Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The State of African Stock Markets

The paper looks at the state of African stock markets during and after the global economic crisis of 2008. The research focuses on the market performance of 15 African stock exchanges from 2007-2012. The size and liquidity of stock markets in the African region is discussed in this thesis. In addition, it compares the performances of a few indexes in the emerging and developed markets to that of African indexes. Data is gathered from individual stock markets as well as notable institutions such as World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), African Stock Exchange Association (ASEA) available in ASEA Yearbooks, World Bank etc. In assessing the size and liquidity of the various markets, the researcher uses the market capitalization, number of listed companies, turnover ratio etc. For the stock return assessment, the researcher adopts the use of annualized stock returns. Risk-adjusted performance is ascertained through the analysis of a Sharpe ratio. The findings of this thesis have it that although African stock markets have increased in number, they generally remain small in size and illiquid with the exception of South African stock market (JSE). Nonetheless, they yield remarkable returns. Volatility still remains an issue of African stocks although they are often as volatile as that of some emerging markets. African stock markets account for a meager percentage of the world market capitalization when compared to developed markets such as US and EU Area. But investments in the African equity markets seem to yield good returns despite the perception about the region’s risk and volatility levels. African stock indices, under particular periods of investments, compared to both emerging and developed market indexes are also recording positive returns. Both S&P and MSCI African indices seem to be performing well on the global market.
Spatial and temporal variation of CO2 efflux along a disturbance gradient in a miombo woodland in Western Zambia

Abstract. Carbon dioxide efflux from the soil surface was measured over a period of several weeks within a heterogeneous Brachystegia spp. dominated miombo woodland in Western Zambia. The objectives were to examine spatial and temporal variation of soil respiration along a disturbance gradient from a protected forest reserve to a cut, burned, and grazed area outside, and to relate the flux to various abiotic and biotic drivers. The highest daily mean fluxes (around 12 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) were measured in the protected forest in the wet season and lowest daily mean fluxes (around 1 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) in the most disturbed area during the dry season. Diurnal variation of soil respiration was closely correlated with soil temperature. The combination of soil water content and soil temperature was found to be the main driving factor at seasonal time scale. There was a 75% decrease in soil CO2 efflux during the dry season and a 20% difference in peak soil respiratory flux measured in 2008 and 2009. Spatial variation of CO2 efflux was positively related to total soil carbon content in the undisturbed area but not at the disturbed site. Coefficients of variation of efflux rates between plots decreased towards the core zone of the protected forest reserve. Normalized soil respiration values did not vary significantly along the disturbance gradient. Spatial variation of respiration did not show a clear distinction between the disturbed and undisturbed sites and could not be explained by variables such as leaf area index. In contrast, within plot variability of soil respiration was explained by soil organic carbon content. Three different approaches to calculate total ecosystem respiration (Reco) from eddy covariance measurements were compared to two bottom-up estimates of Reco obtained from chambers measurements of soil- and leaf respiration which differed in the consideration of spatial heterogeneity. The consideration of spatial variability resulted only in small changes of Reco when compared to simple averaging. Total ecosystem respiration at the plot scale, obtained by eddy covariance differed by up to 25% in relation to values calculated from the soil- and leaf chamber efflux measurements but without showing a clear trend.
A Multidimensional poverty analysis: evidence from Italian data

Poverty analyses based on traditional measures reveal that poverty and inequality increased in Italy during the last fifteen years. However, in most of the empirical studies, poverty is measured only on basis of the household income. The main drawback of this method is that it does not include other lifestyle non-monetary variables which can be relevant to define households’ necessities. It is now widely agreed that poverty should be more properly conceptualised as a multidimensional phenomenon, more related to the standard of living of the person or household than to the simple inability of satisfying the maintenance needs. In this paper we propose to measure poverty in Italy by complementing income information and non-monetary indicators. To this end, a multidimensional poverty analysis is performed, by using a representative sample based on the first wave (2004) of the Italian component of the European Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). Having defined how we interpret the concept of deprivation, a non linear principal component analysis is applied to selected items in order to reveal underlying latent structures, which can be interpreted as deprivation indices.We then examine how such measures can be combined with income measures in order to realize a better identification of the poor. Finally, we examine the degree of overlap between income poor and deprived people and provide an analysis of both low income and deprivation profiles. Our results support the widespread opinion that a more comprehensive poverty measure, based on a combination of deprivation criteria and income poverty, may lead to different results compared to analyses based only on income measures.
The Role of R&D Investment in Firm Valuation for Small and Medium Korean Companies

