Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Innovating in the Manufacturing Sector1 in Latin America and the Caribbean2

In the 21st century, economies are becoming more knowledge-based, with innovation increasingly the driver of national competitiveness, development, and longterm economic growth. At the firm level, innovation—the transformation of ideas into new products, services, and production processes—leads to more efficient use of resources, creating sustainable competitive advantages. The Enterprise Surveys define innovation rates as the share of firms introducing product or process innovations. The surveys also measure the proportion of firms investing in research and development (R&D) and filing for any type of intellectual property rights (IPR), such as patents, trademarks or copyrights applications.
Unbalanced International Trade Flows and Their Implication: An Extensive Review

The relationship between international trade flows and key macroeconomic variables such as economic growth, Export (X), and Import (M), among others is one of the most widely debated areas among economists and policy makers around the globe. The aim of this paper is to review the extensive literature in this area, focusing on both the theoretical debate and empirical evidence. This review is important in order to learn from past experience and to derive major conclusions which can be beneficial in macroeconomic debates. In addition, this review could also assist policy makers in formulating the right economic policies to tackle problems such as the high Trade Deficit (TD) and high debt levels associated with international trade flows. The majority of these studies used X, M, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and related relative competitiveness variables, such as relative prices to examine the economic prosperities various countries’ overtime. The key outcomes from these studies showed that relatively open economies countries seem to achieve higher economic prosperity than the less open economies. However, unbalanced trade, in particular the TD and subsequent rising debt levels with the Rest of the World (RoW), lead to undesirable macroeconomic consequences. In relation to Australia, the bulk of the empirical studies show that Australia has experienced a persistent TD for the past 30 years, with increasing TD as a percentage of the GDP. The key outcomes from empirical studies presented in this paper show that Australia’s growing liabilities with the RoW are intended predominantly for other than investment purposes, which may perhaps weaken the economic prosperity in Australia in the future. In addition, various policy implications which might arise from the debates are also discussed in the paper. The title was erroneously published as 'Unbalanced international trade flows and their implication: an extentensive review'.
Tectonic Evolution and Subsidence History of the Rio Grande Rise

Drilling at Site 516 on the northern shoulder of the main Rio Grande Rise has improved our understanding of the tectonic evolution and subsidence history of the Rise and of the entire Rio Grande-Walvis seamount and aseismic ridge system. Evidence from this site indicates that basalts at the bottom of Hole 516F were produced at the ridge crest and that the ridge crest was subaerial. I attribute the anomalous elevation of the Rise to an eastward ridge crest jump to the western end of the Rise, 91 Ma, and, recognizing a southward progression of such eastward jumps, I suggest a model for the Rio Grande-Walvis system involving a slow westward component of drift of the ridge crest off a hot-spot swell. This drift caused off-axis volcanism that in the Cretaceous succeeded but in the Cenozoic failed to capture the ridge crest. The probable mechanism of capture involved counteraction of the ridge push force within the lithosphere by a swell push force. This would make capture more likely in lithosphere produced by fast spreading, perhaps explaining the change of mode at the end of the Cretaceous. Within the pelagic carbonate sedimentary succession at Site 516, the partly volcaniclastic, turbiditic middle Eocene Unit 4 contains volcanic ash beds (yielding a 47.4 ± 0.7 Ma K-Ar age from fresh alkalic biotite) and a 15-m-thick basal slide. Reflection profiles show it was produced by sliding from and by subaerial erosion of a large tilted and uplifted guyot upslope from the site. Data from the site suggest that a single short off-axis event affected the entire crestal region of the Rise. Perhaps the same midplate hot spot that produced an 80-50 Ma volcanic episode in the Serra Geral of Brazil was responsible, but that was not the present Tristan hot spot. The data from Site 516 have been incorporated into a detailed model for the subsidence history of the main body of the Rise. The model uses an "oceanic" thermal isostatic model, but accounts for the effect of subaerial subsidence and incorporates the changes of the middle Eocene event. A detailed sediment compaction model is developed, and a smooth eustatic sea level correction is applied. The effects of "basement compaction" and use of local rather than regional isostatic compensation are assessed each at about 50 m. The computed paleodepth at Site 516 ranges from sea level 84.0 Ma through a Paleocene 1250 m maximum and middle Eocene 600 m minimum to 1313 m today. The "tectonic" depth curves for both Sites 516 and 357 are compared with paleoecologic depth estimates. In general, these paleoecologic estimates lie deeper, probably because of the difficulties of applying accurate subsidence and compaction corrections to the comparison sites.
Unautho the large uncertainties in estimating cancer risks from HZE particles ( Cucinotta

