Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of the pH on growth and morphology of Anabaenopsis elenkinii MILLER (Cyanobacteria) isolated from the alkaline shallow lake of the Brazilian Pantanal

Anabaenopsis elenkinii Miller forms bloom in the alkaline shallow lakes of the Brazilian Pantanal. The A. elenkinii CCIBT1059 strain was isolated from one of these alkaline lakes and the experiments were made in growth chamber during 30 days, under modified medium BG-11 (3 % NaNO3), temperature 25 oC, photoperiod 12-12 light-dark cycle and irradiance of 80-100 μmol photons m-2 s-1 at three different pH values: 7.0, 9.5 and 10.5. In relation to growth rate and cell yield the higher values were observed at pH 10.5. Morphologically, the longest trichomes were found at pH 7 (maximum 45 cells) in comparison with pH 9.5 (maximum 32 cells) and pH 10.5 (maximum 23 cells). The occurrence of heterocytes was observed in all treatments, but akinetes were never formed. The morphometric variability within each treatment between exponential and stationary growth was clearly higher than the variability among different treatments in most cases. Our results indicate that A. elenkinii is typical of alkaline systems and also that in lower pH values the growth limitation can occur in terms of number of cells and biomass. This study represents the first experimental evidence of the effects of pH on growth rate, cell yield and morphometric variability of A. elenkinii.
Oxygen delignification of conventional and high alkali cooked softwood Kraft pulps, and study of the residual lignin structure

The selection of the optimum residual pulp lignin content in Kraft cooking has been the focus of many investigations in order to improve both the pulp yield and viscosity. Kraft cooking at a high alkali concentration (HA-Kraft) results in a higher yield compared to conventional Kraft pulping. Furthermore, the (carbohydrates yield/delignification) selectivity of oxygen delignification (O-delignification) below the fiber liberation point to a fully bleachable pulp is more selective than that of Kraft cooking. In order to obtain a high yield and preserve pulp quality, pine HA-Kraft and conventionally prepared Kraft (Ref-Kraft) pulps with kappa numbers 60 and 80 were subjected to O-delignification, during which constant but low-caustic and high-dissolved oxygen concentrations were secured by means of a flow-through (FT) reactor. The effects of operational conditions were investigated at high dissolved oxygen concentration. In addition, the chemical structure of the residual lignin of the pulps before and after O-delignification was investigated by 31P NMR. It showed that the carboxylic acid content of the residual lignin increased by 50–200% during oxygen delignification. 31P NMR data also indicated that the carboxylic acid content inside the residual lignin of oxygen-delignified pulps from Ref-Kraft samples was higher (20–70%) than that of HA-Kraft pulps. The results also demonstrated that the guaiacyl phenolic group content in the kappa range of 60 is higher compared to kappa 80 regardless of the cooking procedure that was utilized.
The effects of variable thermal conductivity on mantle heat‐transfer

We have examined the styles of steady‐state convective heat transfer for two kinds of mantle thermal conductivity models in an aspect‐ratio one box. We have employed the phonon portion of the thermal conductivity model of Hofmeister (1999) and varied the radiative component in this model. We have also considered a second model which emphasizes radiative heat transfer and has a high contribution in the lower mantle. We have conducted constant viscosity calculations out to a surface Ra of 1010. Variable conductivity enhances in most cases the surface heat flow. The smallest deviation from the constant conductivity model comes from the phonon model with the parameters associated with oxides. Larger heat flow is obtained with silicates and increasing radiative contributions associated with the values of Shankland et al. (1979). The highest heat flow values are obtained for the radiatively dominated model, where the thermal conductivity in the deep mantle can be a factor of 50 greater than the surface conductivity value.
The Effects of Daily Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on VO2max, vVO2max and Intermittent Exercise Performance in Soccer Players

The aim of this study is to assess aerobic, anaerobic and performance indexes changes after a short period of coenzyme Q10 Supplementation in soccer players. 16 soccer players (Weight 57.1±20.72, height 171.4±4.92, and age 22.30±1.41) randomized and divided into two groups. Where supplement group (N=10) consumed CoQ10 supplement (300 mg/day) and placebo group (n=6) consumed placebo. Both of them practiced for 4 weeks and each one 90 minutes. After that, supplement group started to consume CoQ10 in amount of 300 mg/day for one month. Findings has been showed that 4-week supplement consumption caused significant changes in VO2max and performance in soccer players, while this intervention did not result in significant effect in body composition, maximum running speed, peak anaerobic power and fatigue index. The major findings of the present study were that 4-week of CoQ10 supplement consumption in college soccer players led to increase aerobic power and performance in high intensity aerobic interval test. From the other point of view, these variations were not significant in placebo group. We can conclude that although increase in maximum running speed (vVO2max) was not significant, four weeks of CoQ10 supplement consumption may increase in maximal oxygen consumption and performance in college soccer players. Finally, in this case consumption of this supplement could improve player's performance in competition conditions. (Nima Gharahdaghi, Fatemeh Shabkhiz, Ehsan Azarboo, Abbas Keyhanian. The Effects of Daily Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on VO2max, vVO2max and Intermittent Exercise Performance in Soccer Players. Life Sci J 2013;10(8s):22-28) (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com. 3
Farmers' participation in savings and credit cooperative societies: mean per capita annual farm income and poverty reduction in Niger State, Nigeria.

