Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is environmental regulation a trade barrier? The evidence from developing countries

Since 1960s, the importance of environmental protection has come into world"s vision. The application of environmental regulation in international trade has got more and more along of the deepening of globalization. The prevailing view suggests that when some country carry out more stringent environmental regulation, the export from other country getting harder. Is this true even the two countries in trade are developing countries? In this paper, we will use the panel data of China's exports to ASEAN to study the export trade effect of environmental regulation. Environmental regulation has become to be the most common kind of trade policy. Therefore, there must be some realistic significance by focusing on the effect of ASEAN"s environmental regulation on China"s export. The conclusion includes: 1. Not every environmental regulation could affect trade; 2. Export to some country who implements more stringent environmental regulation may increase, not decline at least. That means, not all environmental regulation will become trade barriers. 3. Explain the mechanism of how this happened.
An Exploratory Study of Primary Two Pupils ’ Approach to Solve Word Problems

This paper describes the systematic approach used by a sample of 30 Primary 2 pupils from one primary school to solve two non-routine problems. The study focused on (a) the relationship between pupils' academic mathematics achievement and problem solving abilities, (b) the differences in problem solving abilities among the pupils for each problem item, and (c) the different heuristics they used to solve these two non-routine problems. This study found a very low correlation between achievement in academic mathematics and success in solving problems. From this we can deduce that even if a pupil performs well in academic mathematics, the pupil may not be proficient at solving non-routine problems.
Growth of well-defined ZnO microparticles by hydroxide ion

The morphology of the microcrystalline zinc oxide formed by reaction of zinc salts with sodium hydroxide depends critically on the reaction conditions. To understand this, the nature of the solid product has been probed by scanning electron microcopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the concentration of zinc remaining in the solution has been determined at regular intervals throughout the reaction. Two general preparative procedures have been followed. The first, which involves simply heating an aqueous solution containing Zn(NO3)2 (0.025 M) and sodium hydroxide (0.375 M) to 101 °C and maintaining it at that temperature for periods of up to 8 hours, produces star-like microcrystals. The star-like morphology is apparently caused by multiple crystal twinning at the onset of growth, and the size and shape of the microcrystals have been found to be affected by both the reaction stoichiometry and the type of zinc salt counterion. In the second method, which produces needles of zinc oxide (lengths up to 9.5 µm—aspect ratio >6), the reagents are stirred at room temperature for two hours before heating the mixture to 101 °C and maintaining it at that temperature for up to 24 hours. Pre-stirring allows the formation of Zn(OH)2, which is shown by XRD and SEM to transform to ZnO upon heating.
Individual Variation and Lek-Based Vocal Distinctiveness in Songs of the Screaming Piha (Lipaugus Vociferans), A Suboscine Songbird

Abstract One long-standing ornithological paradigm holds that song learning in oscine songbirds has a cultural component, whereas suboscine songbirds inherit songs genetically. Recent studies reveal that suboscine song may be more variable and complex than previously realized. Several suboscine species show marked individual variation in their songs—variation that may play a role in individual recognition and neighbor–stranger discrimination—and a few suboscine species show indications of song learning. We investigated individual variation in the vocalizations of a suboscine passerine, the Screaming Piha (Lipaugus vociferans), from recordings of 26 males at four lek sites along the Tambopata River in Peru. Male Screaming Piha songs consist of quiet introductory syllables followed by two explosively loud syllables that sound like an emphatic pee haw. We used three complementary methods to examine variation in song characteristics. Spectrogram cross-correlation revealed significant consistency within individual males and variability among males. Analysis of fine structural characteristics revealed that all measured song features were significantly less variable within individuals than among individuals. Canonical discriminant analysis based on these 13 song features correctly classified 93.2% of songs by individual and 76.4% of songs by lek site. Our results indicate that there is sufficient consistency in song features within males and sufficient variation among males for identification of individuals on the basis of songs and, to a lesser extent, that song features vary with the lek site of the singer. We conclude that Screaming Pihas sing songs that are individually distinctive and bear a lek signature.
INFRARED REFLECTANCE OF GaP NANORODS

The reflectance of GaP nanorods on GaP substrates was investigated in the frequency range of 300–500 cm –1 by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) reflectance spectroscopy. GaP nanorods were fabricated by the anodic electrochemical etching technique. The structure of nanorods, formed by using galvanostatic and potentiostatic etching regimes was studied by the SEM technique. The correlation between particular features in the infrared reflection spectra in the reststrahlen region and the morphology of nanorods was analysed and discussed.
Economic Growth and Longevity Risk with Adverse Selection

