Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavioral Investment Strategy Matters: A Statistical Arbitrage Approach

In this study, we employ a statistical arbitrage approach to demonstrate that momentum strategies work only in longer formation and holding periods, a result more conclusive than standard parametric tests can offer. Disposition and overconfidence effects are important factors contributing to the phenomenon. The overconfidence effect seems to dominate the disposition effect, especially in an up market. Moreover, the overconfidence investment behavior of institutional investors is the main cause for significant momentum returns observed in an up market. In a down market, the institutional investors tend to adopt a contrarian strategy while the individuals are still maintaining momentum behavior within shorter periods.
Combination of the MODS Assay with the Sensititre TM MYCOTB Plate for Rapid Detection of MDR- and XDR-TB

We combined the new SensititreTM MYCOTB test with the MODS assay for detection of MDR- and XDR-TB. Categorical agreement of the MODS assay with the critical concentrations at 3 days of incubation was highest for INH (91.4%) and RIF (100%) and at 5 days 86.7% and 94.6% for the fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides, respectively. By combining these two methods, it is possible to identify MDR-TB in as little as 3 days and XDR- or pre-XDR-TB within 5 days.
Dividend Distribution, Ownership Structure and Performance of Unlisted Companies Cameroonian

This research goes within the framework of previous studies examining the specificity of the ownership structure and financial performance of unlisted companies in a dividend distribution environment. The assumptions are based on the agency theory in which shareholders justify the implementation of dividend distribution and explain the financial performance of companies. Our sample consists of 67shareholding companies (Limited Companies and Limited Liability Companies) which best explain dividend distribution in the Cameroonian context. Data were processed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). We note that the concentration of ownership has no effect on financial performance. However, the nature of the major shareholder plays a decisive role on financial performance.
Foraging, growth, and loss rate of young-of-the-year Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in relation to habitat use in Catamaran Brook, New Brunswick

The ideal despotic distribution predicts that individuals occupying preferred habitats will have higher fitness than those in less preferred habitats, whereas the ideal free distribution predicts that average fitness will be equal in all habitats. To test between these two alternatives, we studied habitat use in relation to foraging, growth, and loss rates of 216 individually tagged young-of-the-year Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Fish were observed by snorkelling between 2 July and 4 September 1999 in Catamaran Brook, New Brunswick. In a multiple logistic regression, the variables that best discriminated between the habitats used and not used by fish were mean flow velocity and water depth; the fish preferred habitats of intermediate flow velocity (648 cm·s1) and depth (2039 cm). Fish in preferred habitats experienced higher levels of food abundance and had higher foraging rates but did not differ in body size or growth rate compared with those in less preferred habitats, perhaps because of higher ene.
Stochastic Frontier Analysis of the Technical Efficiency of Smallholder Maize Farmers in Central Province, Zambia

Maize is the main staple food and cornerstone of Zambia’s agricultural economy and as such, high productivity and efficiency in its production are critical to food security and poverty reduction in the country. This paper estimates the technical efficiency of maize producers in Zambia using Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) and also determines the factors which influence technical efficiency in maize production. Primary data from 400 households in the Central Province of Zambia were used in this study. Results show that there exists opportunities to increase technical efficiency from the present level of inputs. The average technical efficiency was at 50%, with a minimum of 2% and a maximum of 84%. The distribution of the technical efficiency is such that 14% of the farmers have efficiency scores that are less than 30% while 46% of the farmers have technical scores above 50%, and 14% have technical efficiency scores above 70%. Maximum likelihood results showed that the age of a farmer, use of certified hybrid seed, access to loans and extension advice and off-farm income influence technical efficiency. The study recommends Government and other maize stakeholders to devise strategies for improving access to credit and extension services and promoting use of certified hybrid seed as a way to improve the technical efficiency of maize producers in Zambia.
Positive interactions among plant species for pollinator service: assessing the 'magnet species' concept with invasive species

Plants with poorly attractive flowers or with little floral rewards may have inadequate pollinator service, which in turn reduces seed output. However, pollinator service of less attractive species could be enhanced when they are associated with species with highly attractive flowers (so called ‘magnet-species’). Although several studies have reported the magnet species effect, few of them have evaluated whether this positive interaction result in an enhancement of the seed output for the beneficiary species. Here, we compared pollinator visitation rates and seed output of the invasive annual species Carduus pycnocephalus when grow associated with shrubs of the invasive Lupinus arboreus and when grow alone, and hypothesized that L. arboreus acts as a magnet species for C. pycnocephalus. Results showed that C. pycnocephalus individuals associated with L. arboreus had higher pollinator visitation rates and higher seed output than individuals growing alone. The higher visitation rates of C. pycnocephalus associated to L. arboreus were maintained after accounting for flower density, which consistently supports our hypothesis on the magnet species effect of L. arboreus. Given that both species are invasives, the facilitated pollination and reproduction of C. pycnocephalus by L. arboreus could promote its naturalization in the community, suggesting a synergistic invasional process contributing to an ‘invasional meltdown’. The magnet effect of Lupinus on Carduus found in this study seems to be one the first examples of indirect facilitative interactions via increased pollination among invasive species.
An application of the node-place model to explore the spatial development dynamics of station areas in Tokyo

