Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Construction Innovation: Inter-firm Network as Antecedent Factor with Effect on Organizational Performance

The literature on innovation, in the context of small construction firms, is scattered and still remain in its embryonic stage in the development of theories and models. The contribution of inter- firm relationships to innovation and organizational performance in these firms are examined here through 159 survey data from Malaysia. We find that prioritising relationship-building strategies is relevant in facilitating innovation implementation and enhanced organizational performance within the small project-based firms. The findings implied that firms with limited resources and capabilities could expect a more significant improvement of their organizational performance, if they encourage a high level of inter-networks and innovation activities. Index Terms - Construction Innovation, small firms, inter-firm linkages, construction, firm performance
THE ROLE OF EARNINGS VOLATILITY SOURCES IN FORECASTING

Tan and Sidhu (2012) document that analysts’ forecasts fully incorporate information contained in earnings variability for firms with high income smoothing and for firms with low operating variability. We revisit their findings using other study’s approach. Sample in this study comprises of 295 Canadian firms and covers 2006-2011 period. Firstly, following Mishkin’s (1983) method of testing market efficiency, our findings confirm that investors recognize the earnings volatility effect on time series correlations of earnings in a post-earnings announcement drift context. Secondly, we examine whether the efficiency of investors’ forecasts with respect to earnings variability information is due to income smoothing and/or to volatility in operating activities. The empirical test document that income smoothing is a primary determinant of reported earnings volatility, while operating performance play a secondary role. The findings are consistent with the signal theory and the view that managers use income smoothing to convey information about a firm’s future earnings prospects.
The Effects of Audit Committees and Supervisory Boards: A Comparative Study

Shareholders and stakeholders expect effective supervisory mechanism of corporate governance. Since Audit Committees (ACs) and Supervisory Boards (SBs) act simultaneously as the monitors in governance structure, it is questioned which system is more effective. Currently, both systems co-exist in Taiwan, giving the reasons to collect the data and evidence from Taiwan. Two approaches were adopted to compare corporate performance between the listed companies with ACs and those without (with Supervisors). The results of the first approach indicate that companies with Supervisors (without ACs) perform better than those companies with ACs. The results of second approach verify the results of the first approach showing adverse effects of ACs. Based on comparing both results, this study is inclined to suggest that ACs should not replace Supervisors in Taiwan. This finding may also assist users in assessing which governance structure could make companies to perform better as well as more effective within organization.
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Vancomycin Nomogram at Predicting Trough Levels within a Therapeutic Range

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the ability of a vancomycin nomogram to effectively predict vancomycin serum trough concentrations within the desired 15-20 mg/L therapeutic range. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on a randomized sample of trough concentrations from adult patients at HVMC (Holston Valley Medical Center) receiving intravenous vancomycin dosing regimens determined by the vancomycin nomogram over an eight-month span. Key findings: 102 patients were included in the study. Trough concentrations ranged from 3.5 mg/L to 40.8 mg/L with 36 (35.2%) patients having trough levels within the desired range of 15-20 mg/L. In addition, 75 (73.5%) patients had trough levels within the range of 10-25 mg/L. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the vancomycin nomogram at HVMC is an effective dosing tool that provides consistency among multiple pharmacists and predictable serum trough concentrations.
Entreprises Behavior in Cooperative and Punishment's Repeated Negotiations

Our paper considers a “negotiation game” between two players which combines the features of two-players alternating offers bargaining and repeated games. Generally, the negotiation game in general admits a large number of equilibriums but some of which involve delay and inefficiency. Thus, complexity and bargaining in tandem may offer an explanation for cooperation and efficiency in repeated games. The Folk Theorem of repeated games is a very used result that shows if players are enough patience then it is possible to obtain a cooperative equilibrium of the infinite repeated game. We proof a new folk theorem for finitely repeated games and also we find new conditions (under stage number and minimum discount factor value) such that players cooperate at least one period in cooperative-punishment repeated games. Finally we present a study-case for Cournot oligopoly situation for n enterprises behavior under finitely and infinitely repeated negotiations. We found for this situation discount factor depends only on players number, not on different player’s payoffs.
Antimicrobial Activity in vitro of Essential Oils from Oregano (Origanum compactum L.) and Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.)

