Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pasture silage in New Zealand-targets and current practice

Pasture silage is harvested from surplus spring pasture on many New Zealand dairy farms, for use as a supplementary feed in times of feed shortage. Targets for the quality of silage suitable for feeding to lactating dairy cows are presented, as recommended by a silage workshop held in Hamilton in 1994. National information from the Lincoln University Analytical Laboratory are presented that show that pasture silage made in the 1994J95 season was well preserved. However, most of that silage had a feed quality below the target set for lactating dairy cows. Averages for DM digestibility were 65.5-67.9%, estimated M/D was 9.3-9.6 MJ ME/kg DM, and crude protein was 14.6 15.1%. Silage-making practices were analysed, based on silage samples entered in the 1994195 Livestock Improvement Advisory silage competition. The key to making high quality pasture silage in the 1994/95 season was to harvest pasture by the first week in November. Nitrogen fertiliser may be used to produce early surplus pasture without restricting the feed supply to grazing cows. Further survey work is planned to confirm observations made, and expand on practical recommendations for making high quality pasture silage.
Knowledge Transfer Pre-training

Pre-training is crucial for learning deep neural networks. Most of existing pre-training methods train simple models (e.g., restricted Boltzmann machines) and then stack them layer by layer to form the deep structure. This layer-wise pre-training has found strong theoretical foundation and broad empirical support. However, it is not easy to employ such method to pre-train models without a clear multi-layer structure,e.g., recurrent neural networks (RNNs). This paper presents a new pre-training approach based on knowledge transfer learning. In contrast to the layer-wise approach which trains model components incrementally, the new approach trains the entire model as a whole but with an easier objective function. This is achieved by utilizing soft targets produced by a prior trained model (teacher model). Compared to the conventional layer-wise methods, this new method does not care about the model structure, so can be used to pre-train very complex models. Experiments on a speech recognition task demonstrated that with this approach, complex RNNs can be well trained with a weaker deep neural network (DNN) model. Furthermore, the new method can be combined with conventional layer-wise pre-training to deliver additional gains.
Impact of Culture on HRM practices : a Comparative Study between foreign MNCs and South Asian Companies in South Asia

The main purpose of the study is to understand the impact of culture on HRM practices relating to the Foreign MNCs and local South Asian companies in South Asia. The study is conducted on the basis of questionnaire survey from the managers of U. S Subsidiaries, European Subsidiaries, Japanese Subsidiaries and Local South Asian companies in South Asia. The Main Findings of the study are that HRM practices have impact on organizational performance and only HRM practices are not adequate to achieve the organizational performance. Despite HRM practices, HRM Strategy and Style are also key factors. The main significant of this study is the practical implication of the findings. The findings certainly guide the management to establish proper HRM Practices, Strategies and Style in order to achieve the organizational performance. The basic limitation of the study is that the data collected from the managers only The current study would enhance the knowledge relating to HRM aspects and would be used as reference of the related studies.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND SPATIAL FACTORS OF ALIENATION AND SEGREGATION OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONSIN THE CITIES OF GEORGIA

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) emerged since the early-1990s as a result of violent ethno-political confl icts on the territory of Georgia. They represent a distinct social group in terms of identity and role in the society, and are labeled as one of the most vulnerable population groups. Almost half of IDPs (more than 113,000 persons) reside compactly in several ‘Collective Centers’ that comprise former public non-residential buildings. This article aims atexamining of how the offi cial policies help or prevent collectively settled IDPs to integrate into mainstream societies in urban places. It also investigates strategies that IDPs use to cope with alienation, exclusion and segregation. The study employs quantitative and qualitative research methods based on 900 semistructured interviews with IDPs and several in-depth interviews with diff erent stakeholders dealing with IDP-related issues. The study reveals four key-factors that have decisive impact on IDPs lives and integration ability. These are: settlement/housing type, education, (un)employment and political participation in places of their new residence.
Gout and Risk of Myocardial Infarction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies

Introduction A high incidence of myocardial infarction among patients with gout has been suggested by several observational studies. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between gout and the risk of myocardial infarction. Materials and Methods The PubMed and Embase databases were searched from inception to October 2014 for cohort studies that evaluating the association between gout and the risk of myocardial infarction. Summary estimates were derived using a random-effects model and reported as relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Five studies involving 8,656,413 participants with a total of 1000 MI events were included. Overall, gout was associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (RR 1.45; 95% CI, 1.19–1.75; p<0.001), and the association referred to non-fatal myocardial infarction (RR 1.29; 95% CI, 1.19–1.39; p <0.001) but not fatal myocardial infarction (RR 1.11; 95% CI, 0.96–1.28; p = 0.174). The increased risk was observed in both women (RR 1.62; 95% CI, 1.18–2.21; p = 0.003) and men (RR 1.45; 95% CI, 1.21–1.74; p <0.001). Stratified analysis revealed a gradual increase in myocardial infarction risk with a younger age of gout onset (age 20–44 years old (RR 2.82; 95% CI, 1.38–5.79; p = 0.05); 45–69 years old (RR 1.85; 95% CI, 1.22–2.82; p = 0.04); ≥70 years old (RR 1.52; 95% CI, 1.22–1.88; p <0.001)). Conclusion This meta-analysis suggests that patients with gout have an increased risk of myocardial infarction.
Back on Track? Savings Puzzles in EU Accession Countries. ENEPRI Working Paper No. 23, October 2003

After the collapse in the early years of transition, saving rates in many EU accession countries have recovered and remained stable during recent years. This may indicate that the transformation process has come to an end with regard to savings. Is saving behaviour in EU accession countries now driven by the same forces as it is in market economies? We use a panel data set covering the years 1990 to 1999 to estimate fixed-effects models for domestic and private saving ratios. Our central findings are: saving rates are persistent; income, growth and institutional reforms cause saving to increase, whereas public saving crowds out private saving. Domestic saving and foreign capital are operating as substitutes.
An Investigation into the Performance of an Ambidextrously Balanced Innovator and Its Relatedness to Open Innovation

This study investigated the relationship between open innovation and the radicalness of innovation. The balance between radical and incremental innovation is an essential part of the ambidextrous use of explorative and exploitative strategies, and this study assumed that open innovation is usually interlinked with explorative strategies and is thus related to radical innovation performance. Accordingly, following an empirical investigation, we demonstrate that the balance of open innovation firms is slightly skewed toward explorative radical innovation. Using the Korean version of the community innovation survey, we show that the relative radicalness that is projected on innovation output exhibits an inverted-U curve. Furthermore, the curve shifts based on the level of inbound open innovation. Our results suggest that there is an ambidextrous balance between radical and incremental innovation while implementing open innovation. In addition, the research results imply that firms placing greater weight on explorative radical innovations need to consider in-depth open innovation strategies.
Are All U.s. Credit Unions Alike? a Generalized Model of Heterogeneous Technologies with Endogenous Switching and Fixed Effects

This paper formally models heterogeneity in credit unions’ production technologies as evidenced by (endogenously selected) differing output mixes. We show that failure to account for this observed heterogeneity is likely to lead to biased, inconsistent estimates of credit unions’ technology and potentially misleading results about the industry structure. The estimates are also likely to be biased if one overlooks unobserved credit union specific effects, as customarily done in the literature. To address these concerns, we develop a generalized model of endogenous switching with polychotomous choice that is able to accommodate fixed effects in both the technology selection and the outcome equations. We use this model to estimate returns to scale for the U.S. retail credit unions from 1994 to 2011. Unlike recent studies, we find that not all credit unions enjoy increasing returns to scale. A non-negligible number of large institutions operate at decreasing returns to scale, indicating that they should either cut back in size or switch to a different technology by adjusting the output mix.
Distant Colonies and Explosive Collapse: The Two Stages of the Tiwanaku Diaspora in the Osmore Drainage

Abstract The geographic expansion of Tiwanaku people and culture (cal A.D. 500–1150) in the south-central Andes can be viewed as a two-staged diaspora. This article defines and categorizes diasporas, suggests archaeological correlates and theoretical implications, and reconstructs the Tiwanaku diaspora. The first stage was a colonizing diaspora in the context of the functioning Tiwanaku state, limited to a few mid-elevation places such as the middle Osmore drainage near Moquegua and probably Cochabamba. The second stage was a much more extensive victim/refugee diaspora driven by the violent disintegration of the colonies around A.D. 1000, in conjunction with either the collapse of Tiwanaku or its radical reorientation by a militaristic elite. Second-stage diaspora populations that settled in sparsely populated areas such as the upper Osmore drainage or the Carumas–Calacoa region established dispersed, small, defensible villages. Those that settled among a larger or more established host population such as the Chiribaya in the coastal Osmore Valley integrated as a marked, lower-status minority. This explosive collapse suggests that Tiwanaku was composed of multiple groups whose differing interests could not be contained. Supporting evidence is drawn primarily from the Osmore drainage, especially the coastal segment.
Peptide ligand and PEG-mediated long-circulating liposome targeted to FGFR overexpressing tumor in vivo

