Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Production and characterization of a thermophilic and extremely halotolerant alpha-amylase isolated from Anoxybacillus gonensis AT 23

Background & Objectives: Thermophilic alpha-amylase can be used in different industries such as starch processing and detergents. This study was performed to isolate alpha-amylase-producing bacteria and characterization of the enzyme. Materials & Methods: After sample collection from Gorooh hot spring in Kerman province, Iran, thermophilic alpha-amylaseproducing bacteria were isolated using the starch-agar medium. 16S rDNA sequencing was used to identify the bacterial strain. Characterization of the thermophilic alpha-amylase was performed in the presence of various factors such as pH, temperature, metal ions, chemical compounds, and organic solvents. Also, kinetic parameters of the enzyme were determined in different concentrations of starch. Results: Anoxybacillus gonensis AT23 was identified as the best thermophilic alpha-amylaseproducing strain. The alpha-amylase enzyme showed the optimal activity at pH 5 to 6. Sevenfold increase in the enzyme activity was observed in the presence of NaCl (3M). Mn and Zn increased the enzyme activity about 95% and 31%, respectively. Kinetic parameters including Km and Vmax were estimated about 1.657 mg/ml and 0.0059 mg/ml/min, respectively. Also, enzyme activity was also improved about 2 folds in the presence of organic solvents including n-butanol and 10% cyclohexane. Conclusion: Our results indicated that AT23 alpha-amylase is a halophile and organic solvent-tolerant enzyme. Therefore, it can be used in different industries.
Fluorophosphates from Solid‐State Synthesis and Electrochemical Ion Exchange: NaVPO4F or Na3V2(PO4)2F3?

Vanadium‐based fluorophosphates are promising sodium‐ion battery cathode materials. Different phases of NaVPO4F and Na3V2(PO4)2F3 are reported in the literature. However, experiments in this work suggest that there could be confusions about the single‐phase NaVPO4F in solid‐state synthesis. Here, systematic investigation of the mechanism underlying structural and compositional evolution of solid‐state synthesis (NaF:VPO4 = 1:1) is determined by in situ and ex situ X‐ray diffraction and electrochemical measurements. Three reactions—3NaF + 3VPO4 → Na3V2(PO4)2F3 + VPO4 (up to 500 °C), Na3V2(PO4)2F3 + VPO4 → Na3V2(PO4)3 + VF3↑ (600–800 °C), and 2Na3V2(PO4)3 → 2(VO)2P2O7 + Na4P2O7 + amorphous products (above 800 °C)—are validated by in situ XRD and thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry. None of the products reported in this work is consistent with single‐phase NaVPO4F at any temperature. It is speculated that the assignments of I4/mmm and C2/c NaVPO4F from solid‐state synthesis are incorrect, which are instead multiphase mixtures of Le Meins' Na3V2(PO4)2F3, unreacted VPO4, and hexagonal Na3V2(PO4)3. Liquid‐electrolyte‐based electrochemical ion exchange of LiVPO4F produces a tavorite NaVPO4F structure, which is very different from Le Meins' family of Na3Al2(PO4)2F3 polymorphs.
Causes of generalized social trust: An innovative cross-national evaluation

In this chapter we want to establish whether the 3-item scale to measure generalized social trust (GST) in the European Social Survey (ESS) can be meaningfully used in comparative research. If so, we also want to study the causes of GST cross-nationally; building upon the 5 work by Delhey & Newton (2005). The standard procedure to assess the comparability of a survey measure is by means of measurement equivalence tests, a specific form of multi-group confirmatory factor analyses (MG-CFA). In general it is quite difficult to evaluate these models, i.e. it is not easy to decide when a model fits the data, how and where a model should be improved, and when the improvements are sufficient. In this chapter we introduce two 10 innovations for testing measurement equivalence of survey measures. One innovation involves an alternative procedure to evaluate structural equation models (Saris, Satorra, and Van der Veld, 2009). This procedure is implemented in a software program called JRule which is developed to detect misspecifications in SEM models taking into account the power of the test. The other innovation concerns the separation of error components and the 15 substantive components in the response, which makes it possible to test for measurement equivalence after correction for random and systematic measurement error. Applying these innovations in our study resulted in evidence that the 3-item measure for GST is scalar invariant in all 19 countries that we analyzed.
Does OPEC act as a Residual Producer

