Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Examining the Moderating Role of Reasons in Masstige Luxury Buying Behavior

This study proposes a new model derived from Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT) to examine the purchasing behavior of masstige jewelry consumers. The suggested model provides a more comprehensive understanding of the determinants of purchasing masstige products by considering values and reasons in addition to the global motives and intention. The study also examines, for the first time, the moderating role of reasons. It explores how reasons may strengthen or weaken the impact of perceived values on global motives. The proposed model was empirically tested using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with survey data on the consumption of masstige jewelry brands in Türkiye. To provide a more complete understanding of the moderating role of reasons, submodels were constructed for different value–reason combinations. The results demonstrate notable differences in the goodness-of-fit measures between the moderated and non-moderated models. Specifically, reasons contributed to enhanced explanations of global motives and intention, both directly and indirectly. However, not all submodels yielded significant results in terms of the moderator effect. Thus, the empirical tests supported the hypotheses regarding the moderating effect only partially. Overall, the current findings further extend the existing frameworks and provide valuable insights into masstige jewelry purchasing behavior, which can be used by marketers to develop more effective strategies.
Méthodes de quantification des émissions dans l’air

La surveillance de la qualite de l’air a pour objectif de verifier que les niveaux de reference definis par la reglementation pour les substances identifiees ne sont pas depasses. Les enjeux autour de la problematique des emissions dans l’air sont multiples : sanitaire, economique, politique, scientifique. Cet article fait le point sur la quantification des rejets dans l’atmosphere et de ses quatre methodes utilisables : mesure, bilan, correlation et facteur d’emission. Sont egalement exposes les principes de bases et la methodologie des inventaires d’emission.
A Rumor has Spread like Wildfire? - Empirical Investigation of Information Propagation in Waiting Crowds

Information propagation in crowds tends to have a negative image. A common narrative is that information about a danger spreads like wildfire and leads to panic. In contrast, using person-to-person information sharing in crowd management as a complement to other communication channels has been discussed less. Even though previous research indicated that information does not propagate easily in crowds, more detailed research is lacking. In this study, two different experiments are presented to provide initial insights. In the main experiment, five groups of 33-41 participants took part in a total of 35 runs. In each run, a person in a waiting group was given a message or command that had to be passed on, whereby the knowledge about the task, the relevance of the message and the input side were varied. In the second experiment, this procedure was repeated with two larger groups of participants (n = 91 and n = 101). Overall, results showed that information propagated better when people were properly briefed on their task and have performed it several times. There was also a tendency for a higher density to foster faster propagation and for participants to rely on the spoken word rather than seeing a behavior performed. Yet, some participants did not receive the information at all or did not pass it on. In general, the direction of communication (e.g., back to front or left to right) was not always the same but information was usually passed along in a similar direction from where it came.
Anticorrosive Efficiency of the AISI 316 SS in Sustainable Ecological Concrete Manufactured with SCBA-SF Exposed to Magnesium Sulphate

In this research, it was evaluated the anticorrosive efficiency of AISI 316 SS embedded in Sustainable Ecological Concrete (SEC) manufactured with partial substitutions of Portland Cement by combinations of SCBA and SF in 10%, 20%, and 30%. For the electrochemical evaluation, the Sustainable Ecological Concretes (SEC) were exposed to solution at 3.5% of MgSO4, these aggressive ions are found in soils, industrial or marine environments and that interact with the civil works that are built in these places. The dosage or proportioning of the Sustainable Ecological Concrete (SEC) mixtures was carried out as indicated by ACI 211.1. The anticorrosive efficiency of the AISI 316 SS was evaluated through the tests of the potential of corrosion (Ecorr) and corrosion rate (Icorr) during a period of 180 days of exposition to the aggressive medium. The values of Ecorr indicate in the AISI 316 SS a 10% of corrosion risk and uncertainty at the end of monitoring, according to the norm ASTM C-876-15, in all the mixtures, but the values of Icorr in the specimens manufactured with SEC indicate resistance to sulfate corrosion more than 10 times compared to conventional concrete and AISI 1018 steel.
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND PERMEABILITY OF CLASTIC ROCK UNDER HYDRO-MECHANICAL COUPLING

