Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plant–soil feedback links negative distance dependence and light gradient partitioning during seedling establishment

Tree species coexistence has often been explained through either negative distance-dependent/density-dependent (NDD) mortality or resource-based niche partitioning. However, these two influential mechanisms for structuring community dynamics have rarely been investigated simultaneously. Negative conspecific effects, like those caused by plant–soil feedbacks (PSF), could link these two mechanisms by being restricted to low-light environments and determined by seedling shade intolerance. We conducted a 10 week long greenhouse experiment where we assessed survivorship of eight temperate tree species that varied in local adult abundance and seedling shade tolerance, to non-sterile vs. sterile soils collected under the canopy of conspecific vs. heterospecific adult trees grown at low and high light. We found that half of our species experienced strong negative conspecific feedbacks. For three out of four species, the PSF were biotic mediated. However, their effects on survival were often restricted to low-ligh.
A Theory of Brain Drain and Public Funding for Higher Education in the United States

Support for higher education has been decreasing in the United States. From 1980 to 2005, real state appropriations for higher education per student have decreased an average of 20 percent, with only 6 states increasing funding. One reason cited for decreased university funding has been the mobility of college graduates (Ronald A. Wirtz 2003). In fact, the college educated often leave the state that subsidized their education. Yolanda K. Kodrzycki (2001) found that 37 percent of people with a bachelor’s degree changed their state of residence between 1979 and 1996, compared to 19 percent of those with a high school education or less. Although state policymakers are concerned about outmigration, empirical studies present contrasting evidence regarding the relationship between outmigration and university funding (James G. Strathman 1994; Polgreen 2008). Thus, a structured model is needed to clarify this relationship. To our knowledge, we are the first to develop such a theory. Building upon a theory of international brain drain developed by Kaz Miyagiwa (1991), we develop a model that includes heterogeneity in ability among college graduates and emphasizes the role of economies of scale in the returns to higher education. We depart from Miyagiwa’s paper in several important ways. (1) We study domestic brain drain within the United States, but brain drain across state boundaries differs from international brain drain: we define brain drain as the net emigration of college graduates (skilled personnel) from the state where they got their college degree to another state. (2) We account for different degrees of returns to scale A Theory of Brain Drain and Public Funding for Higher Education in the United States
Association of Inflammatory and Noninflammatory Breast Cancer with Socioeconomic Characteristics in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database, 2000–2007

Background: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and highly aggressive form of primary breast cancer. Little is known about the risk factors for IBC, specifically the association with socioeconomic position (SEP). Methods: The association between breast cancer type (IBC vs. non-IBC) with county-level SEP in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database for cases diagnosed from 2000 to 2007 was examined. County-level SEP characteristics included metropolitan versus non-metropolitan residence, percentage below the poverty level, percentage less than high-school graduate, and an index combining the poverty and high-school variables. IBC and non-IBC age-adjusted incidence rates were calculated, stratified on SEP and race/ethnicity. The odds of IBC versus non-IBC given a particular SEP characteristic, adjusting for age and race/ethnicity, was examined through fitting of hierarchical logistic regression models (HLM). Results: Incidence rates for IBC generally increased as SEP decreased, whereas the opposite was found for non-IBC. HLM results showed that low SEP is associated with higher odds of IBC: highest (≥20%) versus lowest (<10%) persons below the poverty level [OR (95% confidence interval, CI) = 1.25 (1.09–1.43)]; highest (>28.76%) versus lowest (≤15.99%) persons less than high-school graduate [OR (95% CI) = 1.25 (1.10–1.42)]; and low SEP as measured by poverty-high school index versus high SEP [OR (95% CI)= 1.26 (1.11–1.44)]. Conclusion: Overall breast cancer has been found to be positively associated with SEP, whereas in this analysis, IBC was associated with decreasing SEP. Impact: Studies focused on understanding the disparity in IBC incidence, as well as interventions to eliminate these differences are needed. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(1); 155–65. ©2011 AACR.
Multifunctionality and Agricultural Trade Negotiations

Differing views of multifunctionality - attributing nonmarket benefits to agricultural production - continue to be an obstacle in World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations. Some nations see multifunctionality as justifying subsidies to agricultural production; others see it as disguised protection. This paper shows that while multifunctionality never justifies trade interventions, it can justify production subsidies or taxes. Recognizing that the subsidies or taxes can be economically efficient policies, nations must precisely define and value the externalities in order to design policies and defend those interventions in the WTO. Trade rules are developed that accommodate domestic policy intervention while preventing disguised protection.
A Simple Approximate Long-Memory Model of Realized Volatility