In the conventional energy modeling systems, such as the one followed by the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS), USA or the International Energy Agency (IEA), Paris, the OPEC has been assumed to act like a residual producer. Notwithstanding such assumptions in the aforesaid models, the OPEC’s role just as a residual producer still continues to remain an open question. It deserves to be recognised that the OPEC is not a homogeneous entity but consists of producers with diverse proven reserve positions and hence diverse interests and expectations. So, it would be rather naive to expect that the OPEC as a whole would necessarily comply with the call without taking into account the interests of its member countries. Taking cue from above, a model of world crude demand and Non-OPEC crude supply has been constructed in the paper to cross-examine whether the assumption of the conventional modeling approaches regarding the OPEC’s role as a residual producer actually holds good in practice.
Quality management and employees' attitudes: an example from certified enterprises

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the implications of quality management system (QMS) practices in employees' attitudes relating to job involvement, job satisfaction, career satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Design/methodology/approach – This study was accomplished through the use of a questionnaire. Twenty hypotheses related to QMS practices and the employees' attitudes were formulated and tested. Findings – The results indicate that responsibility and teamwork have a significant and positive correlation with job involvement, job satisfaction, career satisfaction, as well as organizational commitment. Ongoing improvement and problem solving have significant implications in organizational commitment. In addition, training and education, as well as customer focus, did not demonstrate any favorable contribution to the employees' attitudes. Originality/value – The study recommends that management should be more committed to the development of quality practices to sustain and enhance employe.
Value-Based Differentiation in Business Relationships: Gaining and Sustaining Key Supplier Status

Many business customers today consolidate their supply bases and implement preferred supplier programs. Consequently, vendors increasingly face the alternative of either gaining a key supplier status with their customers or being pushed into the role of a backup supplier. As product and price become less important differentiators, suppliers of routinely purchased products search for new ways to differentiate themselves in a buyer–seller relationship. This research investigates avenues for differentiation through value creation in business-to-business relationships. The results suggest that relationship benefits display a stronger potential for differentiation in key supplier relationships than cost considerations. The authors identify service support and personal interaction as core differentiators, followed by a supplier's know-how and its ability to improve a customer's time to market. Product quality and delivery performance, along with acquisition costs and operation costs, display a moderate potential to help a firm gain and maintain key supplier status. Finally, price shows the weakest potential for differentiation.
A Case of foreign body granuloma after Plastibell® circumcision

Male circumcision is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures and the Plastibell® device is a popular method used to perform circumcisions in neonates and young children. We report a case of a 9-year-old otherwise healthy boy who developed foreign body granulomas following Plastibell® circumcision which was carried out in the community by a medically trained practitioner. His post-operative course was complicated by a retained Plastibell® ring and development of multiple non-healing wounds and granulomas. This patient underwent a semi-elective examination under general anesthesia, wound exploration and re-do modified circumcision. At 4 month follow up the wound was well healed without scarring and the patient reported a normal single straight stream urinary flow.
Aerodynamic roughness of ice surfaces derived from high resolution topographic data

(1) University of Leeds, School of Geography, Leeds, United Kingdom (m.w.smith@leeds.ac.uk), (2) University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment, Leeds, United Kingdom, (3) University of Edinburgh, School of GeoSciences, Drummond Street, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, (4) Aberystwyth University, Department for Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom, (5) University of York, Environment Department, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
The Economic Basis of Social Class

In this paper we adopt a theory of class positions based on employment relations to assess what implications individuals? class positions have for their economic life. In particular we consider economic security (the risk of unemployment), economic stability (the variability component in earnings) and economic prospects (lifetime earnings profiles). Our findings provide empirical support for the theory itself and little evidence for the currently fashionable claims of the decline, or even death, of class in today? s society.
The role of target polarization in electron-ion recombination

