Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do Independent Directors Improve Firm Performance? Evidence from India

With increase in the number of corporate frauds, shareholders, analysts and the general public look forward to IndDirs as the saviours who can help prevent such corporate misdoings. This study attempts to find out if having more IndDirs in the board influences firm profitability. Using panel data consisting of all listed Indian companies in the sample period of 2003–2019, it finds that proportion of IndDirs is negatively related to firm profitability. Control variables—board size, firm size (firmSize), leverage, type of industry (IndType), firm age, ownership, and year 2014—are included in the analysis. Even after arresting their confounding effects on firm performance, negative impact of proportion of IndDirs on firm performance continues. Plausible reasons for this negative relationship are offered. This study has relevance in the wake of mandatory provisions in the Companies Act, 2013, for presence of IndDirs in the board of Indian firms.
Neural Network modeling of Thin Films Deposition Processes in the Master’s Degree Programs “Electronics and Nanoelectronics” and “Nanoengineerig”

In this paper we consider the application of artificial neural networks in the Master’s degree programs. Nowadays neural network models have become a powerful tool of scientific research for engineers and students. Besides successful research depends on confided usage of common methods and algorithms of statistical community special attention in degree programs is given to data analysis and modeling methods. Students study modern neural networks software products, methods of data preparing, designing and training neural network and then apply neural networks algorithms in practice. The neural networks modeling plays a significant role in students education. During it students learn to create, tune and train their own neural networks and get full and detailed understanding of research in computer vision. Neural Networks models are successfully presented in graduation works. In this paper a few examples of how neural networks are used in thin films deposition processes modeling are presented.
Spatial and demographic consequences of nursery-dependence in reef fishes: an empirical and simulation study

In order to determine the depth at which to perform extensive GPS‐tracked surveys, 10 min timed surveys were conducted on SCUBA at depths of 1, 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 m in non‐mangrove habitats. Timed surveys were performed at 20 haphazardly selected sites around the sheltered coast of Bonaire and Klein Bonaire (Figure S1), during which all S. guacamaia were recorded. Surveys were conducted between 0900 and 1600 hrs to avoid times of day when the parrotfish would be moving to or from night shelter sites. The data were fitted to a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) using a negative binomial distribution with depth and m! "#$ as covariates and site as a random factor.
Energetic constraints on expression of carotenoid-based plumage coloration

Carotenoid pigments are used by many bird species as feather colorants, creating brilliant yellow, orange, and red plumage displays. Such carotenoid-based plumage coloration has been shown to function as an honest signal that is used in female mate choice. Despite recent interest in carotenoid-based ornamental traits, the basis for individual variation in expression of carotenoid-based plumage coloration remains incompletely understood. I tested the hypothesis that, independent of carotenoid access, food stress during molt would cause reduced expression of carotenoid pigmentation. I fed molting male House Finches Carpodacus mexicanus seed diets supplemented with either the red carotenoid pigment canthaxanthin or the yellow/orange carotenoid pigment p-cryptoxanthin (in the form of tangerine juice). Within each diet treatment, one group of males was given restricted food access and the other group was given unrestricted food access. Carotenoid supplements were placed in water so carotenoid access was controlled independent of food access. The results indicated a strong effect of both carotenoid access and food access on color display. Some males in the p-cryptoxanthin-supplemented group grew red plumage, suggesting that they can metabolically modify yellow pigments into red pigments, but no bird supplemented with p-cryptoxanthin grew plumage as red as birds supplemented with canthaxanthin. Males in the unrestricted food groups grew redder and more intensely pigmented plumage than males in the restricted food groups. These observations provide the best evidence to date of an energetic cost of carotenoid utilization in the generation of colorful plumage.
Occupational Therapy’s Role with Ventricular Assist Devices and the Promotion of Travel Protocols

