Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Return on foreign investments in Croatia and peer countries

This paper analyses income related to foreign investments and its effect on the current account and international investment position. The foreign investment income balance depends primarily on the amount of accumulated foreign financial assets owned by residents and the amount of their foreign liabilities. However, rates of return on various types of investments, which depend on economic conditions on the domestic and international markets, also play an important role. Their importance became particularly pronounced in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, which led to significant changes in the structure of international capital flows and financing conditions. While the crisis brought about an improvement in global financing conditions, at the same time it triggered large scale deleveraging across countries, leaving equity investments, which generally carry higher rates of return, relatively more important. For this reason, the lower interest rate environment was only partly reflected on foreign investment income balances of countries that are more reliant on equity investment. With the continued economic recovery on the global level, the rates of return on both equity and debt investments could grow further, having an even greater negative effect on the foreign investment income balance of countries highly dependent on foreign capital. This could also be the case for most CEE countries and particularly Croatia, given their already highly negative international investment position and high financing needs.
Crystal structures and Hirshfeld surface analyses of seven 7-aryl-4,7-dioxoheptanoic acids: differing carboxylic acid interactions leading to dimers, chains and three-dimensional arrays

Abstract Crystal structures and Hirshfeld surface analysis are reported of seven aryl-CO–CH2CH2COCH2CH2CO2H derivatives, namely aryl=4-ClC6H4, 1: 2-HOC6H4, 2: (2,4-(MeO)2C6H3, 3: 3,5-Me2-4-MeOC6H2, 4: 4-MeC6H4, 5: C6H5, 6: 2,4-(HO)2C6H3, 7. There are significant differences in their molecular conformations and their crystal packing. Within the group of compounds, three different types of carboxylic acid intermolecular interactions are exhibited, all involving O–H···O hydrogen bonds. These three types are (i) symmetric R22(8) dimers formed from pairs of O–H···O hydrogen bonds in compounds 1–5, (ii) infinite 1D homo-assemblies of carboxylic groups (homo-AA,A catemers), and (iii), a 3-D array, in which there are no direct carboxylic acid–carboxylic acid interactions, generated from O–H···O interactions of each carboxylic acid group with the hydroxyl and carbonyl groups of other molecules in 7. Each of the carboxylic acid groups in the catemer exhibit anti arrangements with all the carboxylic acid oxygen atoms lying in a plane. Disorder is exhibited in the carboxylic acid groups in 2 and 6. With the variety of oxygen substituents present in 1–7, a large number of O–H···O and C–H···O hydrogen bonds are exhibited, resulting in all cases in three dimension assemblies. In 1–5, interlayer contacts between the carboxylic acid R22(8) dimers in rows, with differing sets of weaker C–H···O and/or C–H···π interactions, result in the formation of two-molecular wide columns and/or infinite sheets. While column and sheet sub structures can also be designated in compound 6, on linking the carboxylic acid groups with other substituents via C–H···O, C–H···π and C=O···π interactions, these differ from those in 1–5 due to the different arrangements of the CO2H groups.
Cardiovascular responses to exercise. Effects of aging and exercise training in healthy men.

BACKGROUNDCardiac aging alters many of the acute responses to exercise stress, but the extent to which chronic exercise (ie, training) can alter or improve the effects of aging in humans is largely unknown.METHODS AND RESULTSCardiovascular responses to graded supine exercise stress (beginning at 200 kpm and increasing by 200 kpm every 3 minutes till exhaustion) were assessed using radionuclide ventriculography in 13 older (age, 60 to 82 years) and 11 young (age, 24 to 32 years) rigorously screened healthy men before and after 6 months of endurance training. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to test significance. During exercise, the old group had a lesser increase in heart rate (+105% old versus +166% young), a greater increase in mean blood pressure (+35% old versus +22% young), lesser increases in ejection fraction (+3 ejection fraction units old versus +11 units young) and peak ejection rate (+62% old versus +119% young), a greater increase in end-diastolic volume index (+8% old versus -10% young), a le.
Characterization of Ethanol Producing Yeasts for Their Efficiency in Ethanol production, Salt Tolerance, and Utilization of Glucose and Xylose

