Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regional Labor Market Differences in Brazil and Search Frictions: Some Structural Estimates

We estimate an equilibrium job search model for six metropolitan areas located in different regions of Brazil. Two mechanisms of wage determination are considered: wage posting by monopsony firms and Nash bilateral bargaining. In order to estimate the model, we use the non-parametric method developed by Bontemps, Robin, & van den Berg [2000. Equilibrium search with continuous productivity dispersion: Theory and nonparametric estimation. International Economic Review, 41(2), 305-358]. There is significant heterogeneity among the estimated structural parameters for these regions. We succeed in rationalizing some well-known regional differences in wages, unemployment rates and productivity prevalent in Brazilian labor markets, thus offering new interpretations. Metropolitan regions in the Northeast have much lower λ0 (arrival rate of wage offers for unemployed workers) andλ1 (arrival rate of wage offers for employed workers) vis a vis areas in the South or Southeast regions. This is a new, and much more precise, result worth considering on the regional inequality debate in Brazil. Regional inequality in wages, besides being an outcome of its regional human capital distribution, can be rationalized as inequality of search frictions brought by differences inλ1. We found a key (indirect) role for search frictions when analysing productivity differences as well. Since search frictions impact simultaneously on monopsony power as well as on productivity, in order to understand better regional productivity differences we must deepen our analysis on how these structural parameters are differentiated by regions. Labor market frictions add important insights into the regional debate, something not captured by more traditional econometric reduced form approaches.
Effects of Creaming Method and Flour Formulation on Acceptability and Proximate Characteristics of Cake from Corn, Wheat and Soya Bean Composite Flour

The study tested the possibility of incorporating corn and soya bean flours to partially substitute wheat flour in the production of cakes. A 3x2 factorial design was followed using three different composite flour formulations (A, B= 80 soya bean: 15 corn: 5 wheat; C, D= 15 soya bean: 80 corn: 5 wheat; E, F= 50 soya bean: 20 corn: 30 wheat) at two levels of creaming (manual and machine creaming). Samples A, C and E were manually creamed whereas B, D and F were subjected to machine creaming. Composite flours were used to bake cakes, with 100% wheat flour cake serving as control. A total of seven samples were produced, coded and tested for acceptability using a nine-point hedonic scale in affective sensory test. Correlation analysis was performed to ascertain the influence of individual flour components on the performance of cake samples. Proximate analysis was also conducted on best overall scored sample and control sample (G). Results showed that all cake samples compared well sensorially with average score of 7.23 for overall acceptability against G (7.33), inferring they were all liked moderately by the sensory panel. Correlation coefficients showed that sensory scores were lower for increasing amounts of soya bean (-0.4656) and corn (-0.3637) but higher for increasing amounts of wheat (0.8680). For proximate and energy contents, sample F had significantly higher values for moisture (24.71) and protein (18.50) than G (19.01 and 8.19 respectively) (P<0.05). The control sample (G) also recorded higher values for fibre (26.23) and lipids (42.77) than sample F (23.92, 30.41 respectively) (P<0.05). Energy values of samples revealed a higher value for G (520.61 kcal) than F (443.37 kcal). Creaming methods had no significant influence on the sensory performance of cakes. Substituting wheat flour with soya bean and corn flour was recommended but more work needs to be done to improve on associated heaviness and rough texture of cakes produced. Keywords: Cakes, Sensory, Flour, Corn, Soya beans
Kinematic analysis of rowing exercise using a motor-assisted rowing machine for rowers with spinal cord injury: a case report

