Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
APPLICATION OF RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY FOR STATISTICAL OPTIMIZATION OF LIPASE PRODUCTION BY Penicillium sp. EMPLOYING SOLID STATE FERMENTATION APLICACIÓN DE LA METODOLOGÍA DE SUPERFICIE DE RESPUESTA PARA LA OPTIMIZACIÓN ESTADÍSTICA DE LA PRODUCCIÓN DE LIPASA POR Penicillium sp. EMPLEANDO F

This study was conducted to determine the economical and optimal in vitro growth requirements of Penicillium sp. for augmented production of lipases. The optimization of eco-cultural parameters was carried out for solid state fermentation. Preliminary batch testing was performed to find out the favourable conditions for enhanced lipase productivity. The results showed maximal lipase productivity when 10g of the sunflower hulls was utilized as a basal substrate for 3 ml inoculum of Penicillium sp. For obtaining the highest enzyme yields the moisture content of the medium was adjusted at 40% with phosphate buffer (pH 6.0), which was in favour of the fermentation performed at 30 oC for 72 h. The best quantified production of extracellular lipases was recorded with Tween-80 as the extraction medium. As per Response surface methodology (RSM) model, ox-Behnken experimental design was employed in order to analyse the interactive effects of critical medium components on lipase yield obtained from Penicillium sp. The optimum concentration of olive oil as additional oil (5%), Tween-80 (3%) and peptone (1%) resulted in maximal enzyme productivity (100.45 U/mg), approximately three times greater than that observed in basal medium. The analysis of variance showed that the devised model was significant (p < 0.05).
The Effect of Tax Aggressiveness and Corporate Governance on Audit Fees: Evidences from Brazil

The study investigates the relationship between tax avoidance practices and audit fees. The literature has reported various factors that determine the amount of audit fees, among them the possible risks faced by the audit firm. This article focuses on the effect of tax avoidance by Brazilian companies on the fees charged by auditors. Based on audit fee data for the period from 2009 to 2011 and book-tax differences as an empirical proxy for tax avoidance, we find that tax avoidance practices are positively related to audit fees, i.e., companies that are more aggressive in their tax planning tend to be penalized by having to pay higher fees to their auditors. However, in the contextualized analysis, the results indicate that good corporate governance practices tend to minimize this relationship, attenuating the incremental effects on the remuneration of audit firms. This study also evidences the risk perception of independent auditors and identifies interactions of tax planning, independent auditing and corporate governance not usually perceived by the market.
Bioavailability of Pb and Cu in Sediments of Vegetated Seagrass, Enhalus acoroides, from Spermonde Islands, Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Seagrass might impact metal bioavailability in sediments with physiological processes that occur at the root and rhizome. Seagrass growth may increase bioavailability due to oxygen transport from leaves to the root systems. This study aims to analyze the concentrations of bioavailable Pb and Cu in sediments with and without seagrass. This study was done at two sites in Spermonde Islands, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. All metals analysis and sediment parameters were conducted on dry, <63 μm grain size sediment samples. Metal speciation in sediment was determined using the Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) three steps sequential that extract exchangeable and acid soluble fraction, reducible and oxidisable fraction. The average concentrations of bioavailable fraction of Pb and Cu (fraction 1) was higher in vegetated sediments associated with Enhalus acoroides than in unvegetated sediments. Higher concentration of Cu in fraction 1 was also associated with higher concentration in Enhalus roots. This indicates that the presence of seagrass may increase the bioavailability of metals in sediments. Increased metal bioavailability in vegetated sediment will imply increase toxicity.
Clinical Efficacy and Therapeutic Alliance in a Time-Limited Group Therapy for Young Adults

This study evaluated the clinical efficacy of a time limited psychodynamic therapy for a group of young adult patients in terms of outcome and process. The results register a favourable outcome concerning not only the gravity of patients' initial symp-toms but also the structural personality changes and attachment style. In an exploratory perspective this study investigated the connection between the outcome of the tre-atment and therapeutic alliance measured by CALPAS-G in three different time intervals of therapy. A correlational analysis highlighted a strong connection between the Patient Commitment scale assessed at the beginning and the final outcome of the therapy. Work-ing Strategy Consensus and Group Understanding and Involvement assessed in the middle of the therapy course, show significant correlations with the final outcome of therapy.
Political shocks and financial markets : regression-discontinuity evidence from national elections.

