Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mobile test stand for evaluation of electric power plants for unmanned aircraft

The absence of accurate performance data is a common problem with most civilian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) power plant producers. The reasons for this are the small size of most of the manufacturers and the high price of precise wind tunnel testing and computer simulations. To overcome this problem at Dronamics Ltd., with support from the Department of Aeronautics of TU-Sofia, a mobile test stand for evaluation of electric power plants for unmanned aircraft was developed. The stand may be used statically, or may be installed on the roof of an automobile. The measurement system of the stand is based on popular hardware that is used in radio controlled models and in general automation. The verification of the measurement system is performed by comparing static test results with data published by the manufacturer of the tested electric motor. Tests were carried out with 2 different types of propellers and the results were compared with published results for common propellers as well as with results of theoretical studies. The results are satisfactory for practical applications. The use of this type of test stands can be a cheap and effective alternative for research and development start-up companies like Dronamics.
Debt and financial performance of REITs in Malaysia: an optimal debt threshold analysis

The aim of this study is to estimate the optimal debt threshold of Real Estate Investment Trusts in Malaysia (MREITs). This study uses continuous sequential threshold regression approach adopted from Bai and Perron (1998; 2003) and Perron (2006) methodologies and collaborates the threshold regression by Hansen (2001; 2015) to estimate the MREITs optimal debt threshold. In this regard, although by regulation, MREITs are allowed to use debt up to 50% of their total assets, the result of this study indicates that MREITs need to maintain a debt level of between 14.33% and 21.40%, to balance the external funding needs and the optimal level of financial performance. Given the high dividend payout requirement, and the marginal tax rate of zero, if debt is chosen as the dominant approach of obtaining external financing needs, MREITs need to carefully monitor the optimal level of debt in order to maximize the shareholders return and to avoid debt overhang problem. The finding offers a useful guide to MREITs managers in strategizing their financing decision to support their external growth needs by investing in real property.
Childhood Pseudoxanthomatousmastocytosis; Report of two cases

Cutaneous mastocytosis (CM) is a mast cell proliferative disorder that commonly affects pediatric population. It has various clinical forms such as urticaria pigmentosa, solitary mastocytoma, telangiectasia macularis eruptiva perstans, diffuse CM, and erythrodermic mastocytosis. Pseudoxanthomatous mastocytosis is a type of diffuse CM, which is relatively rare. It can mimic xanthoma disseminatum, juvenile xanthogranuloma, and benign cephalic histiocytosis which are also seen commonly in children but have different prognostic behavior. Hence, high degree of clinical suspicion along with histopathology is required for the diagnosis. Herein, we report two cases of childhood pseudoxanthomatous mastocytosis.
A NOTE ON NIL AND JACOBSON RADICALS IN GRADED RINGS

It was shown by Bergman that the Jacobson radical of a Z-graded ring is homogeneous. This paper shows that the analogous result holds for nil radicals, namely, that the nil radical of a Z-graded ring is homogeneous. It is obvious that a subring of a nil ring is nil, but generally a subring of a Jacobson radical ring need not be a Jacobson radical ring. In this paper, it is shown that every subring which is generated by homogeneous elements in a graded Jacobson radical ring is always a Jacobson radical ring. It is also observed that a ring whose all subrings are Jacobson radical rings is nil. Some new results on graded-nil rings are also obtained.
Simple Method for Screening the Affected Birds with Remarkably Hardened Pectoralis Major Muscles among Broiler Chickens

Remarkably hardened pectoralis major muscles are increasingly found in broiler chickens in some slaughterhouses in Japan. Based on physical examinations, we selected three affected birds and three control birds from a 43-day-old Ross 308 commercial broiler flock, and examined them biochemically, pathologically, and microbiologically. We found that the presence of degenerative lesions in the pectoralis major muscles was associated with an inability to lift the wings to achieve back-to-back wing contact. As the pectoralis major muscle is a major adductor of the humerus, these degenerative lesions may inhibit the extensibility of the muscle, thereby limiting the range of motion of the humerus. Testing the ability to lift the wing is proposed as a new diagnostic method for detecting affected birds.
An in situ neutron diffraction study of cation disordering in synthetic qandilite Mg2TiO4 at high temperatures

