Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deciding to Wait: Partnership Status, Economic Conditions, and Pregnancy during the Great Recession

The Great Recession was associated with reduced fertility in the United States. Many questions about the dynamics underlying this reduction remain unanswered, however, including whether reduced fertility rates were driven by decreases in intended or unplanned pregnancies. Using restricted data from the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth (N = 4,630), we exploit variation in state economic indicators to assess the impact of economic conditions on the likelihood of an intended pregnancy, an unplanned pregnancy, or no pregnancy for adult women without a college education. We focus on variations by partnership and marital status. Overall, we find that worse economic conditions were predictive of a lower risk of unplanned pregnancy. Women's odds of intended pregnancy did not, however, respond uniformly to economic conditions but varied by marital status. When economic conditions were poor, married women had lower odds of intended pregnancy, whereas cohabiting women had greater odds of intended pregnancy.
Retrieval of long-wave tsunami Green’s function from the cross-correlation of continuous ocean waves excited by far-field random noise sources on the basis of a first-order Born approximation

We investigate the theoretical background for the retrieval of the tsunami Green’s function from the cross-correlation of continuous ocean waves. Considering that a tsunami is a long-wavelength ocean wave described by 2-D linear long-wave equations, and that the sea-bottom topography acts as a set of point-like scatterers, we use a first-order Born approximation in deriving the tsunami Green’s function having coda waves. The scattering pattern is non-isotropic and symmetrical with respect to the forward and backward directions. We indicate a retrieval process which shows that the derivative of the cross-correlation function of wavefields at two receivers with respect to the lag time gives the tsunami Green’s function when point noise sources generating continuous ocean waves are distributed far from, and surrounding, the two receivers. Note that this relation between the cross-correlation and the Green’s function is different from the case in which uncorrelated plane-wave incidence from all directions is assumed to be continuous ocean waves. The Green’s function retrieved from continuous ocean waves will be used as a reference to examine the validity of the Green’s function obtained by numerical simulations.
Determinants of Commercial Banks Profitability: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan

As profitability is a comparative measure that describes the associations of total amount of profit with different factors. Thisstudy examines the influence of commercial banks determinants on the performance of commercial banks in Pakistan over the time period from 2004-2010. Consistency in performance is the basic reason for smooth running and presence of every financial institution.Profitability is the most significant and consistent indicator as it contributes huge amount of profitthat ultimately impacts its performance positively. The commercial bank’s profitability is found out by the return on equity (ROE) and net-interest margin(NIM). Result indicates that the capital strength of a bank is utmost significance in affecting its performance, as a well-capitalized bank is observed to be less risky and such edge lead to high profitability. The assets quality, measured by the loans loss provisions, affects the performance of the banks positively and bank size as deposit indicates direct association with profitability as large banks earn more profit instead of small banks. Inflation and NIGI affects the bank’s profitability inversely as increase inflation affects banks cost that increased and its earning main source is its fee that it charge on its services but free services without any charges decrease in gross income that lead a reduction in profit. This study is important and worthwhile for all commercial banks mangers regarding performance decisions of banks. As the development of the banking sector depends profoundly on strong decision making that leads to the efficiency and performance
Forecasting Australian GDP Growth Using Coefficients Constrained by A Term Structure Model

Yield spread between long and short bonds has been used to forecast economic activity for a long time and has yielded some positive results, particularly for the U.S. data. Recently it has been shown that the forecast can be improved by incorporating the economic activity variable into a term structure model with observable factors. The idea is to constrain the parameters of the system by the term structure model and see whether the constrained model produces better forecasts for the economic activity. This has been done for the U.S. We test this model on Australian GDP growth. We find the forecast results using constrained parameters are quite poor compared to those for the unconstrained model. The reason is that in the traditional affine yield model, researchers normally assume a mean reverting process for factors such as short rate. When this is not supported by the data, the forecast results could be quite poor. To overcome this problem, one might want to twist the affine factor model so that it can accommodate non-mean reverting processes for factors such as the short rate.
Option Valuation with Observable Volatility and Jump Dynamics

Under very general conditions, the total quadratic variation of a jump-diffusion process can be decomposed into diffusive volatility and squared jump variation. We use this result to develop a new option valuation model in which the underlying asset price exhibits volatility and jump intensity dynamics. The volatility and jump intensity dynamics in the model are directly driven by model-free empirical measures of diffusive volatility and jump variation. Because the empirical measures are observed in discrete intervals, our option valuation model is cast in discrete time, allowing for straightforward filtering and estimation of the model. Our model belongs to the affine class enabling us to derive the conditional characteristic function so that option values can be computed rapidly without simulation. When estimated on S&P500 index options and returns the new model performs well compared with standard benchmarks.
Degree of Ice Particle Surface Roughness Inferred from Polarimetric Observations

