Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies on developmental dyslexia across European orthographies: the ADOD model

ABSTRACT According to the “classic” and the “new” model, developmental dyslexia (DD) is associated with dysfunctions of the left temporoparietal (TP), ventral occipitotemporal (vOT) and frontal brain circuits. However, these models make different anatomo-functional predictions about the effects of age and orthographic depth on the neural correlates of DD. To test the influence of age and orthographic depth and their interaction on the neurobiology of reading we meta-analyzed 34 fMRI studies by combining the CluB and the GingerALE methods. Our meta-analytic results challenged both models and allowed us to generate a refined neurocognitive framework called the “Anatomo-functional, Developmental, and Orthographic Depth (ADOD) model of DD”. The ADOD model describes the interacting effects of age and orthography on the neurobiology of DD and suggests brand new conceptions on the role of the left TP cortex in reading together with a subtler parcellation of the vOT areas according to a rostro-caudal gradient.
Effects of tropical sea surface temperature variability on Northern Hemisphere tropical cyclone genesis

This study quantifies the contributions of tropical sea surface temperature (SST) variations during the boreal warm season to the interannual-to-decadal variability in tropical cyclone genesis frequency (TCGF) over the Northern Hemisphere ocean basins. The first seven leading modes of tropical SST variability are found to affect basin-wide TCGF in one or more basins, and are related to canonical El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), global warming (GW), the Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and Atlantic Meridional Mode (AMM). These modes account for approximately 58%, 50% and 56% of the variance in basin-wide TCGF during 1969–2018 over the North Atlantic (NA), Northeast Pacific (NEP) and Northwest Pacific (NWP), respectively. The SST effect is weak on TCGF variability in the North Indian Ocean. The dominant SST modes differ among the basins: ENSO, the AMO, AMM and GW for the NA; ENSO and the AMO for the NEP; and the PMM, interannual AMO and GW for the NWP. A specific mode may have opposite effects on TCGF in different basins, particularly between the NA and NEP. Sliding-window multiple linear regression analyses show that the SST effects on basin-wide TCGF are stable in time in the NA and NWP, but strengthen after the mid-1970s in the NEP. The SST effects on local TC genesis and occurrence frequency are also explored, and the underlying physical mechanisms are examined by diagnosing a genesis potential index and its components.
Green Attributes in Young Consumers’ Purchase Intentions: A Cross-Country, Cross-Product Comparative Study Using a Discrete Choice Experiment

As consumption behavior is one of the key human activities destabilizing the Earth system, green consumption is expected to increase. However, although consumers often show interest in green consumption, they tend to choose non-green alternatives. Presuming that one of the reasons for their inconsistency lies in the trade-offs between green attributes and other attributes (e.g., brand, performance, and price), this study adopted a discrete choice experiment to understand how green attributes play a role in consumers’ purchase decisions. To obtain a deeper understanding, the study conducted a cross-country (young Japanese [n = 370] and Vietnamese [n = 403] consumers) and product (water bottles and T-shirts) comparative analysis. The findings showed that for both products, Japanese respondents were less appreciative of green attributes in both relative and absolute terms than Vietnamese respondents. Furthermore, the marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for a low environmental impact was the highest among the other attributes in both products for Vietnamese respondents, while this was not the case for Japanese respondents. Utilizing the findings obtained from the conditional logit models and MWTP, this study proposes several policy implications for the promotion of green purchases suitable for each country’s unique situation.
THE EFFECT OF LOAN TO DEPOSIT RATIO (LDR), INFLATION, INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL AND NET PROFIT MARGIN (NPM) ON PROFITABILITY IN CONVENTIONAL BANKS LISTED ON THE INDONESIA STOCK EXCHANGE FOR THE 2014-2018 PERIOD

This study aims to analyze the effect of Loan to Deposit Ratio, Inflation, Intellectual Capital and Net Profit Margin on profitability. This research uses this type of research with a quantitative approach by using panel data and processed using e-Views software. The sample used was 29 Conventional Banks listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange 2014-2018. The results of this study reveal that the Loan to Deposit Ratio, Inflation and Net Profit Margin have a positive effect on profitability. While Intellectual Capital does not have a positive effect on profitability.
The Relationship between Contact-Free Services, Social and Personal Norms, and Customers’ Behavior for the Sustainable Management of the Restaurant Industry

