Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Technological aspects related to the use of bifidobacteria in dairy products

Dairy-related bifidobacteria are already used in a wide variety of probiotic dairy products including milk, cheese, frozen yoghurt-like product and ice cream. The survival of bifidobacteria in fermented dairy products depends on varied factors such as the strain of bacteria used, fermentation conditions, storage temperature, and preservation methods. Growth of bifidobacteria in milk is often slow or limited compared with lactic acid bacteria used in fermented dairy products, and this appears partially due to low proteolytic activities. When manufacturing cheese or yoghurt-like pro- duct, addition of probiotic cultures to the normal starters generally results in slower growth of the probiotic strains than if they were added alone in milk. The use of higher inocula of bifidobacteria and the addition of growth promoting factors as a nitrogen source should further enhance the growth and viability of the bifidobacteria. Although the most common processing stage at which to add the bifidobacteria to the milk would be in conjunction with the other starter cultures, other alternative processing protocols have been successful in incorporating the bifidobacteria into cheese and cultured dairy products. The success of the incorporation of bifidobacteria into cheeses is dependent on the bifidobacteria strains, the activity of lactic acid bacteria used in the manufacture of the cheese, the composition of the cheese, and the conditions of processing and ripening. Changes in the chemical composition and the texture of the fermented products can occur in cheeses and fer- mented milks without affecting sensorial properties. Bifidobacterium / yoghurt-like product / cheese / viability / stability
Coaching and Sports Performance 727 COMPARISON OF BALL IMPACT CHARACTERISTICS BETWEEN SIDEFOOT AND INSTEP KICKING IN SOCCER

The purpose of this study was to describe the kinematic characteristics during ball impact of soccer side-foot kicking. The foot and ball motions during ball impact phase of the instep and side-foot kicking were captured for two professional footballers using two ultra-high-speed cameras at 2000Hz. In the instep kicking, the foot was forced into plantar flexion, abduction and eversion by ball contact. On the other hand, in the sidefoot kicking, the passive plantar flexion motion was drastically restricted compared to that of instep kicking. Although the foot and ball velocity of the side-foot kicking were lower than those of the instep kicking, the efficiency of ball impact of the side-foot kicking approximately corresponded with that of the instep kicking. The complicated ball impact characteristics of side-foot kicking in highly skilled footballers were illustrated by ultrahigh-speed images.
Surface Activity, Micelle Formation, and Growth of n-Octyl-β-d-Thioglucopyranoside in Aqueous Solutions at Different Temperatures

Micellization, surface activity, and structures of the aggregates of the nonionic surfactant n-octyl-‚-Dthioglucopyranoside in aqueous solutions through a temperature range have been investigated. By using surface tension measurements, information was obtained on both changes in the critical micelle concentration and adsorption behavior in the air-liquid interface with the temperature. These data were used to obtain the thermodynamic properties of micellization along with the corresponding adsorption parameters in the airliquid interface. The results obtained indicated that the surfactant headgroup has a more pronounced hydrophilic character than that of the common polyoxyethylenic nonionic surfactants. Size and structure of the micelles formed at different temperatures were investigated by light scattering measurements. The light scattering data, including static and dynamic experiments, account for micelle growth and hydration. The analysis of the experimental results was focused on the phase transition from sphere to rodlike structures. To corroborate this point, additional measurements of density and intramolecular excimer formation of 1,2-dypyrenylpropane versus the surfactant concentration were performed. Satisfactory agreement of the results, showing a significant micellar growth starting from a certain surfactant concentration, was observed by means of the different techniques used.
Eco-innovation, Responsible Leadership and Organizational Change for Corporate Sustainability

Creating a sustainable development strategy is essential for organizations that seek to reduce risks associated with tightening legislation, increased energy prices and natural resources and growing customer demands. Sustainability requires the full integration of social and environmental aspects into the vision, culture and operations of an organization, a profound process of organizational change being essential. The purpose of this paper is to present the main drivers of corporate sustainability, illustrating – after a thorough literature review – the link between the following elements: corporate sustainability – a necessity in the current global context; eco-innovation – as a way to implement sustainability in an organization; responsible leadership – as the art of building and maintaining strong and moral relationships with all stakeholders; organizational culture and organizational change – the basic elements through which organizations continuously renew their processes and products, adapting them to the new context. Furthermore, the paper provides an overview of organizations active in Romania in terms of sustainability practices, in general, and the ecological component of sustainable development, in particular, by presenting the results of an exploratory questionnaire-based research. The research reflects the importance of visionary management in adopting and implementing sustainability in the responding organizations.
Starr Surgery In ODS: A Case Series Of 500 ODS Patients Operated At India’s Largest Proctology Clinic

