Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrating agency and resource dependence theories to examine the impact of corporate governance and innovation on firm performance

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of innovation between corporate governance and firm performance. The theoretical foundations of this study were the agency and resource dependence theories. The data were collected from annual reports of non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange and spanned the period from 2010 to 2019. The direct impact of corporate governance was evaluated using Driscoll Kraay’s standard errors, while for the mediating role of innovation, each indirect impact was separately examined using the bootstrapping technique in Stata. Interestingly, the study found significant support for a direct impact of corporate governance variables on firm performance, except for independent directors. The indirect impact of corporate governance on firm performance was also appraised, except for directors’ interlocks and family ownership. Based on the findings, the study suggests that firms can achieve higher performance by effectively using embedded resources from the corporate governance structure and innovation.
The Role of Radiomics and AI Technologies in the Segmentation, Detection, and Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Simple Summary As a primary hepatic tumor, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent kind. Recent developments in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) have the potential to enhance detection, segmentation, discrimination from HCC mimics, and tracking of therapy response. Radiomics, artificial intelligence (AI), and related methods have already been used with promising results in other diagnostic imaging fields. In this review, we briefly cover the radiomics and AI clinical applications for the identification, segmentation, and management of HCC. In addition, we also look into their potential to improve HCC diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment planning. Finally, overall limitations and future directions of the research in this field are outlined. Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary hepatic neoplasm. Thanks to recent advances in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), there is potential to improve detection, segmentation, discrimination from HCC mimics, and monitoring of therapeutic response. Radiomics, artificial intelligence (AI), and derived tools have already been applied in other areas of diagnostic imaging with promising results. In this review, we briefly discuss the current clinical applications of radiomics and AI in the detection, segmentation, and management of HCC. Moreover, we investigate their potential to reach a more accurate diagnosis of HCC and to guide proper treatment planning.
On the frequency dependence of ELF/VLF waves produced by modulated ionospheric heating

We present results of the local field strength and, for the first time, apparent source height as a function of frequency from 200 to 6600 Hz of ELF/VLF waves produced in the auroral D region through modulated RF heating using the ionospheric heating facility near Tromso, Norway. These data show, besides the normal amplitude peaks near 2, 4, and 6 kHz, the occasional presence of peaks at intermediate frequencies, especially in the right-hand circularly polarized mode. A comprehensive model has been developed to explain the data, using a full wave solution of the ELF/VLF waves produced by the self-consistently calculated source currents, and correcting for the effects of finite source current extent and multiple Earth-ionosphere reflections. The model can reproduce the amplitudes and source heights for typical sweeps. The irregular peaks occasionally seen can also be reproduced by invoking interference between the downcoming wave and a partially reflected whistler mode wave from sharp electron density gradients in the ionosphere such as sporadic E layers. The model seems to work well above about 600 Hz, but below that it increasingly underestimates the measured amplitudes.
Exploring the Impact of Demographic Variables on Intercultural Sensitivity of University Students

Globalisation leads to increasing multiculturalism in societies. Preparing university students to recognise the growing diversity and to engage positively with one another in contemporary societies is therefore of paramount importance. However, the variables affecting the development of intercultural sensitivity have hardly been assessed. This study analysed the degree to which the influence of sex, year of study, and mobility experiences of university students influence the advancement of intercultural sensitivity. To this end, a scale was applied to Spanish university students (N = 645). The results showed a significant gap between the students’ perceived orientation of their intercultural sensitivity and their actual orientation. In addition, there were some differences across sex, year of study, and mobility experiences in favour of females, final-year students, and students who had undergone some sort of mobility experiences. Four profiles were also identified according to intercultural sensitivity: initial, mid-initial, medium, and advanced. The findings demonstrate the need to incorporate an intercultural approach into higher education institutions in pro of more inclusive societies.
Lateral field excitation of thickness shear mode waves in a thin film ZnO solidly mounted resonator

In recent years, interest in the development of highly sensitive acoustic wave devices as biosensor platforms has grown. A considerable amount of research has been conducted on AT-cut quartz resonators both in thickness excitation and in lateral excitation configurations. In this report, we demonstrate the fabrication of a ZnO solidly mounted resonator operated in thickness shear mode (TSM) using lateral field excitation of the piezoelectric film. Theoretical Christoffel equation calculations are provided to explore the conditions for excitation of a TSM wave in c-axis-oriented ZnO through lateral excitation. The existence of a TSM wave is verified through the comparison of theoretical and experimentally obtained acoustic velocity values from frequency versus thickness measurements and water loading of the resonators. A major strength of this design is that it incorporates a simple eight-layer, single-mask fabrication process compatible with existing integrated circuit fabrication processes and can be eas.
Dust-ion-acoustic shock and solitary waves in a dusty electronegative plasma

