Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FINANCE AND BALANCED GROWTH

We study the relationships between various concepts of financial development and balanced economic growth. A model of endogenous growth that incorporates roles for both financial efficiency and access to financial services permits a better understanding of the relationship between the size of the financial sector (value added) and growth. Higher financial value added results from some, but not all, kinds of finance-driven growth. If greater access rather than greater efficiency generates higher growth, then value added and growth can be positively correlated. We present some preliminary empirical results that support the importance of access alongside efficiency in explaining cross-country variations in growth.
Biomass production of Lactobacillus plantarum LP02 isolated from infant feces with potential cholesterol- lowering ability

The potentially hypocholesterolemic strain, designated PL02, of Lactobacillus plantarum, was isolated from infant feces. The aim of this study was to characterize and to cultivate this isolate for biomass production in a 5 L fermentor by batch or fed-batch fermentation. A modified medium composition without peptone was used to produce more viable cells with a 150 rpm agitation speed and 0.5 vvm of aeration during incubation. A cell concentration of 2.2 g dry cell weight (DCW) per liter in fermented broth was reached in a 5 L fermentor after the glucose was consumed completely during batch fermentation. In addition, biomass was significantly improved at 28 h of fed-batch fermentation (9.45 g DCW/l) over a constant feeding rate of 20 ml/h of feeding solution since the glucose was consumed at batch process. A much shorter fermentation time (15 h) and greater biomass (10.12 g DCW/l) was obtained by using multistep feeding rates to maintain glucose concentration of 1 to 5 g/l during fedbatch process. The biomass of L. plantarum PL02 produced by fed-batch fermentation was greater than that achieved by batch fermentation and the fed-batch method might also be suitable for other lactic acid bacteria fermentation.
Domestic Stock Age Profiles and Herd Management Practices: Ethnoarchaeological Implications from Maasai Settlements in Southern Kenya

Age profiles of domestic stock from East African late Holocene archaeological sites have been used to make inferences regarding the advent and development of early pastoral economies ca 5000 to 2000 years ago. This ethnoarchaeological study among contemporary pastoral Maasai of southern Kenya was undertaken to examine the basis of these inferences in particular, and the interpretations that have been made regarding prehistoric herd management practices generally. Age profiles at the Pastoral Neolithic sites and those of contemporary Maasai settlements appear to be very similar. This supports the hypothesis that modes of subsistence and herd management practices at the prehistoric sites may have been closely similar to modern ones. Results also show that natural factors of mortality, rather than intentional culling contributed significantly to faunal accumulation on the Maasai settlements studied. I suggest that the reconstruction of prehistoric herd management on the basis of age profiles should consider the role of natural causes of mortality, and the possibility that intentional strategies of culling may play a more limited role in the formation of the zooarchaeological record than previously suggested. K E Y WORDS: AGE PROFILES, PA S TO R A L NEOLITHIC, ETHNOARCHAEOLOGY, E A S T A F R I C A RESUMEN: Los perfiles de edad del ganado domestico de yacimientos arqueologicos del Holoceno final en Africa oriental han sido utilizados para realizar inferencias concernientes a la llegada y desarrollo de las primeras economias pastorales hace ahora entre 5000-2000 anos. Este estudio etnoarqueologico entre los pastoralistas Masai contemporaneos del sur de Kenia se llevo a cabo para examinar la validez de estas inferencias y las interpretaciones a las que han dado lugar en lo relativo al manejo de manadas prehistoricas en general. Los perfiles de edad en los yacimientos neoliticos de pastores y los contemporaneos asentamientos masais parecen ser muy similares. Esto apoya la hipotesis de que los modos de subsistencia y practica pecuarias en los yacimientos prehistoricos pudieron haber sido muy parecidos a los actuales. Los resultados tambien evidencian los agentes naturales de mortandad, mas que el sacrificio intencionado de reses, contribuyen de modo significativo a generar los acumulos faunisticos en los asentamientos masais estudiados. Se sugiere que la reconstruccion del manejo prehistorico de cabanas basada en perfiles de edad deberia tener presente el papel desempenado por los agentes de mortandad natural y la posibilidad de que las practicas pecuarias intencionadas referentes al sacrificio puedan desempenar un papel mas secundario en la genesis del registro arqueozoologico de lo que hasta ahora se supone. PALABRAS CLAVE: PERFILES DE EDAD, ETNOARQUEOLOGIA, ECONOMIA PASTORAL, NEOLITICO, A F R I C AO R I E N TA L
The logic sense: exploring the role of executive functioning in belief and logic-based judgments