Despite growing interest in the effect of political-institutional factors on the economy, causally identified evidence on the reaction of financial markets to electoral outcomes is still relatively scarce, due to the difficulty of isolating causal effects. This paper fills this gap: we estimate the âaverage treatment effectâ of left-wing (as opposed to conservative) electoral victories on share prices, exchange rates, and sovereign bond yields and spreads. Using a new dataset of worldwide national (parliamentary and presidential) elections in the post-WWII period, we obtain a sample of 954 elections in which main parties/candidates can be classified on the left-right scale based on existing sources and monthly financial data are available. To achieve causal identification, we employ a dynamic regression-discontinuity design, thus focusing on close elections. We find that left-wing electoral victories cause significant and substantial short-term decreases in stock market valuations and in the US dollar value of the domestic currency, while the response of sovereign bond markets is muted. Effects at longer time horizons (6 to 12 months) are very dispersed, signaling large heterogeneity in medium-run outcomes. Stock market and exchange rate effects are stronger and more persistent in elections in which the Leftâs proposed economic policy is more radical, in developing economies, and in the post-1990 period.
Dealing with English Majors’ Written Errors in Chinese Universities

Error correction, a common phenomenon observed in teaching activities, is closely studied in the present paper, with particular attention paid to teachers’ usual practice and students’ attitude. The study shows that while teachers and students share such common views as the importance of error correction and the types of errors that need correcting, there exist considerable discrepancies as to the techniques of error correction. For instance, students do not favour the overall correction, though practiced by most teachers. Such a controversy requires teachers to make possible improvements about their current error correction practice. A systematic strategy is then suggested in the paper, and relevant arrangement of the writing class is discussed, showing the theoretical and practical significance of the paper.
Discovery of VHE γ -rays from the BL Lacertae object PKS 0548-322

PKS 0548-322 (z=0.069) is a ``high-frequency-peaked'' BL Lac object and a candidate very high energy (VHE, E>100 GeV) gamma-ray emitter, due to its high X-ray and radio flux. Observations at the VHE band provide insights into the origin of very energetic particles present in this source and the radiation processes at work. We report observations made between October 2004 and January 2008 with the H.E. S.S. array, a four imaging atmospheric-Cherenkov telescopes. Contemporaneous UV and X-ray observations with the Swift satellite in November 2006 are also reported. PKS 0548-322 is detected for the first time in the VHE band with H.E. S.S. We measure an excess of 216 gamma-rays corresponding to a significance of 5.6 standard deviations. The photon spectrum of the source is described by a power-law, with a photon index of Gamma=2.86 +/- 0.34 (stat) +/- 0.10 (sys). The integral flux above 200 GeV is 1.3 % of the flux of the Crab Nebula, and is consistent with being constant in time. Contemporaneous Swift/XRT observations reveal an X-ray flux between 2 and 10 keV of F_{2-10 keV}=2.3 +/- 0.2 x 10^{-11} erg.cm^{-2}. s^{-1}, an intermediate intensity state with respect to previous observations. The spectral energy distribution can be reproduced using a simple one-zone synchrotron self Compton model, with parameters similar those observed for other sources of this type.
Impact of M&A on Firm Performance in India: Implications for Concentration of Ownership and Insider Entrenchment

performance. On the one hand, concentration of ownership that, in turn, concentrates management control in the hands of a strategic investor, eliminates agency problems associated with dispersed ownership. On the other hand, it may lead to entrenchment of upper management which may be inconsistent with the objective of profit (or value) maximisation. This paper examines the impact of M&A on profitability of firms in India, where the corporate landscape is dominated by family-owned and group-affiliated businesses, such that alignment of management and ownership coexists with management entrenchment, and draws conclusions about the impact of concentrated ownership and entrenchment of ownermanagers on firm performance. Our results indicate that, during the 1995-2002 period, M&A in India led to deterioration in firm performance. We also find that neither the investors in the equity market nor the debt holders can be relied upon to discipline errant (and entrenched) management. In other words, on balance, negative effects of entrenchment of ownermanagers trumps the positive effects of reduction in owner-vs.-manager agency problems. Our findings are consistent with bulk of the existing literature on family-owned and group affiliated firms in India.
A General Model of the Atmospheric Scattering in the Wavelength Interval 300 - 1100nm

We have presented and developed new theoretic- empirical models of the extinction coefficients of the molecular scattering in the lower, close to the ground troposphere. We have included the indicatrices of back- scattering. The models have been presented using general analytical functions valid for the whole wavelength interval 300-1100 nm and for the whole interval of visibility from 0.1 km up to 50 km. The results have been compared in quantity with the model and experimental data of other authors. The modeling of troposphere scattering is neces- sary for the analysis and design of all optoelectronic free space systems: atmospheric optical communication sys- tems, location systems for atmospheric research (LIDAR), optical radiometric systems.
Melatonin and Polyphenol Contents in Some Edible Sprouts (Alfalfa, Chicory, Rape, Red Kale and Sunflower)

