Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bacteria in Himalayan glacial ice and its relationship to dust

Abstract. Concentrations and community diversity of bacteria from 50 segments of a 108.83 m ice core drilled from the East Rongbuk (ER) Glacier (28.03° N, 86.96° E, 6518 m above sea level) on the northeast slope of Mt. Qomolangma (Everest), covering the period 950–1963 AD, were investigated by epifluorescence microscope, DGGE and Shannon-Weaver index analysis. Bacteria in the ER core were identified as β, γ-proteobacteria and Firmicutes group, with γ-proteobacteria being the dominance. Different bacterial population was identified along the core, reflecting the effects of climatic and environmental changes on the bacterial distribution in the glacial ice. There are four general periods of bacterial diversity, corresponding to four phases of dust abundance revealed by Ca2+ concentrations. However, a previously suggested positive correlation between bacterial and Ca2+ concentrations was not indicated by our observations. Instead, a weak negative correlation was found between these two parameters. Our results suggest that bacterial community diversity, rather than concentrations, might be a suitable biological proxy for the reconstruction of past climatic and environmental changes preserved in glacial ice.
Variation of High Molecular Weight Glutenin Subunits in Two Neglected Tetraploid Wheat Subspecies

The genetic diversity of 140 accessions of triticum turgidum ssp. carthlicum Nevski em. A. Love & D. Love and 159 accessions of t. turgidum ssp. polonicum L. em. Thell. was evaluated by the analysis of HMW glutenin subunits. Seven allelic variants were found among the carthlicum accessions: three at the Glu-a1 locus (two of them were novel alleles) and four at the Glu-b1 locus (one of them novel). More variability was found among the polonicum accessions with 16 allelic variants: six at the Glu-a1 locus (three of them novel), and ten at the Glu-b1 locus (five of them novel). Totally, ten new alleles were found, one of which appeared in both subspecies. Out of 19 different combinations of alleles detected in both subspecies, 14 were novel. Based on the available passport data, the carthlicum accessions could be separated by origin into 18 groups, and the polonicum accessions into 33 such groups. The genetic diversity was lower among the carthlicum (Ht = 0.174) than among the polonicum accessions ( Ht = 0.562). In both subspecies, most diversity was present between groups differing in origin, whereas diversity within the groups was very low. The detected variability offers possibilities for the improvement of bread making quality in durum wheat through introduction of newly detected alleles and for the broadening of genetic diversity in this wheat species.
EVALUATION OF THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL RESEARCHES ON TRANSFER PRICING

This article is structured as follows. The introduction provides a brief explanation of transfer pricing and its significance to practitioners and researchers. The purpose of transfer pricing is next considered. Then the conception and assignment of transfer pricing are discussed. This leads to a review of major theoretical and empirical researches on transfer pricing. The paper finally calls for further researches which should preferably be grounded on field work within a theoretical framework.
Congruence of leader self-perceptions and follower perceptions of authentic leadership: Understanding what authentic leadership is and how it enhances employees’ job satisfaction

We propose and empirically test a multilevel model of cross-level interactions between leader self-perceptions (team level) and follower perceptions of authentic leadership on job satisfaction. Data from 24 supervisors and 171 team members were used. Applying hierarchical linear modelling, we found that follower perceptions of authentic leadership predict employee job satisfaction. We also found support for the interaction effect of leader self-perceptions and follower perceptions of authentic leadership in predicting job satisfaction, integrating the leader- and follower-centric perspectives of authentic leadership. Polynomial regression analysis further supported the fact that the congruence between leader self-perceptions and follower perceptions of authentic leadership is beneficial and that both need to be present at high levels to produce the most beneficial results in terms of followers’ job satisfaction.
Multinational Firms and Tax Havens

