Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corporate Governance and Financial Performance of Listed Healthcare Sector Companies in Nigeria

The Healthcare sector companies are veritable investment companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The study aimed to investigate the effect of corporate governance and financial performance of listed healthcare sector companies in Nigeria. It employed the ex-post facto research design and equally used secondary data generated from the annual report and accounts of all eight (8) sampled listed healthcare sector companies in Nigeria from 2008 to 2019. The sample size was arrived at by using a purposive sampling technique. The study analysed the data using least square, descriptive and covariance techniques. It adopted Tobin-Q as a measure for firm financial performance, whereas corporate governance variables include board size, board independence and managerial ownership. From the empirical results, the study concludes that there are some level of significance between financial performance and two out of the three corporate governance variables (board independence and managerial ownership). However, the correlation result shows no relationship among the variables examined. The study, therefore, recommends that companies in the healthcare sector should as a matter of necessity embrace complete compliance to corporate governance structure in order to attract the tremendous benefits and improve corporate financial performance therein. This could be done simultaneously with the governance structure at the district, state or hospital level to achieve greater performance. More so, further studies could examine other corporate governance variables together with the already examined variables in this study. Other financial performance variable could also be employed to ascertain any relation or significance among them for the healthcare sector companies.
Investigation of Pediatric Brucellosis

Background and Aim: Brucellosis (also known as undulant fever, Mediterranean fever, or Malta fever) is a zoonotic infection transmitted to humans from infected animals (sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, camels, or other animals) by ingestion of food products (such as unpasteurized dairy products) or by contact with tissue or fluids. This disease occurs on average in 11 to 56 percent of children in endemic regions. Despite being long recognized and controllable, the disease still causes substantial morbidity, affecting especially the young population. The objective of this research was to examine the clinical, laboratory results of childhood brucellosis and brucellosis epidemiological features in patients up to 15 years in the province in Pol-e Dokhtar city, Iran. Methods The diagnosis of brucellosis was established on the basis of clinical features, and positive results from Serologic evaluation included Wright test and the 2-mercaptoethanol (2ME) test. This information includes medical records of brucellosis patients in the years 2016 to 2019. SPSS software (version 22.0) was used for the data analysis. Results: Among the patients infected with Brucella, 19 males (70.37%) and 8 females (29.63%) were diagnosed and 11 patients (40.74%) were 5-9 years of age, 10 patients (37%) were 10-15 years of age, and 6 patients (22.26%) were < 5 year of age. Also 27 (100%) patients were from rural regions (the total of affected children) that confirmed direct contact with infected animals in all of them was already established. The most frequent seasons of disease occurrence were summer (33.38%) and winter (29.6%). Conclusion: Considering that 100% of the infection of children has been seen in those who lived in the village, it requires regular vaccination of livestock and proper training in the field of disease prevention. *Corresponding Authors: Faranak Rezaei, Email: Rezaei.f@lums.ac. ir; Iman Pouladi, Email: imanpouladi96a@gmail.com Please cite this article as: Babaei Z, Azizi abi F, Pouladi I, Rezaei F. Investigation of Pediatric Brucellosis in Pol-e Dokhtar city, Iran. Arch Med Lab Sci. 2020;6:1-4 (e14). https://doi.org/10.22037/amls.v6. 30546
Corruption Perceptions, Political Distrust, and the Weakening of Political Islam in Iraq

Employing the SEM technique, the present study aims to examine the effects of corrup tion perceptions on political distrust and political Islamization in Iraq. The present study used the Arab Barometer Wave V data provided during 2018–2019. By examining data from 2461 Iraqi citizens, the results revealed that corruption perceptions, on the one hand, increase citizens’ perceptions of poor government performance and wrong direction of the country, and it reduces the tendency for a democratic political system on the other hand. The results also showed that citizens’ perceptions of corruption indirectly, through the above three mediating variables, increase political distrust in society and negatively affect political Islamization. Citizens’ corruption perceptions, therefore, appear to be one of the important reasons that challenge the public’s confidence in the institutions and the ruling political ideology.
Effect of Irrigation Amount and Preharvest Irrigation Cutoff Date on Vine Water Status and Productivity of Danlas Grapevines

