Stat4 phosphorylation: in murine models, we determined that androgen receptor binds a conserved region within the phosphatase, Ptpn1, and consequent up-regulation of Ptpn1 then inhibits IL-12 signaling in CD4 T cells. The clinical relevance of this mechanism, whereby the androgen milieu modulates CD4 T cell differentiation, was ascertained as we found that androgen deprivation reduced expression of Ptpn1 in CD4 cells from patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. Our findings, that demonstrate a clinically relevant mechanism by which androgens inhibit Th1 differentiation of CD4 T cells, provide rationale for targeting androgens to enhance CD4-mediated immune responses in cancer or, conversely, for modulating androgens to mitigate CD4 responses in disorders of autoimmunity.
The Relationship between the Developmental Stage of Oocytes in Various Seasons and the Quality of the Egg Obtained by Artificial Maturation in the Feminized Japanese Eel Anguilla japonica

Feminized 2-year-old eels were reared in freshwater at 26℃ until October, then the water temperature was gradually decreased to 16℃ to December, and gradually increased to 26℃ from February to April. They received weekly injections of salmon pituitary extract (body weight, 15 or 30 mg/kg) to induce sexual maturation in September, December, or April. The quality of the eggs obtained in each season was evaluated by the resulting fertilization, hatching, and 8-day sur- vival rates. High quality eggs were obtained via high-dose injections in most experimental groups. In the high-dose injection groups, eels were induced to the final maturation phase in all seasons; however, egg quality obtained in April was extremely low in contrast to that obtained in September and December. Histological observation of oocytes just before the process of artificial maturation was commenced indicated that the developmental stages of oocytes varied by season: oil droplet in September, early vitellogenic in December, and regressive from vitellogenesis in April. The extremely low egg quality in April is probably due to the fact that the oocytes had already entered the regressive stage. These results indicated that better quality of eel eggs can be obtained by starting the process of artificial maturation between September and December.
SECTORAL SYSTEMS OR DISTANCE-TO-THE-FRONTIER EFFECTS IN INNOVATION? A COMPARISON OF THREE MEDIUM-TECHNOLOGY SECTORS IN GERMANY, ITALY AND SPAIN

This study analyzes empirically whether the Sectoral Systems of Innovation or the Distanceto-the-Frontier perspective more accurately describe the patterns of innovation in mediumtechnology sectors in Germany, Italy and Spain. While the Sectoral Systems of Innovation predicts the existence of technology-related similarities in innovative patterns in the same sectors across countries, the Distance-to-the Frontier suggests the existence of important differences related with the level of technological development of each national sector. Using Community Innovation Survey data and applying an econometric strategy specifically devised for innovations survey I am able to test a set of hypotheses directly related with each of the two theories. The results of the econometric analysis show that relevant differences across countries exist with respect to the intensity of R&D activities and the economic impact of different types of innovations, confirming the Distance-to-the-Frontier hypothesis, while great cross-country similarity emerges among the sources of knowledge used to develop new innovations, in line with the Sectoral Systems of Innovation framework. The results highlight the importance to take into account both frameworks for a useful analysis of innovation within sectors.
Practical Insights and Challenges in the Rational Use of Targeted Agents in Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for approximately 4% of all primary cancers diagnosed in the United States with an estimated 13,000 deaths in 2010. Metastatic disease is the initial presentation in approximately 30% of the patients. Until 2006, immunotherapy with Interferon-? and Interleukin-2 represented the primary treatment of advanced RCC but better understanding of the pathogenesis and molecular biology of RCC paved the way for targeted molecular therapies. Six molecular targeted agents have been approved for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). This review summarizes the approved targeted agents, their toxicities and practical insights into the treatment of mRCC.
Numerical study on coupling effects among multiple Savonius turbines

A Savonius rotor can be used as a wind or water current energy conversion device that produces electricity. In spite of their simple structure and assembly, Savonius turbines have less commercial appeal than other types of turbines due to their relatively low energy conversion efficiency. In order to increase the output power of a Savonius turbine, most studies have only focused on optimization of the rotor configuration or installation of ancillary equipment around the rotor. However, previous research has found that a beneficial interaction that existed between two parallel Savonius turbines can also augment the power output of each rotor if they are rotating side by side. This paper numerically examines the interactions among multiple Savonius turbines with the help of the commercial computational fluid dynamics software fluent and finds that these coupling effects can effectively increase the overall power output of a Savonius turbine farm, especially when Savonius turbines are arranged relatively clo.
Intention to use Long-acting and Permanent Family Planning Methods among Married 15-49 years Women in Debremarkos Town, Northwest Ethiopia

Introduction: Access to high quality modern contraceptives and women’s education are the two central issues in the Ethiopian government development strategy. Demand, access and use of the provider-dependent, long-acting and permanent contraceptive methods, have lagged behind, despite high effectiveness and popularity among users. Thus, this study assessed the intention and factors associated with long-acting and permanent family planning methods among married 15-45 years women in Debre markos town to look at the local context. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the intention and factors associated with long-acting and permanent family planning methods in June 2013. The total sample size was 343 and samples were allotted proportionally for randomly selected three kebeles. Data were collected after ethical clearance had been obtained from research and publication directorate of Debre markos University and analysed descriptively and using logistic regression analyses. Results: Almost one in five 157 (45.9%) married 15-49 years women intended to use long-acting and permanent family planning either to space or limit birth. Lack of method mix was considered as the main reason not to intend the methods. Age, educational status, discussion on family planning methods with husband, desire for live children, ever and current use of any modern contraceptive methods and shifting from one method to the other were factors associated with intention to use long-acting family planning methods. Conclusion: Generally, long-acting and permanent methods intention was found to be high among married women either to space or limit their pregnancy. Health promotion activities on the benefits of long-acting and permanent family planning must be undertaken to increase women’s awareness towards the methods.