We study the implications of adverse selection in annuity markets in a general-equilibrium model of the closed economy. Agents differ in their health type and invest their assets in the annuity market. Without informational asymmetries each agent would obtain an actuarially fair insurance. If the individual health types and total annuity purchases are unobservable to the annuity firms then there exists a pooling equilibrium in which all agents annuitize at a common rate. At this pooling rate unhealthy agents would eventually like to borrow but this would reveal their true health type. As a consequence, they rationally drop out of the market. Surprisingly, the welfare and growth effects of the informational asymmetries are rather small.
Diagram Complexes, Formality, and Configuration Space Integrals for Spaces of Braids

We use rational formality of configuration spaces and the bar construction to study the cohomology of the space of braids in dimension four or greater. We provide a diagram complex for braids and a quasi-isomorphism to the de Rham cochains on the space of braids. The quasi-isomorphism is given by a configuration space integral followed by Chen’s iterated integrals. This extends results of Kohno and of Cohen and Gitler on the cohomology of the space of braids to a commutative differential graded algebra suitable for integration. We show that this integration is compatible with Bott–Taubes configuration space integrals for long links via a map between two diagram complexes. As a corollary, we get a surjection in cohomology from the space of long links to the space of braids. We also discuss to what extent our results apply to the case of classical braids.
Effect of Triadic Teaching Approach in Some Environmental Subjects: Prospective Science Teachers Practice.

Effective use of educational technologies by teachers in classrooms has come into prominence as the integration of technology into educational settings in todays world is considered as an inseparable part of an effective teaching. Besides, recent teacher training curriculums too emphasize the use of teaching strategies including technology to enhance student achievements. For this reason, it is decided to design a research focusing on to the use of an educational technologies based triadic teaching approach in teaching some environment-related subjects (global warming, ozone layer, air pollution, acid rains) of the science curriculum with 30 prospective science teachers through the special teaching methods course. The triadic teaching approach is comprised of internetweb based online research, poster preparation process activities and mini symposium activities steps. In order to establish the effect of the triadic teaching approach in selected environment-related subjects to meaningful learning of students, a pre and post word association test has applied, concept network maps of prospective teachers were drawn performed with them to collect their opinions on the triadic teaching approach. Findings of the study revealed that the triadic teaching approach has contributed to meaningful learning and ability of utilizing educational technologies of prospective teachers.
Review of Urban Bicyclists' Intake and Uptake of Traffic-Related Air Pollution

Abstract Bicycling as a mode of transportation is enjoying a boost in many urban areas around the world. Although there are clear health benefits of increased physical activity while bicycling, bicyclists may experience increased inhalation of traffic-related air pollutants. Bicyclists have two to five times higher respiration rates than travelers in motorized vehicles and this difference increases with bicycle travel speed and exertion level. The main goal of this work is to review the state of knowledge regarding urban bicyclists' intake and uptake of traffic-related air pollution and to identify key knowledge gaps. This review includes not only bicyclists' exposure to air pollution concentrations but also respiration rates, intake doses (the amount of pollutant that is inhaled), and uptake doses (the amount of pollutant that is incorporated into the body). Research gaps and opportunities for future research are discussed. This is the first review to specifically address bicyclists' health risks from traffic-related air pollution and to explicitly include intake and uptake doses in addition to exposure concentrations for travelers.
Does international diversification work better for real estate than for stocks and bonds

International diversification is now an established fact for stock and bond portfolios. For real estate shares, however, this acceptance has so far not been the case. This study is an investigation of the effectiveness of international real estate diversification relative to international diversification of stock and bond portfolios. Tests of international correlation matrixes of real estate returns, common stock returns, and bond returns indicate significantly lower correlations between national real estate returns than between common stock or bond returns. The implication is that international diversification reduces the risk of a real estate portfolio more than that of common stock and bond portfolios.
PERSISTENCE ANALYSIS OF HEDGE FUND RETURNS 1

We use a model of Markov chain to evaluate the pure persistence in hedge fund returns. We study two forms of pure persistence: absolute persistence (positive/negative returns) and persistence with respect to a high water mark (accounting for the amplitude of drawdowns). In the first case, we find that hedge funds in general exhibit persistence of positive returns, but no persistence in negative ones. In contrast, the results using the high water mark criterion show the presence of both positive and negative persistence. In order to account for the presence of serial correlation, we use a new approach based on the method of moments and on the model of Getzmansky et al. (2004). Our approach avoids imposing a specific MA model for the unsmoothing process allowing for more accurate results. Our findings suggest that the smoothing contributes to an increase in absolute persistence. These results suggest also that hedge fund managers exhibit a relatively high probability to deliver positive returns, but a much weaker probability to increase their high water mark. JEL Classification: C13, G11, G23.
Exploring the Effects of Disk Thickness on the Black Hole Reflection Spectrum

