Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monitoring Matters: Debt Seniority, Market Discipline and Bank Conduct

We examine if debtholders monitor banks and if such monitoring constrains risk-taking. Leveraging an unexplored experiment in the U.S. that changes the priority structure of claims on banks’ assets, we provide novel insights into the debate on market discipline. We document asymmetric effects for monitoring effort depending on whether a creditor class moves up or down the priority ladder. Conferring priority to depositors reduces deposit rates but increases interest rates for non-deposit liabilities, suggesting greater incentives for junior debtholders to exert monitoring effort. Consistent with the idea that senior claims require lower risk premiums, banks increasingly rely on deposit funding following changes in the priority structure. More intensive monitoring also influences conduct: subordinating non-depositor claims reduces risk taking. Our results highlight that changes in the priority structure are a complementary tool to regulation which has received little attention in prior work.
The impact of retrieval suppression on conceptual implicit memory

ABSTRACT When people suppress retrieval of episodic memories, it can induce forgetting on later direct tests of memory for those events. Recent reports indicate that suppressing retrieval affects less conscious, unintentional retrieval of unwanted memories as well, at least on perceptually-oriented indirect tests. In the current study we examined how suppressing retrieval affects conceptual implicit memory for the suppressed content, using a category verification task. Participants studied cue-target words pairs in which the targets were exemplars of 22 semantic categories, such as vegetables or occupations. They then repeatedly retrieved or suppressed the targets in response to the cues for some of those pairs. Afterwards, they were exposed to the targets intermixed with novel items, one at a time, and asked to verify the membership of each of the words in a semantic category, as quickly as possible. Judgment response times to studied words were faster than to unstudied exemplars, reflecting repetition priming, as has been previously observed. Strikingly, the beneficial effects of prior exposure on response time were eliminated for targets that had been suppressed. Follow-up explicit memory tests also demonstrated that retrieval suppression continued to disrupt episodic recall for the items that had been just been re-exposed on the category verification test. These findings support the contention that the effects of retrieval suppression are not limited to episodic memory, but also affect indirect expressions of those memories on conceptually oriented tests, raising the possibility that underlying semantic representations of suppressed content are affected.
‘They love me, but they don’t understand me’: Family support and stigmatisation of mental health service users in Gujarat, India

Background: Family life is a near-universal condition and a fundamental human right. It can also have a significant impact on mental health, including recovery from mental health conditions. In India, families play a considerable role, representing a source of social, cultural, religious and, often, financial support. However, families can also play a stigmatising role. Aim: To examine the experiences of mental health service users (MHSUs) relating to stigma and support provided by family members and to consider ways in which family support can be improved. Method: This is a qualitative study. A total of 17 residential MHSUs at the Ahmedabad Hospital for Mental Health were interviewed. The results were evaluated using thematic content analysis. Results: The results revealed that all 17 MHSUs considered their families to be important sources of support, while 14 of the 17 MHSUs also experienced stigma emanating from their families. A total of 11 experienced lack of knowledge, 4 spoke of prejudicial attitudes and 5 mentioned discriminatory behaviours. There were important gender differences in experiences. MHSUs mentioned needs ranging from education and peer support for family members to financial support. Conclusions: Families act both as sources of support and stigmatisation. Education needs are considerable, while the need for peer support for families and resources to aid families in supporting people with mental health conditions are also important considerations.
Training Disadvantaged Youth in Latin America: Evidence from a Randomized Trial

Youth unemployment in Latin America is exceptionally high, as much as 50% among the poor. Vocational training may be the best chance to help unemployed young people at the bottom of the income distribution. This paper evaluates the impact of a randomized training program for disadvantaged youth introduced in Colombia in 2005 on the employment and earnings of trainees. This is one of a couple of randomized training trials conducted in developing countries and, thus, offers a unique opportunity to examine the causal impact of training in a developing country context. We use originally collected data on individuals randomly offered and not offered training. We find that the program raises earnings and employment for both men and women, with larger effects on women. Women offered training earn about 18% more than those not offered training, while men offered training earn about 8% more than men not offered training. Much of the earnings increases for both men and women are related to increased employment in formal sector jobs following training. The benefits of training are greater when individuals spend more time doing on-the-job training, while hours of training in the classroom have no impact on the returns to training. Cost-benefit analysis of these results suggests that the program generates a large net gain, especially for women.
Anatomy and micromorphometry of Caryocar brasiliense leaves