A dusty electronegative plasma containing Boltzmann electrons, Boltzmann negative ions, warm positive ions, and charge fluctuating (negatively charged) stationary dust has been considered. The basic features of the shock and solitary waves, which are associated with positive ion dynamics and dust charge fluctuation, have been investigated by employing the reductive perturbation method. It has been shown that the dust charge fluctuation is a source of dissipation, and is responsible for the formation of dust-ion-acoustic shock structures. The implications of the results (obtained from this investigation) in space and laboratory experiments have been discussed.
Contribution of dechiralization lines to electro-optical response and dielectric permittivity in the SmC* phase

Abstract In the ferroelectric SmC* phase of antiferroelectric liquid crystal in planar geometry, a new contribution to the electro-optical and dielectric responses was found. This mode which we propose to be called a “surface layer mode'', appears with the apparition of 2π-disclinations (dechiralization lines) in the texture. Some evidences of the existence of this mode are given. A simple model, taking into account a transformation of a pair of π-disclination on the surface to one 2π-disclination in the bulk, is discussed.
“I Feel Like a Real Teacher”: Emergent Professionalism of Indonesian Pre-Service Teachers of English

The present study investigated how Indonesian pre-service English teachers' professionalism emerged during their teaching practice. The study employed a qualitative document analysis of secondary data in the form of 26 student teachers' reflections from 13 pre-service teacher participants taking Micro Teaching class in the 6th semester of their study. From Thematic Analysis, the study found several themes in their emerging professionalism. First, they realized the role of teacher-student rapport for instructional success and the need to adjust instructions to suit their students' needs and proficiency levels. They could overcome stereotypes and negative preconceptions about teaching vocational students and students with special needs. They reported their joy of being acknowledged by their students as teachers, and they felt happy and proud when they saw their students' success in learning. These indicated the shift in concerns from self to students, signaling the participants' emergent professionalism. Based on the findings, possible contributions and suggested directions for future studies were mentioned, along with the study's possible limitations.
Pericytes of Stria Vascularis Are Targets of Cisplatin-Induced Ototoxicity: New Insights into the Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Blood-Labyrinth Barrier Breakdown

The stria vascularis (SV) contributes to cochlear homeostasis and consists of three layers, one of which contains the blood-labyrinthic barrier (BLB), with a large number of bovine cochlear pericytes (BCPs). Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic drug that can damage the SV and cause hearing loss. In this study, cell viability, proliferation rate, cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species production were evaluated. The protein content of phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) 1/2, total ERK 1/2, phospho-cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), total cPLA2 and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and the release of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from BCPs were analyzed. Finally, the protective effect of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) on BCPs treated with cisplatin was investigated. Cisplatin reduced viability and proliferation, activated ERK 1/2, cPLA2 and COX-2 expression and increased PGE2 and VEGF release; these effects were reversed by Dexamethasone. The presence of PDGF-BB during the treatment with cisplatin significantly increased the proliferation rate. No studies on cell regeneration in ear tissue evaluated the effect of the PDGF/Dex combination. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cisplatin on cochlear pericytes and propose new otoprotective agents aimed at preventing the reduction of their vitality and thus maintaining the BLB structure.
Implementation of pharmaceutical care service to elderly cancer patients in a tertiary care hospital in South India

Purpose The goal of this study is to identify drug-related problems (DRPs) for elderly cancer patients receiving chemotherapy by implementing pharmaceutical care services. Methods In this interventional study, patients were followed after each cycle till 12 weeks. The MOATT-MASCC teaching tool was used to educate patients about their therapy. The outcome measures included the occurrences of any DRPs such as inappropriate medication dose, dosage form, route of administration, therapeutic duplication, failure of the patient to adhere to the medication regimen, adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and drug–drug interactions (DDIs) and to resolve it. Results On 186 patients, there were 38% ADRs, 16% DDIs, 6% non-adherence to therapy, 4% medical conditions for which no medication was prescribed, and 1% therapeutic duplication and transcribing error was identified. A total of 226 ADRs were documented. Nausea and vomiting were the most frequently occurring ADRs (24%) and platinum compounds caused the highest number of ADRs. Assessments of causality showed that the majority of cases are ‘probable’ (50%). In evaluating the severity of ADRs, 53% of ADRs were ‘moderate’ and 51% of ADRs were ‘probably’ preventable. Upon assessing the DDIs, 35% of the prescriptions had ‘monitor therapy’. All of the DRPs, that were identified were notified to the treating oncologists and resolved without any disagreement. Conclusions Pharmaceutical care is essential for elderly cancer patients. Oncologists and pharmacists should work together to identify and manage DRPs as well as educate patients about their disease. This will help in improved patient care and a better therapeutic outcome.
P2Y1 receptor in the colonic submucosa of rats and its association with opioid‑induced constipation