The melatonin, total polyphenol contents, and DPPH radical scavenging activity were determined in alfalfa, chicory, rape, red kale and sunflower after germination for four days at 24±0.1℃. Compared with seeds, melatonin content was increased in all sprouts, at the highest level in red kale (2,502.9 pg/g, 5.6 times higher than seed) followed by rape (2,430.1 pg/g), chicory (2,037.7 pg/g), alfalfa (1,160.8 pg/g) and sunflower (768.2 pg/g) sprout, however, the addition of tryptophan (0.5 mM), the precursor of melatonin synthesis, did not show any desirable effect. Both polyphenol content and DPPH radical scavenging activity were substantially increased in chicory (8.7 ㎎/g, 66%), rape (10.7 ㎎/g, 51%) and red kale (11.0 ㎎/g, 53%) sprouts, but not in alfalfa and sunflower sprouts. Melatonin content per gram polyphenol (ng/g) was also increased in all sprouts through germination. Germination was effective in increasing melatonin in all seeds tested, while its effect on polyphenol content and DPPH radical scavenging activity was species dependent.
Clashing Cultures

Although researchers have noted that interactions among people from different cultural backgrounds can result in interpersonal conflict, little is known about the nature of this conflict and its effects on the individuals involved. The current study attempts to address this gap in the literature. It conceptualizes interpersonal, intercultural conflict as a stressor and proposes and tests a model of conflict experiences, using data from graduate students representing approximately 50 countries. Results of path analyses of the model indicate that although cultural distance does not predict interpersonal, intercultural conflict, conflict strongly predicts poor work-related and sociocultural adaptation, and these negative effects occur over and above the baseline effects of work stress. Work-related and sociocultural adaptation in turn predicts poor psychological adaptation, which mediates the negative effects on health-related adaptation.
Atomic-scale finite element method in multiscale computation with applications to carbon nanotubes

We have developed an accurate atomic-scale finite element method AFEM that has exactly the same formal structure as continuum finite element methods, and therefore can seamlessly be combined with them in multiscale computations. The AFEM uses both first and second derivatives of system energy in the energy minimization computation. It is faster than the standard conjugate gradient method which uses only the first order derivative of system energy, and can thus significantly save computation time especially in studying large scale problems. Woven nanostructures of carbon nanotubes are proposed and studied via this new method, and strong defect insensitivity in such nanostructures is revealed. The AFEM is also readily applicable for solving many physics related optimization problems.
Shot-noise-dominant regime for ellipsoidal nanoparticles in a linearly polarized beam

Results on the heating and the parametric feedback cooling of an optically trapped anisotropic nanoparticle in the laser shot noise dominant regime are presented. The related dynamical parameters, such as the oscillating frequency and shot noise heating rate, depend on the shape of the trapped particle. For an ellipsoidal particle, the ratio of the axis lengths and the overall size controls the shot noise heating rate relative to the frequency. For a particle with smaller ellipticity or bigger size, the relative heating rate for rotation tends to be smaller than that for translation indicating a better rotational cooling. For one feedback scheme, we also present results on the lowest occupation number that can be achieved as a function of the heating rate and the amount of classical uncertainty in the position measurement.
EFFECT OF AEROBIC EXERCISE OF MODERATE INTENSITY AND SHORT DURATION ON INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE IN YOUNG INDIVIDUALS

Intra-ocular pressure (IOP) in normal individuals varies throughout the night and day. The diurnal variation for normal eyes is between 3 and 6mmHg and the variation may increase in glaucomatous eyes. Hence, the present effort is to investigate the effect of moderate exercise on intraocular pressure changes. IOP was measured before and after exercise in 100 subjects (50M, 50F) with no ocular abnormality with ages ranging from 18-21 years by using Schiotz tonometer. Weight, height and body mass index, were recorded. The results obtained were compared between before- and-after-exercise of the subjects. The data were presented as the mean ± SD, Student's t-test was used to calculate significance between means. The IOP showed a statistically significant fall following moderate exercise. The mean IOP significantly decreased (p 0.05) decreased after 60 minutes of aerobic exercise. Gender wise comparison of intraocular pressure both before and after exercise did not reveal much significance. Physical exercise, such as jogging, walking and bicycle riding, could be suggested as a complimentary therapy in addition to the pharmaceutical and surgical therapies available for glaucoma patients,
Mother-Child Interactions and Emotion Regulation in Preschool Children

