Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Liquidity-Adjusted Benchmark Yield Curves: A Look at Trading Concentration and Information

Estimation of benchmark yield curve in developing markets is often influenced by liquidity concentration. Based on an affine term structure model, we develop a long run liquidity weighted fitting method to address the trading concentration phenomenon arising from horizon-induced clientele equilibrium as well as information discovery. Specifically, we employ arguments from models of liquidity concentration and benchmark security information. After examining time series behavior of price errors against our fitted model, we find results consistent with both the horizon and information hypotheses. Our evidence indicates that trading liquidity carries information effect in the long run, which cannot be fully captured in the short run. Trading liquidity plays a key role in long run term structure fitting. Markets for liquid benchmark government bond issues collectively form a long term equilibrium. Compared with previous studies, our results provide a robust and realistic characterization of the spot rate term structure and related price forecasting over time, which in turn help portfolio investment of fixed income and long run pricing of financial instruments.
Optimization of biomass and glucoamylase production by Candida famata using response surface methodology

Glucoamylase is among the most important enzymes in biotechnology. The present study aims to determine better conditions for growth and glucoamylase productivity by Candida famata and to reduce the overall cost of the medium using central composite design (CCD) with one central point and response surface methodology. A three-level central composite design (CCD) factorial design based was employed to obtain optimal medium combination of four independent variables such as soluble starch, (NH4)2HPO4, yeast extract, and MgSO4. 25 randomized mediums were incubated in flask on a rotary shaker at 105 rpm for 72 h at 30°C. The production of biomass was found to be starch, (NH4)2HPO4 and yeast extract dependent; maximum production was obtained when the starch concentration was 5 g/L, yeast extract, 5 g/L and (NH4)2HPO4 2 g/L. Positive interaction was observed between (NH4)2HPO4 and both starch and yeast extract. All the variables were highly significant for glucoamylase production according to their p values; maximum production was found at 5 g/L of yeast extract, 7 g/L of starch and 3 g/L of (NH4)2HPO4; furthermore, yeast extract and (NH4)2HPO4 interacted positively. Central composite design used for the analysis of treatment combinations gave a second-order polynomial regression model with R2 = 0.99 for biomass and R2 = 0.98 for glucoamylase. The final biomass and glucoamylase activity obtained was very close to the calculated parameters; the predicted optimal parameters were confirmed and provide a basis for further studies in the valuation of starch waste products. Key words: Candida famata, glucoamylase, fermentation, central composite design, RSM correlation coefficient, analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Long-term precipitation forecast for drought relief using atmospheric circulation factors: a study on the Maharloo Basin in Iran

Long-term precipitation forecasts can help to reduce drought risk through proper management of water resources. This study took the saline Maharloo Lake, which is located in the north of Persian Gulf, southern Iran, and is continuously suffering from drought disaster, as a case to investigate the relationships between climatic indices and precipitation. Cross-correlation in combination with stepwise regression technique was used to determine the best variables among 40 indices and identify the proper time lag between dependent and independent variables for each month. The monthly precipitation was predicted using an artificial neural network (ANN) and multi-regression stepwise methods, and results were compared with observed rainfall data. Initial findings indicated that climate indices such as NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation), PNA (Pacific North America) and El Nino are the main indices to forecast drought in the study area. According to R 2 , root mean square error (RMSE) and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency, the ANN model performed better than the multi-regression model, which was also confirmed by classification results. Moreover, the model accuracy to forecast the rare rainfall events in dry months (June to October) was higher than the other months. From the findings it can be concluded that there is a relationship between monthly precipitation anomalies and climatic indices in the previous 10 months in Maharloo Basin. The highest and lowest accuracy of the ANN model were in September and March, respectively. However, these results are subject to some uncertainty due to a coarse data set and high system complexity. Therefore, more research is necessary to further elucidate the relationship between climatic indices and precipitation for drought relief. In this regard, consideration of other climatic and physiographic factors (e.g., wind and physiography) can be helpful.
Presenting a Conceptual Model of Organic Entrepreneurial Venture Growth: An Alternative Perspective

