Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Potential Effects of Hydroelectric Dam Development in the Mekong River Basin on the Migration of Siamese Mud Carp (Henicorhynchus siamensis and H. lobatus) Elucidated by Otolith Microchemistry

The migration of Siamese mud carp (Henicorhynchus siamensis and H. lobatus), two of the most economically important fish species in the Mekong River, was studied using an otolith microchemistry technique. Fish and river water samples were collected in seven regions throughout the whole basin in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia over a 4 year study period. There was coherence between the elements in the ambient water and on the surface of the otoliths, with strontium (Sr) and barium (Ba) showing the strongest correlation. The partition coefficients were 0.409–0.496 for Sr and 0.055 for Ba. Otolith Sr-Ba profiles indicated extensive synchronized migrations with similar natal origins among individuals within the same region. H. siamensis movement has been severely suppressed in a tributary system where a series of irrigation dams has blocked their migration. H. lobatus collected both below and above the Khone Falls in the mainstream Mekong exhibited statistically different otolith surface elemental signatures but similar core elemental signatures. This result suggests a population originating from a single natal origin but bypassing the waterfalls through a passable side channel where a major hydroelectric dam is planned. The potential effects of damming in the Mekong River are discussed.
Thermal Hall effect of spins in a paramagnet

Theory of Hall transport of spins in a correlated paramagnetic phase is developed. By identifying the thermal Hall current operator in the spin language, which turns out to equal the spin chirality in the pure Heisenberg model, various response functions can be derived straightforwardly. Subsequent reduction to the Schwinger boson representation of spins allows a convenient calculation of thermal and spin Hall coefficients in the paramagnetic regime using self-consistent mean-field theory. Com- parison is made to results from the Holstein-Primakoff reduction of spin operators appropriate for ordered phases.
Learning Equivariant Functions with Matrix Valued Kernels

This paper presents a new class of matrix valued kernels that are ideally suited to learn vector valued equivariant functions. Matrix valued kernels are a natural generalization of the common notion of a kernel. We set the theoretical foundations of so called equivariant matrix valued kernels. We work out several properties of equivariant kernels, we give an interpretation of their behavior and show relations to scalar kernels. The notion of (ir)reducibility of group representations is transferred into the framework of matrix valued kernels. At the end to two exemplary applications are demonstrated. We design a non-linear rotation and translation equivariant filter for 2D-images and propose an invariant object detector based on the generalized Hough transform.
The great divide in scientific productivity: why the average scientist does not exist

Using a panel of individual researchers at the KU Leuven, Belgium, we analyze the impact of a range of productivity drivers on research performance at the separate quantiles of the productivity distribution. We estimate a correlated random-effects quantile regression model, accounting for unobserved heterogeneity of researchers and applicable to count data. We find that the effect of most regressors, particularly system-factors incentivizing researchers (like promotion record and access to research resources), as well as the gender of the researcher differ significantly at different points in the distribution, yielding strong support for our quantile regression approach. Comparing publications versus citations as dimensions of research performance, we find the incentive factors to work stronger in affecting research quality. Finally, the split-sample regression results emphasize the heterogeneity across scientific disciplines. Copyright 2011 The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Associazione ICC. All rights reserved. , Oxford University Press.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence

A large amount of research has accumulated on the efficacy and effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobia. The purpose of the current article is to provide an overview of two of the most commonly used CBT methods used to treat anxiety disorders (exposure and cognitive therapy) and to summarize and discuss the current empirical research regarding the usefulness of these techniques for each anxiety disorder. Additionally, we discuss the difficulties that arise when comparing active CBT treatments, and we suggest directions for future research. Overall, CBT appears to be both efficacious and effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders, but dismantling studies are needed to determine which specific treatment components lead to beneficial outcomes and which patients are most likely to benefit from these treatment components.
Asymmetry in Procurement Auctions: Some Evidence from Sn ow Removal Contracts

Differences across firms such as their distance to the contract to be performed may introduce some asymmetries in procurement auctions as transport of equipment may increase firms’ costs. By considering the location of firms with respect to the location of the contract, we propose to assess empirically such a statement for the snow removal procurement auctions organized by the City of Montréal. We develop a convenient nonparametric estimation procedure to estimate the latent cost distributions. Empirical results show that there is asymmetry for contracts located in the west areas of Montréal. Such a fact can be explained by the more intense urbanization of this part of the city, which renders warehouse rental costs prohibitive. Such an asymmetry may reduce firms’ participation and cause inefficiency in the auctions. To circumvent such problems, we propose an estimate of the subsidy to be paid to firms with a relative cost disadvantage for reestablishing symmetry among firms. This is expected to increase competition in the auctions as more firms will be willing to participate. The simulation of such auctions suggests that the City of Montréal may reduce its costs for allocating snow removal contracts by 4%. Asymmetry in Procurement Auctions: Some Evidence from Snow Removal Contracts
The Frequency of Fitness Peak Shifts Is Increased at Expanding Range Margins Due to Mutation Surfing

