Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Novel Methodology to Calculate the Probability of Volatility Clusters in Financial Series: An Application to Cryptocurrency Markets

One of the main characteristics of cryptocurrencies is the high volatility of their exchange rates. In a previous work, the authors found that a process with volatility clusters displays a volatility series with a high Hurst exponent. In this paper, we provide a novel methodology to calculate the probability of volatility clusters with a special emphasis on cryptocurrencies. With this aim, we calculate the Hurst exponent of a volatility series by means of the FD4 approach. An explicit criterion to computationally determine whether there exist volatility clusters of a fixed size is described. We found that the probabilities of volatility clusters of an index (S&P500) and a stock (Apple) showed a similar profile, whereas the probability of volatility clusters of a forex pair (Euro/USD) became quite lower. On the other hand, a similar profile appeared for Bitcoin/USD, Ethereum/USD, and Ripple/USD cryptocurrencies, with the probabilities of volatility clusters of all such cryptocurrencies being much greater than the ones of the three traditional assets. Our results suggest that the volatility in cryptocurrencies changes faster than in traditional assets, and much faster than in forex pairs.
Sugar Types, Phenolic Contents, and Antioxidant Activities for 17 Saudi Arabian Date Cultivars and Their Relations with Glycemic Indices

ABSTRACT Sugar types, sugar amounts, phenolic contents constituents were determined in fresh fruits of 17 Saudi date cultivars and the obtained values were correlated with the corresponding vales of glycemic index. Glucose and fructose were presented in all tested cultivars in the range 104–395 g kg−1 and 82–361 g kg−1, respectively. Glucose/fructose ratio constituted between 1.03–1.27. Sucrose was considered the main sugar in four date cultivars. Total phenolics presented in the range 2.15–3.86 g kg−1. Antioxidant activities varied between tested cultivars and ranged from 2.46 to 9.80 µmol Trolox g−1 as assayed by DPPH method and from 5.90 to 17.78 µmol Trolox g−1 as assayed by FRAP method. No significant correlation was found between the levels of glucose, fructose, sucrose, total phenolics and antioxidant activity with the corresponding glycemic index values.
The impact of nutrient regulations on dairy farm land values in Southland

ABSTRACT Environment Southland is setting water quality limits in Southland, New Zealand. It has been well-documented that restrictions on nutrient losses from dairy farms are likely to negatively impact on farm profitability. Less understood is the influence of these regulations on rural land values. Dairy land values have traditionally been driven, in part, by changes in profitability expectations, although lags exist. Therefore, there is a risk that the costs of implementing water quality limits will impact on rural land values. Farm systems modelling was used to investigate the cost of reducing nutrient losses. Present valuation methodology was then used to examine the potential impact of this cost on dairy farm land values. Results show that mitigating nutrient losses from dairy farms in Southland reduces operating profit, resulting in a reduction of land value. Modelling suggests a 20% reduction in nitrogen leaching reduced operating profit by 14% and land value by 17%. The 25th and 75th percentile for the reduction in operating profit was −17.2% and −10.5% respectively. The 25th and 75th percentile for the reduction in land value was −21.5% and −13.1% respectively.
Where do immigrants move in Germany? The role of international migration in regional disparities in population development

We examine the impact of foreign migration on regional disparities in population development in Germany by analysing spatial patterns and determinants at the county level for the period of 2007 – 2017. Counterfactual analyses show that international migration has been the major component of population growth across German regions. However, immigration has mainly been directed towards large cities and highly urbanised areas and has therefore reinforced the existing spatial disparities in population development. Spatial econometric models nonetheless reveal that international migrants are not attracted by agglomeration per se. The location choices of international migrants were mainly driven by existing regional ethnic networks and factors that are related to different personal life stages, such as education or changes in family status. Furthermore, the estimated regional determinants vary strongly across migrant groups from different geographical backgrounds as well as between the external and internal migration of foreigners.
Urban Sprawl in sub-Saharan Africa: A review of the literature in selected countries

Urban sprawl has gained popularity in academic discourse in recent times, but the majority of the research was conducted in developed countries. There is a marginal body of works on the character and nature of urban sprawl in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), although the region isexperiencing one of the fastest rates of sprawl. Urbanisation in SSA is very rapid, and in addition to the emerging challenges of globalisation, climate change and poverty, SSA cities have an enormous task to manage urban sprawl. This paper reviews the literature on urban sprawl in SSAto identify research gaps and propose a research agenda. Published articles from five Anglophone countries in three of the four regional blocks in SSA were selected. The literature was organised into the causes and effects of urban sprawl and showed that the previous research on the subjectfocused mainly on its environmental impacts. Few studies have looked at the effects of sprawl on rural livelihoods, agriculture and food security considering the challenges of global climate change and poverty. Other studies have used Remote Sensing and Geographic InformationSystems, but these were conducted largely for change detection. The paper recommends the deployment of a more comprehensive methodology incorporating remote sensing/GIS with ethnographic methods to capture better the complexity and impacts of urban sprawl in SSA.Additionally, further research attention must be paid to the effects of urban sprawl on rural livelihoods and overall sprawl-induced agrarian change.
Hydrogenation of Furfural to Furfuryl Alcohol over Ru Particles Supported on Mildly Oxidized Biochar