Abstract Multinational firms with operations in high-tax countries can benefit the most from reallocating taxable income to tax havens, though this is sufficiently difficult and costly that only 20.4% of German multinational firms have any tax haven affiliates. Among German manufacturing firms, a 1 percentage point higher foreign tax rate is associated with a 2.3% greater likelihood of owning a tax haven affiliate. This is consistent with tax avoidance incentives and contrasts with earlier evidence for U.S. firms. The relationship is less strong for firms in service industries, possibly reflecting the difficulty of reallocating taxable service income.
THE EFFECT OF PLANT EXTRACTS ON PORK QUALITY DURING STORAGE

This study investigated the effects of the natural antioxidants contained in onion, garlic and marjoram on the oxidant and microbial stability of raw minced pork during refrigerated storage. The most antioxidant active plant extract was marjoram. The highest inhibition of secondary oxidation products was observed in the samples with garlic, next was onion and finally, marjoram. GC analysis showed that the lowest rates of fatty acids degradation were recorded in the samples with garlic. The highest bacteriostatic effect was noted in meat samples with fresh onion added. These results suggest that the addition of these plants enhances the quality of the raw minced pork meat during refrigerated storage.
Scaling Law of Coherent Synchrotron Radiation in a Rectangular Chamber

We study the threshold of longitudinal instability driven by coherent synchrotron radiation in a rectangular chamber in electron storage rings. Starting with Maxwell’s equation, we first derive a point-charge wakefield for longitudinal motion. Then we use the wake, along with the Vlasov-Fokker-Planck equation, to show that the threshold can be described by a simple scaling law of ξ 1⁄4 ξthðχ; A; βÞ, where ξ is a dimensionless current, χ is the shielding parameter, A is the aspect ratio of the vacuum chamber, and β is the damping rate relative to the rate of synchrotron oscillation. We further investigate the threshold with simulations for various values of aspect ratios. In particular, for a square chamber, we find that ξth ≈ 0.25, which is a factor 2 lower than the threshold in free space.
of Property Investment & Finance Another piece of the puzzle : REIT IPO underpricing after the financial crisis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the underpricing of real estate investment trust (REIT) initial public offerings (IPOs) from January 2010 to June 2015, as the sector recovered from the global financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach – This study analyses the first day returns of US REIT IPOs in the post financial crisis period. The study then employs regression analysis to examine the factors that influence IPO underpricing. Findings – The study observes that underpricing, on average, is not significantly different to zero. Furthermore, the REIT IPOs examined display underperformance in the longer term. In contrast to the earlier data samples of Chen and Lu (2006), the authors do not find that underwriting costs are a direct substitute for the indirect cost of underpricing, instead the authors find that higher underwriting costs are associated with higher underpricing. Also in contrast to the mainstream underpricing literature, the data suggest larger capital raisings require higher underpricing. The authors also find that newly listed REITs provided significant excess dividend returns over the post-listing period. Practical implications – For institutional and retail investors, the results will help to further inform investment opportunities in REIT IPOs. Originality/value – This paper adds to the ongoing academic debate of the lack of underpricing in REIT IPOs relative to industrial companies. Research has shown periods of underpricing are often replaced with periods of overpricing suggesting that the pattern of behavior in REIT markets is substantially different.
Co-movements of and Linkages between Asian Stock Markets

International marketers may be interested in stock market linkages for various reasons: the co-movements of equity prices appear to reflect not only market globalization but also the globalization of capital resources. The co-movements can affect the balancing strategies of country market portfolios as they indicate opportunities and risks. The strategic choice of alternative market presence, such as market entry via export marketing or a full ownership and marketing may need to match with the type of financial resources. The co-movements of and the linkages between the U.S. stock market and Asian stock markets have been studied extensively. However, little attention has been given to the co-movements of Asian stock markets and the lead/lag linkages between them. In this paper, we study this issue with the principal components analysis (PCA) and Granger-causality (G-C) statistical techniques. We find that the contemporaneous co-movements of Asian stock markets have become closer and portfolio diversification benefits with Asian stock markets have diminished over time during the January 1, 2001-January 1, 2011 period. We find that the Singapore, Indian, and Japanese stock markets are the most influential stock markets and the Philippine and South Korean stock markets are the least influential stock markets in Asia. The Japanese, Singapore, and New Zealand stock markets are the least affected stock markets and the Shanghai, Australian, and South Korean stock markets are the most affected stock markets by the movements in the other Asian stock markets.
Management Control Systems and Contextual Variables in the Hospitality Industry

