Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Desingularization of G2 manifolds with isolated conical singularities

We present a method to desingularize a compact G2 manifold M with isolated conical singularities by cutting out a neighbourhood of each singular point xi and gluing in an asymptotically conical G2 manifold Ni . Controlling the error on the overlap gluing region enables us to use a result of Joyce to conclude that the resulting compact smooth 7–manifold  M admits a torsion-free G2 structure, with full G2 holonomy. There are topological obstructions for this procedure to work, which arise from the degree 3 and degree 4 cohomology of the asymptotically conical G2 manifolds Ni which are glued in at each conical singularity. When a certain necessary topological condition on the manifold M with isolated conical singularities is satisfied, we can introduce correction terms to the gluing procedure to ensure that it still works. In the case of degree 4 obstructions, these correction terms are trivial to construct, but in the case of degree 3 obstructions we need to solve an elliptic equation on a noncompact manifold. For this we use the Lockhart–McOwen theory of weighted Sobolev spaces on manifolds with ends. This theory is also used to obtain a good asymptotic expansion of the G2 structure on an asymptotically conical G2 manifold N under an appropriate gauge-fixing condition, which is required to make the gluing procedure work.
Approaches to the Development of Cognitive Process Dimensions in Financial Literacy : an Empirical Study

The article explores various approaches to the development of cognitive process dimensions in financial literacy. It is based on the empirical research of the financial literacy levels among 1,207 fifteen-year-old Czech students compared with 18 countries worldwide (OECD, 2014a). Applying the regression model, the study has examined the strength of the relationship between the actual financial competence of 284 Czech students aged 17-18, studying economic disciplines, and their school performance. The research has produced the following conclusions: (a) a weak dependence of actual skills on school performance; (b) inherently associated consequence of school performance is not corresponding to the actual financial skills; (c) a low level of financial competence in the dimensions Remember, Understand and Apply. Proceeding from the research results, it will be desirable to focus on the transfer of economic methods and foreign practice into the learning process, thereby contributing to the improvement of the current situation in Czech Republic.
IZA Discussion Papers No. 848

Does It Pay to Attend a Prestigious University? This paper provides evidence of heterogeneity in the returns to higher education in the UK. Attending the most prestigious universities leads to a wage premium of up to 6% for males. The rise in participation in higher education also led to a greater sorting of students and an increase in the returns to quality. These results somehow justify the recent introduction of top-up fees. Additionally, identification strategy matters and OLS estimates may be severely biased. However, our estimates, based on propensity score matching, are imprecise due to the thinness of the common support. JEL Classification: I20, I22
Supply Chains And Social Network Analysis

Judged by its currency, the supply chain is one of the more successful metaphors in economics. The metaphor borrows from mechanics the idea of the chain, that is something that consists of elements that are linked to each of their two immediate neighbors and which jointly provide a strong but flexible connection. The metaphor transplants the chain-idea into the sphere of economics where, before the introduction of supply chains, chains were, for most economists, things best left in the care of ironmongers. More than twenty years after its introduction the "supply chain"-metaphor appears to be losing its luster and a competition is underway in the literature where authors forge complicated arguments in support of metaphors which recognize that supply chains are not really linear chains but most often expansive networks (e.g. Lazzarini et al. 2001). For this reason the chief contenders for the pride of place seem to be neologisms such as "supply networks" or "net chains". It is not obvious to us that much will be gained by replacing chain-metaphors with network-metaphors. Few practitioners of procurement, logistics and marketing will have failed to notice that not all business arrangements are strictly chain-like and only the most unperceiving will be enlightened by the new network-metaphors. Because supply chains obviously are networks, chances are that network-metaphors will win many converts, at least for some time.
Investigation of the liquid retention capacity of terry fabrics

The paper presents an investigation of the liquid retention capacity of terry fabrics with respect to pile height and impacts/finishing. The terry fabrics used in the experimental work were made from linen or linen/cotton yarns. The pile height of the samples was 6, 9 and 12 mm. The fabrics were effected by various impacts/finishing like macerating, washing with detergent or without it, washing with detergent and softener as well as tumbling procedures. The highest liquid retention capacity (9.598 g/g) was determined for grey linen/cotton fabric with a 6 mm pile height. A significant difference exists in the liquid retention capacity of differently treated fabrics; the intensity of the procedure also plays a role here. The liquid retention capacity of terry fabrics with respect to the tumbling period could be described by polynomial equations.
Title Constraining the propagation of bomb-radiocarbon through the dissolved organic carbon ( DOC ) pool in the northeast Pacific Ocean Permalink

