Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robust Portfolio Selection with Regime Switching and Asymmetric Dependence

Abstract This paper solves the portfolio selection problem with regime switching and asymmetric dependence in financial markets. Investors sustain substantial loss in times of crisis and expect to reduce their losses. Thus, we consider the uncertainty in hidden states of the economy and define worst-case conditional value-at-risk (WCVaR) to capture extreme portfolio loss during financial crisis. Then, we formulate the portfolio selection problem with WCVaR as the measure of risk. We conduct an empirical study using 13 global equity indices. The results show that for dynamic investments, or during financial crisis, our model outperforms other models that only consider a fixed dependence structure between assets. This is because our model can significantly reduce extreme portfolio loss in times of crisis by selecting the assets with small lower tail dependence. This new portfolio strategy can help risk-averse investors cope with financial crisis.
Determinants of ant species spatial distribution in habitats from central Argentina

A great challenge in ecology is to link patterns in nature with the factors that determine species coexistence and community structure. In general, these patterns have been associated with different environmental conditions and species traits. The coexistence of ant species could be affected by the availability of food and nesting resources, which depend on vegetation diversity and structural complexity. In this study, we attempt to reproduce, through null models, the properties of ant community structure in areas with different physiognomy of vegetation associated to different wildfire regimes. The null model construction considered ant traits such as occurrence frequency, body size, and nest type; and site characteristics such as vegetation height and extra-floral nectar availability, and their combinations. The null models were compared to observed species segregation and nestedness patterns. Ant species were more aggregated in space than expected by chance. Vegetation height and extra-floral nectar availability were included in the most successful models in predicting ant segregation and aggregation pattern. Furthermore, ants’ body size was enough to reproduce the nestedness of species distribution in sites. Our results suggest that under post-fire conditions, habitat complexity, resource availability and species traits such as body size may be the determinants of ant community structure.
Impact of a positive youth development program on adolescents with economic disadvantage in Hong Kong

Since 2005, the Project P.A. T.H. S. , a large-scale youth enhancement program, was implemented for 14 years in over 300 secondary schools in Hong Kong. While systematic evaluation findings have demonstrated that the program could promote holistic youth development and reduce risk behaviors amongst adolescents, it is important to ask what impact the program would have on adolescents experiencing economic disadvantage. This question is particularly meaningful in view of the worsening poverty situation in Hong Kong. Against this background, this study explored the perceptions of adolescents experiencing poverty on the program’s effectiveness and their personal changes over time after participating in the 3-year positive youth development (PYD) program. This is a pioneering research study in Hong Kong adopting a postpositivistic research paradigm for evaluating the impact of the PYD program on this neglected population. In this mixed methods study, an integrated evaluation model, combining Stufflebeam’s CIPP model and Kirkpatrick’s 4-level evaluation model, was used as a framework. First, individual interviews were conducted with 31 Secondary 5 students who had previously engaged in the Project P.A. T.H. S. from Secondary 1 to 3. Second, repertory grid methodology was subsequently conducted to examine respondents’ perceptions of their self-identity after joining the program. Third, for the purpose of triangulation, subjective outcome evaluation questionnaires were used to capture not only the economically disadvantaged participants’ views of the program, implementers and benefits (N=31), but also the students who participated in the program for 3 years (N=541). Several key observations were drawn from the findings. First, triangulation based on integration of the quantitative and qualitative evaluation strategies revealed
PENGARUH GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE TERHADAP KETEPATAN WAKTU PENYAMPAIAN LAPORAN KEUANGAN (Studi Kasus Pada Perusahaan Manufaktur Di BEI)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis Pengaruh Good Corporate Governance (GCG) Terhadap Ketepatan Waktu Penyampaian Laporan Keuangan. Good Corporate Governance (GCG) dalam penelitian ini diproksikan kedalam Komisaris Independen, Kepemilikan Manajerial, Kepemilikan Institusional, Komite Audit, dan Kualitas Audit. Populasi dari penelitian ini adalah perusahaan-perusahaan manufaktur sub sektor makanan dan minuman yang terdaftar di BEI periode 2015-2017 dan diperoleh sampel sebanyak 12 perusahaan. Pengambilan sampel menggunakan metode purposive sampling. analisis yang digunakan adalah analisis regresi linier berganda yang uji terlebih dahulu dengan uji asumsi klasik. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa Komisaris Independen, Kepemilikan Manajerial, Kepemilikan Institusional, Komite Audit, dan Kualitas Audit memiliki berpengaruh positif pada ketepatan waktu penyampaian laporan keuangan.
Improving concept understanding and motivation of learners through Phet simulation word