Objective: We developed a Motor-Assisted Rowing Machine (MARM) for Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), by modification of the Concept II rowing machine, so that the seats could be operated automatically in a backward and forward direction by a motor. Design: Case report. Methods: Motor rowing consisted of a chair with inclination control, a motor system, control button, monitor, program, leg supporter, safety belt, and seat. The patients were 2 men rowing athletes with SCI, classified as American Spinal Injury Association class B, participated in the study. Level of thoracic injury ranged from T8 to T10. The subjects rowed at a self-selected stroke rate with 50 watts. Two different rowing methods (static rowing without movementof the seat, dynamic rowing using MARM) were assigned to each participant during 10 minutes; 34 reflective markers were attached to their full bodies. Kinematic data were collected using the Vicon motion analysis system. Based on the full body model provided as a default by the equipment. In the rowing exercise, the rowing motions were divided into Drive Phase and Recovery Phase. Results: The two rowing methods differ in handle range, seat range, handle and seat ratio, handle velocity, and seat velocity during static and dynamic rowing. The rowing exercise using a rowing machine developed MARM increased tendency to the range of motion in the dynamic method compared to the static method. Conclusions: The newly developed MARM could be a useful whole body exercise for people with SCI.
Aflatoxin Contamination of Various Carbohydrate Rich Foods, Legumes, and Vegetables, and Implications of Targeted Processing Techniques

This study was carried out to assess the levels of the metabolites of Aspergillus flavus; aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), aflatoxin G1 (AFG1), and aflatoxin G2 (AFG2) in various food samples. Corn (24.00 µg/kg), millet (4.13 µg/kg), and cassava (3.88 µg/kg) contained the highest AFB1, while AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2 occurred highest in corn and yam. After processing, cassava and yam recorded the highest percentage of AFB1 and AFB2 reduction respectively, while the decontamination of AFG1 was jointly most effective after wheat and millet processing, and AFG2 reduced most after wheat, cassava, and millet processing. The occurrence of AFB1 in the legumes, followed the order; beans > breadfruit > groundnut > melon > oil bean and for AFB2 and AFG2 levels, breadfruit > melon > oil beans > beans, while AFG1 occurred highest in breadfruit, groundnut and oil beans. Ugba (6.26 µg/kg), Ogiri (10 µg/kg), and beans flour (14.62 µg/kg) had the least total aflatoxin contents of the legumes evaluated. Egusi, beans and oil bean recorded over 80% AFB1 and AFG1 reduction, while processing of groundnut and breadfruit, and breadfruit and melon produced the highest percentage of AFB2 and AFG2 respectively. The result for the vegetables showed least contamination of AFB1 in nchuanwu and bitter leaf, while the occurrence of AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2 in nchuanwu and bitter leaf occurred below detection levels. Blanched nchuanwu and bitter leaves had 100% AFB1 reduction, while the percentage reductions of AFB2 in oha and curry leaves, AFG1 in oha, and AFG2 in pumpkin leaves were 100%. This study has shown the presence of aflatoxins in the foods beyond permissible limits, as well as the effectiveness of milling, fermentation and blanching in reducing aflatoxins from carbohydrate rich foods, proteins, and vegetables respectively.
Linear-Quadratic Approximation to Optimal Policy: An Algorithm and Two Applications

This paper aims at bridging the gap between recent theoretical progress in welfarebased optimal policy and its application to models suitable for policy analysis. With this purpose, the framework of Benigno and Woodford (2005b) with a linear-quadratic (LQ) approximation (in a timeless perspective) to the optimal policy problem is applied to monetary policy in two relatively standard models. Furthermore the applications are performed through a standardised algorithm that is suitable for being implemented for a broad class of models.
Modelling diameter distributions of Quercus suber L. stands in "Los Alcornocales" Natural Park (Cádiz-Málaga, Spain) by using the two parameter Weibull functions

Aim of study: The aim of this work was to model diameter distributions of Quercus suber stands. The ultimate goal was to construct models enabling the development of more affordable forest inventory methods. This is the first study of this type on cork oak forests in the area. Area of study: The area of study is “Los Alcornocales” Natural Park (Cadiz-Malaga, Spain). Material and methods: The diameter distributions of 100 permanent plots were modelled with the two-parameter Weibull function. Distribution parameters were fitted with the non-linear regression, maximum likelihood, moment and percentile-based methods. Goodness of fit with the different methods was compared in terms of number of plots rejected by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, bias, mean square error and mean absolute error. The scale and shape parameters in the Weibull function were related to the stand variables by using the parameter prediction model. Main results: The best fitting was obtained with the non-linear regression approach, using as initial values those obtained by maximum likelihood method, the percentage of rejections by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was 2% of the total number of cases. The scale parameter “b” was successfully modelled in terms of the quadratic mean diameter under cork (R 2 adj = 0.99). The shape parameter “c” was modelled by using maximum diameter, minimum diameter and plot elevation (R 2 adj = 0.40). Research highlights: The proposed model diameter distribution can be a highly useful tool for the inventorying and
Playing with Fire, Competing with Spirit: Cooperation in the Sport of Ultimate