An option for individuals diagnosed with end-stage heart failure is to receive a ventricular assist device (VAD). In 2006, Shepherd and Wilding produced an article regarding occupational therapy’s role during the VAD process as they anticipated a growing need for this area of practice. Since that time, there continues to be a lack of supporting literature on occupational therapy’s important role with this population. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to explain an occupational therapist’s contribution on the VAD team, offer opportunities and interventions for enhancing quality of life for this unique population, and discuss an innovative travel protocol implemented at Morristown Medical Center.
Integrating non-genetic inheritance in evolutionary theory. A primer

Evolutionary biology traditionally equates inheritance with transmission of genes from parents to offspring. However, recent literature calls for considering ‘non-genetic inheritance’ in evolutionary theory. These calls have met with substantial scepticism. What is more, they appear to have caused further confusion both with respect to what inheritance is and what types of inheritance mechanisms are evolutionarily consequential. Building on previous work, we make use of the Price Equation to outline a general discussion of how non-genetic inheritance can affect phenotypic change within populations, exemplified by epigenetic inheritance. This shows that integrating non-genetic inheritance in evolutionary theory will require specific attention to the developmental processes that shape the relationship between the fitness of parents and the phenotype of their offspring. (Less)
Improving Quadrupedal Locomotion on Granular Material Using Genetic Algorithm

This paper describes process of generating a stable gait for a quadruped robot on granular material such as sand. To achieve this goal a simulated environment was created, to model the kinematics and dynamics of the robot. Genetic algorithm was used as a gait generation technique. The simulation model of Laikago was built in MATLAB and Simscape. The contact model between the foot and ground, was based on existing results from sand penetration testing. The genetic algorithms optimised the joint space trajectory, to evaluate of the gait performance on granular terrain. The proposed method required to first create a simulation constrained to planar motion to simplify the problem. The 2D gait was then used as the initial guess for the optimisation in 3D simulation and allowed for creation of an acceptable gait. The final gait has demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed approach for quadruped robot walking on granular terrain.
Effects of shilajit on biogenic free radicals

The radicophilicity (antiradical–antioxidant effects) of processed shilajit (SJP) to oxygen‐derived free radicals and nitric oxide (NO), and the attendant H2O2 cleaving effect were evaluated. SJP provided complete protection to methyl methacrylate (MMA) against hydroxyl radical‐induced polymerization and acted as a reversible NO‐captodative agent. SJP (20 and 50 mg/kg/day, i.p., for 21 days) induced a dose‐related increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities in frontal cortex and striatum of rats. The data were comparable to those of (−)‐deprenyl (2 mg/kg/day, i.p., for 21 days) in respect of SOD and CAT activities. These findings are consistent with the therapeutic uses of shilajit as an Ayurvedic rasayan (rejuvenator) against oxidative stress and geriatric complaints.
The Effectiveness of E-Recruitment Software Over Other Online-Based Recruitment Methods

: This qualitative research article assesses the effectiveness of e-recruitment apps by focusing on the features that these platforms offer to the employer to make the recruitment process even more productive. To achieve this objective, the study compares the features of an e-recruitment app and a social media-based recruitment platform. A convenient sample of an e-recruitment app (AppliView) and social-media based recruiting platform (LinkedIn) was used, having selected these technologies after a Google Search. It was revealed that AppliView an LinkedIn, while they are effective e-recruitment methods, differ in that AppliView has more decisive features available for the recruiting firm, including live video chat, automated recruitment process (no manual effort is needed), and rapid alerts. Besides, the recruitment cost reduction potential presented by AppliView is well beyond the case of LinkedIn. This study has some limitations, however, including a small sample size and the use of continent sampling. Future researchers might be more comprehensive by adopting other research methods.
Computational Enhancement of the SDRE Scheme: General Theory and Robotic Control System

