Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Study on the In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Juniper (Juniperus communis L.) Fruit Extracts

Abstract This study aimed at evaluating the in vitro antioxidant activity of water and ethanol extracts of juniper (Juniperus communis L., Family Cupressaceae) fruit. The antioxidant properties of both Juniper extracts were studied using different antioxidant assays, including reducing power, free radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and metal chelating activities. Both the water and the ethanol extracts exhibited strong total antioxidant activity. The concentrations of 20, 40, and 60 µg/mL of water and ethanol extracts of juniper fruit showed 75%, 88%, 93%, 73%, 84%, and 92% inhibition on peroxidation of linoleic acid emulsion, respectively. On the other hand, 60 µg/mL of standard antioxidant such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and α‐tocopherol exhibited 96, 96, and 61 inhibitions on peroxidation of linoleic acid emulsion, respectively. However, both extracts of juniper had effective reducing power, free radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and metal chelating activities at these same concentrations (20, 40, and 60 µg/mL). Those various antioxidant activities were compared to BHA, BHT, and α‐tocopherol as standard antioxidants. In addition, total phenolic compounds in both aqueous and ethanolic juniper extracts were determined as gallic acid equivalents. Accordingly, these results indicate that juniper has in vitro antioxidant properties and these may be major reasons for the inhibition of lipid peroxidation properties.
Optimal Monetary Policy Rule in a Heterogeneous Agent Model with Nominal Rigidities

In this paper, I study welfare-maximizing monetary policy rule in a heterogeneous agent New Keynesian model with downward nominal wage rigidity (DNWR) and the zero lower bound (ZLB) of the nominal interest rate. The model embeds heterogeneous workers whose wages might be subject to DNWR, and is calibrated to the U.S. wage distribution. In the calibrated model, DNWR generates sizable welfare loss through an inefficient cross-sectional allocation of labor as well as aggregate fluctuations. The magnitude is substantially larger than stated in previous studies that use representative agent models. The optimal monetary policy rule responds strongly to output to address the inefficiency generated by DNWR, while responsiveness to inflation plays a minor role in welfare. Moreover, monetary policy can improve social welfare by responding more aggressively to a contractionary shock than to an expansionary one to offset the asymmetry stemming from DNWR. The ZLB increases the welfare loss, and alternative policy rules such as forward guidance and price-level targeting can partly offset the adverse effects of the ZLB by committing to a future low interest rate policy. I also investigate the optimal steady-state inflation rate. JEL classification: E31, E24, E52.
Gross Capital Inflows to Banks, Corporates and Sovereigns

We construct a new dataset of quarterly capital flows by sector and establish four facts. First, the co-movement of capital inflows and outflows is driven by banks. Second, procyclicality of capital inflows is driven by banks and corporates, whereas sovereigns’ external liabilities move acyclically in advanced and countercyclically in emerging countries. Third, procyclicality of capital outflows is driven by advanced countries’ banks and emerging countries’ sovereigns (reserves). Fourth, capital inflows and outflows decline for banks and corporates, when global risk aversion (VIX) increases, whereas sovereigns’ flows show no response. These facts are inconsistent with a large class of theoretical models.
Discrimination and production of disparlure enantiomers by the gypsy moth and the nun moth

ABSTRACT. Two odour receptor cells were physiologically identified within male antennal hair sensillae of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L, and the nun moth, L. monacha L. In the gypsy moth, one cell responded to (+)‐disparlure, while a neighbouring cell responded to (‐)‐disparlure. In the nun moth both cells responded to (+)‐disparlure. The lack of sensitivity to (‐)‐disparlure in the nun moth was corroborated by electroantennogram (EAG) recordings, which indicated no affinity to this enantiomer. Single cell responses of male gypsy moth to different concentrations of the synthetic enantiomers of disparlure were then compared to responses elicited by hexane extracts of female glands of both species. The gypsy moth's extracts stimulated almost exclusively the receptor cell specialized for (+)‐disparlure, while both cells were simultaneously stimulated by the extracts of the nun moths. From the response characteristic of the cells it is estimated that pheromone production of the nun moth is about 10% (+) and 90% (‐)‐disparlure, and that of the gypsy moth is almost 100% (+)‐disparlure. Stimulation of the antenna of each species by female gland extracts of both species did not indicate the presence of receptors for other hexane elutable pheromone components in either species.
Genotype‐environment interactions and phenotypic stability analyses of linseed in Ethiopia

Seed yield of 10 linseed genotypes, tested in a randomized block design with four replications across 18 environments of Ethiopia was analysed using different stability models. The objectives were to assess genotype-environment (G-E) interactions, determine stable genotypes, and to compare the stability parameters. Year by location and location variability were the dominant source of interactions. The stability analyses identified ‘R12-N10D’, ‘Chilalo’ and ‘P13611’×‘10314D’ as more stable genotypes, while ‘R11-N1266’, ‘R10-N27G’ and ‘R12-D24C’ were specifically adapted to some environments. The highly significant rank correlations found among the deviations from regression, additive main effects multiplicative interaction, stability values, coefficients of determination, and stability variances indicated their close similarity and effectiveness in detecting stable genotypes over a range of Ethiopian environments.
Zooplankton production in the Bay of Quinte 1975-2008: relationships with primary production, habitat, planktivory, and aquatic invasive species (Dreissena spp. and Cercopagis pengoi).