The study assessed Farmers’ Participation in Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies: Mean per capita annual farm income and Poverty Reduction in Niger State, Nigeria. Combinations of purposive and random sampling techniques were used to select 85 and 72 beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of saving and credit cooperative societies (SACCOS). Data were obtained through a well structured questionnaire. Foster-GreerThorbecke (FGT) poverty measures and multiple regression models were employed for data analysis. The result indicates that out of eight (8) variables included in the regression, only age had a negative coefficient and statistically not significant. Gender, secondary occupation, household size, educational level, farm income, non-farm income, interest rate charged had positively influenced farmers’ participation in Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies in the study area. Household size, farm income, non-farm income, interest rate charged and educational level are statistically significant at 1 and 10% levels of significance respectively. The study further revealed that about 33 and 67% of the beneficiaries and about 8 and 18% of the non-beneficiaries fall under the non-poor category before and after obtaining credit respectively. Poverty is marginally severe among the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries but is more marginally severe among the non-beneficiaries. The study recommends that Non-governmental Organisation and local government council in the areas should intensify their efforts to boost the income diversification practices of farmers through provision of infrastructure especially feeder roads. This could enhance the level of farm and nonfarm activities that could generate more income for the household and thereby help to combat poverty among the respondents.
ERROR ESTIMATES FOR A CLASS OF FINITE DIFFERENCE-QUADRATURE SCHEMES FOR FULLY NONLINEAR DEGENERATE PARABOLIC INTEGRO-PDES

Error estimates are derived for a class of finite difference-quadrature schemes approximating viscosity solutions of nonlinear degenerate parabolic integro-PDEs with variable diffusion coefficients. The relevant equations can be viewed as Bellman equations associated to a class of controlled jump-diffusion (Levy) processes. The results cover both finite and infinite activity cases.
A New Two-Pillar Strategy for the ECB

This paper explores the question of whether there is a trade-off between maintaining price stability and financial stability (much in the same way as there can be a trade-off between price stability and output stability when supply shocks occur) and if so, which of the two objectives should take precedence. The authors analyse how such a trade-off can arise and further examine the issue of how to define and monitor financial stability and assess which policy instruments the ECB could deploy to maintain financial stability.
A Novel Coupled Van der Pol Conservative Chaotic System and its Adaptive Control

Chaos theory has a lot of applications in science and engineering. This paper first details the qualitative properties of the forced Van der Pol chaotic oscillator, which has important applications. Since its introduction in the 1920's, the Van der Pol equation has been a prototype model for systems with self-excited limit cycle oscillations. The Van der Pol equation has been studied over wide parameter regimes, from perturbations of harmonic motion to relaxation oscillations. It has been used by scientists to model a variety of physical and biological phenomena. In this paper, we announce a novel 4-D coupled Van der Pol conservative chaotic system and discuss its qualitative properties. We show that the Lyapunov exponents of the novel 4-D Van der Pol conservative chaotic system are 1 14.6, D = This shows the high level complexity of the novel 4-D Van der Pol conservative chaotic system. We also derive new results for the adaptive control of the coupled Van der Pol highly chaotic system. The main results are proved using Lyapunov stability theory. MATLAB plots are shown to illustrate the phase portraits of the novel 4-D conservative chaotic system and all the main results.
DETAILED OBSERVATIONS ON A STARTING MECHANISM FOR SHEDDING OF CAVITATION CLOUD

Cavitation is observed in a convergent-divergent nozzle using a high speed video camera. For this kind of flow, the cavitation has unsteady character with periodic shedding of cavitation clouds. The periodicity is accompanied with a reentrant motion, the growth of vortex cavity on the separated shear layer as well as the shedding of a large-scale cavitation cloud. In this process, the formation of attached cavity is repeated with shedding of cavitation clouds. The switching mechanism from the re-entrant motion to the formation of shedding cavitation clouds has not been fully understood. In the present study, it is shown in details by experimental results based on high speed video observations that one of the mechanisms is the leading-edge bubble collapse in the separated region to interrupt continuous supply of vorticity from upstream boundary layer and the formation of micro-vortex cavities on the separated shear layer. In addition, various appearances of cavitation bubbles are also shown from a viewpoint of unsteady cavity behavior.
The occurrence frequency of upward ion beams in the auroral zone as a function of altitude using Polar/TIMAS and DE-1/EICS data