People worldwide are experiencing increasingly complex social issues, and ways of life are changing. This study analyzes the relationship between contact-free service value, personal and social norms, and customers’ behavioral intentions for sustainable restaurant businesses, demonstrating a direct association of the value and extended norm theory. Structural equation model analysis was performed to verify causality between variables; multi-group analysis was performed to confirm the moderating effects of menu price using AMOS; and frequency analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, and reliability analysis were performed using SPSS. The data were collected from Koreans aged 18 years and above (310 responses). The results revealed that contact-free service value positively affects personal norms, and personal norms positively affect behavioral intentions. In addition, social norms positively affect personal norms and behavioral intentions. In particular, it was found that social norms greatly influence personal norms. Finally, the menu price moderated the relationship between social and personal norms. These results present a variety of academic and practical implications, and this is especially meaningful for analyzing the association between contact-free service value and norm theory in the food service industry.
Genetic relationship of the winter barley varieties assessed by the inter-Primer Binding Site (iPBS) DNA profiling method

ABSTRACT Winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an important crop with great impact on the nutrition of the world population. Many of the barley varieties used in industry are obtained from private and public seed collection organizations. Understanding the relationships among barley genotypes within these collections is crucial for breeding and maintenance. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic diversity in winter barley from the Kuban State Agrarian University collection by using DNA-profiling polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods based on a single primer complementary to the primer binding site (PBS) region downstream of the long terminal repeat (LTR) for retrotransposons. In total, 1293 PCR amplicons were identified, of which 646 were polymorphic. Barley genotypes from this collection were mainly divided into two populations based on their geographical origin. Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) results indicated a high level of genetic diversity among the barley genotypes (83%). Relationships of the studied barley genotypes and their ancestry were established using clustering and Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) analysis. The results of PCoA and clustering were similar and close genetic relationships of selected accessions were confirmed. Surprising results were obtained for Timofei and Vasya genotypes that are not supposed to be closely related, but were positioned together. Similar unexpected results were shown for Samson and Iosif varieties. Nevertheless, obtained data can be useful for planning of future crossing by breeders using distantly related crossing pairs.
Impacts of different types of volatile fatty acids on the bacterial selection in enhanced biological phosphorus removal systems

Impacts of Different Types of Volatile Fatty Acids on the Bacterial Selection in Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal Systems by Jose Christiano Machado Jr. Dr. Jacimaria Ramos Batista, Examination Committee Chair Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Nevada, Las Vegas The impacts of different carbon sources, particularly VF As, on EBPR’s microbial population were investigated using T-RFLP and FISH. System performance mid both general and specific microbial changes were investigated in SBR systems fed with acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate, and glucose. Acetate and a mixture of acetate and propionate promoted the best P-removal. Butyrate and valerate lead the systems to fail in the long run. Glucose and propionate promoted poor EBPR, but the performance of the system fed with propionate improved with time. T-RFLP results indicated that short carbon chain VF As, long carbon chain VF As, and non-VFA favored different microbial populations in the systems. FISH results revealed that acetate and propionate successfully selected for the PAO, Candidatus accumulibacter phosphatis, while the other substrates tested did not. FISH analysis also showed that the GAO, Candidatus competibacter phosphatis, could not survive under any of the carbon feedings investigated, except under a feed containing a mixture of acetate and propionate.
Patterns and Predictors of Taiwanese Adult Children’s Intergenerational Exchanges Before and After Economic Stagnation

This study explores whether cultural norms and economic performance shape the differences in the patterns of intergenerational exchanges, and analyzes whether structural, normative, or emotional dimensions of intergenerational solidarity predict the derived typology of intergenerational exchange in Taiwan before and after economic stagnation. Data derives from nationally representative samples of adult children with at least one parent alive in 2006 and 2016. Latent class analysis (LCA), measurement invariance with LCA, and multinomial logistic regression analysis are applied to analyze data. The results demonstrate how filial norms and economic stagnation influence the intergenerational exchange patterns. The study identifies five classes of intergenerational exchanges. There was a higher proportion of the high-exchange membership in the period of salary growth, while there was a higher proportion of the memberships of emotion-oriented exchanges during the wage stagnation period. Results reveal that geographic distance exerts a stronger and more consistent association with various exchange patterns.
Seasonal variations in energy exchange and evapotranspiration of an oasis‐desert ecotone in an arid region

