Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pricing interest rate derivatives in an illiquid market

Globally, one-factor diffusion processes have been popular models for the short rate by virtue of their analytically tractable features. However, due to shortcomings of these models in certain markets a number of models, such as two-factor diffusion and jump diffusion models, have been developed over time. Interest rate models for the South African market have not been researched thoroughly. As a consequence, one-factor diffusion models remain the popular choice in South African interest rate markets. We will investigate, by empirical means, whether one-factor diffusion models are suitable for the modelling of domestic short dated low risk interest rate data. We will show evidence that the South African short rate should be modelled by a pure jump process. The evidence is found through empirically analysing and applying hypothesis tests for jumps on historical 3-month Johannesburg Interbank Agreed Rate (JIBAR) data. We fit a nonstationary compound Poisson process with stably distributed jumps and rate dependent intensities to the 3-month JIBAR. As a result we use a slightly altered model to price options on the 3-month forward JIBAR. We find potentially large changes of these option prices compared to prices derived from a nonparametric one-factor diffusion short rate model. In order to fit a distribution from the family of stable distributions we show how to estimate its parameters. We apply two methods and compare the results with each other. To calculate maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs) we develop a method to estimate stable density function values. We compare these estimators to integrated least squared estimators (ILSEs). ILSEs are asymptotically less efficient than MLEs. However, we develop an algorithm to calculate the ILSEs that is quicker to apply than the method used to find MLEs. Key terms: Pure jump processes, Nonstationary compound Poisson processes, Short rate models, JIBAR, Maximum likelihood estimators, Integrated least squared estimators.
Asymptotic behavior of a nonlinear necrotic tumor model with a periodic external nutrient supply

In this paper we study a nonlinear free boundary problem for the growth of radially symmetric tumor with a necrotic core. The proliferation of tumor cells depends on the concentration of nutrient which satisfies a diffusion equation within tumor and is periodically supplied by external tissues. The tumor outer surface and the inner interface of the necrotic core are both free boundaries. We give a sufficient and necessary condition for the existence and uniqueness of positive periodic solution, and show it is globally asymptotically stable under radial perturbations. Our analysis implies that tumor growth may finally synchronize the periodic external nutrient supply.
Coliform Bacteria in Drinking Water from South Bavaria: Identification by the API 20E-System and Resistance Patterns

A total of 256 coliform strains (132 from central, 124 from decentralized water supplies) as defined by the German drinking water regulation were characterized by the API 20E-system and by their susceptibility to 15 antimicrobial agents. Alltogether 22 different species from 10 genera could be differentiated, whereas 14 strains were unidentifiable by the applied system. The frequency distribution of the strains isolated from central water supplies yielded 48.5 % for Citrobacter freundii, 17.4 % for Klebsiella pneumoniae, 6.8 % for Buttiauxella agrestis and 6.1 % for C. diversus. In decentralized water supplies C. freundii was found in 33.9 %, K. pneumoniae in 14.5 %, Serratia fonticola in 8.9 % and K. oxytoca in 6.5 %. About one third (73 strains) were fully susceptible to all used antibiotics. 42 strains, however, revealed complete or moderate resistance against three or more agents (multiresistant strains). Within this group a seasonal variation was evident. The proportion of multiresistant isolates was found to be relatively high in the first half of the year (21.4 % in January- March and 29.4 % in April-June) and relatively low in the second half-year (7.9 % in July-September and 11.3 % in October-December). This different distribution may indicate a conservation of R-factor bearing bacteria in the environment.
Atlas of the spinal cord : of the rat, mouse, marmoset, rhesus, and human

The Atlas of the Spinal Cord is the first comprehensive atlas of rodent and primate spinal cords. This atlas features histological images and labeled drawings of every segment from rat, mouse, marmoset monkey, rhesus monkey, and human spinal cords. Nissl-stained section images and matching drawings for each segment are supplemented by up to four histochemical or immunohistochemical images on a facing page. The neuron groups supplying major limb muscles are identified in each species. Constructed by the established leaders in neuroanatomical atlas development, this new atlas will be the indispensible resource for scientists who work on rodent or primate spinal cord. * Full-color photographic images of Nissl-stained sections from every spinal cord segment in each of two rodent and three primate species-over 160 Nissl plates* Comprehensively labeled diagrams to accompany each Nissl-stained section-over 160 diagrams* More than 500 photographic images of sections stained for AChE, ChAT, parvalbumin, NADPH- diaphorase, calretinin, or other markers to supplement the Nissl-stained images* Digital versions of diagrams are available to purchasers of this book via a website
MIDDLE MANAGERS’ ROLE AS CHANGE AGENTS - Variations in approaches and their contributions to the progress of change