Background and methods Paclitaxel, a widely used antitumor agent, has limited clinical application due to its hydrophobicity and systemic toxicity. To achieve sustained and targeted delivery of paclitaxel to tumor sites, liposomes composed of egg phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, and distearolyphosphatidyl ethanolamine-N-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG2000) were prepared by a lipid film method. In addition, the liposomes also contained truncated fibroblast growth factor fragment-PEG-cholesterol as a ligand targeting the tumor marker fibroblast growth factor receptor. Physicochemical characteristics, such as particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, and release profiles were investigated. Pharmacokinetics and biodistribution were evaluated in C57BL/6 J mice bearing B16 melanoma after intravenous injection of paclitaxel formulated in Cremophor EL (free paclitaxel), conventional liposomes (CL-PTX), or in targeted PEGylated liposomes (TL-PTX). Results Compared with CL-PTX and free paclitaxel, TL-PTX prolonged the half-life of paclitaxel by 2.01-fold and 3.40-fold, respectively, in plasma and improved the AUC0→t values of paclitaxel by 1.56-fold and 2.31-fold, respectively, in blood. Biodistribution studies showed high accumulation of TL-PTX in tumor tissue and organs containing the mononuclear phagocyte system (liver and spleen), but a considerable decrease in other organs (heart, lung, and kidney) compared with CL-PTX and free paclitaxel. Conclusion The truncated fibroblast growth factor fragment-conjugated PEGylated liposome has promising potential as a long-circulating and tumor-targeting carrier system.
Using Input-Output Diagram To Determine Spatial and Temporal Extents of a Queue Upstream of a Bottleneck

A simple approach is described for modifying an input-output (or queue-ing) diagram to measure the time and distance spent by vehicles in a queue in a much simpler and self-serving manner than a time-space diagram. The graphic technique requires construction of a curve depicting the cumulative number of vehicles to have reached the back of the queue as a function of time, but, as indicated here, the technique can be easily automated with a spreadsheet. The technique is applied to the simple case of a constant departure rate from a bottleneck and to the slightly more general case of a bottleneck capacity that changes once, which is demonstrated to be applicable to the study of an undersaturated traffic signal. In the course of describing the usefulness of this technique for estimating several measures, including the maximum length of a physical queue and the time when this maximum occurs, the difference between “delay” at a bottleneck and the “time spent in queue,” which appears to have been confused in some of the literature, is clarified.
Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Drought Indicated by SPEI over Northeastern China

Drought is a natural extreme climate event which occurs in most parts of the world. Northeastern China is one of the major agricultural production areas in China and also a typical vulnerable climate zone. To understand the spatio-temporal characteristics of drought over northeastern China, we first assessed the trends of precipitation and temperature. Drought events were then characterized by Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index over various temporal scales. The Trend Free Prewhitening Mann–Kendall test and distinct empirical orthogonal function, were used to investigate the trends and spatio-temporal patterns of droughts. The results indicate precipitation increasing trends are mostly detected in Heilongjiang and Jinling provinces, however, the majority of the trends are insignificant. Temperature increasing trends are detected over the entire northeastern China and most of them are significant. Decreasing drought trends are observed in Heilongjiang province and some bordering area in Jilin province, whereas increasing trends are noticed in Liaoning province and some bordering area in Jilin province. Two main sub-regions of drought variability—the Liaohe River Plain and the Second Songhua River basin (LS region), and the Songnen Plain and the Lesser Hinggan Mountains (SL region) are identified, and the detected droughts for the two sub-regions correspond well with recorded drought loss. The results will be beneficial for regional water resource management and planning, agriculture production, and ecosystem protection in northeastern China.
Spreads, Translation Planes and Kerdock Sets. I

In an orthogonal vector space of type $\Omega ^ + ( 4n,q )$, a spread is a family of $q^{2n - 1} + 1$ totally singular $2n$-spaces which induces a partition of the singular points; these spreads are closely related to Kerdock sets. In a $2m$-dimensional vector space over $GF ( q )$, a spread is a family of $q^m + 1$ subspaces of dimension m which induces a partition of the points of the underlying projective space; these spreads correspond to affine translation planes. By combining geometric, group theoretic and matrix methods, new types of spreads are constructed and old examples are studied. New Kerdock sets and new translation planesare obtained having various interesting properties.
Who Are the Hand-to-Mouth?∗