Purpose – The paper examined management control systems (MCS) in Indonesian hospitality sector. This study examines the impact of six contextual factors at one time to determine the importance of each factor on the design of MCS.Design/methodology/approach - The paper is based upon data collected through a survey sent to “star” hotels in Central Java, Indonesia. Using Chenhall (2003) design, a regression equation is run to examine the relationship between MCS and the contextual variables of environment, technology, structure, size, strategy and culture.Findings - The paper finds that higher levels of the contextual variables of technology, structure, and culture are related to more sophisticated MCS while size is related to more traditional MCS. Research limitations/implications - These findings are related to the hospitality industry in Indonesia. Future research could examine different settings (i.e. country, industry, etc) and investigate the effect of each contextual variable on the relationships between MCS and firm performance.Originality/value - The present study extends the scope of MCS system in accounting literature by testing Chenhall (2003) works on the relationship between contextual variables and MCS. It attempts to fill the gap in contingency-based studies that have previously focused on one aspect of contingency by considering six contextual factors. Furthermore, this paper also contributes to a fuller understanding of MCS practices in Indonesia and the hospitality industry and helps management in determining its most effective design.
1 Morphological response of planktic foraminifers to habitat modifications associated with the 1 emergence of the Isthmus of Panama 2

15 The impact of global change on marine ecosystems is a major concern for the future. 16 Examples from the geological past may provide insight into how ecosystems respond to 17 major shifts in environment. Here we use the progressive closure of the Central American 18 Seaway over the last 10 Myrs, and the resulting new environmental conditions and niches on 19 either side of the Panama Isthmus, as a time series documenting the reaction of planktic 20 foraminifers to environmental change and vicariance. Our main finding is that the size and 21 shape evolution of both investigated species is strongly influenced by temperature, despite 22 their different ecology. The surface dweller Trilobatus sacculifer conserved the same shape 23 on both sides of the Isthmus for most of the studied interval, and diverged only recently 24 when environment diverged on both sides of the Isthmus. The shape response is a 25 combination of a change in mean shape and in percentage of morphotypes occurring within 26 T. sacculifer. This suggest a minor role of vicariance and the potential to react to changes in 27 the local environment through ecotypic or plastic variation. This interpretation is corroborated 28 by extensive phenotypic variability in the absence of genetic differentiation today in this 29 species. The shape of the deeper-living species Gt. tumida, in contrast, diverged on both 30 sides of the Isthmus at a time that coincides with the cut-off of the connection of its habitat. 31 This divergence combines a response to temperature and to location, suggesting local 32 adaptation in response to vicariance. These different reactions highlight both a high potential 33 for adaptation, but also sensitivity to temperature variations. The species-specific responses 34 to environmental pressures indicate the difficulty in upscaling from one species to 35 foraminifers in general. 36
Evaluating Canadian Bank Branch Operational Efficiency from Staff Allocation: A DEA Approach

We examine the operational efficiency of one of the large Canadian banks’ branches, which is primarily affected byits strategy of allocating staff and the service quality provided to customers. Two Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)models are proposed in this research: (1) a staff allocation evaluation model pertinent to employee numbers andtransaction volumes, and (2) a customer satisfaction benchmark model to check if the staff allocation scheme meetsthe expectations of the bank's management. Constant Returns to Scale (CRS) and Variable Returns to Scale (VRS)model results for different branch sizes and geographical regions are presented for analysis. The findings arecompared to the bank’s current models, validating the use of the proposed DEA models for evaluating operationalefficiency from a staff allocation viewpoint in the banking industry. One of the interesting aspects of this work is thatthe requirement for best practice is not full efficiency but something less. The rationale is that if staff is pushed to thelimit, they break and leave – the costs of training and integrating new staff is very high and service levels suffer.
Retrieval of MetOp-A/IASI CO profiles and validation with MOZAIC data