Due to the increasing spread of polyresistant strains causing infections especially actual task of modern microbiology is demand for new natural or synthetic antimicrobials, non-toxic to animals and humans, which to inhibit effectively the multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms and to be suitable for the prophylaxis and treatment of various infections, as well as for use as safe food preservatives. There is evidence that essential oils of thyme, savory, mint, International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 5 Number 10 (2016) pp. 57-68 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Behavioral and Permanent Zloty/Euro Equilibrium Rate

Poland is expected to enter the Exchange Rate Mechanism II (ERM II). The European Central Bank recommends that the ERM II central rate should reflect the best possible assessment of the equilibrium exchange rate. Since the equilibrium rate is changing in time, it is important to identify the pushing and pulling forces of the exchange rate. This knowledge will let the authorities to defend only the exchange rate that is in equilibrium and to assess outcomes of their actions. We use the VEC approach of Johansen to estimate the behavioral equilibrium exchange rate and to identify the pushing forces of the Polish zloty/euro rate. We apply the Gonzalo-Granger decomposition to calculate the permanent equilibrium exchange rate and to identify the pulling forces of the zloty exchange rate. We demonstrate that this approach may be useful for Polish authorities while entering the ERM II as well as within that mechanism.
Mass rearing technique for mango pulp weevil, Sternochetus frigidus (Fabr.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

A mass rearing technique for mango pulp weevils (MPW) was developed in Brooke’s Point, Palawan that ensured the supply of test insects at different stages of development for irradiation trials. The mass rearing technique synchronized chicken-egg-size mango host fruits (65 days after flower induction) enclosed in nylon bags, grown on trees with the release of male and gravid female weevils inside the nylon bags for oviposition. This technique produced a mean number of 90.3+16.2 larvae (5 th instar) grown from 100 pieces ‘carabao’ mango fruits. A mean number of 63.0+22.5 and 180.3+21.4 of pupae and adult MPW respectively, were produced from 100 pieces ‘carabao’ mango fruits in separate trials.
The Impact of Self-assessment and Peer-assessment in Writing on the Self-regulated Learning of Iranian EFL Students

Like other types of assessment subscribing to edumetrics as a reaction against traditional psychometrics paradigm, self-assessment and peer-assessment have enjoyed much popularity among various types of alternative assessment. Additionally, alternative assessments, especially self- and peer-assessments have been the focal point of departure as far as L2 writing has been concerned. Furthermore, self-regulation as a burgeoning area of research in L2 learning refers to the degree to which language learners can regulate aspects of their thinking, motivation and behavior during learning. Given the significance of both assessment and self-regulated learning in ELT, the present paper investigated the effect of the implementation of self-assessment and peer-assessment in a writing course on the self-regulated learning of a sample of Iranian EFL students. In so doing, sixty three English major Iranian students who were the students of three intact classes at Islamic Azad University participated in this study. One of the classes was regarded as the self-assessment group, the other group was assigned to peer-assessment group and the third class served as the control group of the study. The ANCOVA analyses of the self-regulation scale scores for the control and experimental groups revealed that both self-assessment and peer-assessment practices had a positive impact on the self-regulated learning of the participants. The results will have theoretical and pedagogical implications for Iranian English language education.
Towards Exploring Toxin-Antitoxin Systems in Geobacillus: A Screen for Type II Toxin-Antitoxin System Families in a Thermophilic Genus

The toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems have been attracting attention due to their role in regulating stress responses in prokaryotes and their biotechnological potential. Much recognition has been given to type II TA system of mesophiles, while thermophiles have received merely limited attention. Here, we are presenting the putative type II TA families encoded on the genomes of four Geobacillus strains. We employed the TA finder tool to mine for TA-coding genes and manually curated the results using protein domain analysis tools. We also used the NCBI BLAST, Operon Mapper, ProOpDB, and sequence alignment tools to reveal the geobacilli TA features. We identified 28 putative TA pairs, distributed over eight TA families. Among the identified TAs, 15 represent putative novel toxins and antitoxins, belonging to the MazEF, MNT-HEPN, ParDE, RelBE, and XRE-COG2856 TA families. We also identified a potentially new TA composite, AbrB-ParE. Furthermore, we are suggesting the Geobacillus acetyltransferase TA (GacTA) family, which potentially represents one of the unique TA families with a reverse gene order. Moreover, we are proposing a hypothesis on the xre-cog2856 gene expression regulation, which seems to involve the c-di-AMP. This study aims for highlighting the significance of studying TAs in Geobacillus and facilitating future experimental research.
SHIP SIGNATURE CALCULATIONS BY FINITE DIFFERENCE TIME DOMAIN METHOD

In this work, acoustic signatures (traces) of a motionless surface and underwater vessels are presented in polar coordinate system. Two point noise sources with two different frequencies are modeled to simulate a diesel engine and a propeller noises. The parts of the surface and underwater vessels are modeled as penetrable steel materials. Because the vessels are assumed to be located in deep water region, no sea bottom effects are considered. The effects of the flow noise and the mechanical vibrations to the acoustic signatures of the vessels are omitted in the model calculations. Two dimensional time domain wave equation is solved for acoustic wave propagation problem by using the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method, numerically. The Mur type absorbing boundary condition is applied in order to model the infinite regions of the problem space.
Research on Factors Influencing Grain Crops Production in Pakistan: An ARDL Approach