Abstract. We study the occurrence frequency of upward auroral ion beams as a function of altitude using three years of Polar/TIMAS ion data combined with 11 years of DE-1/ EICS ion data, in order to reach a complete altitude coverage between 5000 and 30 000 km. The most interesting result is that there is a peak in ion beam occurrence frequency and invariant energy flux and invariant particle flux at ¢ 3 RE radial distance. The peak exists at about the same altitude in both the evening and midnight MLT sectors. No solar cycle effects are found. We suggest that the peak could be due to a preferred altitude of auroral potential structures at ¢ 3 RE . To substantiate the suggestion, we also present a simple Monte Carlo simulation of ion beams. Another result is that the ion beam occurrence frequency and invariant (mapped to ionospheric altitude) energy and particle fluxes increase in the radial distance range 4–6 RE , suggesting that wave heating processes may take place in this altitude range.Key words. Magnetospheric physics (auroral phenomena; magnetosphere-ionosphere interactions) – Space plasma physics (charged particle motion and acceleration)
DIRECTION GÉNÉRALE DES ÉTUDES ET DES RELATIONS INTERNATIONALES THE SHIMER PUZZLE(S) IN A NEW KEYNESIAN FRAMEWORK

In this paper I shed light on the issues of the (low) volatilities of labor market variables implied by the search and matching model and the (high) values of the correlations between these variables and labor productivity. On the one hand, Shimer (2005) claims that “Not only there is little amplification, but there is also no propagation of the labor productivity shock in the [search and matching] model. ” On the other, starting from Galì (1999) empirical evidence about the reaction of employment to a neutral positive technological shock seems to indicate a recessionary effect in the short term, thus casting doubts about the whole transmission mechanism as described by Shimer (2005) in line with a RBC framework. I claim that a New Keynesian model with nominal rigidities is able to replicate the set of moments of both volatilities and correlations; the model presents two distinctive features: employment decreases after a positive technological shock and the calibration strategy in choosing the vacancy posting cost is different with respect of Shimer (2005) and in line with the RBC tradition. I show also that the use of the traditional separable preferences in consumption and leisure worsens the Shimer’s critique, via the consequences of wealth effects on labor supply.
The determinants of capital structure: Evidence from public listed companies in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand

Abstract We investigate the determinants of capital structure of public listed companies on Bursa Malaysia, Singapore Stock Exchange and Thailand Stock Exchange from 2004 to 2013. We also investigate how firm-specific factors such as profitability, firm size, tangibility of assets and depreciation to total assets along with the macroeconomic factor such as inflation influence the capital structure decisions of public listed companies. Our findings support capital structure theories such as trade-off and pecking order theories and are consistent with prior empirical studies. We find all the factors examined in this study provide strong explanatory power for the capital structure decisions of the sampled public listed companies across all three countries. We find profitability has a significant negative influence on capital structure for Malaysia and Singapore but insignificant for Thailand. While, firm size has a significant positive influence on capital structure for all countries. Our findings also suggest that tangibility of assets has a significant positive influence on capital structure for Malaysia and Singapore while insignificant for Thailand. The depreciation to total assets indicates a negative influence on capital structure across all the three countries. Our study should be of interest to top managers who wish to have optimal capital structure to improve the firm performance.
Earliest behavioral mimicry and possible food begging in a Mesozoic alienopterid pollinator

Morphological insect-insect mimicry is known from few Cretaceous cockroaches and a beetle. Formicamendax vrsanskyi gen. et sp. n. (Blattaria, Alienopteridae) shows myrmecomorph features such as an elongated, smooth and black body, simple fenestrated hindwing, legs lacking protective spines. Elbowed or “geniculate “antenna is a typical character of advanced ants and weevils used for different forms of communication. Together with reduced mouthparts and specialized palps still preserved grasping food, they evidence specialized behavioral mimicry. The attached symmetric angiosperm pollen on hindleg can provide rare evidence of insect-flower relations.
Creating cold stationary molecular gases by optical Stark deceleration

The deceleration of molecules from cold molecular beams using electric and magnetic fields has become an important means for producing stationary, cold dipolar or paramagnetic molecular gases that can be trapped and potentially cooled to ultra-cold temperatures in the μK range. We report on a general scheme for the creation of cold molecules of essentially any type by deceleration of a cold molecular beam using intense optical fields. Deceleration of benzene molecules to zero velocity is achieved by utilizing a single half oscillation of the center-of-mass motion of the molecules within a moving optical lattice. The lattice traveling at half the speed of the molecular beam is created by the interference of two near-counter-propagating fields at different frequencies. We show that by rapidly switching on the optical lattice for approximately the time required for a half oscillation, a bunch of approximately 105 benzene molecules can be rapidly decelerated and brought to rest in the laboratory frame.
Title On Pricing Basket Credit Default Swaps

