Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Board Structure Characteristics on Financial Performance: Evidence from Selected Listed Companies in Colombo Stock Exchange

This study examines the impact of board structure characteristics on financial performance and the contribution of the code of best practices on corporate governance in determining board effectiveness. This study investigates whether board structure characteristics impact financial performance, as measured by Earning Per Share (EPS) and Return on Assets (ROA). Independent variables are board size, Board Meetings, Board Composition, Independent Board Committees, and Board Shareholding. Fifty companies listed in Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) from 16 sectors were selected as sample size based on the turnover of the year 2019 for the period of 2017 to 2019. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. According to the data analysis findings, this study found that the board structure characteristics significantly affect EPS and do not affect ROA. Findings also revealed that board size, board composition, board shareholdings indicators significantly impact EPS and board composition, and board shareholdings negatively affect the EPS. This study has provided useful information mainly to the PLCs in Sri Lanka in terms of the importance of compliance with the code of best practice on corporate governance toward enhancing board structure characteristics.
A Clinical Trial to Assess the Role of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Smoking Cessation in an Egyptian Sample

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) increases the likelihood of smoking cessation after 6 months of treatment Methods: A randomized, double-blind controlled clinical trial is conducted by enrolling 54 tobacco users divided into 2 equal groups; one group receiving active rTMS and the other group receiving a sham rTMS. Both groups were followed up for 24 weeks after treatment for abstinence using the Nicotine Use Inventory, cigarette consumption, cravings by Arabic Tobacco Craving Questionnaire-12. Results: Fifty-four subjects received the full intervention and were analyzed. Carbon monoxide was significantly less in the study group after the last treatment session. At week 24, the percentage of point prevalence abstinent subjects was 25.9% in the active group and 18.5% in the sham group, however, the difference was not statistically significant. Arabic Tobacco Craving Questionnaire-12 measures at different time points showed a statistically significant decrease in emotionality, expectancy, and purposefulness measures. However, this appears to be due to the effect of time, not treatment. Treatment response was higher in the study group, yet the difference was statistically insignificant. Conclusions: In a study that simulates real-life conditions in Egyptian smokers, 6 sessions of high-frequency active rTMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex did not produce a statistically significant increase in abstinence over sham rTMS at the same site. However, an effect on carbon monoxide measures and treatment response warrants further research.
The interplay of core self-evaluation and entrepreneurial self-efficacy in predicting entrepreneurial orientation

ABSTRACT Given limited attention to the individual-level antecedents of entrepreneurial orientation in small business ventures, this study explores two antecedents, core self-evaluation and entrepreneurial domain-specific self-efficacy, and links a disposition with a cognition in predicting small business owner-managers’ choice of entrepreneurial orientation. We specify and test a partially mediated model with a large sample of owners who are the principal decision-makers in their ventures. The results demonstrate that there is no significant direct relationship between owner-managers’ core self-evaluations and their choice of entrepreneurial orientation in the venture, but that entrepreneurial domain-specific self-efficacy significantly mediates the relationship, extending the discussion about the development of entrepreneurial orientations.
Versatile Silver Nanoparticles-Based SERS Substrate with High Sensitivity and Stability

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering has developed into a mature analytical technique useful in various applications; however, the reproducible fabrication of a portable SERS substrate with high sensitivity and good uniformity is still an ongoing pursuit. Reported herein is a rapid fabrication method of an inexpensive SERS substrate that enables sub-nanomolar detection of molecular analytes. The SERS substrate is obtained by application of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs)-based ink in precisely design patterns with the aid of an in-house assembled printer equipped with a user-fillable pen. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations show a 155-times Ag NP electric field enhancement for Ag nanoparticle pairs with particle spacing of 2 nm. By comparing the SERS performance of SERS substrate made with different support matrices and fabrication methods, the PET-printed substrate shows optimal performance, with an estimated sensitivity enhancement factor of 107. The quantitative analysis of rhodamine 6G absorbed on optimized SERS substrate exhibits a good linear relationship, with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9998, between the SERS intensity at 610 cm−1 and the concentration in the range of 0.1 nM—1μM. The practical low limit detection of R6G is 10 pM. The optimized SERS substrates show good stability (at least one month) and have been effectively tested in the detection of cancer drugs, including doxorubicin and metvan.
Potassium nutrition as a strategy to mitigate salt stress in melon grown under protected cultivation