Abstract. The IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer) nadir-looking thermal infrared sounder onboard MetOp-A enables the monitoring of atmospheric constituents on a global scale. This paper presents a quality assessment of IASI CO profiles retrieved by the two different retrieval algorithms SOFRID and FORLI, by an intercomparison with airborne in-situ CO profiles from the MOZAIC program for the 2008–2009 period. Lower (surface–480 hPa) and upper tropospheric partial column (480–225 hPa) comparisons as well as profile comparisons are made. The retrieval errors of the IASI products are less than 21% in the lower troposphere and less than 10% in the upper troposphere. A statistical analysis shows similar correlation coefficients for the two retrieval algorithms and smoothed MOZAIC of r ~ 0.8 and r ~ 0.7 in the lower and upper troposphere respectively. Comparison with smoothed MOZAIC data of the temporal variation of the CO profiles at the airports of Frankfurt and Windhoek demonstrates that the IASI products are able to capture the seasonal variability at these sites. At Frankfurt SOFRID (respectively FORLI) is positively biased by 10.5% (13.0%) compared to smoothed MOZAIC in the upper (lower) troposphere, and the limited sensitivity of the IASI instrument to the boundary layer when thermal contrast is low is identified. At Windhoek, the impact of the vegetation fires in Southern Africa from July to November is captured by both SOFRID and FORLI, with an overestimation of the CO background values (fire maxima) by SOFRID (FORLI) by 12.8% (10%). Profile comparisons at Frankfurt and Windhoek show that the largest discrepancies are found between the two IASI products and MOZAIC for the nighttime retrievals.
Geologic field studies of the Miki Fjord Area, East Greenland

Field relations between Tertiary intrusions and the lithologic units near Miki Fjord provide a record of physical and chemical processes associated with crustal extension and the formation of the East Greenland continental margin. At several localities the Precambrian basement has been remobilized and partly incorporated in the large macrodikes northeast of the Skaergaard intrusion. Blocks of vesicular basalts sank into the macroÂ­dike magma and were metamorphosed to equigranular aggregates of olivine and ortho- and clinopyroxÂ­enes with concentrations of plagioclase filling amygdale-like structures. We suggest that contact metamorÂ­phic dehydration of hydrous alteration minerals in the basaltic xenoliths and diffusion of this water into the macrodike magma were responsible for the abundant rhythmic layering that occurs near swarms of the xenoliths in a manner similar to that proposed by Taylor & Forester (1979) and Mc Birney & Noyes (1979) for the Skaergaard intrusion. Concentrations of xenoliths of leucogabbro and migmatitic basement gneisÂ­ses are found near the top of one macrodike and in six smaller mafic dikes and sills that intrude the lower lavas. In contrast to the basalt blocks, the leucocratic xenoliths appear to have floated to the top of these mafic intrusions, thus providing an effective mechanism for transport of basement material during the early stages of crustal extension. Basement rocks and Tertiary basalts of the area have undergone hydrothermal alteration that is conÂ­centrated in fracture systems near the intrusive bodies. Alteration mineralogy in the basalts consists of calc-silicate assemblages similar to those found in active geothermal systems in Iceland. Extensive calcium metasomatism is evident in a number of coast parallel dolerite dikes that are mineralized by iron-rich prehnite. Thermodynamic analysis of the dehydration of prehnite to form epidote and garnet indicates that the fluids responsible for the formation of prehnite mineralized dikes were at temperatures less than about 250Â°C. Mineralized shear zones and mafic dikes of presumed Proterozoic age define a pronounced structural trend in the basement of the area. This east - west trend is parallel with the coastal dike swarm north of 68Â°N and with topographical trends within the basalts. We therefore suggest that the pre-Tertiary strucÂ­tures may in part control the deflection of the coastline at 68Â°N and other aspects of the Tertiary structural and intrusive development.
The determinants of the growth expectations of the early-stage entrepreneurs (TEA) using the ordinal logistic model (OLM): the case of Turkey