Knowledge of exchanges of energy and water over terrestrial surfaces is the first step towards understand the ecohydrological mechanisms, particularly in water‐limited ecosystems in dryland environments. However, patterns of energy exchange and evapotranspiration (ET) are not well understood in the oasis‐desert ecotone, which plays an important role in protecting oases against the threat of desertification in arid regions of northwestern China. Here, the continuous measurements of surface energy fluxes were made using eddy covariance in conjunction with auxiliary measurements for 2 years (2014–2015) in an oasis‐desert ecotone mainly covered by phreatophyte shrubs Haloxylon ammodendron, Nitraria tangutorum/sphaerocarpa, and Calligonum mongolicum in arid northwestern China. Based on the collated data for 2 years, statistical analysis on a 30‐min time scale indicated that approximately 50% of daytime net radiation (Rn) in the ecotone was dissipated as H on average, and one‐third of Rn was consumed by soil heat flux (G). Only 9% of Rn was consumed for latent heat flux (λE), which peaked in summer (21% in 2014 and 16% in 2015), corresponding to the highest rainfall season. Daily mean ET was approximately 1 mm days−1 during the growing season of the shrub species. Accumulated annual ET was 195 and 181 mm in 2014 and 2015, respectively, exceeding the corresponding precipitation (P) by approximately 87 and 77 mm, indicating that groundwater may be another important source of water for ET in the ecotone aside from rainfall. Results within provide valuable insights into the mechanisms responsible for sustaining energy and water balance in the ecotone, a potentially groundwater‐dependent ecosystem. These results also offer a foremost ecohydrological implication for water and land resources management and ecotone conservation, such as avoiding heavy groundwater pumping for extensive agricultural irrigation use to sustain groundwater availability for these shrub species in the ecotone.
Will infectious disease outbreaks cause a decline in investment of real sector firms? Evidence form 2003 SARS outbreak in China

ABSTRACT The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak prompts researchers and policy makers to re-evaluate the impact of infectious disease on economy. Taking SARS outbreak in 2003 as a quasi-natural experiment, we examined the impact of infectious diseases on Chinese real sector’s investment through a difference in difference (DID) approach. The empirical results show that after the outbreak of SARS, the investment of China’s real sector firms had increased significantly. This conclusion is verified by several robustness tests. The mechanism tests indicate that the SARS epidemic could increase the investment of real sector firms through two paths. First of all, the outbreak of the epidemic led to dramatic fluctuations in the capital market, then companies shifted their assets from the financial market to the relatively low-risk real sector; additionally, in response to the outbreak of SARS, companies and the government reduced operating costs and fees, resulting in a synergistic effect which also increased investment of the real sector.
Analysis of Word Problems in Primary Education Mathematics Textbooks in Spain

A textbook constitutes the hegemonic material of the educational institution. It acts as a mediator between the official curriculum and the educational practice. Given its potential influence in the classroom, this study analyzes the treatment of word problems included in the mathematics textbooks published by the publishing houses with the greatest diffusion in Spain at every primary education grade. Three variables were analyzed: their semantic structure, their degree of challenge, and their situational context. The results indicate that most of the problems included in textbooks are characterized by low complexity and variability regarding their semantic structure. They are also characterized by a limited degree of challenge and by being presented in highly standardized situational contexts. Likewise, it is found that there is no evolution in the treatment of these problems with respect to previous studies carried out in the Spanish context. Therefore, it is concluded that the mathematics textbooks currently used in schools are not effective tools to address the process of teaching-learning problem solving.
Finite-time stabilization of discontinuous fuzzy inertial Cohen–Grossberg neural networks with mixed time-varying delays

This article aims to study a class of discontinuous fuzzy inertial Cohen–Grossberg neural networks (DFICGNNs) with discrete and distributed time-delays. First of all, in order to deal with the discontinuities by the differential inclusion theory, based on a generalized variable transformation including two tunable variables, the mixed time-varying delayed DFICGNN is transformed into a ﬁrst-order differential system. Then, by constructing a modiﬁed Lyapunov– Krasovskii functional concerning with the mixed time-varying delays and designing a delayed feedback control law, delay-dependent criteria formulated by algebraic inequalities are derived for guaranteeing the ﬁnite-time stabilization (FTS) for the addressed system. Moreover, the settling time is estimated. Some related stability results on inertial neural networks is extended. Finally, two numerical examples are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the established results.
Nonfatal Suicidal Behavior among a Sample of College Students: The Role of Gender as a Risk and Protective Factor

ABSTRACT In the United States, suicide is a leading cause of death among college-aged persons, particularly among men. However, while college-aged men are at higher risk for suicide, it is women who exhibit higher incidences of nonfatal suicidal behavior. Nonfatal suicidal behavior (NFSB) includes acts such as suicidal ideation, self-injury, and suicide attempt. Expanding the research on the gender gap in suicidal behaviors by drawing on a contemporary gender socialization framework, this study examines the role of various gender dimensions and NFSB. Utilizing data from a survey of college students, we find that the gender dimensions, Nurture/Warmth and Affect, operate as risk and protective factors in the use of NFSB for men and women.
Physico-chemical properties of kernel from coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) varieties grown at the Kenyan Coast

