Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Macroeconomic forecast accuracy in a data‐rich environment

The performance of six classes of models in forecasting different types of economic series is evaluated in an extensive pseudo out‐of‐sample exercise. One of these forecasting models, regularized data‐rich model averaging (RDRMA), is new in the literature. The findings can be summarized in four points. First, RDRMA is difficult to beat in general and generates the best forecasts for real variables. This performance is attributed to the combination of regularization and model averaging, and it confirms that a smart handling of large data sets can lead to substantial improvements over univariate approaches. Second, the ARMA(1,1) model emerges as the best to forecast inflation changes in the short run, while RDRMA dominates at longer horizons. Third, the returns on the S&P 500 index are predictable by RDRMA at short horizons. Finally, the forecast accuracy and the optimal structure of the forecasting equations are quite unstable over time.
Analysis of Spatiotemporal Urban Temperature Characteristics by Urban Spatial Patterns in Changwon City, South Korea

Spatiotemporal air and land surface temperature (LST) characteristics were analyzed based on urban spatial patterns for Changwon City, South Korea. Twelve ASTER (Advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer) Thermal infrared radiance (TIR) images during the daytime and nighttime from June to September, 2012–2014 were used for LST analysis. Air temperature was measured at five meteorological stations. The landcover type, elevation, and location of the meteorological measurement stations were the spatial patterns. The differences among the mean LST for each landcover material were the maximum of 8 °C and 1 °C during the daytime and nighttime, respectively. The LST decreased with increasing built-up area ratio, most prominently in July, but less so with increasing forest area for the same area ratios. The changes of urban temperature according to the spatial pattern were found to be different in each period, and there were some differences from previous studies. This is because the thermal characteristics differ depending on the geographical location, climatic conditions, and building environment of the cities. Therefore, to mitigate the urban heat island continuously, it should be applied to urban planning considering the relationship between spatial patterns and urban temperature, and the urban environment should be considered rather than directly using the results of previous studies.
Event-triggered control for linear systems with performance and rate guarantees : an approximate dynamic programming approach

• A submitted manuscript is the author's version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.
Re-Examining the Debt-Growth Nexus: A Grouped Fixed-Effect Approach

This paper uses panel data for 116 countries over the period 1995-2016 to investigate the heterogeneity of the debt-growth nexus across countries and the factors underlying it. In the first step, the grouped fixed effects (GFE) estimator proposed by Bonhomme and Manresa (2015) is used to classify countries into groups, with group membership being endogenously determined. In the second step, a multinomial logit model is used to explore the drivers of the heterogeneity detected, among them the quality of institutions, the composition of debt-funded public expenditure, the relative public and private indebtedness, and the maturity of debt. Finally, the underlying factors explaining the time-varying impact of public debt on growth in the country groups identified is also investigated.
Determinants of China’s arms exports: a political economy perspective

Abstract This paper investigates the determinants of China’s arms transfers by focusing on the roles of political factors and energy resource acquisition. Using Stockholm International Peace Research Institute data on China’s arms exports during the period from 2001 to 2014, we find that China is likely to sell and transfer more arms to countries with less political freedom and more corrupt or more autocratic countries, implying that political considerations are hidden in arms transfers. The motivation for seeking energy resources is overall supported, suggesting that China’s arms transfers are also motived by securing their need for energy and natural resources. That arms trade is a joint decision of both sides implies that political considerations also exist for autocratic regimes or resource-abundant low-income countries to acquire weapons from China.
P COMBINING ABILITY ANALYSIS OF ZP MAIZE INBRED LINES FOR GRAIN YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS

A half diallel cross was used to evaluate combining abilities of six maize inbred lines and their hybrid combinations for grain yield, ear length, number of kernel rows per ear and number of kernels per row. Analysis was done using Griffing’s formula (1956), method 2, mathematic model I. General and specific combining ability (GCA and SCA) mean squares were significant for all traits. GCA/SCA ratios revealed that additive gene effects had larger importance in inheritance of all of investigated traits than non-additive effects. Furthermore, obtained results showed that inbred lines L4 and L5 had the best GCA effects for grain yield, while inbred line L4 had the highest GCA values for ear length and number of kernels per row. Inbred line L6 was the best general combiner for number of kernel rows per ear. The hybrid combinations those exhibited significant SCA effects involved low x high, average x high and high x high GCA parents. According to obtained results, we could be concluded that inbred lines L4, L5 and L6 have high frequency of favorable alleles for most of the investigated traits and can be used in further breeding programs for new hybrids development.
The Effect of Speed and Accuracy in Accounting Information Systems on Financial Statements Content in Jordanian Commercial Banks