Catalytic hydrogenation of aldehydes is required as the stabilizing step in bio-oils conversion. Ruthenium supported on carbon was used in the present work for hydrogenation of furfural (FF) to furfuryl alcohol (FA). Converting a biochar with no surface area and low carboxyl groups surface density to an outstanding catalyst support using a very simple mild air/steam oxidation is the original contribution of this work. The mildly oxidized biochar is impregnated with a targeted loading of 2.5 wt. % Ru via ion-exchange, using Ru(NH3)6Cl2 precursor. ICP analysis shows that the mild oxidation increases Ru adsorption capacity of untreated biochar from 1.2 to 2.2 wt. %. H2 chemisorption and TEM analysis indicate that the preliminary mild oxidation leads to higher Ru dispersion. XPS analysis also shows that the treatment prevents Ru from surface segregation. The highest value of 93% FA selectivity at 53% FF conversion was obtained in a batch autoclave reactor under optimized conditions.
Topological Lifshitz transition of the intersurface Fermi-arc loop in 
NbIrTe4

S. A. Ekahana ,1,2,* Y. W. Li,1,* Y. Sun,3 H. Namiki ,4 H. F. Yang,5 J. Jiang,5,6 L. X. Yang,7 W. J. Shi ,3 C. F. Zhang,1,8 D. Pei,1 C. Chen ,1,5,9 T. Sasagawa,4 C. Felser,3,10,11 B. H. Yan,12 Z. K. Liu,5,† and Y. L. Chen1,5,7,9,‡ 1Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, United Kingdom 2Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villigen, Switzerland 3Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, D-01187 Dresden, Germany 4Materials and Structures Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8503, Japan 5School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University and CAS-Shanghai Science Research Center, Shanghai 200031, People’s Republic of China 6Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA 7State Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Quantum Physics, Department of Physics and Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People’s Republic of China 8College of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Interdisciplinary Center for Quantum Information, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, People’s Republic of China 9ShanghaiTech Laboratory for Topological Physics, Shanghai 200031, People’s Republic of China 10John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA 11Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA 12Weizmann Institute of Science, Herzl St 234, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
Phylogenetic tree analysis of Entamoeba species isolated from goats

The present study was designed to species typing of parasite Entamoeba spp from goats by using PCR technique and phylogenetic tree analysis. The PCR technique was conducted for using specific primers were designed for 18S rRNA gene of Entamoeba spp. In this study, the sequence alignment analysis and phylogenetic tree analysis of Unweighted Pair Group method with Arithmetic were performed by using phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary analysis (MEGA 6.0 edition computer software) that analysis of 590bp for ribosomal 18S rRNA gene. Our isolates submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI-GenBank) for getting accession number and then we were gotten (10) accession number for goat isolates. Entamoeba spp were detected in (10/50) (20%) of feces samples that collected from goat by PCR. Results of the phylogenetic tree analysis show that most isolates of Entamoeba spp. were closed related to NCBI-Blast Entamoeba bovis 18S ribosomal RNA gene (FN666250.1) with (80%) as an accession number (MF568371, MF568372, MF568373, MF568374, MF568375, MF568377, MF568378 and MF568380), whereas other NCBI- Blast Entamoeba spp. has been shown more related to Entamoeba histolytica isolate 18S ribosomal RNA gene (GQ423749.1) with (20%) as (MF568376 and MF568379). This study is first recording used of molecular phylogeny to Entamoeba spp. in goat at the first time in Iraq.
Effectiveness of Baby Spa and Music Therapy on Growth and Development of Baby