Abstract The Default Interventionist account suggests that by default, we often generate belief-based responses when reasoning and find it difficult to draw the logical inference. Recent research, however, shows that in some instances belief judgments take longer, are more prone to error and are more affected by cognitive load. One interpretation is that some logical inferences are available automatically and require intervention in order to respond according to beliefs. In two experiments, we investigate the effortful nature of belief judgments and the automaticity of logical inferences by increasing the inhibitory demands of the task. Participants were instructed to judge conclusion validity, believability and either font colour or font style, to increase the number of competing responses. Results showed that conflict more strongly affects judgments of believability than validity and when inhibitory demands are increased, the validity of an argument impacts more on belief judgments. These findings align with the new Parallel Processing model of belief bias.
Critical Analysis of Seller-Customer Bonding: Perception, Retention, Orientation and Status

Can customers’ positive perception towards retailers’ retention orientation, as evident from store level attributes, be sufficient in creating long-term relationship bond? Customers’ behaviour and perception were explored using questionnaire administered at organized apparel retail outlets in cosmopolitan Indian cities. Though empirical evidence suggests that customers’ positive perception is important in determining long-term relationship, customers’ own value systems such as status in society, shaped by motivation, determine desire to have long-term relationship. Our study reveals two factors influencing long-term relationship to be customers’ tendency to make economic purchase coupled with projection of social status in the society via consumption.
HIV-Related Disability in HIV Hyper-Endemic Countries: A Scoping Review

Background: In the era of enhanced access to ART, many people live longer lives but with episodes of disability resulting from HIV, HIV-related conditions, and/or as side-effects of ART. It is crucial to understand the extent of disability among people living with HIV in high-prevalence settings to inform choices regarding care, policy and research. This article presents the results of the first scoping review to examine the extent, nature and range of disability among people living with HIV in HIV hyper-endemic countries. Methods: This scoping review used the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to conceptualize “disability”. A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted using specific keyword and subject heading combinations. Identified publications were screened and reviewed according to inclusion/exclusion criteria. Data were systematically extracted and reviewed for quality. Extracted data were reviewed for patterns related to methods or results. Results were aligned with the corresponding ICF code. Results: Forty-one articles were included, reporting data from 38 unique studies. Most (78%) of the studies were conducted in South Africa; five in Botswana, one in Zimbabwe and Lesotho, and none in Swaziland. Almost all studies recruited more females than males. All studies except two were in adults. The studies indicate that people living with HIV experience a variety of disabilities. Impairments in body structure/function comprise the majority of data, with particular focus on mental function. Data on activity limitations and participations restriction were limited, however, they were recorded. They indicate severe impact on people’s life and possible adherence. Conclusions: We argue that the time has come to elevate the focus holistically on health and life-related consequences of living with HIV and to integrate disability into the discussions and approaches to HIV care.
Technical efficiency of traditional and hybrid maize farmers in Nigeria: Comparison of alternative approaches

In this study, technical efficiency of traditional and improved maize farms as well as impact of technological innovation on technical efficiency were investigated. Two-stage procedure was followed. In the first stage, technical efficiency scores were obtained from four different models namely parametric stochastic distance frontier, parametric stochastic production frontier and two nonparametric distance frontiers and the results were compared. In the second stage, efficiency estimates from each of the four methods were regressed against hybrid seed and other policy variables using Tobit model. A total of 240 farm households were selected for the study using a multistage random sampling technique. The selected households were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Results showed that farmers operated with substantial technical inefficiency irrespective of the approach employed. Technical efficiency estimates obtained from the distance frontier approaches are positively and significantly correlated. In all the models, hybrid seed was found to have positive and significant impact technical efficiency. Other policy variables that had significant impact on technical efficiency include education, extension, credit and land. These results reinforce the need for further investment in agricultural research and development for increased productivity, food security and poverty reduction in Nigeria.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF SATELLITES AROUND MASSIVE GALAXIES AT 1 < z < 3 IN ZFOURGE/CANDELS: DEPENDENCE ON STAR FORMATION ACTIVITY

We study the statistical distribution of satellites around star-forming and quiescent central galaxies at 1 < z < 3 using imaging from the FourStar Galaxy Evolution Survey and the Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey. The deep near-IR data select satellites down to log (M/M☉) > 9 at z < 3. The radial satellite distribution around centrals is consistent with a projected Navarro–Frenk–White profile. Massive quiescent centrals, log (M/M☉) > 10.78, have ∼2 times the number of satellites compared to star-forming centrals with a significance of 2. 7σ even after accounting for differences in the centrals' stellar-mass distributions. We find no statistical difference in the satellite distributions of intermediate-mass quiescent and star-forming centrals, 10.48 < log (M/M☉) < 10.78. Compared to the Guo et al. semi-analytic model, the excess number of satellites indicates that quiescent centrals have halo masses 0.3 dex larger than star-forming centrals, even when the stellar-mass distributions are fixed. We use a simple toy model that relates halo mass and quenching, which roughly reproduces the observed quenched fractions and the differences in halo mass between star-forming and quenched galaxies only if galaxies have a quenching probability that increases with halo mass from ∼0 for log (Mh/M☉) ∼ 11 to ∼1 for log (Mh/M☉) ∼ 13.5. A single halo-mass quenching threshold is unable to reproduce the quiescent fraction and satellite distribution of centrals. Therefore, while halo quenching may be an important mechanism, it is unlikely to be the only factor driving quenching. It remains unclear why a high fraction of centrals remain star-forming even in relatively massive halos.
Selmer groups and Tate–Shafarevich groups for the congruent number problem