The Bay of Quinte, a long, shallow, high-phosphorus system in Lake Ontario, spans a trophic range from eutrophic (upper Bay) to meso-oligotrophic (mouth). Phosphorus control (PC) and the invasion of dreissenid mussels and Cercopagis pengoi have influenced its biology and environment. We elucidated the principal drivers behind zooplankton production in the Bay from pre-PC times to the present (1975–2008). Production of abundant species was calculated using the egg-ratio method. Production estimates were improved by determining system-specific production/biomass (P/B) relationships for rarer species. Planktivory governed zooplankton production initially, likely preventing a response to PC. With changes in the fish community, zooplankton production increased. Thereafter, the principal drivers were the structure and size of the fish community, shifts in the predatory arena associated with changing light penetration, temperature, and addition of C. pengoi — all within a general context of nutrient availability.
Executive Pensions

This paper presents evidence of the extent to which omitting the value of pension benefits has undermined the accuracy of existing estimates of executive pay, its variability, and its sensitivity to performance.We study the pension arrangements of CEOs of S&P 500 companies that (1) are now serving and are near the retirement age; or (2) left their positions during 2003 and the first half of 2004. Roughly two-thirds of these CEO have a pension plan (or similar retirement arrangement), and our findings with respect to these CEOs are as follows: · The executives' pension plans had a median actuarial value of $15 million. · The ratio of the executives' pension value to the executives' total compensation (including both equity and non-equity pay) during their service as CEO had a median value of 34%. · Including pension values increased the median percentage of the executives' total compensation composed of salary-like payments during and after their service as CEO from 15% to 39%. In addition, the pension benefits in our sample varied considerably with respect to both their magnitude and their relationship to the executives' overall compensation. Our findings indicate that the standard omission of pension plan values by researchers and the media leads to: · Significant underestimation of the magnitude of executive compensation; · Severe distortions in comparisons among executive pay packages; and · Significant overestimation of the extent to which executive pay is linked to performance. Our analysis demonstrates that the SEC new disclosure rules, which require companies to make executive pensions transparent in ways supported by this paper, can be expected to reveal large amounts of performance-insensitive compensation via executive pensions.
Determination of Genetic Variation in Piper Species Using 4C Nuclear DNA and RAPD Markers

Summary The present study utilized dominant markers such as Random Ampliﬁed Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) for the evaluation of relatedness among 6 Piper species were included in this study and to ensure such technique for claiming intellectual property right (IPR) by the plant breeder. Further, the study also aimed at estimation of the genetic relatedness of these 6 morpho-agronomically contrasting species. Six Piper species were screened using RAPD with decamer primer of arbitrary sequence. Out of 100 primers screened 12 were selected which gave clear and bright fragments. DNA banding patterns generated by RAPD were recorded as ‘1’ for presence of the RAPD marker and ‘0’ for absence. Genetic distance between these 6 species was calculated based on the RAPD data set as per Squared Euclidean distances. Based on the number of bands all the species were grouped into 3 clusters and the dendrogram revealed maximum similarity between P. betel and P. longum and also in between P. nigrum and P. mullesua species, altogether forming one cluster. The standardized method can identify any of the single hybrid or species tested.
Korea's Tied Aid for Export and Competition with China

This paper investigates the new link between the export-creating effects of Korea’s tied aid and the export-diverting effects coming from China’s export expansion, which have been rarely explored by the existing studies. A panel data consisting of 98-104 aid recipients of Korea through the period of 1995-2009 shows that the net export-creating effects are weaker at the export destinations where the export competition between Korea and China is fierce, while they are stronger at the export markets where it is not so severe. These findings applies to consumption goods rather than capital and intermediate goods.
Macroeconomic Factors and Their Influences on Initial Public Offering (IPO) in Nepal

This paper examines the effect of macroeconomic factors such as interest rate, stock market index and remittance on the market share of initial public offerings (IPOs) in Nepal between 1993/94-2015/16. The factors such as stock market index and remittance have more significant relationship with the IPOs, whereas the interest rate had less significant effect. Also the issuance of larger amount of IPOs was related to growing secondary stock market activity, higher inflow of remittance in the economy and a falling interest rate in the market.
Trust and the Cost of Bank Loans: International Evidence