We investigate the role of dynamic polarization of the target electrons in the process of recombination of electrons with multicharged ions (polarizational recombination). Numerical calculations carried out for a number of Ni- and Ne-like ions demonstrate that the inclusion of polarizational recombination leads to a noticeable increase (up to 30%) in the cross sections for incident electron energies outside the regions of dielectronic resonances. We also present a critical analysis of theoretical approaches used by other authors to describe the phenomenon of polarizational recombination.
Antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from milk in the Mafikeng Area, North West province, South Africa

The aim of this study was to isolate Staphylococcus aureus from samples of cow’s milk obtained from different farm settings and to determine their antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Gram staining, oxidase, catalase, DNase, haemolysis and the MASTASTAPH TM rapid agglutination tests were employed for bacterial identification. A total of 28 milk samples were collected and screened for the presence of S. aureus . All the samples were contaminated with S. aureus . A total of 240 S. aureus isolates were obtained during this study. The levels of contamination with S. aureus were higher in milk obtained from the communal farms in Lokaleng and Mogosane (24.6% and 35.4%, respectively)compared to the commercial farms in Rooigrond and Molelwane (17.9% and 22.1%, respectively). A large percentage of the S. aureus isolates (39%–100%) from both communal farms was resistant to methicillin (MT), ampicillin (AP), penicillin G (PG), sulphamethoxazole (Smx), oxytetracycline (OT), erythromycin (E), nitrofurantoin (NI) and streptomycin (S), but not vancomycin (V). An even higher percentage (64.2% – 100%) of the isolates from both commercial farms was resistant to sulphamethoxazole and nitrofurantoin. A comparably smaller percentage (3.4% – 4.7%) of the isolates from both communal farms was resistant to vancomycin, but all isolates from commercial farm milk were susceptible to this drug. The predominant multiple antibiotic resistant phenotypes for isolates from the commercial farms were AP-Smx-NI and MT-AP-PG-OT-Smx-NI for Rooigrond and Molelwane farms, respectively, while those for isolates from the communal farms were MT-AP-PG-Smx-E-NI-S and MT-AP-PG-OT-Smx-NI-S for Lokaleng and Mogosane, respectively. When comparing the percentage of antibiotic resistance, a significant positive correlation was observed between the isolates from the commercial farms ( r = 0.966, p S. aureus is normally resident in humans, therefore, the S. aureus present in the cows may have resulted from transmission between the two species, emphasising the need to improve sanitary conditions in the milking environment.
The role of growth regulators, embryo age and genotypes on immature embryo germination and rapid generation advancement in tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

One of the most important problem of tomato breeders is lengthy seed to seed cycle in a breeding program. In vitro techiques provide a lot of advantages for breeders. The objective of this work was to determine the effect of growth regulators and immature embryo age on embryo germination and rapid generation advancement in different tomato genotypes. For this purpose, four different tomato genotypes were used. Immature embryos were derived from fruits 20, 24, 28, 32 and 36 days after pollination. Fruits were left on the plant to mature as control (conventional breeding cycle). MS, MS + 0.1 mg/l kinetin, MS + 0.1 mg/l IAA and MS + 0.1 mg/l kinetin + 0.1 mg/l IAA were used as growth regulators. Growth regulators and genotypes resulted in nonsignificant effect on germination rate and rapid generation advancement, but embryo age resulted in significant effect. Germination rate from immature embryos ranged between 55.22 and 100%. Twenty eight (28) and thirty two (32) days old embryos gave the best germination rate. Days from pollination to flowering, shortened between 53,36 and 63,96 days in comparison with the conventional breeding cycle. This study showed that using immature embryo technique in tomato breeding offers more generation per year when compared to conventional breeding practice. Key words: Growth regulators, immature embryo culture, embryo age, tomato, kinetin, IAA, shortened breeding cycle.
The commercial fishing fleet using the middle stretch of the Madeira river, Brazil

