Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using wavelets to decompose time-frequency economic relations

Economic agents simultaneously operate at different horizons. Many economic processes are the result of the actions of several agents with different term objectives. Therefore, economic time-series is a combination of components operating on different frequencies. Several questions about the data are connected to the understanding of the time-series behavior at different frequencies. While Fourier analysis is not appropriate to study the cyclical nature of economic time-series, because these are rarely stationary, wavelet analysis performs the estimation of the spectral characteristics of a time-series as a function of time. In spite of all its advantages, wavelets are hardly ever used in economics. The purpose of this paper is to show that cross wavelet analysis can be used to directly study the interactions different time-series in the time-frequency domain. We use wavelets to analyze the impact of interest rate price changes on some macroeconomic variables: Industrial Production, Inflation and the monetary aggregates M1 and M2. Specifically, three tools are utilized: the wavelet power spectrum, wavelet coherency and wavelet phase-difference. These instruments illustrate how the use of wavelets may help to unravel economic time-frequency relations that would otherwise remain hidden.
Assessing Carbon Pools in Dipterocarp Forests of Peninsular Malaysia

A b s t r a c t Modification and loss of forests due to natural and anthropogenic disturbances contribute an estimated 20% of annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide. Accounting GHG emissions associated with forestry, specifically, and land use generally is crucial in recent days because forests play major roles in balancing terrestrial carbon and contribute to the mitigation of global warming and climate change. Consequent to the awareness of climate change, reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation, and conservation (REDD+) programmed was introduced at the international level to promote forest conservation and enhance forest governances. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) came out with protocols on how to account the carbon stored and released from the forests. Principally there are five primary carbon pools in a forest, which are above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, deadwood, litter, and soils that accumulate and in some conditions release carbon. However, about 98% of carbon stored in a forest comprises trees components (aboveground and belowground living biomass, deadwood and litters) and the remaining is stored in soils. Many factors interact to affect the flux dynamics of these carbon pools, including the type of forest ecosystem, the age of the forest, and if harvested, the length of stand rotation cycles and the forestry practices used. Logging these forests, in a sense, represents an opportunity cost, as the time necessary for a harvested forest to regain its carbon sink capacity can take many decades, and if left undisturbed, would have gone on to expand its carbon pool or at least remain in constant over time. In this study, the lowland dipterocarp forest, where logging often takes place, is profiled in terms of biomass carbon. Pahang, which has the largest forest cover and biggest timber production in Peninsular Malaysia, was selected as the study area. The dipterocarp forests comprise both protection and production functions were categorized into strata based on year elapsed after logging (i.e. logged 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, and > 30 years). Measurements have been conducted on the ground and all the carbon pools in these strata were assessed. The study found significant differences between each stratum in terms of carbon and the results are presented in this paper. The effects of harvesting practices on carbon pools are also discussed.
Physicochemical Characteristics of Starches in Rice Cultivars of Diverse Amylose Contents

Through the sampling four rice cultivars with differing amylose contents, the relationship between the structural and gelatinization properties of endosperm starches was analyzed. These rice varieties exhibited different chain length distribution ratio within the amylopectin cluster as well as varing amylose levels. The proportion of amylopectin short chains of in Goami cutlivars was higher than the other varieties, whereas the Goami 2 which shows amylose extender mutant properties in the endosperm showed the highest proportion of long chains. In X-ray diffraction analysis of rice starches, the Goami 2 variety displayed a B-type pattern whereas the other varieties were all A-type. Among the cultivars with high and normal rice starch levels, those with the higher amylose contents showed distinctly lower swelling. Goami 2 rice was found to have the highest onset and peak gelatinization temperature from the differential scanning calorimetry results. The four rice cultivars under analysis also showed different rates of hydrolysis by amyloglucosidase. These findings suggest that the composition and chemical structure of the starch content is a major determinant of both the gelatinization and functional properties of rice.
EffECT Of lEpTIN aND lEpTIN RECEpTOR gENES ON mEaT pRODUCTION TRaITS Of SlOvak laRgE WhITE aND laNDRaCE pIgS