Prior research shows that third-party agents are necessary to promote cooperation when groups are large and spatially diffuse. I explore whether this proposition holds in the self-governing sport of Ultimate. While the size of the community and spatial diffusion of the sport theoretically suggests limited decentralized control, the widespread implementation of a refereed system has not yet emerged. Instead, I find with qualitative methods that cooperation in Ultimate is the result of the sport being federally controlled and embedded within tiers of organizational constraint that promote informal regulation of competitions through norms, reputations, and self-discipline.
The Role of Non-Marketable Assets to Determine the Cost of Capital: Evidence from India

Manuscript type: Research paper.Research aims: This paper aims to examine the role of nonmarketableassets namely, stock index, government bond index,human capital and real estate in a multi-asset proxy for the truemarket portfolio. It also examines the sensitivity of risk-returntradeoffs with different market portfolio compositions for both theconditional and unconditional versions of the asset pricing model.Design/ Methodology/ Approach: This paper extends on Mayers’(1972) model by building a composite market portfolio whichconsists of stock, bond, human capital and real estate. The crosssectionof asset returns is tested with Fama and Macbeth’s (1973)regression method. The capital asset pricing model (CAPM) usesthe Kalman filter based approach to estimate the conditional factorloadings.Research findings: This study finds that when per unit of riskpremium is equal, the market model standard beta over-estimatesthe systematic risk that is measured by the composite marketportfolio. The effect of bond, human capital and real estate onthe complete market portfolio does not have much impact on theempirical testing of the CAPM. However, the conditional modelshows a significant and positive risk premium.Theoretical contributions/ Originality: Despite the importance ofthe non-marketable assets, many studies have rarely integrated orvalidated these in an asset-pricing framework, within an emerging market. Thus, the present study seeks to advance the theoretical andempirical understanding of the role of non-marketable assets in thecomposition of market proxies for an asset pricing model, in India.Practitioner/ Policy implications: The validity of the CAPM is insensitiveto the inclusion of non-marketable assets in the market portfolio.This implies that investors use prior belief and conditioningvariables as predictive variables to determine the cost of capital. Theoutcome of this study provides academics and practitioners a betterunderstanding of the cross-sectional behaviour of stock returns in theIndian market.Research limitation: The limited work done on the Indian capitalmarket coupled by the limited availability of non-marketable data inthis study, may constrain the comparison of the results. In addition,the outcome drawn from this study cannot be generalised on otheremerging markets as the focus of this study was only on the Indiancapital market.Keywords: Fama-MacBeth Regression, Kalman Filter, Mayers CAPM,Non-marketable Assets.JEL Classification: G12, G31
Effect of Community Health Strategy Policy on Client Perception of Maternity Delivery Services in Kakamega County