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the various ways in which middle managers approach their role as change agents. Existing research on organizational change has primarily emphasized the implementation of change as middle management’s main role during strategic change. I argue that middle managers are facing increasing challenges and expectations and particularly an increased pace of change. I therefore anticipate that the middle manager's role in strategic change may be more diverse than has been suggested in the previous literature. In order to examine how middle managers at various levels approach their role as change agents, I conducted a review of the literature on middle management and change, and carried out two longitudinal case studies of middle managers. Theoretically, I draw on middle management literature and the sensemaking perspective. My findings suggest that middle managers approach their role as implementer in various ways that differ in terms of both role perception and implementation practices. Some middle managers also take on a broader role as change agent that goes far beyond implementing change. The specific approach middle managers take to their role as change agents is important as it influences how change progresses. Consequently, my research contributes to the middle management literature and the strategic change literature by expanding our notion of the middle manager’s role as change agent and by illustrating how middle managers contribute to securing the progress of change.
Effect of different housing systems on productivity and welfare of laying hens

under the Eu regulations, all cages designed for commercial laying hens should meet the specifications of enriched cages. in addition, the European union allows and even promotes the housing of layers in barn and free-range systems. however, not every breed and commercial line is suitable for each of these systems in terms of productivity and quality of eggs. these factors have an effect on the profitability of poultry production, which is the main criterion determining the choice of a system by the producer. the current state of the art is insufficient to determine which system has the most favourable effects on performance of laying hens and quality of their eggs, because research results are inconclusive. therefore, further studies and observations are needed to show differences in the adaptability of different hen breeds to different production systems. this will make it possible to optimize housing conditions in accordance with the principles of welfare and proper choice of layer breeds and commercial lines so as to maximize production and economic results while making the hens resistant to production stress.
Bases biologiques de la production de deux Mollusques d'intérêt économique: reproduction chez Megathura crenulata, reproduction et développement chez Crassostrea gigas

Le cycle reproducteur de Megathura crenulata a ete documente et la quantification des reserves ovocytaires par des colorants lipospecifiques a ete tentee, sans resultats concluants pour cette espece, ni pour Crassostrea gigas. L'interet d'une alimentation des geniteurs femelles C. gigas au printemps est re-evalue, car la performance ulterieure des elevages larvaires et post-larvaires n'a pas ete affectee par le jeune impose lors du conditionnement. L'etude du developpement des organes impliques dans le traitement des particules chez C. gigas a permis d'identifier des stades critiques associes a l'ontogenese de chaque organe, ainsi qu'une meilleure comprehension de l'evolution de ces organes si particuliers chez les Ostreidae. L'examen des types ciliaires et la cartographie des mucocytes de la post-larve a l'adulte ont montre que la specialisation heterorhabdique precede meme la formation anatomique des plis branchiaux caracteristiques de cette condition.
Drosophila as a model system for genetic and genomic research

The sequencing of the Drosophila genome allowed the identification of most coding sequences, highlighting the necessity for a functional assignation of the identified genes. The information extracted from the sequence directly classified a considerable fraction of genes into known molecular categories, although there is still a large proportion of them that, due to poor sequence conservation, are not included into any informative class. Furthermore, in many instances the molecular nature of a protein is not particularly revealing about its functional requirements These authors contributed equally to this manuscript. Correspondence/Reprint request: Dr. Jose F. de Celis, Centro de Biologia Molecular “Severo Ochoa” Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain. E-mail: jfdecelis@cbm.uam. es Cristina Molnar et al. 2 and network of interactions. In this manner, complementary genomic approaches to gene identification by sequence conservation are fundamental both in Drosophila and other organisms to assign particular functions to annotated genes. The approach more successful in the Drosophila field is the undertaking of genetic screenings to identify sets of interacting genes and genes controlling particular cellular processes. Classic genetic screens comprise all those based on a “phenotypic” paradigm, where the generation of large collections of mutant chromosomes is followed by their mapping. This approach has been recently expanded to include “genomic” tools, such as the use of microarrays and interference RNA, as well as reverse-genetics techniques, seeding the way to a “functional” annotation of the Drosophila genome.
Ancestral sequence reconstruction