In this paper we propose a simple and efficient method to compute the ordered default time distributions in both the homogeneous case and the two-group heterogeneous case under the interacting intensity default contagion model. We give the analytical expressions for the ordered default time distributions with recursive formulas for the coefficients, which makes the calculation fast and efficient in finding rates of basket CDSs. In the homogeneous case, we explore the ordered default time in limiting case and further include the exponential decay and the multistate stochastic intensity process. The numerical study indicates that, in the valuation of the swap rates and their sensitivities with respect to underlying parameters, our proposed model outperforms the Monte Carlo method.
Self-esteem and intentions mediate perceived fitness with physical activity in Finnish adolescents with long-term illness or disabilities

Background: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is recognised as the common language in disability research. However, personal factors in the ICF are not explicitly coded because of cultural differences that influence physical activity (PA) participation. The ICF suggests using fitness as a personal factor, as well as other psychological assets. Intentions may serve as such psychological assets and studies on the antecedents to intentions which prompts PA behaviours is lacking in adolescent long term illness or disability (LTID) populations. Objective: The purpose of this study was to report how ICF personal factors can influence participation in PA. Perceived fitness (FIT), global self-esteem (GSE), and PA intentions (INT) are hypothesised to positively predict PA behaviours among adolescents with LTID after controlling for age. Methods: The data from Finnish 13 and 15 years old adolescents from the self-reported Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study from 2002 and 2010 were pooled. Those with LTID as stated by a medical doctor were included (N = 1,059). Serial mediation with ordinary least squares path analysis was used. Boys and girls were separately analysed, FIT was the independent variable, GSE and INT as mediators, and age controlled moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) the dependent variable. Bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals were used to test for significance of the direct and indirect paths. Results: FIT was positively related to GSE and INT for boys and girls. Furthermore, INT were positively related to MVPA for boys and girls. These relationships were statistically significant. Therefore, INT can be seen to mediate the relationship between FIT and MVPA after controlling for age. GSE also acted as a statistically significant mediator for boys, between FIT and INT. Therefore serial mediation was presented with boy’s MVPA, whereas in the girl’s model, only INT mediated FIT and MVPA. Conclusions: Personal factors influence PA participation in adolescents with LTID. Support for increasing self-esteem for boys seems to be important and it should be taken into account when different PA promotion strategies are planned for boys. Differences in PA between genders suggest overall more promotion of PA for girls is still needed.
The Effect of Board of Directors’ Characteristics and Ownership Type on the Timeliness of Financial Reports

This study examines the board of directors’ (BOD) characteristics and ownership type on the timeliness of financial reports (TFRs). The characteristics of the BOD examined in this study include CEO duality, board size, the proportion of women on the board and the proportion of CEOs on the board. Moreover, management ownership, foreign ownership and non-foreign ownership among other factors such as company age and its size are controlled for in the model. Data were collected from 68 annual reports of listed companies on Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) for the period between 2011 to 2015. The first model results show that CEO duality, the proportions of women as well as the proportion CEOs on the board have significant effects on the TFRs. The companies’ age and size have a negative effect on the TFRs. However, the board size showed no significant effect; a board with less than eight members has a negative effect and a one with more than eight shows a positive effect on the TFRs. Furthermore, the second model which examines the ownership type effect on the TFRs shows that management ownership has no significant effect. Non-foreign ownership has a negative effect, while foreign ownership has a positive effect on the TFRs. The results of this study add to the limited literature about the effect of governance on the TFRs in the Middle East countries. The findings are also beneficial to companies and policymakers.
Renting shacks: Landlords and tenants in the informal housing sector in Johannesburg South Africa

Renting is a common form of tenure in many developing countries in the global south. This is due to a housing shortage in these countries and has led to a situation where the vast majority of individuals in major cities find accommodation in the rental market. This situation can be put down to the difficulty to entering the market as a homeowner. While this condition is found in much of the formal housing market in the global south, little has been explored in the informal housing market. This state of affairs has pushed many residence in informal settlements into the rental market. This paper examines the rental market in informal settlements in Johannesburg, South Africa by conducting a qualitative investigation into the experiences of landlords (n = 11) and tenants (n = 15) in three informal settlements in Johannesburg. Overall, there is an asymmetric relationship between the two actors within this market, with the perception that landlords, who view their role as noble provider, impose arbitrary rental terms on tenants in an illegal tenancy market.