Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Better boards towards higher profitability

This paper will examine the impact of corporate governance on the profitability of banks using the agency theory. The profitability of banks is measured by return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). A total of twelve listed bank holding companies are examined over a ten-year period. Based on the panel data analysis, none of the conventional measures of corporate governance is significant as hypothesized. Board’s independence and institutional ownership have negative impact on ROE significantly. Apart from that, as the findings of the effect of corporate governance on bank profitability are inconclusive, other factors such as culture, local prevailing laws and business environment, might need to be considered.
Isomorphism of Hidden But Existing Time In Quantum Mechanical Formalism and Human Consciousness

Time is thought to be non-existent in the formalism of quantum mechanics. But time can also become unobservable and hidden in classical physics as well as in human consciousness. All physical or societal laws show timeless invariance, indicating that time-dependent movements can show timeless behavior. Therefore timeless behavior includes an unobservable form of underlying movements implying time. Movements in the present can be directly observed and necessarily show time coordinates, but movements accomplished in the past can no longer be directly observed and only leave traces of grouped movements, similar to animal tracks. Invariance of movements can only be stated when individual movements are grouped together in traces and already accomplished in the past. Then time can be estimated and, when necessary, associated with the traces. Time is no longer required, when different traces of movements are compared with each other. Nevertheless, invariant traces give evidence of underlying regular movements and therefore of time, even if time itself is no longer observable in the traces. In a similar way physical formalism includes the present, past and future of movements at a more highly concentrated information level. Since only the present is observable, information including past and future becomes unobservable, thereby hiding time. Time is also hidden in the digit codes of music on recorded CDs and becomes only observable again after reconversion by means of an appropriate device. The phenomenon of hidden time can be found in human consciousness and in classical physics, but becomes dominant in quantum mechanics.
Clinical Leadership as a Corollary for Professional Practice andPatient Safety

The purpose of this study is to highlight the importance of clinical leadership in the overall improvement of healthcare delivery. In this paper it was argued that the leadership needed to transform the performance of hospitals and health systems must emanate predominantly from clinicians whether or not they play formal management roles. The study attempted to describe clinical leadership in a pragmatic manner, and emphasize the proof of its immense positive impact on healthcare performance. Clinical leadership has witnessed a significant modification from the previous viewpoint about leadership which represented an authority relationship to a process of influencing followers for whom one is responsible, by inspiring them, or pulling them towards the vision of organization and also the follower’s personal goal. This model of leadership is referred to as transformational leadership because such leaders transform followers. The study recommended that to enhance clinical leadership and management capacity of the clinicians in strengthening the health sector it is imperative to organize a staff/ organisational appraisal/ performance assessment of clinicians in managed care organizations as perceived by policy makers and stakeholders. Clinical leadership is yet to attain its full potential and integration in most health systems. However, it is an essential model to adopt, for both clinicians and their patients. It assures to make available a stable and reliable framework of professional excellence.
Testing the dimensionality of Consumer Ethnocentrism Scale (CETSCALE) among a young Malaysian consumer market segment

The purpose of this paper is to test the dimensionality of the Consumer Ethnocentrism Scale (CETSCALE). This present research assessed a two dimensionality, namely uni-dimensional and two-dimension measure, of CETSCALE in order to determine which one is better in explaining consumers’ perceptions towards domestic brands in the Malaysian context. The findings show support for the 2 component model that was proposed with good reliability values and validity assessment. Implications for researchers and practitioners are proposed based on the findings. Key words: Consumer ethnocentrism, dimensionality, validity, reliability, perception, Malaysian brand
Overlapping sea level time series measured using different technologies: an example from the REDMAR Spanish network

Abstract. This paper addresses the problems of overlapping sea level time series measured using different technologies and sometimes from different locations inside a harbour. The renovation of the Spanish REDMAR (RED de MAReografos) sea level network is taken here as an example of the difficulties encountered: up to seventeen old tide gauge stations have been replaced by radar tide gauges all around the Spanish coast, in order to fulfil the new international requirements on tsunami detection. Overlapping periods between old and new stations have allowed the comparison of records in different frequency ranges and the determination of the impact of this change of instrumentation on the long-term sea level products such as tides, surges and mean sea levels. The differences encountered are generally within the values expected, taking into account the characteristics of the different sensors, the different sampling strategies and sometimes the different locations inside the harbours. However, our analysis has also revealed in some cases the presence of significant scale errors that, overlapping with datum differences and uncertainties, as well as with hardware problems in many new radar gauges, may hinder the generation of coherent and continuous sea level time series. Comparisons with nearby stations have been combined with comparisons with altimetry time series close to each station in order to better determine the sources of error and to guarantee the precise relationships between the sea level time series from the old and the new tide gauges.
Terrigeneous material supply to the Peruvian central 1 continental shelf ( Pisco 14 S ) during the last 1100 yr : 2 paleoclimatic implications ” by F . Briceno Zuluaga