The paper proposes an additive cascade model of volatility components defined over different time periods. This volatility cascade leads to a simple AR-type model in the realized volatility with the feature of considering different volatility components realized over different time horizons and thus termed Heterogeneous Autoregressive model of Realized Volatility (HAR-RV). In spite of the simplicity of its structure and the absence of true long-memory properties, simulation results show that the HAR-RV model successfully achieves the purpose of reproducing the main empirical features of financial returns (long memory, fat tails, and self-similarity) in a very tractable and parsimonious way. Moreover, empirical results show remarkably good forecasting performance. Copyright The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oupjournals.org, Oxford University Press.
Term Structure of Interest Rates with Regime Shifts

We develop a term structure model where the short interest rate and the market price of risks are subject to discrete regime shifts. Empirical evidence from efficient method of moments estimation provides considerable support for the regime shifts model. Standard models, which include affine specifications with up to three factors, are sharply rejected in the data. Our diagnostics show that only the regime shifts model can account for the well-documented violations of the expectations hypothesis, the observed conditional volatility, and the conditional correlation across yields. We find that regimes are intimately related to business cycles.
SOCIAL COMMERCE FOR INNOVATION

Interconnectivity and social relationships of customers on social platforms offered by Web 2.0 technologies drive value for business. Customers are using social technologies to share their information and gain access to others' information and advice, which helps them to know better the products and services or support businesses in innovation process. This research proposes a social commerce adoption model based on the relationships of customers on the internet and social platforms to investigate customer behaviour in New Product Development. The study gathers survey data and applies structural equation modelling to analyze the data. The result shows forums and communities and perceived usefulness (PU) positively affect users' trust, leading to more intention to buy among consumers. The discussions, implications, and conclusion are discussed at the end of the paper.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Prevalence, Risk Factors, Evaluation, and Management

Background:Management of vitamin B12 (cobalamin, Cbl) deficiency in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is often not evidenced-based because of uncertainty on whether it causes enough malabsorption to result in clinical disease. This systematic review examines whether IBD predisposes to Cbl deficiency. We provide an approach to the management of abnormal Cbl values in IBD based on current literature and consensus-based guidelines. Methods:An extensive search of the Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE databases by independent reviewers identified 42 articles with a total of 3732 patients evaluating Cbl deficiency in IBD. Results:Crohn's disease without ileal resection, regardless of disease location in the ileum, did not increase the risk for Cbl deficiency. Ileal resections greater than 30 cm were associated with Cbl deficiency in Crohn's disease, whereas those less than 20 cm were not. The effects of 20 to 30 cm resections were inconsistent. Ulcerative colitis did not predispose to deficiency. All studies failed to use confirmatory biomarker testing as stipulated by diagnostic guidelines for Cbl deficiency. Conclusions:This literature does not support an association of Crohn's disease in general, regardless of ileal involvement, with Cbl deficiency. Only ileal resections greater than 20 cm in Crohn's disease predispose to deficiency and warrant treatment. Based on these findings, we suggest a diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm. All findings and recommendations require verification in further studies using confirmatory biomarkers as per diagnostic guidelines for Cbl deficiency. Serum Cbl levels alone are likely insufficient to diagnose deficiency in asymptomatic patients.
GROWING THE SEAFOOD SECTOR: TECHNICAL CHANGE AND INNOVATION *

The scope for fishing firms operating in an output controlled fishery, with tradable rights, and facing world prices, to augment profit is limited inter alia to a search for alternative input configurations that lower harvesting costs. This paper provides evidence of technical change in the New Zealand rock lobster fishery. Industry response to a declining allowable harvest is seen in the percentage of harvesting rights exercised increasing over the 1992-2000 period. Over this period the total lobster fleet has steadily declined. Average output per firm, output per labour unit, and the capital-labour ratio have all increased. Econometric analysis finds the rate of technical change to have steadily increased over the period. The contribution of improving vulnerable biomass to lower harvesting costs is controlled for. Another innovation is seen in the seasonal shift of fishing effort, timed to coincide with better market prices. Clearly new technologies will continue to offer scope for lowering harvesting costs. Given the harvest constraints facing this industry economic growth in the future will also depend on innovations occurring through organizational design and contracting at various points along the chain of supply to market. Welldefined harvesting rights provide not only a degree of certainty over access to fish stocks they also provide a platform for contracting product supply that matches demand. Historically, seafood companies with an export focus have shown a preference for research and innovation aimed at increasing production and quality of production, rather than developing new product opportunities.
The Annual American Men's Internet Survey of Behaviors of Men Who have Sex with Men in the United States: 2014 Key Indicators Report

