Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financial Literacy and its Impact on Funding Source’s Decision-Making

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) plays a significant role for the economic development of a country. Specifically, the existence of SMEs is to contribute in poverty alleviation through job creation. However, not many SMEs can survive and grow their business due to limited access to obtain resources such as financial, technological, and human resources. One of the factors that inhibit the development of MSMEs in Indonesia is the lack of knowledge and management of personal finance. In addition, the participation rate of SMEs to financial institutions is still very low, with only 30% able to access financing. This study aims to analyse the level of financial literacy, the factors that affect the level of financial literacy, and the correlation between the level of financial literacy (proxied by general knowledge, risk management, savings and credits, and investment) with funding decision. The data used are primary data and secondary data, with data collection methods conducted in this study are literature studies, interviews and questionnaires with SMEs in Bandung, Indonesia, with a sample used as many as 97 respondents. The respondents’ financial literacy in low level on general financial knowledge, savings & credits, and investment. But they have medium financial literacy level on insurance. The data processed using discriminant analysis, shows that the average financial literacy level which is in low level and has no effect on funding decision-making.
Biomaterials for Sequestration of Growth Factors and Modulation of Cell Behavior

Growth factors (GFs) are proteins secreted by cells that regulate a variety of biological processes. Although they have long been proposed as potent therapeutic agents, their administration in a soluble form has proven costly and ineffective due to their short half‐lives in biological environments. Biomaterial‐based approaches are increasingly sought as alternatives to improve the efficacy or, ideally, replace the need for exogenous administration of GFs in regenerative medicine strategies. The means by which these systems evolve from biomaterials for conventional controlled release of GFs to the recent extracellular matrix (ECM)–inspired approaches for sequestering these labile molecules and regulating their spatiotemporal activity and presentation are reviewed. Focus is placed on biomaterials functionalized either with ECM components, which show promiscuous GF binding, or with targeted GF ligands (antibodies, aptamers, or peptides). The potential of synthetic platforms with abiotic affinity as cost‐effective alternatives to the current biological ligands is also discussed. Overall, the various GF sequestering systems developed so far have remarkably improved the activity of GFs at reduced doses and, in some cases, completely avoided the need for their exogenous administration to guide cell fates. These bioinspired concepts thus enable the rational exploration of the full therapeutic potential of GFs in regenerative medicine.
An Overview on Probiotics as an Alternative Strategy for Prevention and Treatment of Human Diseases

Probiotics are viable and useful microorganisms, which are beneficial factors for human and animal health by altering their microbial flora. Most of the probiotics belong to a large group of bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract. There are several clinical shreds of evidence that show anti-carcinogenic effects of probiotics through altering digestive enzymes, inhibition of carcinogenic agents, and modulating the immune responses in experimental animals. Many studies have been performed to evaluate the potential effectiveness of probiotics in treating or preventing neurological diseases such as MS and novel treatment modality for T1D. The purpose of this study is to have an overview on probiotic microorganisms and to review the previous researches on the effects of probiotics on health through currently available literatures. The study was performed using following keywords; Probiotics, Cancer, Immune system, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Diabetes mellitus. PubMed/Medline, Clinicaltrials.gov, Ovid, Google Scholar, and Reaxcys databases used to find the full text of related articles. According to the current available data on probiotics and related health-promoting benefits, it seems that, consumption of probiotics can lead to the prevention and reduction the risk of cancer, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. Although for the better and more decisive conclusion, there is a need to larger sample size clinical studies with more focus on the safety of these biological agents and their possible beneficial effects on different population.
Detection and characterization of Cucumber mosaic virus isolated from sweet peppers.

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) causing viral diseases in forage, fruit, ornamental and vegetable crops worldwide has been isolated in Lithuania from sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants exhibiting mottle-mosaic and distortion of leaves and fruits, and plant stunt symptoms. The plant material was collected in the private gardens of Vilnius, Kaisiadorys, Kėdainiai regions. The identification of CMV has been performed on the basis of determination of host range, symptom expression on the test plant species and morphological properties of the virus particles by the methods of test plants and transmission electron microscopy, and by using of specific oligonucleotide primers in reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In this work the primers designed on the basis of published sequences were applied for amplification of CMV RNA fragments in RT-PCRs using experimentally CMV infected host plants. The detection of CMV in inoculated test plants was confirmed by RT-PCR technique. Analysis of PCR products in acrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed amplification of about 540 bp (base pair) fragments which were in agreement with size of the fragment expected from the sequence data.
First records of an invasive bug in Europe: Halyomorpha halys Stål (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), a new pest on woody ornamentals and fruit trees?