Abstract. The degree of surface roughness of ice particles within thick, cold ice clouds is inferred from multi-directional, multi-spectral satellite polarimetric observations over oceans, assuming a column-aggregate particle habit. An improved roughness inference scheme is employed that provides a more noise-resilient roughness estimate than the conventional best-fit approach. The improvements include the introduction of a quantitative roughness parameter based on empirical orthogonal function analysis and proper treatment of polarization due to atmospheric scattering above clouds. A global 1-month data sample supports the use of a severely roughened ice habit to simulate the polarized reflectivity associated with ice clouds over ocean. The density distribution of the roughness parameter inferred from the global 1-month data sample and further analyses of a few case studies demonstrate the significant variability of ice cloud single-scattering properties. However, the present theoretical results do not agree with observations in the tropics. In the extratropics, the roughness parameter is inferred but 74 % of the sample is out of the expected parameter range. Potential improvements are discussed to enhance the depiction of the natural variability on a global scale.
Rib strain fields corridors in side and oblique impact based on PMHS tests

This paper presents the results of a study performed in the framework of the European THOMO project. The objective is to define corridors of rib strain fields measured on human ribs in side and oblique impacts. These corridors could define validation targets for models or dummies. In 2008, Trosseille et al has shown the interest to measure rib strain on post-mortem human subjects, in order to discriminate several loading conditions (hub, airbag) in side, oblique and frontal impact. Moreover, the rib strains were strongly linked to the rib fracture location. In order to build corridors of strain fields, a set of twelve post-mortem human subject dynamic tests were performed in side and oblique impact, in order to complete existing tests. The ribcage was instrumented with more than 100 strain gauges on the rib, cartilage and sternum. The paper presents the methodology and the test results, regarding the injuries and measurements. The results of the analysis of rib strain gauges are shown. Rib strain fields corridors are given in side and oblique impacts, for impactor and airbag tests. Several perspectives are given using these data for the development of finite-element models, and specifically for the development of the Thorax of the Global Human Body Model.
Macroinvertebrates as tadpole food: importance and body size relationships

Macroinvertebrates as food were recorded for three anurans tadpoles: Hyla saxicola (Bokermann, 1964) (Hylidae), Scinax machadoi (Bokermann & Sazima, 1973) (Hylidae), and Bufo rubescens (Lutz, 1925) (Bufonidae). These species are commonly found in the mountain streams at Serra do Cipo National Park, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Tadpoles were collected in pools of second-order reach in Mascates stream and third and fourth order reaches of Indaia stream from March-October, 2003. Biometrical data were recorded before dissecting each individual and a feeding importance index was estimated. Eight taxa of chironomids and three taxa of mayfly exuviae were found in the guts, but no significantly differences were found between tadpole species (ANOVA, p > 0.05). The results support the drift transport hypothesis that predicts that tadpoles commonly ingest suspended matter in lotic ecosystems, are generalist feeders, and macroinvertebrates are probably incidental ingested.
MEASUREMENT AND LEVEL OF INFRASOUND FROM WIND FARMS AND OTHER SOURCES

Infrasound is generated by a range of natural and engineered sources. The measurement of infrasound at low levels requires a specific methodology, as it is readily affected by even light surface breezes on the microphone. Such a methodology, based on measurements below the ground surface in a test chamber, has been developed to measure infrasound at two Australian wind farms and also in the vicinity of a beach, a coastal cliff, the city of Adelaide and a power station. The measured levels have been compared between each source and against the infrasound audibility threshold of 85 dB(G). The measured level of infrasound within the wind farms is well below the audibility threshold and is similar to that of urban and coastal environments and near other engineered noise sources.
Some Theoretical Considerations for Studying Linguistic Politeness in Japanese

The present paper deals with linguistic politeness in Japanese. While giving an overview of the subject matter, this paper aims to raise attention to some theoretical issues necessary to be considered for pursuing the meaning of individual linguistic manipulation in discourse, particularly the style shift between formal and plain forms, in relation to culturally constructed norms in the society. The discussion is based on the assumption that the choice of a certain style among other alternatives manifests the speaker’s recognition of his/her social position in relation to the other speech participants. It is suggested that style-shifting practiced in both written and spoken discourse can be studied as a key for the understanding of linguistic politeness in Japanese. Prior to the investigation of strategic use of Japanese polite forms surfaced in ongoing social interactions, the notion of various linguistic signs is discussed in this paper in terms of the two concepts being operative in discourse: “power and solidarity” (Brown and Gilman, 1972). Taking the dichotomy of in-group and out-group into consideration, style-shifting from one form to the other is characterized as an index to defi ne and redefi ne social relationships in a given speech context.
The Determinants of Share Repurchases in Europe

