Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Business response to COVID-19 impact: Effectiveness analysis in South Africa

Background: Following the outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many businesses have put out measures to counter the impact of the outbreak and its related reactions from economic actors (individuals, authorities and other businesses) on their business operations. However, nearly no empirical studies or reports have been carried out to investigate the effectiveness of those measures. Aim: This study aimed at examining the effectiveness of business response measures to COVID-19 impact on business outcome. Setting: This study focused on businesses that are value-added tax (VAT) registered. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used. The authors applied logistic regression technique to analyse the effectiveness of business response measures on business outcome. Results: The authors found evidence that business responses such as virtual connection, innovative e-commerce and increasing working hours are more effective business responses, whilst decreasing work hours, laying off workers temporarily and ordinary e-commerce are less effective measures against the impact of the outbreak. Furthermore, business characteristics such as industry type (e.g. ‘agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing’ and ‘electricity, gas and water supply’) are more resilient to COVID-19 shock, whilst pure export market and small businesses, secondary and tertiary, are significantly less resilient. Conclusions: Firstly, the study shows that some business responses are more effective in remediating the adverse impact of COVID-19 and therefore recommends policy intervention and industrial actions to promote them. Secondly, it is also recommended that financial bailout and/or Internet infrastructure and domestic support for small and export businesses could make them more resilient to the adverse impact of the outbreak.
Context, Language Modeling, and Multimodal Data in Finance

The authors enhance pretrained language models with Securities and Exchange Commission filings data to create better language representations for features used in a predictive model. Specifically, they train RoBERTa class models with additional financial regulatory text, which they denote as a class of RoBERTa-Fin models. Using different datasets, the authors assess whether there is material improvement over models that use only text-based numerical features (e.g., sentiment, readability, polarity), which is the traditional approach adopted in academia and practice. The RoBERTa-Fin models also outperform generic bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) class models that are not trained with financial text. The improvement in classification accuracy is material, suggesting that full text and context are important in classifying financial documents and that the benefits from the use of mixed data, (i.e., enhancing numerical tabular data with text) are feasible and fruitful in machine learning models in finance. TOPICS: Quantitative methods, big data/machine learning, legal/regulatory/public policy, information providers/credit ratings Key Findings ▪ Machine learning based on multimodal data provides meaningful improvement over models based on numerical data alone. ▪ Context-rich models perform better than context-free models. ▪ Pretrained language models that mix common text and financial text do better than those pretrained on financial text alone.
Communication Strategies among Indonesian Emergent Bilinguals in Mainstream EFL Classroom

This study aims to enrich the already large body of research on communication strategies which is still, to the best of my knowledge, lacking in rich description about the use of CSs among emergent bilinguals. This qualitative study provides an insight to language practitioners that CSs among emergent bilinguals develop in accordance with their age. Some minor findings also suggest that CSs is influenced more by cognitive development and willingness to communicate (WTC).
Effect of high population density of eastern black rhinoceros, a mega‐browser, on the quality of its diet

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercialNoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is noncommercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. © 2021 The Authors. African Journal of Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands 2Kenya Wildlife Service, Nairobi, Kenya 3Save the Elephants, Nairobi, Kenya 4Department of Geography, King's College London, London, UK 5Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland 6Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Prediction of Motor Recovery after Stroke by Assessment of Corticospinal Tract Wallerian Degeneration Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Abstract Aim of the Study To predict motor recovery after stroke by detection of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) fractional anisotropy (FA) changes of corticospinal tract (CST) and correlate findings with clinical scores to provide more effective treatment and rehabilitation. Subjects and Methods Thirty patients with cerebral stroke were enrolled and underwent conventional magnetic resonance imaging and DTI at admission and 1 month after stroke. Mean diffusivity (MD), FA, FA ratio (rFA), and fiber number (FN) values of CST were calculated at the pons at admission and after 1 month of stroke. Three-dimensional reconstruction of bilateral CST and the structural changes of fibrous bands were observed. Severity of limb weakness was assessed by using the motor sub-index scores of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at admission, and after 1, 6, and 9 months for severity of limb weakness. Results The mean age of our patients was 61.32 ± 4.34 years, 17/30 (56.6%) were females, and 13/30 (43.4%) were males. In our study, 18/30 (60%) were hypertensive, 19/30 (63.3%) were diabetic, and 12/30 (40%) were smokers. A significant negative correlation was found between rFA and FN in the ipsilateral CST of the cerebral infarction at the rostral part of pons after 1 month of infarction and NIHSS score at 6 months (r = 0.377, p = 0.04 and r = 0.237, p = 0.02, respectively). However, a positive insignificant correlation was found between MD and NIHSS (r = 0.345, p = 0.635). The initial NIHSS score at the time of injury was 19.2 ± 4.3, which changed to 7.9 ± 2.4, 4.6 ± 1.9, and 3.3 ± 1.4 at 1, 6, and 9 months, respectively. Conclusion DTI is a sensitive tool for early detection of Wallerian degeneration in the CST after stroke, and can predict motor performance to provide effective treatment and rehabilitation to improve quality of life.
WORK PLACEMENT AFFECTS EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE THROUGH WORK MOTIVATION