In 2007 five incidences of the brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys Stal 1855 (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) were recorded from the area around the City of Zurich in Switzerland. While most records were of single individuals, in one case exotic ornamentals suffered from a mass attack. These are the first records of this invasive bug not just in Switzerland but also in Europe. This phytophagous species is native to East Asia and was introduced into the USA about a decade ago. It is considered a pest both in its countries of origin and introduction, especially for horticultural crops such as stone fruit and pomes as well as for woody ornamentals. Moreover, it can become a nuisance in residential areas when it aggregates on buildings and in homes seeking shelter for overwintering. A brief literature review is given here of its biology, host plants, natural enemies and economic impact in East Asia and in the USA. The possible significance of this new potential pest in Central Europe is also assessed.
An econometric analysis of Norwegian sawmilling 1974-1991 based on mill-level data.

An eight-input translog total cost function was estimated, and the estimates were used to calculate Allen and Morishima substitution elasticities, price elasticities of conditional input demands, elasticity of size, and technical change for Norwegian sawmilling at a five-digit disaggregate industry level, based on an unbalanced panel of 3,090 individual observations of sawmills over the period 1974-1991. The unusually rich source of data made it possible to analyze the production economics of sawmilling in more detail than has ever been possible before. As far as comparisons with other studies could be made, many of the Allen substitution elasticities and price elasticities of conditional input demand were in accordance with previous findings. The inputs were found to be inseparable. Therefore, frequently used overall aggregates like materials and energy are not to be recommended. Since the average sawmill had economies of size yet to be exploited, it would have been better off by increasing its size. The most effective way of doing this is to use relatively more sawlogs, electricity, capital, and the aggregate other inputs, and relatively less labor, lumber input (for planing), and the aggregate input other materials. The rate of technical change was negative for the average sawmill.
Path to Purpose? How Online Customer Journeys Differ for Hedonic Versus Utilitarian Purchases

The authors examine consumers’ information channel usage during the customer journey by employing a hedonic and utilitarian (H/U) perspective, an important categorization of consumption purpose. Taking a retailer-category viewpoint to measure the H/U characteristics of 20 product categories at 40 different retailers, this study combines large-scale secondary clickstream and primary survey data to offer actionable insights for retailers in a competitive landscape. The data reveal that, when making hedonic purchases (e.g., toys), consumers employ social media and on-site product pages as early as two weeks before the final purchase. By contrast, for utilitarian purchases (e.g., office supplies), consumers utilize third-party reviews up to two weeks before the final purchase and make relatively greater usage of search engines, deals, and competitors’ product pages closer to the time of purchase. Importantly, channel usage is different for sessions in which no purchase is made, indicating that consumers’ information channel choices vary significantly with the H/U characteristics of purchases. The article closes with an extensive discussion of the significant implications for managing customer touchpoints.
Gender and the Performance of Informal Sector Enterprises

The objective of the study was to examine whether female and maleled informal businesses differ in terms of performance. Using a simple random sampling, 250 paper questionnaires were distributed by hand to small and micro enterprises, out of which 90 responses were gathered from owners and managers of informal enterprises. The Upper Echelon Theory (UET) serves as the main theory that underpins this study. Mann-Whitney test was employed to test the study's hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that there was a significantly equal relationship between gender and profit. Sales and gender performance however indicated a non-significant relationship. Female-led enterprises had a significantly higher employees' growth than male-led enterprises. Overall, female outperformed male in the informal sector based on employees' growth which is an indication of female's lenient, empathetic and good leadership style than male.
On Indo-Malayan Pterophyllinae (Orthoptera, Family Tettigoniidae)

The family Tettigoniidae consists of the long-horned grasshoppers with a more or less distinct sword-shaped ovipositor and with a distinct auditory organ at the proximal part of the fore tibiae. Handlirsch unites into this family 14 subfamilies of which the Pterophyllinae only are considered here. Concerning the name Tettigoniidae the opinions were diverging, but in recent literature this name is generally used. In the 10th edition of Linne's Systema Naturae (1758) a number of species of the genus Gryllus are united into the subgenus Tettigonia. This subgenus was considered as a genus by Fabricius and it would have been logical if he had kept the Linnean name Tettigonia for it. Fabricius, however, mixed up the Linnean names and called the here-mentioned genus: Locusta. This name has for many years been considered as the correct name of the genus, and Tettigonia L. was used for another group of insects. Stal (1874) placed Tettigonia L. into the synonymy of Locusta F. as both names refer to the same group of species. Linne (1758), however, had given the name Locusta to a group of short-horned grasshoppers; moreover Tettigonia L. has priority over Locusta F. as it had been established earlier. Thus the name Tettigonia L. is the eldest in the group and therefore should be considered to be the type genus and the name of the family should be derived from it. As to the type species of the genus Tettigonia L. Karny (1907) gives a survey of all Linnean species in the genus Gryllus, Tettigonia, and shows that successively all species have been placed into other (new) genera, leaving viridissima L. as the only species in the genus Locusta F. (Stal
Activities of the Ministry of Defense in Ukraine and Military Administration during the Special Period