This article presents a new efficient variant of the state-dependent Riccati equation (SDRE) scheme in a general scope, by analytically alleviating the computational burden in solving the pointwise algebraic Riccati equations (AREs). The novel contributions include a more efficient construction of feasible state-dependent coefficients (named alternative SDRE), which is critical at the early design stage, and more efficient solvability check for the classical SDRE scheme. For the selected robotic application—balance control of a two-wheeled robot, the contribution lies in the system-specific analysis that further enhances the computational performance toward an agile mobility. This novelty is with respect to a state-of-the-art ARE solver. An offline/a priori analytical formulation replaces the very first stage of the solving process, which more efficiently integrates the ARE solver into the SDRE design framework. Notably, all the results not only benefit the classical SDRE scheme but, more significantly, favor the proposed alternative SDRE owing to its much better computational efficiency—mainly in terms of time while promisingly for memory saving. In addition, simulations reveal more potential advantages using the variants—such as the control effort efficiency or required regulation time—within and beyond the scope of SDRE.
Changes in Forest Floor Organic Matter and Nutrient Content Following Clear Cutting in Northern Hardwoods

A secondary succession sequence of 14 northern hardwoods stands was sampled for forest floor organic matter and nutrient content. During the first 15 yr following clear cutting, the forest floor decreased by 30.7 Mg/ha, a decline of over 50%. The decrease in the forest floor and slahs (logging residue) may be greater than the increase in the living biomass. During the next 50 yr the forest floor increased by 28.0 Mh/ha and by year 64 was within 5% of an asymptote of 56.0 Mg/ha. Nutrients were analyzed in 6 of the 14 stands. Magnesium, potassium, and nitrogen concentrations showed no successional pattern. However, calcium concentrations were significantly higher in the stands in which forest floor mass was low. The initial decrease in forst floor mass is attributed to lower leaf and wood litter fall and to mroe rapid decay resulting from higher temperature, moisture content, and nutrient levels and to early successional litter being more easily decomposed. The recovery of the forest floor is explained primarily as resulting from the rapid increase in the quantity and diameter of wood litter fall. JABOWA, the northern hardwood forest growth stimulator, predicts a maximum rate of increase in woody litter by years 10-20 with a lveling off by years 30-50. An apparent asynchrony in function of the forest floor and slash as nutrient sources may be important to the recovery process. During the first 15 yr the forest floor is a major source of nutrients, releasing a net amount of approximately 800 kg/ha of nitrogen. During this period nitrogen immobilization in the decay of slash may account for as much as one-half of the nitrogen released from the forest floor. After year 15 the forest floor is no longer a source but a sink for nutrients as nutrients and organic matter accumulate. By year 15 the slash probably shifts in function from a sink to a source, providing nitrogen for the continuing rapid nitrogen accumulation in vegetation beyond year 15.
Polyphasic characterization of the genus Anabaena from the Gulf of Gdańsk (Southern Baltic Sea). Application of DGGE in taxonomic studies on environmental samples

The aim of this paper was a taxonomic verification of cyanobacteria of the genus Anabaena that occur in the Gulf of Gdańsk. Classical taxonomic methods were combined with modern molecular taxonomic methods (polyphasic approach). Analysis of the species diversity of cyanobacteria from the genus Anabaena was based on the microscopic analysis and on the analysis of 16S rRNA and ITS region. Comparison of the obtained results with sequences in GenBank showed 97.8–100% similarity for 16S rRNA and 98.8-100% similarity in the case of the ITS fragment. Similarity of the 16S rRNA and ITS sequence of 98.5% seems to be sufficient to determine the species.
Learning VAA: A new method for matching users to parties in voting advice applications

ABSTRACT Voting Advice Applications (VAAs) aim to increase voters’ political competence by providing them with the closest political party according to their preferences. To do this, VAAs usually compare and aggregate the positions of users and political parties on a set of policy issues by defining a conceptual space and some distance metric on it. In this paper, we argue that the main method for performing the comparison adapts to users’ preferences unsatisfactorily because 1) they use unjustified a priori decisions for weighting policy issues and 2) they employ the same issue-voting space on all policy issues. Some exceptional cases address these issues by providing a community-based recommendation, but often come with lack of interpretability. To fill these gaps, we propose an adaptive algorithm that learns the configuration of the conceptual space from users’ answers. We employ a hybrid VAA that uses expert coding for the party positions and users’ data to adjust the calculation of the distance between users and parties. This new matching method, the Learning VAA, innovates by adjusting the saliency and issue-voting space for every policy issue. We argue and empirically demonstrate that our model fits better the users’ preferences while providing a higher degree of interpretability.
Observations on the Behavioral Development of a Hand-Reared Male Timber Wolf