The American Men’s Internet Survey (AMIS) is an annual Web-based behavioral survey of men who have sex with men (MSM) who live in the United States. The purpose of this Rapid Surveillance Report is to report on the second cycle of data collection (November 2014 through April 2015; AMIS-2014) on the same key indicators previously reported for AMIS (December 2013 through May 2014; AMIS-2013). The AMIS survey methodology has not substantively changed since AMIS-2013. MSM were recruited from a variety of websites using banner advertisements or email blasts. Adult men currently residing in the United States were eligible to participate if they had ever had sex with a man. We examined demographic and recruitment characteristics using multivariable regression modeling (P<.05) stratified by the participants' self-reported human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status. The AMIS-2014 round of data collection resulted in 9248 completed surveys from MSM representing every US state. Participants were mainly white, 40 years or older, living in the US South, living in urban/suburban areas, and recruited from a general social networking website. Self-reported HIV prevalence was 11.34% (1049/9248). Compared with HIV-negative/unknown status participants, HIV-positive participants were more likely to have had anal sex without a condom with any male partner in the past 12 months (76.55% vs 67.17%; P<.001) and more likely to have had anal sex without a condom with their last male sex partner who was discordant/unknown HIV status (39.66% vs 18.77%; P<.001). Marijuana and other illicit substance use in the past 12 months was more likely to be reported by HIV-positive participants than HIV-negative/unknown status participants (26.02% vs 21.27%, and 27.26% vs 17.60%, respectively; both P<.001). The vast majority (86.90%, 7127/8199) of HIV-negative/unknown status participants had been previously HIV tested, and 58.23% (4799/8199) had been tested in the past 12 months. Sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and diagnosis was also more likely to be reported by HIV-positive participants than HIV-negative/unknown status participants (71.02% vs 37.34%, and 20.59% vs 7.54%, respectively; both P<.001). HIV-negative/unknown status participants <40 years of age were more likely than those 40 years or older to have had anal sex without a condom, were more likely to report substance use, were less likely to have been HIV tested, but were more likely to been tested for and diagnosed with an STI. Compared with those from general social networking, HIV-negative/unknown status participants from a geospatial social networking website were more likely to have reported all risk behaviors but were more likely to have been HIV tested, STI tested, and diagnosed with an STI.
Improved inversion channel mobility for 4H-SiC MOSFETs following high temperature anneals in nitric oxide

Results presented in this letter demonstrate that the effective channel mobility of lateral, inversion-mode 4H-SiC MOSFETs is increased significantly after passivation of SiC/SiO/sub 2/ interface states near the conduction band edge by high temperature anneals in nitric oxide. Hi-lo capacitance-voltage (C-V) and ac conductance measurements indicate that, at 0.1 eV below the conduction band edge, the interface trap density decreases from approximately 2/spl times/10/sup 13/ to 2/spl times/10/sup 12/ eV/sup -1/ cm/sup -2/ following anneals in nitric oxide at 1175/spl deg/C for 2 h. The effective channel mobility for MOSFETs fabricated with either wet or dry oxides increases by an order of magnitude to approximately 30-35 cm/sup 2//V-s following the passivation anneals.
The effect of atmosphere on customer perceptions and customer behavior responses in chain store supermarkets

This study aims at exploring the theme of creating and managing store atmosphere of chain store supermarket from customer’s point of view. The findings from the study indicate: (1) The customer-perceived factors of store atmosphere of supermarket include 6 factors in 3 categories, that is, design factors, ambient factors (including intangible factors and visual stimulus) and social factors (including image of service personnel, image of other customers and environmental crowding); (2) Store atmospheric factors have significant positive correlation with customer approach behaviors, design factors being the most significant impact among all factors. Store atmospheric factors will influence not only customer emotions but also customer cognitive valuations of commodities and services. Customer cognitive valuations and emotional responses will affect customer approach behaviors significantly; meanwhile, customers’ cognitions and emotional responses will moderator the impact of store atmosphere on customer behaviors partially; (3) Customers with various characteristics (including different shopping planning, time urgency, environmental familiarity etc.) have significant differences in customer perceptions and behaviors in general. Finally, this study proposes specific suggestions and measures of how to create a pleasant store atmosphere in chain store supermarket according to results of empirical analyses. Key words: Chain store supermarket, store atmosphere, customer perception, approach-avoidance behaviors.
Sex hormone replacement therapy reverses decreased venous distensibility in pharmacologically ovariectomized rats

