Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application Of Different Organic And Mineral Fertilizers On The Growth, Yield And Nutrient Accumulation Of Rice In A Japanese Ordinary Paddy Field

A rice cultivation study was conducted at Kyushu University farm. Cow manure (CM), poultry manure (PM), rice straw + urea mix-application (SU), urea (UF) and M-coat, a slow released compound fertilizer (M-coat) were used as the N sources by comparing with no application (Control). Treatments were made with two levels application of each N source at 40 (level I) and 80 kg N ha-1(level II) excluding M-coat. In all urea treatments, three split applications were made. A study of soil incubation was conducted for 2 weeks to investigate the mineralized N of applied mineral and organic fertilizer. Plant growth characters, dry matter, yield and plant nutrient accumulations were higher in mineral fertilization than organic. Mineral fertilization was observed in correlation with the larger crop removal. PM-II as an organic matter provided comparatively higher nutrient accumulations which in turn enhanced the growth and yield of rice. CM and SU gave the lower plant growth, yield and nutrient accumulation. Mineralized N was higher in sole mineral N applications. Organic matter with high C/N ratio provided very low mineralized N and its net N mineralization percentage. Negative values of net N mineralization percentage were observed in SU due to N immobilization. Keywords: Cow Manure, Mineralized N, Paddy Soil, Poultry Manure, Rice ( Oryza sativa L.), Rice Straw
Reformation of corporate governance in Malaysia : do changes in audit and accountability practices increase institutional performance?

Following a sequence of fi nancial crises around the world, a series of corporate governance codes were issued concerning best practice with regard to corporate governance reformation. Central to these codes was the aim of the government to create investor confi dence, to raise the standard, drive corporate governance reforms and use as a benchmark monitoring and implementing as corporate governance practices and policies at the corporate company level. The Malaysian government is committed to ensure that corporate companies demonstrate a track record of good governance in order to attract and retain long-term investors. Therefore, after seven years, the fi rst Malaysian Code on Corporate governance (MCCG) was introduced in 2000, while the revised MCCG was introduced in 2007. The amendments of MCCG 2000 involved the components of audit committees and board of directors. It was aimed to improve the quality of audit committees and board of director’s functions among Publically Listed Companies (PLCs) in promoting accountability and high levels of protection for the investor. This article aims to examine the effect of the Malaysian Code on Corporate governance on audit and accountability practices by comparing practices prior to, and after the implementation of the Code. Furthermore, the relationship between changes in audit and accountability practices and institutional performance in terms of corporate governance reformation is also examined.
Strategic Information Systems Planning

In this day, turbulence in the businesses’ environment is on the increase. Therefore, businesses are obliged to respond to that environmental uncertainty. Information Systems (IS) and Strategic Planning support this effort. IS are connected with business strategy, management skills, decision making and aims to increase competitive advantage (Zubovich et al., 2014). Researchers have focused on the process of Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) since 1970. The purpose of SISP is to support the goals and the business strategy, through IS. Furthermore, SISP helps businesses to innovate, create new products, reduce costs and enhance relationships with customers (Kamariotou & Kitsios, 2015, Ullah & Lai, 2013). The process of SISP contains five phases, which are strategic awareness, situation analysis, strategy conception, strategy formulation and strategy implementation planning. These phases help businesses not only to define IS strategy but also to develop IS. Previous studies have examined the effect of these phases on SISP success. Also, other studies have concluded that there is a positive relationship between SISP and firm performance. These surveys that have discussed the relationship between SISP and firm performance have been presented only by a theoretical approach (Goldsmit, 1991, Lederer & Sethi, 1996). These surveys collected data using questionnaires in large firms. Surveys in SMEs which constitute the main component of each economy, are limited however (Newkirk et al., 2003). Consequently, the aim of this chapter is to propose a holistic approach in order to investigate the significance of SISP process, to highlight phases that contribute to a greater extent of success and to draw conclusions concerning the successful implementation of digital strategy in firms. The structure of this chapter is as following: after a brief introduction to this field, a theoretical framework is analyzed on the basis of the literature review about SISP phases and success in firms. Then in the next section, the findings of previous surveys are presented, whereas the final section concludes the paper.
Seasonal Variation of Heavy Metals in Selected Sea Foods from Buguma and Ekerekana Creeks Niger Delta Akinrotimi

