Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fear Appeal Intensity of Visual Cigarette Warnings: An Experimental Research on Turkish Young Adults

Warnings used on cigarette packages differ among countries. These differences are related to the intensity of fear appeal and chosen visuals. Researches on fear appeal show that there is a positive linear relationship between message acceptance and fear arousing conditions. The aim of this research is to assess the most effective fear intensity level of cigarette warnings. An experimental research is conducted on 126 Turkish young adults. They are separated in three groups according to developed visual cigarette packages with varied fear intensity. Their affective responses, recognition ranks and intentions to quit smoking were compared. The results indicate that there is surprisingly no statistically difference between visuals in terms of intensity of fear appeal whereas visual warning with higher fear intensity is perceived as more effective on eliciting intention to quit smoking than others. According to subjects’ statements, this result may be explained by the fact that fear intensities of all visual warnings are comparatively rather higher than Turkish local cigarette warnings.
Forward modeling of spectroscopic galaxy surveys: application to SDSS

Galaxy spectra are essential to probe the spatial distribution of galaxies in our Universe. To better interpret current and future spectroscopic galaxy redshift surveys, it is important to be able to simulate these data sets. We describe USPEC, a forward modeling tool to generate galaxy spectra taking into account some intrinsic galaxy properties as well as instrumental responses of a given telescope. The model for the intrinsic properties of the galaxy population, i.e., the luminosity functions, and size and spectral coefficients distributions, was developed in an earlier work for broad-band imaging surveys [1], and we now aim to test the model further using spectroscopic data. We apply USPEC to the SDSS/CMASS sample of Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs). We construct selection cuts that match those used to build this LRG sample, which we then apply to data and simulations in the same way. The resulting real and simulated average spectra show a good statistical agreement overall, with residual differences likely coming from a bluer galaxy population of the simulated sample. We also do not explore the impact of non-solar element ratios in our simulations. For a quantitative comparison, we perform Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the sets of spectra. By comparing the PCs constructed from simulations and data, we find good agreement for all components. The distributions of the eigencoefficients also show an appreciable overlap. We are therefore able to properly simulate the LRG sample taking into account the SDSS/BOSS instrumental responses. The differences between the two samples can be ascribed to the intrinsic properties of the simulated galaxy population, which can be reduced by further improvements of our modeling method in the future. We discuss how these results can be useful for the forward modeling of upcoming large spectroscopic surveys.
Challenges in Migration from Waterfall to Agile Environments

Software development methodologies are constantly evolving due to the appearance of new technologies and increasingly demanding user requests. Organizations seek to respond to these new challenges by changing their work practices, both at the technical and organizational levels. Agile methodologies thus emerge as a new development model characterized by greater flexibility and responsiveness to these new requirements, but also introduced new challenges. This study adopts a systematic review methodology to identify the key challenges in the migration process from traditional software development paradigms to agile methodologies. Four dimensions of challenges and a total of 49 sub-dimensions were found. Additionally, we discussed how those challenges can emerge, and what practices can be applied to properly manage and mitigate them.
Concentrated Shareholders as Substitutes for Outside Analysts

We contend that there is a governance substitution effect, with concentrated shareholders substituting for the monitoring activities of analysts. Our results are consistent with the opinion that regulators need not fear large shareholders. This is especially applicable to large outside shareholders as we find that the economic effect of concentrated outsider shareholdings is quite strong and greater than that of concentrated insider shareholdings. Our results support the argument that an outsider with a larger stake in a firm is more likely to produce its own in-house information for the monitoring of the firm's managers and avoid both the cost and moral hazard problems associated with analysts. The results also support the argument that if senior managers hold large stakes in the firm, there is a greater likelihood that managerial incentives will be aligned with those of other shareholders. Using a clean ownership dataset with a sample of 3,115 firm-year observations for U.S. firms and regression techniques that address any potential endogeneity, we find that analyst following is negatively related to the concentration of outsider and insider shareholdings. We find similar relations for changes in analyst following and changes in ownership concentration. We examine the relationship of concentration of shareholdings with the number of financial analysts following a firm to see if concentrated shareholders substitute for the monitoring activities of analysts. We examine the relationship of concentration of shareholdings with the number of financial analysts following a firm to see if concentrated shareholders substitute for the monitoring activities of analysts. Using a clean ownership dataset with a sample of 3,115 firm-year observations for U.S. firms and regression techniques that address any potential endogeneity, we find that analyst following is negatively related to the concentration of outsider and insider shareholdings. We find similar relations for changes in analyst following and changes in ownership concentration. Our results support the argument that an outsider with a larger stake in a firm is more likely to produce its own in-house information for the monitoring of the firm's managers and avoid both the cost and moral hazard problems associated with analysts. The results also support the argument that if senior managers hold large stakes in the firm, there is a greater likelihood that managerial incentives will be aligned with those of other shareholders. We contend that there is a governance substitution effect, with concentrated shareholders substituting for the monitoring activities of analysts. Our results are consistent with the opinion that regulators need not fear large shareholders. This is especially applicable to large outside shareholders as we find that the economic effect of concentrated outsider shareholdings is quite strong and greater than that of concentrated insider shareholdings.
Methane exchange at the peatland forest floor - automatic chamber system exposes the dynamics of small fluxes

