Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Appraisal of the problems affecting microfinance banks in emerging economies and the mitigating factors: Nigeria’s experience

This study appraised the problems of microfinance banks in Nigeria and evaluated the mitigating factors. Survey research design through the administration of structured questionnaire was adopted for data collection. The targeted population was 250 microfinance banks operators and micro, small and medium entrepreneurs. The respondents validly returned 223 copies of the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics like table, mean, standard deviation and percentages were used for data analyses. The findings revealed that high operating and financial expenses (99.6%); low revenue base (99.6%); lack of effective corporate governance (99.6%); lack of standard and uniformity in financial transactions (99.6%); insiders’ abuse (99.6%); and ineffective monitoring of the allocated funds to ensure the utilisation as intended (99.6%) are highly critical among the twenty identified problem confronting microfinance banks in Nigeria. The results also showed that majority of the respondents believed that among the twenty identified mitigating factors to the problems of MFBs in Nigeria, timely preparation of financial statements (99.6%); adoption of cost efficiency mechanism (99.6%); investing more on information technology for enhancement of operations (99.6%); standardisation of the quality, experience and qualifications of management of microfinance (99.6%); and effective background check of staff and customers are the most important. The study, therefore, recommends the need for government to evaluate these findings and timely deploy the mitigating factors for the enhancement of the growth of microfinance banks in Nigeria.
The Influence of Organization Culture and Work Motivation on Employee Productivity of Bank BJB Rancaekek Branch

This study aimed to learn the influence of organization culture on employee productivity in Bank BJB Syariah Rancaekek Branch, and to know the influence of work motivation on employee productivity in Bank BJB Syariah Rancaekek Branch. The object of study is to know the organization culture at Bank BJB Syariah Rancaekek Branch. The type of study is associative quantitative, the type of data is primary data and use data collection techniques of observations, interviews, questionnaires and literature studies. Sampling technique is census technique with 18 respondents. The result of the study showed that there is significant influence between organization culture on employee productivity in Bank BJB Syariah Rancaekek Branch and organization culture on employee work motivation in Bank BJB Syariah Rancaekek Branch.
Does work commitment mediates the effect of Islamic work ethic on performance and turnover intention?

Islam is a comprehensive religion that covers not only the ritual worship aspect but also ethics and acts of business. The field of Islamic work ethics has been studied by many researchers in different study settings. However, the important role of Islamic work ethics has been underexplored in work commitment studies. Therefore, this study aims to examine the direct and indirect effect of Islamic work ethics in affecting employees work performance and turnover intention through work commitment. This study used the quantitative method as their main research design. Purposive sampling was applied as a sampling technique with a five-point Likert scale of the structured questionnaire as a measurement scale and data gathering method. The bootstrap method used to test the proposed hypotheses. This study concluded that Islamic work ethic positively affects work commitment, thus work commitment positively affects work performance. This study also found that there was an insignificant effect of Islamic work ethic on work performance and turnover intention, and work commitment on turnover intention. Fundamentally, the mediation role of work commitment failed to prove in this study as there were only significant indirect effects between Islamic work ethic and work performance. In other words, the higher individual beliefs on Islamic value, the more committed employee to do their job. Thus, the more committed and enthusiastic employees on their job, the higher their work performance will be.
Examining the Social Properties of Oklahoma Agricultural Facebook Pages: A Quantitative Content Analysis

