Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on corporate governance practices

The COVID-19 crisis has had an impact on every aspect of human life, including business. Many industries ground to a halt, and some businesses had to resort to liquidation. In this context, corporate governance was not spared the effects of the pandemic either, as the crisis almost paralyzed the entire business ecosystem. Therefore, this research aims to determine the most affected area of companies’ corporate governance and examine how companies changed their corporate governance structure in response to the COVID-19 crisis to ensure the survival of their business. Thirty-seven publicly listed companies were selected as the samples of the study. Their annual reports were analyzed using a qualitative data analysis technique. The results showed that the majority of companies had to transfer their Annual General Meeting (AGM) or/and Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to an online platform, while the shareholders were required to vote electronically. Moreover, some companies had to revise their budget, revisit their strategic plan, reduce director fees, send their directors for additional training, or conduct board evaluations online.
Temporal Reflection Response of Plane Waves Within an N-Layer Structure Involving Bianisotropy

The temporal reflection response of an ${N}$ -layer composite structure involving bianisotropic behavior is examined for the first time in the literature. Toward this goal, the wave matrix (WM) method, which is fundamental, relatively easier to apply, and compact and iterative suitable for analysis of multilayer structures, is first extended to the analysis of an interface separating two different media involving bianisotropy. Next, the reflection response of the whole structure is derived in terms of series form to better analyze its temporal behavior. Then, frequency-domain and time-domain responses of the whole structure are expressed using a special reflection coefficient (the reduced reflection coefficient) by way of the concept of subregions. A numerical analysis is performed to demonstrate the applicability of our formalism for two different polarization types (perpendicular and parallel).
Can short time delays influence the variability of the solar cycle?

Abstract We present the effects of introducing results of 3D MHD simulations of buoyant magnetic fields in the solar convection zone in 2D mean-field Babcock-Leighton models. In particular, we take into account the time delay introduced by the rise time of the toroidal structures from the base of the convection zone to the solar surface. We find that the delays produce large temporal modulation of the cycle amplitude even when strong and thus rapidly rising flux tubes are considered. The study of a reduced model reveals that aperiodic modulations of the solar cycle appear after a sequence of period doubling bifurcations typical of non-linear systems. We also discuss the memory of such systems and the conclusions which may be drawn concerning the actual solar cycle variability.
IM2DP: an intensity-based approach to loop closure detection and optimization for LiDAR mapping

We propose a brand-new global point cloud descriptor called IM2DP that combines shape and intensity data to conduct loop closure detection. By incorporating intensity data, our method expands the multiview 2D projection (M2DP) descriptor. We calculate intensity characteristics from multiple 2D projections of the point cloud and apply them to the M2DP shape features. Then, singular value decomposition (SVD) is used to compute the compressed descriptors for reducing the dimensionality. We combine this algorithm with the LOAM and conduct experiments on the KITTI public dataset. The results show that our approach is effective in reducing trajectory error and shows competitiveness when compared to the M2DP.
New-Onset Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation in the Setting of Acute Pulmonary Embolism Is Associated with All-Cause Hospital Mortality in Women but Not in Men

Background: Patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) may have various types of atrial fibrillation (AF). The role of AF in hemodynamic states and outcomes may differ between men and women. Methods: In total, 1600 patients (743 males and 857 females) with acute PE were enrolled in this study. The severity of PE was assessed using the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) mortality risk model. Patients were allocated into three groups according to their electrocardiography recordings taken during hospitalization: sinus rhythm, new-onset paroxysmal AF, and persistent/permanent AF. The association between the types of AF and all-cause hospital mortality was tested using regression models and net reclassification index (NRI) and integrated discrimination index (IDI) statistics with respect to sex. Results: There were no differences between the frequencies of the types of AF between men and women: 8.1% vs. 9.1% and 7.5% vs. 7.5% (p = 0.766) for paroxysmal and persistent/permanent AF, respectively. We found that the rates of paroxysmal AF significantly increased across the mortality risk strata in both sexes. Among the types of AF, the presence of paroxysmal AF had a predictive value for all-cause hospital mortality independent of mortality risk and age in women only (adjusted HR, 2.072; 95% CI, 1.274–3.371; p = 0.003). Adding paroxysmal AF to the ESC risk model did not improve the reclassification of patient risk for the prediction of all-cause mortality, but instead enhanced the discriminative power of the existing model in women only (NRI, not significant; IDI, 0.022 (95% CI, 0.004–0.063); p = 0.013). Conclusion: The occurrence of paroxysmal AF in female patients with acute PE has predictive value for all-cause hospital mortality independent of age and mortality risk.
Tax Aggressiveness and Audit Report Timeliness: The Role of Ownership Structure and Audit Committee

