Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Materiality Disclosure in Sustainability Reporting: Evidence from Malaysia

Manuscript type: Research paper Research aims: This paper aims to examine the determinants that influence companies to report material sustainability information in their corporate annual reports. Design/Methodology/Approach: To validate the determinants influencing materiality disclosure, content analysis was conducted on the annual reports of the top 113 Malaysian public listed companies in 2016, and the smart partial least squares technique was employed to examine the proposed relationships. Research findings: The empirical results indicate that board activity and board independence play a significant role in the determination of materiality disclosure. The results also reveal that board size, company size, profitability, leverage and industry are insignificant predictors of materiality disclosure. The results indicate that many listed companies in Malaysia disclose some amount of material sustainability information. However, the level of disclosure remains relatively low. Theoretical contribution/Originality: Notwithstanding that materiality is regarded as a key reporting principle in the preparation of sustainability reports, research on the application of the materiality concept in sustainability reporting remains to be an unexplored theme in Malaysia. This work sheds light on materiality disclosure in sustainability reporting of large companies operating in Malaysia through the combined views of the stakeholder and legitimacy theories. Practitioner/Policy implications: The results should be of great interest to policymakers who are concerned with formulating sustainability policies to achieve greater materiality disclosure. It also provides strategic insights to companies that board characteristics, such as board activity and board independence, influence materiality disclosure. Board members are urged to consider the importance of the reporting materiality determination process; otherwise, poor reporting may result in conflict with major stakeholder groups who do not see the material issues disclosed in the sustainability reports. Research limitation/Implications: The results are limited to the context of Malaysia. Future researchers can compare materiality disclosure with other countries, such as Singapore and Thailand, to enrich the sustainability reporting literature.
Trait‐based responses to land use and canopy dynamics modify long‐term diversity changes in forest understories

Aim: Land use is the foremost cause of global biodiversity decline, but species do not respond equally to land-use practices. Instead, it is suggested that responses vary with species traits, but long-term data on the trait-mediated effects of land-use on communities is scarce. Here we study how forest understory communities have been affected by two land-use practices during 4-5 decades, and whether changes in plant diversity are related to changes in functional composition. Location: Finland. Time period: 1968-2019. Major taxa studied: Vascular plants. Methods: We resurveyed 245 vegetation plots in boreal herb-rich forest understories, and used hierarchical Bayesian linear models to relate changes in diversity, species composition, average plant size, and leaf economic traits to reindeer abundance, forest management intensity, and changes in climate, canopy cover and composition. Results: Intensively managed forests decreased in species richness and had increased turnover, but management did not affect functional composition. Increased reindeer densities corresponded with increased leaf dry matter content, evenness and diversity, and decreased height and specific leaf area. Successional development in the canopy was associated with increased specific leaf area and decreased leaf dry matter content and height in the understory over the study period. Effects of reindeer abundance and canopy density on diversity were partially mediated by vegetation height, which had a negative relationship with evenness. Observed changes in climate had no discernible effect on any variable. Main conclusions: Functional traits are useful in connecting vegetation changes to the mechanisms that drive them, and provide unique information compared to turnover and diversity metrics. These trait-dependent selection effects could inform whether species benefit or suffer from land use changes and explain observed biodiversity changes under global change.
The Interaction between Maternal and Fetal Hypothalamic – Pituitary – Adrenal Axes

The Hypothalamic – Pituitary – Adrenal (HPA) Axis is a unique system that mediates an immediate reactivity to a wide range of stimuli. It has a crucial role in synchronizing the behavioral and hormonal responses to internal and external threats, therefore, increases the chance of survival. It also enables the body systems to adapt to challenges put up by the pregnancy. Since the early stages of pregnancy and throughout delivery, HPA axis of the mother continuously navigates that of the fetus, and both have a specific cross talk even beyond the point of delivery and during postnatal period. Any disturbance in the interaction between the maternal and fetal HPA axes can adversely affect both. The HPA axis is argued to be the mechanism through which maternal stress and other suboptimal conditions during prenatal period can program the fetus for chronic disease in later life. In this chapter, the physiological and non-physiological communications between maternal and fetal HPA axes will be addressed while highlighting specific and unique aspects of this pathway.
Defoliation heights for palisade grass cv. Marandu in silvopastoral system