The mechanical properties of clastic rock of dam foundation in a hydropower station in virtue of conventional physical and deformation analysis are very complex.Triaxial rheological tests were therefore conducted using the automatic triaxial servo-instrument to investigate the rheological properties and permeability of such rock under hydro-mechanical coupling.The axial,lateral and volumetric deformation curves versus time were measured and the rheological deformation properties and rheological rate law were discussed accordingly.The evolution process of permeability during rheological period was analyzed in detail.The scanning electron microscope(SEM) experiments were performed for the rock specimens after failure to study the mechanism and mode of macro-micro failure.The results show that the clastic rock has a pronounced rheological behavior.The rheological curves have a transient period initially,a steady period thereafter and an accelerated period finally at the last loading step.The rheological deformation were increased when the stress and seepage pressure applied were increased and were reduced if the confining pressure was increased.The finally failed specimen have the characteristics of large axial compression deformation,obvious ductile volumetric dilation and large steady rheological rate.The relationship between the rheological rate and the applied stress can be described by an exponential function.The coefficients of permeability fluctuate during the rheological process possibly because of the heterogeneity of specimens,but overall decrease.During the stage of steady period,the coefficients of permeability decrease linearly.It is shown that the fluctuation has no significant effect on the permeability evolution.Furthermore,the permeability coefficients decrease as the confining pressures increase.
Relationship Between Distributed Leadership and Self-Efficacy of Catechists in Catechetical Schools within the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur

This study delved into determining the relationship between distributed leadership, characterised by collaborative decision-making, supportive supervision, coherent practices, and catechist self-efficacy within catechetical schools of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur. Surveying 260 catechists, the study revealed a landscape of moderate perceptions of leadership support and practices alongside generally positive yet nuanced self-efficacy levels indicating individual variations. However, the spotlight shone brightest on the Pearson correlation analyses, unveiling remarkably strong positive correlations between all three leadership dimensions and self-efficacy (r = .993, .987, and .990, respectively). This potent connection illuminates a powerful truth: distributed leadership, when woven into the fabric of catechetical schools through collaboration and supportive supervision, serves as a potent catalyst for igniting catechist confidence and unlocking their effectiveness. This revelation compels us to advocate for strategic investment in leadership development programs that invigorate distributed leadership practices, particularly in the domain of supervision. By empowering catechists through such interventions, the potential to optimise catechetical education and nurture stronger faith formation within the Archdiocese becomes not just a possibility but a compelling reality.
Efficacy, toxicity, and lethality of plants with potential anthelmintic activity in small ruminants in Brazil

SUMMARY The use of medicinal plants as a therapeutic method in the control of diseases has been increasing in animal production. In the case of small ruminants, the endoparasitic disease is a major concern, since they are considered the greater sanitary problem, especially when considering the phenomenon of parasite resistance to the medicines used. Therefore, the development of alternative methods of endoparasitary control in goats and sheep has become a pressing need. The use of plants to control endoparasites can reduce the use of chemical inputs, making more environmentally sustainable livestock, minimizing the occurrence of parasitic resistance to conventional medicines and contributing to the reduction of production costs. In this sense, several studies have been carried out in order to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo activity of plants with anthelmintic potential. However, despite the potentiality found in many studies, the results are sometimes contradictory or do not replicate in vivo the same efficacy obtained in the in vitro assays. Another relevant aspect is the low utilization of the lethality and toxicity tests, which are indispensable so that the knowledge can be spread and applied by the producers in their herds. Thus, this review aims to provide the results from studies carried out in Brazil with extract of plants with potential for control of parasitic disease in goats and sheep, describing the main evaluated plants species, mechanisms of action, preparation forms and tests of efficacy, toxicity, and lethality.
Taphonomy, geology, and paleoecology of the Sandy Site, an exceptional assemblage in the Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota

Bartlett, Jeffrey Alan. Taphonomy, geology, and paleoecology of the Sandy Site, an exceptional assemblage in the Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota. (Under the direction of Dale Russell.) The Sandy Site is a multispecific terrestrial deposit in the fluvial sediments of the Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation. It captures a diversity of Late Cretaceous dinosaurs and other vertebrates. Over three thousand bones represent at least fifty genera of birds, pterosaurs, terrestrial and aquatic tetrapods, and fish. Ten of the eleven dinosaur families found throughout the formation have been recognized at this quarry. Detailed taphonomic observations included abrasion, bone completeness, skeletal representation. These and a number of qualitative features indicated two distinct bonesets in the assemblage. An allochthonous suite included bones of tyrannosaurs, hadrosaurs and ceratopsians, which possessed taphonomic signatures similar to exotic aquatic vertebrate specimens. Smaller, unusual dinosaurs comprised a parautochthonous group with mammals, birds, pterosaurs, and small herpetofauna. Sedimentologic data suggest a fluvial crevassing event as the most likely depositional setting. Crevasse channel deposition fits with the Sandy microstratigraphic package and structures present, the narrow time resolution, and the dual nature of the taphocoenosis. A direct cause of mortality cannot be identified, but that agent and the subsequent burial of the taphocoenosis apparently occurred in two steps. Comparison with other sites indicates that Sandy was a product of fortuitous set of repeatable events, and that similar depositional environments produce mixed assemblages with multispecific parautochthonous components. The autochthonous assemblage presents a Sandy paleofauna different from conventional reconstructions of the Hell Creek Formation. Smaller dinosaurs prevailed in this setting, in marked contrast to the dominance of a few megafaunal taxa presented in previous reconstructions. The original faunule has a size structure similar to modern mammal communities. The regional ecology may have been mosaic rather than homogeneous, where large dinosaurs lived near but separately from the unusual small denizens of Sandy. The dinosaur faunule represented at Sandy portray a very different community than generally known for the regional Triceratops fauna of the Western Interior, and may have inhabited the Hell Creek landscape as more influential members of the ecosystem than previously recognized. TAPHONOMY, GEOLOGY, AND PALEOECOLOGY OF THE SANDY SITE, AN EXCEPTIONAL ASSEMBLAGE IN THE MAASTRICHTIAN HELL CREEK FORMATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA
Studies of the influence of non-linear stress-strain characteristics in soil-structure interaction

Recent field and laboratory studies have shown that, even at very small strains, many soils exhibit non-linear stress–strain behaviour. Nevertheless, because of its convenience, linear elasticity will continue to play an important role in the analysis of such problems as settlement, deformation and soil–structure interaction. In this Paper the measured non-liqear stress–strain properties of a low plasticity clay are used in the finite element analysis of footings, piles, excavations and pressuremeter tests to assess the influence of small strain non-linearity in comparison with linear elastic behaviour. In all cases non-linear behaviour results in the concentration of strain and deformation towards the loading boundaries. This is shown to have important consequences for soil–structure interaction problems such as settlement profiles, pile group interaction and contact stress distributions. Small strain non-linearity also has a significant influence on the interpretation in terms of equivalent elastic modu.
Impact mechanisms of granular and viscous flows on rigid and flexible barriers

Structural countermeasures such as rigid and flexible barriers are commonly installed in mountainous regions to intercept mass-wasting processes. Without sufficient and reliable comparable physical data, the study of impact mechanisms remains difficult and not well understood. In this study, a newly developed flexible model barrier together with a rigid barrier are used to simulate either dry granular or viscous liquid impacts on these model barriers in a geotechnical centrifuge. The novel flexible barrier is made of four instrumented cables controlled by spring mechanisms to replicate a bilinear prototype loading response. Tests revealed that regardless of barrier type, both dry granular and viscous flows could have similar frontal dynamic impact coefficients around unity. Compared with the kinetic energy of flow mass (∼10 MJ), only 249 kJ of flexible barrier energy capacity was mobilized. This implies that debris-resisting barriers may only be required to intercept the dynamic flow front as the subseque.
Lipid Management in Kidney Transplant Recipients Per KDIGO and American Heart Association Guidelines: A Single-Center Experience

Background: The 2013 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines recommends statin treatment for all adult kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), except those aged <30 years of age and without prior cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF), but does not specify on-treatment low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) target levels. The 2018 American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines addressed the management of hyperlipidemia in the general population based on an individualized approach of the CVRF with a specific on-treatment LDL target. Objective: To analyze dyslipidemia management according to the recommendations of the KDIGO and AHA guidelines. Methods: This retrospective study included all KTRs who underwent transplantation between January 2017 and May 2020 at King Abdulaziz Medical Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The rate of statins prescription in general, rate of statins prescription among KTRs per their CVRF, and rate of achieving the proposed LDL goals, as defined by the AHA, were analyzed. Results: A total of 287 KTRs were included. Of the 214 (74.6%) patients aged ≥30 years, 80% received a statin. Statins were prescribed in 93% and 96% of KTRs with diabetes or coronary artery disease, respectively. In patients aged ≥30 years, LDL targets, per AHA guidelines, were achieved in 62% with a target of 2.6 mmol/l, and in 19% with a target of 1.8 mmol/l. Statin therapy resulted in non-significant changes in the mean LDL values from baseline to 12 months after transplantation (P = 0.607), even when only patients prescribed statin after transplantation were included (P = 0.34). Conclusion: By applying the KDIGO guidelines, a high rate of statin prescriptions was achieved among KTRs with multiple CVRF and KTRs in general. However, a significant proportion of these KTRs did not achieve the LDL targets proposed by the AHA guidelines, suggesting that higher-intensity statins would be required to achieve these targets.
Pain and the biochemistry of fibromyalgia: patterns of peripheral cytokines and chemokines contribute to the differentiation between fibromyalgia and controls and are associated with pain, fat infiltration and content