An irrigation study was conducted in a Vitis vinifera L. (cv. Danlas) table-grape vineyard in Morocco with vines receiving no applied water (NI treatment) or one of two applied water amounts with subplots composed of three irrigation cutoff dates: early cutoff (EC) at berry set, late cutoff (LC) at veraison, and no cutoff (traditional irrigation, TI; based on grower practice). Midday leaf water potential (Ψl), canopy temperature (TC), and soil water content were measured in several of the treatments. Midday Ψl was significantly correlated with soil water content (r = 0.89), ambient temperature (r = −0.71), and vapor pressure deficit (r = −0.62). The highest yield and berry weights were measured in TI vines followed by LC vines. NI vines had the lowest soluble solids at harvest. No significant differences were observed for fruit pH and titratable acidity among treatments. A comparison of NI and TI treatments indicated that yields increased as TC - TA (ambient temperature) and Ψl increased. Under the conditions of this study, an average TC - TA of −2.5°C or a Ψl of −1.0 MPa would be sufficient to maintain yield and fruit quality, while a Ψl value of −1.2 MPa would indicate water stress. Estimated vineyard evapotranspiration was much greater than the amount of water normally applied to vines in this region, and values of Ψl and temperature differentials indicated such. However, since grapes produced in this region are destined for the early table-grape market, results indicate that vines could be deficit irrigated or water applications could be terminated at veraison without a significant yield loss.
LEADERSHIP, ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, EMPOWERMENT, AND HUMAN RELATIONAL AND VALUES AS ANTECEDENTS OF PROFITABILITY OF THE FIRM

: The basic objective of the present study is to examine the mediating role of employee loyalty among organizational leadership, organizational culture, employee empowerment, human relational values and profitability of the firm. Moreover, the present study also examined the direct impact of organizational leadership, organizational culture, employee empowerment, human relational values on employee loyalty and the effect of loyalty on profit as well. The researcher used a survey method to collect data from the employees of the cement industry of Indonesia. The valid response rate of the study was 80.5%. For the analysis of the data, the researcher used Smart PLS-3. The findings of the study revealed that organizational culture plays a mediation role between organizational leadership, organiza tional culture, employee empowerment, human relational values and profitability of the firm. Moreover, loyalty has a significant positive impact on firm profitability and organizational leadership, organizational culture, employee empowerment, and human relational values significantly impact employee loyalty. The present study fills the gap of limited HR studies to enhance organizational profit. The findings of the study are helpful for the policymakers to use these HR strategies to retain customers for a longer period of time. paper
Mark‐Recapture Distance Sampling for Aerial Surveys of Ungulates on Rangelands

Aerial surveys are an efficient technique for counting animals over large geographic areas such as rangelands. In southwestern rangelands, aerial surveys are routinely conducted for ungulates, with the implicit understanding that abundance estimates represent an undercount. Distance sampling can correct for visibility bias, but assumes perfect detection on the survey line, a condition often violated in aerial surveys of ungulates. The incorporation of mark‐resight methods into the distance‐sampling framework, termed mark‐ recapture distance sampling (MRDS), corrects for both visibility bias and imperfect detection on the survey line. However, the use of MRDS introduces logistical and technical constraints that may not be practical for aerial surveys. We conducted aerial surveys of ungulates on rangelands in south Texas, USA, to evaluate the feasibility and performance of MRDS relative to conventional distance sampling (CDS) and multiple covariate distance sampling (MCDS). We conducted surveys prior to and after leaf‐fall in 2013–2015 to test the hypothesis that distance sampling corrected for changes in visibility bias. We surveyed white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), and feral swine (Sus scrofa) on 4 sites. Each site was surveyed seasonally for 2 years; twice both prior to (Nov) and after leaf‐fall (Feb). Probability of detection on survey lines for each species was high (range= 0.82–0.97) and the average for each species was similar between seasons (0.89 and 0.92 during pre and post leaf‐fall, respectively). The MRDS density estimates often were only ~10% greater than CDS and MCDS estimates; all population estimates had overlapping 95% confidence intervals. Further, CDS and MCDS estimates were similar indicating that measured covariates (seat position, vegetation type, and cluster size) contributed little towards detection probabilities. Despite similar average probability of detection for all species before and after leaf‐fall (0.47 and 0.51, respectively), deer and nilgai population estimates were 22–59% lower during fall surveys than winter surveys. The discrepancy between consistent probability of detections with different population estimates suggests that availability bias, which cannot be addressed with distance sampling, was an issue. Overall, the MRDS technique addressed imperfect detection on the survey line and generated probabilities of detection in the survey area consistent with previous studies done in Texas. However, the extra costs (~US$13,000) and logistical hurdles to preserve observer independence for a small increase in precision of population estimates may not be justifiable. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
Application of Photocatalysis for the Removal of Natural Organic Matter in Simulated Surface and Ground Waters

