Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investment and exposure to exchange rate changes in Colombia

We assemble a large data base of Colombian medium & large firms covering the 1997-2008 period and study different channels through which real exchange rate (RER) changes affect firm investment and profits. With regard to investment, (i) there are adjustment costs, presumably related to capital market imperfections; (ii) investment increases with liquidity as firms face restricted access to external financing; (iii) RER changes have no direct effect on investment, even after controlling for the effects of each sector; (iv) we find no evidence of a differential effect of RER changes on investment depending on exposure to foreign debt. This might be because few firms carry foreign debt or because those that do avoid currency mismatches through ―natural‖ hedging or use financial instruments to hedge exchange rate risk. Other estimations show that firms with higher total debt invest more after a devaluation; i.e. probably any negative effect in terms of net worth declining with a devaluation is offset by the positive effect on present and future income. This hypothesis is supported by our analysis of the currency composition of debt. Firms that export more are more likely to carry foreign debt, and the foreign debt they carry is larger. This points to ―natural matching‖ between foreign currency revenue and liabilities. Finally, changes in the RER have no effect on bank performance (i.e. on NPLs), beyond the indirect effects that stem from RER changes affecting firm profits. This result is probably driven by regulation that restricts the exposure of banks to exchange rate risk. In summary, Colombian firms and banks benefit from RER devaluations and are negatively affected by RER appreciations. These findings, coupled with the fact that the preference of the central bank has been to allow the exchange rate to float more freely when it is bound to weaken than when it is bound to strengthen, has lessened any need by firms to use financial derivatives to hedge exchange rate risk.
Biodiversity and Conservation of Temporary Ponds — Assessment of the Conservation Status of “Veiga de Ponteliñares”, NW Spain (Natura 2000 Network), Using Freshwater Invertebrates

Freshwater biodiversity provides a broad variety of valuable goods and services for human societies, some of them irreplaceable [1]. Globally, the biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems is rapidly deteriorating as a result of human activities [2]. It is possible that in future decades human pressure on water resources will further endanger aquatic biodiversity present in these systems [3]. The need to protect these ecosystems and many others led to the creation of the Natura 2000 network in Europe. This network is the most important conservation and management tool in the European Union. It was established under the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and the Birds Directive (79/409/EEC), and its main objective is to ensure the longterm conservation of the most important European species and habitats in a sustainable way with human activities. It is formed by Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), which are protected areas established with the purpose of conservation of habitat types and/or species included in the Habitats and Birds directives. In Spain, there are 1,448 SAC covering a total of 23.17% of the territory. Only 11.65% of the Autonomous Community of Galicia (North-western Spain) is protected (59 SAC), in spite of having a great variety of freshwater ecosystems.
VIRAL GASTROINTESTINAL SYNDROME IN OUR ENVIRONMENT

Viral gastrointestinal syndrome is a cause of morbidity and death worldwide. Infection is spread through contact with an infected person, as well as through contaminated food and water. A lethal outcome is possible in infants and young children due to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. The study included 141 patients with gastroenteritis from Vojvodina. Real-Time PCR method in stool samples was used to determine the presence of rota-, noro-, and astrovirus nucleic acid. Out of 141 patients with gastroenteritis, 60.3% were confirmed to have one of the three viruses. Rotavirus was significantly more common in children up to 3 years of age (43.3%). Norovirus was more frequently detected in patients older than 20 (50%). These infections started in collectives. Astrovirus was detected in four patients (2.8%). The results confirm the necessity to implement PCR in routine diagnostics for the proper treatment of patients.
Demographic Characteristics Differences of Risk Taking Propensity among Micro and Small Business Owners in Malaysia

The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences between demographic characteristics and level of risk taking propensity of Malaysian MSEs owners. The study was conducted in the East Coast on business owners of small and medium business enterprises. A stratified sample totalling 260 names and addresses was taken from Small and Medium Industries Development Corporation (SME Corp). The Risk Attitudes Inventory (RAI) designed by Gene Calvert (1993) used in the survey to measure entrepreneurial risk taking propensity included a cover letter explaining the purpose of the study. The study concludes that there are no differences between risk taking propensity and business owners’ demographic characteristics such as gender, business owners’ age, education level and their business experience.
Compact X-ray grating interferometry for phase and dark-field computed tomography in the diagnostic energy range

