Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preliminary brown bear survey in southeastern Albania

Abstract The political isolation during the communist regime and the economic crisis that followed its downfall adversely affected the conservation of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Albania. In 2008–2009 we conducted questionnaires and field surveys in southeastern Albania to determine the presence of bears and evaluate bear–human interactions, and on-site inspections to record the status of bears held in captivity. We recorded bears mainly in the eastern and southeastern part of the study area and documented wide-scale bear–human conflicts, which often resulted in the killing and a generally negative public perception of bears. We documented 25 bears in captivity, often under marginal welfare conditions and noted wild-born cubs that were maintained in captivity to meet the demand for captive bears. We recommend additional studies to better evaluate brown bear status; nation-wide education on species conservation needs and how to mitigate negative interactions; and efforts to improve welfare of bears in captivity.
Why are some Communities able to Preserve their Natural Resources while some Others Fail to Achieve it

This paper presents an analytical framework to understand why some communities successfully manage their renewable natural resources and some fail to do it. We develop a two-players, two-period non-cooperative game where a community can impose some exogenous amount of sanctions. We first show that rules preventing dynamic inefficiencies may exist even though static inefficiencies still remain. Second, apparently valuable resources can yield outcomes where players get a lower ex-post utility level than what they would have got in a game with ex-ante lower value resources. Third, inequalities reduce static inefficiencies but increase dynamic inefficiencies.
Performance Persistence in Sweden-based Equity Mutual Funds

The aim of this thesis is to investigate if there is evidence of performance persistence in Sweden-based equity mutual funds. The study is performed on raw-and risk-adjusted returns data from a unique survivorship-bias-free sample of funds. We test for one-year persistence in the years 1993-2006 using both parametric and non-parametric tests. Significant persistence is found among funds investing in Sweden, Europe, Eastern Europe and globally. The strongest evidence is found in the latter half of the period.
Gender assignment strategies used by L1 and L2 speakers of Spanish

Abstract This article compares gender assignment on known nouns by intermediate (n=15) and advanced (n=15) second language (L2) learners of Spanish (L1 English) and native Spanish speakers (n=15). Participants completed a written vocabulary task, which asked the meaning and gender of 63 nouns. Gender assignment scores revealed that only intermediate and native speaker groups scored significantly differently on known nouns, as shown by the vocabulary task. Results indicated that intermediate learners assigned the incorrect gender to known nouns significantly more than native speakers. Both L2 learner groups made errors on high frequency known nouns, whereas the few native speaker errors were on low frequency known nouns. Along with think-aloud data which showed the effectiveness of strategies that directly link the noun with its article, these results indicate that nouns need to be taught as units rather than bare nouns, using distributional co-occurrence relations.
Language and economic organization

In this chapter, two broad perspectives on organization and language are reconstructed. The first perspective focuses on language in organizations: how language is used in organizational settings. This includes economic modeling and experimental work, inspired by both Arrow’s influential notion of ‘organizational code’, but also more qualitative field work on language games organizations play. The second perspective focuses on organizations as language. Moving form Searle’s view that institutions are at the heart a fact of language, two main issues are explored: the combinatorial (generative) nature of organizational processes and forms, and recursion as a fundamental organizing principle. Despite its apparent fragmentation, the study of organization and language appears mature for integrative efforts that may help to reconsider how language shape organizational life.
Corruption Perceptions Index 2017 Statistical Assessment

The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International measures perceptions of corruption in the public sector in different countries around the world. Upon invitation of the CPI team, the JRC assessed the new methodology in the CPI 2012 and analyzed the consequences that come with this change. The statistical assessment of the Index was done along three main avenues: an evaluation of conceptual/statistical coherence of the index structure, an interpretation of the rankings based on significance tests, and an evaluation of the impact of key modelling assumptions (imputation and normalisation) on countries’ scores and ranks. The CPI 2012 passes all the statistical filters of the quality control. The main recommendation for the CPI team is to adjust the formula for the standard errors for the small population size (errors that are currently overestimated) and for policy makers to consider the statistical significance (by means of effect size for example) when comparing the CPI scores. The results make clear that even when differences in the CPI country scores are statistically significant they should be carefully interpreted.
Real-time quantification of microbial degradation of copepod fecal pellets monitored by isothermal microcalorimetry