ABSTRACT The objective was to test the response of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu in monoculture and in silvopastoral system (SPS), at two distances from the trees, and define the best defoliation height for SPS. Four intermittent defoliation heights (25, 35, 45 and 55cm) and two distances from tree lines (2.5 and 5.0m) were evaluated in the SPS with a control defoliated with 25cm in full sun. The experiment was performed in a randomized block design with 3 replicates in a 4 × 2 + 1 split plot scheme. The control had higher forage accumulation (46.9kg/ha. day) than the SPS (31.1kg/ha. day). The bulk density was also higher in the control (0.89mg/cm³) than in SPS (0.48mg/cm³). The percentage of leaves (78.06%) and leaf/stem ratio (6.04) did not differ among the treatments. In the SPS, there was an increase of 31.07% in forage accumulation from 25 to 55cm. The forage accumulation and bulk density of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu in monoculture is greater than in the SPS regardless of the management goal and the distance from trees. The goal of 55cm in the SPS presented greater forage accumulation.
Indonesian Islamic Banks and Financial Stability: An Empirical Analysis

Islamic banking in Indonesia is very vulnerable to volatility in their business processes due to its small market share. Compared to conventional banks, seen from their financial performance, Islamic banks have a worse performance because of lower profit (ROA). This study examines the stability of Islamic banking in Indonesia. Stability is measured using the Z Score. The data in this study are aggregate data for Islamic commercial banks. The data used are monthly data from January 2015 to December 2019. This study uses the ARDL (Autoregressive Distributed Lag) method. The results of this study are that all independent variables OER, NPF, inflation, IPI, exchange rates have an effect on the stability of Islamic banking, except FDR. Lower efficiency and problematic financing increases the stability of Islamic banking. Meanwhile, macroeconomic factors, inflation and exchange rates, have a negative effect on the stability of Islamic banking. The economic downturn due to inflation and rupiah depreciation will increase the instability of Islamic banks.
The relationship between m-banking service quality and loyalty: evidence in Indonesian Islamic Banking

Purpose: This study generally aims to comprehensively examine the effect of mobile banking service quality on creating customer loyalty in Islamic banking. In particular, this research uses the E-S-Qual instrument to verify service quality in mobile banking and uses one mediation variable, namely e-customer satisfaction. Methodology: This study amounted to 273 Islamic banking customers. The total participants are divided into several categories such as; gender, occupation, domicile, and Islamic bank used. The data obtained were analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. This study also uses a second-order perspective (reflective-reflective) SEM on the E-S-Qual variable (efficiency, fulfillment, system availability, and privacy), then the approach used refers to the repeated indicators. Findings: The higher mobile banking service quality has implications for customer loyalty, both attitude and behavior. It happens when the customer is satisfied with the quality of the system displayed. This satisfaction can be achieved if the dimensions of quality that are characteristic of the system can be presented by Islamic banking. Originality: This study underscores the dimensions of efficiency and system availability as keys to mobile banking service quality. Efficiency refers to how the ease, accessibility, and speed provided by the system can facilitate transactions and other functions. Furthermore, system availability refers to how the platforms function properly in relation to technical constraints that may arise, as well as attachment to functions that strengthen processes in the business of Islamic banking customers.
UK PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF ENGAGEMENT THROUGH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS

Parent involvement in and engagement with children's learning, play an important role in influencing schoolchildren’s engagement, achievement, and school completion; this became even more crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic that swept the world in early 2020. Given the paucity of research exploring parental attitudes to and experiences of blended and online learning, both before and during the pandemic, a case study of parents in the United Kingdom (UK) ( n = 552, representing 1,038 school-aged children) was conducted from June to September 2020, using an online survey, with both closed and open-ended questions, as well as semi-structured interviews ( n = 14). The survey results revealed that the schoolchildren mostly used a laptop, tablet or smartphone to undertake their learning, with parents reporting a rise in the use of live lesson, videos, Google Classroom, and online communities during lockdown, reflecting the tools that parents found were most useful for their children's learning, as well as the most engaging. Whilst parents felt slightly more aware of the work their children were doing, they reported that they felt less connected to the school community, and that their children were not more engaged or learning better as a result of using technology during the lockdown.
The Impact of Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Factors on Financial Structure: Evidence from United States

This paper explores the microeconomic and macroeconomic drivers of financial structure, through a sample of 30 technology companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange, over the period 2005-2018. The financial structure was assessed via long-term debt rate, short-term debt rate and total debt rate, whereas the size of the company, tangibility of assets, growth opportunity, effective tax rate and financial return were selected as microeconomic factors, alongside macroeconomic indicators concerning interest rate, inflation rate and gross domestic product per capita.
Retaining College Students Experiencing Shocks: The Power of Embeddedness and Normative Pressures