Abstract Temperature-dependent cation order-disorder has been studied in many 2+ - 3+ oxide spinels but 4+ - 2+ spinels have been found to be either completely normal or completely inverse when examined at room temperature. Here we report the temperature dependence of the cation distribution in the 4-2 spinel synthetic qandilite (Mg2TiO4) from in situ time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction experiments to 1416 °C. At room temperature, Mg2TiO4 is confirmed to have completely inverse cation distribution, with Ti atoms occupying half the octahedrally coordinated cation sites. Cation disordering becomes observable above about 900 °C, with 4% of the Ti occupying the tetrahedral site by 1416 °C. The rate of reordering on cooling is fast, such that high-temperature disorder is not preserved on cooling to room temperature. The thermodynamics of the change in cation distribution with temperature can be described by an enthalpy of Mg-Ti disorder of -46.1 ± 0.4 kJ/mol.
Ab-initio Pulsar Magnetosphere: Particle Acceleration in Oblique Rotators and High-energy Emission Modeling

We perform global particle-in-cell simulations of pulsar magnetospheres, including pair production, ion extraction from the surface, frame-dragging corrections, and high-energy photon emission and propagation. In the case of oblique rotators, the effects of general relativity increase the fraction of the open field lines that support active pair discharge. We find that the plasma density and particle energy flux in the pulsar wind are highly non-uniform with latitude. A significant fraction of the outgoing particle energy flux is carried by energetic ions, which are extracted from the stellar surface. Their energies may extend up to a large fraction of the open field line voltage, making them interesting candidates for ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. We show that pulsar gamma-ray radiation is dominated by synchrotron emission, produced by particles that are energized by relativistic magnetic reconnection close to the Y-point and in the equatorial current sheet. In most cases, the calculated light curves contain two strong peaks, which is in general agreement with Fermi observations. The radiative efficiency decreases with increasing pulsar inclination and increasing efficiency of pair production in the current sheet, which explains the observed scatter in Lγ versus . We find that the high-frequency cutoff in the spectra is regulated by the pair-loading of the current sheet. Our findings lay the foundation for quantitative interpretation of Fermi observations of gamma-ray pulsars.
Sovereign Wealth Funds in Central and Eastern Europe: Scope and Methods of Financial Penetration

Abstract The Central and Eastern European (CEE) capital markets (of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine and, to a limited extent, Belarus) are gradually evolving towards increased breadth (diversity) and depth (liquidity), however, they are still exposed to considerable cross-country volatility and interdependence spill-overs - especially in times of capital flight to more established asset classes (“safe havens”). Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) have widely been censured for their undesirable political interference and chronic operational opacity. This paper demonstrates that in CEE, contrary to widespread perceptions attributable to developed markets, SWFs can act as natural and powerful risk mitigators (contributing to a more stable capital base and reduced systemic volatility). Such a proposition is premised on several factors specific to SWFs oriented to CEE. They comprise: strategic long-termism and patience in overcoming interim pricing deficiencies, commitments to elements of a broadly interpreted infrastructure, and absence of overt conflicts of interest with the CEE host economies. The paper, besides reviewing the utilitarianism of SWFs in the CEE’s risk mitigation context, highlights regulatory and technical barriers to more SWF funding for CEE. It also recommends policy measures to the CEE economies aimed at luring more host-friendly SWF investment into the region.
Common Ideological Roots of Speciesism and Generalized Ethnic Prejudice: The Social Dominance Human–Animal Relations Model (SD–HARM)