Ensuring food security is an important for economic development and social stability. Pakistan’s economy is primarily dominated by agriculture sector. This paper employed the ARDL approach to cointegration in order to investigate the short and long-run determinants of grain crops productivity in Pakistan over the period 1978 to 2016. The results of ARDL bound test showed that the value of computed F-statistic exceeded the upper bound value, which means the equations were statistically significant at 5%. Further, empirical results of long-run and short-run revealed that area under grain crops, improved seed, fertilizer, and availability of water have a positive and significant effect on grain crops production in Pakistan. The estimated equation remains stable over the period of 1978 to 2016 as shown by stability tests. Currently, in Pakistan, small-scale farmers are unable to purchase farm machineries such as a tractor, tube -well and other inputs due to high prices. Therefore our study recommended that government should give subsidy to farmers on main agricultural inputs for improvement of grain crops production.
Performance and profitability study of baby corn and tomato intercropping.

Intercropping baby corn and tomato may be an option to improve on-farm income on the resource-poor small farms. An experiment was conducted to examine the effect of tomato intercrop on various traits of baby corn, and to determine the appropriate combination from the different varieties of the two crops for maximizing performance and profitability. A replicated field study was conducted using four baby corn and two tomato cultivars at Rampur, Nepal in 2007. There were two open-pollinated (‘Arun-2’ and ‘Rampur Composite’) and two hybrid (‘Bioseed 9681’ and ‘JK Puja’) corn varieties. The tomato cultivars were ‘BSS-418’ and ‘Umi’ hybrids. The different combinations of corn and tomato varied in total crop productivity from the intercropping system. The combination of BSS 418 tomato with Arun-2 and Bioseed 9681 corn cultivars produced equal but higher total yield than the other mixtures. The average benefit cost ratio for intercrops vs. sole crops was 1.9:1. Individually, the benefit cost ratios were 3.0:1 and 1.4:1 for the sole tomato and corn, respectively. The land equivalent ratio was 1.78 for baby corn-tomato intercropping. The findings provide new information on the understanding of baby corn and tomato intercropping and its additional profitability over the sole crops. Keyword: Baby corn, tomato, intercropping, economics, yield, benefit cost ratio, LER
Herbage digestibility in sheep and corresponding estimates of digestibility in vitro.

T h e in vivo dry matter digestibility of 27 herbages, which ranged from 39% to 83%, was significantly related to in vitro estimates of organic matter digestibility in one equation and cellulose digestibility in a second equation. The inclusion of the independent variable cellulose percentage in the second equation significantly reduced the residual standard deviation. For herbages of below 65% dry matter digestibility, the relationship between in vivo and in vitro estimates was slightly improved by the addition of urea to the basal medium used in the in vitro t echnique.
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Domestic violence in multiple sclerosis: Barrier to neurorehabilitation.

According to the World Health Organization violence is one of the main factors that contribute to death, disease and disability. The Mexican National Survey on Violence reported that up to 33% of health care users experience abuse from their current partner. In 2012, the American Academy of Neurology underscored that patients with neurologic disabilities are more vulnerable to abuse or neglect Multiple sclerosis (MS), is a chronic disabling disease with an unpredictable course that affects young adults, frequently disrupting their social, occupational and family areas of functioning. The type of disabilities that persons with MS (PwMS) exhibit make them more susceptible for physical, psychological and sexual abuse from diverse perpetuators: family members and partners to society in general. Comprehensive neurorehabilitation programs need to be implemented.
Impact of solid waste burning air pollution on some physio-anatomical characteristics of some plants.

Present study evaluated the effect of solid waste burning pollution on carbohydrate, stomata and chlorophyll contents of seven different plant species. Leaf samples of Artemisia maritima L. , Fraxinus excelsior L. , Amaranthus viridis L. , Cynodon dactylon L. , Chenopodium album L. , Robinia pseudoacacia L. , and Sophora mollis (Royle) Baker, growing in the (1m, 500m and 1000m distance) vicinity of burning points at residential colony, University of Baluchistan Quetta were collected. Results revealed that the carbohydrate, chlorophyll ‘a and b’ and total chlorophyll contents in the leaves of selected plant species were found to be significantly low at 1m distance, but as the distance from the source of pollution increased (500m & 1000m) these contents increased accordingly. Generally the percentage of completely and partially clogged stomata was found higher near the pollution source (1m distance). The percentage of open stomata in all investigated plant species was noticed lower near the pollution source (1m distance), while with the increase of distance (500m-1000m) the percentage of open stomata increased accordingly. As regard to carbohydrate and chlorophyll contents, the Artemisia maritima L. , were found most sensitive to air pollution in all four directions at 1m distances as compared to the other species. While plant species, Cynodon dactylon L. showed more resistant to air pollution effect as regard to carbohydrate contents and high percentage of open stomata at 1m distances with respect to other species.
Commercialization channels of organic products in Brazil: analysis at the first level of the production chain

