Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL

This paper, using data from 100 UK listed firms, investigates the relationship between audit committee characteristics and intellectual capital (IC) disclosure. We find that IC disclosure is positively associated with audit committee characteristics of size and frequency of meetings, and negatively associated with audit committee directors’ shareholding. We find no significant relationship between IC disclosure and audit committee independence and financial expertise. We also observe variations in the association between audit committee characteristics and IC disclosure at its component level, which suggest that the underlying factors that drive various forms of IC disclosure, i.e. human capital, structural capital and relational capital, are different. These results have important implications for policy-makers who have a responsibility to ensure that shareholders are protected by prescribing appropriate corporate governance structures and accounting regulations/ guidelines.
Fluid Infiltration and Transport of Major, Minor, and Trace Elements During Regional Metamorphism of Carbonate Rocks, Wepawaug Schist, Connecticut, USA

Geochemical alteration of metacarbonate layers due to fluid infiltration during greenschist and amphibolite facies metamorphism was investigated based on 149 whole-rock analyses of the Wepawaug Schist, USA. Ankerite-Albite (Ank-Ab), rare Ankerite-Oligoclase (Ank-Ol), Biotite (Bt), Amphibole (Amp), and Diopside (Di) index mineral zones developed during progressive metamorphism (Acadian Orogeny) and devolatilization (CO 2 , H 2 O, S loss). Ank-Ab, Ank+Ol, and Bt zone rocks were altered along some lithologic contacts and in reaction selvages around veins. Mass changes included gains of Na, Y and, in many cases, P and Fe. K, Rb, and Ba were typically lost, and Sr was lost except where calcite precipitated in and around calcite-bearing veins. Na gain and K loss reflect muscovite destruction and albite growth in response to infiltration of fluids from surrounding metapelitic and metapsammitic (metaclastic) rocks. At higher metamorphic grades, K, Rb, and Ba were lost when biotite broke down to form amphibole or diopside; these elements were transported out of metacarbonate layers down chemical potential gradients at lithologic contacts and in selvages. Na was lost as plagioclase reacted to form clinozoisite/ zoisite (Czo/Zo). Calc-silicates (cm to dm scale thickness) rich in amphibole and Czo/Zo (Amp zones) or diopside and Zo (Di zones) formed at layer margins and in selvages via extreme metasomatism including major: 1) addition of Al, Si, and, in many rocks, Fe, 2) destruction of calcite, and 3) loss of Ca and volatiles. Volatile losses near -90 percent relative to low-grade precursors demonstrate that calc-silicate formation resulting from Al-Si metasomatism is an important source of CO 2 to be considered when assessing regional devolatilization. Al mass gains for calc-silicates indicate that large quartz veins and some lithologic contacts were loci for massive time-integrated fluid fluxes of ∼ 10 5 m 3 m - 2 . Heavy rare earth elements (HREE) were gained in the Ank-Ab through the Amp zones, and a Di zone example gained light- and mid-REE including Sm and Nd. The REE gains coincide with gains of Y and, in most cases, P, suggesting that P and Y complexes transport REE. Volume was lost progressively from the unveined interiors of metacarbonate beds, attaining -20 to -30 percent loss in the Di-II zone. Mass addition due to veining reduced volume losses and, in some cases, produced volume gains. Reaction-transport modeling indicates that fluid flow was mostly layer-parallel, was focused along lithologic contacts, fractures, and permeable horizons, and was accompanied by diffusion and/or mechanical dispersion at high angles to the flow directions. The metasomatic fluids infiltrated from surrounding metaclastic and/or syn-metamorphic igneous rocks. Thus, interaction of fluids derived from different rock types must be considered when assessing mass transfer in lithologically diverse mountain belts.
What will the next generation do when they succeed their parents

