Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Equally-weighted Risk Contribution Portfolios: an empirical study using expected shortfall

The high volatility observed in financial markets during the last crisis prompted renewed interest in designing truly diversified portfolios. One of the most interesting approach proposed by recent literature is the Equally-weighted Risk Contribution strategy (Maillard et al., 2009), usually implemented with standard deviation as risk measure: our paper extends this approach introducing expected shortfall. The expected shortfall risk contributions are computed through a non-parametric approach which aims to reduce the estimation error generated by the historical sample applying a bootstrap resampling procedure. The ex-post performance analysis also accounts for realistic transaction costs. We find superiority of the ERC portfolios, with better Sharpe ratio along with asymmetric performance metrics.
Term Structure Transmission of Monetary Policy (Why Bond Traders are Paid More than Central Bankers)

The sensitivity of bond rates to macro variables appears to vary both over time and over forecast horizons. The latter may be due to differences in forward rate term premiums and in bond trader perceptions of anticipated policy responses at different forecast horizons. Determinacy of policy transmission through bond rates requires a lower bound on the average responsiveness of term premiums and anticipated policy responses to inflation.
Speculative Bubbles in the S&P 500: Was the Tech Bubble Confined to the Tech Sector‘

This study tests for the presence of periodically, partially collapsing speculative bubbles in the sector indices of the S&P 500 using a regime-switching approach. We also employ an augmented model that includes trading volume as a technical indicator to improve the ability of the model to time bubble collapses and to better capture the temporal variations in returns. We find that well over half of the S&P 500 index by market capitalization and seven of its ten sector component indices exhibited at least some bubble-like behavior over our sample period. Thus the speculative bubble that grew in the 1990s and subsequently collapsed was surprisingly pervasive in the US equity market and it affected numerous sectors including financials and general industrials, rather than being confined to information technology, telecommunications and the media. In addition, we develop a joint model for cross-sectional contagion of bubbles across the sectors and we examine whether there is evidence for bubble spillovers.
The use of xylitol as a strategy for prevention of dental caries Utilização do xilitol como uma estratégia para prevenção da cárie dentária

Dental caries is a multifactorial disease, which depends on the fermentation of carbohydrates by microorganisms of the dental biofilm. Xylitol is a sugar-alcohol, which cannot be fermented by oral cariogenic bacteria. This article aimed to review the literature on the use of xylitol for prevention of dental caries. There is little conclusive scientific evidence about this subject, although several studies have been performed. The development of products and clinical protocols should be based on studies with sound experimental design, which will permit the understanding of clinical and laboratorial parameters, such as mecanisms of action, vehicles of delivery, dose-response effects, and frequency of use of the polyol. Clarification of the potential and limitations of the use of xylitol for prevention of dental caries would help clinicians to select preventive protocols more efficient and cost-effective for specific groups.
Reminder System Intervention for Increasing Breast Cancer Knowledge and Screening among Underserved Women in a Community Setting

Though incidence rates of female breast cancer has declined since 1975 to 2014, in women of ages 20-59 years old, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Early detection of breast cancer via screening mammography has been shown to improve options for treatment, outcomes, and survival. Despite the success of screening mammography, screening adherence remains critical for clinical outcomes. This study explored the effect of a reminder system with educational materials on breast cancer knowledge and screening practices among primarily African-American women in North Florida. The participants were divided into two groups: the experimental group, which received this reminder system, and a control group, which did not. Both groups were surveyed using a questionnaire that included nine true or false questions regarding breast cancer facts, statistics, and screening guidelines. The experimental group scored significantly higher [t (138) = 2.60, p < . 010] than the control group regarding breast cancer knowledge. Based on this study, a reminder system can be recommended as an effective intervention for increasing breast cancer knowledge.
Does the Explanatory Power of the OLI Approach Differ Among Sectors and Business Functions? Evidence from Firm-level Data

Abstract As services and goods differ with respect to important characteristics, one may expect that the determinants of internationalisation are not identical for services and manufacturing. Surprisingly, there is practically no firm-level research contrasting the two sectors in this respect. To fill this gap, the authors aim at identifying for the two sectors the determinants of a firm’s propensity to engage in exports or FDI as well as the factors determining a firm’s FDI strategy in terms of business functions. They find that an OLI-based model is well suited for explaining the propensity to go international as well as the differences between specific forms of FDI in terms of business functions both for manufacturing and services. As expected, the explanatory power of the OLI approach is stronger for manufacturing than service activities.
Performance and development of gastric compartments of calves fed with cheese whey and transition milk

