Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corporate social environmental reporting and stock prices: an analysis of listed firms in Nigeria

The study investigated Corporate Social Environmental Reporting and its association with stock prices (using market price per share as at the financial year end) among listed firms in Nigeria. The study used a cross-sectional research design comprising 50 publicly listed companies across various sectors for the period of five years (2011–2015). For the selected firms, the annual report was used to collect the data. This research utilizes the panel data regression in analyzing the influence of the independent variable (measured by corporate social and environmental expenditure) on the dependent variable measured using the market price per share) for the respective years. Also, in an attempt to examine the relatively market price per share across the sampled industries, the study made use of the one-way analysis of variance; while the Granger causality test was also conducted to ascertain whether bi-directional relationships exist between explanatory variable and the dependent variable (i.e. corporate social and environmental expenditure and market price per share). Findings from the study revealed that the association between corporate social and environmental expenditure and the market price of the firm (when considered in aggregate) is not significant. The result from the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed that the market price per share is significantly different across the industries.
IL28B is An Irrelevant Prognostic Factor for HCV in the Era of Highly Effective DAAs

Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) therapies have ushered in the beginning of new era for HCV treatment. Comparative studies to understand the efficacy, safety and factors associated with treatment non-response to DAAs therapies are much-needed. The present study was conducted primarily to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir based DDAs therapy and secondly to investigate the role of host and viral factors especially rs12979860 with treatment response. This study showed that sofosbuvir based therapy was safe and associated with high rates of sustained virological response in both treatment naive and experienced patients. IL28B rs12979860 was not associated with sofosbuvir based treatment hence an irrelevant prognostic factor in our population.
Electron Stability Approach to Finite Quantum Electrodynamics

This paper analyses electron stability and applies the resulting stability principle to resolve divergence issues in quantum electrodynamics (QED) without renormalization. Stability is enforced by requiring that the positive electromagnetic field energy be balanced by a negative interaction energy between the observed electron charge and a local vacuum potential. Then in addition to the observed core mechanical mass m, an electron system consists of two electromagnetic mass components of equal magnitude M but opposite sign; consequently, the net electromagnetic mass is zero. Two virtual, electromagnetically dressed mass levels m±M, constructed to form a complete set of mass levels and isolate the electron-vacuum interaction, provide essential S-matrix corrections for radiative processes involving infinite field actions. Total scattering amplitudes for radiative corrections are shown to be convergent in the limit M → ∞ and equal to renormalized amplitudes when Feynman diagrams for all mass levels are included. In each case, the infinity in the core mass amplitude is canceled by the average amplitude for electromagnetically dressed mass levels, which become separated in intermediate states and account for the stabilizing interaction energy between an electron and its surrounding polarized vacuum. In this manner, S-matrix corrections are shown to be finite for any order diagram in perturbation theory, all the while maintaining the mass and charge at their physically observed values.
Monitoring of molecule adsorption and molecular wire formation by in situ surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy

We have investigated adsorption of different molecules and molecular wire formation on gold nanoparticles by in situ surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. For this purpose, highly ordered gold nanoparticle arrays on fused silica have been prepared by nanosphere lithography and served as plasmonic substrates. Two arrays with different sized triangular nanoparticles, either with a base of the triangle of (74 § 6) nm or with a base of the triangle of (465 § 28) nm, were used for the sensitivity measurements. After molecular adsorption on the nanoparticles, we observed significantly larger plasmon shifts and an up to 4 times higher sensitivity for the small triangular nanoparticles. This higher sensitivity is attributed to their higher surface to volume ratio compared to the large triangular nanoparticles. After the sensitivity measurements, molecular wire formation has been performed using a ruthenium complex, a double cyclodextrin unit, and an iridium complex. The molecules have been stepwise assembled on highly ordered small triangular gold nanoparticles, which served as anchor points. We observed distinct shifts of the plasmon resonance from 20 nm to 46 nm, depending on the wire length. The results demonstrate that a molecular wire formation can be monitored with high sensitivity and in situ by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. Index Terms—Gold nanoparticles, Nanosphere lithography, Plasmon resonance spectroscopy, Triangular nanoparticles
Protection Affects the Abundance and Activity Patterns of Pumas in the Atlantic Forest