This paper analyses the effect of trust on bank loan spreads for a sample of 16,324 loans from 36 countries over the period 2003-2013, considering not just the role of trust but also the interaction between trust and the legal protection of property rights and how its effect is moderated by the economic development of the country. The results show that greater trust tend to reduce the bank loan spreads when the degree of the protection of property rights is weak in line with trust and legal protection being alternative mechanisms for reducing the cost of debt. Regarding with the degree of economic development, the results show that both trust and legal protection have a greater influence in countries with a lower degree of economic development.
From implicit to explicit: The impact of disclosure on bond trading fees

Unlike equity trading fees, which are disclosed on trade confirmations, bond trading fees are embedded in the transaction price. We explore changes in fees after corporate bond-market professionals were required to explicitly disclose the fee (markup) on certain retail trade confirmations. Although investors could have estimated their fees using historical transaction prices, doing so imposes information processing costs on them. We find that fees decline for those trades that are subject to the disclosure requirement relative to those that are not. Moreover, consistent with fee disclosure reducing investors’ information processing costs, the fee reduction is pronounced for trades executed by the least sophisticated investors and in bonds that impose large processing costs on investors. Our study provides evidence that disclosure is a regulatory tool that can help to reduce retail investors’ trading fees.
Distinct Tissue-Specific Roles for Thyroid Hormone Receptors β and α1 in Regulation of Type 1 Deiodinase Expression

Type 1 deiodinase (D1) metabolizes different forms of thyroid hormones to control levels of T3, the active ligand for thyroid hormone receptors (TR). The D1 gene is itself T3-inducible and here, the regulation of D1 expression by TRα1 and TRβ, which act as T3-dependent transcription factors, was investigated in receptor-deficient mice. Liver and kidney D1 mRNA and activity levels were reduced in TRβ−/− but not TRα1−/− mice. Liver D1 remained weakly T3 inducible in TRβ–/– mice whereas induction was abolished in double mutant TRα1–/–TRβ–/– mice. This indicates that TRβ is primarily responsible for regulating D1 expression whereas TRα1 has only a minor role. In kidney, despite the expression of both TRα1 and TRβ, regulation relied solely on TRβ, thus revealing a marked tissue restriction in TR isotype utilization. Although TRβ and TRα1 mediate similar functions in vitro, these results demonstrate differential roles in regulating D1 expression in vivo and suggest that tissue-specific factors and structural di.
Noncognative Skills, Occupational Attainment, and Relative Wages

This paper examines whether men's and women's noncognitive skills influence their occupational attainment and, if so, whether this contributes to the disparity in their relative wages. We find that noncognitive skills have a substantial effect on the probability of employment in many, though not all, occupations in ways that differ by gender. Consequently, men and women with similar noncognitive skills enter occupations at very different rates. Women, however, have lower wages on average not because they work in different occupations than men do, but rather because they earn less than their male colleagues employed in the same occupation. On balance, women's noncognitive skills give them a slight wage advantage. Finally, we find that accounting for the endogeneity of occupational attainment more than halves the proportion of the overall gender wage gap that is unexplained.
Firm-Driven Management of Longevity Risk: Analysis of Lump-Sum Forward Payments in Japanese Nursing Homes

This study analyzes a unique circumstance of longevity risk management in the Japanese private nursing home market. The circumstance takes the form of a lump-sum forward payment of lifetime rent by residents, which leaves most of the longevity risk to be covered by homes. To analyze this circumstance, I construct a structural econometric model of industrial organization for this market. For the underlying structure of the longevity risk, I assume that both individual consumers and nursing homes utilizes the subjective evaluation. My empirical analysis detects excess payments that can be compensated for only by an unrealistically long stay in nursing homes. This finding implies the existence of exaggerated evaluation of longevity by economic agents. Thus, appropriate government intervention to help hedging longevity risk might improve social welfare.
Ambiguous State Dynamics, Learning, and Endogenous Long-Run Risk

This paper considers learning about unobservable state variables when their dynamics are ambiguous. Ambiguity in dynamics, differently from that in a parameter, is never fully resolved; and, since data are to be filtered through the state equation, learning about the state becomes more difficult, permanently. This endogenously amplifies the long-run risk in estimation. An application to the long-run risks model shows that some of the large long-run risk (and high risk aversion) required by returns data can be attributed to this lack of confidence.
The Determinants of Productivity in Insurance Marketing in Akwa Ibom State – Nigeria