Yeasts are the mainstay in ethanol production industry. Search for efficient yeast strains that are salt tolerant and utilize both hexoses (glucose) and pentoses (xylose and arabinose) is important in fermentation industry. In this regard,12 yeast strains, viz., CDBT1-12, were isolated from various sources and characterized. Molecular characterization of the yeast strains was done by sequencing 26S rRNA gene, D1D2 region. Out of 12 isolates, 10 were found to be Saccharomyces cerevisiae , CDBT7 was Wikerhamomyces anomalous , and CDBT8 was Cyberlindnera fabianii . The yeast isolates were characterized in terms of their ethanol production efficiency, salt tolerance and ability to utilize of glucose and xylose. All the strains were found to be good ethanol producers. Yeast strain CDBT2 was found to have tolerance for high salt (up to 15%) and ethanol (up to 16%) concentrations. Yeast strain CDBT7 was found to utilize both glucose and xylose without compromising on ethanol production efficiency. The CDBT7 strain was also salt tolerant (up to15%). Yeast strain CDBT2 when grown in an electrochemical cell with low levels of applied external voltage, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH1) and pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC1) mRNA levels were increased by 2.78 ± 0.80 and 1.12 ± 0.37 fold, respectively. We believe, the latter observation is novel and it has not been reported previously. It also further supports our previous observation of increase in level of alcohol production by CDBT2 strain in the presence of applied electrical current.
Effect of Foliar Application of Phosphorus, Potassium and Iron on Physical and Chemical Properties of Pomegranate Fruit

The effect of foliar sprays of phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and iron (Fe) on physical and chemical properties of 'Malas-e-Saveh' pomegranate was evaluated. Mixture of mono potassium phosphate (KH2PO4) and di-potassium phosphate (K2HPO4) in the ratio of 1:3, [MDKP], and iron chelate were used as sources of P and K and Fe, respectively. MDKP at four concentrations (0, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/L) and iron chelate at (0, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/L) were sprayed at full bloom and one month later during two successive years. Iron and MDKP increased fruit yield, number of fruits per tree and fruit size. The highest yield and number of fruits per tree were obtained in trees sprayed with the treatment containing Fe at concentration of 2000 mg/L and MDKP 1000 + Fe 2000 mg/L in the first and second season, respectively. Foliar application of Fe and MDKP increased TSS, whereas MDKP sprays increased TA, juice content of arils, anthocyanin index and total anthocyanins. Application of Fe increased leaf Fe and K concentrations, and MDKP increased leaf K and P concentrations.
Pengaruh Karakteristik Pemerintah Daerah Terhadap Kinerja Keuangan Pemerintah Daerah

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana pengaruh karakteristik pemerintah daerah terhadap kinerja keuangan pemerintah daerah yang diukur menggunakan rasio efisiensi. Karakteristik pemerintah daerah diukur berdasarkan kekayaan daerah, ukuran legislatif, leverage, intergovernmental revenue, dan belanja modal. Sampel penelitian ini adalah seluruh laporan keuangan pemerintah daerah kab/kota di Indonesia tahun anggaran 2017 sejumlah 508 LKPD. Data penelitian diperoleh dari BPK dan website resmi masing-masing pemerintah daerah. Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah legislatif berpengaruh negatif signifikan terhadap kinerja keuangan pemerintah daerah, serta belanja modal berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap kinerja keuangan pemerintah daerah di Indonesia. Sementara itu, kekayaan daerah, leverage, dan intergovernmental revenue tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap kinerja keuangan pemerintah daerah di IndonesiaKata kunci : kekayaan daerah, ukuran legislatif, leverage, intergovernmental revenue, dan belanja modal.
Determination of Vitamin C in Various Colours of Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) by Titration Method

