Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
from a panel of Mediterranean countries

Our main goal is to ascertain the importance of human capital as a facilitator of technological diffusion in a sample of seven Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Cyprus, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey) for the period 1960-2000. First, we estimate the technological progress growth rate and the technological gap between each country in our sample and the technological leader (the USA), following the methodology of Benhabib and Spiegel (2002). We then address the issue of the importance of technology diffusion for the TFP growth rate through the Nelson and Phelps (1966) hypothesis the potential speed of technology diffusion is inversely related to the degree of technological backwardness of the follower country and its ability to absorb new technologies will depend positively on its human capital level. The non-linear specification of the TFP growth rate proposed by Benhabib and Spiegel (2002) is estimated to control for the type of technological diffusion: logistic or exponential. The empirical analysis is applied to two samples: a smaller one consisting of the abovementioned countries, and a larger one that includes some European countries. First, we studied the unit root characteristic of the TFP growth rate series using unit root panel tests. The results obtained allowed the use of traditional econometric methods for both equations. For the first equation estimations were performed using the NLLS estimation procedure, as it is a non-linear equation. The second equation, was estimated using OLS with robust errors, the fixed effects model and the random effects model, as it is a linear equation. The empirical importance of human capital in fostering technological diffusion is also addressed through the FDI channel, by which technology is transferred from the leader to the followers. The host economy needs a sufficient level of human capital in order to apply the technology of the leader, i.e., the stock of human capital of the follower country limits its absorptive capability. We also analyse the role of human capital as a facilitator of the diffusion of a particular type of technology, ICT, where there is a role for different educational levels. In both cases we take Lee (2000) as the basic framework for our estimations. Finally, the last part of the paper discusses the importance of technological shocks to the process of technological diffusion. The speed of technological diffusion, and consequently the evolution of crosscountry differences in GDP growth rates and levels, depend, to a large extent, on exogenous shocks. We propose to model technological shocks for each of the seven countries in our sample in a simple VAR model with four variables: their TFP growth rate, the logarithm of GDP per capita, the logarithm of investment per capita, and the logarithm of the stock of human capital. JEL Classification: C33, O5
Mapping Physical Sciences Teachers' Concerns Regarding the New Curriculum in South Africa.

This article reports on a study investigating physical sciences teachers’ stages of concern (SoC) profiles during the implementation of the curriculum and assessment policy statement (CAPS) in South Africa. Throughout reform implementation, it is conceivable that teachers go through different SoC, ranging from giving low priority to the reform (unconcerned stage) to being preoccupied about how they can improve the innovation (refocusing stage). Previous studies have not focused on mapping teachers’ SoC profiles during reform implementation in South Africa. Using the concerns-based adoption model (CBAM), the SoC questionnaire (SoCQ) was conducted with 81 physical sciences teachers from 62 schools in a South African district in the fifth year of CAPS implementation. Self-concerns were found to be dominant among the participants. Multivariate analysis of variance showed no significant differences between teachers’ SoC profiles and their years of experience with the reform. This suggests that any programs of support offered so far may have had no significant impact in shifting teachers’ SoC profiles. The regular use of the SoCQ to monitor teachers’ progression through different SoC is recommended. Programs addressing the teachers’ dominant concerns may thus be developed based on these understandings, thereby increasing the chances of successful implementation.
A FINANCIAL DISTRESS PRE-WARNING STUDY BY FUZZY REGRESSION MODEL OF TSE-LISTED COMPANIES

The purpose of this paper is to construct a financial distress pre-warning model for investors and risk supervisors. Through the Securities and Futures Institute Network, we collect the financial data of the electronic companies listing on the Taiwan Security Exchange (TSE) from 1998 to 2005. By binary logistic regression test, we found that financial statement ratios show significant difference in different financial stages. On the other hand, using fuzzy regression model, we construct a rating model of financial administration stages for investors and risk supervisors and found that prediction validity for financial distress companies and total companies by fuzzy regression model are better than binary logistic regression model using our research sample (89.77 and 90.98% vs. 85.27 and 90.30%).
Weed infestation of spring common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in monoculture depending on the cover crop and weed control method