The high level of integration between railway and real estate development in Tokyo makes the city an interesting example for other metropolitan areas looking for ways to promote transit-oriented development. To successfully promote such a development pattern, an understanding of development dynamics in station areas is crucial. In this paper, a node place model is used to determine which transport and land use factors are responsible for structuring station area redevelopments in Tokyo, and to what extent. The interaction between specific transport and land use features—most importantly, proximity by train to the central business district and the number of train connections versus workforce concentration—is a powerful force structuring developments in Tokyo. However, other factors—most notably government policies—should also be taken into account.
Influence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens ipt and Agrobacterium rhizogenes rolC Genes on Spontaneous Tumor Formation and Endogenous Cytokinins Content in Radish (Raphanus sativus) Inbred Lines

Several inbred lines from a radish (Raphanus sativus var. Radicula Pers.) genetic collection spontaneously form tumors on the crop roots during flowering. Here we studied the influence of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens ipt gene, which controls cytokinin biosynthesis, and the Agrobacterium rhizogenes rolC gene, which influences cytokinin metabolism, on tumor formation in the radish lines. Two in planta transformation methods – transformation of ovaries via pollen-tube pathway and transformation of seedling apexes – were firstly used to obtain transgenic radish plants. Both methods showed high efficiency for radish. Transformation of radish lines by both ipt and rolC genes induced tumor formation in non-tumorous lines. We noted a several-fold increase of free zeatin concentration in ipt-transgenic radish plants while rolC-transgenic radish plants showed an increase in zeatin riboside concentration comparing with the untransformed line. We suppose that the tumorigenic effect of ipt and rolC genes on radish lines is likely to be due to change of phytohormonal balance in the tissues of transgenic plants.
Community Capitals: Poverty Reduction and Rural Development in Dry Areas

The lack of water in communities in arid lands is often related to the mal-distribution or absence of other resources. In the past, many communities responded to scarce resources by transhumance, building on cultural capital and social capital to produce sustainable livelihoods. But lack of political capital has reduced the options of transhumant communities. As they settle, new pressures are put on natural capital, beginning a downward spiral of other community resources. Successful efforts to reduce poverty in arid lands invest in many capitals in order to reverse the spiral. Attention to bridging and bonding social capital as an entry to poverty reduction is often more successful than built capital to provide bore holes or wells. Attention to cultural, human, social, and political, as well as natural, financial and built, is required for sustainable development in arid lands.
Regional spatial pattern of deep soil water content and its influencing factors

Abstract Plant root systems can utilize soil water to depths of 10 m or more. Spatial pattern data of deep soil water content (SWC) at the regional scale are scarce due to the labour and time constraints of field measurements. We measured gravimetric deep SWC (DSWC) at depths of 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 800 and 1000 cm at 382 sites across the Loess Plateau, China. The coefficient of variation was high for soil water content (SWC) in the horizontal direction (48%), but was relatively small for SWC in the vertical direction (9%). Semivariogram ranges for DSWC at different depths were between 198 and 609 km. Kriged distribution maps indicated that deep soil layers became moister along northwest to southeast transects. Multiple statistical analyses related DSWC to plant characteristics (e.g. plant age explained >21% of the variability), geographical location and altitude (8–13%), soil texture and infiltrability, evaporation zone and eco-hydrological processes (P < 0.05). Regional land management decisions can be based on our DSWC distribution data to determine land uses and plant species appropriate for the soil type and location that would maintain a stable soil water balance. Maintaining infiltrability is of great importance in this and other water-scarce regions of the world. Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor J. Simunek Citation Wang, Y.Q. , Shao, M.A., Liu, Z.P. and Warrington, D.N. , 2012. Regional spatial pattern of deep soil water content and its influencing factors. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (2), 265–281.
NET Being Early on the Curve : Online Practices and Expressive Political Participation