This study introduces isothermal microcalorimetry as a method to describe microbial degradation of copepod fecal pellets through measurements of the metabolic heat-flow produced by the degrading microbial community. We monitored the heat-flow for 20 to 24 h from samples of 300 to 1500 fecal pellets from a laboratory-cultivated calanoid copepod, Acartia tonsa Dana, fed on the chryptophyte Rhodomonas salina in excess. The microbes grew at 0.095 to 0.24 h -1 . Specific degradation rates were calculated using 3 different literature values of the carbon:volume ratio of fecal pellets. The mean ± SD specific degradation rates, Rd, were estimated at 0.023 ± 0.015 h -1 (for carbon:volume ratio of 0.39 pg C μm -3 ) and at 0.047 ± 0.038 h -1 (for carbon:volume ratio of 0.25 pg C μm -3 ), defined as the proportion of fecal pellet carbon completely oxidised to CO2 h -1 . The lowest car- bon:volume ratio (0.085 pg C μm -3 ) resulted in >100% fecal pellet carbon degradation within 20 h. These degradation rates are very high, presumably reflecting a fully active bacterial population. The limiting factor for microbial growth was not inorganic nutrients (N and P), but labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC). We compared heat-flow in situations with and without oxygen, and found it to be 1 order of magnitude lower under anoxic conditions. This indicates the presence of anaerobic or facultative bacteria associated with the fecal pellets. Possible applications of the methodology are discussed.
Quadratic head loss approximations for optimisation problems in water supply networks

This paper presents a novel analysis of the accuracy of quadratic approximations for the Hazen–Williams (HW) head loss formula, which enables the control of constraint violations in optimisation problems for water supply networks. The two smooth polynomial approximations considered here minimise the absolute and relative errors, respectively, from the original non-smooth HW head loss function over a range of flows. Since quadratic approximations are used to formulate head loss constraints for different optimisation problems, we are interested in quantifying and controlling their absolute errors, which affect the degree of constraint violations of feasible candidate solutions. We derive new exact analytical formulae for the absolute errors as a function of the approximation domain, pipe roughness and relative error tolerance. We investigate the efficacy of the proposed quadratic approximations in mathematical optimisation problems for advanced pressure control in an operational water supply network. We propose a strategy on how to choose the approximation domain for each pipe such that the optimisation results are sufficiently close to the exact hydraulically feasible solution space. By using simulations with multiple parameters, the approximation errors are shown to be consistent with our analytical predictions.
EVALUATION OF CLASSIFIERS PERFORMANCE USING THE MYO ARMBAND

To provide amputees with intuitive prosthetic control systems, surface electromyography (EMG) has shown promising results in several studies. Myo armband (MYB) is a wireless, ready-to-use technology developed by Thalmic Labs, able to record eight EMG channels with limited frequency bandwidth (<100 Hz). The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of five classifiers in order to assess the suitability of the MYB to provide reliable accuracy in comparison to the conventional EMG systems (CONV). Eight able-bodied subjects performed nine hand gestures in a crossover acquisition design. Six time-domain features were extracted from the data to evaluate the offline classification error of five classifiers: Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Naive Bayes (NB) and Neural Networks (NN). Friedman’s test showed no significant difference between CONV and MYB with six channels (P=0.10) with mean classification error of LDA (5.82 ± 3.63% vs. 9.86 ± 8.05%), SVM (9.70 ± 6.02% vs. 11.01 ± 8.79%), KNN (8.30 ± 6.00% vs. 11.12 ± 8.94%), NB (12.48 ± 8.51% vs. 13.77 ± 9.76%) and NN (1.77 ±1.28% vs. 4.64 ± 4.25%) for CONV and MYB, respectively. Although lower classification error was obtained, no significant improvement was found between MYB using eight and six channels (P=0.16).
It Ain’t Over When It’s Over: The Adoption and Sustainability of Minority Protection Rules in New EU Member States

This paper conducts a multi-value Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) of the formal adoption and sustainability of minority protection rules in four new EU member states (Poland, Romania, Estonia, Latvia) over a twelve-year period including pre- and post-accession phases (1997-2008) and five minority protection related issue areas (non-discrimination, language use, education, citizenship, integration of Roma) based on four conditions (external incentives, government position, veto players, size of minorities), in order to investigate under which external and domestic conditions minority protection and non-discrimination measures are adopted, maintained or revoked in new member states before and after accession to the EU.
Why are Nominal Wages Downwardly Rigid, but Less So in Japan?: An Explanation based on Behavioral Economics and Labor Market/Macroeconomic Differences

In this paper, we survey the theoretical and empirical literature to investigate why nominal wages can be downwardly rigid. Looking back from the 19th century until recently, we first examine the existence and extent of downward nominal wage rigidity (DNWR) for several countries. We find that (1) nominal wages were flexible in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, but (2) nominal wages were downwardly rigid in almost all the industrialized countries in the second half of the 20th century, although (3) the extent of DNWR varied from country to country. Next, we use a behavioral economics framework to explain the reasons for DNWR. We also explain why the existence and extent of DNWR varied between time periods and/or from country to country, focusing on differences in the labor market characteristics (such as labor mobility and employment protection legislation) and in the macroeconomic environment (such as economic growth and inflation), which can alter employees f and firms f perceptions toward nominal wage cuts.
Economic Crisis And Regional Development In Greece