Social media is used by millions of people in the United States, and producers are often encouraged to maintain a social media presence to promote their businesses and agriculture in general. Farmers have deeply entrenched identities. Social identity theory states people self-sort into certain groups. Social comparison and positive distinction are two principles of social identity theory. There is a need to research how agricultural operations are portraying those identities, including how they portray the identities of dissimilar agricultural operations online. This study compared Oklahoma mainstream and alternative producers in a quantitative content analysis of their Facebook pages. The following objectives guided this study: 1) Describe the agricultural operations in Oklahoma present on Facebook, 2. Describe the Facebook presence of agricultural operations in Oklahoma, 3) Describe operations’ expression of social-identity via Facebook, and 4) Compare the communication of alternative and mainstream agricultural operations in Oklahoma. Results of this study indicate that overall agricultural operations do not post frequently. While operations were likely to use positive distinctions to distinguish products from others, they were not likely to use social comparison. Moreover, there were not major differences between mainstream and alternative producers. Qualitative research exploring producers’ sense of identity would be valuable. Future studies should also explore the personal pages of agricultural producers, how producers use other social media outlets, and how the results of this study compare to other states’ producers.
Source apportionment of atmospheric particulate matter in developing countries using trace elements and stable metal isotope ratios

The work presented herein details the source apportionment of atmospheric particulate matter in developing countries (Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, metropolitan cities in Northern India, and Shenzhen in China) using trace elements and stable metal isotope ratios. The first study focused on the development of a novel method for the concomitant separation of rare-earth elements in environmental samples of any geological origin. The separation procedure is based on three extraction chromatographic materials, referred to as Sr.Spec, TRU.Spec, and Ln.Spec. This triple column arrangement enables the simultaneous isolation of pure Sr and Nd fractions in less than one day and with great reproducibility. This procedure greatly minimizes the consumption of acids necessary for the separation, allows high yields of Sr and Nd, and realizes very low blank levels. Using the aforementioned method, the second study focused on if Aral Sea sediments are an important source of particulate matter in Central Asia. Central Asia is dominated by an arid climate and desert-like conditions, leading to the potential for longrange transport of desert dust within and out of the region. One potential source of dust within Central Asia is the Aral Sea, which has receded in size due to water diversion. As a result, newly exposed sediments and associated contaminants are resuspended by the wind and are a potential new source of particulate matter within in the region. Results from this study showed that Central Asia is impacted by yet unidentified regional and iii distant dust that requires additional measurements of desert sands in and around Central Asia. The third study focused on the outcome of imposed pollution restrictions in Shenzhen during the 16 th Universiade, an international multi-sport event, hosted in 2011. During this time, officials instituted several restrictions in the region in order to enhance the air quality of Shenzhen. The airborne PM2.5 was collected during the controlled (when the restrictions were in place) and uncontrolled periods. Results from this study showed a significant increase in the elemental concentrations during the uncontrolled periods. These studies describe the transport of dust and identify some of the geological characteristics of important source areas.
Development of a Classical Interatomic Potential for MAPbBr3

We develop a classical interatomic potential for MAPbBr3. The model belongs to the class of MYP force-fields for hybrid perovskites based on two-body Buckhingam-Coulomb and dispersive terms to describe organic–inorganic interactions and already successfully applied to MAPbI3. The model calibration is based on a simplified procedure able to extend one existing parametrization to a different halide by suitable scaling of selected subgroups of parameters. The main static and dynamical properties of MAPbBr3 are well reproduced by the developed model: the lattice constant, cohesive energy curve, bulk modulus, energy barriers for cation rotations (both static and dynamic), the phase transition temperatures, and structural parameters evolution with temperature. The model also provides a valid relationship between MAPbBr3 and MAPbI3: MAPbBr3 has shorter lattice constant, higher cohesive energy, lower phase transition temperatures, and larger anisotropy in orthorhombic phase. The good comparison also extends to th.
Intratracheal Keratinocyte Growth Factor Enhances Surfactant Protein B Expression in Mechanically Ventilated Preterm Pigs