The aim of this 3-year field study was to evaluate the effect of some stubble crops and in-crop weed control methods on the species composition, number and air-dry weight of weeds in a wheat crop grown in short-term monoculture. The study was conducted in the period 2009-2011 in the Uhrusk Experimental Farm on mixed rendzina soil classified as very good rye soil complex. It included various types of stubble crops ploughed in each year (control treatment without cover crop, white mustard, lacy phacelia, a mixture of legumes – narrow-leaf lupin + field pea) and methods of weed control in spring wheat (mechanical, mechanical and chemical, chemical weed control). On average during the study period, all stubble crops used reduced the air-dry weight of weds in the treatments with mechanical weed management relative to the control treatment. Irrespective of the weed control method, the number of weeds in the wheat crop was significantly lower only after the ploughing in of white mustard. Mechanical weed management proved to be less effective in reducing the number and dry weight of weeds compared to other weed control methods. The white mustard and legume mixture cover crops had a reducing effect on the number of weed species in relation to the treatment without cover crops. The highest floristic diversity of weed communities was found in the spring wheat crop in which only mechanical weeding alone was used.
Chemical composition of the freshwater prawn Cryphiops caementarius (Molina, 1782) (Decapoda: Palaemonidae) in two populations in northern Chile: reproductive and environmental considerations

Reductions of its natural populations have led to recent efforts in small-scale aquaculture of the freshwater prawn Cryphiops caementarius, either for conservation or commercial purposes. However, the lack of knowledge about its nutritional requirements has been one of the major obstacles for its successful culture. Given its importance, this study determines and compares the chemical composition (moisture, ash, crude protein, total lipids and nitrogen free extract) of whole animals and main storage tissues (gonad, hepatopancreas and muscle), of C. caementarius adult prawns from two natural populations. Moreover, the relation of this composition with reproductive and environmental parameters (sex, maturation and habitat) is discussed. The specimens were collected in Limari and Choapa rivers (Coquimbo, Chile) during reproductive season, and divided into six categories according to capture location, gonad maturation stage, and gender. The chemical composition of whole animals and storage tissues was compared among categories. Significant differences were observed between tissues, sexes, maturity stages and locations. Regarding tissues, the muscle and the gonads were rich in protein, whereas the hepatopancreas had high lipid content. According to results, factors such as sex, habitat and stage of gonad maturation can modify the biochemistry of C. caementarius. Nonetheless, the main chemical variations were observed in tissues involved in regulatory processes (hepatopancreas and gonads), and to a lesser extent in structural tissues (muscle). This is the first study known that reports information about the biochemistry of C. caementarius and its findings may be useful to improve feeding practices in aquaculture.
Ecophysiological responses of two ecotypes of Dactylis glomerata L. under water-deficit conditions.

Development of improved water-saving varieties is a high priority in forage grass breeding programs especially if the climate change predictions for the Mediterranean region become true. In this experiment the adaptation responses of two ecotypes of Dactylis glomerata L. , one from a fir forest and the other from an adjacent open grassland, to water-deficit conditions were studied. Plants of these ecotypes were planted into pots and subjected during the growing season to two water supplies: (i) well-watered conditions; and (ii) rainfed conditions. Leaf water potential, relative water content, assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and water use efficiency were assessed at seven-day intervals during the experimental period. Both water regime and ecotype were found to play some role in the ecophysiological responses of D. glomerata to water shortage. Under the conditions of moderate water stress of the present experiment, the forest ecotype showed a drought resistance behaviour, maintaining its photosynthetic efficiency. On the contrary the grassland ecotype showed a drought avoidance behaviour, limiting transpirational loss through stomatal closure, negatively affecting its photosynthetic capacity.
Lumpy investment and variable capacity utilization: firm-level and macroeconomic implications

Abstract The macroeconomic implications of firms' lumpy investment behavior are subject to ongoing research. Lumpy investment results from fixed capital adjustment costs which give firms an incentive to reduce the frequency of capital adjustments. However, previous studies have underestimated the lumpiness. Their assumption of constant capital utilization reduces firms' incentives to undertake large investments as it prevents reserve capacity building. This paper shows that if capacity utilization is allowed to vary, firms optimally undertake larger investments and leave parts of the new capital stock idle for some periods, thereby reducing the frequency of investment activities. Using a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model with fixed capital adjustment costs, heterogeneous firms, variable utilization, and aggregate technology shocks, I numerically compute firms' optimal decisions on investment, utilization and labor demand. Compared to the constant utilization model, the findings reveal magnified investment lumpiness: Firms adjust capital less frequently, but invest more when they adjust. However, this appears to be of minor macroeconomic relevance: Moments and impulse responses of macroeconomic quantities change in a similar way when variable utilization is introduced in a lumpy or in a frictionless model. New empirical evidence based on firm-level panel data confirms some of the theoretical findings.
DEBT POLICY, FREE CASH FLOW HYPOTHESIS, AND BALANCING OF AGENCY THEORY THROUGH OWNERSHIP: EVIDENCE FROM INDONESIA

