Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monitoring of Landscape Transformations within Landscape Parks in Poland in the 21st Century

One of the most problematic forms of nature protection in Poland relates to landscape parks. They include the most valuable landscapes, but the areas within the landscape park still have economic uses. Therefore, the monitoring of landscape changes within landscape parks is necessary in order to properly manage these forms of protection. The main objective of the study was to monitor the scale and nature of landscape transformations within the boundaries of landscape parks in Poland during the period 2000–2018 and to assess the possibility of using the landscape change index (LCI) to monitor the intensity of landscape transformations within this type of protected area. Preliminary analyses of the transformations within all landscape parks in Poland showed an upward trend, both in terms of the number of types of identified landscape changes as well as their area. In spite of the large diversity and degree of transformation in landscape parks, several dominant processes can be observed. The largest number and area of changes during each of the analyzed periods were found in transformations within forest landscapes (temporary and permanent deforestation and forest maturation), which constitute the dominant type of land cover within most of the landscape parks. In open landscapes, changes mainly relate to afforestation and natural succession in meadows, pastures, and arable land, as well as the transformation of arable land into mining areas. Twelve case studies, covering all landscape parks in Lower Silesia, have shown that the LCI is an excellent tool for monitoring the intensity of landscape changes, but it is dependent on the accuracy of the source data. The analyses confirmed that, during the study periods, the changes in all 12 Lower Silesian landscape parks were at a low level, but their particular intensification took place in the years from 2012 to 2018. The highest LCI was found in the area where a natural disaster had occurred (air tornado), which destroyed huge areas of forest in landscape parks. After changes in the forest landscape, the most frequently identified type of change in 2006–2012 was the transformation of non-forest landscapes into forest landscapes. The main reason for such changes was the expansion of forest into abandoned arable land, meadows, and pastures. The use of the Corine Land Cover database to calculate the LCI and monitor the intensity of landscape change revealed a low usability of the database for the year 2000 and a high usability for data from 2006 to 2018.
Advancing Knowledge Mobilization in Colleges of Education.

This study examines emerging efforts by three colleges of education to contribute to research use through public systems of knowledge exchange among researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other education stakeholders. Often labeled knowledge mobilization (KM), such organizationand individual-level agendas seek to enhance, expand, and sustain engagement with educational research. Colleges of education with public KM agendas signal formal, local efforts at a time when KM remains weakly integrated within education. This study seeks to highlight the interdependent opportunities and challenges that accompany individual and organizational capacities for such change associated with KM. Findings from analysis of faculty survey responses (n = 66) suggest that progressive engagement with KM among colleges of education challenges their faculty to navigate the competing demands of knowledge production and mobilization.
On the life and lives of digital data: The US – EU safe harbor framework and beyond

Digital data is entangled in a variety of intersecting discourses and debates— from narratives about ‘big data revolutions’ and ‘open data movements’ to controversies surrounding security and surveillance practices as well as divisive questions about privacy and data protection as social and legal principles. This paper will unpack digital data from a security perspective within the context of the Safe Harbor Framework, a governance arrangement designed to facilitate digital data flows between the United States and the European Union. The driving focus of this paper is best defined through several interrelated questions, namely: What is digital data? How is it possible for digital data to be constructed in overlapping and contested ways? And what does the development and deterioration of the Safe Harbor Framework reveal about the nature of digital data in the contemporary world? This paper proposes that digital data is ‘alive’ and has many ‘lives’— simultaneously constructed as a ‘mundane’ feature of everyday life, as a component of ‘security-enhancing’ strategies, and as a ‘security threat’.
Compound Droughts and Heat Waves in China

Droughts and heat waves both are natural extreme climate events occurring in most parts of the world. To understand the spatio-temporal characteristics of droughts and heat waves in China, we examine changes in droughts, heat waves, and the compound of both during 1961–2017 based on high resolution gridded monthly sc_PDSI and daily temperature data. Results show that North China and Northwest China are the two regions that experience the most frequent droughts, while Central China is the least drought-affected region. Significant drought decreasing trends were mostly observed Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Tibet provinces, while the belt region between Yunnan and Heilongjiang provinces experienced significant drought increasing trends. Heat waves occur more frequently than droughts, and the increase of heat wave occurrence is also more obvious. The increasing of heat wave occurrence since the 2000s has been unprecedented. The compound droughts and heat waves were mild from the 1960s to 1980s, and began to increase in 1990s. Furthermore, the significant increasing trends of the percentage of compound droughts and heat waves to droughts are observed in entire China, and more than 90% drought occurrences are accompanied by one or more heat waves in the 2010s. The results highlight the increased percentage of compound droughts and heat waves and call for improved efforts on assessing the impact of compound extremes, especially in an era of changing climate.
For Whom the Bell Trolls: Shifting Troll Behaviour in the Twitter Brexit Debate