Fishery resources in the Amazon region are exploited by both industrial and artisanal fishing fleets, that differ in their use of fishing gear and fishing grounds. Data on the physical characteristics of the vessels belonging to the fishing fleets using the Solimoes/Amazonas river and estuaries are limited. This article presents an analysis of some physical characteristics of the commercial fishery fleet using the middle stretch of the Madeira river. Data were quantitative collected using interviews of the owners and/or skippers of fishery vessels between January 2003 and May 2004. The boats used for fishing in the region varied in size from 8 to 14 meters and had an average storage capacity ranging from 4.5 to 6.1 tons. Canoes were also used for fishing and ranged in length from 5 to 9 meters, with an average storage capacity of 0.2 tons. The results of this study demonstrate that boats in the Madeira river fleet had similar characteristics to the fishery fleet of the Solimoes/Amazonas river with respect to length, use of gear, and fish storage.
1 Is Associated With Induction of b-Cell Autoimmunity That Portends Type 1 Diabetes

The rapidly increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes implies that environmental factors are involved in the pathogenesis. Enteroviruses are among the suspected environmental triggers of the disease, and the interest in exploring the possibilities to develop vaccines against these viruses has increased. Our objective was to identify enterovirus serotypes that could be involved in the initiation of the disease process by screening neutralizing antibodies against 41 different enterovirus types in a unique longitudinal sample series from a large prospective birth-cohort study. The study participants comprised 183 case children testing persistently positive for at least two diabetespredictive autoantibodies and 366 autoantibodynegative matched control children. Coxsackievirus B1 was associated with an increased risk of b-cell autoimmunity. This risk was strongest when infection occurred a few months before autoantibodies appeared and was attenuated by the presence of maternal antibodies against the virus. Two other coxsackieviruses, B3 and B6, were associated with a reduced risk, with an interaction pattern, suggesting immunological cross-protection against coxsackievirus B1. These results support previous observations suggesting that the group B coxsackieviruses are associated with the risk of type 1 diabetes. The clustering of the risk and protective viruses to this narrow phylogenetic lineage supports the biological plausibility of this phenomenon.
Modeling the particle flux effect on distribution of 230Th in the equatorial Pacific

[1] The normalization of sediment accumulation rates by 230Th is increasingly used to constrain particle rain rates because 230Th is produced at a known rate in the water column and removed relatively quickly to the sediment. Several recent contributions have questioned this approach and suggested that the preferential removal of 230Th in areas of high particle flux, the “particle flux effect,” introduces a systematic bias in the 230Th normalization technique. We use a circulation model that includes a description of particle scavenging to show that the particle flux effect cannot explain observations of high 230Th accumulation in equatorial Pacific sediments (relative to 230Th production in the water column). We further consider the possible variation of particle rain rates over time. We find only a minimal sensitivity in the particle flux effect due to increases in the particle rain rate at the equatorial Pacific by a factor of up to 10. This situation exists because the residence time of 230Th in the water column is too short to permit significant lateral transport with reasonable isopycnal mixing coefficients. We conclude that the increased rates of 230Th accumulation found in equatorial Pacific sediments deposited during the Last Glacial Maximum cannot have been caused by the particle flux effect.
THE EFFECT OF FEMALE EXECUTIVES ON EARNINGS MANAGEMENT:EVIDENCE FROM INDONESIA

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the gender of the firm’s executives (chief executive officers and/ or chief financial officers) has a significant impact on the firm’s earnings management. Modified Dechow and Dichev model is used to measure discretionary accruals as the proxy of earnings management. This paper uses multiple regressions to test the relationship between female executive and earnings management. The paper represents evidence that there is no significant relationship between female executives (chief executive officers and/ or chief financial officers) and discretionary accruals as the proxy of earnings management. Furthermore, the paper’s evidence has implications for investors and firms. Since there is no significant relationship between female executive and earnings management, investors should not be hesitant of making investment in companies with female executive.
Subsurface magnetostratigraphy of Pleistocene sediments from the Po Plain (Italy): Constraints on rates of sedimentation and rock uplift

