Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The antimicrobial activity of honeys produced in the CzechRepublic

The aim of this project was to determine the antimicrobial activity of honeys produced in the Czech Republic to some bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli). Another aim was to find out whether there are correlations between the antimicrobial activity of honeys and their physicochemical parameters. All honeys included in the study were directly obtained from beekeepers in Southern and Northern Moravia from the summer load of 2001. The project contains 20 honeys which were determined according to their conductivity as blossom (6), blends (10) and honeydew (4). The deter- mination of physical and chemical parameters such as content of water, conductivity, pH, water activity, invertase and diastase activities was carried out in accordance with the methods described in Harmonised methods of the European Honey Commission. The determination of the antimicrobial activity of honey was done by the MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) method. Statistically significant relations between the antimicrobial activity and the conductivity of honey (P < 0.05), the diastase (P < 0.05) and invertase (P < 0.001) activities were found out in the observed physicochemical parameters. The study proved that honey produced in the Czech Republic is antimicrobially effective with the highest effect in honeydew honeys (P < 0.01).
The Causes of Earnings Growth in African Manufacturing: A Matched Employer-Employee Panel Data Analysis

In this paper we investigate the implications of labour and capital market imperfections for the relationship between firm size and earnings. To establish that such a question is of interest we need to show that t he firm size-wage effect cannot be explained by either the observed or unobserved skills of the workforce or the characteristics of the workplace. To do that we require data where controls are possible for observable time-varying firm and worker characteristics, as well as the unobservable characteristics of both the firm and its workers. Our data is a sample of workers matched with firms over time so such controls are possible. Changes in wages are shown to respond to changes both to profits per employee and the size of the firm. It is argued that t hese e mpirical results clearly reject t he hypothesis that t he firm-size relationship can be explained by the skills of the workers. They can be shown to be consistent with some forms of non-competitive theories of bargaining and efficiency wages.
Running before Crawling: The situation of HIV Care Givers in Thohoyandou, Limpopo Province, South Africa

The aim of this paper is to explore the profile of HIV caregivers in the Vhembe district, Limpopo Province of South Africa. The study uses a quantitative exploratory - descriptive research design. Thirty-nine female respondents aged between 20 and 35 completed the self-administered questionnaires. The findings of the study confirm the general perception associated with HIV; that HIV and AIDS is a disease associated with marginalisation. The majority of the care- givers are women with little education, based in a rural environment with inadequate amenities essential to enhance their vocation. Apart from the educational status and environment, the care-givers’ training on HIV palliative care is inadequate, thus rendering them susceptible to HIV infection. These findings imply that although HIV care-giving is beneficial, it can pose risks to both the patient and the care-giver. The paper postulates firstly, an environment where the barriers and the opportunities to men-volunteerism in care-giving are explored. Secondly, a comparative study of the profiles of caregivers in both rural and urban areas. Lastly, an investigation into the financial spinoffs that the government receives from HBC services needs to be investigated
Cholesterol-lowering phytosterols: factors affecting their use and efficacy

Phytosterols are essential components of plant cells and therefore naturally present in the human diet. When used therapeutically, phytosterols can significantly lower serum cholesterol con- centrations. Meta-analyses of clinical trials indicate about 10% reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol when phytosterols are consumed at the recommended dose of 2 g/d. Thus, phytosterols can be an important part of an overall dietary strategy to manage cholesterol levels, particularly for patients who cannot tolerate cholesterol-lowering drugs. Although other health benefits have been attributed to phytosterols, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and immune regulatory effects, this review will focus on the therapeutic use of phytosterols related to serum cholesterol, their mechanisms of action, and the various types of phytosterols available to consumers.
Is the KOSPI 200 Options Market Efficient? Parametric and Nonparametric Tests of the Martingale Restriction

A number of studies on the S&P 500 index options market claim that the no arbitrage assumption cannot be rejected for this market because either the martingale restriction defined in Longstaff (1995) cannot be rejected by the data, or, even when it is rejected, a large proportion of the violation can be explained by market friction factors. The present study singles out the effect of market inefficiency from market friction by testing the martingale restriction for the KOSPI 200 index options market, which is the most liquid and active options market in the world. Not only using the parametric methods adopted in previous studies but also using the nonparametric methods which enable us to avoid the model misspecification problem, we empirically present clear evidence of a violation of the martingale restriction. In addition, in contrast to the S&P 500 options market, regression analyses and robustnessÂ tests indicate that market friction factors can explain only a small portion of the percentage differences between option-implied and market-observed index prices. Overall, the results do not support the basic no-arbitrage assumption or the market efficiency in the KOSPI 200 options market.
Physical limnology of Italian lakes. 1. Relationship between morphometry and heat content

