Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Structure - Conduct - Performance Paradigm in the European Union Banking

DOI: 10.14254/2071789X.2017/10-4/8 ABSTRACT. In this study we investigate the structure and performance at the European Union (EU) banking market as a whole between 2008 and 2015. The structure of this banking market was measured by two main concentration indices: the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) and the Concentration Ratio for 5 largest banks (CR5). The results show a stable development in concentration until 2012, and a significant decrease in 2012. Since 2013, the level of concentration increased, reaching its historical maximum at the end of 2014, when the increase in market concentration was reflecting primarily the decline in the number of credit institutions. The performance was measured by means of profitability indicators: the Return on Assets (ROA) and the Return on Equity (ROE). Since 2008, the development of the market in question was affected by the financial crisis, which resulted in low profitability till the end of 2013. In more recent years the profitability in European banking market slightly increased. The purpose of this paper was to examine the relations between structure and performance. We tried to test the presence of structure-conductperformance (SCP) paradigm in the EU conditions. The presence of this paradigm was verified using the Granger causality test for panel data. The results of our analysis show that under the studied conditions only the one-way relationship running from banking sector performance to banking market concentration was approved. The findings do not confirm the presence of the SCP paradigm, but are in line with the quiet life hypothesis, thus indicating there is a negative relationship between concentration and performance at European banking market.
Sedimentological, modal analysis and geochemical studies of desert and coastal dunes, Altar Desert, NW Mexico

Sedimentological, compositional and geochemical determinations were carried out on 54 desert and coastal dune sand samples to study the provenance of desert and coastal dunes of the Altar Desert, Sonora, Mexico. Grain size distributions of the desert dune sands are influenced by the Colorado River Delta sediment supply and wind selectiveness. The desert dune sands are derived mainly from the quartz‐rich Colorado River Delta sediments and sedimentary lithics. The dune height does not exert a control over the grain size distributions of the desert dune sands. The quartz enrichment of the desert dune sands may be due to wind sorting, which concentrates more quartz grains, and to the aeolian activity, which has depleted the feldspar grains through subaerial collisions. The desert dune sands suffer from little chemical weathering and they are chemically homogeneous, with chemical alteration indices similar to those found in other deserts of the world. The desert sands have been more influenced by sedimentary and granitic sources. This is supported by the fact that Ba and Sr concentration values of the desert sands are within the range of the Ba and Sr concentration values of the Colorado River quartz‐rich sediments. The Sr values are also linked to the presence of Ca‐bearing minerals. The Zr values are linked to the sedimentary sources and heavy mineral content in the desert dunes.
A non-linear procedure for the numerical analysis of crack development in beams failing in shear

In this work, a consistent formulation for the representation of concrete behavior before and after cracking has been implemented into a non-linear model for the analysis of reinforced concrete structures, named 2D-PARC. Several researches have indeed pointed out that the adoption of an effective modeling for concrete, combined with an accurate failure criterion, is crucial for the correct prediction of the structural behavior, not only in terms of failure load, but also with reference to a realistic representation of crack initiation and development. This last aspect is particularly relevant at serviceability conditions in order to verify the fulfillment of structural requirements provided by Design Codes, which limit the maximum crack width due to appearance and durability issues. In more details, a constitutive model originally proposed by Ottosen and based on non-linear elasticity has been here incorporated into 2D-PARC in order to improve the numerical efficiency of the adopted algorithm, providing at the same time an accurate prediction of the structural response. The effectiveness of this procedure has been verified against significant experimental results available in the technical literature and relative to reinforced concrete beams without stirrups failing in shear, which represent a problem of great theoretical and practical importance in the field of structural engineering. Numerical results have been compared to experimental evidences not only in terms of global structural response (i.e. applied load vs. midspan deflection), but also in terms of crack pattern evolution and maximum crack widths.
Bioactivity assessment of poly( ε -caprolactone)/hydroxyapatite electrospun fibers for bone tissue engineering application