We used facies analysis to reconstruct the Pleistocene sedimentary evolution of seven cores from the central-northern Po Plain, Italy. The cores record an overall regressive sequence consisting of shallow-water marine and fl uvial-deltaic deposits overlain by fully continental sediments. We used magnetostratigraphy to date marine and fl uvial-deltaic sediments to the early Pleistocene and continental sediments to the middle–late Pleistocene. Sediment accumulation rates were ~30–40 cm/k.y. in the early Pleistocene, whereas relevant unconformities and/or an overall reduction in sediment accumulation rates characterized the middle–late Pleistocene. A simple Airy compensation model was applied to restore actual sediments elevations to elevations at times of deposition expressed in meters above current sea level. The correlation of isostatically corrected sedimentary facies to a sea-level curve obtained from classic oxygen-isotope studies shows that an event of rock uplift on the order of ~70–120 m occurred in the middle–late Pleistocene. Literature studies of vegetational cyclicity, used in conjunction with the sea-level curve, allowed us to link sedimentary facies to climate variability. We propose that the onset of fully and persistently continental sedimentation occurred in response to the waxing of the fi rst major Pleistocene glaciation in the Alps, currently correlated to marine isotope stage 22 at ca. 0.87 Ma, and that the episode of uplift occurred (at least in part) as a consequence of erosion and crustal rebound of the Alpine chain triggered by Pleistocene glacialinterglacial cycles.
OCCURRENCE AND MANAGEMENT OF SUSPECTED RABIES IN LIVESTOCK SPECIES DUE TO DOG BITES AT SATKANIA UPAZILLA VETERINARY HOSPITAL, BANGLADESH AND MADRAS VETERINARY COLLEGE HOSPITAL, INDIA

The study was carried out to record all clinical cases of dog bites in different livestock species at two internship placements in India during October to November and Bangladesh during July to September 2012. The study aimed to determine the proportionate prevalence of suspected rabies in livestock species, frequency of observed clinical signs and the therapeutic management of dog bites. A structured record keeping sheet was used to obtain the necessary information. The prevalence of suspected rabies in cattle was 38% and 3.5% each in goat and horse respectively. The prevalence of rabies in non-vaccinated animal was 84.6%. Female cattle had higher suspected rabies cases (24.1%) than male cattle. 51.7% dog bites were managed by washing the biting site with alkaline soap followed by dressing the wound with either antiseptic or antibiotic powder. Post-exposure vaccines were used in 24.1% cases. Strict adherence to vigorous wound washing and immediate medical evaluation after animal bites will prevent the development of Animal rabies. Veterinarians and animal control officers should handle potentially rabid animals with extreme caution.
Nongaussian Isocurvature Perturbations from Inflation

We present a class of very simple inflationary models of two scalar fields which leads to non-Gaussian isothermal perturbations with a ``blue'' spectrum, $ng1. $ One of the models is inspired by supersymmetric theories where light scalar fields naturally acquire masses $\ensuremath{\sim}H$ during inflation. Another model presumes that one of the fields has a nonminimal interaction with gravity $\ensuremath{\xi}R{\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{2}. $ By a slight modification of parameters of these models one can obtain either Gaussian isothermal perturbations, or non-Gaussian adiabatic perturbations with $ng1. $
N ° 2001-09 Minimum Wage , Exports and Growth

Using an endogenous growth model in an open economy, we study the impact of minimum wages on growth for an innovator country. We state that a minimum wage shifts efforts from production to R&D, but only in an open economy. Thus, it speeds up long-run growth in proportional to exports. Calibrations suggest the growth surplus can be significant. An empirical study on 11 OECD countries illustrates these results. The impact on welfare is ambiguous because the minimum wage induces unemployment. However, we show that in an open economy, a minimum wage associated with unemployment benefits can pareto dominate laissez faire. JEL Classification: E1, F43, J31.