Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antioxidant study of garlic and red onion: a comparative study

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) and red onion (Allium cepa L.) are among the most common ingredients in Malaysian cuisines. These two Allium species are believed to possess medicinal properties including antioxidants. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to compare antioxidant level and activities (i.e. at primary and secondary levels) in both the Allium species collected from markets around Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia. Current results of total phenolic content (TPC) assay indicate that TPC is higher in red onion (i.e. 53.43 ± 1.72 mg GAE/100g) as compared to garlic (i.e. 37.60 ± 2.31 mg GAE/100g). In addition, EC50 value of garlic is lower than that of the red onion, showing a higher free radical scavenging activity in garlic than in red onion. However, the primary antioxidant activities of both the samples are lower than the standard antioxidant, BHA. Therefore, there is a poor relationship between the TPCs and the primary antioxidant activities, indicating that the primary antioxidant activities of both the Allium species are not solely due to the phenolic compounds. For secondary antioxidant activity, FIC assay shows that at the highest sample concentration of 1.0 mg/mL, red onion has higher ferrous ion chelating effect (i.e. 45.00 ± 1.73%) as compared to garlic (i.e. 43.29 ± 3.89%). Furthermore, both the Allium samples show slightly higher ion chelating effect than BHA (i.e. 43.14 ± 1.07%) but lower than EDTA (i.e. 97.9 ± 0.07%). Overall, the findings of the present study show a negative relationship between the results of TPC assay, DPPH radical scavenging activity assay, and FIC assay. To strengthen the validity of the present results and to further assess the potential of both the Allium species as natural antioxidant sources, more different assays need to be considered for future work.
Primary prevention of mental health problems among children and adolescents through social and emotional training in school

Among younger people in many high-income countries, mental ill-health, which includes depression, aggressive behavior, feeling down, and alcohol and drug abuse, is one of the greatest health problems. Since most young people attend school, there are grounds for pursuing the prevention of ill-health in the educational arena. A set of techniques, named social and emotional learning (SEL), based on cognitive and behavioral methods, is available to teachers to train students to improve self-control, social competence, empathy, motivation and self-awareness. SEL programs have their underpinnings in the theories of cognitive development and social learning, and in application of the ideas of risk and protective factors. The primary aim of this dissertation is to describe and evaluate, in a real-life setting, the impacts of a Swedish program derived from SEL, called social and emotional training (SET), on various mental-health outcomes. Such programs have been shown to have favorable effects in the international literature, but have not been tested before in Sweden. Sub-aims were to investigate whether there were outcome differences between subgroups, and to assess the development of an instrument for the measurement of social emotional maturity. The evaluation was performed in two experimental and two control schools (41 and 20 classes, respectively) in Botkyrka Municipality in Greater Stockholm. A variety of statistical analyses were applied to the data collected: two repeated-measures cohort analyses, with rather different designs, to measure changes over two and five years; latent-class analysis to examine variability and substance use; and, latent growth curve modeling with full maximum likelihood estimation to scrutinize our earlier findings . On the social and emotional variables, the impact of SET was found to be generally favorable. After five years, the impact of SET was found to be greater for internalizing than for externalizing problems, but no impact on social skills was detected until a quadratic (curvilinear) model was fitted to the data. Weaknesses in SET implementation and in our research approach are highlighted and discussed under certain themes. Project experiences indicate needs for wide community involvement, and greater discipline in administration, and the benefit of using a variety of study designs and statistical approaches in the interpretation of results.
Path analysis of the productive traits in Sorghum species

This research studied the phenotypic correlation coefficients between three Sorghum species, namely forage sorghum S. bicolor Moench. (c. NS-Džin), Sudan grass S. sudanense L. (c. Zora) and interspecies hybrid S. bicolor x S. sudanense (c. Siloking). The analyses were performed on plant material samples taken from the first cutting, when plants were in the beginning phase of tasseling. The following morphologic traits were studied: plant height, number of leaves per plant, stem leaf weight and mean stem weight. Additionally, their direct and indirect effect on dependent variable green biomass yield was analyzed, for which path coefficients were calculated. This method enables more quality and full insight into relations existing among the studied traits, more precise establishment of cause-effect connections among them, as well as to separate direct from indirect effects of any particular trait on dependent variable, being biomass yield in this case. The analysis of phenotypic coefficients revealed differences in direct and indirect effect of certain traits on dependent variable. Sudan grass had the highest stem (2.281 m) and most leaves per plant (7.917). Forage sorghum had the largest leaf weight per plant (49.05 g), while interspecies hybrid had the highest mean stem weight (80.798 g). Variations of these morphologic traits among species were found to be significant and very significant. Morphologic traits - stem height and weight significantly affected sorghum green biomass yield. Leaf number and leaf portion in total biomass were negatively correlated with yield. Cultivars differed significantly regarding morphologic and productive traits. Sudan grass had the lowest green biomass yield, while forage sorghum and interspecies hybrid had significant yield increase.
Frequency-domain gravitational waves from nonprecessing black-hole binaries. II. A phenomenological model for the advanced detector era