This study examines the effects of online information seeking and social interactions in the context of early Internet adopters in Bogotá, Colombia. Data analyses of a stratified sample survey conducted in 2004 provide evidence that online news media use and online social interactions affect online political engagement. In this data there is a clear positive relationship between online information seeking, social interactions, and expressive political participation; a relationship that is particularly encouraging for societies experiencing political conflict, and in which offline political expression can be limited; yet the online domain could offer an alternative. The positive effects of the online practices on political engagement are limited to the online domain and do not (yet) spill over to the offline domain. Plausible explanations of this discrepancy between the online and the offline realms, as well as some of the antecedents of the online practices, are discussed.
Impact of Motivation on Productivity of Craftsmen in Construction Firms in Lagos, Nigeria

Motivation has been identified as a useful tool for enhancing productivity. This study aims at determining the impact of motivation on productivity of craftsmen in construction firms in Lagos, Nigeria. Sixteen motivating factors were identified through literature review common to Nigeria construction climate which were used to design questionnaire for the study. A total of 295 questionnaires were administered with 150 filled and returned. This constitute response rate of 50.85%. Productivity rating was done by work study. The mean of motivating factors was correlated with percentage productive hour observed in the sixteen sites surveyed. The outcome indicates that there is positive linear relationship between motivation and productivity. Therefore, motivation influences craftsmen performance in Nigeria construction industry. Further analysis also shows that craftsmen are basically motivated by financial incentives. The paper recommends that financial incentive should be considered for craftsmen in the industry. Moreover, alternative method to working overtime should be employed. The paper concluded that motivation strategy that will enhance productivity should be adopted for workers in the industry.
Fifty-Year Trends in Global Ocean Salinities and Their Relationship to Broad-Scale Warming

Abstract Using over 1.6 million profiles of salinity, potential temperature, and neutral density from historical archives and the international Argo Program, this study develops the three-dimensional field of multidecadal linear change for ocean-state properties. The period of analysis extends from 1950 to 2008, taking care to minimize the aliasing associated with the seasonal and major global El Nino–Southern Oscillation modes. Large, robust, and spatially coherent multidecadal linear trends in salinity to 2000-dbar depth are found. Salinity increases at the sea surface are found in evaporation-dominated regions and freshening in precipitation-dominated regions, with the spatial pattern of change strongly resembling that of the mean salinity field, consistent with an amplification of the global hydrological cycle. Subsurface salinity changes on pressure surfaces are attributable to both isopycnal heave and real water-mass modification of the temperature–salinity relationship. Subduction and circulation b.
IN VITRO CELL-TO-CELL INTERACTION OF THAI ACANTHAMOEBA ISOLATED FROM THE ENVIRONMENT

Free-living amebae of the genus Acanthamoeba can be opportunistic pathogens when they have to survive in human tissues and utilize host cells as a food source. The present study was performed to investigate the potential virulence of a natural Acanthamoeba isolated from an aquatic resource in Buri Ram Province, Thailand. The ameba can grow at 37 ˚C and 45˚C and non-pathogenic to mice by nasal instillation. The trophozoites were co-cultured with human erythrocytes and three carcinoma cells: epidermoid laryngeal carcinoma (HEp-2), cervical carcinoma (HeLa), and oral carcinoma (KB) cells. The amebae made contact first with culture cell lines within three hours and induced cytopathic changes later. They were manifested by its destruction up to a total replacement of the culture cells by amebae. The characters and dynamics of the cell changes of HEp-2, HeLa, and KB cells were similar in interaction with the amebae. No excystation or target cell destruction occurred when the Acanthamoeba cysts were inoculated. When co-incubated with erythrocytes, adherence occurred only in the presence of plasma, and most to the trophozoite stage and few attachments to the round up and cyst forms. Some small clumps of erythrocytes were found after 2 days of incubation. The present results show that cytoadherence and cytopathic effects can be produced by either Acanthamoeba pathogenic or non-pathogenic strains, which may be natural behaviors to survive or adapt to the constraints of different environments.
Effect of Carbon Sources and Carbonaceous Atmospheres on the Effective Synthesis of Nanostructured Tungsten Carbide Powders