ObjectiveTo test the effect of female sex hormone depletion and replacement on the distensibility and geometry of the saphenous vein in female rats. DesignTwenty Sprague-Dawley rats were pharmacologically ovariectomized by triptorelin. Ten of these animals received combined hormone replacement with estradiol and medroxyprogesterone acetate. The rest were given vehicle. Ten animals kept parallel without pharmacological ovariectomy served as controls. After 3 months of treatment, a segment of the saphenous vein was dissected. Pressure-diameter curves were recorded in relaxed, contracted, and control states using a microangiograph. ResultsPharmacological ovariectomy lowered venous wall distensibility measured in contraction (at P=8 mm Hg: 4.41 ± 1.21*10−3 m2/N vs. control: 0.79 ± 0.14*10−3 m2/N;p < 0.05). Hormone replacement partially restored this value (1.8 ± 0.49*10−3 m2/N). No alterations in distensibility were found in the relaxed state.After adjusting for body weight, we found that pharmacological ovariectomy lowered venous inner radius significantly compared with control (p < 0.05), whereas hormone replacement increased it compared with pharmacological ovariectomy (p < 0.05) and more significantly compared with control (p < 0.01). ConclusionSex hormone depletion induces significant alterations in venous distensibility, presumably by inducing initial remodeling of the venous wall. Hormone dependency of distensibility differed in relaxed and contracted states of the vein, so some alterations of contractile elements of the wall may be hypothesized. Lower distensibility of the venous wall found after pharmacological ovariectomy could be part of the mechanism of predisposition for postmenopausal hypertension. This can be reversed by female sex hormone replacement.
INTERNATIONAL MACROECONOMIC FLUCTUATIONS

This paper investigates the international dimension of economic fluctuations and transmission of structural shocks by estimating a structural VAR model for the United States, the euro area, and Japan—the three largest economies—over the post-Bretton Woods period. The main findings are as follows: (1) Supply-side shocks (technology and supply-level shocks) explain most of the fluctuations in cross-country output deviations. (2) Real-demand shocks are the most important source of real-exchange-rate fluctuations. (3) Current account is usually influenced by all types of shocks, with technology shocks playing a stronger role. In particular, technology shocks play a prominent role in the existing global imbalance (the large external deficit of the United States). (4) Technology and supply-level shocks generate opposite-signed correlations between output differential and current account, whereas real and nominal-demand shocks generate opposite-signed correlations between real exchange rate and current account.
LEVEL OF RELIGIOSITY AMONG ADOLESCENTS: A STUDY ON GUJJARS OF JAMMU DISTRICT

Article History: Received 14, May, 2014 Received in revised form 25, May, 2014 Accepted 13, June, 2014 Published online 28, June, 2014 Adolescence is a very important phase in the development process as it is during this phase that the adolescent is virtually launched into the outside world. Adolescents have to manage biological, psychological and social role changes all at the same time. In late adolescence the roles of adulthood must be addressed every area of life. Adolescence is often seen as the physical transition from child to adult. The influence of the physical development and especially hormonal changes can lead to moodiness, bouts of depression and lower or more uneven energy levels. Adolescents also begin to experience strong emotions and rapid mood swings. It is a period in which immense development occurs and many developmental tasks have to be completed to ensure a positive sense of general well being. Religiosity plays a very important role in the lives of adolescents. The present study was conducted with an aim to study the level of religiosity among Gujjar adolescents. The sample comprised of 600 Gujjar adolescent girls of Jammu district. Multistage sampling technique was used for data collection. The tools used for the present study were Religiosity scale and self devised interview schedule. Data was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The results of the present study revealed that majority of the sample had higher scores on the religiosity. Results revealed that males have higher scores on religiosity than female adolescents and their exist a highly significant difference between male and female adolescents. There was no association between religiosity levels of adolescents with regard to their age. Negative but highly significant differences were found between education and religiosity and thus indicated that high religiosity is associated with low education attainment.