In 2017 Twitter released a list of 2,752 accounts believed to be connected to state&#8208;sponsored Russian operative manipulation of the 2016 American Election. We investigate the behaviour of these accounts in the UK&#8211;EU referendum using our own unique longitudinal Twitter dataset. We identify Brexit&#8208;related content from 419 of these accounts, totalling 3,485 tweets between 29 August 2015 and 3 October 2017. While these accounts were primarily designed to resemble American citizens, accounts created in 2016 contained German and Italian locations and terms in user profiles, suggesting targeting of wider international electoral processes. Brexit was one of many targets, likely indicating coordinated repurposing of &#8216;troll&#8217; activity over time. We analyze behavioural shifts in account behaviour in relation to external events, introducing a temporal dimension not typical of political Twitter studies. The &#8216;troll&#8217; account behaviour altered radically on UK&#8211;EU referendum day, shifting from generalized disruptive tweeting to retweeting other troll accounts to amplify their effect.
Are Estimates of Early Education Programs Too Pessimistic? Evidence from a Large-Scale Field Experiment that Causally Measures Neighbor Effects

We estimate the direct and spillover effects of a large-scale early childhood intervention on the educational attainment of over 2,000 disadvantaged children in the United States. We show that failing to account for spillover effects results in a severe underestimation of the impact. The intervention induced positive direct effects on test scores of children assigned to the treatment groups. We document large spillover effects on both treatment and control children who live near treated children. On average, spillover effects increase a child's non-cognitive (cognitive) scores by about 1.2 (0.6 to 0.7) standard deviations. The spillover effects are localized, decreasing with the spatial distance to treated neighbors. Our evidence suggests the spillover effect on non-cognitive scores are likely to operate through the child's social network. Alternatively, parental investment is an important channel through which cognitive spillover effects operate. We view our results as speaking to several literatures, perhaps most importantly the role of public programs and neighborhoods on human capital formation at an early age.
Mobile Technology and Education: Theoretical Study

- The aim of this study is to build a knowledge system, which features a clear picture of the mobile learning technology environment in the field, benefits, barriers and applications of mobile learning. Where the study concluded that mobile learning is an e-learning system based on wireless communications. It is part of the e-learning which includes similarity and differences of each other, so that the learner free access to educational materials, lectures and seminars at anytime, anywhere, outside the classroom. This in turn creates a learning environment in the framework of new educational situations, based on a participatory and interactive learning, and eases the exchange of information among the learners themselves on one hand and lecturers and learners on the other hand. Mobile learning techniques consist of IPod touch, PlayerMp3, Personal Digital Assistant, USB Drive, E-Book Reader, Cellular phone, Ultra-Mobile, General packet radio services (GPRS), Laptop Tablet, Smart phone
Monetary Policy, Firms’ Inflation Expectations and Prices: Causal Evidence from Firm-Level Data

We empirically explore the direct and immediate response of firms’ inflation expectations to monetary policy shocks. We use the Bank of Italy’s quarterly Survey of Inflation and Growth Expectations, in operations since 2000, and compare average point inflation expectations of firms interviewed in the days following scheduled ECB Governing Council meetings with those of firms interviewed just before them; we then relate the difference we find to the change in the nominal market interest rates recorded on Governing Council meeting days, a gauge of the unanticipated component of monetary policy communications. We find that unanticipated changes in market rates are negatively correlated in a statistically significant way with the differences in inflation expectations between the two groups of firms and that this effect has become stronger since 2009. We do not find evidence that firms’ pricing plans are affected by these monetary policy shocks nor that firms perceive significant changes in the main determinants of their pricing choices.
Business Cycle Fluctuations: why are so undesirable?