The polymorphisms in fatness related leptin (LEP) and leptin receptor (LEPR) genes have been characterized and their effect on economically important meat production traits was evaluated in the population of Slovak Large White (SLW) and Landrace pig breeds. We tested HinfI polymorphism of the LEP gene, HpaII and RsaI polymorphisms of the LEPR gene. The data obtained by PCR-RFLP genotyping of 14� animals of SLW breed show the frequencies of �. 7�7 and �. �93 for LEP-HinfI alleles T and C, respectively. The frequencies of LEPR-HpaII alleles were �. �14 (allele A) and �. 786 (allele B). The LEPR-RsaI locus showed a low frequency of �. ��357 for allele A in tested population. The genotyping data obtained for Landrace breed (6� animals) showed a very low polymorphism of all three markers in tested population. In case of SLW breed, results of GLM analysis demonstrate the results of GLM analysis demonstrate the LEP gene effect (P≤0.05) on average daily gain (ADG) and the LEPR gene shows small effect (P≤0.05) both on average backfat thickness (ABF) and lean meat (LM). A highly significant difference (P≤0.01) was observed for association of LEP genotypes TT and CC with ADG showing an increased ADG in CC homozygous sows. A significant difference (P≤0.05) was also found in the as sociation of LEPR genotypes with ABF and LM, demonstrating a lower ABF in BB homozygotes. It seems to be probable that linkt seems to be probable that link age disequilibrium with another mutation (s) could explain observed association of tested markers with meat production traits.
Plastic flow equations for the local strain approach in the multiaxial case

This paper presents a system of plastic flow equations which uses and generalizes to the multiaxial case a number of concepts commonly employed in the so-called Local Strain Approach to low cycle fatigue. Everything is built upon the idea of distance between stress points. It is believed that this will ease the generalization to the multiaxial case of the intuitive methods used in low cycle fatigue calculations, based on hysteresis loops, Ramberg? Osgood equations, Neuber or ESED rule, etc. It is proposed that the stress space is endowed with a quadratic metric whose structure is embedded in the yield criterion. Considerations of initial isotropy of the material and of the null influence of the hydrostatic stress upon yielding leads to the realization of the simplest metric, which is associated with the von Mises yield criterion. The use of the strain? hardening hypothesis leads in natural way to a normal flow rule and this establishes a linear relationship between the plastic strain increment and the stress increment.
Getting an Early Start in Self-Employment

This paper studies the impact of adolescent work experience on adult self-employment. Using a novel data source, I nd that respondents who run their own businesses as adolescents are three times more likely to be self-employed as an adult. This eect is strongest among children with selfemployed parents: the impact of adolescent self-employment on adult self-employment is around seven times higher for the ospring of self-employed parents than for those who have wage-earning parents. These ndings suggests that adolescent self-employment is a channel that transmits human capital from parents to children, thereby inuencing the child’s adult-life vocational choice.
The VVV Survey RR Lyrae Population in the Galactic Center Region

Deep near-IR images from the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) Survey were used to search for RR Lyrae stars within 100 arcmin from the Galactic Center. A large sample of 960 RR Lyrae of type ab (RRab) stars were discovered. A catalog is presented featuring the positions, magnitudes, colors, periods, and amplitudes for the sample, in addition to estimated reddenings, distances, and metallicities, and measured individual relative proper motions. We use the reddening-corrected Wesenheit magnitudes, defined as , in order to isolate bona fide RRL belonging to the Galaxy Center, finding that 30 RRab are foreground/background objects. We measure a range of extinctions from to 1.75 mag for the RRab in this region, finding that large extinction is the main cause of the sample incompleteness. The mean period is P = 0.5446 ± 0.0025 days, yielding a mean metallicity of [Fe/H] = −1.30 ± 0.01 (σ = 0.33) dex for the RRab sample in the Galactic Center region. The median distance for the sample is D = 8.05 ± 0.02 kpc. We measure the RRab surface density using the less reddened region sampled here, finding a density of 1000 RRab/sq deg at a projected Galactocentric distance RG = 1.6 deg. Under simple assumptions, this implies a large total mass (M > 109 M⊙) for the old and metal-poor population contained inside RG. We also measure accurate relative proper motions, from which we derive tangential velocity dispersions of σVl = 125.0 and σVb = 124.1 km s−1 along the Galactic longitude and latitude coordinates, respectively. The fact that these quantities are similar indicate that the bulk rotation of the RRab population is negligible, and implies that this population is supported by velocity dispersion. In summary, there are two main conclusions of this study. First, the population as a whole is no different from the outer bulge RRab, predominantly a metal-poor component that is shifted with respect to the Oosterhoff type I population defined by the globular clusters in the halo. Second, the RRab sample, as representative of the old and metal-poor stellar population in the region, has high velocity dispersions and zero rotation, suggesting a formation via dissipational collapse.
Determinants of Capital Structure: Evidence from Listed Indonesian Companies

Capital structure of a company determines its value, based on capital structure theories it can be influenced by several determinants on company, industry, and country level. This paper examines the capital of Indonesian company based on company-level determinants by analyzing 693 firm-year operations. Using Ordinary Least Square regression method, the paper tested which company-level factors of tradeoff and pecking order theories that have influence the capital structure in the country. The result shows that determinants profitability and liquidity both have significant relationships as expected by pecking order theory, while non-debt tax shield did not provide strong relationship, and tangibility and size showed an inversed relationship as tradeoff theory suggested.
Whose Side Are You On? Identifying The Distributive Preferences of Local Politicians in India