As technology innovation gains attention as a key value-relevant factor, many researchers raise questions about the conventional assumption that the market value of equity is a linear function of technology innovation. This study takes the view that R&D, as a proxy for technology innovation, helps promote firm value in ways dependent on firms’ characteristics and market structure. To explore this argument, this study collects data from small and medium companies listed on the Korean stock markets covering from 2001 to 2011. The results show that R&D contributes to the promotion of the market value of equity, which, as a proxy for firm value, is in turn found to be nonlinearly associated with R&D according to a firm’s characteristics and market structure. This paper indicates the need to employ a nonlinear value relevance model in assessing the market value of equity as a function of the R&D investments of small and medium Korean companies.
Endogenous fungi isolated from three locoweed species from rangeland in western China

Leguminous locoweeds cause toxicosis to grazing animals in western China and western USA. Swainsonine, a toxic alkaloid, is produced by the endophytic fungus Alternaria section Undifilum sp. living within the locoweed plants. Nothing is known of the other endogenous fungi associated with locoweed and it is unknown if the presence of Alternaria sect. Undifilum sp. , a potential mutualist, in a locoweed influences the fungal microbiome associated with the plant. To help address these questions, endogenous fungi associated with three locoweed species (Oxytropis glabra, Sphaerophysa salsula, and Astragalus variabilis) collected from grasslands from western China were evaluated. Fungi were isolated from the tissues and identified by morphological features and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. A total of 1209 fungal isolates were obtained from 1819 tissues for an isolation rate of 66.5%. Alternaria sect. Undifilum oxytropis, Alternaria spp. and Fusarium spp. were most commonly isolated. Plant host species, plant part, and environment influenced the endogenous fungal communities isolated from the locoweed plants. There were significant differences in the diversity of fungal species isolated from O. glabra from two sites, and no differences between the diversity of fungi isolated from A. variabilis from two sites. Alternaria sect. Undifilum was found most frequently associated with toxic locoweeds. Plants or plant parts that did not yield this endophyte had more plant pathogenic fungi associated with them. This is the first report of the diversity of fungi associated with these locoweeds and the first to suggest a beneficial role for Undifilum. Key words: Fungal endophytes, Undifilum sp. , locoweeds.
Estimation of Fama and French Model with Augmented Risk Factors: Case of KSE-Pakistan

This paper finds the empirical evidence on the applicability of Fama and French model on Pakistan Stockexchange. The emerging markets have different traits or characteristics as compare to the developed markets.There is lack of evidence that whether the size and book-to-market equity affect the emerging markets or not.The Fama and French took two extreme points to form the portfolios SMB (small minus big) and HML (highminus low), as risk is not static there can be number of numerous factors which effect the stock returns. We willtake three points for both factors namely; small, medium and big for SMB and high, medium and low for HML.In addition, wants to see the effect of medium capitalize firms and medium book-to-market firms. The mainpurpose behind this to address the Pakistan market and find the applicability of fama and french model for theemerging market, along with this find out whether the CAPM, Traditional Fama & French or Modified Fama &French provide the more appropriate information for risk return relationship, on monthly data for this purpose.As Iqbal and Brooks (2007) found that daily, data provide more reliable and informative risk return relationshipas compare to the monthly and weekly for both beta and for Fama and French factors.
Heat conduction beyond Fourier ’ s Law : theoretical predictions and experimental validation

This dissertation discusses the physical and experimental background behind the extension of classical heat conduction equation, the Fourier’s law. From the theoretical point of view, the framework of non-equilibrium thermodynamics with internal variables is used to obtain a powerful generalization, the ballistic-conductive equation. The non-equilibrium thermodynamical framework is compared to the kinetic theory based Rational Extended Thermodynamical one. It is shown that the modeling of a real rarefied gas and a rarefied phonon gas is similar in our framework. The ballistic-conductive model is tested in different fields of heat conduction. The chapter of low temperature heat conduction discusses the modeling challenge of NaF experiments where one may observe various wave propagation forms of heat. The results are compared to the Rational Extended Thermodynamical approach and to Y. Ma’s hybrid phonon gas model. The chapter of room temperature experiments is devoted to the work conducted in the Department of Energy Engineering, BME. Here, the deviation from Fourier’s law is observed in inhomogeneous materials such as rocks and metal foams. The realization of the Fourier hierarchy of Guyer-Krumhansl equation led to the physical interpretation of the observed phenomenon. In the chapter about biological heat conduction the popular models are discussed with their relation to thermodynamics. Then a series of heat pulse experiment by Tang et al. is modeled. It highlights the main misunderstandings related to non-Fourier heat conduction in this field. In this work, the same modeling framework is applied to low and room temperature heat propagation phenomena, to artificial and natural test samples and also to living tissues. This is a strong argument that the non-equilibrium thermodynamics with internal variables is universal, like Fourier’s law for local equilibrium phenomenon.
The European Institutional Environment and SME Relationship Lending: Should We Care?