Electrospinning is useful for fabricating nanofibrous structure with different composition and morphologies. It offers great advantages through its geometrical structure and biomimetic property, which can provide a suitable environmental site for cell growth. The fiber diameter is entangled by the concentration of PCL with some adjustment of parameters during electrospinning process. PCL with lower concentration had bead structure while higher concentration had smooth fiber. The incorporation of nanoparticle hydroxyapatite (nHA) into poly(e-caprolactone) fiber was studied. The fiber diameter of PCL was increased with the addition of nHA. Composition of fiber at lower concentrations of PCL and nHA into the polymer produced fiber with a homogenous distribution of nHA in PCL fiber with less agglomeration. The immersion of PCL/nHA fiber in simulated body fluid (SBF) had bonelike apatite layer on its surface while PCL showed no results. PCL/nHA showed high water uptake and had improved wettability compared to PCL alone, suggesting that PCL/nHA fibers were more hydrophilic than PCL fiber.
Visual and ultraviolet flux variability of the bright CP star θ Aurigae

Context. Chemically peculiar stars of the upper part of the main sequence show periodical variability in line intensities and continua, modulated by the stellar rotation, which is attributed to the existence of chemical spots on the surface of these stars. The flux variability is caused by the changing redistribution rate of the radiative flux predominantly from the short-wavelength part of the spectra to the long-wavelength part, which is a result of abundance anomalies. Many details of this process are still unknown. Aims. We study the nature of the multi-spectral variability of one of the brightest chemically peculiar stars, theta Aur. Methods. We predict the flux variability of theta Aur from the emerging intensities calculated for individual surface elements of the star taking into account horizontal variation of chemical composition. The surface chemical composition was derived from Doppler abundance maps. Results. The simulated optical variability in the Stromgren photometric system and the ultraviolet flux variability agree well with observations. The IUE flux distribution is reproduced in great detail by our models in the near ultraviolet region. A minor disagreement remains between the observed and predicted fluxes in the far ultraviolet region. The resonance lines of magnesium and possibly also some lines of silicon are relatively weak in the ultraviolet domain, which indicates non-negligible vertical abundance gradients in the atmosphere. We also derive a new period of the star, P = 3.618 664(10) d, from all available photometric and magnetic measurements and show that the observed rotational period is constant over decades. Conclusions. The ultraviolet and visual variability of theta Aur is mostly caused by silicon bound-free absorption and chromium and iron line absorption. Manganese also contributes to the variability, but to a lesser extent. These elements redistribute the flux mainly from the far-ultraviolet region to the near-ultraviolet and optical regions in the surface abundance spots. The light variability is modulated by the stellar rotation. The ultraviolet domain is key for understanding the properties of chemically peculiar stars. It provides a detailed test for surface abundance models and comprises many lines that originate from states with a low excitation potential, which enable detecting vertical abundance gradients.
Response of sunflower varieties to NPK fertilization

This study was executed at Agriculture Research Institute (ARI) Tarnab (Peshawar) to evaluate the response of sunflower varieties (hybrids) to different combinations of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potash (NPK). Four sunflower varieties (hybrids i.e Aritar-93, Peshawar-93, Hysun-33 and SF-187) were sown with five levels of NPK (40:40:40, 80:50:50, 120:60:60, 160:70:70 and 200:80:80 kg ha-1) using two factorial randomized complete block design with three replications. With the increase of NPK levels, significant increase for disc diameter (13%), plant height (4%), days to maturity (8%), 1000 grain weight (9%), biological yield (20%) and grain yield (12%) were recorded with the exception of filled grain head-1. Better performance was observed for 200-80-80 kg ha-1 NPK than the rest of the fertilizer treatments. The interaction between fertilizers and varieties (F × V) had non-significant effect on all parameters; however, varieties were significantly different from one another. Hybrids i.e SF-187 and Hysun-33 performed best among the four hybrids in all parameters with yield capacity of 1408 and 1267 kg grain ha-1 respectively. Thus it is suggested to apply NPK at the rate of 200-80-80 kg ha-1 to hybrids SF-187 and Hysun-33 for obtaining good yield of sun flower among the studied combinations. Keywords: Grain yield; Hybrids; Nitrogen; Phosphrou; Potassium; Sunflower http://dx.doi. org/10.19045/bspab.2017. 60024
Optimal Spatial Taxation: Are Big Cities Too Small?