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to evaluate whether cheese whey associated with transitional milk or not, could serve as a suitable alternative to whole milk for calf rearing. For this, twenty-four male calves of crossbred Holstein-Zebu, were distributed in a completely randomized design with three treatments (8 calves per treatment) and fed for 60 days with one of the following liquid diets: i) 100% whole milk, ii) 50% whole milk and 50% cheese whey, and iii) 30% transitional milk and 70% cheese whey. There was no difference in food intake between treatments. The analysis showed that whole milk replacement did not alter the stomach weight or the ruminal cell proliferation when compared to treatment using 100% whole milk; however, the transitional milk/cheese whey group showed larger ruminal papillae. These results suggested that a transitional milk-cheese whey diet associated with solid food and proper nutrient complements might enhance the post-natal development of rumen papillae in calves, which might contribute to prepare them for weaning.
Optimization of process parameters for WEDM of Inconel 825 using grey relational analysis

Article history: Received October 28, 2017 Received in revised format: January 8, 2017 Accepted January 15, 2018 Available online January 15, 2018 Inconel 825 is high nickel-chromium-based superalloy which retains its mechanical properties and exhibits good corrosion and oxidation resistance at elevated temperature. Inconel 825 is extensively used for making aircraft engine parts like combustor casing and turbine blades in aero space industry. This research proposed the Response Surface Methodology with GRA to optimize multiple responses during Wire-cut EDM of Inconel 825. At optimum combination of input parameters i.e. A4B1C1D5E4F2, increase in MRR from 36.13 mm2/min to 41.822 mm2/min, decrease in SR from 2. 842μm to 2. 445μm and decrease in WWR from 0.01832 to 0.01758 was obtained. Experimental results showed that pulse-on time, wire feed, pulse-off time, and peak current significantly affected the MRR, and surface integrity of specimen and electrode with the formation of craters, pockmarks, debris, micro cracks, and recast layer. The optimal parametric combination obtained from the present study will be advantageous for working on high strength; high thermal conductivity and low melting point materials like nickel alloys. 2018 by the authors; licensee Growing Science, Canada ©
Comparative analyses of non-marine ostracods (Crustacea) among water basins in Turkey

Total of 26, 22 and 32 sites in Konya, Antalya and West Mediterranean basins in Turkey, respectively, were sampled twice during 2017 to compare the non-marine ostracod diversity. A total of 1787 individuals belonging to 31 species were recorded from all basins. Of which, nine species are common among basins when Fabaeformiscandona fragilis is new for Turkey. High species diversity was found at middle elevational intervals. The highest and lowest Shannon diversity index values were recorded for both Konya (H = 2.19) and Antalya (H = 1.90) basins, respectively. The highest beta diversities values are encountered between closed the Konya and other open basins. Species and environmental variables composition among basins and elevational intervals showed significant differences (p < 0.05, ANOSIM). Of species, cosmopolitans (e.g., Candona neglecta, Ilyocypris bradyi, Psychrodromus olivaceus) provide an important contribution to the differences in diversities among basins and elevational intervals. According to Canonical Correspondence Analysis, elevation appeared to be the common influential variables in all basins. Results suggest that alpha diversity is under the control of local and regional factors when beta diversity is primarily affected by regional factor. Although cosmopolitan species are positive indicators, they seem to make a significant contribution to alpha and beta diversities of ostracods.
EFFECT OF THE HEIGHT OF ROOT-STOCK ON THE SUCCESS OF SOFT-WOOD GRAFTING IN SIX CULTIVARS OF MANGO

Present study was carried out to investigate the effect of the height of root-stock on the success and growth parameters of grafts employing the method of soft-wood grafting in various varieties of mango scion. The experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Garden, Department of Horticulture, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, during 2015-16 and 2016-17. The experiment was performed with the mango scion cultivars, Amrapali, Mallika, Dashehari, Chausa, Langra and Bombay Green as the main plot treatments and the root-stock heights, 25 cm, 50 cm, 75 cm and 100 cm as the sub-plot treatments, in split-plot design with 3 replications. Two-way ANOVA statistical analysis was carried out to test significance of different effects. The mango cultivar Langra showed the best results for the percent graft take success, the scion-shoot length, the scion-shoot girth and the number of leaves per plant. Amongst the various tested cultivars, Dashehari performed the best in respect of sprout initiation (12.08 days), Langra performed best in respect of the percent graft take success (69.17%), scion shoot length (22.69 cm), scion shoot girth (17.97 mm) and number of leaves (25.19) per plant; while Chausa showed the highest percent graft survival (83.67%). The root-stock of height 100 cm revealed the best results for the percent graft take success (66.11%), the percent graft survival (82.11%), the scion-shoot length (22.60 cm) and the number of leaves per plant (25.07). The grafting done on the 75 cm height gave the best results for the sprouting time (12.06 days) and the scion-shoot girth (16.31 mm).
Electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of copper/PET composite yarn fabrics

