Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do Intellectual Capital Elements Spur Firm Performance? Evidence from the Textile and Apparel Industry in China

This paper examines how investment in intellectual capital (IC) elements by textile and apparel companies improves firm performance measured in terms of profitability, market value, and productivity. The modified value-added intellectual coefficient (MVAIC) model is applied to measure IC. Using a panel of 35 Chinese textile and apparel companies for a six-year period (2013–2018), the results show that physical and human capitals are the strong factors that contribute to firm performance. In addition, relational capital negatively influences profitability and market value, and structural capital and innovation capital have a negative impact on employee productivity. We also find that the MVAIC model performs better in measuring IC than the original value-added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) model. This paper can provide some insights for corporate managers to enhance firm performance and gain competitive advantage by proper utilization of IC in traditional industries.
An epidemiological study of type-2 diabetes mellitus among adults of 30 years and above in urban Meerut

Diabetes mellitus (DM) comprises group of metabolic disorders that has common feature of hyperglycemia. DM is currently classified on the basis of the pathogenic process that leads to hyperglycemia. Type 2 DM is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by variable degrees of insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion, and excessive hepatic glucose production. Type 2 diabetes accounts for over 90-95% of all people with diabetes.
Second-Generation Phosphorus: Recovery from Wastes towards the Sustainability of Production Chains

Phosphorus (P) is essential for life and has a fundamental role in industry and the world food production system. The present work describes different technologies adopted for what is called the second-generation P recovery framework, that encompass the P obtained from residues and wastes. The second-generation P has a high potential to substitute the first-generation P comprising that originally mined from rock phosphates for agricultural production. Several physical, chemical, and biological processes are available for use in second-generation P recovery. They include both concentrating and recovery technologies: (1) chemical extraction using magnesium and calcium precipitating compounds yielding struvite, newberyite and calcium phosphates; (2) thermal treatments like combustion, hydrothermal carbonization, and pyrolysis; (3) nanofiltration and ion exchange methods; (4) electrochemical processes; and (5) biological processes such as composting, algae uptake, and phosphate accumulating microorganisms (PAOs). However, the best technology to use depends on the characteristic of the waste, the purpose of the process, the cost, and the availability of land. The exhaustion of deposits (economic problem) and the accumulation of P (environmental problem) are the main drivers to incentivize the P’s recovery from various wastes. Besides promoting the resource’s safety, the recovery of P introduces the residues as raw materials, closing the productive systems loop and reducing their environmental damage.
Type of encoded material and age modulate the relationship between episodic recall of visual perspective and autobiographical memory

ABSTRACT Episodic memory enables us to form a bank of autobiographical memories across our lifespan. The relationship between autobiographical memory and laboratory-measures of episodic memory is complicated and these processes might be differentially affected by ageing (e.g. Diamond et al., [2020]. Different patterns of recollection for matched real-world and laboratory-based episodes in younger and older adults. Cognition, 202, 104309.). Here, we examine whether the ability to recall one’s own visual perspective relates to richness of autobiographical recall, and how this relationship is affected by age. Memory of perspective at encoding, was assessed in younger (18–35 years) and older adults (65–85 years). Participants, wearing head cameras, viewed arrays of objects. Later they were asked which images represented earlier scenes, and if the image was taken from their perspective (i.e. from their camera). Performance was compared with autobiographical memory. Accuracy in identifying their own perspective correlated with autobiographical scores. Age-group was a moderating factor in this relationship. Subsequently, new participants encoded photographs of objects and were later asked whether they recognised the images. Visual perspective was manipulated in these photographs. In this task there was no relationship between performance and autobiographical memory. In younger adults only 3-D encoding of scenes relates directly to autobiographical memory but ability to complete these two tasks appears to operate independently in the older group.
Isolation and decolorization of azo dye of a laccase-producing Myrothecium verrucaria NF-05

Soil samples were collected in Liangshui Nature Reserve,China and enriched in medium with lignin-sodium salfacid as sole carbon source.Guaiacol-PDA plates were used to separate laccase-producing fungi.A high-yield strain NF-05 was screened after testing with 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenz-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 4-hy-droxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde azine (SGZ). NF-05 was identified as Myrothecium verrucaria based on morphological characteristics and sequence analysis of rDNA-ITS.Laccase production of NF-05 showed synchronism in concordance with hypha growth in fermentation medium.Enzyme activity reached the peak of 8,375.87U/L at the fifth day.Laccase from NF-05 was purified for assay of decolorizing azo dyes with mediators,which resulted in a decolorization percentage of 90% for methyl orange mediated by tetramethylpiperidinooxy (TE),90.1% for orangeⅠand 100% for orange G6 mediated by TE.
An ERA‐5 Derived CONUS‐Wide High‐Resolution Precipitation Dataset Based on a Refined Parametric Statistical Downscaling Framework