Recent research and theorizing suggest that desires for group–based dominance underpin biases towards both human outgroups and (non–human) animals. A systematic study of the common ideological roots of human–human and human–animal biases is, however, lacking. Three studies (in Belgium, UK, and USA) tested the Social Dominance Human–Animal Relations Model (SD–HARM) proposing that Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) is a key factor responsible for the significant positive association between ethnic outgroup attitudes and speciesist attitudes towards animals, even after accounting for other ideological variables (that possibly confound previous findings). Confirming our hypotheses, the results consistently demonstrated that SDO, more than right–wing authoritarianism (RWA), is a key factor connecting ethnic prejudice and speciesist attitudes. Furthermore, Studies 2 and 3 showed that both SDO and RWA are significantly related to perceived threat posed by vegetarianism (i.e. ideologies and diets minimizing harm to animals), but with SDO playing a focal role in explaining the positive association between threat perceptions and ethnic prejudice. Study 3 replicated this pattern, additionally including political conservatism in the model, itself a significant correlate of speciesism. Finally, a meta–analytic integration across studies provided robust support for SD–HARM and offers important insights into the psychological parallels between human intergroup and human–animal relations. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology
Inference and Thick Tails: Some Surprising Results

This paper analyses the distribution of the classical t-ratio statistic from distributions with no finite moments and shows how classical testing is affected. Some surprising results are obtained in terms of bimodality vs. the usual unimodality of the standard studentized t-distribution prevailing in classical conditions. The paper develops a new distribution termed the “double Pareto,” which allows the thickness of the tails and the existence of moments to be determined parametrically. We also consider infinite-moments distributions truncated on a compact support to investigate the relative importance of tail thickness in case of finite moments. We find that the bimodality persists even in such cases. Simulation results are used to highlight the dangers of relying on naive testing in the face of thick-tailed distributions. Special cases analyzed include one- and two-sample statistical inference problems, as well as linear regression econometric problems.
The Effect of Reflective Teaching on Iranian EFL Students’ Achievement: The Case of Teaching Experience and Level of Education

High quality teaching, student learning, and students achievement is dependent on the skills teachers use and the existence of professional expertise such as teachers reflectivity. The purpose of this study was to see whether there was any relationship between Iranian EFL teachers reflectivity and their students’ language achievement and whether there was any difference between teachers reflectivity, considering their teaching experience and level of education. For the study, 83 EFL teachers from nine language institutes in Isfahan, Iran, were randomly selected. Larrivee's (2008) reflectivity questionnaire, which classifies reflectivity into four levels: pre-reflection, surface reflection, pedagogical reflection, and critical reflection, was used for data collection; furthermore, an observation checklist, based on the questionnaire, was also used. Data analysis revealed that the more experienced the teachers, the more reflective they were; moreover, teachers with higher degrees were more reflective. In addition, there was a positive relationship between teachers reflectivity and students achievement.
Exploring the role of lawfulness and legality on purchasing counterfeit products

This study examines the influence of personality factors and attitudes toward consumers’ willingness to knowingly purchase counterfeit luxury brands. The findings have uncovered contrasting evidence that attitudes do not influence consumers’ willingness to purchase counterfeit luxury brands. Integrity has been noted to be a strong influencer of both attitudes and consumer willingness to purchase consistently. Both buyers and nonbuyers were tested for their attitudinal differences. Status consumption and materialism did not play a role in influencing attitudes or willingness to purchase. Managerial implications were provided to better allow luxury brand owners, the government and policy makers to better understand consumers of counterfeit luxury brands.
Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions (CBMAs): A Review on Top Six ASEAN Country CBMA Players

Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions (CBMAs) are one of the vehicles for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and remain a popular external growth strategies by firms worldwide. However, World Investment Report 2015 (UNCTAD, 2015) reports a slight decrease of 16% in global FDI for year 2014. Nevertheless, FDI inflow to emerging economies especially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries increase by 5%. With the intensity of CBMAs in ASEAN member countries, this paper reviews the six ASEAN member countries which actively involved in CBMAs from January 2002 to December 2014. Discussion is also centered on how the main research stream on CBMAs (antecedents, impact of CBMA and determinants of firm performance) relates to CBMA trends by ASEAN member countries. Corporate governance spillover hypothesis is anticipated to explain the CBMA motivations of the ASEAN firms and also the variation in ASEAN firms' performance following CBMAs.
A Practical Primer To Power Analysis for Simple Experimental Designs