We analyze the role of optimal income taxation across different local labor markets. Should labor in large cities be taxed differently than in small cities? We find that a planner who needs to raise revenue and is constrained by free mobility of labor across cities does not choose equal taxes for cities of different sizes. The optimal tax schedule is location specific and tax differences between large and small cities depends on the level of government spending and on the concentration of housing wealth. Our estimates for the US implies higher marginal rates in big cities, but lower than what is observed. Simulating the US economy under the optimal tax schedule, there are large effects on population mobility: the fraction of population in the 5 largest cities grows by 8.0% with 3.5% of the country-wide population moving to bigger cities. The welfare gains however are smaller. Aggregate consumption goes up by 1.53%. This is due to the fact that much of the output gains are spent on the increased costs of housing construction in bigger cities. Aggregate housing consumption goes down by 1.75%.
Experimental Study on the Impact of External Geometrical Shape on Free and Forced Convection Time Dependent Average Heat Transfer Coefficient during Cooling Process

In this research, an experimental study was conducted to high light the impact of the exterior shape of a cylindrical body on the forced and free convection heat transfer coefficients when the body is hold in the entrance of an air duct. The impact of changing the body location within the air duct and the air speed are also demonstrated. The cylinders were manufactured with circular, triangular and square sections of copper for its high thermal conductivity with appropriate dimensions, while maintaining the surface area of all shapes to be the same. Each cylinder was heated to a certain temperature and put inside the duct at certain locations. The temperature of the cylinder was then monitored. The heat transfer coefficient were then calculated for forced convection for several Reynolds number (4555-18222). The study covered free convection impact for values of Rayleigh number ranging between (1069-3321). Imperical relationships were obtained for all cases of forced and free convection and compared with equations of circular cylindrical shapes found in literature. These imperical equations were found to be in good comparison with that of other sources.
CEOs´ MONETARY INCENTIVES AND PERFORMANCE OF MEXICAN FIRMS

How to cite this paper: WatkinsFassler, K. (2017). CEOs ́ monetary incentives and performance of Mexican firms. Corporate Board: role, duties and composition, 13(1), 36-46. http://dx.doi. org/10.22495/cbv13i1p4 Copyright © 2017 The Authors This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC
Five-Equation Macroeconomics: A Simple View of the Interactions between Fiscal Policy and Monetary Policy

This paper studies the interactions of fiscal and monetary policy when they stabilise a single economy against shocks in a dynamic setting. We assume that fiscal and monetary policies both stabilise the economy only by causing changes to aggregate demand. Our findings are as follows. If the both policymakers are benevolent, then the best outcome is achieved when the fiscal authority allows monetary policy to perform nearly all of the burden of stabilising the economy. If the monetary authorities are benevolent, but the fiscal authorities have distorted objectives, then a Nash equilibrium will result in large welfare losses: unilateral efforts by each authority to stabilise the economy will result in a rapid accumulation of public debt. However, if the monetary authorities are benevolent and the fiscal authorities have distorted objectives, but there is a regime of fiscal leadership, then the outcome will be very nearly as good as it is in the regime in which both policymakers are benevolent.
An optical spectroscopic survey of the 3CR sample of radio galaxies with z < 0.3 - V. Implications for the unified model for FR IIs