Several studies have emphasized the importance of accounting information systems all over the world with different views. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of accuracy and speed of accounting information systems towards financial content among Jordanian commercial banks. A descriptive approach was employed to achieve the objectives of the study. Survey questionnaire was used to collect data from a selected sample of 13 banks. the sample was selected from top and middle Management levels as these levels represents the perfect group for making decision’s related to quality of financial reports and its Relationship with accounting information systems, 130 questioners were distributed with average 10 questioners for each bank and 126 questioners were got response. The results reveal that there is significant effect of accuracy and speed of accounting information systems in financial content among Jordanian commercial banks.
Exploring the psychosocial and behavioural determinants of household water conservation and intention

ABSTRACT Securing urban freshwater supplies is a major challenge for policy makers globally. This study investigated the determinants of household water conservation to identify the relative contribution of psychosocial and behavioural determinants. Using a survey of 1196 households across the UK, we found that attitudes, norms and habits play an important role in determining intention to conserve water, and that habits were the single most important predictor of water conservation intentions and self-reported water bills. Changing ingrained water conservation habits is therefore an important component of managing urban water demand.
ASSESSMENT OF REINFORCEMENT CORROSION USING NONLINEAR ULTRASONIC SPECTROSCOPY

Corrosion of built-in steel reinforcement ranks among the most serious mechanisms of bridge structure degradation. Visual inspection of a bridge cannot provide any information on the internal structure and integrity of the reinforced concrete elements of the bridge. This is why non-destructive diagnostic methods are acquiring growing importance, helping the researchers to evaluate properly the internal condition of a bridge. In this domain, methods employing the non-linear acoustic spectroscopy (NEWS – Nonlinear Elastic Wave Spectroscopy) achieved rush advancement recently. These new non-destructive methods appear to be promising for application to a wide range of materials featuring relatively heavy non-homogeneities, and for a large span of sites, from micro-chip to bridge structures. The present paper deals with an experimental study of the application of non-linear ultrasonic spectroscopy methods to the detection of steel reinforcement corrosion and its consequences for reinforced concrete specimens subjected to corrosion induced degradation cycles.
The impact of foreign bank entry in emerging markets : knowledge spillovers or competitive pressure ?

This study examines whether there are managerial knowledge spillovers from foreign to domestic banks in Eastern Europe and Latin America, additional to competition effects. I estimate the ’pure’ managerial efficiency teasing out external (environmental) effects in a 3-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) framework. I then examine the evolutionary pattern of foreign and domestic banks’ managerial performance together with that of banking competition. The main results suggest that domestic banks’ managerial performance is positively associated with foreign bank presence. Even during the period when competition is relatively low, domestic banks are catching up with foreign banks. These results suggest the strong possibility of knowledge spillovers in addition to competition effects and call for future direct evidence. February 2012 JEL Classification Codes: G21, C24, P30, F36
PROPAGATION OF SPONDIAS SPECIES BY CUTTINGS OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS TREATED WITH SUGARS

Spondias cytherea Sonn. (known as ambarella, cajarana, and golden apple) and S. purpurea L. (known as jocote, ciruela mexicana, ceriguela, and hog plum) (Anacardiaceae) are species that Summary: Spondias cytherea Sonn. and S. purpurea L. (Anacardiaceae) are fruit species greatly appreciated in the tropics. However, they are difficult to cultivate because scions are hard to propagate. Many efforts have been made to develop techniques using auxins for propagation of Spondias from cuttings. We believe, however, that the selection of better quality cuttings and their treatment with carbohydrates could be effective at lower expense. We tested cuttings of different lengths (100, 150 and 200 mm) treated with different concentrations (0, 15, 30 and 45 g L-1) of two different carbohydrate types: refined sugar as cheaper treatment and pure sucrose as a control, in the propagation of S. cytherea and S. purpurea. For S. cytherea cuttings of 150 mm were sufficient for good rooting and emergence of new shoots. However, for S. purpurea better results were obtained with 200 mm cuttings. For both species there were tendencies for better rooting and emergence of new shoots when the cuttings were treated with sucrose. However, (1) since the use of refined sugar is far less expensive than sucrose, and (2) the difference in rooting of cuttings was not remarkable, we recommend the use of refined sugar for the propagation of Spondias scions. There was no significant difference among the carbohydrate concentrations tested for either species.
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FARMERS ’ PERSONALITY TRAITS AND AWARENESS TOWARDS SOIL PARAMETERS

The present study was carried out to study the socio-economic profile and awareness level about soil parameters of respondents. Haryana is divided into two Agro-Climatic zones such as North Eastern Zone and South Western Zone. From each zone two districts will be selected purposively viz. Kurukshetra and Karnal from North-Eastern zone and Bhiwani and Rewari from South-Western zone. Total sample size of 240 respondents was selected for collecting the data. The majority of the respondents were middle age group, 90 per cent were literate from primary to graduate or above and maximum 49.17 percent respondents had medium Socio-economic status (SES). Majority of the respondents had low mass media exposure and extension contacts. Respondents had high awareness about soil texture, soil colour and crops which are suitable for their soil. Education and SES were found significantly correlated with awareness of respondents about soil
Numerical study on steady aerodynamic characteristics of ice accreted transmission lines