Background: Chronic Constipation or obstructive defecation syndromes (ODS) is a frequently reported clinical problem. The incidence rate of ODS is high in India. The objective of the study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness stapled transanal rectal resection (STARR) surgery in Indian ODS patients. Methods: In this retrospective observational case series, ODS patients were clinically examined preoperatively and post STARR surgery at 15 days, 1, 3, 6 months and at 1 year. All patients were evaluated for improvement in signs and symptoms by Patient Assessment of Constipation-Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAC-QOL). Results: A total of 500 ODS patients (female 55%) were associated with one or more anatomical abnormalities such as only rectocele 40 (8 %), rectocele and recto-rectal intussusception combined 435 (87%) and only recto-rectal intussusception 1 (0.2%). The mean surgery time was 30 minutes and mean hospitalization was for 24 hours. Most of the patients resumed their normal activities by day 5 post surgery. There was significant improvement in daily complaints such as defecation frequency, straining intensity, extended time in defecation, pain or discomfort, use of laxatives, and digitation at the end of one year. The mean PAC-QOL score was improved from 2.52 to 0.61 at one year. The overall improvement was 76%. Approximately 6% patients have not responded to STARR surgery. The STARR surgery found to be safe in ODS patients. Conclusion: Our case series of 500 patients confirms the effectiveness of STARR surgery in patients with ODS and particularly in female ODS patients, in achieving improvement of symptoms, low recurrence rate, improved quality of life and minimal postoperative complications.
Countercyclical Capital Buffers and Real-Time Credit-To-GDP Gap Estimates: A South African Perspective

Countercyclical capital buffers are intended to protect the banking sector and the broader economy from episodes of excessive credit growth, which have been associated with financial sector procyclicality and the build-up of systemic risk. The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision has suggested in its guidance to national authorities that the credit-to-GDP gap be used as a guide to taking decisions regarding the countercyclical capital buffer. This paper provides a South African perspective on the implementation of this guidance. Credit-to-GDP gaps are estimated by applying Hodrick-Prescott filters to real-time South African data, specifically constructed for this study, and these gaps are mapped to countercyclical buffers. The properties of these estimates are compared, and the calibration of the lower and upper thresholds of the buffer in the South African case is also investigated. The study confirms that the mechanical application of the credit-to-GDP guide is not advisable, and raises a number of issues that policymakers will have to consider when implementing the countercyclical buffer guidance. The analysis also suggests that the calibration of the lower and upper thresholds for the gaps may need to be adjusted in the South African case if the Basel Committee's expectation that the buffers be employed only every 10-20 years is to be met.
The impact of self-regulation instruction on mathematics achievements and attitudes of elementary school students

The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of self-regulation instruction on fractions and decimal numbers on academic achievement and attitude towards mathematics in elementary school program in Turkey. The subjects of the study were fourth year elementary school students (N=60). Zimmerman, Bonner and Kovach’s (1996) model related to selfregulation instruction was adapted to fraction and decimal numbers teaching activities and carried out for six weeks during the academic year. Self-regulated learning instruction was implemented in the experimental group. The results in the study suggested that the students in the experimental group had higher academic achievement on fraction and decimal numbers, and attitude scores in mathematics than the control group.
Determining the Number of Factors in the General Dynamic Factor Model

This article develops an information criterion for determining the number q of common shocks in the general dynamic factor model developed by Forni et al., as opposed to the restricted dynamic model considered by Bai and Ng and by Amengual and Watson. Our criterion is based on the fact that this number q is also the number of diverging eigenvalues of the spectral density matrix of the observations as the number n of series goes to infinity. We provide sufficient conditions for consistency of the criterion for large n and T (where T is the series length). We show how the method can be implemented and provide simulations and empirics illustrating its very good finite-sample performance. Application to real data adds a new empirical facet to an ongoing debate on the number of factors driving the U.S. economy.
Defining the Ideal Applicant: Examining patrol officer perspectives on police organizational recruitment standards

iii Acknowledgements iv Dedication v List of Tables viii Chapter One: Introduction 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Chapter Two: Review of the Literature 5 Previous Research Pertaining to Police Officer Traits 6 Police Organizational Fit and Performance Measurement 6 The Effects of the Workplace 10 Previous Research Pertaining to Police Culture 12 Functional Elements of Police Culture 12 Human Resources and Recruitment outside the Policing Field 14 Chapter Three: Methods 18 Social Constructivism and Grounded Theory 18 Setting, Sample, Participants, and Sampling 19 Internet-Based Research 22 Membership in the Online Community 24 Types of Online Communities 26 Netnography/Content Analysis 28
Contraceptive Use and Time to First Birth