Abstract Knowing the factors that affect the abundance and activity patterns of pumas (Puma concolor) in South American forests may help in their conservation. Using camera traps, we conducted 4 surveys in 3 areas with different levels of protection against poaching and logging within the biggest continuous fragment of the Upper Parana Atlantic Forest. We used capture–mark–recapture population models to estimate the density of pumas for each area. The core area of Iguazú National Park, with low poaching pressure and no logging for >60 years, had the highest density of pumas (between 1.55 and 2.89 individuals/100 km2). Yabotí Biosphere Reserve, an area with the highest poaching and logging pressure, showed the lowest density (between 0.3 and 0.74 individuals/100 km2). Areas with intermediate levels of poaching and logging pressure had densities between 0.66 and 2.19 individuals/100 km2. Puma activity peaked during the 1st hours of morning in the most protected area, but became more crepuscular and nocturnal in areas with less protection. The lower abundance of pumas in the more degraded areas may be related to lower prey abundance. Differences in activity patterns of pumas among areas with different poaching pressures may be a direct response to poaching or to changes in the availability and activity patterns of primary prey. Conservation efforts should focus on decreasing poaching and logging pressures within protected areas to benefit pumas and other endangered species in the Atlantic Forest.
Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Differentiation Regulated by Hydroxyapatite Content within Chitosan-Based Scaffolds under Perfusion Conditions

The extensive need for hard tissue substituent greatly motivates development of suitable allogeneic grafts for therapeutic recreation. Different calcium phosphate phases have been accepted as scaffold’s components with positive influence on osteoinduction and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells, in terms of their higher fraction within the graft. Nevertheless, the creation of unlimited nutrients diffusion through newly formed grafts is of great importance. The media flow accomplished by perfusion forces can provide physicochemical, and also, biomechanical stimuli for three-dimensional bone-construct growth. In the present study, the influence of a different scaffold’s composition on the human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) differentiation performed in a U-CUP bioreactor under perfusion conditioning was investigated. The histological and immunohistochemical analysis of cultured bony tissues, and the evaluation of osteogenic genes’ expression indicate that the lower fraction of in situ formed hydroxyapatite in the range of 10–30% within chitosan scaffold could be preferable for bone-construct development.
Hadeda : The Noisy Way to Practice Spelling Vocabulary using a Cell Phone

With the push to better school results in mathematics, science, and technology related subjects, often language education is moved into the background. In Africa, however, education is often not in the mother tongue of the learners. Pupils are in a position where they are trying to learn complicated subjects such as science and mathematics in a language which is not their home language. In some African countries, there are dozens if not hundreds of languages. Hadeda is a project where primary school pupils (and even secondary school pupils) are encouraged to practice spelling words or vocabulary words using their cell phone. Hadeda allows the language teacher to create spelling lists or vocabulary lists in English and Afrikaans. Hadeda then generates a fun cell phone application using multiple textto-speech engines to encourage pupils to practice spelling the words.
PCA Based Noise Level Estimation for Texture Images

Principal component analysis (PCA) is a new method used to estimate the noise level in image blocks. PCA can be used to reduce the complexity and noise level in the image which contains the texture image. The noise variance can be calculated as the smallest Eigen value of the image block. Eigen value is the set of scalar associated with linear system of equation (matrix). The proposed system is compared with the existing method which shows a good compromise between speed and accuracy. This technique does not use homogenous areas of images. Hence it can be processed with images which contain textures only.
Phenolics Content in Buckwheat Flour

Abstract The objective of the current study was to analyse the total phenolic concentration (TPC), total flavonoid concentration (TFC), individual phenolic compound concentration and DPPH′ radical scavenging activity of four buckwheat (raw, roasted, white and dark) flour samples obtained from the Latvian market, in comparison to those of wheat flour, which is the most common ingredient in production of cereal products. TPC, TFC, and DPPH′ radical scavenging activity values were determined using spectrophotometric methods. Phenolic compounds were determined based on the high performance liquid chromatographic method (HPLC). All buckwheat flour samples had significantly higher TPC and TFC than wheat flour. The highest TPC (974.74 mg GAE·100 g−1 DW) and TFC (495.31 mg CE·100 g−1 DW) was found in raw buckwheat flour (p < 0.05). Buckwheat flour samples demonstrated similar DPPH′ radical scavenging activity, which ranged from 21.067 to 22.644 mM TE·100 g−1 dry matter, and was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in wheat flour (0.731 mM TE·100 g−1 of dry matter). Dark buckwheat flour contained the highest level of rutin (4.613 mg·100 g−1), whereas raw buckwheat flour displayed the highest level of 3.5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (6.356 mg·100 g−1), sinapic acid (0.947 mg·100 g−1) and epicatechin (2.608 mg·100 g−1).
Centralised battery flexibility assessment for imbalance management in Spain considering lithium-ion degradation mechanism