Dynamic species' ranges, those that are either invasive or shifting in response to environmental change, are the focus of much recent interest in ecology, evolution, and genetics. Understanding how range expansions can shape evolutionary trajectories requires the consideration of nonneutral variability and genetic architecture, yet the majority of empirical and theoretical work to date has explored patterns of neutral variability. Here we use forward computer simulations of population growth, dispersal, and mutation to explore how range-shifting dynamics can influence evolution on rugged fitness landscapes. We employ a two-locus model, incorporating sign epistasis, and find that there is an increased likelihood of fitness peak shifts during a period of range expansion. Maladapted valley genotypes can accumulate at an expanding range front through a phenomenon called mutation surfing, which increases the likelihood that a mutation leading to a higher peak will occur. Our results indicate that most peak shifts occur close to the expanding front. We also demonstrate that periods of range shifting are especially important for peak shifting in species with narrow geographic distributions. Our results imply that trajectories on rugged fitness landscapes can be modified substantially when ranges are dynamic.
ROSAT observations of the soft X-ray background and of the cluster soft excess emission in the Hercules supercluster

Recent observations with the XMM-Newton satellite confirmed the existence of the soft excess phenomenon in galaxy clusters, earlier discovered in several EUVE, ROSAT and BeppoSAX observations. Among the clusters for which XMM has reported detection of soft excess emission are MKW03s and A2052, two clusters in the Hercules concentration. The Hercules supercluster lies along the southern extension of the North Polar Spur, a region of bright soft X-ray emission clearly visible in ROSAT All-Sky Survey images. We analyze 11 pointed ROSAT PSPC observations toward 3 clusters in the Hercules concentration, MKW03s, A2052 and A2063, and 8 neighboring fields in order to investigate the soft X-ray emission in that region of the sky. We find that the soft X-ray emission varies by a factor of few on scales of few degrees, rendering the background subtraction a complex task. If the North Polar Spur emission is of local origin, we find that only A2052 and A2063 have evidence of cluster soft excess emission, and that the OVII emission lines detected in XMM observations of A2052 and MKW03s are not associated with the cluster. If part or all of the North Polar Spur soft X-ray enhancement is of extragalactic nature, the three clusters feature strong soft excess emission, and the OVII emission lines observed by XMM are genuinely associated with the clusters. We interpret the soft excess emission with the presence of warm gas, either intermixed with the hot intra-cluster medium or in filamentary structures located around the clusters, and estimate that the warm gas is approximately as massive as the hot intra-cluster medium.
Fiscal Policy in Real Time

In this paper we argue that any assessment on the intentional stance of fiscal policy should be based upon all the information available to policymakers at the time of fiscal planning. In particular, real-time data on the discretionary fiscal policy “instrument”, the structural primary balance, should be used in the estimation of fiscal policy reaction functions. In fact, the ex-post realization of discretionary fiscal measures may end up to be drastically different from what intentionally planned by fiscal authorities in the budget law. If this is the case, and if revision errors in the policy indicator are correlated with the ones in the regressors, it is shown that commonly used estimators become biased possibly inducing a misleading judgement on the policy stance. We derive the functional form of that bias and, based on empirical second-order moments, we are able to accurately predict the potential impact of using revised data in the evaluation of the ex-ante stance of fiscal policy. When fiscal policy rules are estimated on real-time data, our results indicate a counter-cyclical stance in OECD countries, especially during economic expansions. This contrasts with conventional findings based on revised data, which point to fiscal policy acyclicality or pro-cyclicality, and with Forni and Momigliano (2005) who employ real-time data for the output gap and find countercyclicality, but just in recessions. Further, we test whether threshold effects might be at play in the reaction of fiscal policy to the economic cycle and to debt accumulation. It emerges that the intentional cyclical behavior of fiscal policy is characterized by two regimes, and that the switch between them is likely to occur when output is close to its equilibrium level. On the other hand, the use of revised data does not allow to identify any threshold effect.
Input Choices and Uncertain Demand