We explore the implications of our optical spectroscopic survey of 3CR radio sources with z < 0.3 for the unified model (UM) for radio-loud AGN, focusing on objects with a 'edge-brightened' (FR II) radio morphology. The sample contains 33 high ionization galaxies (HIGs) and 18 broad line objects (BLOs). According to the UM, HIGs, the narrow line sources, are the nuclearly obscured counterparts of BLOs. The fraction of HIGs indicates a covering factor of the circumnuclear matter of 65% that corresponds, adopting a torus geometry, to an opening angle of 50 ◦ ±5. No dependence on redshift and luminosity on the torus opening angle emerges. We also consider the implications for a 'clumpy' torus. The distributions of total radio luminosity of HIGs and BLOs are not statistically distinguishable, as expected from the UM. Conversely, BLOs have a radio core dominance, R, more than ten times larger with respect to HIGs, as expected in case of Doppler boosting when the jets in BLOs are preferentially oriented closer to the line of sight than in HIGs. Modeling the R distributions leads to an estimate of the jet bulk Lorentz factor of � 3 5. The test of the UM based on the radio source size is not conclusive due to the limited number of objects and because the size distribution is dominated by the intrinsic scatter rather than by projection effects. The (O II) line luminosities in HIGs and BLOs are similar but the (O III) and (O I) lines are higher in BLOs by a factor of � 2. We ascribe this effect to the presence of a line emitting region located within the walls of the obscuring torus, visible in BLOs but obscured in HIGs, with a density higher than the (O II) critical density. We find evidence that BLOs have broader (O I) and (O III) lines than HIGs of similar (O II) width, as expected in the presence of high density gas in the proximity of the central black hole. In conclusion, the radio and narrow line region (NLR) properties of HIGs and BLOs are consistent with the UM predictions when the partial obscuration of the NLR is taken into account. We also explored the radio properties of 21 3CR low ionization galaxies (LIGs) with a FR II radio morphology at z<0.3. We find evidence that they cannot be part of the model that unifies HIGs and BLOs, but they are instead intrinsically different source, still reproduced by a randomly oriented population.
Quantum escape of the phase in a strongly driven Josephson junction

A quantum-mechanical analysis of the Josephson phase escape in the presence of both dc and ac bias currents is presented. We find that the potential barrier for the escape of the phase is effectively suppressed as the resonant condition occurs, i.e., when the frequency v of the ac bias matches the Josephson-junction energy-level separation. This effect manifests itself by a pronounced drop in the dependence of the switching current I s on the power W of the applied microwave radiation and by a peculiar double-peak structure in the switching current distribution P(I s). The developed theory is in a good accord with an experiment which we also report in this paper. The obtained features can be used to characterize certain aspects of the quantummechanical behavior of the Josephson phase, such as the energy level quantization, the Rabi frequency of coherent oscillations, and the effect of damping. Considerable attention has been devoted to the experimental and theoretical study of Josephson junctions in the presence of externally applied microwave radiation. The well-known effects are Shapiro steps in the current-voltage characteristics and features due to photon-assisted tunneling of quasiparticles. 1 Moreover, microwave radiation can be used to probe the macroscopic quantum-mechanicalbehavior of the Josephson phase such as the energy-level quantization 2‐ 4 and the recently observed quantum coherent Rabi oscillations. 5,6 The observation of these effects has proven that the laws of quantum mechanics can be applied to dissipative systems. The interest in this field has also been boosted by the possibility to use Josephson junctions as superconducting qubits. 5,6 The quantum-mechanical properties of the Josephson phase can be studied most directly when the Josephson phase interacts resonantly with the external microwave radiation. 2,3,5‐7 Such an interaction leads to the resonant absorption of photons, which induces transitions between the energy levels of the Josephson phase and thus to a pronounced increase of the population of excited levels. It is also well known that thermal and quantum fluctuations lead to a premature switching of the junction from the superconducting state to the resistive state at a random value of dc bias I s,I c , where I c is the critical current in the absence of fluctuations. 1‐3 In this case, the escape of the Josephson phase can be characterized by the switching current distribution P(I s) measured by ramping up the current at a constant rate. The resonant absorption of photons in a Josephson junction results in an enhancement of the rate of the phase escape at a particular dc bias I r . 2‐ 4,7 The value I r is found from the resonant condition as the frequency v ~or nv, where n is an integer number, for multiphoton absorption 7 ! matches the energy-level separation
To what extent is capital really internationally mobile? : assessments from a Norwegian perspective