518 In the Eastern Pacific, lithogenic input to the ocean is a responseds to variations of the atmospheric 519 and oceanic system variability and their teleconnections over different timescales. Atmospheric 520 (e.g., wind fields, precipitation), hydrological (e.g., fresh water plumes) and oceanic (e.g., 521 currents) conditions determine the transport mode and the amount of lithogenic material 522 transported from the continent to the continental shelf. Here, we present the grain size distribution 523 of a composite record of two laminated sediment cores retrieved infrom the Peruvian continental 524 shelf, covering that record the last ~11000 yr at a sub-decadal to centennial time-series resolution. 525 We propose novel grain-size indicators of wind intensity and fluvial input that allow 526 reconstructing the oceanic-atmospheric variability modulated by sub-decadal to centennial 527 changes in climatic conditions. We then discuss the paleo-environmental significance and the 528 climatic mechanisms involved. Four grain size modes were identified. Two are linked to aeolian 529 inputs (M3: 54.0 μm and M4: 91.0 μm on average), the third is interpreted as a marker of sediment 530 discharge (M2: 10 μm on average), and the last is without an associated origin (M1: ~3 μm). The 531 coarsest components (M3 and M4) dominated during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and 532 the Current Warm Period (CWP) periods, suggesting that aeolian transport increased as 533 consequence of surface wind stress intensification. In contrast, M2 displays an opposite behavior, 534 exhibiting an increase in fluvial terrigenous input during the Little Ice Age (LIA), in response to 535 more humid conditions associated to with El Niño like conditions. Comparison with other South 536 American paleoclimate records indicates that the observed changes are driven by interactions 537 between meridional displacement of the Intertropical cConvergence Zzone (ITCZ), and of the 538 South Pacific Sub-tropical High (SPSH) and Walker Circulation at decadal and centennial time 539 scales. 540
On the failure of Gorensteinness at weight 1 Eisenstein points of the eigencurve

Abstract:We prove that the cuspidal eigencurve $\scr{C}_{{\rm cusp}}$ is \'etale over the weight space at any classical weight $1$ Eisenstein point $f$ and meets two Eisenstein components of the eigencurve $\scr{C}$ transversally at $f$. Further, we prove that the local ring of $\scr{C}$ at $f$ is Cohen--Macaulay but not Gorenstein and compute the Fourier coefficients of a basis of overconvergent weight $1$ modular forms lying in the same generalised eigenspace as $f$. In addition, we prove an $R=T$ theorem for the local ring at $f$ of the closed subspace of $\scr{C}$ given by the union of $\scr{C}_{{\rm cusp}}$ and one Eisenstein component and prove unconditionally, via a geometric construction of the residue map, that the corresponding congruence ideal is generated by the Kubota--Leopoldt $p$-adic $L$-function. Finally we obtain a new proof of the Ferrero--Greenberg Theorem and Gross' formula for the derivative of the $p$-adic $L$-function at the trivial zero.
A Tablet-Based Assessment of Rhythmic Ability

The exponential rise in use of mobile consumer electronics has presented a great potential for research to be conducted remotely, with participants numbering several orders of magnitude greater than a typical research paradigm. Here, we attempt to demonstrate the validity and reliability of using a consumer game-engine to create software presented on a mobile tablet to assess sensorimotor synchronization, a proxy of rhythmic ability. Our goal was to ascertain whether previously observed research results can be replicated, rather than assess whether a mobile tablet achieves comparable performance to a desktop computer. To achieve this, younger (aged 18–35 years) and older (aged 60–80 years) adult musicians and non-musicians were recruited to play a custom-designed sensorimotor synchronization assessment on a mobile tablet in a controlled laboratory environment. To assess reliability, participants performed the assessment twice, separated by a week, and an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated. Results supported the validity of this approach to assessing rhythmic abilities by replicating previously observed results. Specifically, musicians performed better than non-musicians, and younger adults performed better than older adults. Participants also performed best when the tempo was in the range of previously-identified preferred tempos, when the stimuli included both audio and visual information, and when synchronizing on-beat compared to off-beat or continuation (self-paced) synchronization. Additionally, high ICC values (>0.75) suggested excellent test–retest reliability. Together, these results support the notion that consumer electronics running software built with a game engine may serve as a valuable resource for remote, mobile-based data collection of rhythmic abilities.
Review of the Clinical Evidences of Modulated Electro-Hyperthermia (mEHT) Method: An Update for the Practicing Oncologist