Perceived client satisfaction is considered an outcome of health care utilization. Many interventions have been put in place to improve client satisfaction of maternity delivery services. Community participation through community health strategy is one such intervention rolled out in Kenya in 2006. This study examined the effect of community health strategy policy on perception of client satisfaction of maternity delivery services in Kakamega County, Kenya. This was an analytical comparative study design utilizing quantitative data derived from a cross sectional survey among women of under five years old children. Data was collected from four purposively selected administrative units also referred to as sub location. Two sub locations were selected from Butere Sub County where community health strategy policy is implemented while two control sub locations from the neighbouring Khwisero sub county that had not launched community health strategy in the two sub locations. Both Sub Counties are from Kakamega County. Data processing and analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 and Microsoft Excel. Chi square test was used at p-value of < 0.05 considered for statistically significance difference. And odds ratio used to assess strength of associations. The findings showed that a high proportion (83.9%) of women in community health strategy implementing sites were more likely to be satisfied with the quality of maternity delivery services compared to their counterparts in the non-implementing sites (52.4%). Irrespective of age, education level, group belonging and main household income source, the differences in perceived client satisfaction remained statistically significant between implementing and non-implementing sites while the within site comparison showed no significant in difference due to women characteristics at p value < 0.05. This study showed that women in the strategy implementing sub locations were satisfied with maternity delivery services while their counterparts of non-implementing sub locations showed poor client satisfaction perception for the service. Results of this study imply that community strategy policy has potential to improve the perception on client satisfaction for maternity delivery services and for maternity delivery users. In view if this, the scale up of the strategy will go a long way in improve hospital based deliveries and therefore a strategy to reduce maternal mortality.
Understanding the Rise and Decline of the Japanese Main Bank System: The Changing Effects of Bank Rent Extraction

This paper shows how main bank rent extraction affects corporate decisions about investment and financing during financial regulatory reform. Our model predicts that limited loanable funds can initially contain main bank controlled overinvestment, even when new equity is available to the firm. Abundant funds facilitate overinvestment to the detriment of firm profitability. A shift of control rights back to the firm due to financial deregulation produces an “equity for upside potential and bank debt for downside risk” bias against the banks. A stock market and real estate boom in Japan made it harder than ever for the banks to diversify risk. The insights from this analysis help explain why Japan’s main bank system was beneficial in the (capital constrained) postwar period but became harmful during the (capital abundant and even bubbly) 1980s, and why the adverse shocks of the post-deregulation 1990s had such severe effects on the banking system.
Effects of Erroneous CSI on the Performance of Multiple-Transmit Antenna Selection

The paper assumes that the channel state information (CSI) is available at the receiver and is known partially at the transmitter through a feedback channel. The bit error rate (BER) performance of multiple transmit antenna selection (MTAS) for the multiple-input and single-output (MISO) system with STBC (MTAS/MISO-STBC) will be investigated in detail. Meanwhile, the selection criterion that maximizes the channel Frobenius norm or minimizes the error probability of MTAS/MISO-STBC system is employed. In two cases of erroneous CSI (ECSI) and inerrable CSI (ICSI), wireless channels of the MTAS systems are modeled and their analytical expressions are derived. For the case of ICSI, the exact BER expressions of the Chernoff upper bound (CUB) for both the MISO-STBC system of full complexity and MTAS system are evaluated, respectively. Next, for the ECSI case, a comprehensive analytical expression of BER CUB for the same system is derived in detail. Finally, extensive Monte-Carlo simulations are presented to support and validate our numerical analysis proposed in this paper. Both the simulating results and the numerical results show that MTAS can reduce effectively the effect of the erroneous CSI.
Effect of carbon and nitrogen addition on nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide fluxes from thawing forest soils

Abstract Packed soil-core incubation experiments were done to study the effects of carbon (glucose, 6.4 g C m−2) and nitrogen (NH4Cl and KNO3, 4.5 g N m−2) addition on nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes during thawing of frozen soils under two forest stands (broadleaf and Korean pine mixed forest and white birch forest) with two moisture levels (55 and 80% water-filled pore space). With increasing soil moisture, the magnitude and longevity of the flush N2O flux from forest soils was enhanced during the early period of thawing, which was accompanied by great NO3−-N consumption. Without N addition, the glucose-induced cumulative CO2 fluxes ranged from 9.61 to 13.49 g CO2-C m−2, which was larger than the dose of carbon added as glucose. The single addition of glucose increased microbial biomass carbon but slightly affected soil dissolved organic carbon pool. Thus, the extra carbon released upon addition of glucose can result from the decomposition of soil native organic carbon. The glucose-induced N2O and CO2 fluxes were both significantly correlated to the glucose-induced total N and dissolved organic carbon pools and influenced singly and interactively by soil moisture and KNO3 addition. The interactive effects of glucose and nitrogen inputs on N2O and CO2 fluxes from forest soils after frost depended on N sources, soil moisture, and vegetation types.
ffi ciency and production potential of selected cereal crops in Senegal

