Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pre-Exposure to Dennettia tripetala Ethanolic Fruit Extract Prevents Biochemical Alterations in Rats Subsequently Exposed to a Single Dose of Carbon Tetrachloride

Dennettia tripetala (DT) is consumed in West Africa as a spice. It is also used in traditional medicine for treating cough, fever and other ailments. Its fruits have been shown to possess phytochemicals with proven antioxidant capabilities. DT roots elicit in vitro antioxidant capabilities similar to that of ascorbic acid. In this study, we evaluated the potency of the ethanol extract of DT fruits in preventing liver damage induced by a single oral administration of Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Thirty female Wistar albino rats were randomized into six groups of five animals each: Group A served as control, Groups B-D were given increasing doses (250, 500 and 1000mg/kg b.w respectively) of DT extract for 14 days by gavage; on day 15, they were given CCl4 (3ml/kg bw) by gavage. Group E was given the highest dose of DT for 14 days without CCl4 while Group F was given only CCl4 on day 15. Administration of CCl4 resulted in liver and kidney injury detected as significant increases in plasma ALT, AST, ALP and GGT activities as well as plasma total protein, urea, creatinine, plasma and liver triglyceride and cholesterol as well as liver and kidney malondialdehyde concentrations. CCl4 also caused a reduction in liver and kidney SOD and catalase activities as well as plasma albumin concentration. Pre-treatment with Dennettia tripetala however, significantly prevented damage to the liver and kidney. Under the conditions of this study, Dennettia tripetala shows potential in preventing liver and kidney damage and has no noticeable side effects.
Effects of Artificial Soil Aeration Volume and Frequency on Soil Enzyme Activity and Microbial Abundance when Cultivating Greenhouse Tomato

Artificial soil aeration can enhance soil enzyme activity, improve soil nutrient cycling, and increase crop growth and yield. We studied the response of soil microorganisms and soil enzyme activity to two levels of burial depths of subsurface tubing in combination with four levels of aeration volume and three frequency levels of supplemental soil aeration. The aeration volumes (V) were 0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 times (CK, V₁, V₂, and V₃, respectively) the estimated porosity of the plot rhizosphere. Burial depths (D) of subsurface tubing were 15 and 40 cm (D₁₅ and D₄₀). Aeration frequencies (F) levels were none and at 2- and 4-d intervals (CK, F₂, and F₄). The results demonstrated that aeration frequency and volume positively affected soil urease, phosphatase, and catalase activity and soil microbial abundance. The impact of aeration treatment on rhizosphere soil enzyme activity was greater than its impact on non-rhizosphere activity. When the drip irrigation tube depth was 15 cm, V₂ volume with 2-d aeration intervals led to an increase in the mean yield of first picking fruit of 75.1% compared with the unaerated control. When V₃ volume with 2-d aeration intervals was performed with a 40-cm irrigation tube, the mean yields of the first picking fruit increased by 135.5% compared with the unaerated control. These results suggest that artificial soil aeration can improve the plant root zone environment, increase microbial abundance and soil enzyme activity, and promote nutrient uptake, thus promoting plant growth and fruit output.
Performance Evaluations in Audit Firms: Evaluation Foci and Dysfunctional Behaviour

Previous research has only minimally examined the association between the behaviour and performance evaluations of individual auditors beyond the use of efficiency-focused evaluations. We examine the association between dysfunctional auditor behaviour and three evaluation foci: an efficiency focus, a client focus and a quality focus. Our results, which are based on questionnaire responses from 196 auditors, demonstrate that an efficiency focus is not associated with dysfunctional behaviour. A client focus is found to be associated with dysfunctional behaviour. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, our results show that it seems possible to limit dysfunctional behaviours through a quality focus in performance evaluations. Our results provide insights of use to practitioners and regulators on how performance evaluations may not only induce but also reduce dysfunctional auditor behaviours.
Earnings Management and the Reconstitution of the Russell Indexes

Past studies have shown that firms moving from the Russell 1000 to the Russell 2000 exhibit positive cumulative abnormal returns (CARs), referred to as the addition effect while firms that move up to the Russell 1000 display negative CARs, or the deletion effect. We hypothesize that firms moving down to and remaining in the Russell 2000 engage in negative earnings management. Results show that firms moving to the Russell 2000 utilize negative earnings management but that does not necessarily lead to positive CARs. In contrast, firms remaining in the Russell 2000 Index with negative earnings management exhibit significant positive CARs.
Numerical Modeling of the Dynamical Interaction Between Slug Flow and Vortex Induced Vibration in Horizontal Submarine Pipelines