This study extends the 1991-1995 records of marine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and DC values at hydrographic Station M (341500N, 1231000W) with new measurements from a frozen (-20 1C) archive of samples collected between April 1998 and October 2004. The magnitudes and synchronicity of major DC anomalies throughout the time-series imply transport of DOC from the surface ocean to depths of at least 450 m on the timescale of months. Keeling plots of all measurements at Station M predict a continuum of possible background DOC compositions containing at least 21mM of -1000% (i.e., Z57,000 C years) DOC, but are more consistent with mean deep DOC (38mM, -549%; i.e., 6,400 C years). These results and coral records of surface dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) DC were used to estimate pre-bomb DOC DC depth profiles. The combined results indicate that bomb-C has penetrated the DOC pool to depths of Z450 m, though the signal at that depth is obscured by short-term variability. & 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Discussion Paper 2012-065 Covered bonds , core markets , and financial stability

We examine the f nancial stability implications of covered bonds. Banks issue covered bonds by encumbering assets on their balance sheet and placing them within a dynamic ring fence. As more assets are encumbered, jittery unsecured creditors may run, leading to a banking crisis. We provide conditions for such a crisis to occur. We examine how different over-the-counter market network structures inf uence the liquidity of secured funding markets and crisis dynamics. We draw on the framework to consider several policy measures aimed at mitigating systemic risk, including caps on asset encumbrance, global legal entity identif ers, and swaps of good for bad collateral by central banks.
On Sea Surface Salinity Skin Effect Induced by Evaporation and Implications for Remote Sensing of Ocean Salinity

Abstract The existence of a cool and salty sea surface skin under evaporation was first proposed by Saunders in 1967, but few efforts have since been made to perceive the salt component of the skin layer. With two salinity missions scheduled to launch in the coming years, this study attempted to revisit the Saunders concept and to utilize presently available air–sea forcing datasets to analyze, understand, and interpret the effect of the salty skin and its implication for remote sensing of ocean salinity. Similar to surface cooling, the skin salinification would occur primarily at low and midlatitudes in regions that are characterized by low winds or high evaporation. On average, the skin is saltier than the interior water by 0.05–0.15 psu and cooler by 0.2°–0.5°C. The cooler and saltier skin at the top is always statically unstable, and the tendency to overturn is controlled by cooling. Once the skin layer overturns, the time to reestablish the full increase of skin salinity was reported to be on the ord.
Annual variability of biomass and heterocysts of the N2-fixing cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos-aquae in the Baltic Sea with reference to Anabaena spp. and Nodularia spumigena

The biomass, abundance of heterocysts and heterocyst frequencies of the N 2 -fixing cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon, flos-aquae and the corresponding environmental parameters were monitored during two separate years near the entrance of the Gulf of Finland. For reference, data on two other N 2 -fixing cyanobacteria, Anabaena spp. and Nodularia spumigena were collected as well. A. flos-aquae was observed throughout the year, being most abundant in the summer, while Anabaena spp. and N. spumigena were found only during the warmest summer period. A biomass increase of A. flos-aquae was positively associated with temperature and negatively with the DIN:DIP ratio; the highest biomasses were found at temperatures above 10 °C and in molar DIN:DIP ratios less than 10. According to the changes in the heterocyst frequencies, A. flos-aquae had a seasonal N 2 fixation strategy in which the maximum frequencies of heterocysts preceded the annual biomass peak.
Deriving Wavefield Characteristics and Shear-Velocity Profiles from Two- Dimensional Small-Aperture Arrays Analysis of Ambient Vibrations in a Small-Size Alluvial Basin, Colfiorito, Italy

We analyze the dispersion characteristics of ambient noise vibrations. For this purpose, two-dimensional (2d) seismic array data were acquired in four different sites in the Colfiorito plain, an alluvial intramountain basin that exhibits strong site effects. Assuming seismic noise being mainly composed of surface waves, we derive one-dimensional (1d) shallow shear-velocity profiles through the inversion of dispersion curves measured by frequency–wavenumber ( f-k ) methods. The inverted shear-wave velocity profiles are consistent with a priori information for those sites that can be approximated by 1d simple models. In these cases, the use of passive records of seismic vibrations can be a valuable tool for determining the shallow velocity profile if a detailed depiction of velocity structure is not required. The theoretical dispersion curves for Rayleigh and Love waves were compared with the measured dispersion curves for vertical and horizontal components, respectively. This allows us to discuss qualitatively the composition of ambient vibrations (outlining a large proportion of Love waves in the noise wave field) and the effects of higher modes. We also use the single-station method for investigating the origin of the horizontal-to-vertical (h/v) peak in the plain of Colfiorito in terms of ellipticity of the fundamental Rayleigh mode.
Psychosocial analysis of ETA's violence legitimation discourse