The multidimensional view of entrepreneurial venture growth is addressed differently by number of scholars. However theoretical bases in this regard are still fragmented. We complement Rauch, et al., (2009) and Saeed, et al., (2014) and develop a conceptual framework on entrepreneurial organic venture growth. Entrepreneurial Orientation and venture growth have identified as main constructs of the study and potential moderators were also developed. Pertaining propositions established and finally an integrative conceptual model was developed to depict entrepreneurial venture growth. Also, the application of these constructs in a different setting has important implications. Finally we affirmed that, more scholarly investigations are required in this regard to validate the applicability of the model.
The Effect of E-learning Education on Primipar Women's Knowledge about Neonatal Care

Methods This was a quasi-experimental study based on pre- and post- tests that were carried out on 100 primipar women in Isfahan during the years 2012-2013. Participants were divided into two groups of e-learning or painted booklet learning, randomly. Participants’ knowledge scores were collected via a researcher-made questionnaire. SPSS version 11.5 was used to conduct statistical tests such as independent t-test and paired t-test for analyzing the data. The significance level was considered less than 0.05. Results Before training, the mean score of knowledge of the e-learning education group was 5.4±1.2 and 5.5±1.2 for the painted booklet group; the difference between mean scores was not significant. At the end of the study, this score was 9.54±1.1 for the e-learning group and 6.5±1.2 for the painted booklet group and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.01). Also increase in the rate of knowledge in the e-learning group and the painted booklet group was 56% and 30%, respectively. Conclusion This study showed that passing the e-learning training course could better improve knowledge of mothers about neonatal care than the painted booklet. So, different aspects of e-learning, including computer literacy, infrastructure of telecommunications should be revisited.
Hendra and Nipah viruses: pathogenesis, animal models and recent breakthroughs in vaccination

License. The full terms of the License are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. Permissions beyond the scope of the License are administered by Dove Medical Press Limited. Information on how to request permission may be found at: http://www.dovepress. com/permissions.php Vaccine: Development and Therapy 2015:5 59–74 Vaccine: Development and Therapy Dovepress
Ar age of Mendanha Alkaline Intrusion , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil Idade

The Mendanha Alkaline Intrusion is one of many alkaline occurences of the Southeastern Brazil Alkaline Province. It comprises plutonic rocks (alkali-syenites and syenites) and hypabyssal types (trachytes and ignibrites). In this work is presented new Ar/Ar ages for this massif. The last reported ages were about 74 My and 65 My by K/Ar method published in 1988. The obtained results show ages of about 64 My (64.12 ± 0.40, 64.04 ± 0.42) e 58 My (58.55 ± 0.45, 57.95 ± 0.69), which are correlated to neighbor magmatic intrusions.
Adult Attachment and the Link To Relationship Satisfaction: A Review of the Literature

Relationship dissatisfaction and divorce occur at alarming rates leading to many mental health consequences. This places a burden on mental health providers to understand and implement effective treatment for relationship problems. Attachment theory provides a conceptual framework for understanding relationship difficulties and intervening appropriately to treat them. This literature review describes the history and current research in the area of attachment, and its influence on relationship satisfaction. Suggestions for further application of the theory to improve current interventions and treatment for relationship problems are offered.
La ß-Lactoglobulina y su aplicación en transgénesis