Levels of some heavy metals: Iron (Fe); Copper (Cu); Cadmium (Cd); Nickel (Ni) and Lead (Pb) in some edible marine species namely: Periwinkle (Tympanotonus fuscatus); Oyster (Crasssostrea gasar); Mudskipper (Periophthalmus papilio) and grey mullet (Liza falcipinnis) were assessed during wet and dry seasons from Ekerekana and Buguma Creeks, Niger Delta, Nigeria. Generally, the following trend in decreasing order of the heavy metals in all the sea foods occurred: Fe>Cu>Cd>Ni>Pb. An overall elevated concentration of these metals was recorded during the wet season, particularly in periwinkle (T. fuscatus) from Ekerekana creek. Conversely, higher levels (P>0.05) of these metals were observed in sea foods sampled from Ekerekana creek when compared to Buguma creek, which was more pronounced during the wet season than dry season months.
The Reliability of Corporate Quarterly Financial Reports in Malaysia: Post-MASB 26 Evidence

This study examines the reliability of the quarterly reports of Malaysian listed companies after the Malaysian Accounting Standard Board (MASB) issued a standard on interim reporting, MASB 26 Interim Reporting in 2002. MASB 26 requires companies to adopt the discrete method in reporting most of the transactions. In particular, this study focuses on the reporting of exceptional items (EIs) in the quarterly reports, and is an extension of the study conducted in 2001 by Ku Ismail and Chandler (2005). This paper argues that the reports are more likely to be reliable if the discrete method is practiced. If the discrete method is applied, companies are less likely to defer the reporting of EIs to the final quarter, and thus, the incidence of EIs in all the four quarters is equally likely (i.e. not being lumped in the fourth quarter as a tool to “settle-up”). An examination of the 2003 quarterly reports of 91 companies reveals that half of the incidence of EIs is reported in the final quarter. The percentage is not significantly lower than those of the previous study. This indicates that MASB 26 fails to enhance the reliability of the quarterly reports as far as the EIs are concerned. In addition, this study indicates that the EIs reported in the fourth quarter are more likely to be negative than positive. Further, we find that companies that defer the recognition of EIs are more likely to be those listed on the Second Board rather than on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia. With the recent convergence of accounting standards whereby many countries have adopted FRSs in totality, including a standard on interim reporting, the present research findings act as a basis for similar research in other emerging economies.
ASSESSING KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES OF BOYS AND YOUNG MEN WITH REGARD TO THE PREVENTION OF PREGNANCY AND HIV INFECTION Velile

This paper focuses on boys and young men's attitudes, knowledge and practices with regard to pregnancy and HIV infection. The objective of the study is to ascertain how boys and young men perceive the risks of pregnancy and HIV infection. The study further investigates the strategies which the sexually active respondents considered as appropriate, practical and effective in coping with
Low Serum Levels of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in Association with Type 2 Diabetes in Indian Patients

iabetes is a metabolic disease and can affect nearly all organ systems of human body (1). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is rising rapidly worldwide and is reaching epidemic proportions (2) and it is estimated that currently 285 million people D 1Department of Neurology, Yashoda hospital Hyderabad-500082, India. 2Department of Neurology, Nizams’s Institute of Medical Sciences Hyderabad-500082, India. 3Director of Medical Services, Yashoda Hospital, Hyderabad -500082, India. 4Department of Medicine, Yashoda Hospital, Hyderabad -500082, India. 5Department of Research, Yashoda Hospital, Hyderabad -500082, India.
The Implications of Accumulated Grievances and Memories of Political Violence to the Administrative Decentralization in Mozambique

