Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does innovation make a difference?

Purpose This paper aims to identify and measure the impact of the types of innovation on micro and small enterprises’ performance in the foodservice industry. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 55 micro and small enterprises located in the Recife Metropolitan Area in Pernambuco were considered for the purpose of the analysis. All the firms were registered in the Agente Local de Inovação (ALI) program during the period of 2015 and 2016. The innovations developed by the firms were identified and measured using the sectorial innovation index, and the firm’s performance was calculated by the annual revenue. The impact of the innovations on performance was measured using multiple linear regression and quantile regression. Findings The regressions’ findings suggest that two innovation dimensions stand out concerning firm performance, that is, brand and customer experience are thought as to contribute to firm performance significantly. However, it has also been found that the contribution of the innovations may vary in the level of firm performance. Originality/value The paper was distinguished by analyzing the relationship between innovation and firm performance in the context of micro and small enterprises. The research also allowed knowing the innovations that can contribute to the micro and small enterprises’ performance, allowing such organizations to identify and develop the innovations seen as necessary for their competitiveness.
Effect of orally administered simvastatin on prevention of postoperative adhesion in rats.

AIM Formation of adhesions in the abdominal region appearing after abdominal pelvic surgery lead to infertility, chronic pelvic pain, intestinal obstructions, difficulty and morbidity at the following operations, and increased morbidity. The aim of our study is to examine the effectiveness of orally administered simvastatin on preventing the postoperative adhesion. MATERIALS AND METHODS 20 male Wistar Albino rats weighing 230-250 gr were used. The rats were housed for 12 hours day and 12 hours night cycles in cages and were divided into two groups, namely study and control group. Microscopic evaluation of adhesion was assessed under 5 main topics which are the signs of inflammatory response; inflammation, activation, fibroblast activity, vascularity, presence of giant cell. Activation was scored as follows: (0) no activation, (1) while activation was accepted as present the score for other parameters was evaluated between 0 to 3 according to the increased severity. After evaluating all topics separately, the average of all scores has been assessed in both groups. RESULTS As a result of the macroscopic evaluation of postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions, the percentage of adhesion in simvastatin applied group was found to be 0.8 ± 0.17. This value was calculated as 0.6 ± 0.2 in the control group. Regarding the severity of adhesion, while in the simvastatin applied group the value was found to be 9.1 ± 4, in the control group it was 6.8 ± 3. The general adhesion score was found to be 7.7 ± 4.2 in simvastatin applied group and 5.1 ± 3.7 in control group. CONCLUSION In this experimental study it was showed that orally administered simvastatin has no significant effect on preventing formation of postoperative adhesions.
A low-noise readout circuit for MEMS vibratory gyroscope

This paper presents a gain-programmable low-noise switched-capacitor circuit for readout of a bulk micromachined gyroscope with a resonance frequency of 3-4 kHz and signal bandwidth of 100 Hz. A charge transfer method is adopted which enables the common node of the sensing and driving structure in gyroscope to a stable biasing voltage, so that the driving force influence of the voltage fluctuation on the common node in the traditional readout method is eliminated. An offset cancellation scheme is used in the readout circuit to suppress the opamp's offset and two programmable capacitor arrays are also implemented on-chip to compensate the initial capacitance offset from the MEMS gyroscope. In order to simulate the transient response of the circuit to the vibrating gyroscope, a simplified model is proposed which uses a time-varying voltage to generate a time-varying capacitor. The chip measures 2times2.5 mm2 in a standard 0.35 mum CMOS process. Simulation results show that the readout circuit can resolve input capacitance variations of 95 aF in 100 Hz bandwidth with 83.4 dB dynamic range from a single 5 V supply.
Improvement of Oral Environment Indices of Oral Preventive Care Program, and Change in Oral Health-related Behaviors based on Dental Hygiene Process

This study aims to ensure the autonomy of dental hygienists through an oral preventive care program based on the dental hygiene process, and to provide basic data to support systematic and professional oral care. It was intended to determine changes in patients’ oral-related knowledge, awareness, practice, OHB and other various oral hygiene care indices through the dental hygiene process. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 21.0), and statistical significance level was set at p<0.05. Frequency analysis was performed for general characteristics and two-way repeated measures ANOVA was performed to compare changes in the oral health care indices of the dental hygiene process. In addition, paired t-test was performed to compare differences in oral health knowledge, awareness, practice and OHB, and bivariate correlation analysis was performed to determine correlations between them. In the results of this study, it was found that there were significant decreases in S-0HI, PSR Score and BOP, O’ Leary through the dental hygiene process, showing that the oral preventive care program was effective (p<.001). Oral health knowledge, awareness, practice and OHB were also found to be significantly increased, revealing that there were positive changes (p<.001). It is expected that the clinical application of this dental hygiene program would be established as an effective manual to improve the oral environment.
Avian pneumovirus infections of turkeys and chickens.