Grating interferometry is an emerging X-ray imaging technique and has in recent years become increasingly popular, as it provides two additional and complementary images, a phase-contrast and a dark-fieldcontrast image, in addition to the conventional attenuation-based image. It has been demonstrated that phase-contrast images can provide considerably improved contrast over absorption images, for instance in soft tissue of biological samples. The technique is well established on Xray sources which provide high beam coherence, like synchrotrons, but has also been applied on laboratory arrangements with conventional Xray tubes. In the latter case, imaging systems have mainly been limited by two aspects. Firstly, they have been incompatible with short sourceto-detector distances (< 0.5 m). Secondly, the achievable design energy has been limited to approximately 50 keV, since technical limitations of grating manufacturing methods have prevented the use of higher energies. In this work, the application of grating interferometry on compact imaging systems is presented. This has considerable impact on the range of applications. Compact grating interferometry enables phasecontrast and dark-field-contrast imaging on commercial micro CT systems, which provide high resolution 3D imaging of specimen with a relatively large field of view. Based on a commercial product, a prototype micro CT scanner was built with a source-to-detector distance of only 340 mm. Based on a new grating-design approach, it is further demonstrated how grating interferometry can be applied at arbitrary design energies in the diagnostic energy range. Imaging in the high diagnostic energy range enables examinations of materials of higher density or thickness, like metals or electronic chips. As intermediate steps, several other aspects were addressed, including the optimization of system performance, the development of image processing methods, the optimization of the source and detector system and the development of experimental arrangements.
Carbon Pricing with Output-Based Subsidies: Impacts on U.S. Industries Over Multiple Time Frames

The effects of a carbon price on U.S. industries are likely to change over time as firms and customers gradually adjust to new prices. The effects will also depend on offsetting policies to compensate losers and the number of countries implementing comparable policies. We examine the effects of a $15/ton CO2 price, including Waxman-Markey-type allocations, on a disaggregated set of industries, over four time horizons — the very-short-, short-, medium-, and long-runs — distinguished by the ability of firms to raise output prices, change their input mix, and reallocate capital. We find that if firms cannot pass on higher costs, the loss in profits in a number of energy-intensive trade-exposed (EITE) industries will be substantial. When output prices can rise to reflect higher energy costs, the reduction in profits is substantially smaller, and the offsetting policies in H.R. 2454 reduce output and profit losses even more. Over the medium- and long-terms, however, when more adjustments occur, the impact on output is more varied due to general equilibrium effects. We find that the use of the output-based rebates and other allocations in H.R. 2454 can substantially offset the output losses over all four time frames considered. Trade or "competitiveness" effects from the carbon price explain a significant portion of the fall in output for EITE sectors, but in absolute terms the trade impacts are modest and can be reduced or even reversed with the subsidies. The subsidies are less effective, however, in preventing emissions leakage to countries not adopting carbon policies. Roughly half of U.S. trade-related leakage to non-policy countries can be explained by changes in the volume of trade and the other half by higher emissions intensities induced by lower world fuel prices.
Cross-border bank lending Empirical evidence on further determinants from OECD banking markets

Employing data on bank claims from 13 OECD countries vis-à-vis 51 emerging markets between 1993 and 2007 this study provides empirical evidence that monopolistic banks from OECD countries tend to ration credit to emerging markets whereas increasing competitive pressure may spur cross-border bank lending. Furthermore, empirical results indicate that banks may arbitrage on costs arising from different regulatory requirements and may be more prone to higher risk-taking under a greater generosity of the local deposit insurance system. Finally, while higher capital buffers may act as an impediment to cross-border lending, pursuing a “gambling for resurrection” strategy tends to have a positive impact on the volume of OECD bank claims towards emerging markets. Further sensitivity analyses from splitting the entire data into subsamples of moredeveloped emerging markets and frontier markets as well as lending transactions during and beyond a common lender relationship reveal further important insights concerning the explanatory power of the determinants employed. JEL classification: F 21, F 34, G 15, G 21
EFFECTS OF EXTENSION OF DAYS TO FLOWERING ON YIELD AND OTHER CHARACTERS OF EARLY MATURING SOYBEAN

Early maturing varieties of soybean are low yielding due to their small plant stature and short vegetative period. The objective of this research was to develop early varieties of soybean with extended days to flowering while keeping the days from flowering to maturity intact. Crosses were made between two early (CM2 and NS1) and two late (CB1 and LJ4) maturing varieties. Conventional and modified single seed descent methods were used to select for late flowering but early maturing relative to the early maturing parents. Eleven selected lines were tested for three seasons using two early maturing parents and SJ5, a medium maturing variety, as the standard check and it was found that four lines, C-3108, M-3213, M-3215, and M-3217, outyielded both early parents and the standard check, SJ5. These lines gave more days to flowering than the early maturing parental checks, but the days from flowering to maturity were similar to the early checks. The correlation between the yield with days to maturity was not important but with days to flowering it was significant. This experiment showed that the extension of days to flowering resulted in an increase of the yielding potential of early maturing soybean.
How to measure Corporate Social Responsibility