Political grievances accumulated in the course of protracted civil wars constitutive major challenges for democratic decentralization in various postconflict countries in Africa. However these types of problems have not been thoroughly accounted for in the political sciences literature. In Mozambique, the persistent attempts by the Mozambican main opposition party, Renamo, to officially inscribe in the country’s landscape their own version of the post-independence civil war (1976-1992) offers an interesting context ‘to espy alternatives’ in relation to the effects of civil wars in the constitution of new democratic practices and institutions. The overall analyses demonstrate how grievances over memories of violence can paradoxically hamper and reinforce political pluralism and democratic decentralization in Mozambique.
Basic characteristics and quality of virgin olive oil produced in Corfu (cv. Lianolia) and South Albania (cv. Kalinioti)

In the present study the qualitative characteristics such as peroxide number, absorption coefficients (K232, K270), acidity, total phenols, a-tocopherols, chlorophylls and composition of fatty acids were determined in 19 virgin olive oil samples of “Lianolia” variety cultivated in Corfu and “Kalinioti” variety cultivated in South Albania, harvested in the crop year 2013/2014. Obtained results indicate that all olive oil samples show chemical and physicochemical parameters included in the limits established for virgin olive oils and some of them in the limits for “extra” virgin olive oils. Moreover it was found that the qualitative characteristics of olive oil samples are affected by variety, fruit treatment and the method of olive harvesting (in Corfu olives are collected by hands from plastic nets under the trees, whereas in Albania they are basically collected by hand after falling on the ground). The results of the present study are a first indication of the olive oil quality produced in Corfu and South Albania.
Multilocus phylogeny and a new classification for Southeast Asian and Melanesian forest frogs (family Ceratobatrachidae)

We present a near comprehensive, densely sampled, multilocus phylogenetic estimate of species relationships within the anuran family Ceratobatrachidae, a morphologically and ecologically diverse group of frogs from the island archipelagos of Southeast Asia and the South-West Pacific. Ceratobatrachid frogs consist of three clades: a small clade of enigmatic, primarily high-elevation, semi-aquatic Sundaland species currently assigned to Ingerana (for which we erect a new genus), which is the sister taxon of two large, monophyletic radiations, each situated on islands on either side of Wallace's Line. One radiation is composed of Philippine species of Platymantis and the other contains all taxa from the eastern Indonesian, New Guinean, Solomon, Bismarck, and Fijian archipelagos. Several additional genera (Batrachylodes, Discodeles, Ceratobatrachus, and Palmatorappia) are nested within Platymantis, and of these Batrachylodes and Discodeles are nonmonophyletic. To address the widespread paraphyly of the genus Platymantis and several additional nomenclatural issues, we undertook a wholesale nomenclatural reorganization of the family. Given our partially unresolved phylogeny, and in order to impart a conservative, stable taxonomy, involving a minimal number of genus-species couplet changes, we propose a conservative classification representing a few compromises. These changes are designed to preserve maximally the presumed original intent of taxonomy (widely used group names associated with morphological and ecological diversity of particular species or groups of species) while implementing a hierarchical system that is consistent with the estimate of phylogeny based on new molecular data. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London
Bioremediation of Cyanide by Optimized Resting Cells of Rhodococcus Strains Isolated from Peninsular Malaysia