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a devastating disease of prematurity that is associated with mechanical ventilation and hyperoxia. We used preterm pigs delivered at gestational day 102 as a translational model for 26–28-week infants to test the hypothesis administering recombinant human keratinocyte growth factor (rhKGF) at initiation of mechanical ventilation will stimulate type II cell proliferation and surfactant production, mitigate ventilator induced lung injury, and reduce epithelial to mesenchymal transition considered as a precursor to BPD. Newborn preterm pigs were intubated and randomized to receive intratracheal rhKGF (20 μg/kg; n = 6) or saline (0.5 ml 0.9% saline; control; n = 6) before initiating 24 h of ventilation followed by extubation to nasal oxygen for 12 h before euthanasia and collection of lungs for histopathology and immunohistochemistry to assess expression of surfactant protein B and markers of epithelial to mesenchymal transition. rhKGF pigs required less oxygen during mechanical ventilation, had higher tidal volumes at similar peak pressures indicative of improved lung compliance, and survival was higher after extubation (83% vs. 16%). rhKGF increased surfactant protein B expression (p < 0.05) and reduced TGF-1β (p < 0.05), that inhibits surfactant production and is a prominent marker for epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Our findings suggest intratracheal administration of rhKGF at initiation of mechanical ventilation enhances surfactant production, reduces ventilator induced lung injury, and attenuates epithelial-mesenchymal transition while improving pulmonary functions. rhKGF is a potential therapeutic strategy to mitigate pulmonary responses of preterm infants that require mechanical ventilation and thereby reduce the incidence and severity of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Pollen morphology and infrageneric classification of selected Callicarpa species (Lamiaceae) from the Philippines and Borneo

Abstract. Danila JS, Alejandro GJD. 2020. Pollen morphology and infrageneric classification of selected Callicarpa species (Lamiaceae) from the Philippines and Borneo. Biodiversitas 21: 5736-5746. We used pollen grains of ten species representing the controversial genera Geunsia Blume and Callicarpa L. from the key centers of Malesia - Philippines, and Borneo including other countries in Asia. Herbarium specimens and collected samples from the field were examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in search of new characters to establish conclusive evidence that might contribute to the study of the relationship between Geunsia and Callicarpa. Based on SEM observations, both the investigated pollen grains of Geunsia and Callicarpa are mostly small to medium, spheroidal or circular, prolate to oblate, isopolar, and tricolpate. Moreover, the exine surface is mostly coarsely reticulated with a thin perforated colpus edge and sunken finely granulated colpus membrane. However, exine ornamentation shows possible separation of Geunsia and Callicarpa due to various morphological results observed. Several types of exine ornamentation were found in species of the section Callicarpa, i.e., C. erioclona, C. arborea, C. macrophylla, and C. candicans which attributes in the projected separation of these species while four species in the section Geunsia are united as a group having coarsely reticulate exine. Surprisingly, C. arborea samples give additional support to the hypothesis that rugulate exine sculpture might be its plesiomorphic character due to evolutionary evidence of other exine types of this species. On the other hand, pollen size and shape class of the sections of Geunsia and Callicarpa were both observed with similar features having an average pollen size equivalent to medium and a prolate shape supporting the concept of previous studies to nest Geunsia within Callicarpa. This reveals that pollen morphology is useful in the study of infrageneric classification within these groups. However, further morphological studies involving larger number of specimens are needed especially in the study of exine to prove its consistency as diagnostic character in the study of phylogenetic relationship.
Comparative Evaluation of Mortality and Hemodynamic Performance Between ATS and ST JUDE Mechanical Heart Valves in Mitral and Aortic Positions