The success of the banking industry in a crisis such as the Covid pandemic is highly dependent on employee performance. Employee performance in banking companies will increase employee efficiency and productivity. Employee performance improvement can be formed through accuracy in Work Placement and providing Work Motivation. Work Placement and employee motivation to improve performance are still debated in previous studies. Based on previous research gaps, this study aims to determine the effect of Work Placement and Work Motivation on Employee performance and to determine the effect of Work Placement on Employee performance through Work Motivation in employees of a government bank in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia. The number of respondents in this study was 58 people who were obtained by using the saturated sampling technique for employees. The data collection method used a questionnaire with PLS (Partial Least Square) analysis tool. The results of this study indicate that employee placement and work motivation influence the employee performance of a bank company. However, the Work Motivation variable as a moderating variable cannot be proven because there is no influence between the Work Placement variable on Work Motivation. The next researcher can retest and develop the concepts used in this research to contribute to the development and renewal of management science.
Synthesis and Characterization of Polyaniline-Based Polymer Nanocomposites as Anti-Corrosion Coatings

Polymer nanocomposites of polyaniline (PANI)-based metal oxides (SiO2, CeO2, and TiO2A) were synthesized by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization by rapid mixing in a hydrochloric acid medium to evaluate and compare their performance as anti-corrosion coatings on commercial 1018 steel in a 3.5% NaCl medium. The anti-corrosion coatings were developed by dispersing synthesized nanocomposites on an alkydalic resin (AR) for their subsequent electrochemical characterization. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses show that PANI has a certain degree of crystallinity in its structure. The incorporation of metal oxide (MO) nanoparticles (NPs) into the polymer matrix was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analyses, while the interaction of nanoparticles with PANI was proven by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) reveals that nanoparticles infer greater resistance to the thermal decomposition of PANI. Finally, the use of open circuit potential (OCP) study, Tafel curves, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that coatings made with TiO2A NPs exhibit the best anti-corrosion properties as compared to those synthesized with SiO2 and CeO2 NPs.
Unblocking Practical Stumbling Hurdles in writing Master’s Dissertation Abstracts

This study set out to identify the practical difficulties masters’ students face when writing their dissertation abstracts. Students in their final year of the masters’ programme were the participants. They were randomly selected using random purposive sampling from four different Cameroon state universities that were easily accessible (Universities of Buea, Douala, Dschang and Yaounde 1). Equally, some selected samples of the abstracts extracted from already defended dissertations were used for the study. Even though academic writing is a dynamic form of writing, its importance extends from educational to applied linguistics. Students have often therefore taken measures to see to it that they write abstracts that are acceptable, but they face difficulties doing so. Students in the course of writing master’s dissertation abstracts pause for a while to make sure they are doing the right thing. Findings show significant measurable challenges that students face in writing master’s dissertation abstracts for academic achievements. Solutions are proposed in that light to overcome the practical difficulties.
Associations between Dentition Status and Nutritional Status in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Background/Objective: Older adults are at higher risk of malnutrition. The aim of this study was to explore associations between nutritional status and dentition status among older adults seeking care in a dental clinic. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of data from older adults (65–89 y) who received care at a northeastern US urban dental school clinic between June 2015 and June 2020 (N = 305). Clinical and demographic data were obtained from the electronic health record; nutritional status was determined using the Self–Mini Nutritional Assessment (Self-MNA), and odontograms and digital radiography were used to determine dental data. Adjusted multivariable models were used to explore associations between variables. Results: The sample was 53.8% female with a median age of 72.0 y. The median Self-MNA score was 13, reflective of normal nutritional status; 29.5% were at risk of or had malnutrition. Median numbers of teeth and posterior and anterior occluding pairs of teeth (POP, AOP) were 18.0, 2.0, and 5.0, respectively. Those with normal nutritional status had significantly more teeth, POPs, and AOPs than those at risk of or with malnutrition (P = 0.015, P = 0.015, and P = 0.039, respectively). Every additional unit increase in the number of natural or restored teeth or POP was associated with significantly lower odds of being at risk of or with malnutrition (3% and 13%, respectively). Having functional dentition was associated with 46% lower odds of being at risk of or with malnutrition. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that older adults who had more teeth, better occlusion, and functional dentition were more likely to be of normal nutritional status than those who had less teeth, had poorer occlusion, and lacked functional dentition. Further research with larger, more diverse samples and varied measures of dentition are needed to better understand the associations between nutritional status and dentition status. Knowledge Transfer Statement: The findings from this study suggest that older adults with fewer teeth and therefore less efficient occlusion are at higher risk for malnutrition than those with more teeth and better occlusion. Health care professionals should include screening for dentition and malnutrition as part of their routine practice to identify patients who may have tooth loss and be at risk of malnutrition and refer them accordingly for interventions to optimize oral health and nutritional status.
Magnetosphere‐Ionosphere Coupling of Precipitated Electrons in Diffuse Aurora Driven by Time Domain Structures