El objetivo final de nuestro trabajo es la obtencion de proteinas recombinantes de interes farmacologico en la leche de animales transgenicos de produccion. En nuestro grupo, previamente a este trabajo, se han llevado a cabo distintos proyectos con el fin de estudiar las regiones reguladoras del gen de la b-lactoglobulina (bLG) caprina y obtener asi un cassette de expresion que pueda dirigir la expresion del transgen de forma especifica y eficaz a la glandula mamaria de los animales transgenicos. Todas las construcciones han sido testadas previamente en el raton al ser un modelo animal mas barato ya que presenta un menor coste de mantenimiento y su ciclo reproductivo e intervalo generacional es mas corto con respecto a los animales de produccion. En el presente trabajo se ha utilizado un cassette de expresion que contiene 410 pb de region promotora proximal y 2,5 kb de region 3' flanqueante del gen de la bLG caprina para dirigir la expresion de las dos subunidades (a y b) de la Hormona Estimulante del Foliculo (FSH) humana a la glandula mamaria de ratones transgenicos. Se han obtenido 4 lineas transgenicas que son capaces de expresar los dos transgenes en su glandula mamaria. Por otra parte, en la obtencion de ratones transgenicos para el transgen de la bLG caprina, con el fin de testar las regiones reguladoras del gen, se observo un fenotipo conspicuo en los ratones homocigotos de la linea tg56; en el presente trabajo se ha caracterizado el lugar de integracion de este transgen, el cual provoco una mutacion por insercion en el gen de la Fosfolipasa C-b1 (PLC-b1) del raton. Asimismo, se ha desarrollado una nuevo protocolo basado en la PCR cuantitativa a tiempo real para determinar el numero de copias integradas del transgen en las distintas lineas transgenicas. Este metodo puede ser utilizado en todas aquellas lineas transgenicas que contengan cassettes de expresion pertenecientes a genes de especies rumiantes. Por ultimo se han identificado y caracterizado un total de 15 polimorfismos en el gen de la bLG caprina, 9 de los cuales se encuentran localizados en la region promotora proximal, con el fin de encontrar mutaciones en las regiones reguladoras que puedan ser importantes en la expresion del gen.
Examining the roles young people fulfill in five types of cyber bullying

The roles that young people fulfill in face-to-face bullying have been well documented and there is some evidence that young people take on similar roles in cyber bullying. A person-centered analytical approach was adopted to identify the roles that young people fulfill across five different types of cyber bullying assessed for up to nine media. Four hundred and forty (281 females and 154 males) 16- to 19-year-olds completed measures to assess their involvement in various types of cyber bullying and across the various media. Cluster analysis identified four distinct groups: “not involved,” “rarely victim and bully,” “typically victim,” and “retaliator. ” Two thirds of the sample reported some involvement in cyber bullying. Distinct patterns emerged for each group according to the type of cyber bullying. The lack of a clear bully group and the presence of the retaliator group strengthen the growing evidence base that young people may cyber bully others as a mechanism of retaliation when they are the victim of cyber bullying.
Acceptance of e-learning among distance learners: a Malaysian perspective

Distance learning and e-learning are rapidly becoming popular modes of studies among students and working adults worldwide. This trend is also visible in Malaysia, with the emergence of several higher education distance learning institutions using e-learning to support its learning activities such as the Open University of Malaysia and the Wawasan University. However, an important point of concern to both educators and researchers are the distance learners’ acceptance of e-learning. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the acceptance of e-learning among distance learners at the Open University of Malaysia in Malaysia. This cross-sectional survey used questionnaires to obtain the necessary data. The questionnaires used to measure distance learners’ acceptance of e-learning were adapted from the research instruments used by Poon, Low and Yong (2004). A total of 112 students from the Open University branch campus in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia responded to the questionnaires. Most of the students surveyed reported moderate levels of e-learning acceptance. The findings of this study indicated that institutions offering distance learning via e-learning should provide some non-credit courses to improve students’ acceptance of e-learning.
Temperature sensitivity of silica micro-resonators

Optical resonance shifts are measured against temperature changes for different silica beads ranging from 80 to 450 µm in diameter. A micro-bead is fabricated by hydrogen flame fusing the tip of a single mode silica fibre/taper, and coupled to a fibre taper of submicrometre diameter. The coupling system in whispering-gallery modes is placed in an insulated cell. The air in the cell is slowly heated up from room temperature to about 10 K higher, and red shifts of a resonance wavelength during the heating process are recorded. Linear dependence of the wavelength shift versus the temperature rise is observed for all the tested micro-resonators. The measured sensitivity for beads greater than 200 µm in size closely matches the analytical value based on bulk material properties of silica thermal expansion and the thermo-optic effect. For smaller micro-beads, however, the measured sensitivity increases with shrinking bead size. The ultra-high resolution of such a kind of temperature micro-sensor and its potential applications are addressed.
OPINIONS OF SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS FROM TURKEY ON POVERTY AND WEALTH