While evidence of smooth international interest rate arbitrage suggests that financial centers in various industrial countries are well integrated, it is still not clear whether investment and consumption patterns as well as portfolio compositions reflect a high degree of “real” capital mobility. This paper attempts to assess the degree of real capital mobility between Norway and the rest of the world by means of i) saving-investment balances, ii) the portfolio composition of private Norwegian investors and iii) consumption correlations between Norway and the other Nordic countries. We argue that the degree of capital mobility has gradually increased to fairly high levels. This implies that Norwegian economic policy (tax policy, wealth management) should not be reformulated based on the idea, which recently has received a lot of attention in the Norwegian wealth management debate, that “capital is not that mobile after all”. JEL classification: F32, F36
Orally Administered D-Aspartate Depresses Rectal Temperature and Alters Plasma Triacylglycerol and Glucose Concentrations in Broiler Chicks

L-Aspartate (L-Asp), D-aspartate (D-Asp) or their chemical conjugates plays important physiological roles in regulating food intake, plasma metabolites and thermoregulation in animals. However, there are very few studies available in layers and no reports have been found in broilers. Broilers are very important commercial birds for meat production, so effects of L- or D-Asp in broilers would provide new physiological insight of this strain. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of oral administration of L- or D-Asp on feed intake, rectal temperature and some plasma metabolites in broiler chicks. Broiler chicks (5 days old) were orally administered with different doses (0, 3.75, 7.5 and 15 mmol/kg body weight) of L- or D-Asp. At 120 min after administration of L- or D-Asp, the blood was immediately collected through the jugular vein. The rectal temperature of chicks was measured at 30, 60 and 120 min after administration using a digital thermometer with an accuracy of ±0.1°C, by inserting the thermistor probe in the rectum to a depth of 2 cm. A repeated-measures two-way ANOVA was applied for the analysis of feed intake and rectal temperature. Plasma metabolites were statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA and regression equations. The study showed that oral administration of both L- and D-Asp did not alter feed intake. However, D-Asp, but not L-Asp, dose-dependently decreased the rectal temperature in chicks. It was also found that D-Asp increased plasma glucose and decreased triacylglycerol concentrations. The changes in plasma metabolites further indicate that D-Asp treatment modulates the energy metabolism in broiler chicks. In conclusion, D-Asp may be a beneficial nutrient not only for layers but also for broilers, since orally administered D-Asp lowered rectal temperature without reducing feed intake.
Assessment of the Distribution of Herbivores in the Elephant Corridors,Mettupalayam Forest Range, Tamil Nadu, India

Mettupalayam is located at 11.3000°N 76.9500°E. It has an average elevation of 314 metres (MSL). Mettupalayam is situated on the bank of Bhavani River at the foot of the Nilgiri mountains. Population density, distribution pattern of herbivores is very important for conservation as the presence of herbivore population represents the carnivores’ activity of that particular habitat. Both herbivores and carnivore population density are important for management and conserving a particular habitat especially the biodiversity hot spots that sustain the existence of wild animals having a qualified and balanced habitat meeting out the pyramidal quotients that are required for the effective functioning of the bio-system and the flow of energy between the tiers. The line transects and distance sampling methodology was used to estimate population densities of both the carnivores and herbivores in Mettupalayam Forest Range especially in the three elephant corridors, The Jaccanari-Vedar Colony corridor, Kallar-Jaccanari corridor, Kallar- Nellithurai corridor. Hence, considering the potentiality of long term conservation value and existing and growing human population in the Mettupalayam Forest Range it is essential to know the status and distribution pattern of herbivores for conservation management. The aim of this paper was to identify the major herbivore population in the elephant corridors so as to get the overview of the bearing effect of these species, the co-existing interactions and its habitat utilization.