In autumn 2003; a survey was carried out in six Austrian agricultural high schools in order to obtain an overview of students’ attitudes towards organic farming. 25.5% of students from conventional farms have a negative attitude towards organic farming (27.5% hold a neutral attitude, 47% a positive attitude). Significant impacts of land use systems and social norms can be determined. Gender-related differences are highly significant, differences between the schools as well.
Corn Stover Nutrient Removal Estimates for Central Iowa, USA

One of the most frequent producer-asked questions to those persons striving to secure sustainable corn ( Zea mays L.) stover feedstock supplies for Iowa’s new bioenergy conversion or other bio-product facilities is “what quantity of nutrients will be removed if I harvest my stover? ” Our objective is to summarize six years of field research from central Iowa, U.S.A. where more than 600, 1.5 m 2 samples were collected by hand and divided into four plant fractions: vegetative material from the ear shank upward (top), vegetative material from approximately 10 cm above the soil surface to just below the ear (bottom), cobs, and grain. Another 400 stover samples, representing the vegetative material collected directly from a single-pass combine harvesting system or from stover bales were also collected and analyzed. All samples were dried, ground, and analyzed to determine C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Al, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn concentrations. Mean concentration and dry matter estimates for each sample were used to calculate nutrient removal and estimate fertilizer replacement costs which averaged $25.06, $20.04, $16.62, $19.40, and $27.41 Mg −1 for top, bottom, cob, stover, and grain fractions, respectively. We then used the plant fraction estimates to compare various stover harvest scenarios and provide an answer to the producer question posed above.
Prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, and associated factors of Salmonella and Shigella among food handlers in Adigrat University student’s cafeteria, Northern Ethiopia, 2018

Background: Food handlers play a signi�cant role in the transmission of foodborne infections. Salmonella and Shigella are the most common foodborne pathogens and their infections are a major public health problem globally. Thus, this study aimed to determine the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, and associated factors of Salmonella and Shigella among food handlers. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to August 2018 at Adigrat University student cafeteria, Northern Ethiopia. Data on socio-demographic and associated factors were collected using a structured questionnaire. Fresh stool samples were collected from 301 food handlers and transported to Adigrat University Microbiology Laboratory. Bacterial isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility test were performed using standard bacteriological methods. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 22 and P < 0.05 with a corresponding 95% con�dence interval was considered statistically signi�cant. Results: A total of 301 food handlers were included in this study. The majority of study participants were females 265 (88.0 %). About 22 (7.3%) and 11 (3.7%) of food handlers were found to be positive for Salmonella and Shigella respectively. Hand washing after using a bathroom with water only,no hand washing after using the bathroom,no hand washing after touching dirty materials, no hand washing before food handling, and untrimmed �ngernails were signi�cant associated factors identi�ed. None of the Salmonella and Shigella isolates were sensitive to ampicillin. On the other hand, low resistance against chloramphenicol, ceftriaxone, and cipro�oxacin was found. Conclusion: The present study revealed that the prevalence of Salmonella and Shigella among food handlers was 22 (7.3%) and 11 (3.7%) respectively. Such colonized food handlers can contaminate food, drinks and could serve as a source of infection to consumers via the food chain. This indicates that there is a need for strengthened infection control measures to prevent Salmonella and Shigella transmission in the students’ cafeteria. Triple
Life satisfaction and environmental conditions in Italy: a pseudo-panel approach

This paper focuses on the relationship between subjective well-being and environmental conditions in Italy. Using a pseudo-panel approach, based on cohort data from the ISTAT multipurpose survey "Aspect of Daily Life" for the years 2010-2012, this paper aims at investigating the role of subjective and objective measures of environmental quality on life satisfaction by using fixed effects models taking into account regional heterogeneity and generational effects. A robust negative impact of air pollutions on self-reported life satisfaction is found. With respect to personal characteristics and control variables, the paper finds that the economic conditions and the perception of personal health status play important roles in explaining life satisfaction while car density, relative poverty risk and unemployment rates affect life satisfaction negatively.
Rapid dissolution of avian eggshells buried by Mount St. Helens ash