This study was aimed at determining the improvement of concept understanding and motivation of learners through physics education technology (PhET) simulation. Quantitative approach and quasi experimental technic were employed in this research. The populations in the study were four classes of 8th grade students of MTs Insan Qur’ani, while two samples were class VIIIc and class VIIId. The sample was determined by simple random sampling technic where VIIIc was treated as experimental group and taught using PhET while class VIIId was simulated as control group and was taught using a simple lecture method. 15 valid and reliable multiple choice questions were used as instrument to evaluate the concept understanding and motivation. While leaners motivation was measured using 7 questions and was quantitatively analyzed. The test results of concept understanding undergo normality test, homogeneity test and hypothesis evaluation. The data show that the average result for the class of experiment was found to be 9,75% while for the control class was found to be 8,81%. Motivation questionnaire analysis results showed the significant increase in each item of statement, for the experimental class was found to be 85.6 while control class was 64.6, the score indicated that the students in the experimental class were more motivated in learning physics compared to the students of the control class. Based on the research findings, we conclude that PhET implementation in the classroom would enhance both concept understanding and motivations of students
The Effect of Plant Densities and Different Maturity Types on Maize Grain and Fodder Yield

Three maturity types of maize, Abontem (extra early maturing), Omankwa (early maturing) and Obaatanpa (medium maturing) were evaluated at three different plant densities 66,667 plants ha, 100,001 plants ha and 133,334 plants ha to determine the optimum plant density for grain and fodder yield. The experiment was laid in randomized complete block with four replicates factorial fashion. The maize maturity type had significant influence on all the traits measured. Plant density had significant effect on cob width, grain and fodder yield but no significant influence on plant height, days to 50% anthesis and silking, anthesis and silking interval, cob length and 1000 grain weight. Obaatanpa (medium maturing) was the maize maturity type that produced the highest grain yield (3139 kg ha -1 ) and fodder yield of (4173 kg ha -1 ). Obaatanpa with 133,334 plants ha -1 interaction produced the highest grain and fodder yield with 3186 kg ha and 4240 kg ha respectively. Obaatanpa with 133,334 plants ha -1 would be recommended for commercial grain and fodder production because the high yielding potential as observed in the study.
Adaptive Foraging of Sympatric Ungulates in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

Productivity of herbivores depends on their success in attaining protein and fat stores above survival and reproductive thresholds. Populations in semi-arid regions depend on mobility to access resources that are spatiotemporally heterogeneous. The potentially isolated wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), gemsbok (Oryx gazella) and springbok (Antidorcus marsupialis) populations in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) depend on high-quality grasslands, a limited and important vegetation type. We used microhistological analyses of dung samples from these ungulates to estimate their seasonal diet composition. Results showed that forage quality and availability drive wet season diet composition. Protein-rich short grasses on pans were important for all ungulates in the wet season. Wildebeest, gemsbok and springbok diets overlapped in the wet season. The favoured grasses were depleted during the dry season and the ungulates shifted their diet likely as an adaptive mechanism to maintain intake rates. Wildebeest fed on lower-quality grasses while springbok and gemsbok fed on dicotyledons when more preferred forage was scarce. Our findings demonstrate the importance of access to heterogeneity of vegetation types that provide high-quality resources in the wet season (saline pan grassland habitats) and dry season reserves of forage (woodland habitats).
Pengaruh Mekanisme Corporate Governance, Audit Tenure,Ukuran Perusahaan Dan Leverage Terhadap Integritas Laporan Keuangan (Studi Empiris Pada Perusahaan BUMN Yang Terdaftar Di Bursa Efek Indonesia)

Di Indonesia kasus manipulasi laporan keuangan juga dilakukan oleh perusahaan Badan Usaha Milik Negara (BUMN) yaitu PT Kimia Farma yang terdeteksi adanya manipulasi.Adanya fenomena yang terjadi dapat membuktikan bahwa kurangnya integritas laporan keuangan dalam penyajian informasi bagi pengguna laporan keuangan.Dengan demikian, laporan keuangan dituntut untuk disajikan dengan integritas tinggi. Integritas laporan keuangan tidak lepas dari adanya faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhinya. Tujuan Penelitian untuk menganalisis secara empiris corporate governance, audit tenure, ukuran perusahaan dan leverage terhadap integritas laporan keuangan baik secara parsial maupun simultan. Data dalam penelitian ini merupakan data sekunder dari laporan keuangan tahunan dari 20 perusahaan BUMNyang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI) selama periode2013-2017 dengan menggunakan judgment sampling, Analisis data menggunakan SPSS, Secara parsial Kepemilikan Manajerial, Audit Tenure, Ukuran Perusahaan, Leverage berpengaruh positif terhadap integritas laporan keuangan. Sedangkan Kepemilikan Institusional, Komite Audit, Komisaris Independen tidak berpengaruh terhadap integritas laporan keuangan. Bagi penelitian selanjutnya dapat menambah variabel seperti faktor-faktor lain yang tidak termasuk dalam analisis regresi ini, seperti independensi auditor, kualitas audit dan spesialisasi indutri auditor.
The Analysis of the Music Therapy Programâ€™s Effect on Taking Turn-Sharing Skills and Expressing Feelings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study aimed to reveal the influence of a music therapy program on the development of the abilities to taking turn-share and express feelings of a child of 8 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This research was designed using mixed research methods. The study was carried out in a state school, which had a source class, in 2016-2017 academic year. A music therapy program was developed by the researcher and applied to the participant in the individual format. The participant participated in 70 individual music therapy sessions and 19 classroom observations. Music therapy sessions and lesson observations were quantitatively analyzed by using Oldfield’s Video Analysis Method. The results of the analysis revealed that the social skills of the participant to taking turn-share and express feelings are improving both in music therapy and in lesson observations. The results of the research were discussed with the support of the litearture.
Evolution of connections and cell types: integrating diffusion MR tractography with gene expression data highlights increased cortico-cortical projections in primates