Abstract Natural organic matter (NOM) is known to be present in all natural water systems. Due to the different characteristics of surface and ground waters, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of NOMdepends on several inhibiting and enhancing factors. The presence of hardness causing divalent cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+/Fe3+) as well as the accompanying common anions (e.g. Cl-, NO3- ,SO42- and HCO3-/CO32-) have considerable effects on the degradation kinetics as expressed by DOC (dissolved organic carbon) and UV254 (UV absorbance at 254 nm). Ternary systems formed through cation bridging of NOM displayed different adsorptive properties onto TiO2 revealing an enhancement in removal rates. Presence of common anions as Cl-, NO3- and SO42- exerted significant effects compared to the inhibitory effects due to the presence of pH dependent HCO3-/CO32- system. Carbonate species strictly altered the degradation efficiency possibly through the direct and competitive reactions with hydroxyl radicals. Comparative evaluations of the respective outcomes of the source dependent water quality parameters are discussed.
Biological features of SARS-CoV-2 and current approaches to antiviral therapy and vaccination

Since the first description of patients with pneumonia of unknown origin in Wuhan in December 2019, unprecedented efforts of the international scientific community led to the identification and molecular characterization of its etiological agent, e.g. SARS-CoV-2. The global pandemic of COVID-19 represents an outstanding challenge for the scientists and medical professionals worldwide. In this review, we discuss the most important aspects of SARS-CoV-2 biology and virology including antiviral and immunomodulatory treatment strategies as well as vaccine development.
Andragogy: A Theory in Practice in Higher Education

Adult learning principles develop through an analysis and synthesis of adult education, andragogy, teaching, and learning in higher education. This research investigates foundational assumptions relevant to the field of adult education with a focus on andragogy in higher education. Characteristics of adult learners and principles of adult learning in higher education bear focus through the lens of andragogy. As such, andragogy as the preferred learning style of adults, andragogy vs. pedagogy, and cognitive learning develop relational significance to adult learners in higher education. As a result, the implications of linking learning styles and reflections of andragogy as a learning style are considered.
Unify Language and Vision: An Efficient COVID-19 Tomography Image
Classification Approach

An accurate and efficient image classification algorithm used in the COVID-19 detection for lung tomography can be of great help for doctors working in places without advance equipments. The machine with high accuracy COVID-19 classification model can relief the burden by making testing and checking thousands of people’s tomography images easy for a specific region which suffers from the COVID-19 outbreak incidents. By encoding image pixels and meta-data using the pre-trained language models of Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers, then connect to a fully connected layer, the classification model outperforms the ResNet model and the DenseNet image classification model, and achieved accuracy of 99.51% ∼ 100.00% on the COVID-19 tomography image test set.
History's Masters: The Effect of European Monarchs on State Performance