Providing a stimulus given shortly after the baby is born gives a very important effect for the development of children. In the development of a child, stimulation is a basic need and also plays an important role to develop. Dewanti,1 revealed that baby spa is one form of nonverbal communication that can be done by the mother. This spa treatment is very beneficial for baby’s health and development. Infants who have been treated with the spa will look fresh, healthy, vibrant and growth and development faster than infants who never did at all spa. In addition to the baby spa, music therapy is also one therapy that can stimulate thinking, improve concentration and memory, and can improve the cognitive development of infants and children. Music therapy is an effort to improve physical and mental quality with sound stimuli consisting of melodies, rhythms, harmony, timbre, shapes and styles that are organized in such a way as to create useful music for mental and mental health2. This study was conducted to determine the development of infants through baby spa and music therapy, and useful as a follow-up to improve the growth and development of the baby so that the maximum. The population in this study is 6-12 months old baby with sampling using quota sampling technique with a sample of 60 babies. Quantitative quasi-experimental research method with the only posttest with control group design approach, where in the case group was given continuous intervention for 16 days while in the control group only 1 interval was given at the beginning of the meeting, at the end of the study the two groups will be measured the level and compared the results, with the General Linear Model Repeated Measures (GLM RM) test. The result showed that the average of the first measurement scores in the lower case group was slightly lower than the control group that was 8.97 (SD = 0.928), while the mean score on the second measurement and the third measurement in the case group was higher than the control group 9.53 (SD = 0.776) and 9.80 (SD = 0.484). The result of the analysis with multivariate approach showed significant difference KPSP score for growth and development on the third level of measurement (p-value <0,007). Multivariate analysis can explain the variation of growth and development variable amount of 16,1%, there was a significant effect difference between case group and control group in improving growth and development score (p-value <0.000) amount of 44.7%.
Fertility in dairy cows and ways to improve it

CITATION: Muller, C. J. C. , Cloete, S. W. P. & Botha, A. 2018. Fertility in dairy cows and ways to improve it. South African Journal of Animal Science, 48(5):858-868, doi:10.4314/sajas.v48i5. 6.
Online Teaching Practices and the Effectiveness of the Educational Process in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

In this paper, we investigate the impact of the abrupt switch to online teaching which occurred in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By using responses from 362 professors and students from 13 European countries, we find that universities and students were very quick to adapt to the new changes and that a mix of synchronous and asynchronous interaction and assessment methods are currently employed. However, this mix is quite limited relative to what is usually subsumed into online learning tools, and is indicative of passive delivery and reduced interaction. Our respondents estimate that most online interaction and assessment methods will continue to be used after the return to face-to-face education. Our respondents also view the switch to online teaching to have an overall moderate positive impact on the educational process, albeit the overall effectiveness of the online educational experience is perceived to be lower than in the case of face-to-face teaching. Moreover, we find that the institutional support, the trust in the online system and the perceived effectiveness of formative assessment are factors that are positively associated with the impact and effectiveness of online education.
Who Is behind this? Preparing high school students to evaluate online content

Abstract Prior research suggests that high school students often struggle to evaluate online content; however, with support, they can learn to conduct more effective digital evaluations. This study extends our understanding of how students attend to the source of online information and the role instruction may play in changing students’ evaluation of online sources. Reporting on the pre- and posttest responses of high school students (N = 420) who participated in an in-school intervention, this study suggests that students made progress in learning to investigate the source of web content and reading laterally. Findings have implications for how educators and researchers support students’ development as critical Internet users.
Spatial variability of short-term effect of tillage on soil penetration resistance

ABSTRACT The effect of tillage on soil properties varies within field due to spatial variability of soils. Mapping changes of soil penetration resistance (PR) would be useful to understand and assess tillage practices to alleviate soil compaction. The objectives were to model the short-term effect of tillage on PR and its spatial structure, and to delineate homogeneous zones based on soil response in a Typic Argiudoll previously managed under no-till. A grid sampling for PR and soil water content (SWC) were performed before and after chiselling. Spatial analysis was performed on the effect of tillage on PR data by 10 cm layers and homogeneous zones were delineated by k-means cluster analysis. The effect of tillage was −0.33 MPa in 10–20 and 20–30 cm layer. No differences of PR were found at 0–10 cm. Short range (5–7 m) spatial structure on the horizontal plane was observed in all layers. Only 45% of the field showed a marked effect of tillage on PR. Mapping the effect of tillage on PR would be a useful approach for evaluating the global and local response of soil to tillage, as well as for delineating of areas within field for site-specific tillage practices.
FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS ON HIGHLY ACTIVE ANTI RETROVIRAL THERAPY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Objective: To assess Quality of life (QoL) and its associated factors in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) who taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Wangaya Hospital in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during February 2019 to January 2020 at Wangaya Hospital in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. QoL was assessed using the five-level version of the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), EQ-5D index value, and the EuroQol visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software package version 26.0. Bivariate analysis was tested using the cross-tabulation Gamma, Kruskal-Wallis and post hoc Mann-Whitney test. P value<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: A total of 584 PLWHA took HAART for at least 3 mo. The median index value and EQ-VAS were 1.0 (range-0.514–1.0) and 100.00 (range 30-100), respectively. Most patients had problems in ‘anxiety/depression’ and ‘pain/discomfort’ domains. Predictors of better QoL included men, married, good adherence, and treatment duration>24 mo (p<0.05). Predictor of poorer QoL included an advanced HIV clinical stage(p=0.001). Conclusion: The QoL scores of PLWHA receiving HAART in our study were high; hence the QoL of PLWHA was good. The good QoL can be taken as the goal for HIV treatment in order to have a successful HAART therapy.
Anesthetic considerations for awake craniotomy