The influence of morphometry on maximum and minimum heat content and on pluriannual heat budgets of 31 Italian lakes is analysed. The energy parameters are highly correlated with the morphometric parameters through power regressions. The lakes which markedly deviate from the regression curves are examined on the basis of their environmental conditions or their internal hydrodynamics. In deep lakes (i.e. depth >50 m) there is a high correlation between depth and maximum and minimum heat content, while the heat budget is correlated only with fetch and depths of 50 and 90% annual heat exchange. In shallow lakes there is no relationship between fetch and heat budget, while it is high with all the considered depths. This is due to the different thickness of the water layer, in relation to the maximum depth, which is involved in the annual heat exchanges. We evaluated the water thicknesses within which 40 to 90% of the total heat exchanges take place; the results showed that in deep lakes 90% of the energy exchange is confined to a layer comprising 14-16% of the maximum depth, while in shallow lakes it can reach 82% of the maximum depth. In Lago Maggiore the 90% heat exchange depth increased by 0.34 m per year from 1963 to 1999, thus contributing to heating the whole water mass of the lake.
The Effects of Lease Capitalization on Various Financial Measures: An Analysis of the Retail Industry

The FASB, in conjunction with the International Accounting Standards Board, is currently in the planning stages of a project that would revise SFAS 13, Accounting for Leases. What is proposed is that leases that are presently accounted for as operating leases, that is, those leases that do not meet the current requirements for on-balance-sheet treatment, would be accounted for as capital leases and brought onto the financial statements. For companies that use a significant amount of operating leases to finance operations, the financial statement impact could be far-reaching, including material effects on various measures of profitability, financial leverage, debt coverage and cash flow. In this article, we look at the retail industry, an industry that uses operating leases extensively, to evaluate how certain key measures of financial performance and position might be affected by the capitalization of operating leases. Among the findings are an increase in EBITDA, though reductions in income from continuing operations and earnings per share. Financial leverage is increased and debt coverage measures are reduced. Measures of profitability, such as return on assets and return on equity are reduced. Finally, we find an increase in operating cash flow and free cash flow.
Testing the Ecosystem Productivity- Diversity Hypothesis in a Grassland

Globally, the academic debate about the relationship between species diversity and ecosystem productivity has been widely contested. While some researchers support the positive relationship between ecosystem productivity and diversity, others propose the reverse. However, mechanisms that play a role in this relationship remain unclear. As such a study was conducted in Lilongwe plain, in Malawi to test the theory of ecosystem productivity and diversity in a grassland ecosystem to make a humble contribution to this debate. Methodologically, five transects of 25metres each, were systematically drawn across the area. Each transect had 14 quadrats that were randomly placed at a distance of 10 meters apart. The data sets (moisture content, distribution and composition of plant species were collected in 5 transects located in two contrasting areas of dry and waterlogging conditions. Alpha diversity was computed to determine variations in species diversity between dry and the water logged areas. The results show that moisture content and species composition were the main productivity influencing factors with P-values <0.05. Results further show that there is indeed a relationship between productivity and diversity which was affected by variations in the availability of water, legume species that initiates nitrogen fixation, and nature of the mixture of the grass stands within the study area. Despite few numbers of species in areas of high water concentration, the results show that the biomass production was considerably high. The higher diversity in the upper and middle areas of the land indicates more species that survive as well as facilitate and complement each other. Such areas support the concept of complementarity which result from interspecific differences in resource requirements and that of facilitation which result from certain species helping or allowing other species to grow by modifying the environment in a way that is favorable to co-occurring species. The findings suggest that the correlation between productivity and diversity cannot be disputed. But the specifics as to when and how this relationship exhibits need to be clearly understood since this relationship is influenced by factors such as species composition as well as conditions in that particular area where the species exist, (in this case the grassland). Perhaps in this study the relationship was influenced by the presence of water in some areas which exhibited higher biomass but little diversity, as well as the presence of leguminous grasses that fix nitrogen and benefits surrounding species hence increasing the biomass as well.
TEMPERATURE FIELD AND ITS EFFECTS ON A LONG-SPAN STEEL CABLE-STAYED BRIDGE BASED ON MONITORING DATA