Abstract: Specialized literature on organic production highlights the presence and concentration of retail, especially supermarkets, in the organic enhancement chain. This presents enormous obstacles for the entrance of small farmers in the production of organic products due to administrative barriers, in addition to pressure for lower prices by the supermarket retail network. This paper investigates the commercialization channels of organic production in Brazil. The survey was undertaken in 2013; questionnaires were sent to 900 out of approximately 11.200 farmers producing organic products; 216 answers were received. Analysis showed that approximately 90% of farmers provided for the internal market and 60% of the products were fresh fruits and vegetables. The distribution of organic products in Brazil is highly fragmented at the local, regional and national levels. The presence of supermarkets and intermediaries in the commercialization of fruits and vegetables is relevant, regardless of the size of the farm. There is a great dispersion of channels in the case of small farmers, although supermarkets rank second. However, direct commercialization (farmers markets) is the main form of commercialization of the produce. Commercialization triggered by social programs has guaranteed a considerable part of the income on small production units or small farms. It seems that high involvement of retail networks and agents in the agribusiness segment causes low development rates in small agricultural units and in local development due to the latter’s low profit margins.
Is it possible the breed origin traceability of Iberian pigs

Two different approaches for the verification of Iberian breed origin, in both animals alive and meat products, are jointly described in this study. The former is based on two genes that present polymorphisms with alleles that are exclusive (MC1R*4) or present high frequencies (IGF2 g.3072A) in Duroc breed and are absent in Iberian. The use of these markers allows to discriminate Iberian purebred from crossbred Duroc x Iberian but it does not fully detect pigs with a lower proportion of Duroc genes. The second approach is centered on the use of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) presenting divergent frequencies in both breeds. After hybridization with PorcineSNP60 BeadChip of samples from different Iberian (26) and Duroc (15) origins, we selected 96 SNPs with differences of allelic frequencies larger than 0.8 and evenly distributed over the 18 autosomes. Simulations were carried out estimating that 48 out of these SNPs would allow the verification of breed origin, with errors ranging from 1% to 4%, both in purebred and in crossbred animals with different Duroc proportion. Two diagnostic analyses based respectively on 750 and 230 samples genotyped for the panel of 96 SNPs have been performed with different purposes and satisfactory results.
Reducing Energy Cost of Multi-Threaded Programs on NUMA Architectures

Many recent data center servers are built with NUMA (Non-Uniform Memory Access) characteristics. Accessing remote memory generally takes longer time than accessing local memory. There are a lot of research works that discuss the performance improvement of NUMA multi-core systems. However, rare research work considers reducing the energy cost of NUMA multi-core systems. This work studies reducing energy cost of multi-threaded programs on NUMA architectures using DVFS (Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling) adjustment strategy. We consider three factors of the multi-threaded programs which influence the energy saved by our DVFS adjustment strategy. These three factors are: (1) the memory access intensity of parallel programs; (2) the proportion of remote memory access; (3) the ratio between remote and local memory access latency. In addition, we propose two DVFS adjustment strategies to save the energy cost of multi-threaded programs. The energy-saving effect of these two DVFS adjustment strategies is influenced by these three factors. Two DVFS adjustment strategies can save maximally 20% and 39.2% of total energy when considering one factor and 33.3%, 48.1% of total energy when considering two factors, respectively.
Exchange rate volatility and exports of Malaysian manufactured goods to China: an empirical analysis

The impact of exchange rate volatility on international trade is an important issue in international economics. This study investigates the impact of exchange rate volatility on disaggregated bilateral exports of Malaysian manufactured goods to China. Exchange rate volatility is estimated by the threshold generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (TGARCH) model, more specifically the TGARCH(1,1) model. The Johansen cointegration method and the dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) estimator are used in the estimation. There is some evidence of exchange rate volatility to have significant impact on real exports. Moreover, the impact of exchange rate volatility on real export can be negative or positive. The exports competitiveness of Malaysia should be improved. Exports shall be further diversified with more focused on intra-regional trade in Association of Southeast Asian Nations Economic Community (AEC).
International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems Facial Recognition Patterns of Children and Adults Looking at Robotic Faces Regular Paper

The present study investigates whether adults and children exhibit different eye‐fixation patterns when they look at human faces, machinelike robotic faces, and humanlike robotic faces. The results from two between‐ subject experiments showed that children and adults did have different facial recognition patterns; children tended to fixate more on the mouth of both machinelike and humanlike robotic faces than they do on human faces, while adults focused more on the eyes. The implications of notable findings and the limitations of the experiment are discussed.