Long duration space missions present unique radiation protection challenges due to the complexity of the space radiation environment, which includes high charge and energy particles and other highly ionizing radiation such as neutrons. Based on a recommendation by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, a 3% lifetime risk of exposure-induced death for cancer has been used as a basis for risk limitation by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for low-Earth orbit missions. NASA has developed a risk-based approach to radiation exposure limits that accounts for individual factors (age, gender, and smoking history) and assesses the uncertainties in risk estimates. New radiation quality factors with associated probability distribution functions to represent the quality factor’s uncertainty have been developed based on track structure models and recent radiobiology data for high charge and energy particles. The current radiation dose limits are reviewed for spaceflight and the various qualitative and quantitative uncertainties that impact the risk of exposure-induced death estimates using the NASA Space Cancer Risk (NSCR) model. NSCR estimates of the number of “safe days” in deep space to be within exposure limits and risk estimates for a Mars exploration mission are described. Health Phys. 108(2):131–142; 2015
An Empirical Analysis of Determinants of Recent Federal Personal Income Tax Evasion in the U.S

Unaccounted for currency in the U.S. has been argued to reflect the presence of widespread income tax evasion. In turn, income tax evasion is especially problematic in this era of large government budget deficits and growing national debts which have led to debt crises. This empirical study seeks to identify determinants of recent federal personal income tax evasion in the U.S. using the most recent tax evasion data available, data that run through 2008 and are derived from the General Currency Ratio Model and measured in the form of the ratio of unreported AGI (adjusted gross income) to reported AGI. The empirical estimates find that personal income tax evasion is an increasing function of the maximum marginal federal personal income tax rate, the interest rate yield on three year Treasury notes, per capita real income, and a dummy variable for the years in which the second war in Iraq was conducted, while being a decreasing function of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the ratio of the tax free interest rate yield on high grade municipals to the taxable interest rate yield on ten year Treasury notes, the audit rate by IRS (Internal Revenue Service) personnel, and the average IRS penalty on detected unreported income. Thus, among other things, this study finds that more aggressive IRS policies are effective tools in the war against personal income tax evasion.
Effects of Outsourcing on National Forest Plantation Development Programme in Ghana

The study aimed at management of outsourcing of National Forest Plantation Development Programme (NFPDP) and its effects in the Atebubu Forest District as a case study in Ghana. The key issues examined are the level of technical competence of the contractors, the role of the lead implementing agency and the natural resource base sustainability. Two stage sampling technique was used to sample one hundred and ten respondents for the study. A structured questionnaire was used to solicit information from the respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The results of the study indicate that the award of seedlings contracts and workers’ salaries and logistics to African Foresters Brigade and Zoil Ghana Limited respectively were transparent. However, most of the activities the participating institutions performed were behind schedule indicating poor performance. It is therefore recommended that, Forestry Commission should put in place proper modalities to ensure effective implementation if outsourcing is to be continued.
A first‐order analysis of the potential rôle of CO2 fertilization to affect the global carbon budget: a comparison of four terrestrial biosphere models

We compared the simulated responses of net primary production, heterotrophic respiration, net ecosystem production and carbon storage in natural terrestrial ecosystems to historical (1765 to 1990) and projected (1990–2300) changes of atmospheric CO 2 concentration of four terrestrial biosphere models: the Bern model, the Frankfurt Biosphere Model (FBM), the High-Resolution Biosphere Model (HRBM) and the Terrestrial EcosystemModel (TEM). The results of the model intercomparison suggest that CO 2 fertilization of natural terrestrial vegetation has the potential to account for a large fraction of the so-called ‘‘missing carbon sink’′ of 2.0 Pg C in 1990. Estimates of this potential are reduced when the models incorporate the concept that CO 2 fertilization can be limited by nutrient availability. Although the model estimates differ on the potential size (126 to 461 Pg C) of the future terrestrial sink caused by CO 2 fertilization, the results of the four models suggest that natural terrestrial ecosystems will have a limited capacity to act as a sink of atmospheric CO 2 in the future as a result of physiological constraints and nutrient constraints on NPP. All the spatially explicit models estimate a carbon sink in both tropical and northern temperate regions, but the strength of these sinks varies over time. Differences in the simulated response of terrestrial ecosystems to CO 2 fertilization among the models in this intercomparison study reflect the fact that the models have highlighted different aspects of the effect of CO 2 fertilization on carbon dynamics of natural terrestrial ecosystems including feedback mechanisms. As interactions with nitrogen fertilization, climate change and forest regrowth may play an important role in simulating the response of terrestrial ecosystems to CO 2 fertilization, these factors should be included in future analyses. Improvements in spatially explicit data sets, whole-ecosystem experiments and the availability of net carbon exchange measurements across the globe will also help to improve future evaluations of the role of CO 2 fertilization on terrestrial carbon storage. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.1999. 00017.x
Data report: elemental, isotopic, and Rock-Eval compositions of bulk sediments from Hole U1357A in the Adélie Basin, Antarctica 1