1. The Early Days of Paleogenomics, Connecting Molecules to the Planet 2. Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction as a Tool to Understand Natural History and Guide Synthetic Biology: Realizing and Extending the Vision of Zuckerkandl and Pauling 3. Linking Sequence to Function in Drug Design with Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction 4. Probabilistic Models and Their Impact on the Accuracy of Reconstructed Ancestral Sequences 5. Probabilistic Ancestral Sequences Based on the Markovian Model of Evolution- Algorithms and Applications 6. Estimating the History of Mutations on a Phylogeny 7. Coarse Projections of the Protein-Mutational Fitness Landscape 8. Dealing with Uncertainty in Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction: Sampling from the Posterior Distribution 9. Evolutionary Properties of Sequences and Ancestral State Reconstruction 10. Reconstructing the Ancestral Eukaryote- Lessons from the Past 11. Using Ancestral Sequence Inference to Determine the Trend of Functional Divergence After Gene Duplication 12. Reconstruction of Ancestral Proteomes 13. Computational Reconstruction of Ancestral Genomic Regions from Evolutionarily Conserved Gene Clusters 14. Experimental Resurrection of Ancient Biomolecules: Gene Synthesis, Heterologous Protein Expression, and Functional Assays 15. Dealing with Model Uncertainty in Reconstructing Ancestral Proteins in the Laboratory: Examples from Ancestral Visual Pigments and GFP-like Proteins 16. Unraveling the Evolution of Complexity by Resurrecting Ancient Genes 17. A Thermophilic Last Universal Ancestor Inferred from its Estimated Amino Acid Composition 18. The Resurrection of Ribonucleases from Mammals. From Ecology to Medicine 19. Evolution of Specificity and Diversity
The Impact of Firm Characteristics on Mandatory Disclosure of Companies Listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange

: This study examines the impact of firm characteristics on mandatory corporate disclosures. The company has an incentive to make mandatory disclosures. One is to show that the company has better performance than other companies. This study aims to determine what characteristics of the company that influence the mandatory disclosure. By using a sample of annual financial reports from 207 companies listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange (IDX) in 2017 and OLS analysis techniques this research was conducted. The results prove that managerial ownership, foreign ownership, profitability and industry type affect the level of mandatory corporate disclosure. Consistent with initial predictions, high managerial ownership establishes management position and reduces public disclosure demands. As a result it reduces the level of mandatory disclosure. On the other hand, high foreign ownership encourages management to make better mandatory disclosures to meet the demands of foreign investors. A high level of profitability also encourages better mandatory disclosure to show the performance to the market in order to get investors. The demand for comprehensive reporting in the financial industry sector also encourages better mandatory disclosure.
Artificial Immune System for Associative Classification

When attempting to build complex systems, systems that resemble the intelligence or efficiency found in natural systems, it is not surprising that computer scientists have often turned to biological systems for inspiration in solving complex computational problems. One of the most sophisticated biological systems is the Natural Immune System (NIS). NIS is a distributed, multi-layered, adaptive, dynamic, and life-long learning system. Meanwhile, the Artificial Immune System (AIS) is a computational system inspired by the principles and processes of the NIS. The field of AIS has obtained some degree of success as a branch of computational intelligence since its emergence in the 1990s. There have been several successful applications of AIS in computer security, optimization, anomaly detection, and data mining. Data mining is the process of discovering patterns from large data sets. One of the branches of data mining is Associative Classification (AC). AC algorithms integrate association rules discovery and classification to build a classifier from a training data for predicting the class of unforeseen test data. Meanwhile, traditional Associative Classification algorithms typically search for all possible association rules to find a representative subset of those rules. Since the search space of such rules may grow
Multivariate analysis in relation to breeding system in okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench].

Fifty okra genotypes of different eco-geographical origin maintained at Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi were evaluated to study the genetic divergence for fruit yield/plant and its 9 component traits following multivariate and canonical analyses. The genotypes were grouped in 15 clusters and confirmed by canonical analysis. Sixty eight per cent genotypes (34/50) were genetically close to each other and grouped in 5 clusters (I, II, III, IV, V), while apparent diversity was noticed for 32 per cent of the genotypes who diversed into rest 10 clusters (VI-XV). Inter-cluster distance ranged from 21.16 to 80.0. The maximum was between X and XV followed by X and XIII (79.69) and IX and X (77.09). The genotypes in cluster X, XIII, and XV had greater potential as breeding stock by virtue of high mean values of one or more component characters and high statistical distance among them. Based on findings of high cluster mean of component trait and inter-cluster distance among clusters, a breeding plan has been discussed.
Molecular evolution of voltage-gated calcium channels of L and N types and their genomic regions

The expansion of the voltage-gated calcium channel alpha 1 subunit families (CACNA1) of L and N types was investigated by combining phylogenetic analyses (neighbour-joining and maximum likelihood) with chromosomal data. Neighbouring gene families were analysed to see if the chromosomal regions duplicated through whole genome doublings in vertebrates. Results show that both types of CACNA1 expanded in two ancient whole genome duplications as parts of larger genomic regions. Many gene families in these regions obtained copies in an additional teleost-specific genome duplication. This diversification of CACNA1 genes probably contributed to evolutionary innovations in nervous system function.
3-Chloropropane-1,2-diol Fatty Acid Esters in Potato Products