This research argues that there is conflict of interest between managers and shareholders. The conflict also varies based on growth opportunities. This research argues that disciplinary role exist in debt policy with the use of free cash flow hypothesis. This research explores the implications of free cash flow hypothesis concerning the disciplinary role of ownership structure in corporate debt policy. Managerial ownership and internal institutional are other mechanism to reduce agency conflict also has a significant impact on debt policy. The relationship between managerial ownership, internal institutional ownership, and debt policy is interdependence, as known as balancing of agency theory. This study uses 1264 observation of 154 listed Indonesian firms between the years 1995 until 2003. Three state least square (2SLS) model will be use for statistical and analytical purposes. This study finds (1) the relationship between debt and free cash flow are positive, but the relation differ between low-growth firms and high-growth firms, (2) internal institutional shareholders as control mechanism of agency conflict will have negative relationship with deb (balancing of agency theory)t, (3) the balancing of agency theory also hold between managerial ownership and debt policy.
Accessory columbite to tantalite, tapiolite and zircon: products of extreme fractionation in highly peraluminous pegmatitic granite from the Povazsky Inovec Mountains, Western Carpathians, Slovakia

* �Correspondingauthor Accessory Fe-rich columbite-group minerals, tapiolite and Hf-rich zircon occur in Hercynian pegmatitic leucogranite near Duchonka, Považský Inovec Mts. , western Slovakia. The host rock represents highly peraluminous and fraction- ated S-type pegmatitic leucogranite with ASI = 1.27, Eu N /Eu* N = 0.16, Rb/Sr = 7.2, Ta/Nb = 1.1 and Zr/Hf = 21, but not enriched in Li, B, Be or P. Columbite-tantalite, tapiolite and hafnian zircon form discrete crystals, 30 to 350 µm in size, in association with quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar, muscovite, sillimanite, almandine-spessartine and fluorapatite. Columbite-tantalite crystals show coarse oscillatory zoning, usually with border parts enriched in Ta. Locally, there is a reversal trend of zoning (decrease of Ta towards the border parts), or irregular convoluted zoning as a result of late- magmatic to subsolidus dissolution-reprecipitation. The composition of columbite-tantalite shows a relatively constant Mn/(Mn + Fe) ratio (0.20-0.27, locally 0.35-0.40), but extreme variations of the Ta/(Ta + Nb) ratio (0.18-0.72). Ratios higher than 0.63 plot inside the tantalite-tapiolite miscibility gap. Ferrotapiolite is mainly homogenous and shows relatively consistent compositions with Mn/(Mn + Fe) = 0.03-0.04 and Ta/(Ta + Nb) = 0.88-0.97. Metamict zircon (5 to 120 μm in size) exhibits tiny uraninite inclusions, high Hf contents (6 to 23 wt. % HfO 2 , 0.06-0.23 Hf apfu), and locally elevated P, As and U contents, whereas Y and REE concentrations are low. Unusually widely variable and high Ta/Nb and Hf/Zr ratios in the accessory minerals are probably the product of extreme local Nb-Ta and Zr-Hf fractiona- tion in highly peraluminous granite-pegmatite system.
Quarterly inflation rate target and forecasts in Romania

In this study, we proposed some inflation rate predictions based on econometric models that performed better than the targets of the National Bank of Romania. Few econometric models (multiple regressions model and a vector-autoregression) were used to predict the quarterly inflation rate in Romania during 2000:Q1-2016:Q4. The GDP growth has a negative impact on inflation rate in Romania, an increase in logarithm of GDP with one percentage point determining a decrease in inflation logarithm with less than 0.1 units according to both proposed models. However, an increase in inflation rate in the previous period determined an increase in this variable in the current period. The inverse of unemployment rate is positively correlated with the index of prices. The causal relationship between inflation rate and unemployment rate is reciprocal. In the first period the index of prices evolution is explained only by changes in this variable. The inflation rate volatility is due mainly to the evolution of this indicator, the influence decreasing insignificantly in time, not descending under 88%. More than 99% of the variation in unemployment rate is explained by the own volatility for all lags. The annual forecasts based on these models performed better than the targets on the horizon 2015-2016.
Characterization of the DEAD-Box RNA Helicase CshA from Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus compte parmi les bacteries pathogenes Gram-positives les plus importantes au niveau des infections severes chez l’homme. Les travaux de cette these sont consacres a l’analyse de l’helicase CshA chez la bacterie Staphylococcus aureus. En premier lieu, les caracterisations biochimiques et enzymatiques de l’helicase CshA ont ete etudiees. Par la suite, son role potentiel dans la cellule a ete eclairci a l’aide d’experiences de polysomes, de spectrometrie de masse ou de qRT-PCR. Les resultats obtenus ont pu mettre en evidence l’implication de CshA au sein du complexe multiproteique appele degradosome d’ARN. Enfin, CshA a pu etre definie comme une importante proteine influencant la regulation de facteurs de virulence de S. aureus par le biais de son role dans le degradosome regissant la stabilite des ARNm notamment l’ARN messager du regulateur global Agr.
Leaf Warblers (Phylloscopus spp.) As a Model Group in Migration Ecology Studies