The literature on decentralized public programs suggests that errors in the targeting of anti-poverty programs are rooted in the capture of these programs by local elites or local politicians. Consistent with the literature on moral economy in political science and experimental economics, we argue that voters in contexts of rural poverty prefer local leaders who target subsistence benefits to the poor. In a high information village context, where voters and leaders know each other, we argue that local elections lead to the selection of local leaders with pro-poor preferences over the distribution of these benefits. We show this with a novel theory of local politiciansâ€™ social preferences.
Computational methods for the study of energies of cation distributions: applications to cation-ordering phase transitions and solid solutions

Abstract The structural and thermodynamic properties of minerals are strongly affected by cation site-ordering processes. We describe methods to determine the main interatomic interactions that drive the ordering process, which are based on parameterizing model Hamiltonians using empirical interatomic potentials and/or ab initio quantum mechanics methods. The methods are illustrated by a number of case study examples, including Al/Si ordering in aluminosilicates, Mg/Ca ordering in garnets, simultaneous Al/Si and Mg/Al ordering in pyroxenes, micas and amphiboles, and Mg/Al non-convergent ordering in spinel using only quantum mechanical methods.
Dual Banking and Financial Contagion

This paper builds a theoretical model based on Allen and Gale (2000) to analyse how unexpected shock affecting the banking assets in one region can generate bankruptcy in a second region. I also analyse the effect of the presence in a third region of an Islamic bank on the vulnerability of conventional banks to financial contagion. It is interestingly shown that the Islamic bank assets’ diversification strategy across the regions reduces the likelihood of financial contagion among conventional banks.
Financing and Management of Higher Education: Evidence from Jordan

This research provides a better understanding of the way for financing and management of higher education in Jordan. The study aims at describing the finance and management methods in Jordanian HE. The private universities in the world were also described in terms of their financing and management method. The Research uses archival documents, observations, and reports in order to accomplish the study objective. The findings emphasize that Jordanian HE is one of the most developed higher educational systems in the Middle East countries. There is much competition in the private HE, this motivates to research the best ways of management and financing for this sector. Worldwide, there is a trend towards private HE. While, world wide private universities depend on tution fees, they receive government subsidiaries. In Jordan, private universities are mainly financed by student tuition fees, and they do not receive any subsidies from the government. Therefore a proper budgetary system might facilitate the need for effective management of university resources and decision-making.
Exploration of Antarctic Ice Sheet 100-year contribution to sea level rise and associated model uncertainties using the ISSM framework

Abstract. Estimating the future evolution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) is critical for improving future sea level rise (SLR) projections. Numerical ice sheet models are invaluable tools for bounding Antarctic vulnerability; yet, few continental-scale projections of century-scale AIS SLR contribution exist, and those that do vary by up to an order of magnitude. This is partly because model projections of future sea level are inherently uncertain and depend largely on the model's boundary conditions and climate forcing, which themselves are unknown due to the uncertainty in the projections of future anthropogenic emissions and subsequent climate response. Here, we aim to improve the understanding of how uncertainties in model forcing and boundary conditions affect ice sheet model simulations. With use of sampling techniques embedded within the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM) framework, we assess how uncertainties in snow accumulation, ocean-induced melting, ice viscosity, basal friction, bedrock elevation, and the presence of ice shelves impact continental-scale 100-year model simulations of AIS future sea level contribution. Overall, we find that AIS sea level contribution is strongly affected by grounding line retreat, which is driven by the magnitude of ice shelf basal melt rates and by variations in bedrock topography. In addition, we find that over 1.2 m of AIS global mean sea level contribution over the next century is achievable, but not likely, as it is tenable only in response to unrealistically large melt rates and continental ice shelf collapse. Regionally, we find that under our most extreme 100-year warming experiment generalized for the entire ice sheet, the Amundsen Sea sector is the most significant source of model uncertainty (1032 mm 6σ spread) and the region with the largest potential for future sea level contribution (297 mm). In contrast, under a more plausible forcing informed regionally by literature and model sensitivity studies, the Ronne basin has a greater potential for local increases in ice shelf basal melt rates. As a result, under this more likely realization, where warm waters reach the continental shelf under the Ronne ice shelf, it is the Ronne basin, particularly the Evans and Rutford ice streams, that are the greatest contributors to potential SLR (161 mm) and to simulation uncertainty (420 mm 6σ spread).
The Significance of Nest Structure and Nesting Material for Hole-Nesting Passerines: an Experimental Study with Nuthatches Sitta europaea