This paper examines the impact of country specific determinants on multiple banking using a unique survey sample of 4959 SMEs from 19 European countries. Our data shows that (1) SMEs in countries with inefficient loan enforcement mechanisms are more likely to maintain multiple bank relationships, (2) the association between multiple banking and bank fragility is non-monotonous, being negative when the banking system is relatively stable and positive for high values of bank fragility, and (3) multiple banking is more likely for SMEs in countries with larger banking systems as well as smaller and less active securities markets. Overall, this evidence suggests that SMEs need multiple banking as a diversification mechanism to overcome expensive adverse selection that may arise within a country that suffers from an inefficient legal system and fragile banks, but also that movement towards a more market based financial system decreases the likelihood of multiple bank relationships for SMEs. These findings have important implications for policy makers in Europe when contemplating SME access to finance.
Plant invasions along mountain roads: the altitudinal amplitude of alien Asteraceae forbs in their native and introduced ranges

Studying plant invasions along environmental gradients is a promising approach to dissect the relative importance of multiple interacting factors that affect the spread of a species in a new range. Along altitudinal gradients, factors such as propagule pressure, climatic conditions and biotic interactions change simultaneously across rather small geographic scales. Here we investigate the distribution of eight Asteraceae forbs along mountain roads in both their native and introduced ranges in the Valais (southern Swiss Alps) and the Wallowa Mountains (northeastern Oregon, USA). We hypothesised that a lack of adaptation and more limiting propagule pressure at higher altitudes in the new range restricts the altitudinal distribution of aliens relative to the native range. However, all but one of the species reached the same or even a higher altitude in the new range. Thus neither the need to adapt to changing climatic conditions nor lower propagule pressure at higher altitudes appears to have prevented the altitudinal spread of introduced populations. We found clear differences between regions in the relative occurrence of alien species in ruderal sites compared to roadsides, and in the degree of invasion away from the roadside, presumably reflecting differences in disturbance patterns between regions. Whilst the upper altitudinal limits of these plant invasions are apparently climatically constrained, factors such as anthropogenic disturbance and competition with native vegetation appear to have greater influence than changing climatic conditions on the distribution of these alien species along altitudinal gradients.
TUMOR GROWTH ARREST: INVOLVEMENT OF THE MUTATION IN THE CATARITIC REGION OF JAK1

Interferon- is cytokine that has antiviral, antiproliferative and immunomodulatory effects. Since the original discovery of the classical JAK-STAT1 signaling pathway, it has become clear that the coordination and cooperation of multiple distinct signaling cascades are required for the generation of responses to IFN-. The receptor-associated JAK1 and JAK2 activities are important for interferon- response. In many cases, the lack of antigen presentation can be attributed to the down regulation of genes needed for antigen processing, such as the TAP1 and LMP2, which are greatly induced by IFN- signalling. The G871E mutation in ATP-binding region of JAK1 has already been identified in uterine leiomyosarcoma (Ut-LMS) cells, and possibly attribute to loss of IFN- inducible TAP1 and LMP2 expression. However, the effect of mutant JAK1 on sarcomagenesis and malignancy has not been fully understood. Here, the differential responsiveness to IFN- of the cells, which have exogenous mutant JAK1-G871E activity, was investigated. We now show the defective tyrosine kinase activity of mutant JAK1-G871E, suggesting the loss of IFN- inducible TAP1 and LMP2 expression. Importantly, it is likely that G871E mutation of JAK1 results in defective IFN- induced cell growth arrest due to loss of LMP2 expression. Understanding the mechanisms by which sarcoma cells circumvent cytokine signaling, thereby JAK1 mutation, rather than evading antitumor-specific immunity, markedly affects the cell proliferation.
The Influence of Organizational Context on Quitting Intention

This study uses multilevel methods to investigate the effects of organizational context on job satisfaction and quitting intention among staff working in long-term mental health care settings. Two types of organizational features are examined: group job satisfaction and structural features of the work unit (unit size, workload, and level of client functioning on the unit). A review of the organizational literature reveals that most empirical research has investigated job satisfaction at the individual level of analysis rather than the group level. The authors argue that the affective context of a group has real and measurable consequences for individual attitudes and behavior, independent of individual attitudes toward the job. Using multilevel modeling, study findings support the premise that group job satisfaction exercises effects on intention to quit independent of individuals’ dispositions toward their jobs. These effects are both direct and interactive. The findings underscore the importance of affective context in shaping individual attitudes and behavioral intentions.
POLITECNICO DI TORINO

Our thesis is focused on the study of Aosta Valley a region characterized by contrasts and dynamics that can give rise to opportunities for interesting design choices. Through the analysis of the existing settlement principles, we tried to understand how the urban cloth might change by a new infrastructural system, which would result in the mending of the urban tissue. Particularly, in the city of Aosta, the Cogne steel complex is being used as the basis for redesigning the area.
Helicobacter pylori infection: Clinical, Endoscopic and Pathological findings in Iranian children