Awake craniotomy is a gold standard of care for resection of brain tumors located within or close to the eloquent areas. Both asleep-awake-asleep technique and monitored anesthesia care have been used effectively for awake craniotomy and the choice of optimal anesthetic approach is primarily based on the preferences of the anesthesiologist and surgical team. Propofol, remifentanil, dexmedetomidine, and scalp nerve block provide the reliable conditions for intraoperative brain mapping. Appropriate patient selection, adequate perioperative psychological support, and proper anesthetic management for individual patients in each stage of surgery are crucial for procedural safety, success, and patient satisfaction.
Smart, Sustainable and Citizen Centered: A Network Analysis of Urban R&D Trends in Seoul, South Korea

Although it is now recognized that place matters for urban development policy, most case studies focusing on particular cities tend to adopt a high-level perspective that imperfectly captures the full spectrum of context-relevant urban development issues. This study applies semantic network analysis to a corpus of 13,852 accepted R&D project proposals on issues related to the urban development of Seoul, South Korea. Through our analysis, we highlight important research trends and also make connections between these trends and the policy orientation and priorities of successive mayoral administrations over a period of 16 years. Although the results suggest that there is significant overlap between policy orientation and scientific research activity, the interests of research scientists cannot be reduced entirely to political priorities. The study contributes to the literature by fusing the place-based approach to urban development studies with the computational content analysis methodology. We raise several questions for future research, including questions about the relationship between policy priorities, scientific research, and academic research.
Lipase activation by molecular bioimprinting: The role of interactions between fatty acids and enzyme active site

Bioimprinting is an easy, sustainable and low‐cost technique that promotes a printing of potential substrates on enzyme structure, inducing a more selective and stable conformation. Bioimprinting promotes conformational changes in enzymes, resulting in better catalytic performance. In this work, the effect of bioimprinting of Burkholderia cepacia lipase (BCL) and porcine pancreatic extracts (PPE) with four different fatty acids (lauric acid (C12:0), myristic acid (C14:0), palmitic acid (C16:0), and stearic acid (C18:0)) was investigated. The results demonstrated that the better bioimprinting effect was in BCL with lauric acid in esterification reaction, promoting BCL activation in which relative enzyme activity was 70 times greater than nonimprinted BCL. Bioimprinting results were influenced by the carbon chain length of fatty acids imprinted in the BCL, in which the effects were weaker with the chain increase. Molecular docking was performed to better understand the bioimprinting method. The results of these simulations showed that indeed all fatty acids were imprinted in the active site of BCL. However, lauric acid presented the highest imprinting preference in the active site of BCL, resulting in the highest relative activity. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis confirmed important variations in secondary structure of bioimprinting BCL with lauric acid, in which there was a reduction in the α‐helix content and an increase in the β‐sheet content that facilitated substrate access to the active site of BCL and led higher rigidity, resulting in high activity. Bioimprinted BCL with lauric acid showed excellent operational stability in esterification reaction, maintaining its original relative activity after five successive cycles. Thus, the results show that bioimprinting of BCL with lauric acid is a successful strategy due to its high catalytic activity and reusability.
Electromyographic analysis of abdominal muscles during abdominal bracing and hollowing among six different positions

Abdominal bracing exercise is used to enhance all abdominal muscle activity. There are two methods of abdominal bracing— “activate the abdominal muscles without hollowing the lower abdomen” and “activate the abdominal muscles while inflating the lower abdomen”. Although the latter method is widely used in athletic fitness coaching, the electromyographic activities of the abdominal muscles in this method have not been measured yet. This study aimed to clarify the electromyographic activity of all abdominal muscles during abdominal bracing using the latter method of “activating the abdominal muscles while inflating the lower abdomen”. Thirteen healthy men (age: 22 ± 2 years) participated in this study. Transversus abdominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO), external oblique (EO), and rectus abdominis (RA) electromyography was recorded using an intramuscular fine wire and surface electrodes. The participants performed abdominal bracing and hollowing for 5 s (seconds) in six different positions. The electromyographic data during trials were calculated as a percentage of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (%MVIC). A two-way ANOVA was used to compare the %MVIC of each trunk muscle between abdominal bracing and hollowing among the six different positions. In TrA electromyography, there was no difference between abdominal bracing and hollowing. On the other hand, the activities during abdominal hollowing were significantly higher than those during abdominal bracing in IO and EO (p < 0.05). In RA, the activities during abdominal bracing were significantly higher than those during abdominal hollowing (p < 0.05). Abdominal bracing under the method of inflating the lower abdomen is not recommended for high activity of the IO and EO.