Title TEMPERATURE FIELD AND ITS EFFECTS ON A LONG-SPAN STEEL CABLE-STAYED BRIDGE BASED ON MONITORING DATA Author(s) ZHOU, YI; SUN, LIMIN; SUN, SHOUWANG Issue Date 2013-09-11 Doc URL http://hdl.handle. net/2115/54204 Type proceedings Note The Thirteenth East Asia-Pacific Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction (EASEC-13), September 1113, 2013, Sapporo, Japan. File Information easec13-A-2-1.pdf
SEO valuation and insider manipulation of R&D

We examine a sample of 674 SEOs from 1999-2010 where reduced R&D spending is significantly associated with the lowering of insider ownership proportions. With this association established, we derive an R&D manipulation variable measuring underinvestment in R&D. We add to the SEO-R&D literature by examining the relation between R&D underinvestment and common stock valuation around SEOs. In contrast to the IPO research, we do not find that underinvestment in R&D leads to greater SEO stock valuations during the offer price setting process. Like the IPO research, we find that underinvestment in R&D leads to lower stock valuations for short-run post-offering tests. In contrast to the long-run IPO results, we find a significant association between R&D manipulation and stock valuation for long-run post-offering tests where underinvestment in R&D is associated with lower stock valuations. We also find the five % owner group for SEOs is important in explaining R&D manipulation and discover that underpricing for SEOs is not related to R&D manipulation. These latter two findings are different from IPOs. In conclusion, SEOs can be quite different from IPOs when examining the association between the insider manipulation of R&D and stock valuation.
Limitations of Captive Breeding in Endangered Species Recovery

The use of captive breeding in species recovery has grown enormously in recent years, but without a concurrent growth in appreciation of its limitations. Problems with (1) establishing self-sufficient captive populations, (2) poor success in reintroductions, (3) high costs, (4) domestication, (5) preemption of other re- covery techniques, (6) disease outbreaks, and (7) maintaining administrative continuity have all been signif- icant. The technique has often been invoked prematurely and should not normally be employed before a care- ful field evaluation of costs and benefits of all conservation alternatives has been accomplished and a determination made that captive breeding is essential for species survival. Merely demonstrating that a spe- cies" population is declining or has fallen below what may be a minimum viable size does not constitute enough analysis to justify captive breeding as a recovery measure. Captive breeding should be viewed as a last resort in species recovery and not a prophylactic or long-term solution because of the inexorable genetic and phenotypic changes that occur in captive environments. Captive breeding can play a crucial role in re- covery of some species for which effective alternatives are unavailable in the short term. However, it should not displace habitat and ecosystem protection nor should it be invoked in the absence of comprehensive ef- forts to maintain or restore populations in wild habitats. Zoological institutions with captive breeding pro- grams should operate under carefully defined conditions of disease prevention and genetic~behavioral man- agement. More important, these institutions should help preserve biodiversity through their capacities for public education, professional training, research, and support of in situ conservation efforts.
Answers to general comments ( GC ) : General Comment # 1 : Non-grazing mortality –

General Comment #1: Non-grazing mortality – It is not explicitly discussed in the paper as to what the authors consider this to be. Viral lysis is seen as a major mortality pathway for coccolithophore (bloom) communities and so is this what the authors mean by this terminology? How is it parameterised and does it fairly represent viral mortality or (e.g.) programmed cell death? Not representing (or discussing) such a major mortality pathway seems like a limitation of the study, but a necessary limitation due to the uncertainties around viral mortality dynamics and its role in the Southern Ocean. The authors should include viral mortality in their discussion over model limitations, as well as directions for future field observations.
Improving higher education internationalization through CLIL at the secondary level

Internationalization of higher education has become a relevant issue for university and other institutions around the globe. This occurs due to different rationales, including increased international deeper engagement by students, improved quality of teaching and learning, enhanced prestige for the institution, among others. Despite the benefits on the internationalization, most governments and academia initiatives focus only at the higher education instead of considering a multi-level approach, thus being limited to improve the overall quality of the internationalization process. In this paper, we aim at obtaining comprehension on the students’ beliefs and perceptions on how to improve internationalization for the higher education. To that, we conducted a survey research with Brazilian IT (Information and Technology) vocational and higher education students considering opportunities on technical English-based content delivery. Results from the survey analyses based on responses from the participants show that internationalization using CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) during vocational technical courses is a key factor to enhance the achievement of internationalization when students get involved in a higher education course in the future.
SHORT COMMUNICATION Rapid Visual Assessment of Fish Communities on Selected Reefs in the Bazaruto Archipelago