The need for a wide adoption and usage of insurance services in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. This study was aimed at assessing the factors that enhances the growth of the insurance market in Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria, with a view to expanding the coverage of the insurance industry to the entire nation. The following hypothesis was formulated to test the significant effect of the productivity factors on the insurance market performance indicators in the study area. The study was carried out in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The survey design was used and copies of questionnaire were administered on the insurance workers. The population of the study was the insurance workers in the study area. The study adopted the purposive sampling method; hence, a total of one hundred (100) respondents were selected from practising firms and other corporations where insurance workers are found. The data analysis was done using the Relative Importance Index (R.I.I) Technique and the Multivariate method of analysis. The results revealed that the respondents supported that Provision of IT-related facilities (Ranked 1st) is the most important determinant of the insurance market productivity. This was followed by Safety and security of job (Ranked 2nd), Qualitative working environment (Ranked 3rd), and Provision of adequate reward (Ranked 4th). However, since all the variables ranked above the 0.60 R.I. I score, it can be said that they are all important determinants to foster the growth of the insurance market in the study area. The individual effect of P.IT. F, Q.W. E, and P.A. R on the performance indicators were significant since their P-values were less than 0.05; whereas, the effect of the S.S. J on the performance indicators was not significant since its P-value was greater than 0.05. It was also seen that it was only the combined effect of Q.W. E and P.A. R on the performance indicators that was significant since its P-values were less than 0.05. The combined effects of other productivity variables were not significant on the performance indicators since their P-values were greater than 0.05. This study concluded that all the productivity factors were important determinants for an increased performance of the insurance market in Nigeria.
Relationships between life‐history strategies of European freshwater fish species and their habitat preferences

Summary 1. Focusing on the current environmental characteristics, the ‘habitat template’ theory proposes that life-history strategies summarise how evolution has shaped species to cope with the temporal and spatial variability of their present environment. The hierarchical ‘landscape filters’ concept predicts that the distribution of species reflects their specific traits that allow them to pass through multiple habitat filters. Together, these theories showed the importance of identifying the functional relationships of species to selective habitat forces in order to predict the organisation and response of communities to the environment. 2. We test the relationships between life-history traits of European freshwater fish species’ and their habitat preferences, to detect the strategies adopted by fish to cope with their current habitat. For this purpose, we use published data on species traits and habitat preferences (microhabitat hydraulics, temperature and oxygen level). We use multivariate analyses to classify fish species’ strategies and test the relationships between strategies and habitat preferences. 3. We identified a continuum of life-history patterns between two extremes, with opportunistic and periodic species. Our study supports the idea that microhabitat hydraulics plays a more important role as a template for these species ecological strategies than temperature and oxygen level. Indeed, riffle habitats may select opportunistic species whereas weak relationships are found between species strategies and both their temperature and oxygen level preferences. In addition, the ratio between mortality and growth rate (dimensionless trait), reflecting a trade-off between growth and survival, varied among species according to the use of their hydraulic habitat, with species using deep habitats exhibiting the highest values. 4. These general relationships between hydraulics and traits may be of importance in community ecology to develop predictive models to understand how fish communities change with the hydraulic environment.
Additions to the Indian Aphelinidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) – III: the genus Encarsia Förster

Fifteen new species of Encarsia are described: Encarsia asfar sp. nov., E. assamensis sp. nov., E. bolangera sp. nov., E. borkusiensis sp. nov.; E. brevicalcar sp. nov., E. farmani sp. nov., E. hitam sp. nov., E. hragila sp. nov., E. inida sp. nov., E. jowaiana sp. nov., E. khadijae sp. nov., E. meghalayana sp. nov., E. ossira sp. nov., E. reeda sp. nov. and E. sikkimiana sp. nov. Taxonomic accounts on 29 known species are given, of which nine are redescriptions while six are new records for India. The new records are as follows: E. asterobemisiae Viggiani and Mazzone, E. davidi Viggiani and Mazzone, E. diaspidicola (Silvestri), E. liliyingae Viggiani and Ren, E. lounsburyi (Berlese and Paoli) and E. nanjingensis Huang and Polaszek. Also, E. eurystoma Hayat is placed in synonymy with E. punicae Hayat, and E. opulenta (Silvestri) is excluded from Indian fauna as the material proved to be a misidentification for E. perplexa Huang and Polaszek. A key to the 79 (out of 83) Indian species of Encarsia is provided; of the four species not included, one species is considered incertae sedis and the other three are considered doubtful.
The Influence of Size on Cost Behaviour Associated with Tactical and Operational Flexibility

This paper contributes with an empirical analysis, using a sample of farms, on the influence of size on cost behaviour under operational and tactical flexibility. Results indicate that small farms behave advantageously with respect to biggest farms in situations of operational and tactical flexibility. On the one hand, the increase in indirect costs with product diversification is higher in bigger farms than in smaller. On the other hand, while most farms are flexible enough to avoid cost stickiness, the biggest face considerable rigidities in downsizing indirect costs when activity decreases.