Emotion regulation is a complex and dynamic process that begins in infancy and continues through toddlerhood and childhood with the support of parents, teachers, and other caregivers. Early caregiver-child interactions shape the way children learn to manage their emotions and the range of emotions that they express. The current study seeks to examine how maternal perceptions of preschool children’s emotion regulation and emotion lability are associated with mother-child interactions during free play. 30 mother-child dyads were recruited from two New England urban areas: one community sample and one sample recruited from Head Start locations. Dyads engaged in a free play session and mothers completed a set of questionnaires (including the Emotion Regulation Checklist) designed to assess the emotion regulation abilities and emotional lability of their preschool child as perceived by mothers. The results revealed group differences in maternal perceptions of one aspect of emotion regulation, emotion lability. There were a number of significant correlations between observed child outcomes and maternal behaviors during mother-child interactions. Significant group differences indicate that families receiving Head Start services and families with unmarried mothers may relate differently to their children than families not receiving Head Start services and families with married mothers. These results support the notion that families with fewer resources engage in less positive interpersonal exchanges, which may have implications on the emotion lability of preschool children in such families. Interventions that target improved mother-child interactions that foster emotion regulation techniques in the child are needed.
Development of a Scale to Measure Reverse Culture Shock in Fresh Foreign Degree Holders

The study was carried out to develop a scale for the assessment of reverse culture shock among foreign degree holders in Pakistan. For this purpose the study was divided into two phases. In first phase, on the basis of existing literature of reverse culture shock, five semi-structured interviews and two focus group discussions were conducted with both men and women from different academic fields. As a result various themes were generated including work related problems, attachment with the host culture, social withdrawal, feelings of alienation, feelings of insecurity,attachment with home culture, positive regard and welcoming attitude of family and friends. Item pool was generated and sent for the experts’ review. After receiving their feedback 70 items were finalized. In second phase, psychometric properties were determined by applying the Reverse Culture Shock Scale (RCSS) on 194 fresh foreign degree holders. Factor analysis revealed a unifactor solution for this scale. Content and construct validity, as well as split-half reliability were established. In addition, demographic differences were also explored. Participants who were single scored significantly high on reverse culture shock than married participants, while non significant gender differences were found. Age inversely correlated with reverse culture shock.
Towards Detecting and Measuring Ballot Stuffing

This paper proposes a method for detecting electoral fraud in the form of ballot stuffing. As ballot stuffing increases both turnout and the incumbent‘s vote share in precincts where it occurs, precincts with low reported turnout are more likely to be clean. Information on clean precincts is used to simulate counterfactual data for "infected" precincts, which are then compared to the observed data. The method is applied to the 2006 Finnish presidential elections. The test fails to reject the hypothesis of no ballot stuffing for the original data, but detects artificially imputed 1.6% fraud. The same test implies that in the 2004 presidential elections in Russia at least 4.7% of the votes were stuffed in favor of the incumbent.
Water vapour source impacts on oxygen isotope variability in tropical precipitation during Heinrich events

Abstract. Water isotope records such as speleothems provide extensive evidence of past tropical hydrological changes. During Heinrich events, isotopic changes in monsoon regions have been interpreted as implying a widespread drying through the Northern Hemisphere tropics and an anti-phased precipitation response in the south. Here, we examine the sources of this variability using a water isotope-enabled general circulation model, Goddard Institute for Space Studies ModelE. We incorporate a new suite of vapour source distribution tracers to help constrain the impact of precipitation source region changes on the isotopic composition of precipitation and to identify nonlocal amount effects. We simulate a collapse of the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation with a large freshwater input to the region as an idealised analogue to iceberg discharge during Heinrich events. An increase in monsoon intensity, defined by vertical wind shear, is modelled over the South American domain, with small decreases simulated over Asia. Simulated isotopic anomalies agree well with proxy climate records, with lighter isotopic values simulated over South America and enriched values across East Asia. For this particular abrupt climate event, we identify which climatic change is most likely linked to water isotope change – changes in local precipitation amount, monsoon intensity, water vapour source distributions or precipitation seasonality. We categorise individual sites according to the climate variability that water isotope changes are most closely associated with, and find that the dominant isotopic controls are not consistent across the tropics – simple local explanations, in particular, fall short of explaining water isotope variability at all sites. Instead, the best interpretations appear to be site specific and often regional in scale.
The Turkish Adaptation of Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale : The Validity and Reliability Study

Objective: The aim of this study is to adapt The Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (BFNE) to Turkish and to examine its reliability and validity. Three hundred and twwenty five (325) university student from Sakarya University (124 female, 201 male) participated in the study. The validity and reliability of scale was investigated by test re-test, Cronbach alpha, splithalf, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and criterion related validity methods. Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS) was used for the criterion related validity. Results: In order to determine the construct validity of BFNE, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. The Cronbach’s alpha for the BFNE was . 84 and split-half . 83. The computed test re-test reliability coefficient for the BFNE was . 82. There was . 60 correlation between BFNE and SAAS. Item-total correlation coefficients of the Turkish BFNE ranged from . 37 to . 68. Conclusion:The Turkish version of the BFNE was found to be reliable and valid in this study.