The rise of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) cause more uncertainty for the Balance Responsible Party (BRP) with regards to precise forecasting of supply and demand. In case of an imbalance, ancil- lary services have to be activated resulting in monetary deviation penalties for the respective BRP. The implementation of reliable communication technology enables the use of aggregated flexibility, utilising smart industrial and residential applications, heating systems, electric vehicles, distributed generation and energy storage. This work analyses the use case of centralised Lithium-Ion battery providing flexibility for BRPs. The analysis was conducted using Spanish electricity market data and real imbalance data from the year 2017. The model developed in this work integrates battery cycle aging using a piecewise linear cost function. This approach provides a close approximation of the battery degradation mechanism of electrochemical batteries and can be incorporated easily into existing market dispatch programs with short time window. Having battery degradation implemented in the decision making reveals a more considerate operation of the battery, which prolongs the battery’s lifetime and improves the project’s profitability. Moreover, the analysis revealed that the Lithium-Ion Titanate (LTO) chemistry performs the best from an operational and project-based perspective. Eventually, the business case of usin ng centralised battery flexibility for deviation management using the example of Spain was assessed and concluded to be insufficient to reach break-even for the investment
Effects of tourist boats on the behaviour of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins off the south coast of Zanzibar.

The short-term effects of tourist boats on the behaviour of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dol- phins Tursiops aduncus were investigated off the south coast of Zanzibar, Tanzania, by comparing dolphin group behaviour in the presence (impact) and absence (control) of tourist boats. Group- follows were conducted from a carefully maneuvered (non-invasive) independent research vessel and behavioural data on group activity were collected using scan sampling methods. By using a time- discrete Markov chain model, the transition probabilities of passing/changing from one behavioural state to another were calculated and compared between impact and control situations. The data were further used to construct behavioural budgets. In the presence of tourist boats, dolphins were less likely to stay in a resting or socialising activity but were more likely to start travelling or foraging, as inferred from the Markov chain model. The behavioral budgets showed that foraging, resting and socialising all decreased as an effect of tourist boat presence, while travelling increased. The behav- ioural responses are likely to have energetic implications, mainly by increasing physical demands. Further, the results demonstrate that the current level of tourism intensity off the south coast of Zanz- ibar affects the dolphins' cumulative behavioural budget. Regulations on dolphin tourism are there- fore urgently needed to minimise potential long-term negative effects on the dolphins.
Methodological challenges of the use of robots in ethological research

Artificial models have been used as interactive partners for decades to study the social behavior of animals. Recent technological developments have opened up novel possibilities by allowing researchers to use remote controlled and autonomous objects in these studies, and Animal-Robot Interaction has become an emerging field of behavior science. However, there are theoretical, methodological and practical issues in ethological research using robotic agents. Here we aimed to provide an overview on robots by classifying them along different aspects to facilitate future research, and to present some novel approaches that could be considered as a guide for researchers who are new to the fields of animal-robot interactions (ARI) and human-robot interactions (HRI). The present review may facilitate future collaboration between biologists/psychologists, robot developers, engineers and programmers that further contributes to the development of novel research methods and procedures.
Modified Color Ratio Gradients

Color ratio gradient is an efficient method used for color image retrieval and object recognition, which is shown to be illumination-independent and geometry-insensitive when tested on scenery images. However, color ratio gradient produces unsatisfied matching result while dealing with relatively uniform objects without rich color texture. In addition, performance of color ratio gradient degenerates while processing unsaturated color objects. In this paper, a modified color ratio gradient is presented, which addresses the two problems above. Experimental results using the proposed method in this paper exhibit more robust performance. Keywords—Color ratio gradient; uniform background; unsaturated-color object; Topic area—2.a: Multimedia Databases(content recognition analysis)
Influence of Active Filler, Curing Time and Moisture content on the Strength Properties of Emulsion and Foamed Bitumen Stabilized Mix

Foamed bitumen and emulsion are common stabilizing agents that are currently used for recycled asphalt pavement construction throughout the world. The strength of stabilized Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) is influenced by factors such as filler content, moisture level and curing time. This paper describes the strength impact of ordinary Portland cement as active filler, the length of the curing time and moisture content on the foamed bitumen and emulsion stabilized mix. The basic objective of the paper is to evaluate the effect of active filler (Ordinary Portland Cement), curing time and moisture content on the strength of foamed bitumen and emulsion treated mix. The foamed and emulsion treated samples with various contents of RAP and crushed stone aggregates were tested for their strength properties. The resultant strength increases in terms of resilient modulus, Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) and the Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS) values, were correlated with the length of curing time, using various percentages of active filler and proportions of RAP in the pavement mix. It was found that the strength decreased with increased RAP content, however if 100% RAP is to be used then the required pavement strength can be achieved by utilizing a higher active filler ratio. The effect of moisture content variation on foamed bitumen and emulsion treated samples with high percentage of RAP is not significant.
Hair: A Review of Prominent Scalp Hair Changes throughout a FemalesÃ¢ÂÂLife