Many households hold little wealth, especially liquid wealth. In precautionary savings models, absent preference heterogeneity, these households should display not only higher marginal propensities to consume (MPC’s), but also lower average propensities to consume (APC’s) and higher future consumption growth. We see from the PSID that such “hand-to-mouth” households actually display higher APCs and no faster spending growth. They also adjust spending to a greater extent through the number of categories consumed. Consistent with a role for preference heterogeneity, the panel data show that it is propensity to be hand-to-mouth, not current assets, that predicts high APC, low consumption growth, and other spending differences for the hand-to-mouth. To identify the role of preference heterogeneity, we consider the model of Kaplan and Violante (2014) with both liquid and illiquid assets, but allow heterogeneity in preferences. To match the data, the vast majority of poor hand-to-mouth must be impatient and with high IES. The richer, but illiquid, hand-to-mouth are disproportionately high IES, though not impatient. Thus a high IES is a key determinant of assets for households typically viewed as hand-to-mouth. The model additionally shows that preferences play a prominent role in differences in MPC’s across consumers. ∗We thank Nataliya Gimpelson, Stephan Gordeev, and Federico Kochen for excellent research assistance on this project. We also thank Matthew Knowles for his helpful discussion.
Crises and the Poor: Socially Responsible Macroeconomics

This paper presents evidence on the impact of economic crisis on poverty and inequality in Latin America. Crises not only result in higher poverty rates but also may cause irreversible damage to the human capital of the poor. In light of this evidence, the author concludes that crisis avoidance and a pro-poor response to crisis should be a major component of a poverty reduction strategy. As a result, the paper analyses the role of exchange rate policy, capital controls and countercyclical fiscal policy in generating or avoiding crisis. Responses to macroeconomic crisis are assessed by considering the effects of different policy combinations, the use of safety nets and the composition of fiscal adjustment to protect the income of the poor in the face of macroeconomic adjustment. The main lesson is that socially responsible macroeconomic policy can protect the poor during times of crisis and simultaneously contribute to lower chronic poverty.
Effects of the Pathogenic Mutation A117V and the Protective Mutation H111S on the Folding and Aggregation of PrP106-126: Insights from Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The fragment 106-126 of prion protein exhibits similar properties to full-length prion. Experiments have shown that the A117V mutation enhances the aggregation of PrP106-126, while the H111S mutation abolishes the assembly. However, the mechanism of the change in the aggregation behavior of PrP106-126 upon the two mutations is not fully understood. In this study, replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the conformational ensemble of the WT PrP106-126 and its two mutants A117V and H111S. The obtained results indicate that the three species are all intrinsically disordered but they have distinct morphological differences. The A117V mutant has a higher propensity to form β-hairpin structures than the WT, while the H111S mutant has a higher population of helical structures. Furthermore, the A117V mutation increases the hydrophobic solvent accessible surface areas of PrP106-126 and the H111S mutation reduces the exposure of hydrophobic residues. It can be concluded that the difference in populations of β-hairpin structures and the change of hydrophobic solvent accessible areas may induce the different aggregation behaviors of the A117V and the H111S mutated PrP106-126. Understanding why the two mutations have contrary effects on the aggregation of PrP106-126 is very meaningful for further elucidation of the mechanism underlying aggregation and design of inhibitor against aggregation process.
Development and Validation of the Short Grit Scale (Grit–S)

In this article, we introduce brief self-report and informant-report versions of the Grit Scale, which measures trait-level perseverance and passion for long-term goals. The Short Grit Scale (Grit–S) retains the 2-factor structure of the original Grit Scale (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007) with 4 fewer items and improved psychometric properties. We present evidence for the Grit–S's internal consistency, test–retest stability, consensual validity with informant-report versions, and predictive validity. Among adults, the Grit–S was associated with educational attainment and fewer career changes. Among adolescents, the Grit–S longitudinally predicted GPA and, inversely, hours watching television. Among cadets at the United States Military Academy, West Point, the Grit–S predicted retention. Among Scripps National Spelling Bee competitors, the Grit–S predicted final round attained, a relationship mediated by lifetime spelling practice.
A Social Action Perspective of Information Systems Development

The purpose of this paper is to outline a social action perspective of information systems development (ISD) and provide some evidence for its fruitfulness. Earlier theories have looked upon ISD as a technical engineering process or as a technical process with behavioral consequences. These theories have not proved adequate for understanding the systems development process. The social action perspective as advocated in this paper leads one to realize that ISD is a social process which relies on technology. The paper introduces the following basic building blocks of the social action perspective for ISD. human interests, objective and subjective knowledge and meanings, power, conflict, resistance, and consensus formation. It is shown how these social action concepts contribute to our understanding of the systems development process. Evidence for this is presented from case studies. It is concluded that any theory of ISD which does not explicitly deal with the key phenomena of social action is inadequate. In practice, ISD is politics first, engineering second.1