Background: Rheumatic heart disease is the most common heart disease in Asian countries especially in Afghanistan, the age adjusted death rate for this heart disease is 27,57 per 100 000 people as published by data of the World Health Organization (WHO). ST JUDE mechanical heart valve first time implanted in October 1977 and quickly became the gold standard for subsequent valves, and ATS medical international developed a mechanical heart valve that has been in use since 1992, these mechanical heart valves started implantation in Afghanistan during 2012. We presented a result of 148 patients who have undergone valve replacement in mitral and aortic position with ATS and ST JUDE mechanical heart valves at departments of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery amiri medical complex and global medical complex heart institute Kabul Afghanistan. Method and results: we performed ATS and ST JUDE mechanical heart valve replacement in 148 patients between May 2015 and April 2018 at both the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Global Medical Complex heart institute and Amiri Medical Complex, Kabul Afghanistan. Male patients were 69 (46.6%) and female patients were 79 (53.3%), age range was between 11-65 years, 94 (63.5%) patients under went mitral valve replacement, for 38 (25.6%) patients performed aortic valve replacement and 16 (10.8%) patients required double valve replacement, overall mortality was 16 (10.8%) patients for mitral, aortic and double valve replacement. The early mortality (hospital mortality) was 4.05% and late mortality during a 3 year follow up was 6.7%. Conclusion: there were seen a few prosthetic valve complications after ATS and ST JUDE mechanical heart valve implantation (total number of implanted ATS mechanical heart valve were 70 and total number of implanted ST JUDE mechanical heart valve were 78), early mortality was (hospital mortality) 6 patients (4.05%) and late mortality during a 3 year follow up was 10 patients (6.7%). The international normalized ratio (INR) was maintained between (2.5-3.5) in both ATS and ST JUDE mechanical heart valves for mitral position and (2-3) for aortic position, hemodynamically ATS and ST JUDE mechanical heart valves are very good regarding trans valvular gradient and function but low prosthetic valve noise is just seen in ATS mechanical heart valve.
Erythrocyte GST activity in type 2 diabetes with and without nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the main cause of chronic kidney disease, and represents the most common and serious complication of diabetes. The occurrence and progression of DN are closely related to oxidative stress. Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by hyperglycemia are involved in direct oxidation and damage of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), proteins, and lipids. Glutathione S-transferases have central roles in the cellular detoxification of a diverse group of exogenous and endogenous harmful compounds. The present study aims to clarify the possible role of erythrocyte glutathione S-transferase activity in type 2 diabetic patients with and without nephropathy. This study included 60 diabetic patients (20 diabetics with normoalbuminuria, 20 diabetics with microalbuminuria, 20 diabetics with macroalbuminuria) and 20 healthy volunteers as a control group. Glutathione S- transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT) activities, and Reduced glutathione (GSH) level were significantly lower in diabetic patients with and without nephropathy as compared to control. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level was significantly higher in diabetic patients with and without nephropathy as compared to control. GST, SOD, GPx, CAT, GSH and MDA were positively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate and negatively correlated with albumin creatinine ratio. It was concluded that erythrocyte GST may be used as a biomarker to differentiate between different groups of nephropathy.
Excited State Dynamics of Selected All-trans C40 Xanthophyll Carotenoids

Abstract We investigated the excited state dynamics of selected all-trans C40 xanthophyll carotenoids by ultrafast pump-supercontinuum probe (PSCP) spectroscopy in the spectral range 350–770 nm upon photoexcitation by a femtosecond laser (ca. 80 fs pulse length) near 500 nm in acetone. The following carotenoids were selected considering a systematic variation of the number and position of carbonyl (CO) and hydroxyl (OH) functional groups on the β-ionone rings and the change of the effective conjugation length of the polyene system: β-cryptoxanthin (1), echinenone (2), 3-hydroxyechinenone (3), 3′-hydroxyechinenone (4), canthaxanthin (5), adonirubin (6) and astaxanthin (7). The carotenoids featuring an increasing conjugation length, for example, (1), (3) and (6), showed a systematically shorter S1 lifetime of 8.7, 6.2 and 4.7 ps, respectively. Carotenoids with OH groups adjacent to a CO group showed slightly broader steady-state and transient absorption bands, but the influence on the S1 lifetime was minor compared to the case of CO substitution. Moreover, in all cases we observed clearly visible “S* signals”, namely a longer-lived characteristic S0 → S2 red-edge absorption and a negative signal in the S0 → S2 bleach region. This spectral signature is assigned to highly vibrationally excited molecules in the ground electronic state S0* which are generated by internal conversion from S1. The S0* species cool with a time constant of 9.2–9.6 ps in the case of the keto-substituted carotenoids (2)–(7), whereas we obtain a larger value of 13.2 ps for (1) which does not have a keto group. Our findings are supported by results from a global kinetic analysis procedure.
Disagreement, Speculation, and the Idiosyncratic Volatility

