Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Web-Based Corporate Environmental Reporting in Nigeria: A Study of Listed Companies

This paper basically examined the utilization of the Internet for communicating corporate environmental information by listed financial and non-financial companies in Nigeria. The sample for the study consists of 30 firms listed on the Nigerian stock exchange. While the content analysis technique was used as a basis for eliciting data from the corporate websites of the selected firms, the student t-test statistics was used to find out whether there is a significant difference in the level of web-based corporate environmental disclosure between financial and non-financial firms in Nigeria. In addition, the linear regression method of data analysis was employed to investigate whether there is a relationship between the financial performance of firms and the level of corporate environmental disclosures of the selected listed firms in Nigeria. The paper as part of its findings observed that there is no significant difference in the level of web-based corporate environmental disclosure between listed financial and non-financial firms in the Nigeria stock exchange
Testing for Structural Breaks in Correlations: Does it Improve Value-at-Risk Forecasting?

In this paper, we modify the Constant Conditional Correlation (CCC) model and its dynamic counterpart, the Dynamic Conditional Correlation (DCC) model by combining them with a pairwise test for constant correlations, a test for a constant correlation matrix, and a test for a constant covariance matrix. We compare these models to their plain counterparts with respect to the accuracy for forecasting the Value-at-Risk of financial portfolios by a set of distinct backtests. In an empirical horse race of these models based on multivariate portfolios, our study shows that correlation models can be improved by approaches modified by tests for structural breaks in co-movements in several settings.
Standardization of The Secondary Trauma Questionnaire (STQ) in a Sample of Iranian Warfare Victims’ Children

Background and Aims: Consequences of war traumatic events are not limited to the victim but often affect significant others in the victim’s environment that named secondary trauma. The purpose of the present study was to investigate some standardization characteristics of the Secondary Trauma Questionnaire (STQ) in Iranian warfare victims’ children. Methods: Among the warfare victims’ children living in Yazd, Esfahan, Shiraz, and Ahvaz studying at Shahed and Isargar Schools, 641 subjects were selected by cluster sampling method. They afterwards answered the Secondary Trauma Questionnaire (STQ), Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS), Mississippi PTSD Scale, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). Finally, the gathered data were analyzed by confirmation factor analysis, Pearson correlation, and independent samples t-test. Results: The findings revealed that the Farsi version of STQ, similar to the one approved by the developers of this scale, has a one factor structure in Iranian samples. Face and content validity of the STQ were confirmed. It can be said that the STQ has a significant convergent validity with STSS, PTSD, and DASS scales. Investigations on the discriminant validity show that the STQ was able to discriminate the group of subjects with high mental health from those with low mental health. Test-retest reliability and Cronbach alpha of the STQ were 0.78 and . 88 respectively. Conclusion: Regarding the results, it can be concluded that the Farsi version of STQ has a favorable validity and reliability in a sample of Iranian warfare victims’ children and could be used to measure secondary trauma symptoms.
Turn of the Month Effect and Financial Crisis: A New Explanation from the Greek Stock Market (2002-2012)

This study’s main objective is to examine the turn of the month (TOM) effect under changing financial trends. For this reason we need to focus on a stock market which (i) does not present significant structural changes, and (ii) presents clear and long term periods of financial growth and recession. The Greek stock market during the period 2002-12 is the most appropriate. We applied a TGARCH asymmetry model which best fits to our data sample due to the leverage effect. The empirical findings suggest that: (i) there is a strong predisposition in favour of the TOM effect, (ii) the financial trend and the volatility shifts influence the TOM effect, and (iii) the TOM days do not present negative returns even during the long term recession period. Moreover, this approach may pave the way for an alternative explanation as to why the TOM effect fades of persists through time.
Comparative analysis of edge- and broadside- coupled split ring resonators for metamaterial design - theory and experiments

This paper develops a quasi-analytical and self-consistent model to compute the polarizabilities of split ring resonators (SRRs). An experimental setup is also proposed for measuring the magnetic polarizability of these structures. Experimental data are provided and compared with theoretical results computed following the proposed model. By using a local field approach, the model is applied to the obtaining of the dispersion characteristics of discrete negative magnetic permeability and left-handed metamaterials. Two types of SRRs, namely, the so-called edge coupled- and broadside coupled- SRRs, have been considered. A comparative analysis of these two structures has been carried out in connection with their suitability for the design of metamaterials. Advantages and disadvantages of both structures are discussed.
METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR DETECTING RECEPTOR-LGAND INTERACTIONS IN SINGLE CELLS

