Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biosurfactant production potential of bacillus obtained from dye effluent

This study investigated the biosurfactant productions potentials of Bacillus isolated from dye effluent. Samples were collected under aseptic condition from three areas of Sokoto (Marina, Unguwar rogo and Minannata) in Nigeria and transported in an ice bag to microbiology laboratory of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. Enumeration, identification and characterization of the isolates were carried out using standard microbiological methods. The potential and ability to produce biosurfactants was determined using blood haemolytic tests, drop collapse and emulsification techniques. A total of nine organisms were isolated from these three locations sampled, and three were Bacillus species which are the predominant bacteria obtained from the three locations. Enumeration results revealed highest bacterial count at Unguwar rogo (17.33×105 cfu/ml). Haemolysis results revealed that all the isolated bacterial strains exhibited haemolytic activity. The result of drop collapse test showed that all the isolated organisms had good collapsing ability, and all the isolated organism had positive oil spreading and emulsification ability. This study showed Bacillus species are potential biosurfactants producers and should be studied in greater details as strains improvement may enhance the activity of biosurfactants. Key words: Biosurfactants, drop collapse, emulsification, potential, dye effluent.
The Relationship Between Serum Adenosine Deaminase Levels in Lung Tuberculosis Along with Drug Resistance and the Category of Tuberculosis

Setting: The significance of adenosine deaminase (ADA) level in diagnosis of tuberculosis is known. Objectives: We aimed to investigate serum ADA levels in patients with tuberculosis and its relation with drug resistance and tuberculosis categories. Design: The study involved 51 pulmonary tuberculosis patients and eleven healthy controls. All patients classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and 60.8% of the patients were category I, 21.6% were category II and 17.6% were category IV pulmonary tuberculosis. Serum ADA levels of the sensitive cases to isoniazid (H), rifampicin (R), ethambutol (E) and streptomycin (S) were compared with those of the resistant cases. Results: Serum ADA levels were higher in R and E sensitive group then in the resistant group (p=0.046, p=0.045). Serum ADA levels were similar in H and S sensitive group and resistant group ( p>0.05). Serum ADA levels were higher in category I group when compared with the levels of the healthy group (p: 0.03). Comparison between the serum ADA levels of the groups of category I, II and IV with each other showed that the values of category I were significantly higher than values of category II (p=0,038). Although there were no statistically significant differences, it was shown that when the number of resistant drugs increased, the mean serum ADA level tend to decrease. In conclusion, serum ADA levels of category I pati ents were higher than healthy group and while the number of resistant drugs increasing, ADA levels were decreasing
Comparative Study of Cost effectiveness, Efficacy and Safety of Topical Gamma Benzene Hexachloride, Topical Permethrin and Oral Ivermectin in the Treatment of Scabies

Scabies is a common parasitic infection with a worldwide prevalence of about 300 million cases annually. An open label, prospective, parallel group study was conducted in out-patient department of Dermatology in Osmania General Hospital to compare the cost effectiveness, efficacy and safety of topical 1% Gamma Benzene hexachloride, topical 5% Permethrin and oral Ivermectin 200μg/kg in the treatment of 90 scabies patients of age group 5-60 years of either sex, divided in to three groups of 30 patients each. Clinical grading score and Itch grading score were recorded at baseline, 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks of treatment. Any adverse effects of the treatment were also recorded. ANOVA test was used to compare the efficacy and chisquare test was used to analyze the cure rate between the three treatment groups. The cost effectiveness was calculated on the basis of total expenditure on medicine (in INR) at the end of the third week. Oral ivermectin is more cost-effective treatment with equal efficacy and safety profile when compared to benzene hexachloride and Permethrin. But the rate of decreasing pruritus is better with Permethrin may be due to its rapid onset of action.
The influence of Bitcoin on Portfolio Diversification and Design

Abstract We employ a VARMA DCC-GARCH model to search for portfolio diversification with Bitcoin in global industry portfolios and bond index. We find lower dynamic conditional correlations between Bitcoin and industry portfolios and bond index, allowing an investment in Bitcoin to hedge the risk against industry portfolios and bonds. The most effective hedge in a Bitcoin/industry (bond) portfolio is to short Utilities sector. Results are robust to the use of US industry portfolios and a cryptocurrency index instead of global industry portfolios and Bitcoin, respectively. Our results can help investors make informed decisions with regard to risk management and portfolio analysis.
Corporate Social Responsibility in Private Family Firms: Evidence of Stakeholder Perspective on Financial Performance TRACK: Culture, Social and Ethical Issues Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Family firms Financial Performance Corporate Social Responsibility in Private Family Firms: Evide