Compliance with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) standards may require capacity that varies from one aspect to the other and companies in different industries may encounter different difficulties. Since CSR is a multidimensional concept, latent variable models may be usefully employed to provide a unidimensional measure of the ability of a firm to fulfil CSR standards. A methodology based on Item Response Theory has been implemented on the KLD sustainability dataset. Results show that companies in the industries Oil & Gas, Industrials, Basic Materials and Telecommunications have a higher difficulty to meet the CSR standards. Criteria based on Environment, Community relations and Product quality have a large capacity to select the firms with the best CSR performance, while Governance does not exhibit similar behavior. A stock selection based on the ranking of the firms according to our CSR measure outperforms, in terms of risk-adjusted returns, stock selection based on other criteria.
Kohn-Sham calculations with the exact functional

odinger equation many times. The density matrix renormalization group method makes this possible for one-dimensional, real-space systems of more than two interacting electrons. We illustrate and explore the convergence properties of the exact KS scheme for both weakly and strongly correlated systems. We also explore the spin-dependent generalization and densities for which the functional is ill defined.
EVALUATION OF THE NUTRITIONAL AND SENSORY QUALITY OF FUNCTIONAL BREADS PREPARED FROM WHOLE WHEAT AND SOYBEAN FLOUR

The study was designed to use whole wheat and soybean flour blends in the preparation of functional bread to improve the quantity and quality of protein, mineral and fiber content. Soybean flour at levels of 10, 20 and 30% was used in wheat flour for the production of bread while the whole wheat flour bread (sample -1) served as control. The proximate composition of the flour blends used for the preparation of the breads was determined by using standard methods. The protein content in bread increased from 8.0% (100% wheat flour) to 11.0% in composite flour containing 30% soybean flour. Similarly, crude fiber and mineral contents increased from 3.50 to 5.00% and 1.90 to 2.50 % respectively. With progressive inclusion of the soybean flour, the sensory analysis showed that there was no significant difference observed between the whole wheat bread and the soybean enriched bread samples in texture and crumb appearance, While significant difference (p<0.05) was observed in crust color, flavor and the mean overall taste acceptance score of bread were 4.50 ± 0.23, 4.75 ± 0.23, 4.25 ± 0.43, 4.00 ± 0.57 respectively . The organoleptic test showed that the substitution of 10% soybean flour into whole wheat flour was more acceptable comparing with all quality characteristics.
EARNINGS MANAGEMENT, DIRECTORS’ DISCRETIONS AND INFORMATION CONTENT AFFECTING DISCRETIONARY ACCRUALS OF MALAYSIAN PUBLICLY LISTED COMPANIES

Managers have reporting discretion permitted by accounting standards over a combination of earnings management choices. The objective of this study is to identify the types of discretionary accounting choices that are indicative of earnings management. Based on a sample of 947 companies listed on the Malaysian stock exchange, the results indicate that a number of firm specific financial variables that proxy for agency cost, political costs and information asymmetry capture discretionary accruals behaviour. This study also seeks to examine the explanatory power of the earnings management in predicting future earnings and firm value. The results indicate that discretionary accruals can improve the informativeness of a firm’s current and past earnings when predicting future earnings and share price.
Emerging Technologies Acceptance in Online Tutorials: Tutors’ and Students’ Behavior Intentions in Higher Education

Tutors’ and students’ intentions to use emerging technologies (ETs) in e-learning systems in higher education institutions are a central concern of researchers, academicians, and practitioners. However, tutors’ and students’ intentions to use ETs in e-learning systems in distance learning are relatively low. The goal of the study, developed in Universitas Terbuka, was to investigate the factors that may affect tutors’ and students’ intentions to use ETs in online tutorials. A Web-based survey was designed to empirically assess the effect of the aforementioned constructs on tutors’ and students’ intentions to use ETs in online tutorials. The statistical analysis results showed that the theoretical model was able to predict instructors’ and students’ intention to use ETs in online tutorials. However, not all three independent variables showed significant relationships with the dependent variable. Results of MLR analysis was consistent on technology competencies (TC) as having the greatest weight on predicting instructors’ and students’ intentions to use ETs.
AN EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF TERRAIN NORMALIZATION ON CLASSIFICATION ACCURACY OF LANDSAT ETM+ IMAGERY