Int. C. GOIN 33/567 (2006.01) U.S. Cl. 435/7.21: 435/3:435/4; 435/6: 435/723; 435/7.24; 435/40.51; 435/375; 435/287.2:435/973; 436/546; 436/10; 436/56; 436/63; 436/64; 436/172: 436/174 Field of Classification Search . 435/2, 435/4, 6, 7.1, 7.21, 7.23, 7.24, 7.4, 7.92, 435/8, 18, 23, 40.5, 375,973; 436/503,519, 436/538,546, 10, 17, 37, 56,63, 64, 172, 436/174; 422/68.1, 82.05 See application file for complete search history.
Three-dimensional imaging of submicrometer colloidal particles in concentrated suspensions using confocal scanning laser microscopy

Confocal scanning laser fluorescence microscopy (CSLM) has been used as a novel and versatile tool to study the interparticle structure of colloidal particles in the bulk of concentrated suspensions. Micrographs showing individual particles were made of a “colloidal glass”, a “colloidal crystal”, and a thermotropic reversible gel. The imaged particles consisted of newly developed monodisperse, fluorescent silica spheres. The fluorophore fluorescein isothiocyanate was chemically incorporated deep inside the l-octadecanolcoated particles. Such model spheres in combination with the improved resolution and optical sectioning of CSLM enable three-dimensional imaging and other measurements that are very difficult with other microscopic techniques or indirect methods like scattering.
Application development for improving website usability by web mining methods

APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT FOR IMPROVING WEB SITE USABILITY BY WEB MINING METHODS The explosive growth in website traffics and website usage data has resulted in the amount of valuable information contained to have a similar uptrend in web usage logs. With the increasing competition between websites, mining web usage logs to discover meaningful information is needed more than ever. Web usage mining is the procedure of using data mining methods to discover insightful patterns in web usage logs. The discovered information helps understand how users behave on the website and their needs. One of the most popular algorithmic approaches of pattern mining on web usage data is the Fp-growth algorithm. For larger volumes of data, the algorithm is generally applied to execute in parallel. Measuring and comparing performances of applications is difficult, because the algorithm performs different on usage logs with different characteristics. The characteristics of usage logs are highly related with the type of the website. In this paper, we have investigated how different characteristics of web usage logs effect the performance of the parallel Fp-growth algorithm. Five datasets with varying log characteristics were used in order to represent different business models. The results suggest that the performance is highly correlated with the number of items, number of frequent items, transaction length, similarity between frequent patterns, minimum support value and size of the log file.
Does Nepal's Financial Structure Matter for Economic Growth?

Despite causality debate, a number of empirical literatures (Pagano, 1993 and Levine, 1997, among others) suggest a positive relationship between financial sector development and economic growth. Moreover, there remains further debate whether the country's financial structure exerts differential impact on economic growth. Empirical studies across the countries (Rajan and Zingales, 1999 and Arestis et. al. 2004) suggest that banking sector plays a key role in some countries while the capital market has a lead position in others for enhancing economic growth. In this context, this paper investigates the relative merits of banking sector vs. capital market in promoting economic growth in Nepal. The empirical results using Johansen's cointegrating vector error correction model based on aggregate annual data from 1993/9 to 2010/11 suggest that banking sector plays a key role in promoting economic growth compared to capital market in Nepal. It may be either the size of capital market is too small to seek the relationship or it is weakly linked to real economic activities. Our result implies that the policy should focus on banking sector development by enhancing its quality and outreach as it promotes economic growth in Nepal.
Small is Beautiful: Empirical Evidence of an Inverse Relationship between Farm Size and Productive Efficiency in Small-Holder Cassava Production in Ideato North LGA of Imo State

This study examined the relationship between farm size and technical efficiency in small holder cassava production in Ideato LGA of Imo state using data from a 2008 farm-level survey of 90 rural households. The study showed a strong inverse relationship between farm size and technical efficiency. Smaller farms are found to be more technically efficient, than larger farms. These results favour land redistribution policies targeted towards giving lands to the small-holder farmers. Policies of de-emphasizing cassava production in the estate sector while encouraging it in smallholdings will foster equity and efficiency.
De invloed van diversiteitsmanagement op de binding van werknemers in de publieke sector : De rol van transformationeel leiderschap

textabstractIn reactie op de ontwikkelingen in de samenleving en op de arbeidsmarkt voeren publieke organisaties vaak diversiteitsbeleid. Er is weinig bekend over de effectiviteit van diversiteitmanagement en de concrete beleidsinstrumenten die in dat kader worden ingezet. In dit artikel is de invloed van diversiteitmanagement en enkele beleidsinstrumenten op de binding van werknemers in de Nederlandse publieke sector onderzocht en wordt nagegaan wat daarbij de rol is van leiderschap. De beleidsinstrumenten zijn onderverdeeld volgens de typologie van Ely en Thomas (2001): Discrimination & Fairness (D&F), Access & Legitimacy (A&L) en Integration & Learning (I&L). Diversiteitmanagement en twee beleidsinstrumenten, namelijk het divers samenstellen van selectieteams (A&L perspectief ) en de trajecten die zich richten op het creeren van een open cultuur (I&L perspectief ) blijken een positief effect te hebben op de binding van medewerkers. Transformationeel leiderschap blijkt echter belangrijker te zijn voor de binding van personeel. Voor wat betreft de rol van leiderschap bij het succesvol implementeren van het beleid zijn de bevindingen niet eenduidig.
Fabrication of multi-functional calibration standard for image processing microscopes