This paper sets out to examine the determinants of regional development in Greece before and during the economic crisis. By proposing an econo-metric model with spatial effects for the years 2005-2008 and 2009-2011, which represent the sub-periods of growth and decline of the Greek economy respectively, we make it possible to capture the different factors that affect the regional economic development of the NUTS III regions in the country. Results highlight that the most urbanized and high income level regions are more affected by the economic crisis. However, these regions had been the ones that most benefited during the upturn of the economic activity. The same applies to the regions that are based on agriculture, which had benefited during the period of economic development but cannot sustain the gains of development during the recession. Specialization in manufacturing is an important determinant of regional development, either in times of growth or in times of crisis, while tourism generates benefits to the neighbouring regions in times of economic crisis. These results are also tested for geographical subsets of the country such as the North-South divide and regions belonging to the development axis of the country (PATHE) versus the rest regions of the country.
Measuring Factors that Influence Decisions to Become a Veterinarian

Introduction: Veterinary medical education; Psychometrics; Career influence; The purpose of the present study was twofold. First, we sought to evaluate the psychometric properties of a newly developed instrument designed to measure factors incoming veterinary medical students indicated were important (or not) in their decision to become a veterinarian. Second, we sought to produce a measure of these factors by utilizing a state-of-the-art psychometric modeling technique to produce an empirical hierarchy that illustrates the construct of interest and make appropriate inferences about the findings. Methods: The Career Influence Factors Survey (CIFS) was administered to an incoming class of veterinary medical students. Data were analyzed via the Rasch Rating Scale Model. The psychometric properties of the instrument were evaluated according to Messick’s framework of construct validity. Results: Results indicate the Career Influence Factors Survey is a psychometrically-sound instrument capable of accurately and reliably measuring veterinary medical students’ motivations for becoming a veterinarian. Substantive results indicated issues pertaining to animal welfare were the most important in making the decision to become a veterinarian. Previous exposure to a particular animal or family pet was only moderately influential in students’ decision to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Factors such as a desire to work on food production issues and anticipated earning potential tend to be of lesser importance to incoming students. Conclusion: We encourage others to utilize the instrument and/or adopt the methodology to evaluate the psychometric properties of other instruments. Substantive findings generally corroborated findings from previous studies, but may identify new insights for improving the recruitment of veterinary medical students.
New Insights into Plant Amino Acid Transport and its Contribution to Nitrogen Nutrition

Nitrogen (N) is a crucial element for plant growth and development, as it is a key constituent of numerous plant metabolites and structural components. However, most plant N is in the form of amino acids, which are building blocks of proteins, precursors of many secondary metabolites and the “currency” of N within plants (i.e. the form in which N is transported and transferred). Recent studies have shown that amino acids are prevalent in soils and may also serve as N sources for plants. This thesis (and four appended papers) focuses on these aspects of amino acids, particularly the molecular mechanisms of amino acid transport in plants and their potential contribution to plants N nutrition. In Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) at least 67 genes are annotated as putative amino acid transporters. In this thesis, results are presented suggesting that two amino acid transporters, LHT1 and AAP5, in Arabidopsis play important roles in amino acid uptake from soil at field-relevant concentrations (Paper I). This conclusion is based on the uptake characteristics of mutant plants (lht1, aap5 and lht1xaap5), displaying very little residual root uptake of amino acids. Furthermore, these two transporters have complementary affinity spectra: LHT1 for acidic and neutral amino acids; and AAP5 for basic amino acids. To probe the disputed contribution of organic N to plant N nutrition, mutants with both suppressed and enhanced expression of LHT1 were grown in agricultural soil. The results indicate that plants can take up significant amounts of amino N, despite microbial competition, suggesting that uptake of amino acids contributes to plant N nutrition (Paper II). Moreover it was shown that disrupted N cycling in leaf mesophyll cell affects leaves of different developmental status differently with respect to N and C status. Thus amino acid transport is critical for the maintenance of C and N status and leaf metabolism and LHT1 plays a key role in the process (Paper III). To broaden the studies from herbaceous plants to trees, a Populus orthologue of LHT1 (PtrLHT1.2) was identified. The PtrLHT1.2 gene from Populus tremula L. x tremuloides Michx. was cloned and expressed in a LHT1 uptake mutant of Arabidopsis. Results of its heterologous expression in Arabidopsis suggest that PtrLHT1.2 is a functional orthologue of AtLHT1 (Paper IV), indicating that PtrLHT1.2 could be involved in root amino acid uptake in Poplar tree.
TEST ANXIETY AND ITS RELATED CONCEPTS: A BRIEF REVIEW