The theory of the firm under demand uncertainty has to date assumed that the firm's input decisions are unaffected by the stochastic nature of demand. ' This assumption is not usually made explicitly, but it is implied by the assumption that the firm's cost function, presumably derived by finding the minimum cost combination of inputs for any given level of output, is unaffected by the uncertainty. However, if firms must choose some of their inputs before the uncertainty regarding demand is resolved, then different input decisions may involve different levels of risk. Since firms' decisions regarding price and output are affected by demand uncertainty and non-linear risk preferences, as previous authors have shown, it seems reasonable to suspect that their input decisions will also be affected. But if input decisions are affected, then firms' cost functions are not invariant to uncertainty, and the results of previous studies must be reexamined. Three different types of firms are considered in this paper: the competitive firm, the quantity-setting imperfect competitor, and the price-setting imperfect competitor. Input decisions of the competitive firm and the quantity-setting imperfect competitor are shown to be unaffected by demand uncertainty, and hence the assumption of an unchanging cost function is appropriate in these cases. For the price-setting imperfect competitor, however, input decisions are influenced by demand uncertainty, and an unchanging cost function is therefore not appropriate. This case is considered in some detail, and conditions under which results can differ from those previously reported in the literature are examined.
Managing the professional development of teachers

Part 1 Supporting professional development for teachers: approaches to the professional development of teachers the management of professional development in a local education authority the role of the advisory service the role of the advisory teacher. Part 2 Professional development in schools: the management of the GRIST initiative INSET in primary schools - "teachers as experts" - a case study of school-based staff development staff development in further education. Part 3 Professional development in the 1990s: monitoring and evaluating school-centred staff development promoting teacher professional development - a pilot project for primary schools the role of appraisal in staff development staff development - local management of schools and govenors.
Uncritical Receivers of Historical Myths： A Grim Picture From Turkish High Schoolers

The purpose of this study is to investigate to what degree students employ historical thinking skills they supposedly learn to master in history or social studies courses. The study has been conducted in a school district in a southwestern province of Turkey. A total of 93 high school students have taken part in the study. They were provided with statements about historically untrue beliefs and asked to explain whether or not they made any effort to check their accuracy. Whether or not they believe in the veracity of the statements and to what degree they have confidence in history courses they take in the schools have also been investigated. The results indicate that the students do not employ historical thinking skills outside the classroom. They do not check the authenticity of the information given to them via alternative sources. The study also revealed that the students have little trust in history courses in the schools. They believe that information in textbooks has omissions or is distorted. Kind of the school system found to be influential on this manner. Major sources shaping their historical knowledge lie outside of the schools.
The Role of Women?s Empowerment and Domestic Violence in Child Growth and Undernutrition in a Tribal and Rural Community in South India

Moderate undernutrition continues to affect 46 per cent of children under 5 years of age and 47 per cent of rural women in India. Women? s lack of empowerment is believed to be an important factor in the persistent prevalence of undernutrition. In India, women? s empowerment often varies by community, with tribes sometimes being the most progressive. This paper explores the relationship between women? s empowerment, domestic violence, maternal nutritional status, and the nutritional status and growth over six months in children aged 6 to 24 months in a rural and tribal community. This longitudinal observational study undertaken in rural Karnataka, India included tribal and rural subjects. Structured interviews with mothers were conducted and anthropometric measurements were obtained for 820 mother-child pairs, the follow-up rate after 6 months was 82 per cent. The data were analysed by multivariate regression. Some degree of undernutrition was seen in 83.5 per cent of children and 72.4 per cent of mothers in the sample, moreover the prevalence of undernutrition increased among children at follow-up. Domestic violence was experienced by 34 per cent of mothers in the sample. In multivariate analysis, biological variables explained most of the variance in nutritional status and child growth, followed by health-care seeking and women? s empowerment variables; socio-economic variables explained the least variance. Women? s empowerment variables were significantly associated with child nutrition on enrolment and child growth at follow-up. At follow-up, mother? s prior lifetime experience of physical violence significantly undermined child growth in terms of weight-for-age, and older age at marriage and high mobility of mothers predicted less stunting in their children. In addition to the known investments needed to reduce undernutrition, improving women? s nutrition, promoting gender equality, empowering women, and ending violence against women could further reduce the prevalence of undernutrition in this segment of the Indian population.
GPS MULTIPATH CHANGE DETECTION IN PERMANENT GPS STATIONS