We examined the elemental (total nitrogen, total organic carbon, and C/N), isotopic (δ 13 Corg and δ 15 Norg), and Rock-Eval pyrolysis (S2, S3, hydrogen index, oxygen index, and Tmax) compositions of bulk marine sediments from Hole U1357A in the Adelie Basin, Antarctica, to assess the organic geochemical characteristics and vertical variations in the late Holocene diatomaceous-dominated sediments. Pyrolysis parameters indicate that most of the organic materials are immature and in the Type II stage, indicative of a marine source. In contrast, the results from a conventional crossplot of δ 13 Corg vs. total organic carbon/total nitrogen indicate organic materials that originated as freshwater organic carbon, not marine organic carbon. Given that 13 C-depleted phytoplankton are dominant in diatomaceous ooze–rich sediments of the Adelie Basin, the apparent dominance of freshwater organic matter is likely attributable to the extremely low δ 13 Corg (‰) values in the bulk sediments.
Convertible Debt and Investment Timing

In this paper we provide an investment-based explanation for the popularity of convertible debt. Specifically, we demonstrate the ability of convertible debt to alleviate and potentially totally eliminate the underinvestment problem of Myers (1977). A conversion feature induces shareholders to accelerate investment. This effect arises from the incentive of equity holders to accelerate the issuance of new equity, used to finance investment, since by investing early shareholders dilute the value of convertible debt holders by reducing their proportional claims to the firm's cash flows. Since the underinvestment effect and the accelerated investment effect work in opposite directions, convertible debt allows to mitigate or completely eliminate the debt overhang problem. In addition, we show that by choosing the right combination of straight debt and convertible debt, shareholders can, for a wide range of overall debt levels, commit to the investment strategy of an all-equity firm.
The influence of turbulent bursting on sediment resuspension under unidirectional currents

Laboratory experiments were undertaken in a unidirectional current flume in order to examine the role of turbulence on incipient sediment motion. An acoustic Doppler velocimeter was used to measure the instantaneous three-dimensional velocity components and acoustic backscatter (related to suspended sediment concentration). The relationship between wall turbulence (in particular, the "bursting" phenomenon) and resuspension of a non-cohesive sediment bed was examined. The results within a range above and below the measured critical velocity suggested that: 1) the contribution of turbulent bursting events remained identical in both experimental conditions; 2) ejection and sweep events contributed more to the total sediment flux than up-acceleration and down-deceleration events; and 3) wavelet transform revealed a correlation between the momentum and sediment flux in both test conditions. Such similarities in conditions above and below the measured critical velocity highlighted the need to re-evaluate the accuracy of a single time-averaged critical velocity for the initiation of sediment entrainment.
Dilaver mobile phones Making sense of innovations : A comparison of personal computers and

Despite revolutionary expectations about information and communication technologies (ICT), the academic understanding of what exactly these technologies bring to individual lives remains incomplete. We know very little about how individuals perceive the value of ICT products, and even less about the process by which these value perspectives are built. This paper contributes to addressing these gaps. It presents an empirical study comparing the perceived use-value of personal computers and mobile phones. The findings show that the day-to-day value of innovations is deeply embedded in the existing and newly emerging social contexts. Thus, societal transformations, such as becoming an information society, cannot be reduced to matters of technological possibilities. The paper also builds a construct for the sense-making process that clarifies that compared to mobile phones, computers are more difficult to position in mind, purchase and use, require more support from social contacts and are only meaningful in selective contexts.
Solar impact on the lower mesospheric subtropical jet: A comparative study with general circulation model simulations