Five strains of locally isolated Rhodococcus species from various sources in Peninsular Malaysia were evaluated for their cyanide bioremediation prospective. The partially characterized Rhodococcus UKMP-5M which was used as reference strain failed to propagate exclusively in potassium cyanide (KCN). Therefore, the potential use of resting cells grown in nutrient broth without cyanide was tested to detoxify KCN at various concentrations ranging from 3 mM to 15 mM. The physical characteristics for the cultivation of Rhodococcus UKMP-5M namely temperature, pH and percentage of inoculum were optimized in order to be used as source for cyanide treatment. It was found that the maximum biomass was generated amounting to 8.3222 g/L when the incubation temperature was set to 30 °C at pH 6.6 with an initial inoculum loading of 2 % (v/v). Whole cells with biomass amounting to 1 g/L of the strain were able to rapidly transform almost 50 % of 12 mM cyanide over a period of 10 hours. The biotransformation was carried out at 30 °C, pH 7 and with an agitation at 160 rpm in the absence of added organic and inorganic substances. In addition, by employing the identical amount of biomass and other experimental conditions, the different strains of locally isolated Rhodococcus species were compared for their ability to metabolize cyanide. It was revealed that Rhodococcus UKMP-5M had the highest percentage of cyanide removal efficiency followed by Rhodococcus zopfii, Rhodococcus sp1, Rhodococcus NAM81 and Rhodococcus sp2 which corresponded to 47.78 %, 29.17 %, 23.61 %, 18.33% and 11.67 % respectively.
Sulfur in the South Florida Ecosystem: Distribution, Sources, Biogeochemistry, Impacts, and Management for Restoration

Sulfur is broadly recognized as a water quality issue of significance for the freshwater Florida Everglades. Roughly 60% of the remnant Everglades has surface water sulfate concentrations above 1 mg l−1, a restoration performance measure based on present sulfate levels in unenriched areas. Highly enriched marshes in the northern Everglades have average sulfate levels of 60 mg l−1. Sulfate loading to the Everglades is principally a result of land and water management in South Florida. The highest concentrations of sulfate (average 60–70 mg l−1) in the ecosystem are in canal water in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA). Potential sulfur sources in the watershed are many, but geochemical data and a preliminary sulfur mass balance for the EAA are consistent with sulfur presently used in agricultural, and sulfur released by oxidation of organic EAA soils (including legacy agricultural applications and natural sulfur) as the primary sources of sulfate enrichment in the EAA canals. Sulfate loading to the Everglades increases microbial sulfate reduction in soils, leading to more reducing conditions, greater cycling of nutrients in soils, production of toxic sulfide, and enhanced methylmercury (MeHg) production and bioaccumulation. Wetlands are zones of naturally high MeHg production, but the combination of high atmospheric mercury deposition rates in South Florida and elevated sulfate loading leads to increased MeHg production and MeHg risk to Everglades wildlife and human consumers. Sulfate from the EAA drainage canals penetrates deep into the Everglades Water Conservation Areas, and may extend into Everglades National Park. Present plans to restore sheet flow and to deliver more water to the Everglades may increase overall sulfur loads to the ecosystem, and move sulfate-enriched water further south. However, water management practices that minimize soil drying and rewetting cycles can mitigate sulfate release during soil oxidation. A comprehensive Everglades restoration strategy should include reduction of sulfur loads as a goal because of the many detrimental impacts of sulfate on the ecosystem. Monitoring data show that the ecosystem response to changes in sulfate levels is rapid, and strategies for reducing sulfate loading may be effective in the near term. A multifaceted approach employing best management practices for sulfur in agriculture, agricultural practices that minimize soil oxidation, and changes to stormwater treatment areas that increase sulfate retention could help achieve reduced sulfate loads to the Everglades, with resulting benefits.
Comparison of Fat Distribution Parameters between Individuals with and without Metabolic Syndrome

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the body fat parameters in individuals with and without metabolic syndrome using an objective method. Materials and methods: This case-control study was performed in Tehran and consisted of 105 individuals with age range of 20 to 55 years. All participants were overweight and obese. NCEP ATP III criteria were used for identifying subjects with metabolic syndrome. Waist circumference, weight and height were measured by an expert person and with non-elastic tape measure, balanced beam scale and standing stadiometer, respectively. Fat mass was measured using BIA (model: Tanita BC 418). Results: Mean age of total participants, case group, and control group were 35±14, 35.85±6.9 and 34.98±8.1 years, respectively. Mean BMI in case group was higher than control group (P<0.01). There was no significant difference between case and control groups for total body fat, right hand fat, as well as right and left leg fats. But there was significant difference between the two groups for trunk and left right hand fats, before controlling of confounding factors. After controlling confounding factors this observed difference was disappeared. One unit increase in BMI raised the development odds of metabolic syndrome by 1.14% (95%CI: 1.021.27). Conclusion: We found that BMI is a more accurate predictor of MetS rather than body fat mass. However, other predisposing factors especially at molecular levels are needed to clarify underlying mechanisms of this syndrome.
Direct simulation for wind synthesis