Power analysis is an important tool to use when planning studies. This contribution aims to remind readers what power analysis is, emphasize why it matters, and articulate when and how it should be used. The focus is on applications of power analysis for experimental designs often encountered in psychology, starting from simple two-group independent and paired groups and moving to one-way analysis of variance, factorial designs, contrast analysis, trend analysis, regression analysis, analysis of covariance, and mediation analysis. Special attention is given to the application of power analysis to moderation designs, considering both dichotomous and continuous predictors and moderators. Illustrative practical examples based on G*Power and R packages are provided throughout the article. Annotated code for the examples with R and dedicated computational tools are made freely available at a dedicated web page ( https://github.com/mcfanda/primerPowerIRSP ). Applications of power analysis for more complex designs are briefly mentioned, and some important general issues related to power analysis are discussed.
Warrants and their underlying stocks: Microstructure evidence from an emerging market

Numerous studies (Admati and Pfleiderer 1988; Brock and Kleidon 1992; Foster and Viswanathan 1990; Jain and Joh 1988; McInish and Wood 1992; Wood et al. 1985) examine the intraday pattern of quoteand trade-related variables on the stock market, but little research examines the intraday pattern of warrants in a limit order market. While the intraday behavior of derivative securities has been thoroughly examined on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), where there are competing market makers, little research investigates the intraday behavior of such securities traded in a pure order-driven market. The intraday patterns of spread and volume do not only exist in quoted markets such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) but have also been documented on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE), which operate without market makers (Lehman and Modest 1994; Ahn and Cheung 1999). Because options and stocks provide different advantages to traders and, given the presence of asymmetric information among traders, one would expect that options and stocks would exhibit different trading patterns (e.g., Black 1975). It was hypothesized that, if the market structure influences intraday patterns (Chan, Chung, and Johnson 1995), both warrants and stocks should exhibit a similar intraday pattern of spreads and volume after controlling for these influences. Therefore, in this study, the intraday patterns of bid-ask spreads and order flows of warrants and their underlying stocks are compared. In this research, we ask the question of how the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET)’s underlying market architecture affects the intraday patterns of derivative securities. We do this by using the limit order book of the SET, which provides a good platform for comparing the trading characteristics Abstract
Cosmogenic nuclides in stony meteorites revisited

Abstract— We present new model calculations for depth and size dependent cosmogenic production rates in ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites by galactic cosmic rays. This model, essentially that of Leya et al. (2000a), folds together particle spectra and cross sections for the relevant nuclear reactions, but has been significantly improved due to major improvements in the neutron cross section database and better Monte Carlo modeling of the primary and the secondary particle spectra. The data presented here replace (and extend) the results of our earlier model predictions. Here we give for ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites elemental production rates for the cosmogenic radionuclides 10Be, 14C, 26Al, 36Cl, 41Ca, 53Mn, 60Fe, and 129I as well as for the noble gas isotopes 3He, 4He, 20Ne, 21Ne, 22Ne, 36Ar, and 38Ar. Using the new data and expressing size and depth scales to the unit [g/cm2], we are able to demonstrate that the matrix effect for both chondrite types is negligible for all target product combinations, except for those which are dominated by thermal or very low energy neutron reactions. Based on the new model predictions, we present a variety of elemental and isotopic production rate ratios allowing for a reliable determination of preatmospheric sizes, shielding depths, cosmic‐ray exposure ages, and diffusive losses.
Optimal equity capital requirements for Swiss G-SIBs