Background: Modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT) is a variation of the conventional hyperthermia which selectively targets the malignant cell membranes in order to heat the malignant tissue and sensitize the tissue to oncology treatments. Although widely applied, the formulation of guidelines for the use thereof is still in progress for many tumors. Aim: In this paper we review the literature on the effects of mEHT in cancer patients on local disease control and survival. Methodology: Our review on data presents the collected experience with capacitive hyperthermia treatments with the EHY-2000+ device (OncoTherm Ltd., Germany). A literature search was conducted in Pubmed and articles were grouped and discussed according to: trial type, animal studies, in vitro studies, and reviews. Search results from Conference Abstracts; Trial Registries; Thesis and Dissertations and the Oncothermia Journal were included in the discussions. Results: Modulated electro-hyperthermia is a safe form of hyperthermia which has shown to effectively sensitizes deep tumors, regardless of the thickness of the adipose layers. The technology has demonstrated equal benefits compared to other forms of hyperthermia for a variety of tumors. Given the effective heating ability to moderate temperatures, the improved tumor perfusion, and ability to increase drug absorption, mEHT is a safe and effective heating technology which can be easily applied to sensitize tumors which have demonstrated benefits with the addition of hyperthermia. Modulated electro-hyperthermia also appears to improve local control and survival rates and appears to induce an abscopal (systemic) response to ionizing radiation. Conclusion: Based on clinical studies, the method mEHT is a feasible hyperthermia technology for oncological applications. Concomitant utilization of mEHT is supported by the preclinical and clinical data.
Primer and Database Choice Affect Fungal Functional but Not Biological Diversity Findings in a National Soil Survey

The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region is the accepted DNA barcode of fungi. Its use has led to a step-change in the assessment and characterisation of fungal communities from environmental samples by precluding the need to isolate, culture, and identify individuals. However, certain functionally important groups, such as the arbuscular mycorrhizas (Glomeromycetes), are better characterised by alternative markers such as the 18S rRNA region. Previous use of an ITS primer set in a nationwide metabarcoding soil biodiversity survey revealed that fungal richness declined along a gradient of productivity and management intensity. Here, we wanted to discern whether this trend was also present in data generated from universal 18S primers. Furthermore, we wanted to extend this comparison to include measures of functional diversity and establish trends with soil types and soil organic matter (SOM) content. Over the 413 individual sites examined (arable, grassland, woodland, moorland, heathland), we found congruent trends of total fungal richness and β-diversity across land uses, SOM class and soil type with both ITS and 18S primer sets. A total of 24 fungal classes were shared between datasets, in addition to 15 unique to ITS1 and 12 unique to 18S. However, using FUNGUILD, divergent trends of functional group richness became apparent, especially for symbiotrophic fungi, likely driven by an increased detection rate of Glomeromycetes in the 18S dataset. The disparate trends were also apparent when richness and β-diversity were compared to soil properties. Additionally, we found SOM class to be a more meaningful variable than soil type biodiversity analyses because organic matter was calculated for each sample whereas soil type was assigned from a national soil map. We advocate that a combination of fungal primers should be used in large-scale soil biodiversity surveys to capture important groups that can be underrepresented by universal barcodes. Utilising such an approach can prevent the oversight of ubiquitous but poorly described species as well as critically important functional groups.
Carbamazepine Alleviates Retinal and Optic Nerve Neural Degeneration in Diabetic Mice via Nerve Growth Factor-Induced PI3K/Akt/mTOR Activation

Aim: Diabetic retinopathy causes loss of vision in adults at working-age. Few therapeutic options are available for treatment of diabetic retinopathy. Carbamazepine (CARB), a widely used antiepileptic drug, was recently accounted for its neuroprotective effect. Nerve growth factor (NGF) activates various cascades among which, PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway has a vital action in NGF-mediated neuronal differentiation and survival. This study evaluated the effect of CARB in the treatment of diabetic retina and unveiled some of the underlying molecular mechanisms. Main Methods: Alloxan diabetes model was induced in 36 albino well-acclimatized mice. After establishment of the diabetic model in 9 weeks, mice were assigned to treatment groups: (1) saline, (2) alloxan-diabetic, (3 and 4) alloxan+CARB (25 or 50 mg per kg p.o) for 4 weeks. After completion of the therapeutic period, mice were sacrificed and eyeballs were enucleated. Retinal levels of NGF and PI3K/Akt were assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Further, total and phosphorylated TrKA, PI3K, Akt, mTOR as well as Caspase-3 were measured by Western blot analysis. Key Findings: Histopathological examination demonstrated that CARB attenuated vacuolization and restored normal thickness and organization of retinal cell layers. In addition, CARB increased pTrKA/TrKA ratio and ameliorated diabetes-induced reduction of NGF mRNA and immunostaining in retina. Additionally, it augmented the mRNA expression of PI3K and Akt, as well as the protein level of the phosphorylated PI3/Akt/mTOR. Significance: Results highlighted, for the first time, the neuronal protective effect for CARB in diabetic retina, which is mediated, at least in part, by activation of the NGF/PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.
The Causes of Regional Variations in U.S. Poverty: A Cross-County Analysis