More than 60% of land in New Zealand has been converted from native forests to residential areas, agriculture, or forest plantations. Settlers brought many species of plants and animals to New Zealand. Many native species were unable to protect themselves from these new predators, causing numerous extinctions. Due to this rapid decline in biodiversity, the New Zealand government has made it a priority to halt this loss. Restoration of developed land and protection of remaining areas of native forest are two important ways to mitigate the loss of biodiversity. Monitoring of restoration efforts is important to the government and organizations responsible for this work. Using remotely sensed data to perform change analysis is a powerful method for long-term monitoring of restoration areas. However, there is significant terrain variation within many of these areas that may significantly reduce land cover classification accuracy. Landcare Research New Zealand has developed a topographic suppression algorithm that reduces the effects of topography. Landsat ETM+ imagery from November 2000 was processed with this algorithm to produce two images, an orthorectified image and a terrain flattened image of a 50-km by 60-km area near Wanganui, New Zealand. Using GLOBE reference data collected on the ground in September/October 2004 and additional reference data photointerpreted from aerial photography, thematic maps were created using various classification methods. The accuracy of the thematic maps was evaluated using error matrices and the different image processing techniques were statistically compared. It was determined that the topographic algorithm did not significantly improve map accuracy.
Mapping Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) In Indonesia Labor Market

The empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (PWD) has recently attracted the attention of the Indonesian government. Several initiatives have been made to empower their life, especially the establishment of Act No. 8/2016 which enhances their right to inclusive economic activities. This study aims to map PWD in Indonesian labor market. Specifically, it analyzes the characteristics of employed and unemployed PWD. It explored Labor Force Survey (Sakernas), which began to concern on disability issue in 2016. The results show that PWD prevalence varies highly among provinces led by West Sumatera, East Nusa Tenggara, and South Sulawesi and that PWD has lower labor participation rate than that of PWOD. It may indicate the significant presence of discouraged workers among PWD.
Study of Transitional Velocities of Solid-Liquid Micro-Circulating Fluidised Beds by Visual Observation

Solid-liquid micro-fluidised beds (FBs), i.e. fluidisation of micro-particles in sub-centimetre beds, hold promise of applications in the microfluidics and micro-process technology context. This is mainly due to fluidised particles providing enhancement of mixing, mass and heat transfer under the low Reynolds number flows that dominate in micro-devices. Albeit there are quite a few studies of solid-liquid micro-fluidised beds, we are presenting the first study of a micro-circulating fluidised bed. The present experimental research was performed in a micro-circulating fluidised bed which was made by micro-machining channels of 1mm cross section in Perspex. PMMA and soda lime glass micro-particles were used as the fluidised particles and tap water as the fluidising liquid to study flow regime transition for this micro-circulating fluidised bed. The results are in line with macroscopic observation that the critical transition velocity from fluidization to circulating regime is very dependent on solid inventory but once the inventory is high enough it is approximately equal to the particle terminal velocity. However, the transitional velocity is a weakly dependent on wall effect and surface forces confirming the importance of these two properties in a micro-fluidised bed systems. Similarly the transitional velocity to transporting regime is a strong function of surface forces. Finally, combining these results with our previous result on conventional fluidization indicated that map of solid-liquid fluidisation in a micro-circulating fluidised bed system is constructed showing conventional fluidisation, circulating fluidisation and a transport regime.
A High-Resolution Study of the Hydra A Cluster with Chandra: Comparison of the Core Mass Distribution with Theoretical Predictions and Evidence for Feedback in the Cooling Flow

The cooling flow cluster Hydra A was observed during the orbital activation and calibration phase of the Chandra Observatory. While the X-ray image of the cluster exhibits complex structure in the central region as reported in McNamara et al., the large-scale X-ray morphology of the cluster is fairly smooth. A spectroscopic analysis of the ACIS data shows that the gas temperature in Hydra A increases outward, reaches a maximum temperature of 4 keV at 200 kpc, and then decreases slightly at larger radii. The distribution of heavy elements is nonuniform, with a factor of 2 increase in the Fe and Si abundances within the central 100 kpc. Beyond the central 100 kpc the Si-to-Fe abundance ratio is twice solar, while the Si-to-Fe ratio of the central excess is consistent with the solar value. One of the more surprising results is the lack of spectroscopic evidence for multiphase gas within the bulk of the cooling flow. Beyond the central 30 kpc, the ACIS spectra are adequately fitted with a single-temperature model. The addition of a cooling flow component does not significantly improve the fit. Only within the central 30 kpc (where the cooling time is less than 1 Gyr) is there spectroscopic evidence for multiphase gas. However, the spectroscopic mass deposition rate is more than a factor of 10 less than the morphologically derived mass accretion rate at 30 kpc. We propose that the cooling flow region is convectively unstable owing to heating by the central radio source, which significantly reduces the net accretion rate. In addition, we show that the mass distribution within the central 30-200 kpc region scales as ρd ∝ r-1.3, intermediate between an NFW and a Moore profile, but with a best-fit NFW concentration parameter (cNFW = 12) approximately 3 times greater than that found in numerical simulations. However, given the limited photon statistics, we cannot rule out the presence of a flat-density core with a core radius less than 30 kpc.