Fatigue life of submarines pipelines is known to depend on many factors, e.g., materials, spanning length, vortex induced vibration (VIV), pipe soil-interaction, etc. In the case of VIV, the external flow due to marine currents can generate the well known alternate vortex shedding regime. In this regime, a time-varying pressure distribution over the surface of the pipeline imposes forces upon the pipeline itself, thus producing vibration with a defined frequency. On the other hand, in recent years some authors have shown that slug flow regime may produce a cyclic damage that could reduce in a significant way the fatigue life of submarine pipelines, thus constituting a governing mechanism in their design. In slug flow regime, slugs traveling in the pipe act as moving gravity loads for the pipeline structure, producing a dynamic response, especially important for the free spans. If both frequencies of the before mentioned effects are closer and, in addition, are in the same range of the natural frequency of the pipeline span, resonance effects can be expected to be reinforced and drastic changes in the dynamics of the pipeline could appear. In this work, a first study of the interaction between slug flow induced vibration in horizontal pipelines and cross-flow response due to vortex shedding is presented. The fluid model was based on the classical wake oscillator model. A numerical model based on the finite difference method was implemented for the structure. Two particular extreme cases were modeled to analyze the pipeline dynamics for “small-size” and “large-size” slugs, for a range of marine current velocities. For the case involving small-size slugs, it was observed a near 10% increment in the vibration amplitude (compared to a reference value), while in the case of “large-slugs” the VIV was overweighed by the slug induced vibration (SIV) phenomenon. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4028027]
Social Capital and Rural Grassroots Governance in China

This article examines the impacts of two types of social capital – bonding and bridging – upon the performance of grassroots self-government institutions in rural China, based on an original survey of 410 villages throughout the whole of China. The findings indicate that, on the one hand, bonding social capital still has a very solid foundation in the rural areas of China. On the other, bridging social capital is in formation in Chinese villages, even though the stock of bridging social capital is currently very moderate. Moreover, this study finds that bridging social capital, as manifested in general trust and inclusive social networks, positively affected the governance performance of each surveyed village. Yet, bonding social capital, as manifested in particular trust and exclusive social networks, tends to negatively impact the performance of Chinese rural governance. These findings help clarify some theoretical issues about, and shed some light on the prospects of, the rural self-governance system in China.
Diversity and stability analysis for yield and component traits in Cajanus cajan under rainfed conditions

Twenty one genotypes of short duration pigeonpea were evaluated under rainfed condition of Manipur during kharif season of 2007/8, 2008/9 and 2009/10 to obtain the knowledge of genetic diversity and stability for yield and its component traits and used for identification of stable genotypes of pigeonpea. The experiment was carried out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Genetic divergence between genotypes was estimated using Mahalanobis D2 method. The genotypes under study were distributed in six different clusters based on D2 statistics. Highest number of genotypes were found in cluster IV (6) followed by cluster VI (5). The genotypes viz., GT 101 showed higher mean performance for grain yield with non-significant deviation from regression, followed by ICPL 87 and PA 134. The present study indicated that crossing between genotypes from cluster I and II could be brought a wide spectrum of genetic variability into progenies with superior combination of different traits viz., early maturity, short plant stature and higher grain yield.
Spatiotemporal variability of biogenic terpenoid emissions in Pearl River Delta, China, with high-resolution land-cover and meteorological data

This study intended to provide 4-km gridded, hourly, year-long, regional estimates of terpenoid emissions in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China. It combined Thematic Mapper images and local-survey data to characterize plant functional types, and used observed emission potential of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) from local plant species and high-resolution meteorological outputs from theMM5model to constrain theMEGAN BVOC-emission model. The estimated annual emissions for isoprene, monoterpene and sesquiterpene are 95.55 × 106 kg C, 117.35 × 106 kg C and 9.77 × 106 kg C, respectively. The results show strong variabilities of terpenoid emissions spanning diurnal and seasonal time scales, which are mainly distributed in the remote areas (with more vegetation and less economic development) in PRD. Using MODIS PFTs data reduced terpenoid emissions by 27% in remote areas. Using MEGAN-model default emission factors led to a 24% increase in BVOC emission. The model errors of temperature and radiation in MM5 output were used to assess impacts of uncertainties in meteorological forcing on emissions: increasing (decreasing) temperature and downward shortwave radiation produces more (less) terpenoid emissions for July and January. Strong temporal variability of terpenoid emissions leads to enhanced ozone formation during midday in rural areas where the anthropogenic VOC emissions are limited.
Foreign bodies of the upper digestive tract in Komfo Anokye teaching hospital