Companies that engage in tax aggressiveness (TAG) are considered socially irresponsible and problematic from the perspective of tax authorities. This study examines the impact of TAG on audit report timeliness and the role of corporate governance using ownership structure and audit committee on the relationship between TAG and audit report timeliness. We use the tax planning prediction model to uncover TAG. The data for our sample is obtained from the manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange and was obtained using the purposive sampling method. Using multiple linear regression analysis, we discover a positive relationship between TAG and audit report timeliness. However, we also find that corporate governance mechanisms affect this positive relationship through ownership structure and audit committee competence. Our findings suggest that the delay of independent auditors due to audit processes may expose the activities of TAG’s clients, which may have economic consequences for tax authorities, companies, and other stakeholders.
LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY ANALYSIS OF MANUFACTURING SECTOR IN TURKEY AGAINST EU

This study offers an in-depth analysis of labour productivity of manufacturing sector in Turkey and provides a comparison with EU27 and EA19 countries utilizing Eurostat time series data of 63 quarters covering 2005/first quarter-2020/third quarter time interval. Productivity trends are identified and interpreted by relating them with the key macroeconomic events and factors. Multiple linear and non-linear regression equations, and ARIMA model with different parameters are applied to the time series data considering the periods with and without covid effect. Future projections are made for the periods 2020–2023 for Turkey manufacturing sector based on the best fitting regression and ARIMA solutions and they are compared. Findings revealed that extreme covid conditions of even two quarters of data have significant impact on the forecasted values for Turkey, EU27 and EA19 countries. ARIMA analysis with 12 different parameter settings provided accurate results, supported by Thiel’s inequality coefficients and standard error measures. Analysis has shown consistent patterns between EA19 and EU27 countries. ARIMA results represent better compatibility with the regression results for Turkey. Study is valuable by providing comprehensive and comparative analysis, revealing future forecasts and covid effect and degree of recovery from the pandemic.
Solving Quantified Boolean Formulas

Many real-world problems do not have a simple algorithmic solution and casting these problems as search problems is often not only the simplest way of casting them, but also the most efficient way of solving them. In this thesis we will present several techniques to advance search-based algorithms in the context of solving quantified boolean formulas (QBF). QBF enables complex real-world problems including planning, two-player games and verification to be captured in a compact and quite natural fashion. We will discuss techniques ranging from straight forward pre-processing methods utilizing strong rules of inference to more sophisticated online approaches such as dynamic partitioning. Furthermore, we will show that all of the presented techniques achieve an essential improvement of the search process when solving QBF. At the same time the displayed empirical results also reveal the orthogonality of the different techniques with respect to performance. Generally speaking each approach performs well on a particular subset of benchmarks, but performs poorly on others. Consequently, an adaptive employment of the available techniques that maximizes the performance would result in further improvements. We will demonstrate that such an adaptive approach can pay off in practice, by presenting the results of using machine learning methods to dynamically select the best variable ordering heuristics during search.
DNA Barcodes of Mansonia (Mansonia) Blanchard, 1901 (Diptera, Culicidae)

Females of the genus Mansonia feed on the blood of humans, livestock, and other vertebrates to develop their eggs. The females’ biting behavior may cause severe disturbance to blood hosts, with a negative impact on public health and economics. Certain species have been identified as potential or effective disease vectors. The accurate species identification of field-collected specimens is of paramount importance for the success of monitoring and control strategies. Mansonia (Mansonia) morphological species boundaries are blurred by patterns of intraspecific heteromorphism and interspecific isomorphism. DNA barcodes can help to solve taxonomic controversies, especially if combined with other molecular tools. We used cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene 5′ end (DNA barcode) sequences to identify 327 field-collected specimens of Mansonia (Mansonia) spp. The sampling encompassed males and females collected from three Brazilian regions and previously assigned to species based on their morphological characteristics. Eleven GenBank and BOLD sequences were added to the DNA barcode analyses. Initial morphospecies assignments were mostly corroborated by the results of five clustering methods based on Kimura two-parameter distance and maximum likelihood phylogeny. Five to eight molecular operational taxonomic units may represent taxonomically unknown species. The first DNA barcode records for Mansonia fonsecai, Mansonia iguassuensis, and Mansonia pseudotitillans are presented.
Severe Systemic Reactions Following Bee Sting Injuries in Korea