Measurements are carried out to investigate the limits of confocal microscopy and white light interferometry using selected structures made out of silicon (e.g. edges, spheres). First results of a numerical model of the confocal microscope are presented which will be used in further work to determine an appropriate choice of the calibration standard. A hot emboss was used for low-cost reproduction of the silicon structures.
OTSU's Thresholding with Back Projection Modeling for Neural Network Data Sets

For Tracking interfaces and shapes which depends on the regions of pixel intensity is a challenging task in image segmentation. Many level set methods have been formulated for region based and edge based models in computer aided diagnosis systems. In order to provide accurate modeling involving numerical computations, contours, lesions and bias variance which often rely on pixel intensity variations for the region of Interest. The proposed method involves the formulation by deriving a global criterion function in terms of neighborhood pixels to represent domain field and bias variance characteristics. Gaussian impulse is used for smoothening sharp edges. Computational neural networks provide the integral part of most learning algorithms as images consists of redundant attributes of data which have redundant network connections with different input patterns of small weights form a network training process for minimizing the energy and to estimate the bias field correction for various imaging modalities. The PET and CT images are used as inputs which are affected with cancer; in order to extract the features, proposed method is used for easy diagnosis. The result shows the improved performance with Neural Networks and provides valuable diagnostic information.
Pulmonary Manifestations of Rheumatologic Diseases in Pediatric

Objectives: To describe the pulmonary manifestations in rheumatic diseases in pediatrics - systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), systemic scleroderma (SSc), linear scleroderma (LS), and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD)-and to correlate these findings with clinical manifestations, imaging and pulmonary function tests. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was performed. We evaluated patients with rheumatic disorders followed at the Rheumatology Department of Hospital Pequeno Principe from January 2000 to July 2012. All patients diagnosed with SSc, as well as patients with SLE, JDM, MCTD and LS who had pulmonary symptoms or worsening of their underlying disease, were submitted to chest radiography (CXR), chest high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). Results: A sample of 193 patients was obtained for this study. Thirty-eight percent of them were submitted to CXR and chest HRCT, with or without PFTs. Within all patients included in this study, 37% had some degree of pulmonary involvement, verified in at least one test. The groups who presented higher rates of pulmonary involvement were the SSc (100%) and the MCTD (46%). Patients with SLE and JDM had similar results, presenting pulmonary involvement in 35% of cases, and LS had the lowest rate of respiratory system involvement, with 25% of patients affected. In one quarter of the cases, the abnormalities found were due to infections. In the remaining three quarters pulmonary involvement was due to the underlying disease, and a large spectrum of manifestations was detected. Conclusions: Pulmonary involvement often occurs in systemic rheumatic diseases. There is a variety of manifestations in all rheumatic disorders, and there are no pathognomonic signs of pulmonary involvement in each disease. Health professionals should be aware of the possibility of pulmonary involvement in rheumatic disorders, in order to detect it early and initiate adequate treatment precociously, to improve the long term prognosis.
Regulatory Roles of KLF3 in Hematopoiesis of K562 Leukemia Cells

Objective: KLF3 (Kruppel-like factor 3) is involved in the differentiation and development of a wide range of cell lineages. However, the regulatory roles of KLF3 in hematopoiesis of K562 leukemia cells remain largely unknown. Methods: The public gene expression databases that represent the heterogeneity of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) disease were downloaded from GEO datasets in NCBI. KLF3-deficient K562 stable cells were established and microarray datasets were analyzed. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was used to identify the affected hematopoiesis-associated genes in KLF3-deficient K562 cells. Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (IPA) was used to identify the affected hematopoiesis-associated functions, interaction networks, pathways and the upstream regulators involving differentially expressed genes (DEGs). KLF3-deficient K562 cells were respectively induced towards erythrocytes and megakaryocytes with hemin and PMA, and phenotypic analyses were performed. We also utilized qPCR technique to analyze KLF3 expression during erythroid and megakaryocyte differentiation of K562 cells. Results: We report that KLF3 is aberrantly expressed at low levels in primary acute leukemia blast cells from patients that are associated with the accumulation of immature myeloid or lymphoid phenotypes of leukemia cells. The bioinformatics analyses reveal that KLF3 is closely involved in hematopoiesis-associated functions in K562 leukemia cells, and potentially regulates hematopoiesis of different blood cell lineages, including erythrocytes and megakaryocytes. KLF3 is probably associated with the pathology of hematological diseases. Finally, the functional analysis demonstrated that KLF3 deficiency accelerates K562 leukemia cells towards erythroid and megakaryocyte differentiation, and is indispensable for the early stage of hematopoiesis in K562 leukemia cells. We also proposed the potential mechanisms that KLF3 regulates hematopoiesis in K562 cells. Conclusion: Our results first reveal that KLF3 regulates erythroid and megakaryocyte differentiation of K562 leukemia cells, and KLF3 deficiency is indispensible for the early stage of erythroid and megakaryocyte differentiation in K562 leukemia cells.
Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with diseased loquat trees in Italy and description of Diplodia rosacearum sp. nov.