Although contraception allows women to delay childbirth, stop unwanted childbearing, and postpone childbirth, not all contraception is equally effective, equally easy to access, or equally easy to use. Due to heterogeneity in women’s contraception opportunities and choices, in the effectiveness of the contraception used and even in luck, women differ in both their birth intervals and their age at first childbirth. We explore this heterogeneity, theoretically, incorporating contraception effectiveness and uncertainty (along with potential earnings, contraception costs, and net child benefits) into a potential mother’s childbearing decisions. Empirically, these factors are incorporated into a first hit time duration model, focusing on time to first birth, estimated with data from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The results provide nuanced insights into the income-fertility puzzle. Our evidence suggests that educated women start childbearing later, and are better able to use contraception, even less effective contraception. Thus, there are education-related heterogeneities in contraceptive effectiveness. Further, we find that women using more effective contraception start childbearing at a later age, as do women with better access to contraception. Both improved female education and improved access to modern contraception have the potential to hasten the fertility transition in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In vitro nematicidal activity of naphthoquinones against the root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus thornei

The root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus thornei is a widely distributed and important parasite of cereals and legumes. As migratory endoparasites, P. thornei are difficult to manage because they enter and leave host roots and may remain quiescent inside roots or in soil when conditions are unfavourable for plant growth. The number of available nematicides to manage these nematodes is restricted, so new, effective and eco-friendly sustainable management strategies are needed. The effects of naphthoquinones (juglone, 1,4-naphtoquinone and plumbagin) produced by some plants species, including walnut (Juglandaceae), were assessed against P. thornei . An additional treatment of a mixture of juglone and 1,4-naphtoquinone (2:1, w/w), was included because these compounds are frequently found at these propotion in walnut extracts. Juveniles and adult nematodes were exposed to different concentrations of each naphthoquinone and nematode mortality was assessed. Juglone and 1,4-naphthoquinone (at 500 ppm) were more effective than plumbagin, and gave 100% mortality after 24 h of exposure. A synergistic effect was not detected when juglone and 1,4-naphthoquinone (2:1, w/w) were combined. Estimated lethal concentrations causing 50% P. thornei mortality (LC 50 s) (72 h exposure) were: 134.7 ppm for juglone, 161.2 ppm for 1,4-naphthoquinone, 207.6 ppm for juglone + 1,4-naphthoquinone (2:1, w/w), and 178.8 ppm for plumbagin. This study has demonstrated the nematicidal potential of these naphthoquinones against P. thornei , and has shown that walnut residues may be valuable sources for extraction of these compounds.
Minimal Requirements for Parameters to be Used in the Development of Predictive Models for Microbial Source Tracking : Somatic Coliphages and Phages Infecting Bacteroides as Examples

Scientific) Several methods and approaches for measuring parameters to determine fecal sources of pollution in water have been developed in recent years. No single microbial or chemical parameter has proved sufficient to determine the source of fecal pollution. Combinations of parameters involving at least one discriminating indicator and one universal fecal indicator offer the most promising solutions for qualitative and quantitative analyses. The universal (nondiscriminating) fecal indicator provides quantitative information regarding the fecal load. The discriminating indicator contributes to the identification of a specific source. The relative values of the parameters derived from both kinds of indicators could provide information regarding the contribution to the total fecal load from each origin. It is also essential that both parameters characteristically persist in the environment for similar periods. Numerical analysis, such as inductive learning methods, could be used to select the most suitable and the lowest number of parameters to develop predictive models. These combinations of parameters provide information on factors affecting the models, such as dilution, specific types of animal source, persistence of microbial tracers, and complex mixtures from different sources. The combined use of the enumeration of somatic coliphages and the enumeration of Bacteroides-phages using different host specific strains (one from humans and another from pigs), both selected using the suggested approach, provides a feasible model for quantitative and qualitative analyses of fecal source identification. Abstract (Dissemination)Dissemination) The determination of fecal pollution sources (MST or microbial source tracking) in surface waters has become an essential issue in the management of catchments. Though efforts have been made during the last few years on the identification of MST indicators and on the development of standardized techniques for their analysis, no single microbial or chemical parameter has proved sufficient to determine the source(s) of fecal pollution. Recent MST predictive models, based on combinations of the most suitable and the lowest number of indicators, have been defined by using inductive learning methods. A feasible model for quantitative and qualitative analyses of MST is based on the combined use of the enumeration of somatic coliphages and the enumeration of Bacteroides-phages using different host specific strains (one from humans and another from pigs). This experimental approach allowed identification of the minimal requirements for parameters used in MST predictive models. Department of Microbiology, University of Barcelona Journal of Environmental Detection Issue 1 Volume 1
Slice-by-slice reconstruction algorithm for vector tomography with incomplete data

For a finite collection of planes, we consider the problem of recovering the solenoidal part of a vector (symmetric second rank tensor) field on from ray integrals known over all lines parallel to one of the planes. Two different planes are sufficient for the uniqueness in the case of vector fields, but three planes in the general position are needed for the stable reconstruction. In the case of symmetric second rank tensor fields, three (six) planes in the general position are needed for the unique (stable) reconstruction. The reconstruction algorithm is presented for each of these cases. The main ingredients of the algorithm are the 3D Fourier transform and multiple application of the 2D back-projection operator.
Consumer’s Attitude Regarding Soluble Coffee Enriched with Antioxidants