The current study aims to study the anatomy and micromorphometry of C. brasiliense leaves in three Cerrado (savanna) vegetation-types: dense, typical and sparse) in the municipality of Porto Nacional-TO. Samples were collected, fixed and stored in alcohol 70%. Transverse, longitudinal and paradermal sections of the median leaflet were prepared for anatomical and micromorphometric studies using standard techniques. C. brasiliense leaflets show uniestratified epidermis covered by thick cuticle on the adaxial surface and by paracytic stomata and multicellular non-glandular trichomes on the abaxial surface. The mesophyll is formed by two or three layers of palisade parenchyma adaxially and spongy parenchyma abaxially. The vascular bundle is of the collateral type and the accessory bundles show a sheath extending into the epidermides. The micromorphometric analyses pointed to significant differences in the thickness of both adaxial epidermis and spongy parenchyma in all specimens from the three vegetation-types. The highest averages were found in the leaflets of sparse cerrado plants, suggesting that environmental factors may have an influence over the plants morphological responses.
University of Groningen Testosterone, Plumage Colouration and Extra-Pair Paternity in Male North-American Barn Swallows Eikenaar,

In most monogamous bird species, circulating testosterone concentration in males is elevated around the social female’s fertile period. Variation in elevated testosterone concentrations among males may have a considerable impact on fitness. For example, testosterone implants enhance behaviours important for social and extra-pair mate choice. However, little is known about the relationship between natural male testosterone concentration and sexual selection. To investigate this relationship we measured testosterone concentration and sexual signals (ventral plumage colour and tail length), and determined within and extra-pair fertilization success in male North American barn swallows (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster). Dark rusty coloured males had higher testosterone concentrations than drab males. Extra-pair paternity was common (42% and 31% of young in 2009 and 2010, respectively), but neither withinnor extra-pair fertilization success was related to male testosterone concentration. Dark rusty males were less often cuckolded, but did not have higher extra-pair or total fertilization success than drab males. Tail length did not affect withinor extra-pair fertilization success. Our findings suggest that, in North American barn swallows, male testosterone concentration does not play a significant direct role in female mate choice and sexual selection. Possibly plumage colour co-varies with a male behavioural trait, such as aggressiveness, that reduces the chance of cuckoldry. This could also explain why dark males have higher testosterone concentrations than drab males. Citation: Eikenaar C, Whitham M, Komdeur J, van der Velde M, Moore IT (2011) Testosterone, Plumage Colouration and Extra-Pair Paternity in Male NorthAmerican Barn Swallows. PLoS ONE 6(8): e23288. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0023288 Editor: Kevin McGraw, Arizona State University, United States of America Received May 13, 2011; Accepted July 12, 2011; Published August 10, 2011 Copyright: 2011 Eikenaar et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (http://www.nsf.gov/) awarded to Ignacio Moore (IOS 0545735), from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (http://www.nwo.nl/) awarded to Jan Komdeur (VICI 86503003), and from Stichting Nicolaas Mulerius Fonds and Dobberke Stichting (DOBB2008-03) both allocated to Cas Eikenaar. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: eikenaar@vt.edu
Dynamics of the Gender Gap in High Math Achievement

ABSTRACT We examine dynamics in the gender gap in high school mathematics achievement using competition data. A clear gender gap is present by ninth grade, and the gap widens over time. Gender-related differences in dropout rates and in the mean and variance of year-to-year improvement contribute to the widening of the gender gap. The most important difference is that fewer girls make large enough gains to improve their rankings. We also document a discouragement effect: among students falling just short of qualifying for a prestigious second-stage exam, some drop out of future years, and this reaction may be stronger among girls.
Evapotranspiration Estimation Using Micrometeorological Techniques