Abstract. Nest structure and nesting material may have important consequences for avian reproductive behaviour and performance. Nuthatches Sitta spp. build nests made of loose bark flakes without any structure or nest cup to contain eggs and nestlings. We have aimed at understanding the implications of unstructured bark flake nests in Nuthatches for microclimatic conditions in the nest, ectoparasite infestation, parental care and nestling begging through a nest exchange experiment. To that end, we have experimentally replaced natural bark nests of Nuthatches Sitta europaea by structured moss nests built at the same time by Great Tits Parus major for some pairs and compared their ectoparasite abundances, nest microclimate variables and the behaviour of nestlings and parents with those in natural Nuthatch nests. The experimental treatment did not affect ectoparasite loads. Nest-boxes containing structured nests made of moss showed higher and more variable temperatures, higher thermal maxima and less variable humidity conditions than unstructured control nests made of bark flakes. However, bark flakes conserve heat better than moss during the night and morning hours, which may be transmitted to buried eggs and nestlings and reduce incubation and brooding costs for females. This may explain why females remained out for longer during incubation recesses at natural nests. Nestlings of 9 days in natural nests rested further apart than nestlings in structured experimental nests although there were no differences with respect to begging intensity between the two treatments. Hatching and fledging success was similar in both groups but experimental nests resulted in nestlings with shorter tarsi and wings before fledging. The poorer nestling growth in experimental nests cannot be explained by effects of ectoparasites, nestling aggregation or nestling begging or parental care. Adaptations for remaining buried in the nest material and the heat-conserving properties of loose bark flakes may reduce energy costs for nestlings during female absences.
Effects of spray-dried sourdough on flour characteristics and rheological properties of dough

Golshan Tafti A. , Peighambardoust S.H. , Behnam F. , Bahrami A. , Aghagholizadeh R. , Ghamari M. , Abbas Rafat S. (2013): Effects of spray-dried sourdough on flour characteristics and rheological properties of dough. Czech J. Food Sci., 31: 361–367. The effect of incorporating different levels of spray-dried sourdough (3, 6, 9, and 15% w/w) on flour characteristics and dough properties of two wheat flours was studied. As the spray-dried sourdough level in the blends increased, the pH values significantly ( P < 0.05) decreased. Wet gluten content and sedimentation values were decreased in the flours containing spray-dried sourdough compared to those of the control. Water absorption significantly increased compared to that of the control. However, the dough development time was not affected by sourdough powder addition. Degree of softening significantly increased with an increase in the sourdough level and dough stability was significantly reduced. Doughs incor
ENHANCING FEATHERING OF ONE-YEAR-OLD GALA AND JONAGOLD APPLE TREES THROUGH APPLICATION OF 6-BENZYLAMINOPURINE AND GIBBERELLINS

DORIC, M. , N. MAGAZIN, B. MILIC and Z. KESEROVIC, 2015. Enhancing feathering of one-year-old Gala and Jonagold apple trees through application of 6-benzylaminopurine and gibberellins. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 21: 631–637 In apple, synthetic cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine (BA), either alone or combined with gibberellins 4+7 (GA 4+7 ), plays an important role in overcoming apical dominance and in the production of well-feathered apple nursery trees. The solutions of BA and BA+GA 4+7 corresponding to the concentrations of 250, 350 and 450 µl l -1 of active ingredient (BA) were applied three times at 7-day intervals during vegetative period. Feather formation is strongly influenced by type and concentration of plant growth regulators. Increasing concentrations of BA and BA+GA 4+7 led to a greater number of feathers, increased feather length, and expanded branching zone. Applied in combination with GA 4+7 , BA has stronger positive effect on total feather number, feather length, branching zone and tree height, than when applied alone. Compared to BA+GA 4+7 , BA has a stronger effect on the growth rate of the shoot, resulting in a greater feather angle and a lower tree height, which can be eliminated by addition of GA 4+7 . The treatments also had different effects on trunk diameter. In Gala, a minor adverse effect of BA on trunk diameter was noted, whereas it was positive in Jonagold.
From Quackery to Control: Perceptions of Complementary and Alternative Medicine from Users with Mental Health Disorders

This study is an investigation into why people with depression and anxiety use complementary and alternative medicines at higher rates than the general population. The study examines perceptions of mental illness and meanings assigned to depression and anxiety, others’ perceptions of mental illness, and experiences with conventional medicine. All participants were using complementary and alternative medicine at the time of the study; their reasons for CAM use as well as how CAM affected perceptions of their illness were main research questions. I conducted three focus groups with individuals diagnosed with depression who were using complementary and alternative medicine as forms of treatment. Focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the coding software Nvivo. Participants were also given two questionnaires that were analyzed using SPSS. This study shows that complementary and alternative medicine ultimately gives individuals perceived control, a sense of agency, action, and acceptance in regards to their mental illness.