There are now a number of methods available for generating synthetic sound based on physical models of wind instruments, including digital waveguides, wave digital filters, impedance-based methods and those involving impulse responses. Normally such methods are used to simulate the behaviour of the resonator, and the coupling to the excitation mechanism is carried out by making use of simple lumped finite difference schemes or digital filter structures. In almost all cases, a traveling wave, frequencydomain, or impulse response description of the resonator is used as a starting point—efficient structures may be arrived at when the bore is of a particularly simple form, such as a cylinder or cone. In recent years, however, due to the great computing power available, efficiency has become less of a concern—this is especially the case for musical instruments which may be well-modelled in 1D, such as wind instruments. In this paper, a fully time-space discrete algorithm for the simulation and synthesis of woodwind instrument sounds is presented; such a method, though somewhat more computationally intensive than an efficient waveguide structure, is still well within the realm of real-time performance. The main benefits of such a method are its generality (it is no longer necessary to make any assumptions about bore profile, which may be handled in an almost trivial manner), extensibility (i.e., the model may be generalized to handle nonlinear phenomena directly), ease of programming, and the possibility of direct proofs of numerical stability without invoking frequency domain concepts. Simulation results, sound examples and a graphical user interface, in the Matlab programming language are also presented.
Vibrations in a Seven-Storey Wood Building

In 1994 the Swedish Construction Code, BKR, was changed from being based on material to being based on function. This permitted constructing multi-storey buildings with a bearing framework made of wood, which had been prohibited since the end of the 19th century. There is now a growing in- terest of using wood as a construction material. In Vaxjo four seven-storey buildings, Limnologen, are under construction, which at the moment are the highest wood buildings in Sweden. As wood in many ways is a new construction material there is a lot of research going on in order to build as good as possible. The main problems, when constructing in wood, are sound and vibrations because of the low weight of the material. This thesis is part of a project at Vaxjo University examining step sounds and vibrations at Limnologen. The objective of our project was to investigate how mechanical vibrations are transmitted through the building at diﬀerent storeys. The long term goal is to construct high buildings where residents are not disturbed by the noise or motion of their neighbors. A FE-model of six storeys of the house was created with help of the ﬁnite element software Abaqus. It would be impossible to handle and perform vibration calculations on a detailed model of the building. Therefore a lot of simpliﬁcations were necessary. First of all detailed small scale FE-models of the main building parts (ﬂoor structure, ceiling and apartment separating wall) were produced and some analyses were conducted on them to ﬁnd their normal, bending and torsion stiﬀness. The full-scale model was then composed of shells with the same stiﬀness. To variate the stiﬀness of the connections between walls and ﬂoor structures three diﬀerent models were produced, one with ﬁxed connections and two with weaker ones. Air was not included in the model. In the analyses a harmonic load of 700 N, approximately the weight of one person, was added at the same position on storey 2, 4 and 6, one at a time. A steady-state step was conducted at frequencies from 1 to 200 Hz with steps of 1 Hz. It was found that there is a difference in velocity depending on what storey you are situated at, when looking at the vertical vibration spread. The transmission through the apartment separating wall, diagonally in the house, did not show the same behavior. Moreover it does not seem to matter a lot at which storey the disturbance is acting, it gives the same results at the other storeys anyway. The results from the two weaker models do not differ much from each other, but the velocities in these are higher than in the stiffest model. A lot of simplifications were made in the model, perhaps other ways of doing it would show other results. It is however most important to show what possibilities a full scale model like this can give. A new range of analyses can be made that were not possible before.