This paper extends the analysis of Junge and Kugler (2013) on the effects of increased capital requirements on Swiss GDP and obtains the following main results: First the Modigliani-Miller effect is robust with respect to a substantial extension of the data base and yields an offset of capital cost of 46 percent. Second, the Translog production function estimate results in a time-varying elasticity of production with respect to the price of capital between 0.34 and 0.27, which is substantially lower than the value of 0.43 found in the earlier CES framework. Third the unweighted capital (leverage) ratio for Swiss G-SIBs is approximately 6 percent for Basel III Tier1 and 4.3 percent for CET1. This corresponds to risk-weighted capital ratios of 17 to 20 percent and 13 to 15 percent, respectively. The estimates show that the recently revised Swiss Too-Big-To-Fail capital ratios for G-SIBs are about 30 percent smaller than the optimal levels. However, the oft-debated proposal to raise the equity-to-asset ratio to 20 to 30 percent is not warranted by our analysis.
Nutrient management in mung bean (Vigna radiata l.) through sulphur and biofertilizers

To study the effect of nutrient management in mung bean through sulphur and biofertilizers, a field experiment was carried out during 2006 and 2007. The treatments contained four levels of sulphur i.e. 0, 15, 30, 45 kg ha-1 and four levels of biofertilizers viz. Uninoculated, Rhizobium, PSB and Rhizobium + PSB with 4 replications in factorial RBD. Results indicated that application of sulphur @ 30 kg ha-1 significantly increased the plant height (44.6 cm) , primary branches (5.18), effective pods plant-1 (27.8), grains pods-1 (11.0), 1000 grain wt. (35.7 g), grain and stover yield (12.0 and 28.1 q ha-1), nitrogen uptake (86.05 kg ha-1), phosphorus uptake (10.06 kg ha-1), sulphur uptake (7.71 kg ha-1) and quality parameters like protein (24.56 %) and methionine (5.96 g/ 100 g N) in comparison to sulphur @ 15 kg ha-1. Application of sulphur @ 15 kg S ha 1 significantly and linearly decreased the PSB population. Actinomycetes population was not significantly affected by the treatments. However, sulfur application showed a diminishing trend in the population of actinomycetes. Rhizobium and PSB inoculation also showed significant response to all the parameters and showed better response when co-inoculated (Rhizobium + PSB). However, total bacterial population (41.7 x 106 g 1 soil), Rhizobium like organism (RLO) population (13.9 x 103 g 1 soil) and Azotobacter population (12 x 103 g 1 soil) significantly increased up to the level of 15 kg S ha 1. Rhizobium and PSB inoculation showed significant response to all the parameters and showed better response when co-inoculated with Rhizobium + PSB
Heterosis and Combining Ability for Yield Components and Fiber Quality Parameters in a Half Diallel Cotton (G. hirsutum L.) Population1

Combining ability and heterosis were determined in a population obtained from the half diallel crossing of 6 different cotton genotypes for yield components and fiber quality parameters. For breeding purposes, to improve the investigated characters some suitable parents were selected for different characters: DPL 5690 for number of bolls per plant, Acala SJ-5 for boll weight and fiber length; Nazilli-84 and Carmen for seed cotton yield and lint percentage; Tamcot CAMD-E for earliness and fiber fineness; and PD 6168 for fiber strength. When the crosses were evaluated for the investigated characters Tamcot CAMD-E x Carmen, Nazilli-84 x PD 6168, DPL 5690 x Tamcot CAMD-E and Tamcot CAMD-E x PD 6168 are considered promising combinations for further research. It was concluded that applying 3-way crosses, or modified backcross or recurrent selection to genotypes having good combining ability would improve yield and fiber quality.
Asymptotic and oscillatory behavior of certain second order neutral delay difference equations

This paper is concerned with the asymptotic behavior for nonoscillatory solutions of the second order neutral delay difference equations of the form ∆(xn+pnxn−τ −qnxn−σ)+rnf(xn−l) = 0, also oscillation of this equation is discussed using sublinear function. Examples are inserted to illustrate the results. Mathematics Subject Classification: 39A21, 46B50