Aerodynamic characteristics of ice accreted transmission line has been investigated using LES turbulence model. The results show that predicted mean aerodynamic coefficients for single and 4-conductor bundle favorably agree with wind tunnel test results including acute change of lift coefficients. Mechanism of peak lift coefficients was verified by investigating pressure field for comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. A method of obtaining mean aerodynamic coefficients of 4-conductor bundle converted from those of single conductor is proposed, and verified by the numerical analysis.
CYCLIC RESISTANCE OF SANDS SUBJECTED TO INITIAL STATIC

The effect of initial static shear stresses on the cyclic simple shear response of two soils is presented. One of the sands tested strain softens over a range of initial states, and the other strain hardens even at the loosest deposited state. It is shown that the Kα correction factor is dependent on the type of the soil, and the loading mode. Presence of static shear stresses seriously degrades the cyclic resistance of contractive sands regardless of the density states. Smaller Kα values were obtained under simple shear loading than under triaxial conditions. Even though the current empirical static shear correction factors underestimate the cyclic resistance of dilative sands by a wide margin, they may overestimate the liquefaction resistance of contractive strain softening sands, and hence lead to unsafe designs. RÉSUMÉ L'effet des efforts de cisaillement statiques initiaux sur la réponse simple cyclique de cisaillement de deux sols est présenté. Un de la contrainte testée par sables se ramollit sur une gamme des états initiaux. L'autre contrainte de sable durcit même à l'état déposé le plus lâche. On lui montre que le Kα le facteur de correction dépend du type du sol, et du mode de chargement. La présence des efforts de cisaillement statiques réduit la résistance cyclique des sables contractive indépendamment des états de densité. Un Plus petit Kα des valeurs ont été obtenues sous le chargement simple de cisaillement que dans des conditions à trois axes. Les facteurs statiques empiriques courants de correction de cisaillement sous-estiment la résistance cyclique des sables dilative par une marge large. Mais, ils peuvent surestimer la résistance de liquéfaction des sables se ramollissants de contrainte contractive.
IMPACT OF METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS ON RICE YIELD: AN APPROACH FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE SUSTAINABILITY IN EBONYI RICE FARMLAND, NIGERIA

This survey considered the impact of meteorological parameter on rice yields, poverty reduction, environmental resource sustainability and management. Data were generated through the use of multiple linear regression and crosscorrelations analysis. Other tools include correlograms, histogram, and bar graphs. The correlation variable results indicated that the tonnage of rice yield over the years was a function of meteorological condition in the area. The consequences of continuous variation in meteorological condition were severe reduction and deterioration in annual tonnage of rice yield and environmental resource sustainability. In the light of the above, it then became expedient to promote agro-meteorological advisory services as well as promotion of best practices that are climate change resilient in rice production.
Effect of edible coatings on biochemical properties and storage life of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) under ambient condition

Bell pepper fruits coated with chitosan and Aloe vera gel, showed significant changes with respect to changes in biochemical properties over different storage durations. Fruits coated with 1 % chitosan showed best results in all biochemical properties, viz., highest total acidity (0.22 %), minimum loss in ascorbic acid (84.00 mg 100g) and decreased level of antioxidant activity (204.94 mg 100g). Whereas, Aloe vera gel at 20 % showed better results with respect to least microbial (bacteria and fungi) growth at the end of 9 days of storage (0.09 X 10 and 0.15 X 10 CFU/g respectively.
Examining the Dynamics of Macroeconomic Indicators and Banking Stock Returns with Bayesian Networks

: According to the modern portfolio theory, the direction of the relationship between the securities in the portfolio is stated to be effective in reducing the risk. Moreover, securities in high correlation are avoided by taking place in the same portfolio. The models structured by the Bayesian networks are capable of visually illustrate the probabilistic relationship. Also, portfolio returns could be refreshed simultaneously when new information has arrived. The study aims to provide dynamic information through Bayesian networks and to investigate the relationship between macroeconomic indicators and stock returns of Turkish major bank stocks based on the Arbitrage Pricing Model. The dataset includes stock returns of four banks listed in the Borsa Istanbul from June 2001 to January 2017. Besides, macroeconomic variables such as BIST-100 Index, oil prices, inflation, exchange, and interest rate & money supply are gathered for the same period. The results suggest that the Bayesian network models allow dynamics among stock returns could be investigated in more detail. Additionally, it determines that macroeconomic variables would have various impacts on stock returns on bank stocks by comparison of the conventional methods.
ore than just hormones : H 295 R cells as predictors f reproductive toxicity odi