Abstract This study analyses the fundamental components shaping the violence legitimation discourse of ETA (Euskadi Ta Askasuna). With this aim, a category system has been built, which organizes the psychosocial processes identified in previous studies related to violence legitimation. Based on the proposed category system, a content analysis was conducted on 21 statements of ETA, released between 1998 and 2011. An intra-observer and inter-observer reliability analysis reveals high level stability and replicability of the categorization. The results show, firstly, that outgroup components have a predominant presence over ingroup components. Secondly, in the components hierarchy, we observe that elements referring to identity come in first place, followed in similar frequencies by those related to violence representation and the definition of the situation.
A Complete Convergence Theorem for Row Sums from Arrays of Rowwise Independent Random Elements in Rademacher Type p Banach Spaces

We extend in several directions a complete convergence theorem for row sums from an array of rowwise independent random variables obtained by Sung, Volodin, and Hu [8] to an array of rowwise independent random elements taking values in a real separable Rademacher type p Banach space. An example is presented which illustrates that our result extends the Sung, Volodin, and Hu result even for the random variable case.
Nutritional peculiarities during the prenatal period and physical status of the offspring: a pilot experimental study

Nutrition in uterus has a significant influence on the formation of metabolic phenotype in offspring generations. The objective of this study was to investigate maternal nutrition and the changes in body weight at few generations of rat offspring. Materials and methods. 12 maternal rats and 121 offspring rats were used in the study. Mature female Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups with respect to nutritional restriction (one control and two experimental groups). Rats from the first experimental group (1 EG) were 50 percent food-restricted one month prior and during the pregnancy; rats from the second experimental group (2 EG) were 50 percent food-restricted exclusively one month prior to the pregnancy. After weaning all the pups were fed with control diet, weighted weekly, observed and evaluated for the morphological indices of metabolic stress. Results and conclusions. Maternal nutritional restriction in pre-pregnancy and pregnancy may alter the physical status and behaviour of the offspring: the reactions differ in both sexes; the alterations depend on the time window of exposure. There were no weight-related differences between groups in body weight of female offspring rats during the all time periods of the study. The first generation 1 EG male offsprings were the heaviest; the tendency for a greater than control group weight was also observed at the second generation up till the early reproductive period. The 2nd generation 2 EG male rats were the heaviest and exhibited some evident markers of chronic diseases.
Writing Skills of Hearing-Impaired Students Who Benefit from Support Services at Public Schools in Turkey

Support services provide an essential role for hearing-impaired students attending public schools, in terms of improving their language and academic skills. In this study, the writing skills of hearing-impaired students enrolled in public schools were evaluated, and the relationship between the writing scores, audiological variables and educational variables were examined. Seventeen students, who were enrolled in in the primary and middle school classes of public schools and benefited from the support services, participated in this study. The results of the study indicated that the mean writing score of the students was 68.35 out of 100. It was determined that there is a relationship between the age of first hearing aid and the duration of preschool education. According to the results of the study, it can be stated that hearing-impaired students enrolled in public schools benefit from the support services designed according to their individual needs, along with early exposition to implant and early inclusion in education.
Rainfall Retrieval and Nowcasting Based on Multispectral Satellite Images . Part I : Retrieval Study on Daytime 10-Minute Rain Rate

This study develops a method for both precipitation area and intensity retrievals based on multispectral geostationary satellite images. This method can be applied to continuous observation of large-scale precipitation so as to solve the problem from the measurements of rainfall radar and rain gauge. Satellite observation is instantaneous, whereas the rain gauge records accumulative data during a time interval. For this reason, collocated 10-min rain gauge measurements and infrared (IR) and visible (VIS) data from the FengYun-2C (FY-2C) geostationary satellite are employed to improve the accuracy of satellite rainfall retrieval. First of all, the rainfall probability identification matrix (RPIM) is used to distinguish rainfall clouds from nonrainfall clouds. This RPIM is more efficient in improving the retrieval accuracy of rainfall area than previous threshold combination screening methods. Second, the multispectral segmented curve-fitting rainfall algorithm (MSCFRA) is proposed and tested to estimate the 10-min rain rates. Rainfall samples taken from June to August 2008 are used to assess the performance of the rainfall algorithm. Assessment results show that the MSCFRA improves the accuracy of rainfall estimation for both stratiform cloud rainfall and convective cloud rainfall. These results are practically consistent with rain gauge measurements in both rainfall area division and rainfall intensity grade estimation. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the temporal resolution of satellite detection is important and necessary in improving the precision of satellite rainfall retrieval.
Variable Selection and Model Averaging for Longitudinal Data Incorporating GEE Approach