Council on Social Work Education draws attention to the necessity that curriculum of social work education should include groups at risk as well as focusing on development of social and economic equality. This need to focus puts the explanations about the reasons of poverty and the need to discuss it with wealth forward. For this reason, this study reveals the opinions of social work students about poverty and wealth with the formulation built by using Feagin's poverty scale. The results show that, students preferred to provide structural explanations to interpret poverty and wealth but they did not mention economic and social inequality in their interpretations.
CORPORATE INCOME TAXATION EFFECTS ON INVESTMENT DECISIONS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

The link between investment decisions undertaken by economic agents and corporateincome (profit) taxation is well documented in theoretical studies realized so far. But, the empiricalevidence is very mixed and do not provide clear answers regarding the magnitude of the taxationeffects on investment and the proper transmission channels for these effects. So, we propose toinvestigate the effects of corporate income (profit) tax burden on investment decision for a samplecomposed from EU Member States.
A Comparative Assessment of Hydroponically Grown Cereal Crops for the Purification of Aquaculture Wastewater and the Production of Fish Feed

Hydroponically grown wheat, barley and oats were examined for their ability to remove nutrients from aquaculture wastewater. Wheat, barley and oats seeds were germinated in water in a hydroponics system. The seedlings then received wastewater from an aquaculture system stocked with Arctic charr. During the experiment, the crops grew rapidly and fairly uniformly and showed no signs of mineral deficiency although fungal growth was evident. The average crop heights and yields at harvest were 19.0, 25.5 and 25.2 cm and 64, 59 and 42 t ha-1 for wheat, barley and oats, respectively. The hydroponically grown wheat, barley and oats were able to significantly reduce the pollution load of the aquaculture wastewater. The TS, COD, NH4+-N, NO2--N, NO3--N and PO43--P reductions ranged from 53.3 to 57.7%, from 55.7 to 78.7%, from 76.0 to 80.0% from 85.1 to 92.9%, from 62.1 to 79.3% and from 74.1 to 93.0%, respectively. The compartments containing barley produced the highest quality effluent, which was suitable for reuse in aquaculture operations. The average TS, COD, NH4+-N, NO2--N, NO3--N and PO43--P concentrations and pH of the final effluent from the compartments containing barley were 442, 64, 0.50, 0.02, 5.89 and 0.61 mg L-1 and 6.65, respectively. The nutritive value of the three wastewater grown crops was assessed to determine the suitability of using the plants as a component in fish feed. The three terrestrial crops meet the energy, fat, Ca, Mg, P, Na, S and Mn dietary requirements of aquatic animals, exceed the carbohydrate, crude fiber, Cl, K, Cu, Fe, Se and Zn requirements of fish and shellfish and do not contain sufficient amounts of protein to meet the dietary requirements of fish and shellfish. The crops will require supplementation with a high protein source that contains low concentrations of carbohydrates, crude fiber, Cl, K, Cu, Fe, Se and Zn. Common protein sources that could be used for supplementation included fishmeal, bone meal and blood meal.
Detection of Pathogenic Bacteria in Aqueous Media: Assessing the Potential of Real-Time Electromagnetic Wave Sensing

Abstract This paper reports on the capabilities of a novel electromagnetic wave sensing method to detect and identify the presence of various pathogenic bacteria in aqueous media. In particular, the change in the electromagnetic wave signal in microwave frequency range is used as an indicator of bacteria presence. The assessment was conducted by recording reflected signal spectra when the sensor was in contact with deionised water, Escherichia coli, sterile nutrient broth and Pseudomonas aeruginosa solutions. The distinct feature of the proposed system is that the detection is performed in real time, without the need for additional sample processing or chemicals. This bacteria detection method would be of benefit in a broad range of applications, ranging from water quality monitoring in wastewater treatment facilities to safety assurance in healthcare and food industry.
Chlorophyll destruction by Calanus spp. grazing on phytoplankton: kinetics, effects of ingestion rate and feeding history, and a mechanistic interpretation