Foreign body impaction in the upper digestive tract poses as an emergency condition to the otorhinolaryngologist as it discomforts the patient’s ability to swallow food and water. The main objective of the study was to investigate the incidence, the anatomical site of impaction, the nature of the foreign body, the management and the outcome of foreign body impaction in the upper digestive tract, in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) between January 2007 and December 2012. This was a cross-sectional retrospective study of cases which was diagnosed and managed as foreign body in the upper digestive tract within this period. The data collected from the clinical records of 1,412 patients was analyzed by using simple proportion and the statistical calculation by SPSS 16.0. Analysis showed male preponderance (61.8%), with an average age of 28.8 ± 1.9 (mean ± standard deviation). The commonest foreign body was bone (fish/meat/ chicken) in (45.7%), followed by coin in (29.6%) and then dentures in (14.3%), etc. Direct laryngoscopy was performed in (63.0%), rigid esophagoscopy under general anaesthesia in (34.0%) and direct clinical removal in (3.0%). 95.8% were successfully removed, (1.5%) were not successfully removed and were referred to the Cardio-Thoracic Unit (CTU). In (2.7%) of the cases the foreign bodies were not visualized and were managed conservatively. Although foreign body impaction in the upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) was among one of the commonest emergency in ORL practices it can be a major challenge to the otorhinolaryngologist and as such measures need to be taken to prevent such incident. Keywords : Foreign body, Upper digestive tract, Coin, McIntosh laryngoscope, Chevalier-Jackson esophagoscope
Moving droplets: The measurement of contact lines

Contact lines are the locations where a gas, liquid and a solid meet. From everyday experience we know that such contact lines can be mobile, for example in the case of a water droplet sliding over a glass surface. However, the continuum description of the flow towards or away from a contact line implies that the forces diverge as one approaches a moving contact line. This fundamental problem is of relevance to many applications, and in particular to the development and application of immersion lithography, where a liquid droplet is positioned between the lithographic optical head and the substrate that moves under it. This contribution will address experiments dealing with the shape and stability of a moving droplet and experiments that investigate the underlying behaviour of the nanoscale structure of the moving contact line.
Does private insurance erode the political support of social insurance

What are the consequences of allowing private insurance as a supplement to social insurance? Is the scope of social insurance likely to be affected by an introduction of an optional supplemental private insurance? The scope of social insurance is collectively decided and some may Þnd that this is insufficient. This may give rise to the demand that it should be possible to get additional insurance in the private market. It is easy to conclude that as long as the private insurance is optional, introducing such an option harms no one. However, preferences towards social insurance are likely to be affected by the introduction. This may affect the scope of social insurance through political channels and this may harm other group than those choosing the private insurance. An introduction of a private supplemental insurance may reduce the consicts of interests and may allow for more individual freedom. It may also improve efficiency in the economy by reducing the public supply and thereby reducing the deadweight costs of taxation. However, a reduction in the public supply may reduce redistribution and equality in such an amount, that society is over all made worse off by the introduction of a private supplemental supply. I examine under which conditions allowing for additional private insurance may be harmful for some groups. I Þnd that this depends on the wage distribution, the deadweight costs of taxation and the conditions in the private insurance market.
Education and Household Inequality Change: A Decomposition Analysis for India

Abstract Rising returns to education have increased wage inequality in many developing countries, but their impact on inequality between households is less clear. This study asks how education contributed to household inequality in India during the period 1993–2004, using a regression based decomposition method. We find that rising returns to education of employees did not increase household inequality, because many household heads are self-employed. Instead, rising inequality in education contributed to higher inequality, partly because fertility declined more slowly among illiterates. These new insights into the education-inequality relationship in India underline the importance of household-level analysis to complement earnings inequality research.
Spectral properties of angrites

Abstract— Angrites are generally believed to be fragments of a basaltic asteroid that differentiated under relatively oxidizing conditions. Almost all angrites (e.g., D'Orbigny, Lewis Cliff [LEW] 86010, and Sahara 99555) are composed predominately of anorthite, Al‐Ti diopside‐hedenbergite, and Ca‐rich olivine, except for the type specimen, Angra dos Reis, which is composed almost entirely of Al‐Ti diopside‐hedenbergite. D'Orbigny, LEW 86010, and Sahara 99555 also have spectral properties very different from Angra dos Reis. These newly measured angrites all have broad absorption features centered near 1 μm with very weak to absent absorption bands at ˜2 μm, which is characteristic of some clinopyroxenes. The spectrum of Angra dos Reis has the characteristic 1 and 2 μm features due to pyroxene. One asteroid, 3819 Robinson, has similar spectral properties to the newly measured angrites in the visible wavelength region, but does not appear to spectrally match these angrites in the near‐infrared.
Pollen analysis of honeys from Varaždin County, Croatia