Brazil is the second largest coffee consumer in the world. The development of new products related to healthy eating is one of the demands to maintain this scenario. This research aimed to investigate the role of socio-demographic, cognitive and behavioral characteristics on the acceptance of functional foods by coffee consumers. A questionnaire developed and applied in Belgium was previously translated and validated for application with Brazilian consumers. The habits of coffee consumption, knowledge and interest were investigated regarding functional soluble coffee enriched with antioxidants. The self-administered study was performed with 270 consumers. Acceptance was measured by two items: “Functional foods are all right for me as long as they taste good” and “Functional foods are all right for me even if they taste worse than their conventional counterpart foods”, obtaining a mean score of 4.03 and 2.79 (scale 1: totally disagree and 5: totally agree), respectively. The acceptance of functional foods increased with age, schooling, income, belief in the health benefits and knowledge about functional foods for both items. There was no significant correlation between price and acceptance. With regards to a functional soluble coffee product, the sensory quality was more determinant for its acceptance than price.
Cointegrating smooth transition regressions with applications to the Asian currency crisis

This paper studies the smooth transition regression model where regressors are I(1) and errors are I(0). The regressors and errors are assumed to be dependent both serially and contemporaneously. Using the triangular array asymptotics, the nonlinear least squares estimator is shown to be consistent and its asymptotic distribution is derived. It is found that the asymptotic distribution involves a bias under the regressor-error dependence, which implies that the non-linear least squares estimator is inefficient and unsuitable for use in hypothesis testing. Thus, this paper proposes a Gauss-Newton type estimator which uses the NLLS estimator as an initial estimator and is based on regressions augmented by leads-and-lags. Using leads-and-lags enables the Gauss-Newton estimator to eliminate the bias and have a mixture normal distribution in the limit, which makes it efficient and suitable for use in hypothesis testing. Simulation results indicate that the results obtained from the triangular array asymptotics provide reasonable approximations for the þnite sample properties of the estimators and t-tests when sample sizes are moderately large. The cointegrating smooth transition regression model is applied to the Korean and Indonesian data from the Asian currency crisis of 1997. Signiþcant nonlinear effects of interest rate on spot exchange rate are found to be present in the Korean data, which partially supports the interest Laffer curve hypothesis. But overall the effects of interest rate on spot exchange rate are shown to be quite negligible in both the nations.
IN-SITU INJECTABLE THERMOSENSITIVE GEL BASED ON POLOXAMER AS A NEW CARRIER FOR TAMOXIFEN CITRATE

Objective: To evaluate poloxamer (Pl) based in-situ injectable thermosensitive gel of Tamoxifen citrate (TMC) compared to orally administered TMC regarding retention in different tissues. Methods: The inclusion complexes of TMC with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin (HP-βCD) and sulfobutyl-7-ether β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) were prepared by solvent evaporation method and evaluated for drug-excipient compatibility tests as well as in-vitro release studies. Poloxamer analogs were mixed in different ratios and evaluated for gelation temperature and rheological properties. Finally, the optimized thermosensitive hydrogel formula was evaluated for in-vitro drug release as well as in-vivo drug retention in rat tissues, plasma and liver. Results: TMC/SBE-β-CD complex showed the highest drug release rate. The optimum concentrations of poloxamer analogs for the in situ gel-forming delivery system were 20% (w/v) Poloxamer 407 (F127) and 15% (w/v) Poloxamer 188 (F68) that exhibited sol -gel transition at 36.5 oC ± 0.5 oC. TMC/SBE-β-CD complex incorporated in the optimized thermosensitive gel base exhibited elevated drug level in cancer tissues and low level in plasma and liver compared to oral TMC suspension. Conclusion: The optimized formula of TMC/SBE-β-CD hydrogel could contribute in elevating drug level at targeted tissues and improving drug anticancer activity.
Choice of payment instrument for low-value transactions in Japan

In this paper, we examine the determinants of the choice of payment instrument for low-value day-to-day transactions. Using Japanese household data from 2007 to 2014, we find that three payment instruments, namely, cash, electronic money, and credit cards, comprise the major payment choices for transactions with values less than 1,000 yen (about 8.7 euros). We also find that high-income, financially sophisticated households in urban areas tend to use both electronic money and cash. Further, family households choosing electronic money and cash do not have higher cash holdings compared with family households exclusively choosing cash, holding all other variables constant. We obtain weak evidence that single-person households choosing electronic money and cash have higher cash holdings compared with single-person households exclusively choosing cash, holding all other variables constant.