The spatiotemporal character of rainfall is particularly important for hydrologic modeling, as well as hydroclimatic risk estimation and impact assessment. Existing atmospheric reanalysis datasets offer extensive record lengths and global coverage, but usually their spatial resolution is coarse for distributed hydrologic simulations at small spatial scales. On the other hand, the temporal coverage of high‐resolution radar‐based rainfall estimates can be rather short for risk applications. To address these shortcomings, we simultaneously bias‐correct and downscale a state‐of‐the‐art atmospheric reanalysis (ERA5) rainfall dataset, using the radar‐based Stage IV precipitation product as fine resolution reference, to develop an hourly CONUS‐wide precipitation product over a 4‐km grid, which extends back to 1979. In this regard, we refine an existing parametric quantile mapping framework based on a two‐component theoretical distribution model, where we impose continuity of the parametric forms via optimal threshold selection to transition between higher and lower rain rates. An evaluation over the probability frequency and time domains, using NOAA’s raingauge measurements as benchmark, reveals that the developed product benefits from the strengths of the calibration datasets, demonstrating good performance and robust behavior over all studied time periods and Köppen climate classification zones, including snow‐prone regions or areas where mesoscale convective systems become dominant. The accuracy of the yielded high spatial‐resolution rain rates, especially in low probability events, shows that the developed product can be effectively used for hydroclimatic risk applications and frequency analysis, while its high temporal and spatial resolution makes it particularly useful for distributed hydrologic modeling.
Risk-Antecedents of Firms and Strategic Mediators – New Evidence from a Cross-Country Analysis

We examine the strength and nature of firm aspiration and expectation as strategic mediators in the association of risk antecedents and firm risk, after exploring the possible impact of such antecedents on firm aspiration, and firm aspiration’s preliminary influence on firm risk. Empirical literature is mostly silent about risk antecedents of firms in an emerging market or cross-country context, and to the best of our knowledge, the mediators proposed in this study are yet to be explored. We report strong significant positive mediating effects of firm aspiration and expectation in association of risk antecedents and firm risk. Our results also validate that all studied risk antecedents, except corporate governance- composition, significantly influence aspiration and expectation mediators and firm risk in line with our hypotheses. Our results also hold true after controlling for firm-level and country-level heterogeneities and conducting two additional robustness tests.
Pre-operative Limbic System Functional Connectivity Distinguishes Responders From Non-responders to Surgical Treatment for Trigeminal Neuralgia

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a severe facial pain condition often requiring surgical treatment. Unfortunately, even technically successful surgery fails to achieve durable pain relief in many patients. The purpose of this study was to use resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to: (1) compare functional connectivity between limbic and accessory sensory networks in TN patients vs. healthy controls; and (2) determine if pre-operative variability in these networks can distinguish responders and non-responders to surgery for TN. Methods: We prospectively recruited 22 medically refractory classic or idiopathic TN patients undergoing surgical treatment over a 3-year period, and 19 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. fMRI was acquired within the month prior to surgery for all TN patients and at any time during the study period for controls. Functional connectivity analysis was restricted to six pain-relevant brain regions selected a priori: anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, and insula. Two comparisons were performed: (1) TN vs. controls; and (2) responders vs. non-responders to surgical treatment for TN. Functional connectivity was assessed with a two-sample t-test, using a statistical significance threshold of p < 0.050 with false discovery rate (FDR) correction for multiple comparisons. Results: Pre-operative functional connectivity was increased in TN patients compared to controls between the right insular cortex and both the left thalamus [t(39) = 3.67, p = 0.0007] and right thalamus [t(39) = 3.22, p = 0.0026]. TN patients who were non-responders to surgery displayed increased functional connectivity between limbic structures, including between the left and right hippocampus [t(18) = 2.85, p = 0.0106], and decreased functional connectivity between the ACC and both the left amygdala [t(18) = 2.94, p = 0.0087] and right hippocampus [t(18) = 3.20, p = 0.0049]. Across all TN patients, duration of illness was negatively correlated with connectivity between the ACC and left amygdala (r2 = 0.34, p = 0.00437) as well as the ACC and right hippocampus (r2 = 0.21, p = 0.0318). Conclusions: TN patients show significant functional connectivity abnormalities in sensory-salience regions. However, variations in the strength of functional connectivity in limbic networks may explain why some TN patients fail to respond adequately to surgery.
Direct Synthesis of Vanadium Phthalocyanine and Its Electronic and Magnetic States in Monolayers and Multilayers on Ag(111)