Vitamin C is needed by human body to improve the immune system and can be obtained from the bell pepper. Bell pepper has a different color according to the level of maturity, ranging from green, yellow, orange, and red. Differences in color also make possible differences in vitamin C content. The purpose of this study was to determine vitamin C levels in various colors of bell fruit. Measurement of vitamin C was done by titration method with metaphosphoric acid as the solvent and 2,6 dichloroindophenol as the standardized solution. The samples used were green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, and red bell pepper taken from Gundaling, Berastagi, Karo, Sumatera Utara, 22152, Indonesia. The results show that vitamin C level in various colors of bell pepper respectively, for green bell pepper 16.52 mg vitamin C per 100 g green bell pepper; yellow bell pepper 159.61 vitamin C per 100 g yellow bell pepper; orange bell pepper 121.38 vitamin C per 100g orange bell pepper; red bell pepper 81.19 vitamin C per 100 g red bell pepper. These results indicate that different levels of bell pepper maturity have different vitamin C content.
Clinical characteristics of people with cystic fibrosis and frequent fungal infection

Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) and fungal airway infection may present with fungal bronchitis, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) or may appear unaffected despite fungal detection. We sought to characterize people with CF with frequent detection of fungi from airway samples and determine clinical outcomes.
Long Carbon Chains in the Warm Carbon-chain-chemistry Source L1527: First Detection of C7H in Molecular Clouds

Long carbon-chain molecules were searched for toward the low-mass star-forming region L1527, which is a prototypical source of warm carbon-chain chemistry (WCCC), using the 100 m Green Bank Telescope. Long carbon-chain molecules, C7H (2Π1/2), C6H (2Π3/2 and 2Π1/2), CH3C4H, and C6H2 (cumulene carbene, CCCCCCH2), and cyclic species of C3H and C3H2O were detected. In particular, C7H was detected for the first time in molecular clouds. The column density of C7H is determined to be 6 × 1010 cm−2. The column densities of the carbon-chain molecules including CH3C4H and C6H in L1527 relative to those in the starless dark cloud Taurus Molecular Cloud-1 Cyanopolyyne Peak (TMC-1 CP) tend to be systematically lower for long carbon-chain lengths. However, the column densities of C7H and C6H2 do not follow this trend and are found to be relatively abundant in L1527. This result implies that these long carbon-chain molecules are remnants of the cold starless phase. The results—that both the remnants and WCCC products are observed toward L1527—are consistent with the suggestion that the protostar can also be born in the parent core at a relatively early stage in the chemical evolution.
Hemicellulose and lignin removal on typha fiber by alkali treatment

One of the methods commonly utilized to alter the surfaces of natural fibers for improving the interface compatibility among fiber and polymer matrix is by alkali treatment. Several natural fibers have been experimented with alkali treatments such as abaca, borassus and kenaf. There is a relatively few of literature that reports the FTIR investigation of Typha fibers. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of alkali treatment on Typha fiber. Two of three bundle fibers are immersed in a 5% NaOH solution for one and two hours. The chemical structure of alkali-treated and untreated fibers are both being analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) instrument. The emergence of peak at 1155.36 cm-1 in strong intensity denotes the C-O-C asymmetric stretching in cellulose compound. The lignin composition of the fiber is typified by the stretching band of C-O group at 1247 cm-1. Meanwhile, the peak at 1735.03 cm-1 wavenumber is allegedly C=O stretching evidencing the existence of hemicelluloses and pectin. The peaks which are suspected to be hemicellulose, lignin and pectin are no longer visible in alkali treated Typha fiber. Giving alkali treatment to Typha fiber has been successfully removed impurities (hemicelluloses and lignin), as approved by the FTIR analysis. This will lead to a better contact and bonding mechanism between fiber and polymer matrix.
COVID-19 and autism research: Perspectives from around the globe: Research on adults with ASD: Making some lemonade from the lockdown lemon

The author writes about research disruption when the lockdown came as they were about to begin a trial of a new therapy for social anxiety in intellectually able adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) Loveland writes about the struggles and advantages of using telehealth services for treatment of mental health conditions in adults with ASD The author notes that with the halting of the laboratory research, their lab has pivoted to an adapted protocol using telehealth as the medium of delivery Difficult aspects of delivering manualized treatment through telehealth are explored (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)
Fostering Public Good Contributions with Symbolic Awards: A Large-Scale Natural Field Experiment at Wikipedia