The relativistically broadened reflection spectrum, observed in both AGN and X-ray binaries, has proven to be a powerful probe of the properties of black holes and the environments in which they reside. Emitted from the innermost regions of the accretion disk, this X-ray spectral component carries with it information not only about the plasma that resides in these extreme conditions, but also the black hole spin, a marker of the formation and accretion history of these objects. The models currently used to interpret the reflection spectrum are often simplistic, however, approximating the disk as an infinitely thin, optically thick plane of material orbiting in circular Keplerian orbits around the central object. Using a new relativistic ray-tracing suite (Fenrir) that allows for more complex disk approximations, we examine the effects that disk thickness may have on the reflection spectrum. Assuming a lamppost corona, we find that finite disk thickness can have a variety of effects on the reflection spectrum, including a truncation of the blue wing (from self-shadowing of the accretion disk) and an enhancement of the red wing (from the irradiation of the central “eye wall” of the inner disk). We deduce the systematic errors on black hole spin and height that may result from neglecting these effects.
La matière grasse du lait de dromadaire : composition, microstructure et polymorphisme. Une revue

In camel milk, fat, that represents about 3.6% of the composition, is dispersed in the form of globules, enveloped in a membrane, derived from the secreting cell and constituted by phospholipidprotein complexes. This review examines the present state of knowledge of the dromedary milk fat. The topics dealt with are : composition (fatty acids and triacylglycerols), microstructure, fat globule size distribution and polymorphism (thermal and structural properties).
An examination of skills and abilities in a process model of entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is a process which consists of three phases, an opportunity recognition phase, followed by the opportunity evaluation and exploitation phase (Shane & Venkataraman, 2000). This paper identifies different cognitive characteristics that are important in different phases of entrepreneurial process; Opportunity Recognition Ability (ORA) is identified as important for the opportunity recognition phase, while Entrepreneurial Self –Efficacy (ESE) is identified as important for the subsequent phases. This paper argues for a moderating effect of ESE on the relationship between ORA and Entrepreneurial Intentions. Hypotheses were tested using a sample of 306 students from two US Midwestern universities, and support was found for the interaction effect. AGSE 2010
The baryons in the Milky Way satellites

We investigate the formation and evolution of satellite galaxies using smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of a Milky Way (MW) like system, focusing on the best resolved examples, analogous to the classical MW satellites. Comparing with a pure dark matter simulation, we find that the condensation of baryons has had a relatively minor effect on the structure of the satellites’ dark matter haloes. The stellar mass that forms in each satellite agrees relatively well over three levels of resolution (a factor of ∼64 in particle mass) and scales with (sub)halo mass in a similar way in an independent semi-analytical model. Our model provides a relatively good match to the average luminosity function of the MW and M31. To establish whether the potential wells of our satellites are realistic, we measure their masses within observationally determined half-light radii, finding that they have somewhat higher mass-to-light ratios than those derived for the MW dSphs from stellar kinematic data; the most massive examples are most discrepant. A statistical test yields an ∼6 per cent probability that the simulated and observationally derived distributions of masses are consistent. If the satellite population of the MW is typical, our results could imply that feedback processes not properly captured by our simulations have reduced the central densities of subhaloes, or that they initially formed with lower concentrations, as would be the case, for example, if the dark matter were made of warm, rather than cold particles.
Recovery from Developmental Nonylphenol Exposure is Possible I. Male