Accurate evapotranspiration, ET, data are crucial for irrigation management projects, especially in drought prone regions. Evapotranspiration rates can be estimated by micrometeorological methods and the energy balance equation, soil depletion techniques, mass exchange methods, or by using weighting lysimeters. These methods usually are expensive, difficult to operate, and some of them present problems for measurements in heterogeneous vegetation. Therefore, the search for accurate methods for estimating ET fluxes using low-cost, transportable and robust instrumentations is a subject of interest. The eddy covariance (EC) method is the commonly used micrometeorological technique providing direct measurements of latent heat flux (or evapotranspiration). It adopts a sonic anemometer to measure high-frequency vertical wind speed fluctuations about the mean and an infrared gas analyzer to measure high frequency water concentration fluctuations. These fluctuations are paired to determine the mean covariance of the wind speed and humidity fluctuations about the mean to directly estimate latent heat flux (LE). In the EC method, the sensible heat flux is also estimated using the covariance of the fluctuation in vertical wind speed and variations in temperature about their means. While the preferred method for measuring turbulent fluxes is the eddy covariance (EC) method, the lack of closure is unresolved and a full guidance on experimental set up and raw data processing is still unavailable. Other energy balance approaches, such as the Bowen ratio and aerodynamic methods, have a sound theoretical basis and can be highly accurate for some surfaces under acceptable conditions. Biometeorological measurements and theory identified large, organized eddies embedded in turbulent flow, called “coherent structures” as the entities which exchange water vapour, heat, and other scalars between the atmosphere and plant communities. Based on these studies, a new method for estimating scalar fluxes called “Surface Renewal (SR)” was proposed by Paw U and Brunet (1991). Surface Renewal (SR) theory in conjunction with the analysis of the observed ramp-like patterns in the scalar traces provides an advantageous method for estimating the surface flux density of a scalar. The method was tested with air temperature data recorded over various crop canopies. Results of the studies (Snyder et al., 1996; Spano et al., 1997; Consoli et al., 2006; Castellvi et al., 2008) have demonstrated good SR performance in terms of flux densities estimation, well correlated with EC measurements. The approach has the advantages to (i) require as input
Long–term straw retention drives carbon sequestration and crop productivity in dryland soils

Higher population densities in rural areas and climate change have necessitated technical change in crop production. Intensification without causing degradation is required to cope with changing population dynamics. A study was conducted to assess the influence of tillage systems on crop yield and soil carbon balance in a long-term spring wheat? field pea rotation in a rain–fed semiarid Loess Plateau environment. Experimental work included the following treatments: conventional tillage with straw removed (T), no till with straw removed (NT), no till with straw retention (NTS) and conventional tillage with straw incorporated (TS). Straw treated soils resulted in decreased soil temperature and increased soil moisture compared to soils with straw removed. No tillage with straw retained treatments produced the highest average grain yield of 1809 kg ha–1 on average than that of conventional tillage with straw removed (1280 kg ha–1) and no till with straw removed (1337 kg ha–1). No tillage with straw retained and conventional tillage with straw incorporated had positive soil C balance, but the effect was greater on no tillage plots. The lower C inputs under treatments witht straw removed translated into negative soil C balance. NTS farming practices demonstrated sustained increases in soil quality and crop productivity, whiles treatments with straw removed reduced carbon inputs in dryland cropping system.
Effects of leaf nitrogen content on oviposition site selection, offspring performance, and intraspecific interactions in an omnivorous bug

Abstract. 1. Oviposition site preference and its relation to offspring performance have received much attention in studies of herbivorous insects. Although this relationship is of great ecological significance, its presence in predacious and omnivorous insects has hardly been explored. When selecting an oviposition site, omnivores are expected to respond to both prey availability and, even more strongly, to plant traits that affect both females and their offspring.
Bone turnover markers in relation to vitamin D status and disease activity in adults with systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have altered bone metabolism and are at risk of osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to examine bone turnover markers in relation to vitamin D, disease activity, and clinical risk factors in patients with established SLE. Methods Clinical registry and biorepository data of 42 SLE patients were assessed. Serum samples were analyzed for osteocalcin as a marker of bone formation, C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX) as a marker for bone resorption, and 25-hydroxy vitamin D. Results Patients with a Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI) score of 3 or greater had a lower median osteocalcin level (P = 0.02) and lower 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels (P = 0.03) than those with a score of less than 3. No significant differences in bone turnover markers were observed between patients dichotomized into subgroups using a 25-hydroxy vitamin D cut-off of 30 ng/mL or by a daily prednisone dose greater than or 5 mg or less. Osteocalcin levels were negatively correlated with SLEDAI scores (P = 0.034), and were positively correlated with the CTX index (a ratio of measured CTX value to the upper limit of the normal value for age and gender) (P < 0.01). No association between the CTX index and SLEDAI scores was found. Conclusion SLE disease activity may have direct effects on bone formation, but no effects on bone resorption in this cohort of established SLE patients, probably related to the inflammation-suppressing effects of glucocorticoids, thereby inhibiting cytokine-induced osteoclast activity. A fine balance exists between disease control and the use of glucocorticoids with regard to bone health.
Time of mating as a factor influencing prolificacy in crossbred ewes, and its effect upon lamb and wool production in the fat lamb flock.