The article deals with the activity features of the Ministry of Defense in Ukraine and military-civilian administration during a special period. It is revealed that the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, as the central executive body, together with the military-civilian administrations, created instead of regional councils, facilitate the realization of civil-military cooperation. However, the authority of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine covers a number of other rights and responsibilities, including the formulation of state policy, the organization of defense planning and the effective defense resources management. After completing the study, we came to the conclusion that it is advisable to strengthen the cooperation between the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine on protection of territories, where hostilities take place. Futhermore, the content of national legislation acts also points out that civil-military administrations have sufficient authority to counteract crime in the state`s territory, during a special period. It was concluded, that in order to improve the activities of civil-military administrations in a special period, it is necessary to resolve the situation where the military-civilian administrations and the regional council are existing simultaneously.
Molecular Biology of Endometrial Carcinoma

The term tumour is understood as a general denomination for newly formed tissue formation or cell populations in an organism that do not develop as a physiological response to external or internal stimuli, show abnormality signs and more or less escape the regulatory influence of the surrounding cells and organism. Currently, a general opinion has been accepted that tumours result from congenital or acquired genetic damage. Thus, the spectrum of formerly suggested theories of carcinogenesis has narrowed down to a single genetic theory. It is therefore necessary to emphasize that regardless of malignant growth being sporadic for the individual or recurrent for many family members as a hereditary trait, it is clearly a genetic disease.
Corporate Governance Practices and Bank Performance: Evidence from Indian Banks

The study examines the corporate governance practices and analyzes the role of the board characteristics (size of the board, the composition of the board, and functioning of the board) on the performance and asset quality of banks. We use a sample of 34 commercial banks consisting of 19 public sector banks and 15 private sector banks from 2009 to 2018 accounting for 93 percent of the total banking industry in India. The study finds that busy directors and the number of meetings have a positive significance on bank performance. The percentage of independent directors and the percentage of busy directors influence a significant negative relationship on the net non-performing assets ratio. The board size and number of meetings are associated negatively with Tobin's Q significantly and the percentage of busy directors is a significantly positive impact on Tobin's Q. The board size has a significantly negative impact on bank performance. The research findings provide some insights into corporate governance to the RBI for considering appropriate policy guidelines on corporate governance in the banking industry in India. The paper adds to the existing literature on corporate governance mechanisms and banking industry performance.
Uncertainty and tourism in Africa

Tourism growth is on the rise in Africa, and yet limited empirical evidence exists that explores the factors that drive this important contributor of economic growth on the continent. Previous literature focuses mainly on developed countries. This study weighs in on the recent debate on African tourism by providing evidence on the role that economic uncertainties have on tourist arrivals. Using panel data from 1996 to 2017, we find that economic uncertainties reduce tourist arrivals in Africa in comparison to other global regions, such as Europe. Further disaggregation by African regions reveals that economic uncertainties in West and North African regions drive these adverse results. These regions have been the hardest hit by political instability and social unrest during the period under review, which may have acted as a deterrent to tourists.
Patterns of morphological variation and allelic distribution across a zone of overlap between two subspecies of Geleznowia verrucosa (Rutaceae)

Patterns of morphological and allelic variation were examined between the two subspecies of Geleznowia verrucosa Turcz. (Rutaceae) and putative hybrids across a rare zone of overlap between the two taxa. Morphometric analyses with 17 quantitative or derived characters differentiated the two subspecies. Individuals within the overlap zone, which were morphologically difficult to characterise, were variously placed indicating their probable mixed parentage. Allelic patterns in 16 allozyme loci were also examined for polymorphism and patterns of distribution. Eight loci were either monomorphic or exhibited low levels of polymorphism. The remaining eight loci and in particular the five aspartate aminotransferase (Aat) loci, strongly indicate asymmetric gene flow and introgression from subsp. formosa ms to subsp. verrucosa ms. In addition, subsp. verrucosa ms exhibited alleles that were unique to this population.
Effect of substrate pre-treatment methods on oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) production.