The persistence of poverty in the modern American economy, with rates of poverty in some areas approaching those of less advanced economies, remains a central concern among policy makers. Therefore, in this study we use U.S. county-level data to explore potential explanations for the observed regional variation in the rates of poverty. The use of counties allows examination of both nonmetropolitan area and metropolitan area poverty. Factors considered include those that relate to both area economic performance and area demographic composition. Specific county economic factors examined include economic growth, industry restructuring, and labor market skills mismatches. Copyright 2000 Blackwell Publishers
Pitch Matching in Cochlear Implant Users With Single-Sided Deafness: Effects of Electrode Position and Acoustic Stimulus Type

Previous studies in patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) have reported results of pitch comparisons between electric stimulation of their cochlear implant (CI) and acoustic stimulation presented to their near-normal hearing contralateral ear. These comparisons typically used sinusoids, although the percept elicited by electric stimulation may be closer to a wideband stimulus. Furthermore, it has been shown that pitch comparisons between sounds with different timbres is a difficult task and subjected to various types of range biases. The present study aims to introduce a method to minimize non-sensory biases, and to investigate the effect of different acoustic stimulus types on the frequency and variability of the electric-acoustic pitch matches. Pitch matches were collected from 13 CI users with SSD using the binary search procedure. Electric stimulation was presented at either an apical or a middle electrode position, at a rate of 800 pps. Acoustic stimulus types were sinusoids (SINE), 1/3-octave wide narrow bands of Gaussian noises (NBN), or 1/3-octave wide pulse spreading harmonic complexes (PSHC). On the one hand, NBN and PSHC are presumed to better mimic the spread of excitation produced by a single-electrode stimulation than SINE. On the other hand, SINE and PSHC contain less inherent fluctuations than NBN and may therefore provide a temporal pattern closer to that produced by a constant-amplitude electric pulse train. Analysis of mean pitch match variance showed no differences between stimulus types. However, mean pitch matches showed effects of electrode position and stimulus type, with the middle electrode always matched to a higher frequency than the apical one (p < 0.001), and significantly higher across-subject pitch matches for PSHC compared with SINE (p = 0.017). Mean pitch matches for all stimulus types were better predicted by place-dependent characteristic frequencies (CFs) based on an organ of Corti map compared with a spiral ganglion map. CF predictions were closest to pitch matches with SINE for the apical electrode position, and conversely with NBN or PSHC for the middle electrode position. These results provide evidence that the choice of acoustic stimulus type can have a significant effect on electric-acoustic pitch matching.
Reaction engineering of emerging oxidation processes

A review of the recent developments in emerging multiphase catalytic oxidation processes for the manufacture of various key chemicals, and an overview of reaction engineering principles needed for reactor design and interpretation of performance are presented. The utility of combining a knowledge of the catalytic chemistry through fundamental mechanisms and kinetics with transport effects and hydrodynamics using recent advances in experimental methods is also discussed and reviewed with reference to liquid phase oxidation. # 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Tissue-Specific Regulation of Na+ and K+ Transporters Explains Genotypic Differences in Salinity Stress Tolerance in Rice

Rice (Oryza sativa) is a staple food that feeds more than half the world population. As rice is highly sensitive to soil salinity, current trends in soil salinization threaten global food security. To better understand the mechanistic basis of salinity tolerance in rice, three contrasting rice cultivars—Reiziq (tolerant), Doongara (moderately tolerant), and Koshihikari (sensitive)—were examined and the differences in operation of key ion transporters mediating ionic homeostasis in these genotypes were evaluated. Tolerant varieties had reduced Na+ translocation from roots to shoots. Electrophysiological and quantitative reverse transcription PCR experiments showed that tolerant genotypes possessed 2-fold higher net Na+ efflux capacity in the root elongation zone. Interestingly, this efflux was only partially mediated by the plasma membrane Na+/H+ antiporter (OsSOS1), suggesting involvement of some other exclusion mechanisms. No significant difference in Na+ exclusion from the mature root zones was found between cultivars, and the transcriptional changes in the salt overly sensitive signaling pathway genes in the elongation zone were not correlated with the genetic variability in salinity tolerance amongst genotypes. The most important hallmark of differential salinity tolerance was in the ability of the plant to retain K+ in both root zones. This trait was conferred by at least three complementary mechanisms: (1) its superior ability to activate H+-ATPase pump operation, both at transcriptional and functional levels; (2) reduced sensitivity of K+ efflux channels to reactive oxygen species; and (3) smaller upregulation in OsGORK and higher upregulation of OsAKT1 in tolerant cultivars in response to salt stress. These traits should be targeted in breeding programs aimed to improve salinity tolerance in commercial rice cultivars.