Nonylphenol (NP) is an environmental endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) that has been detected in human cord blood and milk. It is unavoidable that human fetus and infant exposure to this environmental contaminant. According to “fetal origins adult disease” hypothesis, the biological impact and healthcare will encounter unavoidable impact. We previously observed that developmental NP exposure led to increased body weight, elevated plasma ACTH, higher production and concentrations of corticosterone and aldosterone, and more 11? -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase I (11? -HSD1) expression/activity during the first generation at the adult stage. With these phenomena, is human going to evolution to a heavier with metabolic syndrome state or back to “default state” after generation(s) of hygienic up. This study addressed the possibility of recovering from NP exposure. Female rats were timed-mated in this experiment. Throughout gestation and lactation, one group of pregnant females was given a 2? µg/ml NP drinking solution and another group was given water. The litters were marked as first-generation F 1 NP or F 1 Veh offspring. At approximately 13 weeks of age, the F 1 females were timed-mated with non-sibling F 1 males from identical prenatal and neonatal treatment groups. The females were not manipulated in any way. The resulting litters were designated as the second-generation F 2 NP or F 2 Veh offspring. At 13 weeks of age, the male offspring from each F 1 and F 2 group were decapitated. The experimental results showed that NP exposure resulted in F 1 offspring hyperadrenalism and weight increases. These effects were not observed in the F 2 offspring. The F 2 generation status was set back to the ‘default’ stage, which shows the elevated body weight and hyperadrenalism returned to normal. This study indicates developmental exposure to NP results in life long impact. The recovery to “default state” is possible only after generation(s) suffer with expensive healthcare burden. Keywords: NP, developmental exposure, 11? -HSD1, body weight, hyperadrenalism
Numerical and statistical evidence for long‐range ducted gravity wave propagation over Halley, Antarctica

Abundant short‐period, small‐scale gravity waves have been identified in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere over Halley, Antarctica, via ground‐based airglow image data. Although many are observed as freely propagating at the heights of the airglow layers, new results under modeled conditions reveal that a significant fraction of these waves may be subject to reflections at altitudes above and below. The waves may at times be trapped within broad thermal ducts, spanning from the tropopause or stratopause to the base of the thermosphere (∼140 km), which may facilitate long‐range propagation (∼1000s of km) under favorable wind conditions.
Biochar affects the structure rather than the total biomass of microbial communities in temperate soils

Biochar application is a promising strategy for sequestering carbon in agricultural soils and for improving degraded soils. Nonetheless, contradictory and unsettled issues remain. This study investigates whether biochar influences the soil microbial biomass and community structure using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. We monitored the effects of four different types of biochar on the soil microbial communities in three temperate soils of Austria over several months. A greenhouse experiment and two field experiments were conducted. The biochar application did not significantly increase or decrease the microbial biomass. Only the addition of vineyard pruning biochar pyrolysed at 400°C caused microbial biomass to increase in the greenhouse experiment. The biochar treatments however caused shifts in microbial communities (visualized by principal component analysis). We concluded that the shifts in the microbial community structure are an indirect rather than a direct effect and depend on soil conditions and nutrient status.
The predictors of cultural competence among new baccalaureate degree nursing graduates: Implications for nursing education

Objective : Nurses are charged with providing quality care to all patients. In part, as a result of current and projected demographic changes in the United States, as well as the varying needs and circumstances of individual patients, nurses are faced with the challenges of providing culturally competent care. Preparing to care for a culturally diverse population begins during the teaching/learning process in the nursing curriculum. The aim of the study was to determine which teaching method(s) (stand-alone course on culture, integration of cultural concepts, cultural immersion) is/are the best predictor(s) of cultural competence after graduation. Methods : This study utilized a national sample. The target population was recent nursing graduates from programs accredited by the CCNE and ACEN in the U.S. A total of 126 cases (n = 126) were included in the final analysis. A survey method was used to collect data at one timepoint within 12 months of graduation. This study explored the difference between specified demographic variables and perceived level of cultural competence. This study also explored the differences in perceived level of cultural competence with and without a stand-alone course, integration of cultural concepts versus no integration, and with and without cultural immersion. Additionally, each variable was examined for their predictive ability and all study variables were analyzed simultaneously to assess their unique contribution to explaining the variance of perceived level of cultural competence. Results : Findings revealed variables that had a significant effect on perceived level of cultural competence were race/ethnicity, number of months practicing as a graduate nurse, and participation in a cultural immersion experience. Conclusions : Implications for nursing education include: (a) enabling faculty members to plan teaching methods pertaining to cultural content; (b) preparing graduates who are better able to serve the needs of current health care consumers with diverse backgrounds; and (c) determining a starting point for further research related to cultural competence.
Limit theorems for isotropic random walks on triangle buildings

Abstract The spherical functions of triangle buildings can be described in terms of certain two-dimensional orthogonal polynomials on Steiner's hypocycloid which are closely related to Hall-Littlewood polynomials. They lead to a one-parameter family of two-dimensional polynimial hypergroups. In this paper we investigate isotropic random walks on the vertex sets of triangle buildings in terms of their projections to these hypergroups. We present strong laws of large numbers, a central limit theorem, and a local limit theorem; all these results are well-known for homogeneous trees. Proofs are based on moment functions on hypergroups and on explicit expansions of the hypergroup characters in terms of certain two-dimensional Tchebychev polynimials.