In this paper, we assess which firm-characteristics are associated with a firm's decision to announce a share repurchase programme in a cross-country framework. In the models, we incorporate firm-specific financial characteristics and measures of share price performance. We find that size, cash dividends, and ownership concentration consistently have a significant impact on share repurchase announcements in all three countries under study. However, the share price performance does not explain the decision to announce a share repurchase. The robustness of the proposed models is investigated across different dimensions of sample-matching methods and with a boot-strap technique. Finally, we construct a number of models with a robust predictive ability of a firm's likelihood to announce a share repurchase.
Innovative Work Behavior (IWB) in the Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) Sector in Malaysia: The Effect of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) and Social Capital (SC)

Today, innovation is no longer belongs to the research and development (R&D) lab per se. In fact, innovation can be considered more of a product of the human creative mind with an inherent tacit knowledge. In order to be a successful knowledge-based economy, employees must continually be innovative. As such, this research which relates to innovation by and large will assist in creating better understanding of innovation from the behavioral perspective. In the context of business, innovation has long been embraced by organizations seeking to remain viable, effective and competitive in a dynamic business environment. Looking at the perspective of individual level innovation, this study seeks to examine whether employees’ innovative work behavior (IWB) can be influenced by leader-member exchange (LMX) and the social capital (SC) in the knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) sector in Malaysia. Using questionnaire mail survey a total of 318 data was obtained from the knowledge workers of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status companies in Malaysia. The findings show that LMX and SC was significantly and positively related to IWB. The result also reveals that SC has a stronger influence on the IWB of employees as compared to LMX. Discussions and implications of the study are discussed.
Thematic Organization in MA TEFL Students' Argumentative, Cause and Effect, and Process Types of Writing

It is generally recognized that many second language learners have difficulties with cohesion in academic texts. Writing seems to be the most difficult subject for many students. To produce good writing, it is necessary to know how to organize Theme and Rheme in a text. Thematic structure as an important feature in textual metafunction plays a significant role in promoting the textual coherence. This research is concerned with the insights presenting the relationship between theme and rheme derived from Systemic Functional Linguistics. Halliday (1994) claimed that the structuring of language as a message is realized in the thematic structures of the constituent clauses of a text. To Halliday, the basic unit for thematic analysis is the clause. Thereby, this study was an attempt to compare different thematic types and thematic progression patterns in EFL students' academic writing texts. For this purpose, the researcher selected 30 MA students of English language teaching as the participants of the study after administering a TOEFL test and excluding the outliers. Each participant was required to write three different types of argumentative, process and cause & affect compositions. The collected data were analyzed according to the Thematization process from the textual metafunction aspects. The results showed some differences in the thematic structure of the different types of compositions. The findings of this study have some implications to the EFL students. They can learn to perform the same analysis in their own writings; thus improving cohesion in their own texts. Theme/rheme plays a major role in organizing the message and in enabling it to be communicated and understood clearly.
Evaluation of an Incentive Program on Educational Achievement of Indigenous Students

This article introduces an incentive program that attempts to close the gap in educational attainment between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, and provides an evaluation of its effectiveness. The program uses in-kind incentives conditional on achievement of a specific target for academic grades, classroom behaviour and attendance, coupled with information sessions on the importance of educational achievement. In 2012, all indigenous students enrolled in 21 high schools in Queensland were invited to take part in the program. Using a differences-in-differences design, we find that the program improved classroom behaviour and academic grades and reduced unexplained absences for female students only. In contrast, the program improved scores on a standardised national assessment test for male students. Moreover, we find that the program is only effective for students from intact families.
Motives of circus attendees in South Africa: The case of Cirque du Soleil Dralion

The purpose of this research was to determine the motives of attendees to Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion production in a developing country. The results revealed five key motives, namely uniqueness, enchantment and aesthetics, fun and entertainment, socialisation and social status and act affiliation. Clustering based on these motives revealed three distinct clusters namely Enthusiasts, Novices and Observers. These clusters show that attendees are not homogeneous in terms of their socio-demographic and behavioural profiles. While the Enthusiasts and Observers displayed similar characteristics to other clusters found in previous research, this research made a clear contribution in identifying Novices as a new emerging segment and suggesting the implications of retaining and expanding this market. The findings of this research can greatly assist marketers of these types of production to expand interest in the arts and increase accessibility to a larger audience.
Consensus and Disagreement of Heterogeneous Belief Systems in Influence Networks