Abstract We have proposed a technique based on an adaptive filter using the least-mean-square algorithm for detection of multipath change in permanent, continuously operating GPS (CGPS) stations. We have tested the technique on some experimental data, indicating that the multipath change smaller than the receiver noise level will go undetected. We have also conducted further tests with some CGPS data from the Japanese GEONET when there was a snowfall. The results show that when there is a change in the antenna environment it will indeed be detected in both the pseudo-range and carrier phase data. This technique provides an easy-to-implement, quality assurance tool for CGPS antenna environmental sensing after events such as typhoons, cyclones, snowfalls, volcano eruptions, earthquakes, etc. Other possible applications include the monitoring of slope stability and ground subsidence.
Using a Bootstrap to Measure Optimum Mixed-Asset Portfolio Composition:

Liang, Myer and Webb (1996) have offered bootstrap simulation as a tool for quantifying the uncertainty in the optimum composition of portfolios. Unfortunately, the confidence intervals produced were so large, they were unable to provide any new insight to the question, “How Much in Real Estate? ”. In this comment, adjustments have been made to the methodology they proposed and as a result have produced findings which lead to very different conclusions. More specifically, the results suggest that investors with a low risk preference should hold very little real estate.
Subjective Well-Being and Air Quality in Germany

This paper analyses the relation between air quality and subjective well-being in Germany. Life Satisfaction (LS) data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) is connected with daily county pollution in terms of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) from 1998 to 2008. The assumed microeconometric happiness function is estimated considering individual time invariant effects. It is observed that O3 has a significant negative impact on life satisfaction. The estimated influence of current CO as well as NO2 is not significant. Moreover, I found that LS of people with environmental worries is more affected by ozone pollution. This was not the case for people with a bad health status. Using the marginal rate of substitution between income and air pollution, it is calculated that an increase of one µg/m3 in daily average county O3 has to be compensated by an increase of €11.33 in monthly net household income to hold an average individual's LS constant.
Evaluating Sentiment Analysis Evaluation: A Case Study in Securities Trading

There are numerous studies suggesting that published news stories have an important effect on the direction of the stock market, its volatility, the volume of trades, and the value of individual stocks mentioned in the news. There is even some published research suggesting that automated sentiment analysis of news documents, quarterly reports, blogs and/or Twitter data can be productively used as part of a trading strategy. This paper presents just such a family of trading strategies, and then uses this application to re-examine some of the tacit assumptions behind how sentiment analyzers are generally evaluated, in spite of the contexts of their application. This discrepancy comes at a cost.
Long-term learning of concept and word by robots: Interactive learning framework and preliminary results

One of the biggest challenges in intelligent robotics is to build robots that can understand and use language. Such robots will be a part of our everyday life; at the same time, they can be of great help to investigate the complex mechanism of language acquisition by infants in constructive approach. To this end, we think that the practical long-term on-line concept/word learning algorithm for robots and the interactive learning framework are the key issues to be addressed. In this paper we develop a practical on-line learning algorithm that solves three remaining problems in our previous study. We also propose an interactive learning framework, in which the proposed on-line learning algorithm is embedded. The main contribution of this paper is to develop such a practical learning framework, and we test it on a real robot platform to show its potential toward the ultimate goal.
Interaction of landscape and life history attributes on genetic diversity, neutral divergence and gene flow in a pristine community of salmonids

Landscape genetics holds promise for the forecasting of spatial patterns of genetic diversity based on key environmental features. Yet, the degree to which inferences based on single species can be extended to whole communities is not fully understood. We used a pristine and spatially structured community of three landlocked salmonids (Salvelinus fontinalis, Salmo salar, and Salvelinus alpinus) from Gros Morne National Park (Newfoundland, Canada) to test several predictions on the interacting effects of landscape and life history variation on genetic diversity, neutral divergence, and gene flow (m, migration rate). Landscape factors consistently influenced multispecies genetic patterns: (i) waterfalls created strong dichotomies in genetic diversity and divergence between populations above and below them in all three salmonids; (ii) contemporary m decreased with waterway distance in all three species, while neutral genetic divergence (θ) increased with waterway distance, albeit in only two taxa; (iii) river flow generally produced downstream‐biased m between populations when waterfalls separated these, but not otherwise. In contrast, we expected differential life history to result in a hierarchy of neutral divergence (S. salar > S. fontinalis > S. alpinus) based on disparities in dispersal abilities and population size from previous mark‐recapture studies. Such hierarchy additionally matched varying degrees of spatial genetic structure among species revealed through individual‐based analyses. We conclude that, whereas key landscape attributes hold power to predict multispecies genetic patterns in equivalent communities, they are likely to interact with species‐specific life history attributes such as dispersal, demography, and ecology, which will in turn affect holistic conservation strategies.