We present a new frequency-domain phenomenological model of the gravitational-wave signal from the inspiral, merger and ringdown of nonprecessing (aligned-spin) black-hole binaries. The model is calibrated to 19 hybrid effective-one-body–numerical-relativity waveforms up to mass ratios of 1∶18 and black-hole spins of |a/m|∼0.85 (0.98 for equal-mass systems). The inspiral part of the model consists of an extension of frequency-domain post-Newtonian expressions, using higher-order terms fit to the hybrids. The merger ringdown is based on a phenomenological ansatz that has been significantly improved over previous models. The model exhibits mismatches of typically less than 1% against all 19 calibration hybrids and an additional 29 verification hybrids, which provide strong evidence that, over the calibration region, the model is sufficiently accurate for all relevant gravitational-wave astronomy applications with the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors. Beyond the calibration region the model produces physically reasonable results, although we recommend caution in assuming that any merger-ringdown waveform model is accurate outside its calibration region. As an example, we note that an alternative nonprecessing model, SEOBNRv2 (calibrated up to spins of only 0.5 for unequal-mass systems), exhibits mismatch errors of up to 10% for high spins outside its calibration region. We conclude that waveform models would benefit most from a larger number of numerical-relativity simulations of high-aligned-spin unequal-mass binaries.
Synthesis And Characterization Of Type II ZnSe/ CdS Core/Shell Nanocrystals

High-quality ZnSe/CdS core/shell nanocrystals, exhibiting a type II carrier localization regime, were fabricated via a traditional pyrolysis of organometallic precursors. The two-step synthesis involved fabrication of 4.5−6 nm ZnSe seeds followed by a subsequent deposition of the CdS shell. An efficient spatial separation of electrons and holes between the core and the shell was observed for heterostructures containing more than three monolayers of CdS, which was primarily evidenced by the spatially indirect emission tunable from 480 to 610 nm for a fixed core diameter. Because of a large (type II) offset of band edges at the core/shell interface, fabricated nanocrystals exhibited a relatively low spectral overlap between emission and absorption profiles, with associated Stokes shifts of up to 110 nm. The quantum yield of as-prepared samples was 12−18% and was further improved to 20% after purification of nanocrystals through multiple hexane/methanol extractions. Novel properties of synthesized ZnSe/CdS n.
Evidence for magma‐carbonate interaction beneath Syrtis Major, Mars

We used three methods—spectral index mapping, linear spectral mixture analysis, and factor analysis and target transformation—to determine if carbonate decomposition products, including lime (CaO), periclase (MgO), portlandite (Ca(OH)2), and brucite (Mg(OH)2), are present on the surface of Mars. Using an expanded spectral library that includes decomposition products of calcite and magnesite, we deconvolved a binned emissivity data set from the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (MGS‐TES). The deconvolution model indicates that anhydrous carbonates are not present at kilometer scales above the TES detection limit; however, carbonate decomposition products may be present at or above the TES detection limit in northeast Syrtis Major and several other small regions on Mars. The model results are supported by spectral index mapping and factor analysis and target transformation of TES data in this region. The volcanic setting of the detections may indicate the interaction of Syrtis Major lavas with subsurface carbonates, or, alternatively, the eruption of carbonate‐bearing lavas that were subsequently devolatilized by impacts or later lava flows.
Determinants of Loan Defaults in Some Selected Credit Unions in Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana

Credit Unions play a pivotal role in the Microfinance Industry in Ghana. They are not only deeply rooted in financial intermediation but also provide favorable terms and conditions in financial products and services to their members compared to banks and other financial institutions. The sustainability of Credit Unions has been threatened by the incidence of loan defaults or non-performing loans. The diagnostics of the causes of loan defaults in Credit Unions become paramount toward sound credit risk management practices. The study relied on primary data. Purposive sampling technique was applied to select 244 Credit Union members. Questionnaires were used for data collection and logistic regression model was adopted. The study utilized Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS v. 20) and Stata (v.14) as statistical tools for data analysis. The results reveal that education, loan diversion, monitoring, marital status and income are significant factors that influence loan default. Thus, credit education should be intensified and that effective loan monitoring should be vigorously pursued. Additionally, loan appraisal systems should be robust with the application and development of credit scoring systems that will factor in key variables of loan default.
Corporate Board Characteristics and Environmental Disclosure Quantity: A Comparative Analysis of Traditional and Integrated Reporting Evidence