Vanadium phthalocyanine (VPc) monolayers and multilayers were synthesized on Ag(111), and the electronic and magnetic states of an unachieved VPc with a divalent state of V were investigated. The VPc monolayer was fabricated by directly depositing the V atoms on a metal-free phthalocyanine (H2Pc) monolayer under ultra-high-vacuum conditions. The VPc multilayer was synthesized by repeated VPc monolayer deposition and subsequent sample annealing at approximately 450 K. The N 1s X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) of these samples showed a remarkable reduction in the peak assigned to H-bonded N atoms, concomitant with the appearance of a new peak attributed to V-bonded N atoms close to the peak of iminic N. Additionally, the oxidation state of V estimated from the V 2p XPS peak position corresponded to 1.6 and 2.4 in the monolayer and multilayer samples, respectively. These results clearly imply that VPc monolayers and multilayers were successfully obtained. The main ground-state electronic configuration of th.
Spatial coding defects of hippocampal neural ensemble calcium activities in the 3xTg-AD Alzheimer’s disease mouse model

Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) causes progressive age-related defects in memory and cognitive function, and has emerged as a major health and socio-economic concern in the US and worldwide. To develop effective therapeutic treatments for AD, we need to better understand the neural mechanisms by which AD causes memory loss and cognitive deficits. Methods Here we examine large scale hippocampal neural population calcium activities imaged at single cell resolution in a triple-transgenic Alzheimer’s disease mouse model (3xTg-AD) that presents both amyloid plaque and neurofibrillary pathological features along with age-related behavioral defects. To measure encoding of environmental location in hippocampal neural ensembles in the 3xTg-AD mice in vivo, we performed GCaMP6-based calcium imaging using head-mounted, miniature fluorescent microscopes (“miniscopes”) on freely moving animals. We compared hippocampal CA1 excitatory neural ensemble activities during open-field exploration and track-based route-running behaviors in age-matched AD and control mice at young (3–6.5 months old) and old (18–21 months old) animals. Results 3xTg-AD CA1 excitatory cells display significantly higher calcium activity rates compared with Non-Tg controls for both the young and old age groups during spatial exploration, suggesting that in vivo enhanced neuronal calcium ensemble activity is a disease feature. Increased ages are correlated with decreased neural calcium activity rates across genotypes. CA1 neuronal populations of 3xTg-AD mice show lower spatial information scores compared with control mice. Spatial firing of CA1 neurons of old 3xTg-AD mice also displays higher sparsity and spatial coherence, indicating less place specificity for spatial representation. We find locomotion significantly modulates the amplitude of hippocampal neural calcium ensemble activities in 3xTg-AD mice, but not in non-transgenic controls during open field ambulatory movements. Conclusions Our data offers new and comprehensive information about age-dependent neural circuit activity changes in this important AD mouse model, and provides strong evidence that spatial coding defects in the neuronal population activities are associated with AD pathology and AD-related memory behavioral deficits.
The impact of parent training intervention in early years: language and literacy development

ABSTRACT This study examined implementation of a newly developed shared book reading intervention program, to boost infants’ early skills and provide a solid foundation for continued language learning. A randomised control study was conducted to elevate the effects of Shared Book Reading Intervention with 20 parents (n = 10 experiment, n = 10 control) and their infants/toddlers aged 8–16 months. The program including 12-week parental training, had a powerful alterable influence on infant’s language comprehension, word production, and literacy skills. Additionally, findings provide further evidence that the shared book intervention instructional strategies helped parents learn language domain content. When taken together, the results suggest that parents have the potential to shape their infants’ development in the short-term by initiating reading skill changes in their home environment.
Black Phosphorus-Molybdenum Disulfide Hetero-Junctions Formed with Ink-Jet Printing for Potential Solar Cell Applications with Indium-Tin-Oxide