Diffusion MR tractography permits investigating the three-dimensional structure of cortical pathways as interwoven paths across the entire brain. We use high-resolution scans from diffusion spectrum imaging and high angular resolution diffusion imaging to investigate the evolution of cortical pathways within the euarchontoglire (i.e., primates, rodents) lineage. More specifically, we compare cortical fiber pathways between macaques (Macaca mulatta), marmosets (Callithrix jachus), and rodents (mice, Mus musculus). We integrate these observations with comparative analyses of Neurofilament heavy polypeptide (NEFH) expression across the cortex of mice and primates. We chose these species because their phylogenetic position serves to trace the early evolutionary history of the human brain. Our comparative analysis from diffusion MR tractography and NEFH expression demonstrates that the examined primates deviate from mice in possessing increased long-range cross-cortical projections, many of which course across the anterior to posterior axis of the cortex. Our study shows that integrating gene expression data with diffusion MR data is an effective approach in identifying variation in connectivity patterns between species. The expansion of cortico-cortical pathways and increased anterior to posterior cortical integration can be traced back to an extension of neurogenetic schedules during development in primates.
DESIGN OF A VACUUM SEED PLATE BASED ON PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF MAIZE SEEDS

1. Senior Researcher, Agricultural Engineering Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt. 2. Head Researcher, Agricultural Engineering Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt. 3. Researcher, Agricultural Engineering Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt. Manuscript Info Abstract . Manuscript History Received: 05 March 2020 Final Accepted: 07 April 2020 Published: May 2020
Low and variable pH decreases recruitment efficiency in populations of a temperate coral naturally present at a CO2 vent

Atmospheric carbon dioxide enrichment alters seawater carbonate chemistry, thus threatening calcifying organisms such as corals. Coral populations at carbon dioxide vents are natural acidification experiments that mimic organism responses to seawater pH values projected for 2100. Even if demographic traits are paramount information to assess ecological relationships and habitat suitability, population dynamics studies on corals thriving under acidified conditions are lacking. Here, we investigate the demography and reproduction of populations of the solitary, symbiotic, temperate coral Balanophyllia europaea naturally living along a pH gradient at a Mediterranean CO2 vent. Gametogenesis and larval production were unaffected while recruitment efficiency collapsed at low and variable pH, contributing to coral abundance decline and suggesting that life stages between larval release and early polyp growth are hindered by acidification. Exploring these processes is crucial to assess coral fate in the forthcoming acidified oceans, to preserve coral ecosystems and the socioeconomic services they provide.
Ferrihydrite-Humic Associations: Magnetic Hyperfine Interactions

Humic-iron oxide associations are believed to exist in various surface environments, such as soils and surface waters, and may add substantially to the stability of organic matter under oxidizing surface conditions. However, a nondestructive, solid-state characterization of such associations is still lacking. In this paper synthetic coprecipitates between humic material (dissolved organic matter; DOM) obtained from a Podzol and synthetic ferrihydrite are examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and Fe-specific Mossbauer spectra at temperatures between 4.2 K and room temperature. Lepidocrocite formed in the absence of DOM. However, DOM induced the formation of a four (XRD)-line ferrihydrite that contained 96 mg C/kg. In contrast to a pure four-line ferrihydrite, which was completely magnetically ordered at 4.2 K, the synthesized DOM-ferrihydrite was not fully ordered at 4.2 K and had a magnetic hyperfine field 1 to 2 T lower than the pure ferrihydrite. Such an effect was not observed when DOM was only surface-adsorbed. We conclude that organic components of the DOM coprecipitated with the ferrihydrite. Their interaction with the Fe atoms of the oxide prevents complete spin freezing at 4.2 K. Solid-state 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra suggested that O-alkyl C of the DOM was mainly responsible for the interaction with the Fe in the oxide.
Effect of different processing conditions on the quality of canned sweet corn kernels produced and processed in Senegal