Throughout a females’ life, scalp hair growth is variable in its extent and time course. Age-related changes can occur to it including changes in the hair cycling, hair density, hair diameter and pigmentation, and possibly in structural qualities of the hair fiber. Evidence is starting to appear that environmental factors also contribute, possibly in a major way, to the changes that we observe in scalp hair growth as women get older. These changes are most pronounced in female pattern hair loss. Determining the cause or causes of hair loss in women can be difficult and should be guided by the patient’s history, including, the pattern of hair loss, other medical conditions, the use of hair treatments, and the family history as well as by the physical examination to differentiate between female pattern hair loss (FPHL) and telogen effluvium (TE). Topical anti-aging compounds include photoprotectors and antioxidants. In the absence of another way to reverse hair graying, hair colorants remain the mainstay of recovering lost hair color. Topical liposome targeting for melanins, genes, and proteins selectively to hair follicles are currently under investigation.
A Hull and White formula for a stochastic volatility Lévy model with infinite activity

In this short note, by using techniques of Malliavin calculus for Lévy processes, we obtain an anticipating Itô formula for an infinite activity Lévy process. As an application we derive a Hull and White formula for an infinite activity stochastic volatility Lévy model. There are no assumptions on the Lévy measure and only basic Malliavin calculus assumptions are considered on the stochastic volatility process.
Fluoride Concentration of Drinking-Water of Qom, Iran

Background and Purpose: Fluoride is a natural element essential for human nutrition due to its benefits for dental enamel. It is well-documented that standard amounts of fluoride in drinking-water can decrease the rate of dental caries. This study was conducted with the aim of measuring fluoride concentration of drinking-water supplies and urban distribution system in Qom, Iran. Materials and Methods: Results were subsequently compared against national and international standards. All sources of drinking-water of rural and urban areas were examined. To measure fluoride, the standard SPADNS method and a DR/4000s spectrophotometer were used . Results: Results showed that the mean of fluoride concentration in rural areas, mainly supplied with groundwater sources, was 0.41 mg/L, that of the urban distribution system 0.82 mg/L, that of Ali-Abad station 0.11 mg/L, and that of the private water desalination system 0.24 mg/L. Due to the hot climate of Qom, fluoride concentration means of all sources were lower than the permissible standards set by Iranian Standards and the WHO guidelines (except those of some of the groundwater sources and urban distribution systems). Conclusion: It seems that in most of the drinking-water sources the average fluoride concentration is not enough to prevent dental caries or strengthen dental enamel. It is concluded that Qom’s drinking-water would require at least 0.4 mg/L to reach the minimum desirable standard.
Ontogeny of intersexual head shape and prey selection in the pitviper Agkistrodon piscivorus

Different animal intraspecific classes commonly differ in their prey selection. Such differences in feeding ecology are thought to reduce resource competition between classes, but other factors (i.e. behavioural, morphological, and physiological differences) also contribute to this widespread phenomenon. Although several studies have correlated the size of the feeding apparatus with prey selection in many animals, few studies have examined how the shape of the feeding apparatus is related to prey selection. Furthermore, even though the dietary regimen of many animals changes during ontogeny, few studies have examined how shape changes in the feeding apparatus may be related to these ontogenetic dietary shifts. Here we address these issues by examining how head shape, head size and prey selection change over ontogeny in adult males, adult females and juveniles of the cottonmouth snake Agkistrodon piscivorus. Our scaling data for head characteristics showed that all head measurements in adult male and female A. piscivorus scaled with significant negative allometry, whereas juvenile head measurements typically scaled isometrically, except for head volume (positive) and head length (negative). Thus, juveniles have relatively broad and high, but short, heads. Large adult male and female A. piscivorus have relatively small head dimensions overall. Thus, juveniles appear to undergo a rapid change in head volume, which subsequently slows considerably as sexual maturity is achieved. However, our multivariate analysis of size-adjusted head dimensions showed that juveniles differed only slightly in their head shape compared with adult male and female A. piscivorus. In general, prey size increased with snake size across all age and sex groups, but an ontogenetic shift in prey type was not detected in either males or females. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 81, 151‐159.