The seasonal and interannual variation in the lower mesospheric subtropical jet (LMSJ) and their dependence on the 11‐year solar cycle are studied by comparing observational data with simulations by two general circulation models. In the model simulations, a strengthening of the LMSJs is found in both hemispheres during the winter under the solar maximum condition, similar to the observation. However the model responses are substantially smaller except for one case in the southern hemisphere. It is also found that the stronger LMSJ due to an enhanced solar forcing appears during the period which follows an increasing period of interannual variation. Analysis of the observed seasonal march of the LMSJ in each year shows two different regimes of behavior. For a successful simulation, the model should realistically reproduce the observed interannual variability as well as the climatological mean.
Analysis of full-disc Ca II K spectroheliograms

Context. Studies of long-term solar activity and variability require knowledge of the past evolution of the solar surface magnetism. The archives of full-disc Ca II K observations that have been performed more or less regularly at various sites since 1892 can serve as an important source of such information. Aims. We derive the plage area evolution over the last 12 solar cycles by employing data from all Ca II K archives that are publicly available in digital form, including several as-yet-unexplored Ca II K archives. Methods. We analysed more than 290 000 full-disc Ca II K observations from 43 datasets spanning the period between 1892–2019. All images were consistently processed with an automatic procedure that performs the photometric calibration (if needed) and the limb-darkening compensation. The processing also accounts for artefacts affecting many of the images, including some very specific artefacts, such as bright arcs found in Kyoto and Yerkes data. Our employed methods have previously been tested and evaluated on synthetic data and found to be more accurate than other methods used in the literature to treat a subset of the data analysed here. Results. We produced a plage area time-series from each analysed dataset. We found that the differences between the plage areas derived from individual archives are mainly due to the differences in the central wavelength and the bandpass used to acquire the data at the various sites. We empirically cross-calibrated and combined the results obtained from each dataset to produce a composite series of plage areas. The ’backbone’ approach was used to bridge the series together. We have also shown that the selection of the backbone series has little effect on the final composite of the plage area. We quantified the uncertainty of determining the plage areas with our processing due to shifts in the central wavelength and found it to be less than 0.01 in fraction of the solar disc for the average conditions found on historical data. We also found the variable seeing conditions during the observations to slightly increase the plage areas during the activity maxima. Conclusions. We provide the most complete so far time series of plage areas based on corrected and calibrated historical and modern Ca II K images. Consistent plage areas are now available on 88% of all days from 1892 onwards and on 98% from 1907 onwards.
Mapping tropical forest biomass with radar and spaceborne LiDAR: overcoming problems of high biomass and persistent cloud

Spatially-explicit maps of aboveground biomass are essential for calculating the losses and gains in forest carbon at a regional to national level. The production of such maps across wide areas will become increasingly necessary as international efforts to protect primary forests, such as the REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) mechanism, come into effect, alongside their use for management and research more generally. However, mapping biomass over high-biomass tropical forest is challenging as (1) direct regressions with optical and radar data saturate, (2) much of the tropics is persistently cloud-covered, reducing the availability of optical data, (3) many regions include steep topography, making the use of radar data complex, (4) while LiDAR data does not suffer from saturation, expensive aircraft-derived data are necessary for complete coverage. We present a solution to the problems, using a combination of terrain-corrected L-band radar data (ALOS PALSAR), spaceborne LiDAR data (ICESat GLAS) and ground-based data. We map Gabon's Lope National Park (5000 km2) because it includes a range of vegetation types from savanna to closed-canopy tropical forest, is topographically complex, has no recent cloud-free high-resolution optical data, and the dense forest is above the saturation point for radar. Our 100 m resolution biomass map is derived from fusing spaceborne LiDAR (7142 ICESat GLAS footprints), 96 ground-based plots (average size 0.8 ha) and an unsupervised classification of terrain-corrected ALOS PALSAR radar data, from which we derive the aboveground biomass stocks of the park to be 78 Tg C (173 Mg C ha -1). This value is consistent with our field data average of 181 Mg C ha-1, from the field plots measured in 2009 covering a total of 78 ha, and which are independent as they were not used for the GLAS-biomass estimation. We estimate an uncertainty of ± 25 % on our carbon stock value for the park. This error term includes uncertainties resulting from the use of a generic tropical allometric equation, the use of GLAS data to estimate Lorey's height, and the necessity of separating the landscape into distinct classes. As there is currently no spaceborne LiDAR satellite in operation (GLAS data is available for 2003-2007 only), this methodology is not suitable for change-detection. This research underlines the need for new satellite LiDAR data to provide the potential for biomass-change estimates, although this need will not be met before 2015.