We study the distribution of the sizes of the Selmer groups arising from the three 2-isogenies and their dual 2-isogenies for the elliptic curve En: y2 = x3 - n2x. We show that three of them are almost always trivial, while the 2-rank of the other three follows a Gaussian distribution. It implies three almost always trivial Tate�Shafarevich groups and three large Tate�Shafarevich groups. When combined with a result obtained by Heath-Brown, we show that the mean value of the 2-rank of the large Tate�Shafarevich groups for square-free positive odd integers n = X is ½ loglog X + O(1), as X = 8.
ION ACCELERATION AT THE QUASI-PARALLEL BOW SHOCK: DECODING THE SIGNATURE OF INJECTION

Collisionless shocks are efficient particle accelerators. At Earth, ions with energies exceeding 100 keV are seen upstream of the bow shock when the magnetic geometry is quasi-parallel, and large-scale supernova remnant shocks can accelerate ions into cosmic-ray energies. This energization is attributed to diffusive shock acceleration; however, for this process to become active, the ions must first be sufficiently energized. How and where this initial acceleration takes place has been one of the key unresolved issues in shock acceleration theory. Using Cluster spacecraft observations, we study the signatures of ion reflection events in the turbulent transition layer upstream of the terrestrial bow shock, and with the support of a hybrid simulation of the shock, we show that these reflection signatures are characteristic of the first step in the ion injection process. These reflection events develop in particular in the region where the trailing edge of large-amplitude upstream waves intercept the local shock ramp and the upstream magnetic field changes from quasi-perpendicular to quasi-parallel. The dispersed ion velocity signature observed can be attributed to a rapid succession of ion reflections at this wave boundary. After the ions’ initial interaction with the shock, they flow upstream along the quasi-parallel magnetic field. Each subsequent wavefront in the upstream region will sweep the ions back toward the shock, where they gain energy with each transition between the upstream and the shock wave frames. Within three to five gyroperiods, some ions have gained enough parallel velocity to escape upstream, thus completing the injection process.
Synchronization of dust density waves in anodic plasmas

Dust clouds can be confined in anodic plasmas by an equilibrium of the electric field force and the ion drag force. In these dust clouds self-excited dust density waves are observed as soon as the cloud length exceeds typical wavelengths. By superimposing an external modulation signal on the anode bias, the self-excited wave can be synchronized at the modulation frequency when the frequency is close to the natural frequency of the self-excited wave. For very low frequencies, an interaction of the center of mass motion of the cloud with the self-excited wave is found. For intermediate frequencies, close to the natural frequency of the self-excited modes, entrainment is observed, and for slightly higher frequencies a spatial cascade to subharmonic modes is found. At the highest frequencies, an influence of the modulation is still present, the wave is entrained if the modulation frequency is close to a rational factor of the natural frequency, as can be seen by the narrowing of the spectral components.
Montage4D: Real-time Seamless Fusion and Stylization of Multiview Video Textures

The commoditization of virtual and augmented reality devices and the availability of inexpensive consumer depth cameras have catalyzed a resurgence of interest in spatiotemporal performance capture. Recent systems like Fusion4D and Holoportation address several crucial problems in the real-time fusion of multiview depth maps into volumetric and deformable representations. Nonetheless, stitching multiview video textures onto dynamic meshes remains challenging due to imprecise geometries, occlusion seams, and critical time constraints. In this paper, we present a practical solution towards real-time seamless texture montage for dynamic multiview reconstruction. We build on the ideas of dilated depth discontinuities
Examining the evidence for major histocompatibility complex-dependent mate selection in humans and nonhuman primates

Compounds of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are integral for effec- tive vertebrate adaptive immune response, and are also implicated as cues for sexual selection. The evidence for this is supportive of MHC-based preference for diverse and dissimilar mating partners, in a range of vertebrates from fish to nonhuman primates. However, the evidence for a similar role of these genes and the evolutionary benefits of their diversity in human mate choice has been more controversial. Here, we review the results of 34 primary studies on MHC-mediated mate choice in humans and nonhuman primates in an effort to understand what processes may underscore, or belie, such differences. Both human and nonhuman primate studies show evi- dence of mate selection for MHC-dissimilarity and diversity, with fewer results in support of mate selection for optimal diversity or for specific "good gene". In general, stronger support comes from female-choice studies as opposed to male-choice studies (though male prefer- ences and choice are investigated less often). This review suggests that the majority of mate choice results from contemporary human studies are consistent with our evolutionary history, but also reveals that only in humans do we find evidence for preference for mates with similar MHC composition. Overall, we show that contextual nuances, namely, population structure, multiple sensory cues that signal different information, and hormonal influences may explain the conflicting results observed for the role of MHC in human sexual preference, and argue for the exploration of such caveats in less well-studied systems to discern between general patterns and qualities unique to humans.
Brooding in a temperate zone land snail: seasonal and regional patterns

