Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CSR Reporting: Perspective of Female Audit Committee Having Financial Expertise

This paper contributes to the evidence that identified gender and skill affect organizational and business practices. This research combines two characteristics of the audit committee, namely gender and financial expertise, as one perspective. The research aims to analyze whether the presence of the female audit committee with financial expertise has an impact on the company's CSR report. This research confirmed that females with financial expertise in the audit committee had a negative effect on CSR reporting. The female audit committee having financial expertise will be more conservative regarding CSR reporting. Conservative reporting stands for not exaggerate the CSR activity. The result was limited to the sample of 157 industrial and manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock exchange (IDX) in 2015 – 2016. CSR reporting checklist is based on Hackston & Milne, including environment, energy, employees, products, and community involvement aspects. Control variables used in the research were earnings management, leverage, ROA, and types of industry.
Tribological Behaviour of Plasma and HVOF-sprayed NiCrSiBFe Coatings

Investigation of tribological behaviour of NiCrSiBFe coating on SS 316L sliding against AISI 52100 bearing steel, alumina (Al2O3), and silicon nitride (Si3N4) under dry conditions carried out. Air Plasma Spraying (APS) and High Velocity Oxy Fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying methods used to deposit the coatings. The dry sliding wear tests were carried out with the ball on disc machine following the ASTM G99 standard and the normal loads used were 10N, 15N, and 20N along with the constant sliding velocity of 0.5 m s−1 at room temperature. The particle analysis, XRD, SEM, EDX, and nanoindentation were used for the characterisation of the powder, coatings, and worn surfaces. The spraying methods, counter materials, and normal loads were ranked based on the wear loss and coefficient of friction. The main wear mechanisms on the coating's wear track are abrasive and adhesive. The HVOF spraying method revealed enhanced wear resistance property as compared to the plasma-sprayed coating.
Testing a community derived intervention to promote women’s health: preliminary results of a 3-arm randomized controlled trial in Karachi, Pakistan

Depression and domestic abuse are serious problems for women throughout the world. There is some evidence that skills in economic independence may empower women in developing countries. There is a need to determine if such skill-building may help women to improve mental health and decrease victimization by domestic violence. A 3-arm randomized controlled trial tested the differential effectiveness of an 8-week community-derived intervention of Economic Skill Building (ESB), developed through community based participatory methods, and an empirically tested 8week counseling model. Cluster random assignment was used to assign urban economically disadvantaged women in Pakistan to ESB, counseling, and control groups. Outcome measures included depression, measured by the Beck II, self-reports of abuse, self efficacy as measured on the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and self-reported employment status. Twenty four women completed signed informed consent and completed outcome measures. Women in ESB (n=9) reported statistically significantly higher (p<.05) self efficacy scores, as compared to counseling (n=7) and control group women (n=8) and more employment. Depression and abuse was also lowest among women who received the ESB intervention, though differences were not statistically significant. The results indicate ESB is a potentially effective intervention to improve mental health and decrease violence among urban poor women.
Hybridisation of energy storage for multiple input DC-DC converters

This paper proposes a novel topology of hybridizing battery, supercapacitor and hybrid capacitor for optimum utilization of energy in electric vehicles. Hybridization of energy storage has been the theme of much research in the field of power electronics as it is an effective economic solution towards improving the utilization of energy. Batteries have fallen short in comparison to both supercapacitors and hybrid capacitors because of their low power density and limited charge-discharge cycle. Most of the previous research in this field focuses on hybridizing either supercapacitor or hybrid capacitor with the battery but not both. This paper deals with the combination of both supercapacitor and hybrid capacitor with the battery thus addressing the problem of the lack of autonomy between two recharge points in supercapacitors, three hybridization techniques are considered and the balance point of the supercapacitor and hybrid capacitor banks is presented. The prospects of using a multiple-input DC-DC converter is also analyzed. Experimental results are presented to validate the proposed topology. The application of the novel hybridization of the three energy storage devices can be extended to other applications having a load profile with high crest factors. Keywords—Supercapacitor; Hybrid capacitor; Electric Vehicle; Hybridization; Energy storage; DC-DC converter
Modeling Crack Propagation in Bituminous Binders under a Rotational Shear Fatigue Load using Pseudo J-Integral Paris’ Law