Abstract The main focus of macroeconomic policies around the world is the stabilization of business cycles fluctuations. The policy makers, economists, producers and households are all concerned about the swings in economic activities and want to mute them down. The question arises why these fluctuations are so undesirable and everyone is too much worried about them. The main reason behind these concerns is. 1) Business cycle fluctuations lowers the lifetime discounted income/ consumption in the economy. 2) These fluctuations also affect distribution of income in the society. 3) These negatively affect the long run potential level of the economy. The focus of this study is to investigate; whether the business fluctuations affect long run potential level; and the role and importance of asymmetries in the behavior and impacts of these fluctuations.
Speech-to-SQL Parsing: Error Correction with Multi-modal Representations

We study the task of spoken natural language 001 to SQL parsing (speech-to-SQL), where the 002 goal is to map a spoken utterance to the corre-003 sponding SQL. Existing work on SQL parsing 004 has focused on text as input (text-to-SQL). To 005 develop a speech-to-SQL parser, we harness 006 progress in text-to-SQL parsing, and automatic 007 speech recognition (ASR). However, ASR is 008 still error-prone, we therefore propose an er-009 ror correction method that fixes ASR errors 010 in the context of a DB schema. We present a 011 novel multi-modal representation of text, au-012 dio, and DB schema with audio attention and 013 a phoneme prediction auxiliary task. Our ex-014 periments show that our method yields better 015 performance, is much faster to train, has greater 016 transparency, and is parser-agnostic compared 017 to baselines that seek to adapt to ASR errors. 018
Minimum Wages and Housing Rents: Theory and Evidence

Whether the minimum wage is an effective redistributive policy is still controversial. I investigate this issue from a new perspective by focusing on the effect of minimum wage hikes on housing rents. It is informative for two reasons. First, if minimum wage hikes increase housing rents, some of the benefits accidentally fall on homeowners rather than workers. Second, housing rents serve as an indicator as to whether and how much minimum wages are beneficial for workers, which I show by developing a spatial equilibrium model. I empirically analyze the causal impact of the minimum wage increase on housing rents in the United States and Japan. In both countries, minimum wages hikes increase housing rents in urban areas: 10% minimum wage increase induces 1%-2% increase in the United States and 2.5%-5% increase in Japan. While the unintended incidence on homeowners is arguably moderate, it is non-negligible. Moreover, it may be more salient if minimum wages induce unemployment. I also suggest the importance of heterogeneous welfare impacts on different groups of minimum wage workers.
Impact of Government Capacity and E-Government Performance on the Adoption of E-Government Services

ABSTRACT This study explored the impact of government capacity and e-government performance on the adoption of e-government services by integrating it into the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The results showed that both government capacity and government performance were significant determinants of the perceived usefulness of e-government services. Also, government capacity was revealed to positively predict e-government performance. In addition, perceived usefulness of e-government services was found to be a significant predictor of the intention to recommend the adoption of e-government services. The implications of these findings on the implementation of e-government are discussed.
Review: Selective Electrodes for Human Motoneuron Research

Research on human motoneurons is conducted through the analysis of single motor unit potential trains. Although human motoneurons have been investigated for years, their firing patterns at high force levels remain largely unexplored. Filling this gap requires selective electrodes, which enable the recording of distinguishable single motor unit potentials even at maximal effort. This review describes the characteristics of various electrodes used in electromyography with special attention paid to electrode selectivity. Those most suitable for this purpose are highlighted.
Take Your Partners! Transcending national culture to implement diverse international projects: the supremacy of individuals and influence of organisations

Globalisation of the world economy and trade, internationalisation of industries and organisations, born-global firms: these have all resulted in international working becoming the norm for ordinary people. Working internationally presents particular challenges over and above simply living in multicultural societies. International project work involves a further set of challenges, skills and keys to success due to constraints on resource, temporary teams, demands of delivery and time/scope limits. Based on an extensive series of in-depth interviews with participants and leaders in a 11-year series of different, but connected, international projects, this article explores the keys to success and reasons for failure in international working. These projects involved organisations and individuals in the higher education industry in 10 countries. This paper suggests that organisational culture and structure is a greater influence on individual attitude and behaviour than national culture. Individual attitude and behaviour is the key driver of success and relationship sustainability in international project working.
Disincentives from Redistribution: Evidence on a Dividend of Democracy