Objectives This explorative study analyses interrelationships between peripheral compounds in saliva, plasma, and muscles together with body composition variables in healthy subjects and in fibromyalgia patients (FM). There is a need to better understand the extent cytokines and chemokines are associated with body composition and which cytokines and chemokines differentiate FM from healthy controls. Methods Here, 32 female FM patients and 30 age-matched female healthy controls underwent a clinical examination that included blood sample, saliva samples, and pain threshold tests. In addition, the subjects completed a health questionnaire. From these blood and saliva samples, a panel of 68 mainly cytokines and chemokines were determined. Microdialysis of trapezius and erector spinae muscles, phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy of erector spinae muscle, and whole-body magnetic resonance imaging for determination of body composition (BC)—i.e., muscle volume, fat content and infiltration—were also performed. Results After standardizing BC measurements to remove the confounding effect of Body Mass Index, fat infiltration and content are generally increased, and fat-free muscle volume is decreased in FM. Mainly saliva proteins differentiated FM from controls. When including all investigated compounds and BC variables, fat infiltration and content variables were most important, followed by muscle compounds and cytokines and chemokines from saliva and plasma. Various plasma proteins correlated positively with pain intensity in FM and negatively with pain thresholds in all subjects taken together. A mix of increased plasma cytokines and chemokines correlated with an index covering fat infiltration and content in different tissues. When muscle compounds were included in the analysis, several of these were identified as the most important regressors, although many plasma and saliva proteins remained significant. Discussion Peripheral factors were important for group differentiation between FM and controls. In saliva (but not plasma), cytokines and chemokines were significantly associated with group membership as saliva compounds were increased in FM. The importance of peripheral factors for group differentiation increased when muscle compounds and body composition variables were also included. Plasma proteins were important for pain intensity and sensitivity. Cytokines and chemokines mainly from plasma were also significantly and positively associated with a fat infiltration and content index. Conclusion Our findings of associations between cytokines and chemokines and fat infiltration and content in different tissues confirm that inflammation and immune factors are secreted from adipose tissue. FM is clearly characterized by complex interactions between peripheral tissues and the peripheral and central nervous systems, including nociceptive, immune, and neuroendocrine processes.
The Impact of Mobile-Assisted Hybrid Dynamic Assessment on Arabic Language Leaners’ Reading Comprehension Performance

Dynamic assessment is unity of assessment and instruction based on the sociocultural theory in which mediation is gradually provided to promote the cognitive development. This study mainly aimed to explore the quantitative and qualitative impact of mobile-assisted hybrid dynamic assessment (MAHDA) on Islamic religious Education (IRE) learners’ Arabic reading comprehension (ARC). This recent study employed a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design and involved twenty participants assigned into experimental and control groups. All groups received pre-and post-tests to compare the intervention. The experimental group was mediated through the MAHDA procedure for two months and the control group received conventional instruction. The interview with the participants was also conducted to assess the learners’ perception of the mediation strategies of MAHDA. The pre- and post-test were analyzed by t-test and the transcribed interviews were thematically analyzed. Quantitatively, the results showed a meaningful distinction between the two groups. It highlighted that MAHDA was significantly effective to enhance the learners’ knowledge of ARC. The qualitative findings also indicated that the participants felt satisfied with the MAHDA in improving the learners’ ARC abilities and social interaction. One of the implications of this research is to promote the use of mobile learning as mediation DA framework to teach various features of Arabic including reading comprehension of Arabic. Further research is required MAHDA with a larger site and samples to generate the effectiveness of MAHDA.
Foreign directors and firm performance: a study in Vietnam

Having foreign directors on board has both positive and negative sides while the overall effect of the foreign directors on firm performance is still inconclusive in literature. In this paper, we examine the relation between foreign directors and firm performance measured by return on assets in Vietnam. Using a sample of 175 firms with 955 observations from 2013 to 2019, we find that having foreign directors on board who have better expertise, experience, and networks is positively related to firm performance. However, employing additional foreign directors generally does not bring more benefits due to more misunderstandings and slower decision making, except when all foreign directors are from similar economic development backgrounds. The results contribute to inconclusive literature by adding more understandings of the context in which the foreign directors have an positive impact positively on firm performance. The findings also have practical implications for recruiting foreign directors in Vietnamese firms.