We create a novel reign-level dataset for European monarchs, covering all major European states between the 10th and 18th centuries. We first document a strong positive relationship between rulers’ intellectual capabilities and state-level outcomes. To address endogeneity issues, we exploit the facts that i) rulers were appointed according to primogeniture, independent of their ability, and ii) the wide-spread inbreeding among the ruling dynasties of Europe led to quasi-random variation in ruler ability. We code the degree of blood relationship between the parents of rulers. The ‘coefficient of inbreeding’ is a strong predictor of ruler ability, and the corresponding instrumental variable results imply that ruler ability had a sizeable bearing on the performance of states and their borders. This supports the view that ‘leaders made history,’ shaping the European map until its consolidation into nation states in the 19th century. We also show that rulers mattered only where their power was largely unconstrained. In reigns where parliaments checked the power of monarchs, ruler ability no longer affected their state’s performance. Thus, the strengthening of parliaments in Northern European states (where kin marriage of dynasties was particularly widespread) may have shielded them from the detrimental effects of inbreeding.
The effect of copper contamination on field overlap edges and perimeter junction leakage current

This work demonstrates that copper contamination present on pre gate-oxidation silicon surfaces results in yield and reliability problems particularly at field overlap edges. Similarly, the junction leakage current associated with the junction perimeter dominates the total leakage current. These detrimental device effects are shown to be caused by copper that is present close to the silicon surface even after thermal processing. Because field overlap and junction perimeter defects become relatively more important when the critical dimensions of circuits are scaled to smaller sizes, they dominate yield loss of high-density circuits, magnifying their importance for future technology generations.
In Situ Methane Hydrate Morphology Investigation: Natural Gas Hydrate-Bearing Sediment Recovered from the Eastern Nankai Trough Area

The hydrate morphology of natural gas hydrate-bearing (GH) sediments recovered from the eastern Nankai trough area was investigated under hydrostatic pressurized conditions that prevent dissociation of gas hydrates in a sediment. We developed a novel X-ray computed tomography system and an attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) probe for use in the Instrumented Pressure Testing Chamber for our set of Pressure-Core Nondestructive Analysis Tools (PNATs), which can measure the sediment structure, primary wave velocity (PWV), density, and shear strength under pressurized conditions. The hydrate saturation values estimated using the ATR-IR absorption bands of H2O molecules strongly correlate with PWV. Assuming homogeneity of hydrate distribution in the planes perpendicular to the sample depth direction, the hydrate morphology of natural GH sediments in the eastern Nankai trough area demonstrated a load-bearing morphology type. The predicted hydrate morphology results are in good agreement with data repo.
Supply Chain Network design models for a circular economy: A Review and a case study assessment

Global supply chains are getting increasingly dispersed, and hence, more complex. This has also made them more vulnerable to disruptions and risks. As a result, there is a constant need to reconfigure/redesign them to ensure competitiveness. However, the relevant aspects/facets for doing so are fragmented and scattered across the literature. This study reviews the literature to develop a holistic understanding of the key considerations ( environment, cost, efficiency, and risks) in designing/redesigning global supply chains. This understanding is then applied to assess the global supply chain network of a leading multinational tire manufacturing firm; also to provide recommendations on redesigning it. The study has significant practical and research implications for global supply chain management.
Ca 2.85 Ga Nb‐enriched mafic dikes from the southern Huangling dome of the Yangtze Block, southern China: Implications for Mesoarchean subduction zone processes