Purpose Most bee sting injuries are benign, although sometimes they can result in life threatening outcomes, such as anaphylaxis and death. The purpose of this study was to investigate the epidemiologic status of bee sting injuries in Korea and to identify risk factors associated with severe systemic reactions (SSRs). Materials and Methods Cases were extracted from a multicenter retrospective registry for patients who had visited emergency departments (EDs) for bee sting injuries. SSRs were defined as hypotension or altered mental status upon ED arrival, hospitalization, or death. Patient demographics and injury characteristics were compared between SSR and non-SSR groups. Logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors for bee sting-associated SSRs, and the characteristics of fatality cases were summarized. Results Among the 9673 patients with bee sting injuries, 537 had an SSR and 38 died. The most frequent injury sites included the hands and head/face. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the occurrence of SSRs was associated with male sex [odds ratio (95% confidence interval); 1.634 (1.133–2.357)] and age [1.030 (1.020–1.041)]. Additionally, the risk of SSRs from trunk and head/face stings was high [2.858 (1.405–5.815) and 2.123 (1.333–3.382), respectively]. Bee venom acupuncture [3.685 (1.408–9.641)] and stings in the winter [4.573 (1.420–14.723)] were factors that increased the risk of SSRs. Conclusion Our findings emphasize the need for implementing safety policies and education on bee sting-related incidents to protect high-risk groups.
Random packing density

Abstract : Random packing of spheres in two-dimensional, threedimensional and higher spaces is investigated. In onedimension this reduces to the 'parking problem' which has been studied by several authors. Some restricted random packing is analyzed in one, two, and three dimensions. The latter case is of interest in physical chemistry in connection with 'loose' and 'dense' random packing. Extensions of these concepts to lower dimensions yields some theoretical values of interest in a one-dimensional modified parking problem. Some applications of random packing are discussed. (Author)
Disease Burden Evaluation of Injury and Poisoning in China from 2009 to 2019

Background: We aimed to analyze the differences and changing trends of mortality of Injury and Poisoning (IP) between urban and rural areas and gender in China to find out the influencing factors and to propose improvement measures. Methods: IP mortality, population, economy, medical and health information data came from the official web-site of the National Bureau of Statistics, and basic data on education level came from the Chinese Ministry of Education. Then the differences of the mortality of IP were compared between different areas and gender in China from 2009 to 2019, and the relationships between the mortality changes of IP and education level, GDP per capita, the numbers of practicing physicians, health institutions and urbanization rate were also explored by establishing a ridge regression model. Results: The mortality of IP in rural areas was significantly higher than that of urban areas, and in male was higher than that of female (both P<0.001). Primary school graduates, GDP per capita, the number of practicing physicians, health institutions and urbanization rate had strong correlations (rmin=−0.622) with the mortality of IP. Ridge regression model showed that there was a quantitative relationship between primary school graduates, GDP per capita, the number of practising physicians, health institutions, urbanization rate and the mortality of IP in China. Conclusion: As the difference of working nature, economic development imbalance, psychological and gender, the mortality of IP was significantly different, so the state should take more effective measures to develop the urban and rural areas balanced, and reduce the IP risk in some particular occupations.
Voltage of the vacuum arc with a ring anode in an axial magnetic field

The plasma jet focusing and voltage distribution in the interelectrode gap of a vacuum arc with a ring anode and subjected to an axial magnetic field were studied theoretically. A two-dimensional model was developed based on the free plasma jet expansion into vacuum, and the steady-state solution of the fully ionized plasma in the hydrodynamic approximation was analyzed. It was found that the imposition of an axial magnetic field reduces the radial expansion of the plasma jet. The characteristic jet angle decreases from about 40/spl deg/ in the zero magnetic field case and approaches a value of about 20/spl deg/ with a 0.02 T magnetic field. The arc voltage consisting of the cathode drop, the plasma voltage drop, and anode sheath drop increased, with the imposition of a magnetic field, and decreased with the anode length. The model was compared to experimental measurements of the vacuum arc voltage behavior in an axial magnetic field, and good agreement was found.
APPLICATION OF MAX MIN APPROACH AND AMPLITUDE FREQUENCY FORMULATION TO NONLINEAR OSCILLATION SYSTEMS

This paper applied the Max-Min Approach (MMA) and Amplitude Frequency Formulation (AFF) to derive the approximate analytical solution for motion of nonlinear free vibration of conservative, single degree of freedom systems. In both nonlinear problems MMA and AFF yields the same results. In comparison to forth-order runge-kutta method which is powerful numerical solution, the results show that these methods are very convenient for solving nonlinear equations and also can be used for the wide range of time and boundary conditions for nonlinear oscillators.
Scoping Review on ADCY5‐Related Movement Disorders

Adenylyl cyclase 5 (ADCY5)‐related movement disorder (ADCY5‐RMD) is a rare, childhood‐onset disease resulting from pathogenic variants in the ADCY5 gene. The clinical features, diagnostic options, natural history, and treatments for this disease are poorly characterized and have never been established through a structured approach.
Experimental Comparison of Laser Cladding and Powder Plasma Transferred Arc Welding Methods for Depositing Wear-Resistant NiSiB + 60% WC Composite on a Structural-Steel Substrate