Chlorophyll destruction by Calanus spp. grazing on phytoplankton (diatoms and Phaeocystis) was assessed at stations in the Labrador Sea and off Labrador and Newfoundland (Canada). Copepods were fed at natural or diluted food concentrations over several (4 to 8) sequential 12 h feeding periods. Initial chlorophyll concentrations were between 0.2 and 19 pg I ' , and degrees of chlorophyll destruction were between 20 and 100%. For replicate incubations, degrees of chlorophyll destruction were similar. Over all experiments degrees of destruction were generally high and variable at low ingestion rates (<50 ng chl mg-' h-'), decreasing to a limit of about 4 5 % at higher ingestion rates. The relationship between ingestion rate and degree of chlorophyll destruction was not obviously affected by differences in in situ conditions (e.g. stage of the spring bloom). Filtration rates, by contrast, did vary, decreasing in the presence of an apparently noxious food (Phaeocystis) and sometimes increasing during experiments, perhaps in response to increasing hunger. Faecal pellets, collected from copepods fed at natural food concentrations, did not leak pigment over a 4 d period, and neither chlorophyll nor phaeopigment was lost as copepods with food in their guts were alloived to defecate for 3 h in filtered seawater. These results suggest that most chlorophyll destruction occurs at an early stage of feeding, and that phaeopigments are not intermediates. When we assumed in a simple model that the 'bleaching' reaction was enzymatically mediated, we found that enzyme activity varied linearly with initial ingestion rate, with a positive y-intercept. One interpretation of this is that there are 2 pools of enzyme activity: one associated with the copepods and the other with the phytoplankton. The algal enzymes are normally latent, but are activated by the physical break-up of cells during ingestion. At low ingestion rates the copepod enzyme can destroy all, or most, of the ingested chlorophyll, whereas at higher ingestion rates more of the destruction is due to the algal enzymes. The high variability in degrees of chlorophyll destruction reported here and elsewhere can be explained partly by differences between algal foods (e.g. differences in levels of the bleaching enzyme), partly by differences in copepod behaviour (e.g. effects on filtration rates), and partly by differences in experimental conditions, which affect the range of ingestion rates exhibited during an incubation (e.g. density of copepods, duration of incubation).
Effect of obesity on upper airway physical examination in obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate anatomic abnormalities that may be associated with obesity and may cause sleep apnea in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) by physical examination and Müller maneuver. Patients and Methods: This single center, prospective, cross-sectional study included 330 OSAHS patients (274 males, 56 females; mean age 47±11 years; range 17 to 79 years) who were performed polysomnography. Patients’ clinical history as well as otolaryngology examination findings including pharyngeal soft tissues, anterior rhinoscopy and Müller maneuver were recorded. Results: Mean body mass index (BMI) was 32±5 kg/m2 (range 21.9 to 48.4 kg/m2) and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 27±24 episodes per hour (range 0 to 106 episodes/hour). The AHI and BMI were statistically significantly correlated with minimum oxygen saturation, neck circumference, waist circumference, Epworth Sleepiness Scale score, retropalatal and retroglossal grades, tonsil size, and modified Mallampati score. Patients with higher AHI or BMI had statistically significantly higher retropalatal, retroglossal, and combined retropalatal and retroglossal grades (p≤0.001). Conclusion: Obesity affects the retropalatal and retroglossal grades and modified Mallampati scores of patients with OSAHS. High scores of those variables with low BMI may be attributed to upper airway soft tissue or craniofacial bony abnormalities. The retropalatal airway may narrow earlier than the retroglossal airway when fat accumulation starts in the lateral pharyngeal walls and tongue.