The use of saline water is one of the major challenges of agriculture, as it can cause nutritional imbalances and thus reduce crop yield. This study proposes to examine the efficiency of potassium nutrition as a salt stress-mitigating agent in melon grown in a protected environment. The experiment was laid out in a randomized-block design with ten treatments in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement represented by two melon cultivars (McLaren and SV1044MF) and four nutrient solutions (S1 - standard nutrient solution, 2.5 dS m-1; S2 - nutrient solution salinized with NaCl, 5.0 dS m-1; S3 - nutrient solution salinized with NaCl + 50% K, 6.5 dS m-1; and S4 - nutrient solution salinized with NaCl + 100% K, 7.5 dS m-1). Yield (average fruit weight, production, fruit diameter, internal cavity, and pulp thickness), quality (pulp firmness, total sugars, soluble solids [SS], vitamin C, pH, titratable acidity [TA] and SS/TA ratio) and nutritional (K, Na and K/Na ratio) variables were evaluated. Plants fertigated with standard nutrient solution showed the highest values for fruit weight (1,190.6 g), production (2,381.3 g per plant), fruit diameter (13.6 cm) and pulp thickness (2.6 cm). Cultivar McLaren produced heavier fruits (931.4 g) with larger diameter (12.4 cm) and pulp thickness (2.4 cm). The addition of NaCl to nutrient solution induced a reduction in the yield variables but did not influence fruit quality. The addition of extra K to salinized nutrient solution did not mitigate the deleterious effect of salinity on the yield of melon.
Mode of action of elasnin as biofilm formation eradicator of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Biofilm is made up of microbes and their extracellular matrix, making microorganisms highly tolerant, resistant, and resilient to a wide range of antimicrobials. Biofilm treatment with conventional antimicrobial agents can accelerate the evolution and spread of resistance due to the reduced efficacy and increased gene transfer and differentiation within biofilms. Therefore, effective biofilm-targeting compounds are currently highly sought after. In the present study, we identified elasnin as a potent biofilm-targeting compound against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Elasnin effectively inhibited biofilm formation and especially eradicated the pre-formed biofilms of MRSA with low cytotoxicity and low risk of resistance development and retains its activity in a chronic wound biofilms model. A comprehensive mechanistic study using multi-omics and confocal and scanning electron microscopy revealed that elasnin induced the biofilm matrix destruction in a time-dependent manner and interfered with the cell division during the exponential phase, primarily by repressing the expression of virulence factors. Cells released from the elasnin-treated biofilms exhibited a defective appearance and became more sensitive to beta-lactam antibiotic penicillin G. Through gene overexpression and deletion assay, we discovered the key role of sarZ during elasnin-induced biofilm eradication. Overall, the present study identified elasnin as a potent biofilm eradicator against MRSA that harbors potential to be developed for biofilm removal and chronic wound treatment, and provided new insights into the molecular targets for biofilm eradication in MRSA.
The eco-innovation impact on economic and environmental performance of EU Member States

Development of innovation is recognised as a most powerful tool for the economic growth of countries. However, their effects on the quality of the environment are still being debated. To achieve sustainable development, eco-innovation becomes significant. EU countries expand eco-innovation activities, but it is not clear whether its development achieves the goal of economic growth and improves the quality of the environment. Purpose – to present how EU Member States perform in economic growth, environment and eco-innovation development and to evaluate eco-innovations impact on economic and environmental performance. Research methodology – the random effect regression was used for investigation relationship between eco-innovation, economic growth and environmental performance. Findings – eco-innovation development influences not only EU MS economic growth but also has a positive effect on environmental performance. Research limitations – eco-innovations development and economic growth can be interdepended, but this research investigates just one-way dependence. Granger causality test can be used for relationship assessment in the future. Practical implications – the research results can be used for both the development of environmental policy and the policy of business support for eco-innovation implementation. Originality/Value – study results confirmed previous assessment results on eco-innovation and economic growth and provided new knowledge of their effect on environmental performance.
Kinematic determinants of acceleration in skeleton push phase

ABSTRACT This study aimed to characterise the push phase kinematics in skeleton sport and explore the relationship between kinematic indicators and push performance. Nine male Chinese skeleton athletes performed three 15-metre pushes on an indoor simulated push track. Kinematic data were recorded with a 3-dimensional motion system (VICON; UK) consisting of 14 cameras sampling at a rate of 200 Hz. The linear relationships between the kinematic indicators and push performance were determined by Pearson correlation analysis. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Step velocity (SV), step length (SL), toe-off distance (TOD), and toe-off angle (TOA) were significantly different between the inside and outside foot in the first four steps. Positively significant correlations were found between touchdown distance (TD), touchdown angle (TA), and SV in step 1 (r = 0.696; r = 0.682), and negative correlations were found between contact time (CT), TOA, and SV in step 1 and step 4, respectively (r = −0.839; r = −0.763). Effective acceleration was achieved by shortening contact, increasing TA and TD in the first step, and maintaining a relatively small TOA and a relatively long TOD in the steps 2 to 4.
Monte Carlo methods for estimating Mallows's Cp and AIC criteria for PLSR models. Illustration on agronomic spectroscopic NIR data