A Ni-based powder composed of NiSiB + 60% WC was deposited onto a structural-steel substrate using two methods: laser cladding (LC) and plasma powder transferred arc welding (PPTAW). The resulting surface layers were analyzed and compared. Both methods resulted in the precipitation of secondary WC phases in the solidified matrix, but the PPTAW clad exhibited a dendritic microstructure. The microhardness of the clads prepared by both methods was similar, but the PPTAW clad showed higher resistance to abrasive wear compared to the LC clad. The thickness of the transition zone (TZ) was thin for both methods, with a coarse-grain heat-affected zone (CGHAZ) and peninsula-like macrosegregations observed in clads from both methods. The PPTAW clad showed a unique cellular–dendritic growth solidification (CDGS) and a type-II boundary at the TZ attributed to its thermal cycles. While both methods resulted in metallurgical bonding of the clad to the substrate, the LC method exhibited a lower dilution coefficient. The LC method also resulted in a larger HAZ with higher hardness compared to the HAZ of the PPTAW clad. The findings of this study indicate that both methods are promising for antiwear applications due to their wear-resistant properties and metallurgical bonding to the substrate. The PPTAW clad may be particularly useful in applications that require higher resistance to abrasive wear, while the LC method may be advantageous in applications that require lower dilution and larger HAZ.
Comparison of Minimum Bias and Maximum Likelihood Methods for Claim Severity

The objective of this study is to compare the methods of minimum bias and maximum likelihood by using a weighted equation on claim severity data. The advantage of using the weighted equation is that the fitting procedure provides a faster convergence compared to the classical procedure introduced by Bailey and Simon [1] and Bailey [2]. Furthermore, the fitting procedure may be extended to other models in addition to the multiplicative and additive models, as long as the function of the fitted value is written in a specified linear form. In this study, the minimum bias and maximum likelihood methods will be compared and fitted on three types of claim severity data; the Malaysian data, the U.K. data from McCullagh and Nelder [3] and the Canadian data from Bailey and Simon [1].
Predicting the Impact of Change in Air Quality Patterns Due to COVID-19 Lockdown Policies in Multiple Urban Cities of Henan: A Deep Learning Approach

Several countries implemented prevention and control measures in response to the 2019 new coronavirus virus (COVID-19) pandemic. To study the impact of the lockdown due to COVID-19 on multiple cities, this study utilized data from 18 cities of Henan to understand the air quality pattern change during COVID-19 from 2019 to 2021. It examined the temporal and spatial distribution impact. This study firstly utilized a deep learning bi-directional long-term short-term (Bi-LSTM) model to predict air quality patterns during 3 periods, i.e., COVID-A (before COVID-19, i.e., 2019), COVID-B (during COVID-19, i.e., 2020), COVID-C (after COVID-19 cases, i.e., 2021) and obtained the R2 value of more than 72% average in each year and decreased MAE value, which was better than other studies’ deep learning methods. This study secondly focused on the change of pollutants and observed an increase in Air Quality Index by 10%, a decrease in PM2.5 by 14%, PM10 by 18%, NO2 by 14%, and SO2 by 16% during the COVID-B period. This study found an increase in O3 by 31% during the COVID-C period and observed a significant decrease in pollutants during the COVID-C period (PM10 by 42%, PM2.5 by 97%, NO2 by 89%, SO2 by 36%, CO by 58%, O3 by 31%). Lastly, the impact of lockdown policies was studied during the COVID-B period and the results showed that Henan achieved the Grade I standards of air quality standards after lockdown was implemented. Although there were many severe effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on human health and the global economy, lockdowns likely resulted in significant short-term health advantages owing to reduced air pollution and significantly improved ambient air quality. Following COVID-19, the government must take action to address the environmental problems that contributed to the deteriorating air quality.
Inferred Study Habits of Students from E-Learning – Focusing on Increasing Test Scores in Pre-Enrollment Education

In this study, we used the placement test scores, e-learning history, and posttest scores obtained in the pre-enrollment education at University A conducted in 2015, 2016, and 2017 to exploratorily classify seven types of students according to learning habits (types). It was revealed that more than 80% (with the exception of English in 2016) of the highest placement test scores (Japanese ≥ 90, English ≥ 74 in this study) were of learners with learning habits (types) of long-term completion (LTrf) or mid-term completion (MTrf). Although the percentage of learners with LTrf or MTrf learning habits (types) gradually decreased as placement test scores declined, there was no significant change in learning habit trends and learning habits (types) other than for LTrf or MTrf. In addition, learners with large increases in posttest scores (posttest score - placement score) after completing e-learning were classified with learning habits (types) of LTrf or MTrf. However, it is not only the learners who improved their test scores that were progressing without bias during the learning period (LTrf or MTrf). It was also found that more than 65% progressed in their learning (logged in) without being biased during the learning period. These findings suggest that there is no significant difference between learners' learning habits (types), placement test scores, and test score growth.