T paper compares the productivity of three flocks of cross-bred ewes mated to fat lamb sires at three different periods of the breeding season, and shows that delaying mating until the third month of the breeding season has increased the lamb drop by nearly 50 per cent. The average per cent. lamb drop for each group over 4 matings was 113, 136 and 165 per cent. for the early, mid-season and late-mated groups respectively. Later mating has produced fewer dry ewes and heavier birth weights in lambs. All these differences are significant statistically.
Nobody Likes a Rat: On the Willingness and Consequences of Reporting Lies

We investigate the intrinsic motivation of individuals to report, and thereby sanction, fellow group members who lie for personal gain. We further explore the changes in lying and reporting behavior that result from giving individuals a say in who joins their group. We find that enough individuals are willing to report lies such that in fixed groups lying is unprofitable. However, we also find that when groups can select their members, individuals who report lies are generally shunned, even by groups where lying is absent. This facilitates the formation of dishonest groups where lying is prevalent and reporting is nonexistent.
Determinants of range of motion in cruciate retaining total knee arthroplasty: a prospective study

Background: Total knee replacement (TKR) is to provide a stable painless knee with adequate range of motion (ROM) for daily activities. The aim of the study is to evaluate various factors that influence ROM in cruciate retaining TKR postoperatively. Methods: Fourty four patients with osteoarthritis knee treated in our institute with TKR using cruciate retaining prosthesis are included in study and analysed prospectively. Mean follow up was 6 months. Patients are analyzed for following factors–age, gender, BMI, preoperative ROM, changes in posterior femoral condylar offset, posterior tibial slope after surgery. Statistical analysis of effect of all factors on knee ROM was done. Assessment was done preoperatively and 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Results: Gender did not affect the final ROM. Mean age of patients is 65. Age has negative correlation with ROM (p=-0.45). The mean knee range improved from 92˚ to 101˚. Factors that negatively affect ROM include, BMI (p=-0.04) and Preoperative flexion deformity (p=-0.03). Factors that positively affect ROM include, knee scores and good preoperative flexion (p=0.001). Males have good amount of flexion preoperatively and post operatively when compared to females. Conclusions: Preoperative ROM, flexion contracture and BMI are the important factors affecting the range of motion in total knee arthroplasty. Proper counselling of patient preoperatively regarding these various factors and appropriate selection of patient is of utmost important for satisfactory functional outcome.
Antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from healthy animals during 2010-2012

The purpose of present study was to investigate the antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from healthy animals in all provinces of the Republic of Korea. A total of 2,085 E. coli strains isolated from 11,336 fecal samples of healthy animals during 2010-2012 were examined for antimicrobial resistance. Comparison of average resistance rate through the years revealed that tetracycline (47.0% and 76.1%) and streptomycin resistance (42.6% and 64.6%) was most frequently observed in cattle and pigs, respectively. Whereas, in chicken isolates, resistance against nalidixic acid (90.9%) was highest among the antimicrobials tested. Percentage of E. coli that showed multidrug resistance (resistance against ≥ three subclasses of antimicrobial agents) was 17.6% (151/860) in cattle, 69.4% (506/ 729) in pigs, and 86.1% (427/496) in chickens. Overall, the rates of resistance are apparently different between animal species and, in particular, resistance was less prevalent in cattle than in pigs and chickens. In conclusion, this study showed higher prevalence of resistance in commensal E. coli strains to antimicrobial agents in Korean livestock and highlighted the urgent need for measures to regulate the abuse of antimicrobial agents.
High-rate retention treatment basins for CSO control in Windsor, Ontario

Experimental investigations were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a retention treatment basin (RTB) with polymer coagulation for the treatment of combined sewer overflows (CSO) at high hydraulic loading rates. The TSS removal efficiency of the pilot-scale RTB at a surface overflow rate (SOR) of 11 m/h was approximately 35% without chemical addition, and 80% with a polymer dosage range of 5 to 10 milligrams per gram of influent TSS. The results demonstrated that the use of polymer coagulation significantly improved TSS removal and allowed the SOR in the RTB to be significantly increased, resulting in smaller treatment units. An empirical relationship was established to estimate removal efficiencies as a function of overflow rate. The results also compared settling characteristics of CSO, obtained from long column tests, to removal efficiencies in the high-rate RTB.
Behaviour of over reinforced HSC helically confined beams

The technology of high strength concrete and high strength steel have improved over the last decade although high strength concrete is still more brittle than normal strength concrete. As this brittleness increases, particularly with the use of over-reinforced sections, they may, suddenly fail without any warning. The research reported in this thesis deals with the installation of helical confinement in the compression zone of over-reinforced high strength concrete beams. This study is divided into three parts as follows:
Optical fibre temperature and humidity sensor

An optical fibre sensor system for humidity and temperature, comprising two Bragg gratings recorded in silica and polymer fibre, has been characterised. The response of this system is very well conditioned (2-norm condition number = 8.8) and consequently uncertainties in wavelength measurement do not lead to large errors in the recovered humidity and temperature.