This natural field experiment tests the effects of purely symbolic awards on volunteer retention in a public goods context. The experiment is conducted at Wikipedia, which faces declining editor retention rates, particularly among newcomers. Randomization assures that award receipt is orthogonal to previous performance. The analysis reveals that awards have a sizeable effect on newcomer retention, which persists over the four quarters following the initial intervention. This is noteworthy for indicating that awards for volunteers can be effective even if they have no impact on the volunteers' future career opportunities. The awards are purely symbolic, and the status increment they produce is limited to the recipients' pseudonymous online identities in a community they have just recently joined. The results can be explained by enhanced self-identification with the community, but they are also in line with recent findings on the role of status and reputation, recognition, and evaluation potential in online communities.
Code-Switching among Bilingual Speakers of Cape Muslim Afrikaans and South African English in the Bo-Kaap, Cape Town

The Bo-Kaap is traditionally a Cape Muslim Afrikaans-speaking community, and sociohistorically it is particularly relevant to the development of Afrikaans at the Cape (Davids 2011, Mahida 1993). The Cape Muslim Afrikaans spoken in the Bo-Kaap is a sub-variety of Standard Afrikaans (Kotzé 1989, Davids 2011) and is distinguishable by its retained lexis (Mesthrie and Bhatt 2008) from languages historically spoken by slaves at the Cape, such as Malay, Arabic, Gujarati, and Konkani. Over time a number of socio-cultural, geographic, and historical factors have introduced the use of South African English alongside Cape Muslim Afrikaans in this speech community. The goal of this study was to provide insight into the nature of bilingual talk in the Bo-Kaap community, and to make a useful contribution to the growing body of codeswitching (hereafter CS) research generally. Based on natural language data collected during group interviews with members of the community, the study explored the language contact situation in the Bo-Kaap today, taking the viewpoint that what is occurring presently may be considered CS Three aspects of the CS documented were analysed and quantified. Specifically, the study investigated language interaction phenomena (Myers-Scotton 1995, Deuchar et al 2007) triggers (Clyne 1987) and directionality (Muysken 1997, Deuchar et al 2017, Çetinoglu 2017). A quantitative approach was taken to the data analysis. The interview audio files were downloaded and transcribed in ELAN. (Max Planck Institute). The annotations produced in ELAN were organised in a spreadsheet for analysis, resulting in a data set comprised of 356 annotations. The full data set was divided into subsets and tagged for language interaction phenomena, triggers, and directionality. These data sets were then sorted and quantified to identify trends in these three areas of interest. The study found Intra-sentential switches to be the most common type of language interaction phenomenon in the CS of this speech community, being present in 79% of the sampled annotations. Results from other CS studies echo this finding in other speech communities (Al Heeti et al 2016, Koban 2012, Falk 2013). The most common trigger for Intra-word switching in this corpus was in the head of the past tense Verb Phrase. Out of 27 1 Code-Switching is “the alternation of (two or more) languages within a conversation” (Matras 2009:101). 2 An annotation is a transcription of a selected time interval of an audio or video file.
Amino acid availability of palm kernel cake, palm oil sludge and sludge fermented product (Prolima) in studies with chickens

Kandungan asid amino dan kadar kehadamannya dalam hampas isi kelapa sawit, hampas minyak kelapa sawit dan 'Prolima' (bahan keragian hampas minyak kelapa sawit) di dalam makanan ayam telah dikaji. Didapati kandungan asid amino dari hampas isi kelapa sawit dan hampas minyak kelapa sawit merupakan bahan-bahan sambilan bijirin. Manakala 'Prolima' mempunyai kandungannya di antara kandungan hampas kacang tanah dan hampas kacang soya.
Physicochemical and Antibacterial Properties of Composite Films Based on Bacterial Cellulose and Chitosan for Wound Dressing Materials