In Senegal, sweet corn is produced for export market while the canned ones are imported to supply national market. This work was carried out to investigate the effect of different processing conditions such as heating temperature and sterilization time on the microbial quality, color, ascorbic acid and shelf life of canned sweet corn produced in Senegal. The hygiene level of sweet corn samples at different preliminary processing stages before canning processing was evaluated also. Aerobic mesophilic total counts were lowest at blanching (1.8 log10 CFU/g) and no microorganisms related to food spoilage and public health concerns were detected in all canned sweet corn regardless of treatment. However, treatment E (125°C/12 min) had the highest F-value (35.7 min) and the lowest C-value/F-value ratio (3.84 min). This treatment had also less impact on total color change (DE*=6.81) and ascorbic acid content. Canned sweet corn was shelf stable after 12 months of storage. Key words: Sweet corn processing, canning processing, sterilization, thermal treatment, microbial quality, shelf life, color, vitamin C.
Oncogenic effects of germline mutations in lysosomal storage disease genes

Introduction Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) comprise inborn metabolic disorders caused by mutations in genes related to lysosomal function. As already observed in certain LSDs, the accumulation of macromolecules caused by lysosomal dysfunction may facilitate carcinogenesis. Methods Using whole genome sequencing data from the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes Network (Pan-Cancer cohort) and the 1000 Genomes project (1000 Genomes cohort), we analyzed the association between potentially pathogenic variants (PPVs) in 42 LSD genes and cancer. We evaluated age at diagnosis of cancer and patterns of somatic mutation and gene expression according to the PPV carrier status. Results PPV prevalence in the Pan-Cancer cohort was significantly higher than that of the 1000 Genomes cohort (20.7% versus 13.5%, P=8.7×10−12). Cancer risk was increased in individuals with a greater number of PPVs. Population structure-adjusted SKAT-O analysis revealed 37 significantly associated cancer type-LSD gene pairs. These results were validated using the ExAC cohort as an independent control. Cancer developed earlier in carriers of PPVs in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (MAN2B1, GALNS, and GUSB), skin cancer (NPC2), and chronic myeloid disorder (SGSH) as well as in the Pan-Cancer cohort. Analysis of RNA-Seq data from the pancreatic cancer cohort revealed 508 genes differentially expressed according to the PPV carrier status, which were highly enriched in the known core signaling pathways of pancreatic cancer. Conclusion Carriers of germline PPVs in LSD genes have an increased incidence of cancer. The available therapeutic options to restore lysosomal function suggest the potential of personalized cancer prevention for these patients.
COVID‐19 Infections and the Performance of the Stock Market: An Empirical Analysis for Australia

Using daily data, we estimate a vector autoregression model to characterise the dynamic relationship between COVID‐19 infections in Australia and the performance of the Australian stock market, specifically the ASX‐200. Impulse response functions show that COVID‐19 infections in Australia have a significant positive effect on the performance of the stock market: a one standard deviation increase in new registered cases of COVID‐19 infections in Australia increases the daily growth rate of the ASX‐200 by around half a percentage point. This result is robust to alternative lag selections of the VAR model as suggested by alternative information criteria, including in the model control variables for stock market volatility, that is the ASX‐200 VIX; the USD‐AUD exchange rate and the international oil price; news by the World Health Organization regarding a COVID‐19 pandemic and public health emergency; and the government‐imposed shutdown of parts of the Australian economy. We also present estimates of the dynamic relationship between the daily growth rate of the Dow Jones and daily new cases of COVID‐19 infections in the United States. The US data show, similar to the Australian data, that there is a significant positive effect of COVID‐19 infections on the performance of the stock market.
Improving maize growth and development in relation to soil applied elemental sulfur

A field experiment was conducted to ascertain the effect of varying soil applied elemental sulfur (S) levels viz; 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 kg ha, on maize growth and development. Experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. Growth and development parameters were computed; included leaf area per plant LAI, LAD, CGR, NAR and TDM and experimental results revealed that increasing S levels were pragmatic in improving maize performance. However, soil applied elemental S @ 30 kg ha proved to be beneficial involved in growth and yield improvement. Maximum CGR (23.44 g m-2 d-1), NAR (6.23 g m-2 d-1) and LAI (4.85) was in plots where S was applied at 30 kg ha while least LAI (4.40), LAD (193.45 days), TDM (1178.13 kg ha) was in control treatment. Therefore, elemental S @ 30 kg ha was noted to be most suitable for sustainable maize production amongst all other treatments.