Test anxiety has a significant role in one’s educational, professional and emotional life. Therefore, it is not surprising that the testing environment generates anxiety for a number of individuals. The issues provided in this article, present a detailed review of the current literature related to testing, including the conceptualization and components of test anxiety, the prevalence and negative consequences of test anxiety, possible sources of perception, gender differences in test anxiety, and treatment for test anxiety. Applying these contents as a whole with consideration of current views about test anxiety will broaden our knowledge in the field of test anxiety.
Ballistic hole magnetic microscopy

A technique to study nanoscale spin transport of holes is presented: ballistic hole magnetic microscopy. The tip of a scanning tunneling microscope is used to inject hot electrons into a ferromagnetic heterostructure, where inelastic decay creates a distribution of electron-hole pairs. Spin-dependent transmission of the excited hot holes into an underlying p-type semiconductor collector induces a hole current in the valence band of the semiconductor, with magnetocurrent values up to 180%. The spin-filtering of holes is used to obtain local hysteresis loops and magnetic imaging with spatial resolution better than 30 nm.
Research Report 58 Summary DNA retention policy: results of analysis relating to the protections of 'the Scottish model'

eff ects on individual privacy would be expected to point towards a shorter, rather than longer, retention period, especially where statistical error gave a range of possible retention periods to be considered. Due to a lack of suitable information, it was not possible to consider these factors formally as part of the analysis. The methodological approach was based on the estimation of ‘hazard rate curves’, which describe how the risk of different CJS disposals varies over time following some initial CJS event. These hazard curves were estimated on the basis of data obtained from the Police National Computer. The risk estimates described by the hazard curves were then compared with an estimate of the relevant risk in some comparable general population. Figure S1 presents the results of the analysis undertaken for the scenario where DNA profiles are retained when an individual has been charged with but not found guilty of
AUTOMATED PAVEMENT SUBSURFACE PROFILING USING RADAR: CASE STUDIES OF FOUR EXPERIMENTAL FIELD SITES

Accurate knowledge of pavement layer thicknesses and material properties is important to pavement management. Often this information is unknown or records are inaccurate, inaccessible, or out of date. The traditional method for obtaining pavement layer data is core sampling, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and intrusive to traffic; it also provides information only at the core location. The capability of ground-penetrating radar to provide accurate and continuous pavement layer thickness and property information has been investigated. Four Texas Strategic Highway Research Program asphalt pavement test sites were tested with radar. The accuracy of the radar predictions for asphalt thickness was within plus or minus 0.32 in. using the radar data alone, and within plus or minus 0.11 in. when one calibration core was used per site. The accuracy of the radar predictions for base thickness was within plus or minus 0.99 in. The nominal layer thickness ranged from 1 to 8 in. of asphalt and 6 to 10 in. of base. The actual asphalt layer thickness was shown to vary by more than 20% from values assumed from prior records and earlier cores. These variations have been shown to lead to errors of up to 95% in base moduli back-calculated from falling weight deflectometer data. The radar results were shown to be repeatable over time and independent of survey speed at up to 40 mph. The radar data were analyzed automatically using software that operated directly on the raw radar waveforms and produced numerical layer thickness profiles. The resulting predictions were correlated with direct in situ measurements and core and material samples. The results of this project have shown that ground-penetrating radar data, when properly analyzed, can provide highly accurate measuremnets of pavement layer properties for project- and network-level applications.
The incidence of obscuration in active galactic nuclei

We study the incidence of nuclear obscuration on a complete sample of 1310 AGN selected on the basis of their rest-frame 2‐10 keV X-ray flux from the XM M-COSMOS survey, in the redshift range 0.3 < z < 3.5. We classify the AGN as obscured or un-obscured on the basis of either the optical spectral properties and the over all SED or the shape of the X-ray spectrum. The two classifications agree in about 70% of the ob jects, and the remaining 30% can be further subdivided into two distinct classes: at low l uminosities X-ray un-obscured AGN do not always show signs of broad lines or blue/UV continuum emission in their optical spectra, most likely due to galaxy dilution effects; a t high luminosities broad line AGN may have absorbed X-ray spectra, which hints at an increased incidence of small-scale (subparsec) dust-free obscuration. We confirm that the fraction of obscured AGN is a decreasing function of the intrinsic X-ray luminosity, while the incid ence of absorption shows significant evolution only for the most luminous AGN, which appear to be more commonly obscured at higher redshift. We find no significant difference between th e mean stellar masses and star formation rates of obscured and un-obscured AGN hosts. We conclude that the physical state of the medium responsible for obscuration in AGN is complex, and mainly determined by the radiation environment (nuclear luminosity) in a small region enclosed within the gravitational sphere of influence of the central black hole, but is la rgely insensitive to the wider scale galactic conditions.