New bacterial cellulose/chitosan (BC/Ch) nanocomposite films were obtained using a simple procedure by immersing BC synthesized by Komagataeibacter xylinus in 1% acetic acid solutions of Ch with the degree of deacetylation 75‒85% of medium molecular weight. The BC and BC/Ch composites chemical composition was examined by FTIR, the mechanical properties by a tensile tester, surface morphology by scanning electron microscopy, and antibacterial activity against S. aureus , E. coli and P. aeruginosa by diffusion and joint incubation methods. The FTIR spectra indicated the intermolecular interaction between BC and Ch. Due to addition of 0.6% (w/v) Ch, the films of BC/Ch become more homogeneous with a significantly denser fibril structure, smaller pore diameter and higher surface area in comparison to those of pure BC films. Micro- (15‒35 nm) and macrofibrils (50‒150 nm) in both BC and BC/Ch films are joined in ribbon-like fibers, providing a high degree of mechanical strength (Young’s modulus: 33‒36 MPa, tensile strength and elongation et break: 17, 22 MPa). The obtained hybrid material is transparent, flexible and displays good water absorption capacity and water vapor permeability. The films have reasonable thermal stability to be in contact with body or during steam sterilization, since maximum degradation temperature (Td) of both biocomposites is around 400‒600 °C. The disc diffusion method confirmed that the BC/Ch films have predominantly non-diffusible antibacterial properties. Antibacterial assessment by the joint incubation method proved that addition of Ch to BC films resulted in significant growth inhibition against target bacteria. The BC/Ch biocomposites’ notable properties make them suitable for wound healing applications.
Hysteresis Effects During the Phase Transition in Solutions of Temperature Sensitive Polymers

It is demonstrated, for the first time,that well-known phase transitions induced by changes in temperature in solutions of polymers containing both hydrophilic and hydrophobic functional groups could be followed by noticeable hysteresis effects. A well-known phase transitions accompanied by a sharp change in fluid properties, in particular its optical density can be induced by many external influences, including temperature changes occurring in the solutions of polymers containing both hydrophilic and hydrophobic functional groups. Since intensification subsequent hydrophobic interactions, leading to loss of solubility of the polymer molecules, resulting, in particular, a significant increase in the turbidity of the medium and are accompanied by a pronounced hysteresis phenomena. Hysteresis phenomena in the processes of molecular-scale play an important theoretical and practical interest in linkage with the development of advanced nano-level technology. In particular, the issue of the development of molecular "trigger" switches, and other analog electronic systems, implemented on submolecular level was actively discussed. In fact, under the same physical conditions of the environment of macromolecules system can be in two different states, which resolves the issue of programming such molecules. State of these polymers depends on their way of formation and thermodynamic variables. Observed effect could be utilized directly for information recording into the structure on the basis of stimulus-sensitive macromolecular chains. In fact, it is a first step towards creating memory of quasi-biological elements.
Short-term effects of ambient temperature on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Hypertension is a major worldwide public health problem. Previous studies have indicated that ambient temperature is associated with blood pressure (BP), but the nature of this association remains unclear. Objective: The objective of this meta-analysis was to investigate the relationship between ambient temperature and BP. Methods: We performed a systematic search of the literature indexed in PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect between 1980 and 2016. The pooled effect sizes for exposure to low/moderate temperatures, as well as high-temperature exposure, were calculated using a random-effects model. Results: Fifteen studies were included in this meta-analysis. Twelve of these reported the effects of low/moderate-temperature exposure, two reported the effects of high-temperature exposure, and one reported the effects of both low/moderate- and high-temperature exposure. For low/moderate-temperature exposure, 1°C decrease in temperature was associated with 0.40 mmHg (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.34–0.46) increase in systolic BP and 0.13 mmHg (95% CI: 0.08–0.18) increase in diastolic BP. For high-temperature exposure, the relationship between BP and temperature was not statistically significant. Conclusion: For low/moderate-temperature exposure, a decrease in temperature was associated with an increase in BP. In contrast, the relationship between high-temperature exposure and BP was not statistically significant.