We aim to broad knowledge on Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in family businesses and their relationship with financial performance. We develop a typology of family firms and characterize each of the four groups obtained in term of age, size, controlling generation, family involvement and financial performance. We also supported our hypotheses and provide evidence that family firms Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives are more developed as age, size, controlling generations and family involvement increase. We also find that family firms investment in Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives does pay, particularly when these initiatives are related to product, employees and environment.
A Rule Search Framework for the Early Identification of Chronic Emergency Homeless Shelter Clients

This paper uses rule search techniques for the early identification of emergency homeless shelter clients who are at risk of becoming long term or chronic shelter users. Using a data set from a major North American shelter containing 12 years of service interactions with over 40,000 individuals, the optimized pruning for unordered search (OPUS) algorithm is used to develop rules that are both intuitive and effective. The rules are evaluated within a framework compatible with the real-time delivery of a housing program meant to transition high risk clients to supportive housing. Results demonstrate that the median time to identification of clients at risk of chronic shelter use drops from 297 days to 162 days when the methods in this paper are applied.
Film language, film emotions and the experience of blind and partially sighted viewers: a reception study

Film experience is a sensual, cognitive and emotional encounter between film and spectator. For viewers with blindness or visual impairment, access to film experience is made possible through audio description (AD). Conventionally, AD is an objective depiction of the images on screen, where audio describers refrain from interpreting what is shown or the way it is shown. This demand for objectivity has been challenged by some researchers and the study presented here is a contribution in this line. Forty five blind and partially sighted Catalan viewers experienced three AD styles: one conventional AD and two interpretative styles (cinematic AD and narrative AD). Results show that although conventional AD gives satisfactory access to the story, emotional aspects expressed through film language are rendered more effectively with an interpretative approach. In our sample, the cinematic and the narrative AD offer a film experience that is more satisfying than that offered by conventional AD.
Modals under epistemic tensions : Experimental evidence for the restricted quantificational account of must and might

According to Kratzer’s influential account (1981; 1991; 2012), epistemic must and might involve quantification over domains of possibilities determined by a modal base and an ordering source. Recently, this account has been challenged by invoking contexts of ‘epistemic tension’: i.e., cases in which an assertion that must φ is conjoined with the possibility that ¬φ, and cases in which speakers try to downplay a previous assertion that must φ, after finding out that ¬φ. Epistemic tensions have been invoked from two directions. von Fintel and Gillies (2010) propose a return to a simpler modal logic-inspired account: must and might still involve universal and existential quantification, but the domains of possibilities are determined solely by realistic modal bases. In contrast, Lassiter (2016), following Swanson (2006, 2011), proposes a more revisionary account which treats must and might as probabilistic operators. In this paper, we present a series of experiments to obtain reliable data on the degree of acceptability of different contexts of epistemic tensions. Our experiments include novel variations that, we argue, are required to make progress in this debate. We show that restricted quantificational accounts à la Kratzer (e.g., Kratzer, 1981, 2012; Roberts, 2015; Giannakidou and Mari, 2016) fit the overall pattern of results better than either of their recent competitors. In addition, our results help us identify which components of restricted quantificational accounts are crucial for their success, and on that basis propose some general constraints that should be satisfied by all candidate accounts of the modal auxiliaries.
What Is the Value of Service-Learning for ESL Teacher Preparation ? !