This study uses the Ordinal Logistic Model (OLM) to analyze the determinants of the growth expectations of total early-stage entrepreneurship activity (TEA) expressed in terms of new jobs to be created within their firms in four categories. Specifically, given the increasing importance of entrepreneurship in job creation, innovation and economic growth, we try to inquire into the question of why some of the new entrepreneurs and not the others expect a rapid development of their ventures. The data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) for the years 2006-2008 for Turkey were employed. Our findings indicate that the personal characteristics of the early-stage Turkish entrepreneurs such as gender, education and household income, in addition to their motivation and current size of their businesses are important factors in resolving the prevalence of high-expectation new firms. Moreover, some scenarios particular to some sub-groups or population cells of Turkish developing entrepreneurs which may create the bulk of high-expectation entrepreneurial pursuit were conducted using OLM. As far as the policy implications are concerned, the availability and access of capital funding to early-stage entrepreneurs and an education system more relevant to today’s competitive world might both contribute better to Turkish economy’s prosperity, and seems to be very important for policy considerations.
Terrorism Induced Cross-Market Transmission of Shocks: A Case Study Using Intraday Data

Terrorist incidents exert a negative, albeit generally short-lived, impact on markets and equity returns. Given the integration of global financial markets, mega-terrorist events also have a high contagion potential with their shock waves being transmitted across countries and markets. This paper investigates the cross-market transmission of the London Stock Exchange's reaction to the terrorist attacks of 2005. It focuses on how this reaction was transmitted to two other major European stock exchanges: Frankfurt and Paris. To this effect, high frequency data are used and multivariate GARCH models are employed. Findings reported herein indicate that the volatility of stock market returns is increased in all three cases.
Estrogenic Effect of Soy Phytoestrogens on the Uterus of Ovariectomized Female Rats

Objectives: Phytoestrogens exert variety of actions involving many target tissues. The effects of dietary phytoestrogens, as hormonal replacement therapy (HRT), on the level of estradiol receptor alpha (ERα), estradiol receptor beta (ERβ) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in uterine tissues of ovariectomized female rats were studied. Methods: Twenty mature ovariectomized female albino rats weighed (130-150 gm) were divided into two groups (G1) control group (n=10) fed on a casein based ration (phytoestrogen free) and (G2) treated group (n=10) received high phytoestrogen diet. Daily food intake (FI) and body weight gain (BWG) were recorded. After 30 days of treatment all rats were sacrificed and relative uterine weight for each female was recorded. Histological and immunohistochemical studies for ERα, ERβ and VEGF expression were performed on uteri for both groups. Results: Dietary phytoestrogens significantly (P<0.01) decreased daily FI (18.91 ± 0.47 g versus 22.60 ± 0.50 g and BWG (1 ± 0.07 g versus 1.46 ± 0.10 g). Phytoestrogens-fed group revealed highly significant (P<0.01) increase in the relative uterine weight than control with value (0.48 ± 0.01 g and 0.35 ± 0.01 g, respectively). Hyperplasia in the luminal epithelium and glandular acini, connective tissue edema, as well as newly formed blood vessels was observed in G2. Dietary phytoestrogens significantly (P<0.05) increased the expression of uterine ERβ and VEGF in G2 than in G1 while uterine ERα expression showed non-significant changes. Conclusions: The current results suggest that dietary phytoestrogens induce a proliferative effect in ovariectomized rats’ uteri which is mediated by estradiol receptors expression especially ERβ. Also dietary phytoestrogens up regulate VEGF expression that seems to be accompanied by the changes in estrogen receptors expression, and stimulate angiogenesis and hyper permeability in blood vessels that makes soy phytoestrogens may be used as a natural HRT in case of reduction of endogenous estrogens especially after ovariectomy or during ovarian hormonal dysfunction. However the usage of these compounds should be concerned as it may predispose uterine neoplasia.