Avian pneumoviruses (APVs) cause major disease and welfare problems in many areas of the world. In turkeys the respiratory disease and the effect on egg laying performance are clearly defined. However, in chickens, the role of APV as a primary pathogen is less clear, although it is widely believed to be one of the factors involved in Swollen Head Syndrome. The mechanisms of virus transmission over large distances are not understood, but wild birds have been implicated. APV has recently been reported in the USA for the first time and the virus isolated was a different type or possibly a different serotype from the APVs found elsewhere. Good biosecurity is crucial for controlling infection and highly effective vaccines are available for prophylaxis. Although different subtypes and possibly different serotypes exist, there is good cross protection between them. Diagnosis is usually based on serology using ELISAs, but the available kits give variable results, interpretation is difficult and improved diagnostic tests are required.
Board Characteristics, Corporate Performance and CEO Turnover Decisions: An Empirical Study of Listed Non- Financial Companies

This study examines the influence of board characteristics and corporate performance on CEO turnover decisions using a sample of 144 firms from non-financial companies listed on the Nigerian Stock exchange between the periods of 2011 to 2015. The study adopts agency and resource dependency theories to support its objectives and applies a logistic regression statistical technique to analyse the results. The results show that board nominating committee has a significant positive relationship with CEO turnover and board gender diversity has a negative influence on CEO turnover. Also, the study also finds that poor corporate performance leads to CEO turnover. On the overall, the findings indicate that company performance, board nominating committee and gender diversity in the boardroom are consequential in the Nigerian corporate landscape. In line with the findings, this study suggests that the government should enact legislation on gender quota for more women appointment to the board of the corporation to better the performance of the firm, and as well to enhance the monitoring role of the board.
The Prediction of Financial Performance in Dependence on the Type of Organisational Culture

Purpose of the article: Knowing the factors that affect organisation’s performance is a prerequisite for successful management. But it should be remembered that these factors do not act separately and that it is always necessary to examine the manner in which they interact and the level of synergy they can create. Our paper is based on the assumption that these requirements can by met by applying a typology of the organisational culture (OC). Methodology/Methods: Here we evaluate the return on assets (ROA) indicator in relation to different types of the OC based on four-dimensional Harrison and Handy’s model in 194 organisations operating in the Czech Republic, using quantitative methods including multiple regression analysis. Scientific aim: The aim of the paper is not only to find a response to whether there is a relationship between the different types of organisational culture and the financial performance of the organisation. We also want to point out at the possibilities of deeper analysis and interpretation of the factors that the typology of organisational culture includes. Findings: Our results show that there is a positive significant correlation between the task type of the OC and ROA and a negative one between the power type of the OC and ROA. Conclusions: This suggests that selecting the task type of the OC may lead to improvements of financial indicators, but there are also other factors that must be taken into consideration.
Modeling of automobile air conditioning systems

This paper studies the dynamics of temperature and humidity of air in a car compartment by the concept of enthalpy in analyzing the heat exchange involved. With heat change decomposed into sensible heat and latent heat, we are able to derive dynamics of temperature and humidity of the car compartment after taking into account of the difference of ASHF (apparatus sensible heat factor) and RSHF (room sensible heat factor). These two formulas are used in conjunction with two control strategies on flow rates of supply air to simulate the intended controlled car compartment at constant enthalpy and of constant temperature. The contribution of this work is to provide a framework for automobile air-conditioning analysis and simulation.
The Ectopic Overexpression of the Cotton Ve1 and Ve2-Homolog Sequences Leads to Resistance Response to Verticillium Wilt in Arabidopsis

Verticillium wilt, caused by the Verticillium dahliae phytopathogen, is a devastating disease affecting many economically important crops. A receptor-like protein (RLP) gene, Ve1, has been reported to confer resistance to V. dahliae in tomato plants, but few genes have been found to be involved in cotton Verticillium wilt resistance. Here, we cloned two RLP gene homologs, Gossypium barbadense resistance gene to Verticillium dahliae 1 (GbaVd1) and GbaVd2, from the Verticillium wilt-resistant cultivar G. barbadense cv. Hai7124. GbaVd1 and GbaVd2 display sequence divergence, but both encode typical RLPs. Virus-induced gene silencing of GbaVd1 or GbaVd2 compromised the resistance of cotton to V. dahliae, and both genes conferred Verticillium wilt resistance after interfamily transfer into Arabidopsis. Microarray analysis revealed that GbaVd1 and GbaVd2 participate in Verticillium wilt resistance in Arabidopsis through activation of defense responses, including the endocytosis process, signaling factors, transcription factors and reinforcement of the cell wall, as demonstrated by lignification in Arabidopsis transgenic plants. In addition, microarray analysis showed that GbaVd1 and GbaVd2 differentially mediate resistance signaling and activation of defense responses after overexpression in Arabidopsis. Thus, GbaVd1 and GbaVd2 encode RLPs and act as disease resistance genes that mediate the defense response against V. dahliae in cotton.
The Genes Influencing Adiponectin Levels Also Influence Risk Factors for Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes

ABSTRACT Results from previous studies suggest that adiponectin levels are associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus; however, the genetic and/or environmental components of this relationship have not been characterized. The aims of this study were (1) to assess the presence of pleiotropy between adiponectin levels and risk factors for cardiovascular disease and (2) to study the association of circulating levels of adiponectin with risk factors for cardiovascular disease in the absence and presence of obesity in Mexican American adults from the San Antonio Family Heart Study. Body composition and circulating levels of adiponectin, leptin, and lipid subfractions and measurements of glucose metabolism were measured in 898 subjects. The mean and standard error of the circulating levels of adiponectin was 8.7 ±3.2 μg/ml. Bivariate quantitative analyses between adiponectin levels and phenotypes related to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus were conducted using the variance decomposition approach implemented in SOLAR. A second analysis in unrelated subjects compared these risk factors between sex and agematched lean and obese subjects with high and low adiponectin levels. We found significant evidence of pleiotropy (i.e., shared genetic effects) between plasma levels of adiponectin and wellestablished risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Individuals with low adiponectin levels per body weight had more adverse risk profiles. These findings offer new insights into the genetic connection between increasing adiposity and risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and they suggest that adiponectin may be an important risk factor for the development of these conditions.
Ability and Personality Correlates of Children's Attitudes and Aspirations

This study examined to what extent personality types are related to children's attitudes and aspirations after taking into account relationships between ability and the attitude and aspiration measures. Data were collected from 500 12-yr. -old Australian children. In the analysis the children were classified into four personality groups who were labeled as extravert-adjusted, extravert-anxious, introvert-adjusted, and introvert-anxious. The findings suggest the general proposition that children's personality types have strong associations with school-related attitudes after taking into account associations between children's intellectual ability and their attitudes. In contrast, children's personalities tended not to be related to measures of educational and occupational aspirations.
Medical Tourists’ Future Destination Choice

Medical tourism has become an important sector that contributed to country’s development economically. In line with this notion, this study proposed to explore how the image of a destination could influence medical tourists in choosing a destination as their future medical and tourism destination choice. Scholars argued that destination image had a significant relationship with behavioral intentions. Further, destination image influence not only the decision-making process but also conditions after-decision-making behaviors of tourists. In this study context, the future destination choice behavior referred to the intention to revisit and to spread the positive word-of-mouth. Inbound medical tourists from private hospitals in Malaysia will be approached quantitatively by survey questionnaires. This study will contribute to an understanding of the significant factors influencing medical tourists’ intention for future destination choice. Keywords: destination image; destination choice; revisit intention; word-of-mouth.eISSN 2398-4295 © 2018. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.21834/ajbes.v3i13. 149
Transforming Growth Factor (cid:2) (TGF (cid:2) )-Stimulated Secretion of HSP90 (cid:2) : Using the Receptor LRP-1/CD91 To Promote Human Skin Cell Migration against a TGF (cid:3) -Rich Environment during Wound Healing (cid:1) †