Abstract. We measured methane (CH4) exchange rates with automatic chambers at the forest floor of a nutrient-rich drained peatland in 2011–2013. The fen, located in southern Finland, was drained for forestry in 1969 and the tree stand is now a mixture of Scots pine, Norway spruce, and pubescent birch. Our measurement system consisted of six transparent chambers and stainless steel frames, positioned on a number of different field and moss layer compositions. Gas concentrations were measured with an online cavity ring-down spectroscopy gas analyzer. Fluxes were calculated with both linear and exponential regression. The use of linear regression resulted in systematically smaller CH4 fluxes by 10–45 % as compared to exponential regression. However, the use of exponential regression with small fluxes ( low fluxes and that higher fluxes are then recalculated using exponential regression. The exponential flux was clearly affected by the length of the fitting period when this period was
Swimming alone? The role of social capital in enhancing local resilience to climate stress: a case study from Bangladesh

There has been increasing examination of resilience as a concept applicable to climate adaptation. In this paper, resilience is used to explore the layers of responses to past and present climate stress. It examines the factors and circumstances that may hinder or enhance resilience, providing insights into past and present adaptation processes that may be relevant for adaptation to future climate change. Specifically, this paper tests the value of social capital in influencing resilience to climate stress. While there are many examples where social capital influences resilience to climate stress, this paper aims to determine the relative importance of different types of social capital for enhancing resilience, by exploring how relationships of exchange and reciprocity influence responses to climate stress. This study involved case studies of specific communities in the southwest coastal region of Bangladesh. This case study highlights a complex rather than a uniformly positive relationship between social capital and enhancing resilience to climate stress. Specifically, it identifies four types of social capital-based support (with monetary support as a subset) and the interlinkages among the types (and processes) of social capital with diverse effects on resilience. It emphasizes the moral and ethical importance of reconceptualizing resilience with an emphasis on the most vulnerable, as resilience approaches that fail to recognize the differentiated nature of resilience, risk reinforcing vulnerability. Westernized concepts have important benefits, but crucial limitations when applied to the particular conditions, value sets and modes of community working in the south. The uncritical importation of social capital needs to be treated with caution, especially in the context of climate adaptation.
Double Impact on CVA for CDS: Wrong-Way Risk with Stochastic Recovery

Current CVA modeling framework has ignored the impact of stochastic recovery rate. Due to the possible negative correlation between default and recovery rate, stochastic recovery rate could have a doubling effect on wrong-way risk. In the case of a payer CDS, when counterparty defaults, the CDS value could be higher due to default contagion while the recovery rate may also be lower if the economy is in a downturn. Using our recently proposed model of correlated stochastic recovery in the default time Gaussian copula framework, we demonstrate this double impact on wrong-way risk in the CVA calculation for a payer CDS. We also present a new form of Gaussian copula that correlates both default time and recovery rate.
Atlas of high-resolution emission and shell lines in Be stars. Line profiles and short-term variability

We present an atlas of high-S=N , high-resolution (v 6k m s 1 ) data of Be star emission and shell proles. We have collected proles of H and of Fe ii ,m ostly of the5317 transition. These lines have been selected to provide measures for the overall emission strength and for the velocity eld in these disks. We have collected data for 77 southern and equatorial programme stars, covering the period 1982-1993. This is the most comprehensive overview of prole shapes in Be disks. We propose a three-dimensional scheme in which most observed proles can be classied. The parameters are i) inclination, ii) optical depth, and iii) the pattern of the velocity eld. A search for short-term variability (timescales between ve days and a few minutes) in six stars ended with negative result. Shortest observed timescale for variability is a few days for well-developed disks in binary systems (HR 1910, HR 2142).
Environmental and zooplankton parameter changes during the drying of a saline shallow temporary lake in central Argentina