We propose that speculative trading arising from the joint effect of investor disagreement and short-sale constraints plays an important role in explaining the idiosyncratic volatility (IVOL) puzzle, the correlation among IVOL, market beta and trading volume, and the co-movement of IVOL. Empirical tests show that the return spread between high and low IVOL quintile portfolios is closely related to both aggregate and firm-level disagreement. The common IVOL (CIV) factor is strongly correlated with the aggregate disagreement. The correlation between the IVOL effect and disagreement presents mainly among stocks that are more likely to be short-sales constrained. We provide a mechanism that high aggregate disagreement can lead to more firm-level speculative trading, which is consistent with a factor structure in IVOL and positive correlation among stock beta, the IVOL effect, and the trading volume.
Feeding Ecology and Host Preferences of Mosquitoes in two Zoological Gardens in the United Kingdom

Background: Zoological gardens contain unique configurations of exotic and endemic animals and plants that create a diverse range of developing sites and potential sources of blood meals for local mosquitoes. This may imply unusual interspecific pathogen transmission risks involving zoo animals, like avian malaria to captive penguins. Understanding mosquito ecology and host preferences is necessary to improve mosquito control and disease prevention measures in these environments. Methods: Mosquito sampling took place in Chester Zoo for three years (2017 to 2019) and for one year in Flamingo Land (2017) using different trapping methods. Blood-fed mosquitoes were identified and their bloodmeal was amplified by PCR, sequenced, and blasted for host species identification.Results: In total, 640 blood-fed mosquitoes were collected (Culex pipiens (n = 497), Culiseta annulata (n = 81), Anopheles maculipennis s.l. (n = 7), An. claviger (n = 1) and unidentifiable (n = 55)). Successful identification of the host species was achieved from 159 of the 640 blood-fed mosquitoes. Mosquitoes fed on birds (n = 74), non-human mammals (n = 20) and humans (n = 71). There were mixed bloodmeals from two hosts (n = 6). The proportions of blood-fed mosquitoes varied across sampling seasons and sites within the zoos. The use of resting traps and aspiration of vegetation were more efficient techniques for capturing blood-fed mosquitoes than traps for host-seeking or gravid mosquitoes. By relating the locations of zoo animals to where fed mosquitoes were trapped, the minimum travelling distances were calculated (13.7 to 366.7 meters). Temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, proximity to zoo animal exhibits and vegetation level were found to be significantly associated with the proportion of captured blood-fed mosquitoes by generalized linear modelling.Conclusions: Mosquito feeding behaviour in zoos is influenced by environmental variables and host availability, which highlights the value of mosquito monitoring in complex settings to plan control strategies and potentially reduce inherent disease transmission risks for humans and threatened zoo animals.
Experimental Study of Graphite Ablation in Nitrogen Flow, Part II: Further Numerical Analysis

The ablative behavior of graphite heated in an inductively coupled plasma wind tunnel is analyzed using an integrated computational method to examine the probability value of nitridation reaction occurring at graphite surface. In this method, the plasma torch freestream condition at the entrance of the test chamber is evaluated by calculating the flows in the plasma torch. The thermal response of the graphite test piece is calculated by loosely coupling the thermochemical nonequilibrium fluid dynamics code and two-dimensional heat conduction equation solver using the freestream condition so valuated. Using a computational tool, surface contours of the graphite test piece at several time steps are calculated by varying the probability value of nitridation reaction and are compared with those measured in the heating test. The effect of impurities remaining in the test chamber is also taken into account. As a result of the study, it is suggested that a probability value of 0.003 for nitridation reaction is reasonable to explain the amount of mass loss of the graphite test piece in the heating test.