Recent theoretical studies and the spacecraft conjugate observations between the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) mission and the low‐altitude Enhanced Polar Outflow Probe (e‐POP) spacecraft demonstrated the connections between broadband electrostatic fluctuations, the so called time domain structures (TDSs), and electron precipitation in the region of diffuse aurora. In this letter, we used the SuperThermal Electron Transport (STET) code to implement these theoretical and experimental results and analyze magnetosphere‐ionosphere energy interplay of the precipitated electrons that are driven by TDSs. To put TDSs electron scattering processes in the context with other wave scattering activities, ECH and whistler chorus waves are taken into account. Integrated electron energy fluxes in the diffuse aurora driven by TDSs are comparable to those driven by whistler waves. We find that including Magnetosphere‐Ionosphere coupling processes increases the integrated electron energy fluxes by more than two times than only driven by TDSs.
Effect of Municipal Solid Waste Leachate on Soil Enzymes

The paper aims to investigate the enzyme activity of soils exposed to Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) leachate. Soil enzymes are useful indicators for soil quality management as they respond to changes that occur in soil quality. To determine the effects of MSW leachate, three sites, i.e. Leachate Exposed Site (LES), Partially Leachate Exposed Site (PES) and Control Soil (CS) were considered located in and around Kapuluppada dumpsite which falls under Visakhapatnam city limits. The LES soil receives more leachate washings due to its proximity to waste heaps compared to PES soil. The third site, i.e. CS is located a little away from the MSW heaps and is free from any contamination. The samples were estimated for enzymes like dehydrogenase, invertase, alkaline phosphatase, protease, amylase and cellulase activity using standard assay methods. The following trend was observed: protease>amylase>invertase>alkaline phosphatase>dehydrogenase>cellulase. Our results indicate that the enzymes showed higher activity with MSW leachate washings due to enhanced soil aeration and soil porosity. However, MSW leachate washings had not shown any significant inhibitive effect on organic carbon content, microbial biomass and enzymatic activities.
Analysis of coumarins in extract of Cnidium monnieri by ultra-performance liquid chromatographic coupled to electrospray ionization time of flight mass/mass spectrometry

AIM: To set up a rapid analysis and characterization method for coumarins in extract of Cnidium monnieri. METHODS: The sample was analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with a reversed phase C_(18) column using a binary eluent of acetonitrile and water(with 0.1% formic acid) under gradient conditions.The ~+ ions of coumarins in Cnidium monnieri extract were observed by positive ion electrospray time of flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF-MS) online detection,and the fragmentation behavior obtained by ESI-TOF-MS/MS,then coumarins was identified through accurate molecular weight and molecular formula and fragmentation information combined with literature review. RESULTS: All components could be separated rapidly within 10 min,and five coumarins-xanthotoxol,bergapten,xanthotoxin,imperatorin and osthol could be primary identified in Cnidium monnieri extract. CONCLUSION: This method is effective for identification of coumarins in extract of Cnidium monnieri.
Effect of three types of oils and their level of incorporation on sensory quality of sorghum cookies