This research was supported by Servizio VII Fitosanitario Forestale del Dipartimento Regionale, Azienda Regionale Foreste Demaniali. Artur Alves acknowledges financing by European Funds through COMPETE and by National Funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) to the research unit CESAM (UID/AMB/50017/2013 - POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007638) and himself (FCT Investigator Programme - IF/00835/2013), and support by the Contributi avvio e sviluppo collaborazioni internazionali (CORI-2014), Visiting Professor Programme at the University of Palermo, Italy. The authors thank Dr. Giuseppe Lo Giudice for allowing carrying out the surveys in his loquat field.
Microbial content of abattoir wastewater and its contaminated soil in Lagos, Nigeria

Microbial content of wastewater in two abattoirs and the impact on microbial population of receiving soil was studied in Agege and Ojo Local Government Areas in Lagos State, Nigeria. Wastewater samples were collected from each of the abattoirs over three months period and examined for microbial content. Soil samples contaminated with the wastewaters were also collected and analysed for microbial content as compared to soil without wastewater contamination in the neighbourhood (control). Some physico-chemical parameters of the samples such as total dissolved solid, chemical oxygen demand etc were examined. The wastewater samples from both abattoirs were highly contaminated; Agege abattoir showed mean bacterial count of 3.32x10 cfu/ml and Odo abattoir showed mean count of 2.7x10 cfu/ml. The mean fungal populations were 1.6x 10 and 1.2x0 cfu/ml for Agege and Odo abattoirs respectively. In the contaminated soil sample, mean bacterial count was 3.36x10 cfu/ml compared to the 1.74x10 cfu/ml of the control sample. High microbial load in abattoir wastewater with negative effects on microbial population in soil, in this study, further confirmed the need to treat wastewater rather than discharging it to the environment.
Beyond being timid, witty, and cynical: big five personality characteristics of gelotophobes, gelotophiles, and katagelasticists

The study examines the personality correlates of gelotophobia (fear of being laughed at), gelotophilia (joy of being laughed at), and katagelasticism (joy of laughing at others) in the framework of the five - factor model. In a sample of 1,774 adults, gelotophobes were introverted neurotics with lower inclinations of openness. Furthermore, adjectives like shy, inhibited, and insecure were indicative for gelotophobia. Gelotophilia related to extraversion, low neuroticism and low conscientiousness. Gelotophiles could be well described by adjectives like cheerful, talkative, original, witty, and uninhibited. Katagelasticists were found to be younger males with low scores inagreeableness and conscientiousness. Adjectives like cynical and vengeful correlated robustly with katagelasticism. Results are discussed with respect to the current literature. Suggestions for future research are given.
Effects of fund characteristics on the performance of Asian hedge funds

In this paper, we investigate the impacts of different fund characteristics of Asian hedge funds (AHFs) on their risks and returns during the period of 1st January 2000 - 15th June 2008 through the use of the crosssectional regression method. We choose a sample of 340 AHFs that provide the most information on their funds' characteristics. The chosen sample is free from survivorship bias. 15 different fund characteristics of AHFs are selected for this study. Results show evidence of the significant impacts of certain fund characteristics on the AHFs' performance. These findings are important to both fund managers and investors, who make investment decisions with AHFs.
Export Product Strategy Fit and Performance: An Empirical Investigation

This study investigates the issue of balancing the benefits gained through standardized strategies with those achievable when adapting to local conditions. Building on previous work that has explored the role of contingency theory and the concept of strategic fit in international marketing strategy, the authors posit that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the export product strategy adaptation decision. Using a sample of Swedish exporters, they find support for the hypothesis that an array of forces from the macro-, micro-, and internal environments drives product adaptation, which affects the nature of product strategy fit and its performance outcomes. In terms of the performance relevance of product strategy fit, sociocultural environment, technological environment, marketing infrastructure, stage of product life cycle, scope of exporting experience, and duration of exporting experience all matter. However, the pattern of significant and nonsignificant findings cautions against excessive aggregation of environmental variables in conceptualizing environment–product strategy fit to performance linkages. The authors conclude with a discussion of implications of the findings for theory building and management practice.