Woven fabric samples have been developed using composite yarn consisting of copper mono filament and PET filaments for evaluating electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (EMSE) against radiating electromagnetic wave spectrum over a frequency range 2.25 2.65 GHz. Coaxial transverse electromagnetic wave mode transmission method equipment has been used for testing in far field condition. It is observed that the weave and thread spacing of fabric samples significantly influence the shielding effectiveness as interpreted from the two way between subject ANOVA design. It is justified that aperture size and contact resistance of composite yarns in fabrics are the critical parameters in determining the shielding effectiveness of textile fabrics. The mechanism of fabric shielding is also discussed in detail using already established shielding theories which would help design fabrics for electromagnetic shielding.
Fascin regulates protrusions and delamination to mediate invasive, collective cell migration in vivo

Fascin is an actin bundling protein that is essential for developmental cell migrations and promotes cancer metastasis. In addition to bundling actin, Fascin has several actin-independent roles. Border cell migration during Drosophila oogenesis provides an excellent model to study Fascin’s various roles during invasive, collective cell migration. Border cell migration requires Fascin. Fascin functions not only within the migrating border cells, but also within the nurse cells, the substrate for this migration. Loss of Fascin results in increased, shorter and mislocalized protrusions during migration. Data supports the model that Fascin promotes the activity of Enabled, an actin elongating factor, to regulate migration. Additionally, loss of Fascin inhibits border cell delamination. These defects are partially due to altered E-cadherin localization in the border cells; this is predicted to be an actin-independent role of Fascin. Overall, Fascin is essential for multiple aspects of this invasive, collective cell migration, and functions in both actin-dependent and -independent manners. These findings have implications beyond Drosophila, as border cell migration has emerged as a model to study mechanisms mediating cancer metastasis.
Stress Resistance Screen in a Human Primary Cell Line Identifies Small Molecules that Affect Aging Pathways and Extend C. elegans’ Lifespan

Increased resistance to environmental stress at the cellular level is correlated with the longevity of long-lived mutants and wild-animal species. Moreover, in experimental organisms, screens for increased stress resistance have yielded mutants that are long-lived. To find entry points for small molecules that might extend healthy longevity in humans, we screened ∼100,000 small molecules in a human primary-fibroblast cell line and identified a set that increased oxidative-stress resistance. Some of the hits fell into structurally-related chemical groups, suggesting that they may act on common targets. Two small molecules increased C. elegans’ stress resistance, and at least 9 extended their lifespan by ∼10-50%. Thus, screening for increased stress resistance in human cells can enrich for compounds with promising pro-longevity effects. Further characterization of these compounds, including a chalcone that promoted stress resistance independently of NRF2, may elucidate new ways to extend healthy human lifespan.
Are we over estimating serum oxidative stress/lipid peroxidation in alcoholic liver diseases? A review

ABSTRACT Almost 95% of alcohol is metabolized by the liver but a small fraction is also metabolized in other organs like brain, heart, kidney, pancreas, skeletal muscle etc. Alcohol is metabolized by oxidative and non-oxidative pathways. Alcohol metabolism results in the generation of reactive molecule acetaldehyde and reactive oxygen species (ROS), which in turn leads to oxidative stress. The reactive metabolic products of alcohol and ROS cause lipid peroxidation, the lipid peroxidation products (LPP) like malondialdehyde (MDA) enter the circulation. In most of the studies on alcoholic liver disease the serum levels of ROS/LPP were estimated, but these products are also contributed by other tissues. Even though the maximum amount of ROS/LPP is produced by the liver, after reaching other organs through circulation, ROS/LPP further multiply and again reach the circulation. At this point by measuring the ROS/LPP in blood and claiming it's of liver, are we estimating it correctly?
Conducive Business Environment to Regain Competitiveness for Sustainable Firm Growth in Special Economic Zone of Batam, Indonesia

The declining competitiveness of Batam has significant impact on Batam firms’ growth. Lack of supporting infrastructure, and lack of good public governance i.e., the dualism power of local government (PemKot) Batam and local authority (BP) Batam has caused the declining competitiveness and declining firms’ growth in Batam. Good supporting infrastructure, good public governance, productive manpower and good research and development institutions in Batam as part of conducive business environment is critical for regaining competitiveness that impacts firms’ growth in Batam. It is urgent to transform Batam from the status of Free Trade Zone (FTZ) to Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the near future which has proven to be a powerful engine for regional economy growths and excellence, and to be able to compete in a highly competitive business environment of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) that has been realized recently. Keywords : competitiveness, firm growth, good public governance, business environment, SEZ
Effect of Body Size on Heavy Metal Contents and Concentrations in Green-Lipped Mussel Perna viridis ( Linnaeus ) from Malaysian Coastal Waters