The goal of this study is to assess if the reproductive strategy of a brooding land snail shifts along a climatic gradient. We focused on the following traits: timing and length of the reproductive season, brood size, ontogenetic dynamics of embryos, and reproductive mode (viviparity versus egg-laying). We dissected the central European door snail Alinda biplicata, collected monthly from eight populations covering the oceaniccontinental climatic gradient within the species’ distribution range. Forty percent of the 1706 dissected individuals were brooding. The species displayed a spring-summer reproductive activity pattern: intrauterine brooding was recorded between March and September; first embryos of a developmental stage that equals that of live-born neonates appeared in late April. Brooding started approximately when the mean daily temperature of a month exceeds ca. 5°C, thus the ontogenetic development of embryos is advancing earlier in populations under the influence of mild oceanic climate, and later in the eastern, more continental part of the range, or in submontane localities. A range-wide synchrony in reproduction occurred in May, when average temperatures and precipitation display a high rangewide similarity. The mean number of intrauterine eggs decreased between spring and summer in all populations (April: 10.9 ± 2.9; September: 6.4 ± 2.4), suggesting a gradual release of neonates which are not immediately replaced in uteri by new eggs. Snails from areas with long frosty winters do not invest much in a second reproductive period in late summer. Embryos of advanced embryonic stage were found in the reproductive tract of individuals from each population, thus we refute the hypothesis that A. biplicata switches its reproductive strategy towards oviparity under the influence of oceanic climate.
Comparing Fully General Relativistic and Newtonian Calculations of Structure Formation

In the standard approach to studying cosmological structure formation, the overall expansion of the Universe is assumed to be homogeneous, with the gravitational effect of inhomogeneities encoded entirely in a Newtonian potential. A topic of ongoing debate is to what degree this fully captures the dynamics dictated by general relativity, especially in the era of precision cosmology. To quantitatively assess this, we directly compare standard N-body Newtonian calculations to full numerical solutions of the Einstein equations, for cold matter with various magnitude initial inhomogeneities on scales comparable to the Hubble horizon. We analyze the differences in the evolution of density, luminosity distance, and other quantities defined with respect to fiducial observers. This is carried out by reconstructing the effective spacetime and matter fields dictated by the Newtonian quantities, and by taking care to distinguish effects of numerical resolution. We find that the fully general relativistic and Newtonian calculations show excellent agreement, even well into the nonlinear regime. They only notably differ in regions where the weak gravity assumption breaks down, which arise when considering extreme cases with perturbations exceeding standard values.
Human Dignity, Human Rights, and Political Regimes

It is often argued that internationally recognized human rights are common to all cultural traditions and adaptable to a great variety of social structures and political regimes. Such arguments confuse human rights with human dignity. All societies possess conceptions of human dignity, but the conception of human dignity underlying international human rights standards requires a particular type of “liberal” regime. This conclusion is reached through a comparison of the social structures of ideal type liberal, minimal, traditional, communist, corporatist and developmental regimes and their impact on autonomy, equality, privacy, social conflict, and the definition of societal membership.
Quality traits of longissimus lumborum muscle from White Mangalica,Duroc × White Mangalica and Large White pigs reared under intensiveconditions and slaughtered at 150 kg live weight: a comparative study

Abstract. To compare quality traits of longissimus lumborum muscle of three genotypes, 20 White Mangalica (WM), 20 crossbred Duroc × White Mangalica (DWM) and 20 Large White (LW) pigs were allotted to the same indoor rearing and feeding conditions. Crossbred and LW pigs grew faster than WM pigs reaching 150 kg on average 168 and 288 days before WM, respectively. Meat from WM pigs had the highest intramuscular fat content and darkest and reddest colour; crosses were at an intermediate position, with significant differences among all genotypes. In addition, ultimate pH, water-holding capacity and iron content were significantly the highest in meat from WM pigs, compared to the other two genotypes. Crossing WM with Duroc had a significant effect on individual fatty acid content of meat. However, the sum of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids remained unchanged. WM and DWM pigs had significantly more tender meat than LW pigs. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) were most abundant, followed by saturated (SFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in meat from all animals. Meat from WM and DWM pigs had a significantly higher percentage of MUFAs and significantly lower percentage of SFAs than LW pigs.