Abstract: The aim of this study was to compare the influence of corporate board characteristics on the extent of environmental disclosure quantity of listed firms in two leading emerging economies in Africa, South Africa (integrated reporting framework) and Nigeria (traditional reporting framework). Methods: The sample was comprised of 303 firms including environmentally sensitive companies purposively selected for content analysis study in South Africa (213) and Nigeria (90). We used both descriptive, multivariate and regression models to comparatively analyze the differences about corporate board characteristics as determinants of the extent of their environmental disclosure quantity. Results: The results reveal a more significant positive association between board characteristics and environmental disclosure in South Africa and less relevant association in Nigeria. Also, the results support that board independence arrangement may serve as bonding mechanisms in weak reporting environments, suggesting a substitutive relationship between board independence and the regulatory framework. Quiet revealing a board with environmental committee show a higher tendency to be ecologic transparent in both countries. However, in a traditional reporting framework, the environmental committee is not enough; its effect was insignificant and highly significant in the integrated reporting framework. Further revealed is the significant positive effect of industry membership influence on environmental disclosure. In all estimated models of South Africa sample show that 45% of environmentally sensitive industries significantly influence environmental disclosure, while 51% is environmentally polluting industries in Nigeria show less concern on environmental disclosure. Interestingly, Audit firm size (Big4) positively and statistically significantly associated with overall environmental reporting in both countries. The results are consistent with stakeholder theory, agency theory, institutional and legitimacy theory suggesting that a strong board size, independent members of the board with auditing experience, the active environmental committee in conjunction with solid audit reputation may reduce information asymmetry. Our findings will be helpful for policymakers and other regulators who are interested in environmental impact reporting.
The influence of brand immediacy in consumer engagement behaviours: a revised social impact model

THE INFLUENCE OF BRAND IMMEDIACY IN CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT BEHAVIOURS: A REVISED SOCIAL IMPACT MODEL INTRODUCTION The changes in behaviour, attitudes and beliefs of individuals as a result of their interaction with others have been studied extensively in social psychology where the concept of ‘social influence’ is widely accepted (Cialdini and Goldstein, 2004; Cialdini and Trost, 1998). Social influence has also interested marketers as consumer-to-consumer interactions are believed to affect consumer behaviour, attitudes and feelings towards a product or brand (Libai et al., 2010). The increasing presence of brands in online environments (Fournier and Avery, 2011) plus the innate human need to antrophormise objects in order to facilitate interactions with the non-material objects (Brown, 1991) make brand-consumer interactions in online environments subject to similar effects. Taking social impact theory (SIT) as a departing framework, this paper aims to provide a finer grained understanding of immediacy in brand-consumer interactions. Immediacy, as one of the social forces proposed by Latane’s SIT (1981), is a construct that has important implications when translated to online environments, in particular social media. Social media websites are those that “make it possible for people to form online communities, and share user-created contents (UCCs)’ (Kim et al., 2010, p.216). These characteristics make that the exchange of interactions between consumers and other actors present in this environment (e.g. brands) a central part of the nature of this type of website. In addition, online environments differ from offline environments in terms of how communication occurs, allowing both synchronous and asynchronous interaction (Mangold and Faulds, 2009), allowing users to interact with people they already know offline and facilitating meeting new people (Ellison et al., 2007). Internet-mediated communications also reduce the limitation that physical distance has on communication (Moon, 1999). This makes that the immediacy of the sources in the form of time distance, social distance and physical distance are constantly being manipulated and changing for the user of social media websites. Yet, its effect as a determinant of social impact in social media environments remains an understudied subject. This paper introduces a conceptual model that takes the construct of brand immediacy as a factor influencing consumer engagement behaviour. Through a series of experiments, the effect of the different types of immediacy as suggested in SIT are tested. At this stage, the paper presents partial results from the testing of the conceptual model.
Occurrence of Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy among Type 2 Diabetic Patients Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital

Introduction: Diabetes affects 382 million people worldwide, and its prevalence is expected to increase to 592 million by the year 2035. Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN) is a common type of diabetic neuropathy and the most common cause of neuropathic pain. Hence, there is a need to access the incidence and the prevalence of this condition. The incidence of diabetes and its complications has increased to a greater extent among the rural population which have to be concentrated as there are lesser studies available for that population groups. Materials and Methods: Incidence is tested by a cross-sectional descriptive study consisting of two phases: Phase 1, an initial screening questionnaire including one question about pain; Phase 2, neurological history and examination using the Toronto Clinical Scoring System (TCSS). The observations thus obtained are evaluated with suitable statistics tool (SPSS version 16), and results are represented in the form of fig ures and graphs. Results: Total number of subjects were 100 of them 59 were male and 41 were female. Diabetic age of the individuals ranges between 2 and 19 years. The highest score with TCSS was 13 and least was 3. More than 86% of the subjects were suffering from peripheral neuropathy among which 46% are with mild and 35% with moderate and 5% with severe grades of DPN. Incidence of PDPN was increasing rapidly with the raising fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels and was 100% with FBS levels more than 261 mg/dl. Conclusions: PDPN incidence among the diabetic individuals is relatively high in the study population. Age does not influence the occurrence of PDPN among the diabetics while the diabetic age of the individuals has a highly significant relation with the occurrence of PDPN. The occurrence of PDPN was more among the individuals with high FBS levels which indicate the necessity of controlled glycemic levels in the prevention of complications associated with diabetes mellitus.
Influence of Water Absorption Shift on Ablation Speed of Er:YAG and Er,Cr:YSGG Dental Lasers

When comparing the wavelengths of erbium-based dental lasers, the 2.94 µm wavelength of the Er:YAG laser is at an advantage as it matches the absorption peak of water, while the absorption coefficient for the Er,Cr:YSGG laser (2.78 µm) in water is significantly lower. However, since the spectroscopy literature indicates that the absorption peak of water decreases and shifts towards shorter wavelengths for increasing temperature, it has been theorized that the ablation efficiency of the Er,Cr:YSGG should actually be higher compared to that of the Er:YAG. This hypothesis is not confirmed by our comparison study of hard dental tissue ablation speeds of the two erbium laser wavelengths. In agreement with previously published studies, the Er:YAG laser was found to be more effective for cutting enamel than Er,Cr:YSGG.
Understanding Relationship Marketing and Loyalty Program Effectiveness in Global Markets

Relationship marketing (RM) and loyalty programs (LPs) are key differentiation strategies for firms facing increasing global competition. Accordingly, global interest in RM and LPs has surged, though researchers examining these marketing activities typically apply U.S.-centric frameworks to international research contexts. To understand how RM and LPs may be influenced by factors that distinguish global markets, this review offers a comprehensive framework of both RM and LP mechanisms and considers how cultural and developmental contingency factors may alter the effects of these mechanisms on seller performance. The results from this review produce eight propositions about where specific RM and LP strategies should be most effective. By considering these mechanisms jointly, the authors also simultaneously delineate RM and LP theories and broaden the scope of global research in both domains.
Managerial and Operational Efficiency Valuation of Privatized Firms : Case of Jordan Mining Sector

This study investigates the privatization in Jordan mining sector as a case study of emerging market privatization experience. We include three Jordanian companies during the period of 1992-2010, namely, Jordan Cement Company (JCM), Arab Potash Company (APC) and Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC). Four types of empirical tests have been performed, parametric mean differences, non-parametric Wilcoxon rank sum test, static regression panel estimation and dynamic regression panel estimation. Empirical results conclude that there is a positive impact of privatization on both managerial and operational efficiency measures. And a negative effect on level of leverage and level of employment. Moreover, the dynamic panel estimation suggests a continued effect of privatization, that is, the positive or negative privatization effect will continue overtime at an increasing rate. In conclusion, privatization experience in Jordan is positively related to managerial and operational efficiency and should continue with more care about creating additional employment opportunities and wise usage of its proceeds.
Ruptured Cerebral Aneurysms: An Update

A Cerebral aneurysm is an abnormal bulging outward of one of cerebral arteries and is common lesion in the adult population. Cerebral aneurysm occurs in 1~5% of people which translates to 10 million to 12 million persons in the United States [1, 2]Approximately 0.2 to 3 percent of people with an aneurysm suffer from rupture per year. Ruptured aneurysm is the leading cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in 85% of cases. SAH is a common devastating condition and the age-adjusted annual incidence of SAH 2.0 cases per 100 000 population in China[3]. SAH accounts for 5% of stroke, but the case fatality is as high as 45% and some patients have significant morbidity among survivors [1, 4] Rebleeding is the most imminent danger. The first treatment purpose is therefore complete occlusion of aneurysms and prevention of rebleeding.