Observations on the behavioral development of a male timber wolf, hand-reared from the age of four weeks, have been continued for a period of three years. Data include the following: (1) Adjustment to human companionship has been successful even after sexual maturity. (2) Behavior towards strange persons and objects is cautious. (3) The animal remains more independent and aloof to persons than similarly reared dogs. (4) Interaction with dogs, including males and young puppies, is marked by gregariousness and lack of aggression. (5) Small domestic species have been attacked occasionally, the response depending largely upon the behavior of these animals. (6) Large species are avoided, chased, or ignored. (7) Numerous motor patterns, postures, and communicative signals are closely similar to siblings and other wolves and contrast with dog companions. (8) Sharp behavioral changes occurred at eight and 12 weeks, the former initiating aggressive tendencies, the latter extreme avoidance in the presence of new objects. Restlessness, then calming, followed in later months, and slight seasonal fluctuations have been noted. (9) Rudiments of many adult motor patterns occurred at an early age, e.g. , small prey-pounces and pelvic thrusts seen by eight weeks. (10) Vocalizations include a wide repertoire of howls, squeaks, growls, and barks.
Diets of Juvenile Atlantic Menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) in Three Estuarine Habitats as Determined from Fatty Acid Composition of Gut Contents

Juvenile Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) feed on zooplankton and particulate organic matter, but the importance of each material in the diet cannot be visually determined, because food is ground to an amorphous paste in the fish’s gizzard-like stomach. During early digestion in the anterior alimentary canal, fatty acids do not appear to change significantly, at least with respect to relative concentrations of saturated and unsaturated groups. Because zooplankton and particulate organic matter have markedly different fatty acid compositions, a hypothetical mixture of the two components can be calculated that best accounts for the observed fatty acid distributions of gut contents. Decreasing reliance on zooplankton, from bay through river to marsh, probably reflects resource abundances in three habitats and demonstrates adaptability of juvenile menhaden to different food supplies.
Influence of Six Herbicides Applied to Silage Corn on Fall Planted Rye and Radish Cover Crop Growth in South Dakota Soils

Spring preemergence herbicide applications are often used for burndown of existing weeds and residual control, eliminating weed presence during early season crop growth. There has been an increased interest in planting cover crops soon after cash crop removal, due to the potential soil and production benefits. However, soil herbicide residuals may result in poor cover crop growth. This study examined the growth of radish (Raphanus sativa) and rye (Secale cereal), species often used as cover crops, in soils treated with residual herbicides about 100 days prior to cover crop planting. The herbicides were applied at recommended rates to silage corn in mid-May to early June at two sites, a southern site near Beresford, SD (Egan-Trent Silty Clay Loam soil), and a northern site near Groton, SD (Beotia Silt Loam soil). Soil samples were collected in midSeptember, and greenhouse studies were conducted to examine if herbicide activity was great enough to injure the cover crops. Plant height and fresh weights of shoots and roots were compared to these parameters in plants grown in herbicide-free soil after six weeks of growth using a one-way paired t-test. Radish growth was unaffected by any herbicide. Several herbicides applied to the Groton soil reduced rye shoot weight, whereas in the Beresford soil several herbicides reduced rye shoot height and root weight. Rye shoot weight was reduced by 59% in Warrant treated soil at Beresford, however, at Groton, three herbicides reduced shoot weight by about 25% (Python, Warrant, and Spirit). Rye shoot height was reduced by about 23% by two herbicides (Parallel, Warrant) in Groton soil and by about 16% by three herbicides (Glory, Python, Acuron) in the Beresford soil. Rye root weight was reduced by 35% or more by five herbicides (Parallel, Glory, Python, Warrant, and Acuron) in the Beresford soil, but only by Warrant (44%) in the Groton soil. This data indicates that herbicide residuals can be present in high enough concentrations after a short season crop to injure fall planted cover crops and that injury is herbicide, crop species, and soil specific. Further studies are needed to understand the influence of specific soil, herbicide, climatic conditions, and cover crop species where herbicide injury is possible. The results can be used by growers to select herbicide/cover crop species combinations that will be most successful for farms.
Out to Explore the Cybersecurity Planet