ABSTRACT Why do college students persist with their education, especially when facing challenges? We answer this question by exploring the complexities surrounding college student retention, using the organizational research lenses of job embeddedness, normative pressures, and the unfolding model of turnover. We first developed a college embeddedness scale and adapted a measure of normative pressures on college persistence. Then, we surveyed 287 first-year students from a broad range of racial and ethnic groups to understand their re-enrollment intentions and behavior. We found a positive relationship between re-enrollment intentions and normative pressures. Additionally, both college embeddedness and normative pressures predicted actual re-enrollment. Next, we examined how these forces interact with critical events (shocks) that prompt students to contemplate leaving, finding that college embeddedness and normative pressures mitigated the impact of shocks on re-enrollment intentions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, including the utility of job embeddedness theory for identifying heretofore neglected forces underlying college student retention.
The Constructivist Teaching Approach and Academic Achievement in English: An Empirical Evidence of Secondary School Students

Constructivism is a vibrant and self-motivated coaching paradigm that implies the establishment of the latest academic conceptions relying on the pupil’s past educational experiences. Constructive teaching approach (CAT) accompanied with PQRST method (Preview, Question, Read, Summarize and Test) considered as an efficient way for progression of the students’ comprehension regarding skills of English subject matter. This study aimed to find the effect of constructive teaching approach (PQRST) on 9thgraders academic achievement in the provided subject of English.Quasi experimental Pre-test-posttest research design had employed to fulfill the fundamentals of the current study. Two intact groups were randomly selected, and teacher made achievement test used to take the score. Control group was instructed English conventionally whereas treatment group was instructed through PQRST under the shade of CAT. Pre-test scores demonstrated an insignificant statistical difference between both groups but after getting treatment for 12 weeks experimental group exposed a momentous positive statistical discrepancy in scores via getting instruction through PQRST. The current research recommends constructivist teaching approach along with PQRST may be used for the improvement of students’ reading and comprehension skills in the subject matter of English which can enhance their achievement overall. IntroductionOne of the main ideological suppositions in teaching learning process has been founded, is termed as “constructivism”. It is an educational premise based on learner-centeredness and pupils are thought to dynamically investigate and construe new experiences then build a connection to the past experiences of the confined phenomenon. This teaching method not only co-notates to the content to be taught but pupils’ interests and needs catered well too (Lunenburg, 2011). In education, as the time has been elapsed various educational theories were introduced by education experts belonging to various school of thoughts, like behaviorism came from behaviorist school of thought, cognitivisim came from cognitive school of thought, constructivism came from constructivist school of thought and likewise, but the selection and implementation of the educational theory within the classroom is relies on the teacher. The first and foremost responsibility comes upon the shoulders of teachers. Therefore, the teacher should select the theory very vigilantly to maximize the learning competence of students especially in second language.Getting hold of second language is commendable as similar to any sort of triumph (Janjua & Shehzadi, Journal of Arts and Social Scienceshttps://ojs.jass. pk
Optimal Design and Simulation Analysis of Spike Tooth Threshing Component Based on DEM

This paper takes a local drum-type corn thresher as an example. In order to make the threshing principle transform to the plate-tooth type, the width of the spike-tooth threshing component is increased gradually, and three threshing components of different shape and size are selected as the research objects. Based on the preliminary experimental research, the corn threshing process is simulation analyzed using the self-developed corn threshing process analysis software. The effects of the width of the threshing component on the corn ears threshing rate and kernel damage rate under different rates of drum rotation were studied from a macroscopic perspective. The results show that with the increase of drum rotation rate, both the corn ear threshing rate and kernel damage rate increase; with the increase of threshing component width, the threshing rate increases and the damage rate decreases; and when the component width is too large, the stacking between adjacent components has an impact on the threshing performance. The effects of threshing component width on the amount of kernel threshing and the total compressive force during the simulation time were investigated from microscopic perspective at different rates of drum rotation, and the results show that the microscopic analysis is consistent with the macroscopic analysis. Therefore, the optimization of the structural parameters and operating parameters of the threshing component was achieved. When the width of the threshing component was 25 mm and the roller speed was 187.50 rpm, the threshing performance was optimal, with a 98.04% corn ears threshing rate and a 2.56% kernel damage rate. This paper verifies the practical applicability of the corn threshing process analysis software and provides a reference for the optimal design of threshing devices.
Clonostachys rosea selected by nematicidal screening and its efficacy against Meloidogyne incognita in a greenhouse