Fatigue resistance of bituminous binders plays a critical role in determining the fatigue performance of asphalt pavements. It is reported in the literature that, under a rotational shear fatigue load like a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) test, the crack grows in the cylindrical bitumen sample as a circumferential crack that is initiated at the periphery of the sample and propagates toward the center of the sample. This study aims to model this crack propagation in bituminous binders under rotational shear fatigue load by time sweep (TS) fatigue test using the DSR. The crack length in the TS test is determined using a damage mechanics-based DSR-C model which is a function of the shear moduli and phase angles under undamaged and damaged conditions. The crack evolution is modeled by a pseudo J-integral based Paris’ law. Samples of virgin bitumen 40/60 and polymer-modified bitumen X-70 under unaged and aged conditions are tested by the TS tests at different temperatures, frequencies, and strain levels. Results show that the pseudo J-integral Paris’ law is able to predict accurately the crack propagation in bituminous binders under the rotational shear fatigue load. The crack grows faster in aged bitumen or at lower temperatures. The Paris’ law model parameters (A and n) are independent of loading frequency or load amplitude. They are fundamental material properties and can be determined at one loading frequency and amplitude, then can be implemented to predict the growth of cracks in bituminous binders at different loading frequencies or amplitudes.
The Effect of Kangaroo Care on Physiologic Responses to Pain of an Intramuscular Injection in Neonates

Objective: Pain in neonates can be associated with various risks. So, it seems essential to find a simple and acceptable method for relieving pain. Pharmacologic agents are not recommended in neonates for pain relief in minor procedures but nonpharmacologic interventions like Kangaroo Care (KC) is found to be effective. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of KC on physiologic responses to the pain of an intramuscular injection of vitamin K in term neonates. Material & Methods: One hundred healthy term neonates were enrolled for this study during 2 months. The inclusion criteria were gestational age 37-42 weeks, normal vaginal delivery, birth weight 2500-4000 gr, age more than 2 hours and Apgar score more than 7 at 1 minute. They were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. In the intervention group, the neonate was held in KC for 10 minutes before the injection until 3 minutes after injection. In the control group, the neonate was in the prone position in the isolette. The primary outcome measures were heart rate and blood oxygen saturation rate before, during and 3 minutes after injection. Findings: The heart rate during and 3 minutes after injection for neonates given KC were significantly lower than for neonates in control group (P<0.001). The blood oxygen saturation rate during and 3 minutes after injection for neonates given KC were significantly higher than for neonates in control group (P<0.001). Conclusion: KC given before injection seems to effectively decrease pain from injection. It is a simple, safe and effective analgesic and should be considered for minor invasive procedures in term neonates.
The Role of the Military Rank, Relational Power, and Agentic Power in Happiness of Cadets at the Korea Military Academy

Abstract The military is one of the most hierarchical organizations in human society. In general, soldiers of lower ranks are motivated to improve their standing by ascending to higher ranks in a hierarchy. This raises a question the current study sought to answer: Does higher military rank beget happiness, if so, why? We propose that a sense of power mediates the relationship between rank and happiness. Previous studies have conceptualized power as two constructs: relational power and agentic power. Relational power is defined as the ability to influence and exercise control over others, which represents a more interdependent aspect. Agentic power is defined as the ability to act for oneself and resist the influence of others, which reflects a more independent characteristic. Given that the military emphasizes interdependent self-view as a member of the military which is collectivistic, we hypothesized that the rank would be more related to relational power than agentic power and consequently the rank would predict happiness via not agentic but relational power. We found the results consistent with our hypothesis, using a sample of cadets at the Korea Military Academy. Implications of the results are discussed for the military.
Designing Interprofessional Education Curriculum to Maximize Collaborative Competency

Interprofessional collaboration improves health outcomes through enhanced efficiency and communication among team members. Professional educational standards call for interprofessional education (IPE) to develop the collaborative competencies necessary for transition from didactic learning to clinical practice. Variability exists regarding methods of IPE implementation, so efficacy of curricula needs to be described in a manner which allows for replication and utilization of these methods with occupational therapy students. A pre/post design with convenience sampling of students from occupational therapy, physical therapy, and physician assistant programs was completed to determine the effectiveness of an IPE module and to discover if differences in IPE competency were observed among students from each discipline. Interprofessional competencies were assessed pre/post module participation with the Jefferson Teamwork Observation Guide, a faculty developed survey, and the Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Scale. The nine-week hybrid format module used TeamSTEPPS® concepts as central constructs for module design. Critical reasoning was addressed through peer-led instruction of foundational interprofessional concepts. Experiential learning was emphasized through case examples and video simulated care conference which assisted in linking students’ prior experiences with new concepts. Data were gathered for analysis from the university’s online learning platform. Following module completion, students reported an increased understanding of effective teams. Interprofessional competency outcomes indicated improved collaborative competencies among all student groups, with mild variation between professional disciplines as assessed at posttest. Moving beyond focusing on obstacles of collaborative learning, and instead focusing on innovative methods for implementation of interprofessional education, helped to prepare students to incorporate interprofessional skills in clinical practice as assessed through the faculty developed survey.
Spatial variation of bacterial and fungal communities of estuarine seagrass leaf microbiomes