Lipid (oil and fat) is one of the basic and important components used in the production of cookies. It plays several roles in their composition and a judicious choice of this ingredient makes it possible to have cheap, delicious and very nutritious cookies. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of refined cottonseeds oil (RCO), refined palm oil (RPO) and red (or crude) palm oil (CPO) on sorghum (Sorghum bicolour var. Gampela) cookies. Oils were incorporated at levels of 16%, 20% and 24%. Cookies quality were evaluated based on quantitative sensory profile, sensory acceptability, preference classification and paired-comparison test. The results of sensory profile tests showed that the sensory descriptors ranged from very low to medium intensity (1.33 to 3.83 on a scale of 5). Both acceptability and classification tests showed that cookies produced with 20% of refined oil (RCO and RPO) and those with 16% of CPO were the most preferred and RCO and RPO with 20% of the oil were appreciated as control cookies produced with 20% of margarine. The colour, texture and fat impression had most influenced the consumers’ preferences. RCO, RPO and CPO exhibit the potential to be used as substitutes to margarine to produce sorghum cookies.
MICRO ENCAPSULATION OF ORANGE OIL BY COMPLEX COACERVATION AND ITS RELEASE BEHAVIOR

Microencapsulation of liquid orange oil as a common flavoring agent in food industries by complex coacervation in a gelatin – gum Arabic polymeric wall system was studied. At a fixed ratio of 10% w/v as concentration of the materials used in this study, trend of changes of microencapsulation process variables using different wall polymeric contents along with varying levels of the core to wall ratio were investigated. Distribution pattern of the coacervate particle size showed that more than 70% of the particle with the average diameter of 9.68 mm were reasonably encapsulated in those treatments having core to wall ratio at the level of 1:1 and 1:2 while gelatin to gum arabic content of the wall system were set to be 1:1 and 2:1 ratio, respectively. The yield of the process as ratio of the amount of coacervate microcapsules produced to the amount of materials initially present in the emulsion was highest (69%) for the treatment described. Moreover, the release and swelling data have been analyzed in terms of the generalized equation Mt/M∞=kt applicable for swellable controlled release systems. The results obtained were discussed on the basis of the release rate constant k, and diffusional exponent n.
A New Family of Thermo-Responsive Polymers Based on Poly[N-(4-vinylbenzyl)-N,N-dialkylamine]

A new family of the thermo-responsive polymers based on poly[N-(4-vinylbenzyl)-N,N-dialkylamine] with the pendent amine group as well as the doubly thermo-responsive triblock copolymer were synthesized by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. These polymers showed the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and/or the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) in alcohol and in the alcohol/water mixture. The polymer molecular weight, the polymer concentration, the cosolvent/nonsolvent and the deuterated solvent affecting the LCST and/or UCST were investigated, and their great influence on the LCST/UCST was demonstrated. The origin of the phase transition of poly[N-(4-vinylbenzyl)-N,N-dialkylamine] at LCST upon heating was investigated and the possible reason was proposed. The doubly thermo-responsive triblock copolymer of PVMA53-b-PVEA108-b-PVMA53 underwent phase transition at two LCST temperatures. The PVEA108 block underwent the initial phase transition at the first .
Effect of long-term integrated nutrient management on some important properties of a vertisol

A long-term field experiment for 10 years on Typic Chromusterts indicated that application of various organic materials to meet 50 per cent N along with 50 per cent of NPK recorded significantly lower bulk density. Rice straw incorporation either to meet 50 per cent or 25 per cent N along with fertilizers increased the hydraulic conductivity, water stable aggregates, porosity, soil water retention characteristics and maximum water holding capacity. Exchangeable Na and CaCO3 contents decreased but there was increase in CEC and exchangeable Ca content of the soil due to incorporation of different organic sources of nutrients. Available major and micronutrients increased significantly with combined application of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients.
Thermodynamics of Soil Microbial Metabolism: Applications and Functions

The thermodynamic characterization of soils would help to study and to understand their strategies for survival, as well as defining their evolutionary state. It is still a challenging goal due to difficulties in calculating the thermodynamic state variables (enthalpy, Gibbs energy, and entropy) of the reactions taking place in, and by, soils. Advances in instrumentation and methodologies are bringing options for those calculations, boosting the interest in this subject. The thermodynamic state variables involve considering the soil microbial functions as key channels controlling the interchange of matter and energy between soil and the environment, through the concept of microbial energy use efficiency. The role of microbial diversity using the energy from the soil organic substrates, and, therefore, the who, where, with whom, and why of managing that energy is still unexplored. It could be achieved by unraveling the nature of the soil organic substrates and by monitoring the energy released by the soil microbial metabolism when decomposing and assimilating those substrates. This review shows the state of the art of these concepts and the future impact of thermodynamics on soil science and on soil ecology.