Rapid visual censuses were conducted of fish on eight coral reefs in the Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique, in 2007. SCUBA and snorkelling were used for the censuses in depths between 1-20 m, yielding an inventory of 249 fish species belonging to 50 families. This is intended to serve as a baseline for more detailed studies and monitoring programmes in the future. Although fewer species were recorded relative to other studies conducted in the Western Indian Ocean, the trophic structure on Bazaruto’s reefs proved typical for the region, indicating a relative measure of reef health. However, other regional studies were not directly comparable, differing in habitat, duration of sampling effort and methodology. This highlighted the need for a long-term monitoring programme specifically adapted for the Bazaruto reef types to provide a basis for their sound management and conservation. Keywords: Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique, ichthyofauna, fish surveys, underwater visual census, coral reefs.
Upper-Cretaceous Siberian and Canadian Amber Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera)

From Upper-Cretaceous amber discovered in Canada (Alberta) and in Siberia (Taymyr), 10 species of Trichoptera are recognized. One of them belongs to the recent genus Rhyacophila, one probably to the recent genus Holocentropus; the following new genera are described: Palaeohydrobiosis (Hydrobiosidae), Electralberta (type of the new family Electralbertidae), Archaeopolycentra (Polycentropodidae), Taymyrelectron (type of the new family Taymyrelectronidae), Praeathripsodes (Leptoceridae), Calamodontus (Calamoceratidae or Odontoceridae). One specimen is a philopotamid, and one an incertae sedis member of the Hydropsychoidea. These records represent a considerable enrichment of our knowledge of the Cretaceous caddisfly fauna, practically unknown until now. Phylogenetical, biogeographical and other conclusions are drawn from the study of these fossils and of their Recent and Eocene-Oligocene relatives.
Candidate Genes and Clinical-Laboratory Indices in Pregnant Women Depending on the Development of Preeclampsia

Objectives: The relationship between polymorphic variants of folate metabolism genes with clinical (blood pressure level before and at the end of pregnancy) and clinical and laboratory indicators (proteinuria, fibrinogen, total protein, urea and creatinine in the blood, activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time) were studied in pregnant women with preeclampsia. Materials and Methods: The study group included 322 pregnant women diagnosed with preeclampsia and 179 women with normal pregnancy. Polymorphisms of the folate cycle genes (MТHFR +677С>Т (rs1801133), MТHFR +1298 A>С (rs1801131), MТRR +66 A>G (rs1801394), MТR +2756 A>G (rs1805087)) were studied by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of DNA synthesis (Real-timePCR). Results: Polymorphic markers +2756 AA MТR and +1298 AС, +1298СС MТHFR are associated with an increased level of diastolic and systolic blood pressure, respectively, in women with pre-eclampsia prior to pregnancy. The genotypes +677ST and + 677TT MTHFR are associated with an increased level of proteinuria, and the genetic variants of +2756 AA MTR and +66GG MTRR are associated with a lower protein content in the blood and a high proteinuria level in pregnant women with preeclampsia. Conclusions: Thus, as a result of this study, significant associations of genetic polymorphisms MТHFR +677С>Т, MТHFR +1298 A>С, MТR +2756 A>G, MТRR +66 A>G with indices of blood pressure, protein content in the blood, proteinuria level in pregnant women with preeclampsia were determined.
Bad Beta Good Beta, State‐Space News Decomposition and the Cross‐Section of Stock Returns

This study employs an innovative market‐based approach, where return on equity (ROE) is employed as a proxy for cash‐flow news and a state‐space model is used for market news decomposition. We document that the bad beta good beta (BBGB) model of Campbell and Vuolteenaho (2004) explains about 30 per cent of the cross‐sectional variations in US stock returns. We also find that the BBGB model adequately explains the size effect leading to its superior performance in this area. Our method controls for the news decomposition method and market news proxies’ bias. We contribute to the literature by providing an alternative easy‐to‐implement and consistent market‐based method for news decomposition.
Perceptions of Social Values among Middle School Students

The aim of this study was to find out the perceptions of social values among middle school students with respect to several variables (gender, grade level, educational level of mother, and educational level of father). Data were collected from 242 students on a volunteer basis at a state school during the academic year of 2014-2015. The study was based on a descriptive screening model and data collection instruments were “Personal Information Form” prepared by the researchers and “Perceptions of Social Values Scale” developed by Bakac (2013). Data analysis was conducted with the appropriate statistical techniques using IBM SPSS 21.0 Results of the study indicated that middle school students had positive perceptions of social values at the level of “definitely agree”. The study also suggested that perceptions of social values among middle school students did not differ according to their gender but it differed according to grade level, educational level of mother, and educational level of father. Finally, several recommendations were put forth in light of the findings. Keywords: Values education, social values, perception, social studies.