In this work, we implemented liquid exfoliation to inkjet-print two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorous (BP) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) p–n heterojunctions on a standard indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate in a vertical architecture. We also compared the optical and electrical properties of the inkjet-printed BP layer with that of the MoS2 and the electrical properties of the mechanically exfoliated MoS2 with that of the inkjet-printed MoS2. We found significant differences in the optical characteristics of the inkjet-printed BP and MoS2 layers attributed to the differences in their underlying crystal structure. The newly demonstrated liquid exfoliated and inkjet-printed BP–MoS2 2D p–n junction was also compared with previous reports where mechanically exfoliated BP–MoS2 2D p–n junction were used. The electronic transport properties of mechanically exfoliated MoS2 membranes are typically better compared to inkjet-printed structures but inkjet printing offers a cost-effective and quicker way to fabricate heterostructures easily. In the future, the performance of inkjet-printed structures can be further improved by employing suitable contact materials, amongst other factors such as modifying the solvent chemistries. The architecture reported in this work has potential applications towards building solar cells with solution processed 2D materials in the future.
A comparative study on investors ’ perception towards mutual fund and equity

In today’s competitive environment, different kinds of investment avenues are available to the investor, but they should be intelligent enough to select the scheme in which they are going to invest. Investing in various types of assets is an interesting activity that attracts people from all walks of the life irrespective of their occupation, economic status, education and family background. An investor tries to balance the benefits and shortcomings of different investment modes before investing in them. Savings form an important part of the economy of any nation. The main focus of this research paper is to identify the investors’ perceptions towards Mutual Funds and equity market with a sample of 100 investors in Hyderabad and Secendrabad.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Children with Type-1 Diabetes in a Tertiary Hospital in Sokoto, North-Western Nigeria: Clinical Profile and Outcome

Introduction: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening complication of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Few reports are available on DKA among children in North-west Nigeria. Objective: To describe the clinical profile and outcome of children managed for DKA in the Paediatric Endocrinology Unit of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto, North-western Nigeria over a ten-year period (January 2011- December 2020). Methods: This was a retrospective review of the case records of all children managed for T1D between 2011 and 2020. Socio-demographic and clinical data of those with DKA were extracted and analysed using SPSS version 23. Results: Ten (62.5%) out of 16 children with T1D had DKA, comprising 8 males and 2 females; M: F ratio 4:1. Majority (90%) were adolescents aged 10-15years. The mean age ± standard deviation (SD) at diagnoses of T1D was 11.1 ± 3.14 years; DKA was the presenting manifestation of diabetes in 4 (40%) children, while 6(60%) were known diabetics with an average of 2-episodes per patient. The median duration of symptoms was 5 days (range 1-42 days). Abdominal pain (90%), polyuria (80%), fast breathing (70%), vomiting (70%), altered consciousness (70%), dehydration (100%) and Kussmaul respiration (70%) were the common presenting features. The mean blood glucose, bicarbonate and venous PH at admission were 23.28± 7.14 (range; 12.3-33.3) mmol/L, 14.1± 3.41 (10-21) mmol/L and 6.96± 0.06 (6.92-7.00) respectively. Co-morbid conditions included infections (80%), predominantly malaria (70%). There was no mortality. Conclusion: DKA is common in male adolescents, with good management outcome in our facility. Abdominal pain, dehydration, polyuria and Kussmaul respiration were the commonest presenting features. A high index of suspicion of DKA is recommended in any child, particularly, male adolescents with the aforementioned features. Effort should be made to confirm diagnosis and prompt treatment instituted.
RELATIONSHIP AMONG LIFE SATISFACTION, SELF-ESTEEM, AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN PAKISTAN

Abstract Purpose of the study: This research study explores the relationship between life satisfaction, self-esteem, and academic performance of university students. Methodology: A quantitative approach was used to explore the relationship among life satisfaction, self-esteem, and academic performance of university students. In this study, a survey method was employed to collect quantitative data on life satisfaction, self-esteem, and academic performance from 575 students studying in three different public universities of Punjab (Pakistan). A self-esteem scale as a survey instrument initially developed by Rosenberg (1965) and a life satisfaction scale developed by Gilligan and Huebner (2002) were used to collect data. A third scale was developed by the researchers to measure the students’ academic performance. The assembled data were statistically examined using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation by using SPSS 20th Version. Results: Findings of the study reveal that the level of life satisfaction among university students is comparatively higher than the presence of self-esteem and academic performance. Findings of the study show significant positive associations of university students’ academic performance with their life satisfaction and self-esteem. Applications of this study: This study helps strengthen the factors that promote university students’ academic performance. Novelty/Originality of this study: The novelty of this study is to explore the relationship among life satisfaction, self-esteem, and academic performance of university students for strengthening different dimensions of life satisfaction and self-esteem which ultimately promote university students’ academic performance.