The occurrence of 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol fatty acid esters (bound 3-MCPD) in French fries and potato chips is reported. These products belong to the group of foodstuffs with high amount of 3-MCPD esters. Bound 3-MCPD was determined in all analysed samples in following concentrations: pre-frying French fries 27-64 µg/kg, French fries (final product) 100-258 µg/kg and potato chips 229-1008 µg/kg. Palm oil used for frying potato chips was analysed as well and the bound 3-MCPD levels ranged from 654 to 1920 µg/kg. 3-MCPD esters are formed in these products as a consequence of the processing technique. Especially frying oil represents the main source of these contaminants in frying potato products.
The role of Wnt signalling in synapse maintenance in the hippocampus

Wnt signalling is well known for its role during development and formation of central synapses. Interestingly, many studies have demonstrated that Wnts and their receptors are continuously expressed after development in the adult brain, suggesting that Wnt signalling might play a role in synaptic maintenance during adulthood. Our lab has demonstrated that Dickkopf-1 (Dkk1), an endogenous Wnt antagonist, can rapidly induce the disassembly of synapses in hippocampal cultures (Purro et al., 2012). In addition, recent studies demonstrated that Dkk1 expression is increased in the brain of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, as well as in some transgenic mouse models of AD, which coincides with synaptic loss and impaired memory. These results suggest that Wnt signalling may be involved in the maintenance of synapses in the adult brain. To investigate the role of Wnt signalling in the adult central nervous system, I used an inducible transgenic mouse line that expresses Dkk1 in the hippocampus under the control of tetracycline. I found that induction of Dkk1 expression in the hippocampus of adult mice leads to profound synaptic changes. Dkk1 expression induces the disassembly of excitatory synapses in the hippocampus, without affecting inhibitory synapses or compromising cell viability. Morphological analyses of dendritic spines showed a decrease in number and size of spines in the hippocampus CA1 area. Supplementing these findings, behavioural analysis showed that adult Dkk1 transgenic mice exhibit impaired spatial and long term memory. Furthermore, in this study I also give insight to the mechanism of action of Dkk1, demonstrating that Dkk1-mediated synaptic disassembly is dependent on protein degradation. In summary, my studies demonstrate that Wnt signalling is crucial for synaptic maintenance in the adult hippocampus and for normal hippocampal-dependent memory.
Impact of surface hydroxylation in MgO-/SnO-nanocluster modified TiO2 anatase (101) composites on visible light absorption, charge separation and reducibility.

Impact of surface hydroxylation in MgO-/SnO-nanocluster modified TiO2 anatase (101) composites on visible light absorption, charge separation and reducibility. ChemRxiv. Preprint. Surface modification with metal oxide nanoclusters has emerged as a candidate for the enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of titanium dioxide. An increase in visible light absorption and the suppression of charge carrier recombination are necessary to improve the efficiency. We have studied Mg 4 O 4 and Sn 4 O 4 nanoclusters modifying the (101) surface of anatase TiO 2 using density functional theory corrected for on-site Coulomb interactions (DFT + U). Such studies typically focus on the pristine surface, free of the point defects and surface hydroxyls present in real surfaces. We have also examined the impact of partial hydroxylation of the anatase surface on a variety of outcomes such as nanocluster adsorption, light absorption, charge separation and reducibility. Our results indicate that the modifiers adsorb strongly at the surface, irrespective of the presence of hydroxyl groups, and that modification extends light absorption into the visible range while enhancing UV activity. Our model for the excited state of the heterostructures demonstrates that photoexcited electrons and holes are separated onto the TiO 2 surface and metal oxide nanocluster respectively. Comparisons with bare TiO 2 and other TiO 2 -based photocatalyst materials are presented throughout. ABSTRACT Surface modification with metal oxide nanoclusters has emerged as a candidate for the enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of titanium dioxide. An increase in visible light absorption and the suppression of charge carrier recombination are necessary to improve the efficiency. We have studied Mg 4 O 4 and Sn 4 O 4 nanoclusters modifying the (101) surface of anatase TiO 2 using density functional theory corrected for on-site Coulomb interactions (DFT + U). Such studies typically focus on the pristine surface, free of the point defects and surface hydroxyls present in real surfaces. We have also examined the impact of partial hydroxylation of the anatase surface on a variety of outcomes such as nanocluster adsorption, light absorption, charge separation and reducibility. Our results indicate that the modifiers adsorb strongly at the surface, irrespective of the presence of hydroxyl groups, and that modification extends light absorption into the visible range while enhancing UV activity. Our model for the excited state of the heterostructures demonstrates that photoexcited electrons and holes are separated onto the TiO 2 surface and metal oxide nanocluster respectively. Comparisons with bare TiO 2 and other TiO 2 -based photocatalyst materials are presented throughout. This supplementary to the paper entitled: “Impact of surface hydroxylation in MgO-/SnO-nanocluster modified TiO 2 anatase (101) composites on visible light absorption, charge separation and reducibility” .