Central Argentina has numerous saline lakes sustained by groundwater sources and rainfall. These lakes are temporary and experience significant changes in water level and salinity, depending on wet and dry climate cycles. This study aims to investigate the scarcely known dynamics of environmental and zooplankton parameters during the drying phase of one of these lakes. Monthly samples were taken from December 2 012to July 2 013 in the Ojo de Agua Uriburu lake, previous to its drying. At the beginning of the study, the lake’s depth was 0.7 m and its salinity was 16.65 g/L, later, in July, its depth decreased to 0.06 m and its salinity increased to 92.9 g/L. Zooplankton species richness was low (three crustaceans and three rotifers), with Boeckella poopoensis and Moina eugeniae dominating in the system. Maximum density and biomass were attainedby the two dominant species in April (318.5 ind/L and 3 029.1 g /L dry weight; and 242.4 ind/L and 1 530.4 g/L dry weight, for B. poopoensis and M. eugeniae, respectively), and no correlation was found between these parameters and salinity. Maximum average body lengths for both species were observed in the last months of sampling (M. eugeniae: 1 020 84.2 m and B. poopoensis: 1 348.8 89.0 m). At this point of the study, neither juvenile nor larval stages were found. The increase in average body size is, arguably, the result of increased salinity in the system through a negativeeffect on reproduction. Because this lake reached hypersalinity, its ecological dynamics are unique among those of other temporary, saline lakes that dried in central Argentina. Similar studies on other temporary ecosystems are needed to increase the information on these little known ecological aspects.
Genotyping of Individually Isolated gametes from Gossypium hirsutum Chromosome Substitution Lines

As an important crop for US agricultural security and sustainable agriculture, cotton genetic improvement requires development of innovative analytical tools. Genetic analyses based on individual gametes provide several advantages including minimum sample requirement, genetic identification of male parent and overcoming the complexity of polyploidy due to haploid nature of microspores. This research used tetraploid cotton (G. hirsutum x G. barbadense) chromosome substitution (CS) lines with G. barbadense chromosomes 17 and 25 in G. hirsutum background. The individually isolated pollen grains were germinated to release their DNAs and genomic DNA was increased by modified primer extension pre-amplification (PEP) using MasterAmp™ Extra-Long PCR Kit (EPICENTRE®, Madison, WI). Also from select cotton lines, microspores just released from tetrad developmental stage were individually isolated and gamete DNA was extracted as well as amplified through multiple displacement amplification (MDA) using REPLI-g Single Cell Kit (QIAGEN, Valencia, CA). The parental samples along with PEP and MDA amplified individual gamete DNAs were then analyzed using simple sequence repeat (SSR) as well as IRD800 and IRD-700 labeled (Li-Cor, Lincoln, NE) amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) methods. Nineteen SSR and 28 AFLP primer pairs were used to analyze TM-1, 3-79, CS-B17 and CS-B25 cotton lines. The amplification of parental SSR and AFLP markers from both mature pollen as well as early free microspore samples provided unique tools for comparative genetic studies using agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively.
The Other Asian Enigma: Explaining the Rapid Reduction of Undernutrition in Bangladesh

Although South Asia has long been synonymous with persistent and unusually high rates of child undernutrition – the so called Asian Enigma – Bangladesh has managed to sustain a surprisingly rapid reduction in the rate of child undernutrition for at least two decades. We investigate this unheralded success through a regression and decomposition analysis of changes in child growth outcomes across five rounds of DHS surveys from 1997 to 2011. We find that rapid wealth accumulation and large gains in parental education are the two largest drivers of change, though health, sanitation, and demographic factors have played significant secondary roles.
Effects of Mulching with Compost on Growth and Physiology of Acer campestre L. and Carpinus betulus L.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of mulching with compost on growth and leaf gas exchange of two widely-used ornamental trees in comparison to local nursery management standards. In addition, effects on soil respiration, soil temperature and water evaporation from soil were determined. An equal number (180 each) of uniform hedge maple (Acer campestre L.) and 180 hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) were planted in an experimental plot located in Pistoia. Treatments compared were: 1) chemical weeding by herbicides; 2) natural grass cover, mowed twice per year; 3) harrowing once a year; and 4) mulching with mixed compost (50% green+50% from household waste, 5 to 10 cm thick). Over a two-year period, stem diameter, shoot extension and leaf gas exchange were measured. In the second year leaf chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence, soil respiration, soil evaporation content and soil temperature were also recorded. Mulching with compost influenced shoot extension and stem diameter growth of field maple and white hornbeam. Plants grown with natural grass cover had, generally, smaller stem diameters and shoot growth than the other treatments. Leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence were influenced by the different treatments. Soil respiration was unaffected by the different treatments while soil temperature was significantly lower in mulched plots.
Explaining the Slow Pace of Energy Technological Innovation: Why Market Conditions Matter?