Many of the commonly observed reproductive toxicities associated with therapeutic compounds can be traced to a disruption of the steroidogenic pathway. We sought to develop an in vitro assay that would predict reproductive toxicity and be high throughput in nature. H295R cells, previously validated as having an intact and functional steroidogenic pathway, were treated with 83 known-positive and 79 known-negative proprietary and public-domain compounds. The assay measured the expression of vailable online 13 January 2014
CFO Classifier Switch MUD for MUD for CFO Classifier Layer MUI-Cancellation Layer CRCMUD for Switch

In this paper, a novel unsupervised deep learning approach is proposed to tackle the multiuser frequency synchronization problem inherent in orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access (OFDMA) uplink communications. The key idea lies in the use of the feed-forward deep neural network (FF-DNN) for multiuser interference (MUI) cancellation taking advantage of their strong classification capability. Basically, the proposed FF-DNN consists of two essential functional layers. One is called carrier-frequency-offsets (CFOs) classification layer that is responsible for identifying the users’ CFO range, and another is called MUI-cancellation layer responsible for joint multiuser detection (MUD) and frequency synchronization. By such means, the proposed FF-DNN approach showcases remarkable MUIcancellation performances without the need of multiuser CFO estimation. In addition, we also exhibit an interesting phenomenon occurred at the CFO-classification stage, where the CFO-classification performance get improved exponentially with the increase of the number of users. This is called multiuser diversity gain in the CFO-classification stage, which is carefully studied in this paper.
MICROINSURANCE PRODUCT DESIGN: CONSUMER PREFERENCES IN KENYA

Microinsurance can help low income households to manage risk and facilitate their economic development. Furthermore, insurance markets in developing countries represent a substantial and largely untapped source of potential profits. However, a lack of understanding and appreciation of microinsurance products among potential clients restricts uptake and keeps the sector from reaching its full potential. This paper presents a survey based study on preferences for microinsurance products in rural Kenya. More specifically, the study examines preferences for deductibles and rebates. Similar to consumers in developed countries, the majority of the respondents in this study have a preference for policies without deductibles and for policies with rebates. Risk aversion, financial literacy, health shocks, economic activities and prior experience with insurance affect these preferences. It is suggested that higher uptake of microinsurance might be achieved by 1 Job Harms is at VU University Amsterdam. His email is jobharms@gmail.com. I am thankful to a number of people who were involved in this research. This thesis would not have been possible without the support of Jan Willem Gunning, Stefan Dercon and Andrew Zeitlin from the European Development Research Network (EUDN), who allowed me to integrate my thesis research questions in their study and gave me access to additional data. Furthermore, I thank Naureen Karachiwalla from Oxford University for her contributions to the coordination of the data collection in Kenya. In addition, I thank the International Labor Organization (ILO) Microinsurance Innovation Facility for awarding me with a research fellowship in Kenya. The Swedish Cooperative Centre (SCC) office in Nairobi, Kenya provided additional support in this study. I thank all the respondents in Kenya’s Central Province who walked long distances to participate in this study. My appreciation also goes out to friends and family who provided useful feedback. Most of all, I thank my thesis supervisor, Jan Willem Gunning, for his suggestions and valuable time. taking these preferences and their determinants into account in the design of microinsurance products. GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS AND ACRONYMS Microinsurance : An insurance that: (i) operates by risk-pooling (ii) is financed through regular premiums and is (iii) tailored to the poor who would otherwise not be able to take out insurance (Churchill, 2006). Deductible: The part of insurance claim(s) that the insured must pay out of his / her own pocket before the insurance company covers the rest of the claim(s). Also known as co-payment. Rebate: The part of an insurance premium that the insured gets back from the insurance company at the end of the insurance term in case the claims do not exceed a certain level. ByJ: Bima ya Jamii, a microinsurance product in Kenya SACCO: Savings and Credit Cooperative: a type of credit union common in Africa KSh: Kenya Shillings (KSh 100 ≈ $ 1.25) CIC: Cooperative Insurance Company, a private insurance company in Kenya NHIF: National Hospital Insurance Fund, a parastatal health insurance scheme in Kenya
Discussion of “Inferring Volatility Dynamics and Variance Risk Premia: An Efficient Bayesian Approach”

We propose an efficient particle-based Bayesian method to investigate volatility dynamics and variance risk premia using the S&P 500 index returns and the term structure of variance swaps. This method can provide reliable and efficient inference over the model that takes into account co-jumps of prices and volatility, self-excitation, and non-affineness. We find that the non-affine models fit the data much better than affine ones, and self-excitation is an important feature in volatility dynamics. Our Bayesian method enables us to quantify uncertainty of variance risk premium estimates.