Eggshells of ring-billed gulls buried by Mount St. Helens ash at an eastern Washington colony were excavated one and seven years following the ashfall. Physical dissolution of the eggshell had already begun during the first year of burial. Physical dissolution was attributable to weak acids leaching through the ash
Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia coli and Salmonella isolated from Raw Retail Broiler Chicken Carcasses in Zambia

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of foodborne pathogens is of public health concern, especially in developing countries such as Zambia. This study was undertaken to determine the antimicrobial resistance pro�les of Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and Salmonella isolated from raw retail broiler chicken carcasses purchased from open and supermarkets in Zambia. A total of 189 E. coli and �ve Salmonella isolates were isolated. Identi�cation and con�rmation of the isolates were done using Analytical Pro�le Index (API 20E) (Biomerieux ® ) and 16S rRNA sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests (AST) were performed using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion technique using a panel of 10 antibiotics. Multiplex PCR was used to determine the presence of three target genes encoding for resistance: tet A, Sul 1 and bla CTX-M . WHONET 2018 software was used to analyse AST results. The E. coli isolates were mostly resistant to tetracycline (79.4%), ampicillin (51.9%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (49.7%). Two of the �ve Salmonella isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic. Forty- seven (45.2%) of the 104 isolates that were screened for the presence of the resistant genes possessed at least one of the targeted resistance genes. study demonstrated the presence of AMR E. coli and Salmonella on raw retail broiler chicken carcasses from open and supermarkets, which is of public health
Distribution, Ecology and Population Structure of Euphorbia monchiquensis, an Endemism in Southern Portugal

Euphorbia monchiquensis is, within the widespread and euryoecious E. paniculata- complex, an acidophilous subspecies, endemic in Southern Portugal. To evaluate the vulnerability of this taxon vis-a-vis disturbance and landuse changes, we studied the actual distribution, the population size, the ecological requirements and the coenological value of this taxon in the Serra de Monchique, a mountainous region in the Algarve Hinterland. Data sampling was between April and July 2001. The quite constant branching system of this half shrubby spurge allows to determine the age of the indivuduals from the plant architecture and therefore to study the demographic structure in a non-destructive way. 1618 individuals, clustered in 46 populations, have been registered in the Serra. 88% were in flower. Euphorbia monchiquensis is rare relative to its overall distribution. It shows a bimodal altitudinal and coenological pattern. The majority of the populations are concentrated in the most humid mid altitudes and on the luv-ward northwestern side of the Serra. A few populations occur in the dry lowlands, linked to riverine shrublets. The plant depends on a good water supply but does not need shadowing. Within its limited bioclimatic niche, the spurge has a certain capacity of recolonisation and is not extremely sensitive to disturbance. Humid forests of the Euphorbio monchiquensis-Quercetum canariensis are just one of the preferred sociological situations. The coenological spectrum includes pure cork oak forests, Castanea sativa coppices, Eucalyptus-afforestations, mantle communities (Lonicero-Rubetum, Rubo- Nerietum), Origanion virentis fringes, abandoned meadows and roadside verges. It was in this kind of secondary habitats with intermittent disturbance, that most of the juvenile plants could be stated. Only very few plantlings were found. Most of the recorded populations are well balanced in their medium age classes, others are overaged. A correlation between habitat qualities, the reproductive effort and the regeneration efficiency could not be found. Four inflorescence- -morphotypes can be distinguished. The inflorescence architecture becomes more complex with increasing age. Euphorbia monchiquensis is not an extremely endangered, but a vulnerable species. It can be threatened by the process of Eucalyptus afforestation and by the spontaneous spread of Acacia
OF MALARIA IN CAMEROON . XVI . LONGITUDINAL SURVEILLANCE OF IN VITRO PYRIMETHAMINE RESISTANCE IN PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM

Clinical observations have shown that pyrimethamine resistance develops rapidly in endemic countries where antifolate drugs are used massively for the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum infections. To analyze this phenomenon, the in vitro response of clinical isolates to pyrimethamine and the dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) gene sequence were analyzed in 2000–2001 and compared with the results obtained since 1994 in Yaounde, Cameroon. Of 139 samples obtained in 2000–2001, 10 (7.2%) isolates were of the wild-type, 116 had pure mutant alleles (2 [1.4%] with a single mutation, 11 [7.9%] with double mutations, and 103 [74.1%] with triple mutations), and 13 (9.4%) had mixed alleles. With the exception of a single isolate with triple mutations (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50] 84.3 nM), all isolates with pure wild-type dhfr alleles (IC50 < 100 nM) and those with pure mutant dhfr alleles (between 1 and 3 point mutations; IC50 100 nM) were clearly distinguished by in vitro drug sensitivity assays. The results of the two methods are highly correlated, and both methodologic approaches indicate an increasing proportion of pyrimethamine-resistant isolates in Yaounde over the past eight years (42–45% in 1994–1995, 63–67% in 1997–1998, and 88–92% in 2000–2001). At present, clinical isolates carrying triple dhfr mutations predominate in Yaounde. This situation calls for a regular surveillance of the efficacy of antifolate drugs by all available means, including clinical evaluation, in vitro drug sensitivity assays, molecular markers, and pharmacologic studies.
Title Seasonal and interannual variability in the temperature structure around the tropical tropopause and its relationship with convective activities

Seasonal and interannual variability in the temperature structure around the tropical tropopause and its relationship with convective activities Author(s) Nishimoto, Eriko; Shiotani, Masato Citation Journal of Geophysical Research (2012), 117 Issue Date 2012 URL http://hdl.handle. net/2433/153298 Right ©2012. American Geophysical Union. Further reproduction or electronic distribution is not permitted. Type Journal Article Textversion publisher
Preparation and Characterization of Gellan Gum Hydrogel as Therapeutic Protein Delivery for Wound Healing

Therapeutic proteins like platelet-rich plasma have been used as adjunct therapies for wound healing. The delivery of these proteins may require a special carrier as a controlled release to prolong and optimize the healing effects on the affected tissues. The present study focuses on preparing and characterizing a hydrogel made from gellan gum to act as a scaffold to carry therapeutic proteins intended for wound healing. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) was used as a representative for therapeutic proteins due to its ability to stimulate cell proliferation in vitro. FBS, gellan gum (GG) hydrogel, and FBS-loaded gellan gum hydrogel (GF) were prepared and characterized by the detection of its functional groups through FTIR and elemental analysis through CHNS analyzer, confirming the entrapment of biomolecules of FBS into GG. The protein release study showed a burst release of protein from all GF variants with subsequent gradual slow release over 72 hours period. Cell viability (MTT) assay showed an increasing trend of cell viability percentage with the increasing concentration of FBS loaded into GG hydrogel. The results of this study support the potential use of GG hydrogel as a carrier of therapeutic proteins for wound regeneration.
Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor Genotypes and Reproductive Outcomes in a Group of Infertile Women: A Romanian Study

A growing body of evidence suggests that endometrial immune disorders may be responsible for endometrial dysfunctions that can lead to gynecological and obstetrical pathology. The aim of this study was to explore the potential relationship between different killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) genotypes and reproductive outcomes. We conducted a prospective cohort study that included 104 infertile patients undergoing an in vitro fertilization procedure. All participants underwent clinical and ultrasound examination, genetic evaluation (KIR genotyping), endometrial washing fluid sampling for cytokine determination, endometrial tissue sampling for histologic assessment and hysteroscopic evaluation. Our analysis showed statistically significant lower levels of uterine cytokines TNF-α (p = 0.001) and IL-1beta (p = 0.000) in the KIR AA genotype group as compared to KIR AB and BB among study participants with chronic endometritis. The study results suggest that the KIR AA genotype population subgroups may be more susceptible to developing endometrial disorders such as chronic endometritis. The changes in the behavior of NK cells seem to be subtle and expressed as an altered regulatory pattern.
Three-dimensional Numerical Study on Flow and Thermal Characteristics of Wall Jet Diffuser in an Enclosure