The health of seagrass plants, and thereby the ecosystems they form, is linked to their associated microbial communities. However, the role of the microbiome in holobiont function and health remains poorly understood for most seagrass species and environmental pressures, and there is, therefore, a need to better understand the drivers behind the formation of and external influences on the seagrass microbiome. Using a core microbiome framework, we characterised the leaf microbiomes of 6 estuarine seagrass populations after a precipitation event to explore how the microbiomes vary across different sites and salinities over a regional spatial scale. We found that each estuary had distinct core bacterial community structures (beta-diversity), but shared a more similar fungal core community structure. We hypothesise that the differences in the bacterial members of the microbiomes among estuaries are generally the result of each estuary being influenced by unique watersheds and sources of prokaryotes. In contrast, the similarity in the core fungal communities suggests that the eukaryotic components of the microbiomes are likely under selection or result from similar colonisation pathway(s). We also found that the bacterial taxa driving the differences among estuaries were linked to the salinity of the estuary, likely due to (1) the general epibiotic nature of colonisation (i.e. watershed source and exposure) and (2) members or functional groups within the leaf microbiome assisting seagrasses in coping with the extreme salinities. These results are valuable for linking microbiomes to the resilience of seagrasses living within dynamic estuaries experiencing a range of physicochemical pressures.
Strategic Alliance and Its Influence on the Performance of Small- and Medium-scale Enterprises in Enugu State, Nigeria

Small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) are the engine of economic growth and equitable development in emerging economies such as Nigeria. Their role in emerging market development can be seen in the areas of capital saving, utilization of local resources, and job creation among others. Enugu State is one of the emerging industrial hubs in Nigeria with SME base of 1,366. The activities of these enterprises have significantly increased the revenue base of the government, making the area an emerging market economy. This study assessed the influence of strategic alliance on the performance of SMEs in Enugu State. A quantitative approach comprising of field observations, reference to relevant literature, and questionnaire survey of 137 SMEs was adopted for the study. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results revealed that strategic alliance cumulatively led to 0.55 unit increase in sales growth, 0.58 unit increase in growth in market share, and 0.56 unit increase in product success. The result also revealed that that strategic alliance led to 0.76 unit increase in growth in profit, 0.62 unit increase in the number of employees, and 0.73 unit increase in labor productivity at 0.05 level of confidence. The article suggests that institutionalization of strategic alliance would encourage cooperation and interfirm linkages among SMEs and create a niche market for them.
Potential of Organic Nutrient Sources for Improving Yield and Bioactive Principle of Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) through Enhanced Soil Fertility and Biological Functions

ABSTRACT Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera L. Dunal) is an industrially important medicinal herb and root and is a rich source of bioactive withanolides. To investigate the impacts of different organic nutrient management practices on ashwagandha yield and quality, a field experiment was conducted for 2 consecutive years. The experiment was carried out in randomized bock designed (RBD) with treatments comprised of different organic manures (farmyard manure, vermicompost, and castor cake) and microbial consortium along with recommended doses of fertilizer and the control. The root yield parameters (root girth, length, and fresh and dry root weight) of ashwagandha were influenced significantly by the treatments containing organic manures and microbial consortium alone or in combination. The highest fresh (1505 kg ha−1) and dry (767 kg ha−1) root yields as well as total withanolide contents (0.947 mg g−1) were recorded under the treatment receiving castor cake + microbial consortium (T7) followed by application of vermicompost + microbial consortium (T8). Significant improvements in soil fertility status (mineral N, available P and S) and soil biochemical parameters (microbial biomass and enzymes) were observed under the treatments containing castor cake and vermicompost. A positive correlation coefficient (< 0.01) was found between dry root yield, withanolide content and soil properties (r = 0.34–0.64). Thus, the results indicate that castor cake and vermicompost could be promising nutrient source for production of quality medicinal herb by improving soil properties.
Method in the madness? A meta-analysis on the strategic implications of decision comprehensiveness