The aim of the present study was to explore the expression changes of P2Y purinergic receptor 1 (P2Y1) in the distal colonic submucosa of opioid-induced constipation (OIC) rats and its association with the occurrence of OIC, an OIC rat model was generated by intraperitoneal injection of loperamide hydrochloride, a selective agonist of µ-opioid receptors (MORs). At 7 days post-treatment, the model was assessed by analyzing stool scores and calculating the gastrointestinal (GI) transit ratio of rats. The distribution of P2Y1-expressing neurons in the colonic submucosal plexus was demonstrated by immunofluorescence (IF). Western blotting was performed to evaluate the expression changes of MOR, P2Y1 and ATP synthase subunit β (ATPB) proteins in the colonic submucosa, while reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis was performed to determine the relative mRNA expression of MOR and P2Y1. After 7 days, the feces of OIC rats exhibited an appearance of sausage-shaped pieces and both the stool weight and GI transit ratio of OIC rats were significantly decreased. IF revealed co-expression of P2Y1 and calbindin and MOR and ATPB in the nerve cells of the distal colonic submucosal plexus. Moreover, RT-qPCR analysis showed that the MOR mRNA levels were significantly increased in the distal colonic submucosa of OIC rats, while mRNA levels of P2Y1 were decreased. WB showed that in the distal colonic submucosa of OIC rats, MOR protein expression was increased, whereas that of P2Y1 was significantly decreased. GI transit ratio analysis suggested that the P2Y agonist ATP significantly relieved constipation symptoms in rats, while the P2Y inhibitor MRS2179 aggravated these symptoms. Finally, P2Y1 expression change was shown to be associated with the occurrence of OIC, while expression of MOR and P2Y1 was associated with OIC development in rats.
Zariski topology on lattice modules

Let M be a lattice module over a C-lattice L and σ(M) be the set of all prime elements in lattice modules M. In this paper, we study the generalization of the Zariski topology of multiplicative lattices [N. K. Thakare, C. S. Manjarekar and S. Maeda, Abstract spectral theory II: Minimal characters and minimal spectrums of multiplicative lattices, Acta Sci. Math. 52 (1988) 53–67; N. K. Thakare and C. S. Manjarekar, Abstract spectral theory: Multiplicative lattices in which every character is contained in a unique maximal character, in Algebra and Its Applications (Marcel Dekker, New York, 1984), pp. 265–276. ] to lattice modules. Also we investigate the interplay between the topological properties of σ(M) and algebraic properties of M.
A study of association between fingernail elements and osteoporosis by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is used to investigate the possible effect of osteoporosis on the elemental composition of fingernails. Also, the ability to classify healthy, osteopenic, and osteoporotic subjects based on their fingernail spectra has been examined. 46 atomic and ionic emission lines belonging to 13 elements, which are dominated by calcium and magnesium, have been identified. Measurements are carried out on fingernail clippings of 99 subjects including 27 healthy, 47 osteopenic, and 25 osteoporotic subjects. The Pearson correlations between spectral intensities of different elements of fingernail and age and bone mineral densities (BMDs) in nail samples are calculated. Correlations between line intensities of some elements such as sodium and potassium, calcium and iron, magnesium and silicon and also between some fingernail elements, BMD, and age are observed. Although some of these correlations are weak, some information about mineral metabolism can be deduced from them. Discr.
Structural Change from Nonparallel to Parallel G-Quadruplex Structures in Live Cancer Cells Detected in the Lysosomes Using Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy

Time-gated fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy with the o-BMVC fluorescent probe provides a visualizing method for the study of exogenous G-quadruplexes (G4s) in live cancer cells. Previously, imaging results showed that the parallel G4s are accumulated and that nonparallel G4s are not detected in the lysosomes of CL1-0 live cells. In this work, the detection of the G4 signals from exogenous GTERT-d(FN) G4s in the lysosomes may involve a structural change in live cells from intramolecular nonparallel G4s to intermolecular parallel G4s. Moreover, the detection of the G4 signals in the lysosomes after the 48 h incubation of HT23 G4s with CL1-0 live cells indicates the occurrence of structural conversion from the nonparallel G4s to the parallel G4s of HT23 in the live cells. In addition, the detection of much stronger G4 signals from ss-GTERT-d(FN) than ss-HT23 in the lysosomes of CL1-0 live cells may be explained by the quick formation of the intermolecular parallel G4s of ss-GTERT-d(FN) and the degradation of ss-HT23 before its intramolecular parallel G4 formation. This work provides a new approach to studying G4-lysosome interactions in live cells.
Representation of a fractional Brownian motion in terms of an infinite-dimensional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process