The thermal comfort of an air-conditioning system also depends on the airflow pattern inside an enclosure. The effective thermal comfort of the indoor space cannot be achieved by simply increasing the air conditioning capacity nor by the number of supply inlets. Adequate cooling requires minimization of the temperature of air in the mixing zone followed by removal of mixed air through the return inlet. Objective of the present study is to investigate the effect the configuration of wall jet diffuser on thermal comfort in an enclosure. Effect of changes in cooling load and supply outlet angle of the diffuser has been studied on thermal comfort performance of the cold air jet. Flow is considered to be three-dimensional, transient, turbulent and incompressible with Boussinesq's approximations assumed to be valid. Computations are carried out using commercial software ANSYS Fluent 16.1 and the results are validated against those reported in literature. For the enclosure, flow rate is varied by keeping the room average temperature constant and thermal comfort is analysed in terms of effective draft temperature and air speed. Special distinctions are used to show the hot and cold zones for the analysis of thermal comfort. Results indicate that increase in the outlet angle and decrease in the cooling load satisfies the thermal comfort.
Mathematical modeling and optimization of a vehicle crash test based on a single-mass

In this paper mathematical modelling of a vehicle crash test based on a single mass is studied. The models under consideration consist of a single mass, a spring and/or a damper. They are constructed according to the measured vehicle speed before the collision and measured vehicle accelerations in three directions at the centre of gravity. A new model of nonlinear spring-mass-damper is also proposed to describe the crash. Simulation results are provided to show the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed methods.
A NEW SPECIES OF DICERORHINUS FROM YUSHE, SHANSI, CHINA

In the Museum of Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology, Academia Sinica there is a nearly entire skull of Dicerorhinus from the Yushe basin, Southeastern Shansi. It was labeled as "Yunchuchen, Shansi". No information concerning the original locality and horizon of this specimen is given in detail, but judged from the characters of the light yellow sandy matrix, we may infer that the fossil was probably derived from the Zone Ⅲ("horse bed") of the Yunchuchen basin of Yushe. This Zone is generally considered as Villafranchian.
The Role of Optical Coherence Tomography in the Diagnosis of Angle Closed Diseases of the Anterior Chamber. Part 2: Visualization of the Posterior Segment of the Eye

The purpose of this work is to review the literature data on the role of optical coherence tomography in the diagnosis of diseases of the closed angle of the anterior chamber. The analysis of the use of modern technical devices — optical coherence tomography of the posterior segment, models with a frequency-modulated source (Swept Source) is presented. The emergence of new imaging technologies such as SS-OCT contributes to understanding the pathogenesis of primary angle closure diseases in terms of involvement of the choroid in the process. A thicker choroid in the macular area may be an anatomical risk factor for closed angle disease. The expansion of an abnormally thick choroid in combination with the structural features of the anterior segment in eyes with a short axial length, including against the background of psychoemotional stress, can lead to an attack of angle closure. Visualization of the structures of the posterior segment of the eye is an important part of the strategy aimed at solving the problem of identifying risk factors, diagnosing, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of treatment of diseases of primary angle closure. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis based on optical coherence tomography significantly increases the diagnostic accuracy, allows to determine its progression and to predict its course. This plays a key role in the choice of treatment tactics for the anterior chamber angle closure. The review considers the effect of local antihypertensive eye drops on the choroid.Conclusion. Optical coherence tomography is a standard in modern diagnostics and evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment of diseases of primary angle closure, allowing a better understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease and its complex nature. Imaging improves the ability to accurately diagnose and choose the right treatment strategy.