Owing to its ultra-fine microstructure, nanostructured tungsten carbide (WC) powders characterized by advanced mechanical properties are of highest in terest for the metal cutting industry where they are used for the production of cemented carbide cutting tools. In this work, WC synthesis from precursor mixes containing tungsten powder (in form of W or WO3 powder) and carbon sources (as graphite orcarbon black) is achieved by a two-step process. Mechanical activation by ball milling of the precursor powders is followed by thermal activation at 1100°C for 30 min in Ar or Ar-10%CO atmospheres. Depending on the tungsten source (W or WO3 powder) solid carbon provides either solely carburization, or both reduction and carburization, which can be assisted by the presence of CO in the synthesis atmosphere. The results show that homogeneous, fine mixes of the base powders after milling offer large contact area and improve reactivity between the precursors. Synthesis of pure WC powders is achieved at 1100 ⁰C in inert Ar atmosphere when using metallic tungsten as precursor. Using oxide precursors (WO3), synthesis is not completed at 1100 ⁰C in Ar atmosphere, however, a significant improvement in the efficiency of the synthesis is achieved when using Ar-10%CO atmospheres. Although the reducing activity of CO seems to be low in the conditions studied in this work, improved carburization of metallic tungsten by CO might be the key for improving efficiency of the synthesis process.
Hydrological Variability in the Arid Region of Northwest China from 2002 to 2013

The arid region of Northwest China (ANC) has a distinct and fragile inland water cycle. This study examined the hydrological variations in ANC and its three subregions from August 2002 to December 2013 by integrating terrestrial water storage (TWS) anomaly data derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite, soil moisture data modeled by the Global Land Data Assimilation System, and passive microwave snow water equivalent data. The results show that the TWS in ANC increased at a rate of 1.7 mm/a over the past decade, which consisted of an increasing trend of precipitation (0.12 mm/a). Spatially, in the northern ANC, TWS exhibited a significant decreasing trend of −3.64 mm/a ( ) as a result of reduced rainfall, increased glacial meltwater draining away from the mountains, and intensified human activities. The TWS in southern and eastern ANC increased at a rate of 2.14 ( ) and 1.63 ( ) mm/a, respectively. In addition to increasing precipitation and temperature, decreasing potential evapotranspiration in Southern Xinjiang and expanding human activities in Hexi-Alashan together led to an overall increase in TWS. Increased glacier meltwater and permafrost degradation in response to climate warming may also affect the regional TWS balance. The variations in soil moisture, groundwater, and surface water accounted for the majority of the TWS anomalies in southern and eastern ANC. The proposed remote sensing approach combining multiple data sources proved applicable and useful to understand the spatiotemporal characteristics of hydrological variability in a large area of arid land without the need for field observations.
FIRST SEASON MWA EOR POWER SPECTRUM RESULTS AT REDSHIFT 7

The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) has collected hundreds of hours of Epoch of Reionization (EoR) data and now faces the challenge of overcoming foreground and systematic contamination to reduce the data to a cosmological measurement. We introduce several novel analysis techniques, such as cable reflection calibration, hyper-resolution gridding kernels, diffuse foreground model subtraction, and quality control methods. Each change to the analysis pipeline is tested against a two-dimensional power spectrum figure of merit to demonstrate improvement. We incorporate the new techniques into a deep integration of 32 hours of MWA data. This data set is used to place a systematic-limited upper limit on the cosmological power spectrum of mK2 at k = 0.27 h Mpc−1 and z = 7.1, consistent with other published limits, and a modest improvement (factor of 1.4) over previous MWA results. From this deep analysis, we have identified a list of improvements to be made to our EoR data analysis strategies. These improvements will be implemented in the future and detailed in upcoming publications.
How Do Farmers Who Adopt Multiple Conservation Practices Differ From Their Neighbors

This study analyses three key conservation practices adoption behavior for 266 farmers in eastern Washington. Results revealed (1) that multiple practice adopters contrast more sharply with non-adopters than do adopters of a single practice, and (2) single practice adopters differ more from zero practice adopters than from other farmers.
Effects of drip irrigation promotion policies on water use and irrigation costs in Valencia, Spain

The aim of this study is to conduct an ex post analysis of the generalized implementation of drip irrigation in the last two decades in the Valencia Region (Spain). Due to the important role played by water users9 associations (WUAs) in this socio-technological change in the region, this research was based on 77 interviews with different WUAs that provided information prior and subsequent to modernization. Firstly, we review the published studies concerning the effects generated by this technological change and describe the drip irrigation promotion policies implemented by national and regional governments. Subsequently, we analyse the consequences for irrigation associations, including effects on water use and irrigation costs. The reduction of water withdrawals has been generally significant. This was possible because the regional contextual factors prevented, in most cases, crop intensification and areal expansion. Nevertheless, due to the enormous investment effort and the resulting maintenance costs, the technological change has increased irrigation costs, generating some uncertainties concerning the financial sustainability of some WUAs. In conclusion, a thorough assessment of contextual factors and accompanying measures such as technical assistance and monitoring appear to be indispensable to avoid unforeseen effects and to achieve the potential goals of conversion to drip technologies.