This study focused on the production outcomes for five crops cultivated in Senegal: upland rice, lowland rice, groundnut, maize, and pearl millet. Technical efficiency (TE) of the production of each crop was estimated using data envelopment analysis, and the determinants of TEs were assessed using generalised linear regression analyses. Data were collected in face-to-face interviews with 66 farmers in the Kaolack region of Central Senegal during November 2011–February 2012. Average TEs for upland rice, lowland rice, groundnut, maize, and pearl millet were estimated as 0.76, 0.88, 0.89, 0.94, and 0.90, respectively. The identified factors that had a positive impact on TE were years of cultivation experience, amount of nitrogen fertiliser applied, and participation in a farmers’ association. Weeding hours, seeding rate, size of the cultivated area, and delays in sowing time were negatively associated with TE. The factors that significantly affected TE differed among the crops. Optimising these factors could enable potential yield increase of upland rice, lowland rice, groundnut, maize, and pearl millet by 24, 12, 11, 6, and 10 %, respectively.
Meat traits and meat chemical composition in hybrids of Graylag (Anser anser L.) with White Kołuda and Slovakian geese

Evaluated were the meat production traits of hybrid males and females derived from four-way (threebreed) crossing of Graylag (Gr), White Koluda (WK) and Slovakian (Sl) geese. Parental males and females were similar within a group, but differed between groups in the direction (type) of crossing the parents. The greatest values of meat production traits, except for meat and fat content of carcass, were characteristic of 12- and 24-week-old SlGrWKSl’SlGrWKSl hybrids (group II). The direction (type) of crossing was shown to affect the values of meat traits in the hybrid geese. This trend was conspicuous in 24-week-old offspring of four-way crosses. WKGrSlSl’WKGrSlSl hybrids (group III) reflected a positive effect of WK males, while SlWKGrSl’SlWKGrSl (group IV) a negative effect of Sl males on body dimensions of the offspring. Good results of body weight, weight of carcass with neck, dressing percentage and elements content of carcass were achieved by 24-week-old hybrids of both sexes from group I (GrWKSlSl’GrWKSlSl) and group II (SlGrWKSl’S1GrWKSl). The weight of breast and leg muscles was significantly and positively correlated with all the body dimensions analysed. Per cent of breast and leg muscles was significantly and positively correlated only with breast bone length and thickness of skin with subcutaneous fat. Simple correlation coefficients be tween carcass elements and body dimensions in the offspring of four-way crosses justify using them to raise hybrid Graylag geese. When compared to the other Polish geese breeds and varieties, breast muscles of hybrid Graylag geese contained less water, protein and fat and more ash, while leg muscles contained similar per cent of water, slightly less protein, and more fat and ash.
Testing the anisotropy in the angular distribution of $Fermi$/GBM gamma-ray bursts

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) were confirmed to be of extragalactic origin due to their isotropic angular distribution, combined with the fact that they exhibited an intensity distribution that deviated strongly from the $-3/2$ power law. This finding was later confirmed with the first redshift, equal to at least $z=0.835$, measured for GRB970508. Despite this result, the data from $CGRO$/BATSE and $Swift$/BAT indicate that long GRBs are indeed distributed isotropically, but the distribution of short GRBs is anisotropic. $Fermi$/GBM has detected 1669 GRBs up to date, and their sky distribution is examined in this paper. A number of statistical tests is applied: nearest neighbour analysis, fractal dimension, dipole and quadrupole moments of the distribution function decomposed into spherical harmonics, binomial test, and the two point angular correlation function. Monte Carlo benchmark testing of each test is performed in order to evaluate its reliability. It is found that short GRBs are distributed anisotropically on the sky, and long ones have an isotropic distribution. The probability that these results are not a chance occurence is equal to at least 99.98\% and 30.68\% for short and long GRBs, respectively. The cosmological context of this finding and its relation to large-scale structures is discussed.