Recently, an opinion dynamics model has been proposed to describe a network of individuals discussing a set of logically interdependent topics. For each individual, the set of topics and the logical interdependencies between the topics (captured by a logic matrix) form a belief system. We investigate the role the logic matrix and its structure plays in determining the final opinions, including existence of the limiting opinions, of a strongly connected network of individuals. We provide a set of results that, given a set of individuals’ belief systems, allow a systematic determination of which topics will reach a consensus, and of which topics will disagreement arise. For irreducible logic matrices, each topic reaches a consensus. For reducible logic matrices, which indicates a cascade interdependence relationship, conditions are given on whether a topic will reach a consensus or not. It turns out that heterogeneity among the individuals’ logic matrices, and a cascade interdependence relationship, are necessary conditions for disagreement. Thus, this article attributes for the first time, a strong diversity of limiting opinions to heterogeneity of belief systems in influence networks, in addition to the more typical explanation that strong diversity arises from individual stubbornness.
Domain boundaries on {112̄0} planes in GaN: A theoretical study

Local-density-functional methods are used to examine the atomic geometries, energetics, and electrical properties of different models for domain boundaries on {1120} planes in wurtzite GaN. In agreement with recent experiments, we find that the energetically most favorable model is characterized by a displacement of 1/2 and has no inversion of polarity. In this model all atoms at the boundary are fourfold coordinated and form strong Ga-N bonds, which results in a band gap free from deep states. However, our calculations also suggest that electrically active point defects, in particular gallium vacancies, may segregate to the boundary and thus introduce deep acceptor states.
Quantity VS Quality: Logical-Philosophical and Cognitive Bases of Interaction

The article discusses some interaction aspects of basic universal categories of quantity and quality. Within the logical-philosophical approach, the categories of quantity and quality reflect the objective aspects of existence and the reality objects relationship. This explains the significant correlation between these categories and language: different knowledge formats about the quantitative and qualitative side of being find their linguistic embodiment. Studying these categories interaction from the standpoint of human cognitive activity within anthropocentric linguistics and cognitive-discursive paradigm reveals some new potential for analysis which implies the possibility of qualitative characteristics interpretation of language units with quantitative meaning. The conclusions are: 1) both quality and quantity reflect the objects properties and characteristics, thus showing a close connection which enables the interpretation of quality via quantity; 2) ontologically motivated association of quantity and quality signifies that a language unit contains both explicit (quantitative) and potentially inferred implicit (qualitative) characteristics; 3) QUANTITY as a modus or evaluative concept is the result of the quantitative aspect of being comprehension and is capable to profile the qualitative characteristics of the reality objects; 4) the phenomenon of inference, acting as a ‘bridge’ between quantity and quality is a cognitive basis for the quantitative interpretation of quality.
Description and Initial Evaluation of a Text Message Based Reporting Method for Marine Recreational Anglers

Abstract Despite the large number of marine recreational anglers in the United States, there exist few opportunities for individuals to contribute self-reported effort and catch data directly to fisheries managers. Successfully implemented data collection programs based on self-reported information have been able to provide scientists with additional indices for comparisons with existing fisheries data sets and to increase angler participation and confidence in the fisheries management process. Limitations to self-reported data aside, the lack of a portable, electronic reporting device for the average angler has hindered development of new survey methods. We have developed a simple but fully customizable reporting method by which users can submit basic effort and catch information to an online database via text messages from mobile phones. To evaluate this new approach, we asked captains on behalf of six marine for-hire operations to send a text message to document effort, catch, and disposition of catch by species at the completion of each for-hire trip. Report submission was facilitated by RECTEXT, a compact syntax we developed to allow users to submit information within the technical limitations of a 160-character text message framework. During the course of the 4.5-month evaluation, participants submitted 128 trip-level reports that described 1,957 finfish interactions. Results and feedback from participants indicate that the approach is easy to use, is cost efficient, and allows for real-time reporting of information directly to an online database. In addition to the electronic angler diary application described here, we suggest that future evaluations of this approach be applied to tournament data collection, as the real-time nature of reporting and the organized structure of tournaments may provide a mechanism to both interact with all registered anglers and facilitate design of an unbiased sampling protocol for validating the self-reported data.