Jump-starting and subsequently maintaining epidermal and dermal cell migration are essential processes for skin wound healing. These events are often disrupted in nonhealing wounds, causing patient morbidity and even fatality. Currently available treatments are unsatisfactory. To identify novel wound-healing targets, we investigated secreted molecules from transforming growth factor (cid:1) (TGF (cid:1) )-stimulated human keratinoytes, which contained strong motogenic, but not mitogenic, activity. Protein puriﬁcation allowed us to identify the heat shock protein 90 (cid:1) (hsp90 (cid:1) ) as the factor fully responsible for the motogenic activity in keratinocyte secretion. TGF (cid:1) causes rapid membrane translocation and subsequent secretion of hsp90 (cid:1) via the unconventional exosome pathway in the cells. Secreted hsp90 (cid:1) promotes both epidermal and dermal cell migration through the surface receptor LRP-1 (LDL receptor-related protein 1)/CD91. The promotility activity resides in the middle domain plus the charged sequence of hsp90 (cid:1) but is independent of the ATPase activity. Neutralizing the extracellular function of hsp90 (cid:1) blocks TGF (cid:1) -induced keratinicyte migration. Most intriguingly, unlike the effects of canonical growth factors, the hsp90 (cid:1) signaling overrides the inhibition of TGF (cid:2) , an abundant inhibitor of dermal cell migration in skin wounds. This ﬁnding provides a long-sought answer to the question of how dermal cells migrate into the wound environment to build new connective tissues and blood vessels. Thus, secreted hsp90 (cid:1) is potentially a new agent for wound healing. GFP-hsp90 (cid:1) and siRNA against LRP-1/CD91. The cDNA for wt hsp90 (cid:2) was ampliﬁed using PCR and subcloned in frame into the 3 (cid:8) end of a green ﬂuores-cent protein (GFP) gene. This fusion gene was inserted into the lentivirus- derived vector pRRLsinhCMV at BamHI and EcoRI. To identify possible target sequences for small interfering RNA (siRNA) against CD91, we used an RNA interference (RNAi) selection program (12). Four potential sites were selected and synthesized. The effectiveness of synthetic double-stranded siRNA in down- regulation of CD91 was ﬁrst measured in 293 cells by transfection, and the cell lysates were blotted with corresponding antibodies. The two most effective ex- amples of RNAi were then cloned into the lentiviral RNAi delivery vector FG-12 (12). The selected RNAi sequences (sense) with respect to human CD91 for FG12 cloning were GACCAGTGCTCTCTGAATA (RNAi-1) and GGAGTG GTATTCTGGTATA (RNAi-2). These constructs were used to transfect 293T
ALBA: An Adaptive Load - Balanced Algorithm for Geographic Forwarding in Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper we propose and analyze ALBA, an original packet forwarding protocol for ad hoc and sensor networks. ALBA follows an integrated approach that combines geographic routing and medium access control (MAC), exploiting the knowledge of node positions in order to achieve energy-efficient data forwarding. The scenario we consider is very critical for medium-high traffic, as contentions for channel access and the resulting collisions lead to performance degradation. To counter this effect, we leverage on network density, favoring the choice relay candidates that are not in overload. With our protocol, nodes strive to channelize traffic toward uncongested network regions, rather than just maximizing the advancement towards the final destination. We carry out extensive simulations that compare ALBA to GeRaF and MACRO, two recently proposed cross-layer approaches with similar goals. The results show that our design achieves very good delivery and latency performance, and can greatly limit energy consumption
The Acceptance and Use of E-Learning System Among Accounting Lecturers in State and Private Universities in Padang: An Empirical Study Based on UTAUT Model

One of the investments of state and private universities to improve the quality of teaching and learning between students and lecturers is the procurement of e-learning system. Due to the large funds of e-learning system investment, the state and private universities need to periodically evaluate whether the lecturers and students have optimally utilized the system. This study aimed to find empirical evidence that Unified Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model is a conceptual framework to explain the acceptance and use of e-learning system in accounting lecturers of state and private universities in Padang. The sample of this research is 66 lecturers of state and private university in Padang that already implemented e-learning system. The research data was obtained by distributing questionnaires directly to accounting lecturers on their respective campuses. The research data was processed using partial least square (PLS). This research finds the empirical evidence that UTAUT model is able to empirically prove the positive role of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions in improving the intention of accounting lecturers of state and private universities in Padang to use e-learning system. However, the model fails to prove the positive role of the intention to use on the actual use of e-learning system Keywords : E-learning system, UTAUT, Lecturers, Universities, Padang,
What to Expect from Immersive Virtual Environment Exposure: Influences of Gender, Body Mass Index, and Past Experience

For those interested in using head-coupled PC-based immersive virtual environment (VE) technology to train, entertain, or inform, it is essential to understand the effects this technology has on its users. This study investigated potential adverse effects, including the sickness associated with exposure and extreme responses (emesis, flashbacks). Participants were exposed to a VE for 15 to 60 min, with either complete or streamlined navigational control and simple or complex scenes, after which time measures of sickness were obtained. More than 80% of participants experienced nausea, oculomotor disturbances, and/or disorientation, with disorientation potentially lasting >24 hr. Of the participants, 12.9% prematurely ended their exposure because of adverse effects; of these, 9.2% experienced an emetic response, whereas only 1.2% of all participants experienced emesis. The results indicate that designers may be able to reduce these rates by limiting exposure duration and reducing the degrees of freedom of the user's navigational control. Results from gender, body mass, and past experience comparisons indicated it may be possible to identify those who will experience adverse effects attributable to exposure and warn such individuals. Applications for this research include military, entertainment, and any other interactive systems for which designers seek to avoid adverse effects associated with exposure.