This study describes the results of a survey administered to present and former students enrolled in a Master’s in TESOL Program at a large urban university in Southern California. Respondents who had had a service-learning or experiential learning assignment were asked to identify to what extent and in which areas their service-learning or experiential learning experience benefited them. Responses by students and alumni who had had a service-learning experience and those who had not had a servicelearning experience were also compared for significance. In addition, responses of service-learners by gender, language background, and visa status were compared to identify important trends in perceived benefits of ser vice-lear ning. Overall, students were quite positive about their service-learning experiences with most benefit indicated in general teaching theory and second language acquisition and least benefit in citizenship and civics. Results of a MANOVA indicated significant differences in benefits for service-learners versus non–service-learners. Introduction To make preschool through university teacher training more relevant, many programs have incorporated experiential learning activities that expand, enhance, and elaborate on regular classroom work (Dewey, 1938; Kolb, 1984; Legutke & Thomas, 1991). Service-learning, a type of experiential learning, has become a popular and innovative component of many programs (Anderson, Swick, & Yff, 2001; Erickson & Anderson, 1997; O’Grady, 2000; Root & Furco, 2001). Requesting teacher trainees to do various kinds of service or activities outside the classroom related to their future school careers and connecting these experiences to university course work intuitively appeals to many university teacher trainers. What kind of value does experiential learning, and more particularly service-learning, have for students in training? Many studies have shown a general positive response by students to service-learning (Battistoni, 1997; Giles & Eyler, 1994; MyersLipton, 1996), a positive change in attitudes toward service itself (Astin & Sax, 1998; Astin, Vogelgesang, Ikeda, & Yee, 2000), and greater caring toward others (Potthoff et al., 2000; Scales, 1999; Swick, 1999). Regarding sociocultural benefits, many studies show greater awareness, acceptance, and affirmation of cultural diversity but little impact on students’ democratic values or civic participation as a result of service-learning (Ball & Goodburn, 2000; Berman, 1997; Boyle-Baise, 1 9 9 8 ; G r a d y, 1 9 9 7 ; H a g a n , 2 0 0 4 ; Vadeboncoueur, Rahm, Aguilera, & Le Compte, 1995; Wade, Boyle-Baise, & O’Grady, 2001). Some studies report higher gains by females engaged in service-learning (Hamilton & Fenzel, 1988; Kraft, Goldwasser, Swadener, & Timmons as cited in Root, 1997). Fewer studies have reported on academic growth or perceived skill development in a discipline or professional skills related to a career (Dubinsky, 2001; Elwell & Bean, 2001; Shastri, 1999; Wade, 1995; Wade & Anderson, 1996). This information is particularly lack-
Additional Information from the Term Structure of Interest Rates

Even if there is a fairly large evidence against the Expectations Hypothesis (EH) of the term structure of interest rates, there still seems to be an element of truth in the theory which may be exploited for forecasting and simulation. This paper formalizes this idea by proposing a way to use the EH without imposing it dogmatically. It does so by using a Bayesian framework such that the extent to which the EH is imposed on the data is under the control of the researcher. This allows to study a continuum of models ranging from one in which the EH holds exactly to one in which it does not hold at all. In between these two extremes, the EH features transitory deviations which may be explained by time varying (but stationary) term premia and errors in expectations. Once cast in this framework, the EH holds on average (i.e. after integrating out the effect of the transitory deviations) and can be safely and effectively used for forecasting and simulation. JEL Classification: C11, E43, E44, E47.
NUTRIENT UPTAKE AND YIELD RESPONSES OF MAIZE AND BEAN TO LEGUMINOUS COVER CROP FALLOW WITH MINIMUM TILLAGE IN UGANDA

Improved fallows can offset crop nutrient needs and improve yields. Study objectives were to determine effects of improved fallows on nutrient uptake and yield of maize and bean in a fallow-maize-fallow-bean rotation. Trials were conducted at Kawanda Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) and on farmers’ fields in Mbale and Pallisa districts, eastern Uganda. Experimental layout was Randomized Complete Block Design in a split-plot arrangement with four replications. Fallow management (slash and herbicide application) was the main plot and the fallows were the subplots. Cover crops used in the improved fallows included mucuna, lablab, canavalia, and crotalaria. Variability in maize nutrient uptake at the three sites was attributed to differences in fallow above-ground phytomass and nutrient yields, and the inherent soil fertility. The N, P, and K nutrient indexes derived from DRIS norms for maize at Kawanda showed that N was most limiting in the crotalaria, mucuna, and lablab fallows, while P was most limiting in the canavalia and natural fallows. In the case of bean, K was in lowest supply relative to need than N and P in all fallows. In the short-term, improved fallows did not offset all crop nutrient needs. For optimal maize yields all fallows needed supplemental N, while lablab, canavalia, and the natural fallow needed supplemental P. Crotalaria and mucuna needed supplemental K. For bean, all fallows needed supplemental K. These results suggest that for optimal crop yields in response to preceding improved fallows there is still a need for supplemental fertilizer inputs.
The causal effect of early tracking in German schools on the intergenerational transmission of education

Numerous studies have found a high intergenerational transmission of education in Germany which might be caused by the relatively early age at which the German school system tracks students into different school types. This study contributes to the scarce literature on the effect of a change in the age of tracking early in the schooling career on the intergenerational transmission of education and reveals new evidence on the heterogeneity of the effect. The identification strategy exploits a recent reform in one German state, which changed the time of tracking from after grade six to after grade four. The results of a difference-in-differences approach with data from the German Microcensus suggest that earlier tracking increases intergenerational transmission of both, low and high education. Male students and students in rural areas appear to drive the effect.
Learning and Efficiency with Market Feedback