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection has an important role in promoting gastrointestinal disease in human. It may be acquired early in life, particularly in developing countries. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between H.pylori infection and clinical manifestations in Iranian children.Materials and Methods: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, H. pylori status was assessed by pathological examination of gastric biopsy in symptomatic children. A total of 266 patients were diagnosed as infected by H. pylori, compared with 268 uninfected patients matched by age and sex. Reported symptoms, endoscopic and pathological findings in the two groups were analyzed using chi square test. The limit of statistical significance was set at P
Metal fingers on grain boundaries in multicrystalline silicon solar cells

We have developed a method of applying a net‐like finger grid to the front of multicrystalline (mc) silicon solar cells, which lies mainly on the grain boundaries (grain‐boundary‐oriented‐finger GBOF grid). This net has no busbars. It is drawn by a plotter, using screen printing paste dispensed through a fine tube. The power output of cells contacted in this manner has been tested in a statistical study of pairs and triplets of cells of size 100 × 100 mm2 (Bayer) and 103 × 103 mm2 (Eurosolare). In the pairs study, pairs of neighbouring wafers of the original ingot were processed into solar cells. One wafer received a GBOF grid, the other got the same grid rotated by 90°, and so had little coverage of grain boundaries. In the study of triplets the third wafer of each triplet was equipped with a standard H‐pattern of the same shading as the GBOF grid. In the pairs study, we find that under approximately standard conditions there is an 89% chance that the GBOF grid increases power output over cells with an identical, but 90° rotated, grid, the most probable increase being 2.6%. The triplets study shows that there is an 87% chance that the GBOF grid increases power output over cells with the standard H‐pattern, the most probable increase being 2.5%. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Excision repair cross-complementary group for chemotherapy efficacy in gastric cancer

Excision repair cross-complementary group 1 (ERCC1) is a significant protein in the nucleotide excision repair pathway. ERCC1 activity has been previously reported as a significant biomarker for the efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy in some cancers such as lung, ovary, gastric and colorectal cancer. In gastric cancer, the results of previous studies on mRNA/immunohistochemical (IHC)/polymorphism of ERCC1 in patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy varied among different studies. The large-scale translational analyses of JCOG 9912 trial revealed that a high level of ERCC1 is considered a poor prognostic factor in terms of overall survival (OS) in advanced gastric cancer patients who received systemic chemotherapy. The ERCC1 mRNA expression in the diffuse type adenocarcinoma was significantly higher than the expression in the intestinal type. For these patients with poor prognosis such as high ERCC1 value and diffuse type adenocarcinoma, a triplet regimen as first-line chemotherapy was considered to be more active than a doublet regimen. JCOG 1013 is a randomized phase III trial that investigates the superiority of a triplet regimen of docetaxel, S-1 and cisplatin in relation to S-1 and cisplatin in patients with unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer. This study also investigates differences in OS according to tumor tissue classification (intestinal type vs . diffuse type) as a key secondary endpoint. As a future approach, strict guidelines for standard protocols regarding sample collection and preservation of samples are required and we may need to develop the target-specific antibodies for functional ERCC1 isoforms. These improvements would solve the methodological heterogeneity of ERCC1 determinations and large-scale randomized trials to validate the roles of molecular markers, including ERCC1 expression, in advanced gastric cancer patients who receive platinum-based chemotherapy are required in the future.
Semi-Conducting Behavior of Plio-Quaternary Basaltic Lava Flows from Hemat Madam Volcano, Sana’a-Amran Volcanic Field, Yemen

Electric DC and AC measurements and dielectric investigations have been carried out on some Plio-Qaternary basalt of Hemat Madam volcano from Sana’a-Amran volcanic field (SAVF). In this article we focus primarily on the field aspects and the main characteristic mineralogical and petrographic features of this inactive volcano. Using DC and AC experimental arrangements we discovered excellent electrical characteristics for this inactive volcano. The results of DC electrical resistivity versus a temperature reveal that all the samples have semiconductor characters. Moreover, the measurements showed that these samples have high resistive extrinsic semiconductors (ρDC ~ 109 Ω·m). AC and dielectric measurements were ensured the semi-conductivity and normal dielectric behavior of these samples. AC measurements reveal that the classical barrier hopping model (CBH) is the predominant conduction mechanism, while at low temperature region small polarons may contribute to the conduction in the samples. The samples have low values for dielectric constant e' and low loss factor tanδ (e' ~ 27 and tanδ ~ 0.7 at 200 Hz for the sample BA7). Then, the semicodutor behavior, the high values of DC/AC resistivity and low loss dissipation factor considered a very good characterization for magnetic semiconductor materials. So, we can predict that, the studied natural materials represent newborn promising material sciences for many more technological applications.