Among the various cultivated mushrooms, oyster mushroom is easy to cultivate due to its strong enzymatic action towards the utilization of various kinds of organic substrates. However, pre-treatment of substrates is not an easy job for the cultivation of mushroom especially in the rural areas. The objective of this study was to devise an easy handy procedure for organic substrate pre-treatment in the production of oyster mushroom. Substrate pre-treatments by autoclaving at 121°C, hot water dipping (pasteurisation) in steel drum at 60°C for 2 h and hot water dipping (pasteurisation) in steel drum at 60°C for 3 h were evaluated. The percent contamination was significantly higher in horse manure compost (70%) compared to sugarcane bagasse (12.5%). The oyster mushroom took significantly less time to colonise the autoclaved sugarcane bagasse (36 days) compared to sugar cane bagasse pasteurised for 2 h (64 days). Autoclaved horse compost manure was fully colonised in 42 days, while those pasteurised with hot water at 2 and 3 h failed to colonise due to heavy contamination by Trichoderma harzianum presumably due to insufficient sterilisation. Despite the shortest days to full colonisation, there was no significant difference in the yield (410.4 g) and bio-efficiency (82.10%) of autoclaved sugarcane bagasse compared to the yield (301.1 g) and bio-efficiency (60.22%) of sugarcane bagasse pasteurised in hot water for 3 h. Although, autoclaving was the best method for substrate pre-treatment, however hot water pasteurisation at 60°C for 3 h of sugarcane bagasse proved to be a viable and promising method of substrate pre-treatment, which can be adopted to produce a good yield of oyster mushroom especially in rural areas, where autoclave sterilisation is not feasible. © 2012 Friends Science Publishers
Tide‐Storm Surge Interactions in Highly Altered Estuaries: How Channel Deepening Increases Surge Vulnerability

We develop idealized analytical and numerical models to study how storm surge amplitudes vary within frictional, weakly convergent, nonreflective estuaries. Friction is treated using Chebyshev polynomials. Storm surge is represented as the sum of two sinusoidal components, and a third constituent represents the semidiurnal tide (D2). An empirical fit of storm surge shows that two sinusoidal components adequately represent storm surge above a baseline value (R = 0.97). We find that the spatial transformation of surge amplitudes depends on the depth of the estuary, and characteristics of the surge wave including time scale, amplitude, asymmetry, and surge‐tide relative phase. Analytical model results indicate that surge amplitude decays more slowly (larger e‐folding) in a deeper channel for all surge time scales (12–72 hr). Deepening of an estuary results in larger surge amplitudes. Sensitivity studies show that surges with larger primary amplitudes (or shorter time scales) damp faster than those with smaller amplitudes (or larger time scales). Moreover, results imply that there is a location with maximum sensitivity to altered depth, offshore surge amplitude, and time scale and that the location of observed maximum change in surge amplitude along an estuary of simple form moves upstream when depth is increased. Further, the relative phase of surge to tide and surge asymmetry can change the spatial location of maximum change in surge. The largest change due to increased depth occurs for a large surge with a short time scale. The results suggest that both sea level rise and channel deepening may also alter surge amplitudes. Plain Language Summary Many estuaries around the world are heavily altered from their natural state. Wetlands have been reclaimed, and shipping channels widened and deepened to accommodate large container ships. The effects on storm surge and flood risk are just beginning to be explored. In this paper we employ a theoretical approach to understand how the characteristics of a storm surge—such as how fast it is moving, how big it is, and whether it happens on flood or ebb tide—change how it behaves in an estuary. Our results show that storm surge generally gets larger when channels are dredged and deepened; the largest amplification is observed for fast‐moving storms with a short time scale, within estuaries that are highly frictional. Other characteristics—such as the timing relative to the tide and the shape of the estuary—also impact the amplitude and the amount of sensitivity to changing conditions. We find that channel deepening effects are negligible at the coast and far upstream. In between, a region of maximum sensitivity to dredging occurs. Thus, changes in flood risk due to channel deepening and sea level rise can be spatially variable, even within a single estuary.
Heterogeneous Beliefs and Return Volatility Around Seasoned Equity Offerings

We investigate the dynamics of heterogeneous beliefs and link them to the volatility pattern throughout the seasoned equity offering (SEO) event window. In sync with a reduction in information asymmetry related to management information releases around the SEO event, belief heterogeneity declines. Moreover, heterogeneity in beliefs, proxied by either analyst- or institutional-trade-based measures, is a robust and salient determinant of SEO firm volatility, which provides an explanation for the volatility timing “puzzle” identified in the SEO market. Furthermore, the relation between heterogeneous beliefs and return volatility weakens as short sale constraints tighten, suggesting a potential causal link.