Leaf Warblers (Phylloscopus spp.) As a Model Group in Migration Ecology Studies The aim of this paper is to review information on systematic position, distribution ranges, habitat requirements, morphology, and ecology of the leaf warblers (Phylloscopus spp.). Closely related species of this group present different migration strategies. Exhibiting many inter-specific similarities in morphology and ecological requirements, leaf warblers reveal high intra-specific variability. The morphological differentiation of individual species, subspecies, populations, and age-sex groups, affords considerable possibilities for migration studies, especially those concerning the basis of migration strategy. Leaf warblers make a group of model species, being a good subject for ecological studies. The knowledge of their migration strategies may be a good reference point for understanding a general pattern of the migration of European passerines.
Outliers in the spectrum for products of independent random matrices

For fixed positive integers m, we consider the product of m independent n by n random matrices with iid entries as in the limit as n tends to infinity. Under suitable assumptions on the entries of each matrix, it is known that the limiting empirical distribution of the eigenvalues is described by the m-th power of the circular law. Moreover, this same limiting distribution continues to hold if each iid random matrix is additively perturbed by a bounded rank deterministic error. However, the bounded rank perturbations may create one or more outlier eigenvalues. We describe the asymptotic location of the outlier eigenvalues, which extends a result of Terence Tao for the case of a single iid matrix. Our methods also allow us to consider several other types of perturbations, including multiplicative perturbations.
Field-based constraints on the origin of the Benton Uplift, Ouachita Mountains

The Ouachita Mountains are an east-west trending fold-and-thrust belt exposed in west central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. The Mississippian-Pennsylvanian Ouachita orogeny occurred when the Sabine arc terrane collided during south-facing subduction, during closure of the Cambrian passive margin of the North American plate. Deep-water Paleozoic strata were incorporated into an accretionary wedge as the Sabine terrane approached the North American plate. Folds and thrust faults in the Ouachita Mountains generally verge north due to tectonic transport of an accretionary wedge from south to north. Structures in the Benton and Broken Bow Uplifts (located in the core of the wedge) locally appear antithetic to this deformation, i.e., a sub-set of data from both uplifts consists of south-vergent thrust faults and asymmetric to overturned folds. Interpretations for the formation of south-vergent structures includes the subsequent overturning of thrusts and other initially north-vergent structures (i.e. Blythe, 1988; Nielsen, 1989; Arbenz, 2008) as well as antivergent folding of originally northvergent folds during thrust fault reactivation (i.e. Babaei, 1990). Field data from the southwestern Benton Uplift in west-central Arkansas are most consistent with south-directed backthrusting, as indicated by asymmetric z-folds defined by the Arkansas Novaculite and thrust-duplication of north-dipping Paleozoic strata. Out-of-sequence backthrusting is attributed to internal wedge thickening as explained by the critical taper model (Davis et al., 1983; Dahlen, 1990). The Ouachita Mountains Paleozoic strata are cut by steeply-dipping conjugate joints that strike NNW and NNE. The conjugate joint set is inferred to represent north-south shortening parallel to the maximum compressive paleostress direction, and east-west extension parallel to the Ouachita orogenic front (and the minimum compressive paleostress direction). The joints are interpreted as a record of orogen-parallel extension. In the context of “critical taper” mechanics, this extension would be driven by late-stage sub-vertical thinning of the Ouachita accretionary wedge, i.e., due to a transient sub-vertical reorientation of maximum compressive paleostress. Data from this study, however, provide preliminary evidence for non-plane strain lateral spreading of the wedge, i.e. sub-horizontal orogeny-parallel extension, following emplacement onto North American continental crust. This thesis is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council.
Study on Solid Base Calcium Oxide as a Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Production of Biodiesel

Biodiesel is the monoalkyl esters of long chain fatty acids are derived from vegetable oils and animal fats. The waste chicken eggshell was applied as raw material for the preparation of heterogeneous catalyst in biodiesel production. Prior to use, the waste chicken egg shell was converted into calcium oxide (CaO) by calcining at 900 °C for 4 h. The selected reaction conditions were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The catalytic activity of the catalyst in transesterification of waste frying palm oil with methanol was evaluated, and the experimental results was found that the maximum yield of fatty acid methyl esters was 94% at the following reaction conditions: reaction temperature of 60 °C, a reaction period of 4 h, a ratio of methanol to oil at 9:1, and amount of catalyst at 9% wt of oil. The base catalyst CaO can be successfully utilized for the production of biodiesel.