PurposeSecurity ceremonies still fail despite decades of efforts by researchers and practitioners. Attacks are often a cunning amalgam of exploits for technical systems and of forms of human behaviour. For example, this is the case with the recent news headline of a large-scale attack against Electrum Bitcoin wallets, which manages to spread a malicious update of the wallet app. The author therefore sets out to look at things through a different lens.Design/methodology/approachThe author makes the (metaphorical) hypothesis that humans arrived on Earth along with security ceremonies from a very far planet, the Cybersecurity planet. The author’s hypothesis continues, in that studying (by huge telescopes) the surface of Cybersecurity in combination with the logical projection on that surface of what happens on Earth is beneficial for us earthlings.FindingsThe author has spotted four cities so far on the remote planet. Democratic City features security ceremonies that allow humans to follow personal paths of practice and, for example, make errors or be driven by emotions. By contrast, security ceremonies in Dictatorial City compel to comply, hence humans here behave like programmed automata. Security ceremonies in Beautiful City are so beautiful that humans just love to follow them precisely. Invisible City has security ceremonies that are not perceivable, hence humans feel like they never encounter any. Incidentally, the words “democratic” and “dictatorial” are used without any political connotation.Originality/valueA key argument the author shall develop is that all cities but Democratic City address the human factor, albeit in different ways. In the light of these findings, the author will also discuss security ceremonies of our planet, such as WhatsApp Web login and flight boarding, and explore room for improving them based upon the current understanding of Cybersecurity.
A 1 V 25 to 30 GHz three‐stage linear CMOS power amplifier using driver stage RF predistortion technique

This article presents a three‐stage 25 to 30 GHz linear CMOS power amplifier (PA) for fifth‐generation (5G) applications. In order to improve the linearity by compensating AM‐AM/AM‐PM distortion, we propose a driver stage RF predistortion technique in which a first drive amplifier (DA) operates in class C mode and a second DA operates in class A mode. By enhancing the linearity with the technique, the PA can be operated at more deep class‐AB bias condition with less back‐off. As a result, the efficiency of the PA at operating output power can thus be increased. The PA with the predistortion technique is designed and fabricated in bulk 65 nm 1 V CMOS process. The linear PA achieves 16.9 dBm Psat with 34.5% power‐added efficiency (PAE) and 15.9 dBm P1dB with 32% PAE at 27 GHz. At an average power of 9.3 dBm, the PA achieves the EVM of −25 dBc and PAE of 11.4% at 27 GHz.
Accounting for phylogenetic relatedness in cross-species analyses of telomere shortening rates

Abstract Telomeres are repeating DNA sequences found on the ends of chromosomes, which shorten with age and are implicated in senescence. Cross-species analyses of telomere shortening rates (TSR) and telomere lengths are important for understanding mechanisms underlying senescence, lifespan and life-history strategies of different species. Whittemore et al. (2019) generated a new dataset on variation in TSR, lifespan and body mass. In phylogenetically uncorrected analyses they found that TSR negatively correlates with lifespan. We re-ran analyses of their dataset using appropriate phylogenetic corrections. We found a strong phylogenetic signal in the association between TSR and body mass. We were able to corroborate Whittemore et al.’s major findings, including while correcting for body mass in a multivariate analysis. Since laboratory mice have different telomere lengths and potentially different telomere dynamics than wild mice, we removed mice from the analysis, which attenuates most associations.