It is well known that, for H ∈ (0, 1/2) ∪ (1/2, 1), such a process B is neither a semimartingale nor a Markov process (see, for example, [1]). In spite of this, here it will be shown that B can be represented as a linear functional of an infinite-dimensional Markov process. Let ξ = (ξβ)β>0 be a Gaussian process with zero mean and covariance function Rξ(α, β) = (α + β) −1, and let B = (Bt)t>0 be a standard Brownian motion independent of ξ. We construct from ξ and B the family of processes {Z}β>0, where Z = (Z t )t>0 is an Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process, which is a solution of the stochastic differential equation
Same-sex parenting in Brazil and Portugal: An integrative review

This integrative review aimed to analyze and systematize the knowledge produced on parenting by same-sex couples in the Brazilian and Portuguese contexts until 2019. We sought to describe the main topics in scientific production in empirical articles in both countries and highlight advances and/or gaps in the discussions. The databases searched were LILACS, Redalyc, RCAAP, PePSIC, SciELO and EBSCOhost. The searches occurred in 2020, with seven descriptors in Portuguese and their respective translations into English, resulting in 17 different search combinations. Fifty-three articles were retrieved: 35 Brazilian, 17 Portuguese and 1 Luso-Brazilian. We observed standards in the scientific production on the theme and analyzed the material qualitatively through Thematic Analysis. All the articles surveyed presented a cross-sectional design, with a prevalence of qualitative studies in Brazil and quantitative studies in Portugal. It was verified, in both countries, the desire, the achievement and the experience of parenting, the challenges faced by families and the parental practices exercised with the children. Low social support and coping with prejudice related to LGB-phobia were identified. Although the conceptions about parenting exercised by same-sex couples and its benefits for child development have been positive for a significant portion of the Brazilian and Portuguese population, negative opinions were present in both countries, especially among older, male, religious and more conservative people. We highlight the need to expand the discussion on family and diversity in society, academia, and the training and updating of social network professionals.
Partially nested information structures with a common past

A team control problem is considered whose information structure is partially nested and is characterized by the existence of a common past information set shared by the team members after a finite delay. Under LQG assumptions, it is shown that the optimal control strategy can take on a time-invariant recursive form based on suitable sufficient statistics.
Molecular clouds without detectable CO

The clouds identified by Desert, Bazell, and Boulanger (DBB clouds) in their search for high-latitude molecular clouds were observed in the CO (J = 1-0) line, but only 13 percent of the sample was detected. The remaining 87 percent are diffuse molecular clouds with CO abundances of about 10 to the -6th, a typical value for diffuse clouds. This hypothesis is shown to be consistent with Copernicus data. The DBB clouds are shown to be an essentially complete catalog of diffuse molecular clouds in the solar vicinity. The total molecular surface density in the vicinity of the sun is then only about 20 percent greater than the 1.3 solar masses/sq pc determined by Dame et al. (1987). Analysis of the CO detections indicates that there is a sharp threshold in extinction of 0.25 mag before CO is detectable and is derived from the IRAS I(100) micron threshold of 4 MJy/sr. This threshold is presumably where the CO abundance exhibits a sharp increase 18 refs.
Health Literacy of People with Substitutive Private Health Insurance in Germany and Their Assessment of the Health System Performance According to Health Literacy Levels: Results from a Survey

Health literacy (HL) is a competence to find, understand, appraise, and apply health information and is necessary to maneuver the health system successfully. People with low HL are, e.g., under the risk of poor quality and safety of care. Previous research has shown that low HL is more prevalent among, e.g., people with lower social status, lower educational level, and among the elderly. In Germany, people with substitutive private health insurance (PHI) account for 11% of the population and tend to have a higher level of education and social status, but in-detail assessments of their HL are missing so far. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the HL of PHI insureds in Germany, and to analyze their assessment of the health system according to their HL level. In 2018, 20,000 PHI insureds were invited to participate in a survey, which contained the HLS-EU-Q16, and items covering patient characteristics and the World Health Organization health systems framework goals (e.g., access, quality, safety, responsiveness). Low HL was found for 46.2% of respondents and was more prevalent, e.g., among men and insureds with a low subjective social status. The health system performance was perceived poorer by respondents with low HL. Future initiatives to strengthen health systems should focus on promoting HL.