Mallows's Cp and Akaike information criterion (AIC) are common criteria for selecting the dimensionality of regression models, as an alternative to cross‐validation (CV) and nonparametric bootstrap. A key parameter in the calculation of Cp and AIC is the effective number of degrees of freedom of the model, or model complexity (d). Parameter d is generally easy to calculate for linear smoothers, that is, models for which the prediction of the training response y is given by ŷ = S y where S is a projector matrix that does not involve y. Nevertheless, d is more difficult to estimate for nonlinear smoothers, such as partial least squares regression (PLSR). In this article, we present two algorithms for estimating d for PLSR based on Monte Carlo simulation methods (parametric bootstrap and perturbation analysis) and with the particular case of high dimensional data. We compare these Monte Carlo methods to three other algorithms already published. We used the d estimates to compute Cp and AIC and select PLSR model dimensionalities that we then compare to CV. Two real and heterogeneous agronomic near infrared (NIR) datasets were considered as examples.
Investigating the mediating role of visitor satisfaction in the relationship between memorable tourism experiences and behavioral intentions in heritage tourism context

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the interplay of memorable tourism experiences (MTE) dimensions in driving behavioral intentions of heritage tourists through the mediating role of satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Empirical data were collected from tourists in the heritage city of Kashan, Iran. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) were applied to analyze the data. Findings The results of PLS-SEM showed that three dimensions of MTE as follows: local culture, involvement and knowledge, significantly directly or indirectly influence tourists’ behavioral intention toward a destination. However, the results of fsQCA identified greater heterogeneity among the respondents by highlighting the positive effects of hedonism and novelty on satisfaction and revisit and word-of-mouth intentions. Originality/value This study enriches the empirical evidence on MTE by constructing a composite picture of the memorability of tourists’ experiences within a heritage tourism context. This study is one of the first to investigate the effects of dimensions of MTE on behavioral intentions using both symmetric (PLS-SEM) and asymmetric approaches to identify the more significant dimensions of MTE, as well as sufficient combinations of dimensions to predict behavioral intentions.
Nutritional status of cherry tomato with omission of macronutrients

Aspects related to tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) mineral nutrition are important for the production of quality fruits. The cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) is an alternative for most producers due to its high market value, greater productivity and good acceptance by consumers. The objective with this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of cherry tomatoes cultivated in nutrient solution under omission of macronutrients. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, with seven treatments: complete nutrient solution and omissions of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S, with five replicates. Visible symptoms of nutritional deficiency were observed in the following order of omission: at 5, 12 and 20 days after transplantation in plants under omission of N, P and K, respectively. Conversely, there were no visible symptoms of deficiency under omissions of Ca, Mg and S. The sequence of growth limitation, determined based on the shoot dry mass of cherry tomato plants, was: N>P>S>Mg>Ca>K. The omission of a nutrient, besides reducing its content in the leaf tissue, causes imbalance between the other nutrients, influencing the parameters of growth and production, leading to morphological manifestations in cherry tomato.
Protective Decision-Making in Bushfire Part 2: A Rapid Systematic Review of the ‘Leave Early’ Literature

In Australia, residents can choose to remain to defend their property against bushfire but, since the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, considerable emphasis is placed on leaving early, well in advance of a bushfire. However, many householders delay their protective decision. The insights offered by the literature into how and why some people leave early before their personal safety is threatened can inform bushfire safety policy and practice. This systematic review reports the findings of 90 papers selected from 216 identified through a search of papers in Scopus, Science Direct and Google Scholar published between 1995 and May 2021 in English. This review establishes the reasons people leave early; the influence of official and unofficial warnings; gender and other demographics; the influence of self-evacuation archetypes; planning and preparation; the influence of children and other dependents and pets; triggers initiating leaving; factors impeding and facilitating leaving; and policy issues around early leaving. This review also details 12 seminal studies that capture much of the evidence on the decision to leave early.
Comparing Sensor-Based Adjustment of Weed Harrowing Intensity with Conventional Harrowing under Heterogeneous Field Conditions