As a useful complement to numerous innovation policy studies from a normative perspective, this paper provides a positive framework to analyze the basic economic mechanism of energy technological innovation and explains its slow pace of technological progress. We find that the capital-intensiveness of energy technology is an inhibiting factor to catalyze market size effect and slows innovations and diffusions of energy technology in the market. We also show that the substantial homogeneity of energy products leads to both a monopolistic market structure on the supply side and a weak level of positive pecuniary externality on the demand side, both dampening the incentive of innovation. On the basis of our economic analysis, we recommend that a package of policy responses to accelerating energy innovation should include 1) downsizing “heavy” assets of energy technologies; 2) deregulating monopolistic energy-supplying markets; and 3) differentiating the homogenous energy products.
Broadband energy harvesting using nonlinear 2-DOF configuration

Vibration energy harvesting using piezoelectric material has received great research interest in the recent years. To enhance the performance of piezoelectric energy harvesters, one important concern is to increase their operating bandwidth. Various techniques have been proposed for broadband energy harvesting, such as the resonance tuning approach, the frequency up-conversion technique, the multi-modal harvesting and the nonlinear technique. Usually, a nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvester can be easily developed by introducing a magnetic field. Either mono-stable or bi-stable response can be achieved using different magnetic configurations. However, most of the research work for nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvesting has focused on the SDOF cantilever beam. A recently reported linear 2-DOF harvester can achieve two close resonant frequencies with significant power outputs. However, for this linear configuration, although a broader bandwidth can be achieved, there exists a deep valley in-between the two response peaks. The presence of the valley will greatly deteriorate the performance of the energy harvester. To overcome this limitation, a nonlinear 2-DOF piezoelectric energy harvester is proposed in this article. This nonlinear harvester is developed from its linear counterpart by incorporating a magnetic field using a pair of magnets. Experimental parametric study is carried out to investigate the behavior of such harvester. With different configurations, both mono-stable and bi-stable behaviors are observed and studied. An optimal configuration of the nonlinear harvester is thus obtained, which can achieve significantly wider bandwidth than the linear 2-DOF harvester and at the same time overcome its limitation.
A Heckman Selection-t Model

Sample selection arises often in practice as a result of the partial observability of the outcome of interest in a study. In the presence of sample selection, the observed data do not represent a random sample from the population, even after controlling for explanatory variables. That is, data are missing not at random. Thus, standard analysis using only complete cases will lead to biased results. Heckman introduced a sample selection model to analyze such data and proposed a full maximum likelihood estimation method under the assumption of normality. The method was criticized in the literature because of its sensitivity to the normality assumption. In practice, data, such as income or expenditure data, often violate the normality assumption because of heavier tails. We first establish a new link between sample selection models and recently studied families of extended skew-elliptical distributions. Then, this allows us to introduce a selection-t (SLt) model, which models the error distribution using a Student's t distribution. We study its properties and investigate the finite-sample performance of the maximum likelihood estimators for this model. We compare the performance of the SLt model to the conventional Heckman selection-normal (SLN) model and apply it to analyze ambulatory expenditures. Unlike the SLN model, our analysis using the SLt model provides statistical evidence for the existence of sample selection bias in these data. We also investigate the performance of the test for sample selection bias based on the SLt model and compare it with the performances of several tests used with the SLN model. Our findings indicate that the latter tests can be misleading in the presence of heavy-tailed data.
Frictional response of a thick gouge sample: 1. Mechanical measurements and microstructures

[1] A 10-cm-thick layer of synthetic fault gouge (angular quartz sand with millimetric grains) is sheared over several meters at low confining pressures (0.1–0.5 MPa) using a ring shear apparatus (inner radius of 10 cm). The shear strength of the gouge exhibits a significant slip-weakening behavior active over decimetric slip distances. Tests on the influence of particle size, particle geometry, and boundary conditions are reported. A long-term compaction of the gouge samples is also observed but appears to be decoupled from the frictional slip weakening. At microscale, series of photographs taken during the runs enable us to follow the formation of a shear band in which most of displacements and strains localize. From image analysis we estimate the strain field in the material surrounding the shear band and show that this outer region accounts for most of the global volumetric strain. We argue that the mechanical coupling between this outer region and the shear band is responsible for the frictional slip weakening. Accordingly, the complex structure of the fault zone is shown to be crucial for its frictional behavior. Implications of our results for fault mechanics are discussed in the companion paper.