The concentrations of cadmium, copper, zinc and lead, in the total soft tissues of green-lipped mussel Perna viridis of a wide range of sizes (2-11 cm), were determined from a population at Pasir Panjang. The metal contents (μg per individual) and concentrations (μg per g) of cadmium, lead, copper and zinc were studied in P. viridis to find the relationships with body sizes. Smaller and younger mussels showed higher concentrations (μg per g) of Cd, Pb and Zn than the larger and older ones. The results of the present study showed that the plotting of the metal content, against dry body flesh weight on a double logarithmic basis, gave good positive straight lines; this observation is in agreement with Boyden’s formula (1977). This indicated that P. viridis showed a different physiological strategy for each metal being studied, which is related to age.
Structure and mechanism of bactericidal mammalian perforin-2, an ancient agent of innate immunity

Bactericidal perforin-2 assembles an inactivated pre-pore complex and undergoes a 180° reconfiguration for membrane attack. Perforin-2 (MPEG1) is thought to enable the killing of invading microbes engulfed by macrophages and other phagocytes, forming pores in their membranes. Loss of perforin-2 renders individual phagocytes and whole organisms significantly more susceptible to bacterial pathogens. Here, we reveal the mechanism of perforin-2 activation and activity using atomic structures of pre-pore and pore assemblies, high-speed atomic force microscopy, and functional assays. Perforin-2 forms a pre-pore assembly in which its pore-forming domain points in the opposite direction to its membrane-targeting domain. Acidification then triggers pore formation, via a 180° conformational change. This novel and unexpected mechanism prevents premature bactericidal attack and may have played a key role in the evolution of all perforin family proteins.
Predicting corporate turnaround of listed companies in South Africa

Author: Mr Chu-kuo Chin (University of Cape Town) Supervisor: Mr Darron West (University of Cape Town) Research dissertation presented for the approval of the University of Cape Town Senate in fulfilment of part of the requirements for the degree of Master of Commerce specialising in Finance (in the field of Financial and Risk Management) in approved courses and a minor dissertation. The other part of the requirement for this qualification was the completion of a programme of courses.
Human capital and growth under political uncertainty

In this paper we show how political uncertainty may impede economic growth by reducing public investment in the formation of human capital, and how this negative effect of political uncertainty can be offset by a government contract. We present a model of growth with accumulation of human capital and government investment in education. We show that in a country with an unstable political system the government is reluctant to invest in human capital. Low government spending on education negatively affects productivity and slows growth. Furthermore, a politically unstable economy may be trapped in a stagnant equilibrium. We also demonstrate the role of a government retirement contract. Public investment in education and economic growth are higher when the future retirement compensation of the government depends on the future national income, in comparison with investment under zero or fixed retirement compensation.
Understory Vegetation in Oil Palm Plantations Promotes Leopard Cat Activity, but Does Not Affect Rats or Rat Damage

The expansion of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantations is a primary cause of land-use change and biodiversity loss in Southeast Asia. This has led to an increasing demand for the development of more sustainable agricultural management practices in plantations, such as Integrated Pest Management. Although populations of carnivorous mammals show declines when forest is converted to oil palm, some species, such as Leopard Cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) have been found to persist. They are often encouraged by plantation managers for their conservation value, and as agents of pest control to manage rat populations. Despite this, little is known about whether they reduce pest rat numbers, or whether plantation management affects how they use the oil palm habitat. This study was based at the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Tropical Agriculture (BEFTA) Programme in mature oil palm plantations in Riau, Sumatra, where there are three management strategies altering understory vegetation structure. We quantified Leopard Cat activity, invasive rat abundance and rat damage using camera traps, live traps, and visual estimates respectively. We collected data over a four-year period, before and after the management strategies were applied. We recorded three species of wild mammals (Leopard Cats, Common Palm Civets, and Wild Pig) within the plantations, of which Leopard Cats made up 82% of the total number of observations. We found that Leopard Cat habitat use was higher with increased understory vegetation, but that there was no effect of the vegetation treatments on rat abundance or rat damage. There was also a trend for reduced rat abundance with increased Leopard Cat activity. These results show that management practices can significantly affect Leopard Cat habitat use, with potential benefits for pest control. They also highlight the value of large-scale long-term manipulative experiments for developing more sustainable management practices in oil palm.
Defect clustering during ion irradiation of GaAs: Insight from molecular dynamics simulations

Defect formation in compound semiconductors such as GaAs under ion irradiation is not as well understood as in Si and Ge. We show how a combination of ion range calculations and molecular dynamics computer simulations can be used to predict the atomic-level damage structures produced by MeV ions. The results show that the majority of damage produced in GaAs both by low-energy self-recoils and 6 MeV He ions is in clusters, and that a clear majority of the isolated defects are interstitials. Implications of the results for suggested applications are also discussed.