In this study, we report the first occurrence of Archean Niobium‐enriched mafic dikes in the southern Huangling dome within the Yangtze Block, southern China. Zircon U–Pb dating of three mafic dike samples yielded weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb ages of 2,858 ± 24 Ma (MSWD = 1.14), 2,889 ± 11 Ma (MSWD = 0.98), and 2,840 ± 11 Ma (MSWD = 0.17), respectively, which are interpreted as the intrusion ages of the dikes. Zircons from the host granodioritic gneiss show different trace element patterns and variable Eu anomalies, and yield an upper intercept age of 2,891 ± 32 Ma. On the basis of previous studies, the 2,891 Ma age is interpreted as the metamorphic recrystallization time caused by late tectono‐thermal events. The mafic dikes possess high Nb contents ranging from 4.7 to 18.4 ppm, which are similar to those reported from Archean, Proterozoic, and Phanerozoic Nb‐enriched basaltic rocks occurring worldwide. The Nb‐enriched mafic dikes show HFSE‐depleted patterns with significant negative Zr, Hf, and Ti anomalies, and higher Nb/U (8.29–48.42), Nb/Thpm (0.59–1.71), and Nb/Lapm (0.76–1.34) ratios than “normal” island arc volcanic rocks that are consistent with a subduction zone geochemical affinity. Positive εNd(t) values (+5.0 to +11.8) of the Nb‐enriched mafic dikes point to an extended depleted mantle characterized by elevated Sm/Nd ratio, whereas εNd(t) values (+0.3 to −2.3) and tectonic environment of the host granodioritic rocks, as well as the most widely accepted petrogenetic models of the TTG series indicate enriched mafic crustal sources. Therefore, we propose that the Nb‐enriched mafic dikes were generated from a depleted mantle with an extended history of elevated Sm/Nd ratio that was metasomatized by slab‐derived melts at ca. 2.90–2.85 Ga.
Effect of Physical Training on the Activity of the Low Km Phosphodiesterase in Heart Ventricular and Skeletal Muscle Tissues of Normal and Diabetic Rats

This study assessed the effect of physical training on the low Michaelis constant cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase (low Km PDE) activity in heart ventricular tissue and three different skeletal muscle tissues of normal and diabetic rats. Rats were rendered diabetic with streptozotocin (45 mg/kg i.v.) and either kept sedentary (SD, n=16) or submitted to a progressive 10-week treadmill running program (TD, n=17). Two groups of nondiabetic rats served as trained (TC, n=17) and sedentary controls (SC, n=15). The activity of NAD-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase was significantly increased (p < 0.001) in the gastrocnemius muscle of trained animals, confirming that they were adequately trained. Plasma glucose levels were elevated in SD rats (18.8 ± 1.7 mmol/l) compared to those in SC rats (7.7 ± 0.2 mmol/l ; mean ± standard error of the mean [SEM], p < 0.001). These levels were partially normalized following training (12.7 ± 1.7 pmol/l; p < 0.01 vs. SD rats). Plasma insulin levels were significantly reduced in TC rats (223 ± 16 pmol/l) compared with those in SC rats (306 ± 13 pmol/l; p < 0.01). Similarly, the levels in SC rats were significantly different when compared with SD rats (155 ± 15 pmol/l; p < 0.01). In TD rats, plasma insulin levels (156 ± 14 pmol/l) were similar to those of SD rats. This suggests that mild diabetes mellitus in the rat can be improved by endurance training and that improved glycemic control may be mediated by an increase in insulin sensitivity. The low Km PDE activity in the membranes prepared from the four different muscle tissues was not modified by diabetes. Similarly, physical training in normal and diabetic rats did not induce any significant changes in the low Km PDE activity in any of the tissues tested. This suggests that improvements in myocardial contractile function and in glucose homeostasis, as seen in diabetic rats submitted to endurance training, are not associated with changes in PDE.
To Be or Not to Be in Flow at Work: Physiological Classification of Flow Using Machine Learning

The focal role of flow in promoting desirable outcomes in companies, such as increased employees’ well-being and performance, led scholars to study flow in the context of work. However, current measurement approaches which assess flow via self-report scales after task execution are limited due to obtrusiveness and a lack of real-time support. Hence, new measurement approaches must be created to overcome these limitations. In this article, we use cardiac features (heart rate variability; HRV) and a Random Forest classifier to distinguish high and low flow. Our results from a large-scale lab experiment with 158 participants and a field study with nine participants reveal, that with HRV features alone, flow-classifiers can be built with an accuracy of 68.5 percent (lab) and 70.6 percent (field). Our research contributes to the challenge of developing a less obtrusive, real-time measurement method of flow based on physiological features and to investigate flow from a physiological perspective. Our findings may serve as foundation for future work aiming to build physio-adaptive systems which can improve employee's performance. For instance, these systems could ensure that no notifications are forwarded to employees when they are ‘sensing’ flow.