Is strategic decision comprehensiveness beneficial for firms? Despite significant empirical attention on this research question, inconsistent findings have prevented strong insights from being formed. To help the field move forward, we address long-standing controversies surrounding whether comprehensiveness is beneficial for firms, and whether environmental dynamism enhances or diminishes its effects. We meta-analyze 37 studies and provide the most definitive evidence possible regarding the strategic value of decision comprehensiveness. Our analyses show (1) that strategic decision comprehensiveness and organizational outcomes are positively related to a meaningful degree when subjective outcome measures are used, and (2) that environmental dynamism does not have a moderating impact on this comprehensiveness–outcomes linkage. Our results indicate that measurement strategies and methodological choices may have primarily driven the effects of strategic decision comprehensiveness reported in the literature. They also suggest that long-standing ideas related to moderating effects of dynamism do not hold. We define an agenda for future research and a roadmap for empirical efforts.
Environmental forensic analysis of the microplastic pollution at “Nattika” Beach, Kerala Coast, India

Abstract Kerala, being a prominent tourist destination in the southern part of India with a coastline of 560 km, is prone to microplastic pollution. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the USA defines microplastics as plastics of size < 5 mm–1 nm. To solve the problem of microplastic pollution, it is essential to track its source. As plastics are pervasive, it is challenging to track its source with a level of certainty required for implementing control strategies. Formulating and adopting suitable environmental forensic techniques to track microplastic pollution become important in this context. This study quantified the microplastic pollution of the Nattika coast, Kerala, India, and devised an environmental forensic investigation strategy for identifying the pathways and sources of microplastics. The microplastics of size 5–1 mm only were considered. The number of microplastics found in the Nattika Beach in 2017 and 2018 was 70.15 items kg−1 of sand and 120.85 items kg−1 of sand, respectively. The microplastics were subjected to analysis in FTIR and SEM as part of characterization. The forensic investigation of the pollution indicated that majority of the microplastic is sourced from the site/nearby area. The investigation could draw useful conclusions regarding the pathways of pollution. The fibrous microplastic, a significant component in the sample, was found to be sourced from the fishing net mending activities carried out close to the shore.
Power allocation for downlink multiuser hybrid NOMA‐OMA systems: An auction game approach

Nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is viewed as one of the key enabling candidate for the fifth‐generation systems. The effectiveness of such networks heavily relies on the power allocation. This paper addresses the problem of power allocation in a downlink multiuser hybrid NOMA‐orthogonal multiple access (OMA) network, where NOMA is integrated into OMA. Users with strong channel conditions are paired up with the users having weak channel conditions based on a random mechanism. Further, user pairs compete in an auction game for the transmit power being sold by the base station. Bids are placed iteratively by each user pair such that it maximizes their own utility. The existence of a unique Nash equilibrium has been proved theoretically. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme achieves higher average sum rate of users in comparison with that of the existing algorithms.
A STUDY OF THE CLINICAL PROFILE OF CIRRHOSIS OF LIVER AND ANALYSIS OF PRECIPITATING FACTORS IN HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Liver cirrhosis and its complications are a major health problem in the developing countries where cost of health care is high. The syndrome of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) can occur either due to acute liver failure or due to one or more precipitating factors in a cirrhotic patient. Survival of patients having chronic portal systemic encephalopathy is better than those who develop HE acutely. However prognosis in the later group can be improved if the precipitating factors are recognized early and managed accordingly. The present study was done to analyze the precipitating factors of hepatic encephalopathy and the final outcome. METHODS: The study included a total of 200 patients (173 males & 27 females) presenting as cirrhosis with hepatic encephalopathy at Sri Ramachandra Medical College from November 2011 to November 2012. All lab parameters, coagulation profile and abdominal ultrasound were done. Abdominal paracentesis was done and Child Pugh score calculated. RESULTS: Alcoholic cirrhosis was the most common etiology and gastrointestinal bleed was the most common presentation. 58% patients were in Child Pugh C group. GI bleed was the most common precipitating factor followed by infection and hyponatremia. 80% patients recovered with treatment and 15 % died.
Looking good or feeling good? The dual role of the body in the taste transformation process

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the process of taste transformation in body-centered consumption fields and the role of the body in this process. Although previous studies have investigated taste acquisition, the body is still commonly understood only as the enactor of the practices in this process. By analyzing the context of healthy living, this study identifies the body as a lived-in trigger of taste transformation and the main place where change unfolds. It demonstrates how, after taste transformation, the body becomes a lived-in enactor of practices that display mastery of the tenets of a taste regime but is still captured in normative systems that animate the desire for change. The findings reveal that the body is both situated in normative beauty systems and an embodied enactor of practices and that by unveiling its dual role, it allows individuals to navigate distinction-over and distinction-between.