The palynological properties of 8 honey samples commercially produced in 1 region in Croatia (Varazdin County) were determined. Each sample was examined to determine the pollen percentage and pollen spectrum. On the basis of honey pollen analysis, in these 8 samples different botanical origin was determined. In total, 20 different types of pollen grains were identified. The dominant group of pollen grains consisted of Castanea sativa Mill. in samples 2 and 8, Brassica napus L. in samples 4 and 5, and Trifolium pratense L. in samples 6 and 7. The pollen analysis revealed 6 unifloral and 2 multifloral honeys. Analysis was performed using methods in accordance with national and international legislation, in an accredited laboratory.
The Nature and Dimensions of Strategic Leadership

This paper aims to provide an understanding of the nature and dimensions of strategic leadership. It considers the nature of strategy in its broadest sense and puts forward a model of a sustainable strategically focused school. This model encompasses strategic processes and approaches but is driven by strategic leadership. The main thrust of the paper is to examine the personal attributes of strategic leaders and the activities they undertake. It is drawn from our strategy research since the late 1990s. Introduction: What is strategy and strategic leadership? One of the key challenges, when taking up a senior leadership position, is the move from an operational perspective to a strategic perspective. Strategic leadership, by definition, links the strategic function with the leadership function. School leaders articulate the definition of the organisation's moral purpose, which can be considered as 'why we do what we do'. The values that underpin this moral purpose are linked to the vision, considering 'where we want to be and what sort of organisation we want to be in the future'. Strategic leadership is the means of linking this broad activity to shorter-term operational planning, thereby imbuing the responses to immediate events with elements of the value system and the longer-term strategic direction. Strategic leadership is, therefore, defining the vision and moral purpose and translating them into action. It is a means of building the direction and the capacity for the organisation to achieve that directional shift or change. This translation requires a proactive transformational mind-set which strives for something better, rather than the maintenance approach of transactional leadership.
MAPK Activity in Porcine Oocytes Maturing InVitro

In this study, we determined effects of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor, U0126 on meiotic maturation, microtubule organization and actin filament assembly in the porcine oocyte. The phosphorylated MAPK was first detected at 12 h after the initiation of maturation cultures, fully activated at 24h, and remained until metaphase II. Treatment of germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes with U0126 completely blocked MAPK phosphorylation, but germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) was normally proceeded. However, the oocytes didn‘t progress to the metaphase I. The inhibition of MAPK resulted in abnormal spindles. In oocytes treated with U0126 after GVBD, polar body extrusion was normal, but the organization of the metaphase plate and chromosome segregation were abnormal. In conclusion, MAPK activity plays an important regulatory role in GV chromatin configuration and meiotic progress in porcine oocyte maturation.
Multimodal Interaction System for a Household Assistive Robot

It is essential for a household assistive robot to understand multiple communication modalities during the interaction with humans. In this paper, we describe our multimodal interaction system which integrates the input information from speech, gesture and gaze. A probabilistic method fuses the results from each individual recognizer at the decision level and then the system decides whether the accumulated information is complete according to a task-orientated command table. Under a two-way dialogue paradigm, the robot can also request more information from the user or confirm its interpretation. The experiments proved that the participants preferred to communicate multimodally, and the multimodal interaction system significantly outperformed unimodal speech.
Financial and Macroeconomic Determinants of Profitability: Empirical Evidence from the Brazilian Banking Sector

The aim of this paper is to verify the economic-financial and macroeocnomic determinants of profitability in the Brazilian banking sector. The analysis period covers the first semester of 1995 until the second semester of 2009. This period was stratified in moments (between 1995 and 2002 and between 2003 and 2009) to check for possible differences in profitability determinants during the years under analysis. The sample comprised 252 financial institutions. For data analysis, correspondence analysis (ANACOR) and panel data analysis techniques were used. Based on the perceptual maps produced through ANACOR, the association between the banking profitability categories and economic-financial indicators can be verified exploratorily. The Hausman test showed that the fixed effects model adjusts best to the analyzed data. In general, the results evidence that the economic-financial variables related to liquidity, credit risk, operating expense, operational efficiency and leverage, and the macroeconomic conditions with regard to the economic activity, inflation and the basic interest rate are statistically significant to explain Brazilian banking profitability.
The Reader Effect (Instruction/Awareness of Text Structure) and Text Effect (Well-Structured vs. Bad-Structured Texts) on First and Second/Foreign Language Reading Comprehension and Recall--What Does Research Teach Us?.

This paper first gives a brief chronological overview of reading theory development and a short introduction to schema theory, and then comprehensively reviews, comments, and synthesizes research-based studies, published between 1980 and 2002, that examined the effect of text structure (reader effect and text effect) on Ll and L2 reading comprehension and recall. Factors that have shown to have the potential to intervene research results are discussed and an interactive reading model of formal schema is proposed. Suggestions for educators and future research are also made. (Contains 91 references, and 2 tables and 3 figures of data.)