We analyze the joint information acquisition problem of a firm manager and traders in financial markets, when the firm manager conditions her investment decisions on information revealed through stock prices and the firm is exposed to multiple sources of uncertainty. We highlight a fundamental mismatch: while traders want to collect the same information as the manager to maximize trading profits, the manager optimally diversifies her information sources and tries to acquire orthogonal information. We analyze the impact of this tension on price efficiency and real efficiency. Most importantly, we emphasize a delicate connection between these two efficiency measures. For instance, we show that market efficiency is maximized if the firm is only exposed to a single source of uncertainty, while real efficiency is minimized in this case and maximized if all shocks matter equally.
Top-down or bottom-up? The selection of shadow rapporteurs in the European Parliament

Shadow rapporteurs play an important role in developing the European Parliament’s collective policy positions and in defending them in inter-institutional negotiations. This study sheds light on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of shadow rapporteur selection. Qualitative insights from practitioner interviews and a quantitative analysis of shadow rapporteur data from the 7th European Parliament (2009–2014) indicate that the appointment process is primarily one of bottom-up self-selection by group members based on their policy interests. The party group leadership, in the form of group coordinators, plays an important coordinating role when there is competition for a shadow rapporteurship. However, the role of group coordinators is more akin to a third-party arbiter of competing demands than a mechanism of top-down control by the leadership, as suggested by principal-agent theory.
Transformational Leadership Style Effects on the Job Satisfaction of Government Employees

This study aims to analyze and explain the effects of transformational leadership style on job satisfaction. Design / Methodology / Approach : Test models created and analyzed descriptively as well as Structural Equation Model. The method used is survey method with the participation of respondents were 341 local government employees. The results of research in tian indicate that there are effects of transformational leadership style on job satisfaction has a positive and significant, indicating that the transformational leadership style are enhanced quality will influence and improve employee satisfaction.
EXTREME WAVE ANALYSIS USING SATELLITE, IN-SITU AND WAVE MODEL DATA

Knowledge of extreme wind and wave climate of the global ocean is of increasing demand for a number of reasons. Oceanographers and meteorologists need it to better understand and more precisely predict many environmental phenomena and processes related to global change. It is of growing concern by government officials for decision-making with regard to the prediction and mitigation of ocean disasters, as well as seagoing rescue activities. The coastal and marine industry is another community to which wind and wave information is extremely important. Historical wind and wave condition at any specific location are crucial to the design of drilling platforms and seabed mining facilities. Since many of these sites are now located in remote and hostile areas lacking in situ records, satellite observations are of particular significance to such environments. Prior knowledge of long-term wind and wave behavior will enable ships’ captains to chart their courses more safely and efficiently. Therefore, it is clear that an understanding of the extreme conditions of wind and wave is of interest not only scientifically to the research community, but also economically to the government and industry. Structural engineers need an estimate of the likely severest conditions to be experienced by the structures. The usual parameter chosen to describe such conditions is N year return value of the wave height, where N year return value is defined as that which is exceeded on average once every N years. Return value is a statistical parameter, and the engineer in his design has to allow for the possibility of wave greater than say the 100-year return value, or even of several such waves occurring within a few years. Nevertheless, the concept of return value as a design criterion has proved useful, and the extreme wave condition, which a coastal or offshore structure is designed to survive are called design wave conditions. These conditions are usually expressed in terms of wave characteristics as a function of occurrence probability. The method usually employed to estimate the 50 years return value of significant wave height is to fit some specified probability distribution to the few years’ data and to extrapolate to a probability of occurrence of once in 50 years. In this present study we have calculated Extreme values of wave height with satellite and model derived data.
Demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors associated with sugar-sweetened beverage intake: a population-based study.

INTRODUCTION The intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) varies according to the characteristics of the population. OBJECTIVE To investigate the SSB intake and demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors associated with its consumption in adolescents, adults, and older adults in São Paulo. METHODS Data were drawn from the Health Survey of São Paulo, a cross-sectional population-based study including 1,662 individuals aged 12 years or more. SSB were classified into six groups: sugar-sweetened sodas, sweetened coffee and tea, sweetened milk and dairy products, sweetened fruit juice, sweetened fruit drink, and total SSB. The association of each group with demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle variables was assessed using linear regression models. RESULTS The mean SSB intake was 668.4 mL in adolescents, 502.6 mL in adults, and 358.2 mL in elderly adults. Sodas and sweetened coffee and tea represented had the greatest contribution to energy intake. SSB consumption was lower among female sex and higher among overweight adolescents, among sufficiently active adults, and among lower household per capita income older adults. Consumption of SSB was high, particularly among adolescents. Public policies are required in order to decrease the consumption of these beverages. CONCLUSION Age group, sex, household per capita income, and body mass index status were associated with SSB intake.