The Akaike Criterion, which is based on maximum likelihood estimation and cannot be applied directly to the situations when likelihood functions are not available, has been modified for variable selection in longitudinal data with generalized estimating equations via a working independence model. This paper proposes another modification to AIC, the difference between the quasi-likelihood functions of a candidate model and of a narrow model plus a penalty term. Such a difference avoids calculating complex integration from quasi-likelihood, but inherits theoretical asymptotic properties from AIC. We also propose a focused information criterion for variable selection on the basis of the quasi-score function. Further, this paper develops a frequentist model average estimator for longitudinal data with generalized estimating equations. Simulation studies provide evidence of the superiority of the proposed procedures. The procedures are further applied to a data example.
A hybrid system for facility layout by integrating simulation and ant colony optimization

In this paper, we integrated simulation and ant colony optimization for solving the facility layout problems in public service building. The optimization goal was to minimize the pedestrians' walking time between facilities in the building. By means of VISSIM, a microscopic simulation engine, the proposed system could simulate and calculate the change in the total walking time of the pedestrians as a result of locating the facility layout. The near-optimal layout can be derived by iterations and the pheromone update in the ant colony optimization. Locating the facilities in a public service building requires a lot of time, cost and human labor. Therefore, it is impossible to "try multiple layout portfolios" onsite. This paper applied and calibrated the simulation engine VISSIM to fit the real-life processes of pedestrian behaviors and facility operations in the space. This approach allows us to easily predict the operation situation of each layout portfolio at a very low cost. We further selected an airport terminal to evaluate the feasibility of the system. The results indicated that the proposed system could save pedestrians' walking time and improve the operation and service efficiency.
Coordinated Exploration for Grand Challenges: The Role of Advocacy Groups in Search Consortia

Grand challenges are among the most complex problems for modern societies. Many governments and foundations provide substantial resources to encourage the search for solutions. Due to the significance of these problems, organizations often form partnerships in what we call search consortia to engage in joint search and compete for funding. Prior research on joint search highlights the role of specialized organizations, mainly regarding technological domains, to identify a superior solution. However, stakeholder theory leads us to believe that the success of any solution depends on the acceptance and support of important stakeholders. In this study, we suggest that search consortia are more likely to receive funding when they include representatives of stakeholder concerns, so-called advocacy groups. We extend theory on coordinated exploration in joint search by integrating mechanisms from stakeholder theory and argue that advocacy groups improve the generation of potential solutions and provide legitimacy.
Awareness of Causes, Consequences and Preventive Measures of Obesity among Adolescents in India

Background: The burden of obesity is rapidly increasing worldwide. Obesity is associated with wide range of diseases, including cardio respiratory disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and coronary heart disease. Aims: This study aimed to assess the awareness of the adolescents towards the causes, consequences and preventive measures of obesity. Methods: The present study was based on primary data. The study included 200 adolescents surveyed as per convenience sampling. The analysis was made with descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression. Results: The study identified that 64.0 percent of the respondents suffered from obesity at the time of survey. The logistic regression shows that obesity was associated with gender, age, education of the mother, income and eating habits of the breakfast. Thus, logistic regression clearly highlighted that obesity was associated with changing lifestyle. But, the awareness of the risk factors and the preventive measures of obesity was not clear among the adolescents. Conclusion: The present study provides sufficient evidence on the awareness of the causes, risk factors and preventive measures of obesity and calls for an immediate action to scale up cost-effective interventions for it both through private and public hospitals. Thus, study indicates a need for creating awareness among adolescents towards the consequences and preventive measures through mass media and campaigns at the schools.
Experiments Measuring Particle Deposition from Fully Developed Turbulent Flow in Ventilation Ducts

Particle deposition in ventilation ducts influences particle exposures of building occupants and may lead to a variety of indoor air quality concerns. Experiments have been performed in a laboratory to study the effects of particle size and air speed on deposition rates of particles from turbulent air flows in galvanized steel and internally insulated ducts with hydraulic diameters of 15.2 cm. The duct systems were constructed of materials typically found in commercial heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. In the steel duct system, experiments with nominal particle sizes of 1, 3, 5, 9, and 16 μm were conducted at each of three nominal air speeds: 2.2, 5.3, and 9.0 m/s. In the insulated duct system, deposition rates of particles with nominal sizes of 1, 3, 5, 8, and 13 μm were measured at nominal air speeds of 2.2, 5.3, and 8.8 m/s. Fluorescent techniques were used to directly measure the deposition velocities of monodisperse fluorescent particles to duct surfaces (floor, wall, and ceiling) at two straight duct sections where the turbulent flow profile was fully developed. In steel ducts, deposition rates were higher to the duct floor than to the wall, which in turn were greater than to the ceiling. In insulated ducts, deposition was nearly the same to the duct floor, wall, and ceiling for a given particle size and air speed. Deposition to duct walls and ceilings was greatly enhanced in insulated ducts compared to steel ducts. Deposition velocities to each of the three duct surface orientations in both systems were found to increase with increasing particle size or air velocity over the ranges studies. Deposition rates measured in the current experiments were in general agreement with the limited observations of similar systems by previous researchers.