The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is widely referred as the “tree of life” for its important role in the livelihoods of 10 million persons from over 90 countries globally. In Kenya, the coconut sub-sector is valued at KES 25 billion, yet only 65% is utilised, which is partly contributed by insufficient knowledge of the coconut’s physico-chemical features and investment in the sector. Physico-chemical analysis of four coconut varieties’ kernel grown in two counties (Kilifi and Kwale) of Kenya was carried out. Based on the de-husked coconut fruit, coconut kernel was the highest component (46.58 - 48.70%) in comparison to shell (25.93±0.72% - 28.46±0.29%) and water (23.75±1.07% - 27.11±1.49%) across the varieties. The colour of the coconut kernel was marked by generally high L* values (85.34 - 93.35) and low a* (0.51 - 0.81) and b* (1.53 - 2.20) values among the varieties confirming the milky- white colouration of the kernel. All the varieties contained high crude fat (35.01±1.0 - 38.28±1.09%) content. Fatty acid analysis profile revealed that lauric acid (45.91- 50.72%) was the predominant fatty acid. Most of the oil extract was saturated (91%) but comprising of middle chain fatty acids. This indicates stability for storage and suitability for use in ketogenic diets. Key words: coconut kernel, coconut variety, colour, proximate analysis, fatty acid profile.
An Observational Based Modeling of the Surface Layer Particulate Nitrate in the North China Plain During Summertime

Particulate nitrate (pNO3−) is an important component in atmospheric fine particulate matter. Here, we present a case study investigating the production and loss processes of pNO3− in surface‐layer based on the observation at a regional site Wangdu in North China Plain (NCP) during summer. The averaged diurnal of nitric acid (HNO3) production reached a maximum of 1.5 μg m−3 h−1 determined from the observed OH and NO2, indicating a fast HNO3 production in the surface layer during the daytime. The chemical processes affecting surface nitrate concentration and daily variation were simulated by a box model based on the Regional Atmospheric Chemical Mechanism version 2 and coupled with the ISORROPIA‐II thermodynamic equilibrium model. The chemical formation of total soluble nitrate (TNO3) at the surface layer cannot explain the fast increase of pNO3− in the morning and overshoot pNO3− in the afternoon, suggesting missing processes in the model. The pNO3− budget analysis suggests the importance of entrainment from residual layer air into the surface layer as an important process for surface pNO3− concentration enhancement in the early morning. In the afternoon, the partition to pNO3− was limited due to the high temperature near the ground. Nevertheless, the observed fast nitrate production still significantly overshot pNO3− in the afternoon. This difference indicates HNO3 production was less efficient throughout the boundary layer than what was observed in the surface layer. Our results highlight the importance of vertical measurements to understand the formation mechanism of nitrate pollution in summer.
A Model for Sustainable Tourism Development of Hot Spring Destinations Following Poverty Alleviation: Understanding the Tourists’ Perspective

Few studies have examined the issue of the sustainable destination development of hot spring from tourists’ perspective. This study thus proposes a model for sustainable tourism development of hot spring destinations following poverty alleviation in local communities. This model is based on environmental (environmental cognition), sociocultural (hot spring experience, food experience, and attitude toward cultural landscape), and economic (revisit intention) dimensions (factors) of sustainability. The analysis of 271 valid on-site questionnaires about the Conghua hot spring destination in Guangzhou, China, showed that the attitude toward cultural landscape, hot spring experiences, and environmental cognition are the important factors that influence the intention of tourists to revisit hot spring. These findings are based on the level of importance; however, food experience did not play a significant role. Through the cultural landscape, the connection between tourists and destinations is strengthened, which helps to increase the likelihood of tourists revisiting the destination. This study found that the purpose of cultural legacy can be achieved while balancing environmental development issues, and is one of the guidelines for sustainable development in poverty alleviation in destination.
Formal financial institutions financing of immigrant small and medium enterprises in South Africa

Orientation: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) owned by immigrants in developing economies, such as South Africa, tend to trust formal financial institutions (FFIs) for financial support.Research purpose: Even though immigrant SMEs create opportunities that have important implications for the South African economy; less than 5% of them can access credit from FFIs. This study, therefore, explores the accessibility of credit from FFIs to immigrant SMEs from a supply-side perspective.Motivation for the study: Research studies on improving financing from FFIs to immigrant SMEs will help to boost the survival of immigrant SMEs and promote economic development in South Africa.Research design, approach and method: This qualitative research design used an interpretivistic research paradigm to achieve the research objectives. Data were collected from 16 purposively selected participants and analysed using the five-step process of content analysis outlined by Terre Blanche, Durrheim and Kelly.Main findings: The findings revealed that FFIs are uninterested and biased against considering financing immigrant SMEs and tend to charge them higher interest rates. Collateral, equity contribution and the possession of a South African permanent resident permit with a South African ID are the most important requirements that impact the willingness of FFIs to finance immigrant SMEs.Practical/managerial implications: Implications for the financial institutions in policy development were provided.Contribution/value-add: This research study highlights the requirements and the challenges faced by immigrant SMEs in accessing credit from FFIs. The use of qualitative research design further contributed to the literature on FFIs financing of immigrant SMEs.