We experimentally study the disincentive effect of taxing work and redistributing tax revenues when redistribution is imposed vs. democratically chosen in a vote. We find a "dividend of democracy" in the sense that the disincentive effect is substantially smaller when redistribution is chosen in a vote than when it is imposed. Redistribution seems to be more legitimate, and hence less demotivating, when accepted in a vote.
Computational Actuarial Science

After some delay, the book Computational Actuarial Science with R is now annonced for July 2014. I don't know if we will be able to get copies for the R in Insurance conference, in London, but I guess everyone is working on it. And kindly, CRC sent me the following flyer, with some reduction code to save 20% (when ordering on CRC's website).
Solar smart grid as a path to economic inclusion and adaptation to climate change in the Brazilian Semiarid Northeast

Purpose This study aims to exploit the abundance of solar energy resources for socioeconomic development in the semi -arid Northeastern Brazil as a potent adaptation tool to global climate change. It points out a set of conjuncture factors that allow us to foresee a new paradigm of sustainable development for the region by transforming the sun’s radiant energy into electricity through distributed photovoltaic generation. The new paradigm, as presented in this essay, has the transformative potential to free the region from past regional development dogma, which was dependent on the scarce water resource, and the marginal and predatory use of its Caatinga Biome. Design/methodology/approach The research uses a pre ante design, following the procedures of scenario building, as an adaptation mechanism to climate change in the sector of energy generation and socioeconomic inclusion. Findings The scenarios of socioeconomic resilience to climate change based on the abundance of solar radiation, rather than the scarcity of water, demonstrates its potential as a global adaptation paradigm to climate change. Research limitations/implications The developments proposed are dependent on federal legislation changes, allowing the small producer to be remunerated by the energy produced. Practical implications The proposed smart grid photovoltaic generation program increases the country's resiliency to the effect of droughts and climate change. Social implications As proposed, the program allows for the reversion of a pattern of long term poverty in semi-arid Northeast Brazil. Originality/value The exploitation of the characteristics of abundance of the semiarid climate, i.e. its very condition of semi-aridity with abundant solar radiation, is itself an advantage factor toward adaption to unforeseen drought events. Extensive previous research has focused on weighting and monitoring drought i.e. the paradigm of scarcity. The interplay between exploiting Northeast Brazil’s abundant factors and climate change adaptation, especially at the small farmer levels constitutes a discovery never before contemplated.
Income elasticity of demand for tanning bed usage: evidence from survey data

ABSTRACT Using data on U.S. adults from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), we estimate the causal income elasticity of tanning bed usage conditional upon use. While controlling for individual characteristics, we employ instrumented probit and count data estimation to show that tanning bed usage is a normal good that is a necessity for all adults, women and men alike. Results suggest an income elasticity magnitude of 0.823 for all adults, which implies that a 10 percent increase in instrumented income increases tanning bed usage by 8.23 percent. When examining 18-25 year olds, the magnitude increases to 1.563—a 10 percent increase in instrumented income causes a 15.63 percent increase in tanning bed usage. The findings add to research on health behaviors and suggest that policymakers wanting to discourage tanning bed usage may have to tax consumption considerably or enhance public health campaigns to prevent and curb usage.
Trust in mobile banking under conditions of information asymmetry

Many banks worldwide are making substantial investments to offer access to banking services through mobile devices. However, due in part to customers’ concerns about security and trust issues, the adoption rate of mobile banking (MB) has been lower than banks have expected. Disclosure of MB security on banks’ websites can be one way to minimize customers’ risk perception and improve trust in this technology. Nevertheless, there are no studies that investigate how information about MB security disclosed on bank websites affects trust in MB. In order to fill this gap, the main objective of this paper is to analyze the relationship between disclosure of MB security on bank websites and trust in MB, under conditions of information asymmetry. In addition, we also examined how other factors such as perceived risk, personal innovativeness, social influence, age, and gender affect trust in MB. The sample of the study comprised 307 Brazilian undergraduate students. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were used to analyze the research model. The main results show that disclosure of MB security on bank websites has a positive relationship with trust in MB, but this relationship is significant only for the respondents that have already visited the website of their banks to get information about MB security. We also observed that the relationship between trust and perceived risk is less significant for students who have already consulted the website of their banks, in comparison with students who have not consulted the website. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are presented in the paper.