Setting the right intensity is crucial for the success of post-emergence weed harrowing in cereals. The percentage of crop soil cover (CSC) correlates with the selectivity of weed harrowing. Therefore, real-time camera-based measurements of CSC offer a novel approach to automatically adjust the intensity of harrowing. The intensity of harrowing is varied by hydraulic steering of the tine angle. Five field experiments in cereals were conducted at three locations in southwestern Germany in 2019 and 2020 to measure the effect of camera-based harrowing (2020) and conventional harrowing on weed control efficacy (WCE), crop density, and grain yield. For this purpose, pair-wise comparisons of three fixed harrowing intensities (10°, 40°, and 70° tine angle) and three predefined CSC thresholds (CSC of 10%, 20%, and 60%) were realized in randomized complete block designs. Camera-based intensity adjustment resulted in more homogeneous CSC across the whole plot (6–16% less standard deviation variation) compared to conventional fixed settings of the tine angle. Crop density, WCE, crop biomass, and grain yield were significantly higher for camera-based harrowing than for conventional harrowing. WCE and yields of all automatic adjusted harrowing treatments were equal to the herbicide control plots. Camera-based harrowing provides a robust technology for effective weed management with a lower risk of crop damage than conventional harrowing.
A Solace in Difficult Times: Engagement with Music and its Impact on Experienced Distress, Flow States, and Life Satisfaction Among Musicians & Non-Musicians

A purely abstract form of art, Music is devoid of any language or explicit ideas. When listening to our favorite songs, we often experience chills down our spine, and our body betrays all symptoms of emotional arousal. Even though it says little, music still manages to touch us deeply, stirs us at our very roots. How instantaneous the impact of music is not a fact unbeknownst to us, but the research on such impacts has been heavily focused on contrasting the skills of musicians and non-musicians. The current research attempts to refurbish the impact music has on the experience of psychological distress, flow state, and life satisfaction by decoding the influence of various styles of Engagement with Music. For this purpose, a research sample of 35 Musicians and 35 non-musicians was taken, aged 25-40 (N=70). Standardized scales were used to assess engagement with music, psychological distress, experienced flow states, and life satisfaction. The results from the data indicated that musicians experienced less psychological distress as compared to non-musicians. Key facets of Engagement with Music, i.e., cognitive and emotional regulation, engaged production, physical exercise, and social connection, were also found to be higher in Musicians. A negative correlation between Engagement with Music and Psychological distress and a positive correlation between Engagement with Music and experience of flow states and life satisfaction could be noted. These findings, along with the already existing evidence of music as a therapeutic tool, establish grounds for assimilation of music into health interventions and makes it salient that the inherent values of music are not overlooked or underestimated.
Phylogeny, disparity and mass extinction response in the trilobite order Harpetida

The trilobite order Harpetida has long been easily recognized but many unanswered evolutionary questions about the group remain. This work explores the phylogenetic relationships within Harpetida and studies the harpetid response to the Late Ordovician mass extinction to better understand the relationship between extinction events and disparity. A discrete morphological character matrix was assembled from published descriptions and refined through first‐hand observations. This matrix is the first attempt of its kind to characterize the overall morphology of Harpetida, rather than focusing on individual harpetid genera. Phylogenetic analyses under both maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference optimality criteria retrieve tree topologies that support harpetid monophyly but throw doubt onto previous hypotheses of the internal relationships of the order. Harpetid disparity proves remarkably stable over time. A modest peak in the Ordovician is followed by a slow decline throughout the Silurian and Devonian. After the Ordovician period, harpetids demonstrate little or no ability to colonize new areas of morphospace. This may represent a fundamental failure to recover, in which the lasting impacts of Late Ordovician mass extinction continue to suppress morphological innovation. These findings demonstrate that mass extinction events may have complex impacts that play out over many millions of years.
A Preliminary Study of Magnetosphere‐Ionosphere‐Thermosphere Coupling at Jupiter: Juno Multi‐Instrument Measurements and Modeling Tools

The dynamics of the Jovian magnetosphere are controlled by the interplay of the planet's fast rotation, its main iogenic plasma source and its interaction with the solar wind. Magnetosphere‐Ionosphere‐Thermosphere (MIT) coupling processes controlling this interplay are significantly different from their Earth and Saturn counterparts. At the ionospheric level, they can be characterized by a set of key parameters: ionospheric conductances, electric currents and fields, exchanges of particles along field lines, Joule heating and particle energy deposition. From these parameters, one can determine (a) how magnetospheric currents close into the ionosphere, and (b) the net deposition/extraction of energy into/out of the upper atmosphere associated to MIT coupling. We present a new method combining Juno multi‐instrument data (MAG, JADE, JEDI, UVS, JIRAM and Waves) and modeling tools to estimate these key parameters along Juno's trajectories. We first apply this method to two southern hemisphere main auroral oval crossings to illustrate how the coupling parameters are derived. We then present a preliminary statistical analysis of the morphology and amplitudes of these key parameters for eight among the first nine southern perijoves. We aim to extend our method to more Juno orbits to progressively build a comprehensive view of Jovian MIT coupling at the level of the main auroral oval.