ABSTRACT Meloidogyne incognita, one of the most important root-knot nematodes of crops, is still mainly controlled with synthetic agrochemicals. Toward finding eco-friendly alternative controls such as biocontrol fungi or fungal extracts, here fungi were screened in vitro for nematicidal potential, then evaluated for efficacy against M. incognita in greenhouse tomato plants. Forty fungal extracts were also tested at 300 µg mL−1 against second-stage juveniles of M. incognita. Then the strain that produced the most active extract was added (six treatments, mycelium/conidia) to nematode-infested soil in a pot with tomato plants. Agronomic and reproductive variables were measured after 92 days. The best nematicidal extract was from Clonostachys rosea TH27 (LD50 = 375 µg mL−1), which reduced the number of galls, eggs and females in tomato roots and slightly improved agronomic traits compared with untreated plants. For control of M. incognita in pots in protected conditions, 2 g of inoculum per pot (5 kg) is recommended. Our findings confirmed that C. rosea mycelia has potential for control of M. incognita in tomato plants in the greenhouse.
Novel 2D MBenes—Synthesis, Structure, and Biotechnological Potential

2D transition metal borides (MBenes) have emerged as promising post‐MXene materials with potential application in various biotechnological fields. Although they possess prospective bioactive properties due to boron in their structure, the experience gained from MXenes shows that an in‐depth understanding of their biological recognition and response as well as the exploration of their biological applications are highly challenging. This makes the identification of the most promising 2D MBenes for future biological research and final industrial applications rather complicated. Herein, MBenes are differentiated from MXenes and further untangled for their bioactivity‐generating features. It is expected that MBenes’ positive or negative biological impact on living organisms and different types of cells connect with their morphological, structural and physicochemical features in the context of relevant environments. Necessary toxicological data are also highlighted, which are key aspects to enable MBenes’ safe application in biotechnology and nanomedicine. Furthermore, a perspective for the rational development and design of novel biotechnological solutions based on MBenes is provided, which will meet the legal safety requirements for nanomaterials. In this regard, this work is an unprecedented contribution toward strategies for regulatory development for MBene/MXene‐type nanomaterials. It provides an inspiration for future biotechnological and nanotoxicological approaches using MBenes.
Applying whole exome sequencing in a consanguineous population with autism spectrum disorder

This study aimed to systematically assess the impact of clinical and demographic variables on the diagnostic yield of Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) when applied to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from a consanguineous population. Ninety-seven children were included in the analysis, 63% were male and 37% were females. 77.3% had a suspected syndromic aetiology of which 68% had co-existent central nervous system (CNS) clinical features, while 69% had other systems involved. The diagnostic yield of WES in our cohort with ASD was 34%. Children with seizures were more likely to have positive WES results (46% vs. 31%, p = 0.042). Probands with suspected syndromic ASD aetiology showed no significant differential impact on the diagnostic yield of WES.
CUSUM multi-chart based on nonparametric likelihood approach for detecting unknown abrupt changes and its application for network data

This article deals with the online monitoring of changes when the distributions (including the form of distributions) of pre-change and post-change are unknown. We not only construct a nonparametric CUSUM multi-chart based on the nonparametric likelihood function to deal with the online change detection problem, but also give a strategy for choosing the appropriate value if we choose only one truncated value of u. And under the measurement called nonparametric Control chart Performance Index (CPI), we show an asymptotic optimal design for the allocation of the reference post-change Cumulative Distribution Functions (C.D.F.s). Finally, we use simulated data to present the related results. Moreover, we apply the method in this paper to network data, which is very common at present.
Metagenomic Insights Into Co-Proliferation of Vibrio Spp. and Dino�agellates Prorocentrum During A Spring Algal Bloom in the Coastal East China Sea Near Xiamen

In this study, we interrogated the prokaryotic microbiomes of surface water samples collected at two neighboring segments of East China Sea that contrast greatly in terms of the intensity and frequency of Prorocentrum-dominated HAB. Mantel tests identi�ed signi�cant correlations between the structural and functional composition of the microbiomes and the physicochemical state and the algal biomass density of the surface seawater, implying the possibility that prokaryotic microbiota may play key roles in coastal HAB. A conspicuous feature of the microbiomes at the sites characterized with high trophic state index and eukaryotic algal cell counts was disproportionate proliferation of Vibrio spp. , and their complete domination of the functional genes attributable to the dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA) pathway signi�cantly enriched at these sites. The genes attributed to phosphorus uptake function were also signi�cantly enriched at these sites, presumably due to the P i -de�ciency induced by algal growth; however, the pro�les of the phosphorus mineralization genes lacked consistency, barring any conclusive evidence with regard to contribution of prokaryotic microbiota to phosphorous bioavailability. The results of the co-occurrence network analysis performed with the core prokaryotic microbiome also supported that the observed proliferation of Vibrio and HAB may be causally associated.