Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Public Enterprises in Mixed Economies: Their Impact on Social Equity

The underlying theoretical argument of Privatization, as a crucial component of the neoliberal policies, is that state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are inherently inefficient, and therefore bad for social equity, besides hindering economic growth. However, the existing literature falls short of providing a solid theoretical basis for this argument. This study improves upon the existing literature through utilization of a panel data set of more than 40 mixed economies for the period 1960s to the 1990s. By applying the fixed effects techniques, this study empirically explores the impact of SOEs on income equality. The conclusion arrived at, is that SOEs contribute significantly and positively to income equality. The results of this study raise serious doubts about the desirability of indiscriminate privatization from the equity perspective. JEL Classification L320; L330; D630
Derivatives of the UV Absorption Spectra, ECN Groups, and Phytosqualene Contents in Virgin Olive Oils from Varieties Grown in the Extreme Conditions of Tataouine Region (Southern Tunisia)

This study was carried out on the analysis of the physicochemical composition of some Tunisian virgin olive oils (VOOs) from varieties grown in the harsh pedoclimatic conditions of the region of Tataouine. According to the UV absorption spectra and the respective derivative ones, all the studied samples belong to the category "extra virgin". HPLC analysis of triacylglycerols permitted the identification and quantification of four triacylglycerol groups: ECN 44, 46, 48, and 50, which are present at the highest levels in the studied VOOs. Small amounts of some other groups (ECN 38, 40 and 42), were also observed in all samples. The analysis of phytosqualene, and its related alcohol composition, showed that all the studied samples contained levels expected for good quality VOO. The Principal component analysis applied to the analytical data reveal that the great variability in oil composition are influenced exclusively by the genetic factor.
Evaluating snow models with varying process representations for hydrological applications

Much effort has been invested in developing snow models over several decades, resulting in a wide variety of empirical and physically based snow models. For the most part, these models are built on similar principles. The greatest differences are found in how each model parameterizes individual processes (e.g., surface albedo and snow compaction). Parameterization choices naturally span a wide range of complexities. In this study, we evaluate the performance of different snow model parameterizations for hydrological applications using an existing multimodel energy‐balance framework and data from two well‐instrumented alpine sites with seasonal snow cover. We also include two temperature‐index snow models and an intensive, physically based multilayer snow model in our analyses. Our results show that snow mass observations provide useful information for evaluating the ability of a model to predict snowpack runoff, whereas snow depth data alone are not. For snow mass and runoff, the energy‐balance models appear transferable between our two study sites, a behavior which is not observed for snow surface temperature predictions due to site‐specificity of turbulent heat transfer formulations. Errors in the input and validation data, rather than model formulation, seem to be the greatest factor affecting model performance. The three model types provide similar ability to reproduce daily observed snowpack runoff when appropriate model structures are chosen. Model complexity was not a determinant for predicting daily snowpack mass and runoff reliably. Our study shows the usefulness of the multimodel framework for identifying appropriate models under given constraints such as data availability, properties of interest and computational cost.
Sample Selection and Treatment Effect Estimation of Lender of Last Resort Policies

This article develops a framework for estimating multivariate treatment effect models in the presence of sample selection. The methodology deals with several important issues prevalent in policy and program evaluation, including application and approval stages, nonrandom treatment assignment, endogeneity, and discrete outcomes. This article presents a computationally efficient estimation algorithm and techniques for model comparison and treatment effects. The framework is applied to evaluate the effectiveness of bank recapitalization programs and their ability to resuscitate the financial system. The analysis of lender of last resort (LOLR) policies is not only complicated due to econometric challenges, but also because regulator data are not easily obtainable. Motivated by these difficulties, this article constructs a novel bank-level dataset and employs the new methodology to jointly model a bank’s decision to apply for assistance, the LOLR’s decision to approve or decline the assistance, and the bank’s performance following the disbursements. The article offers practical estimation tools to unveil new answers to important regulatory and policy questions.
MICROSATELLITE ANALYSIS OF GENETIC DIVERSITY OF WILD BARLEY (HORDEUM VULGARE SUBSP. SPONTANEUM) USING DIFFERENT SAMPLING METHODS IN IRAN

The genetic diversity patterns of 54 natural populations and 40 individuals of wild barley from different localities in Iran were analyzed using 26 microsatellites markers. At population level, high levels of diversity (0.71), with an average number of 6.92 alleles per locus (ranging up to 17) and high level polymorphism with polymorphism rate averaging 0.67 were observed. Average number of alleles was 38.37 per population (ranged from 36.33 in the Northeast to 38.94 in the West) and 28.42 per individual (ranged from 28.11 in the West to 29 in the North). In dendrograms, accessions collected from the North and Northeast of Iran were grouped away from those collected from the West and Northwest, suggesting the presence of two different wild barley sub genepools in this country. The genetic diversity decreases from the West toward the East. Based on the results of this study the wild Iranian gene pool of barley represents high level of diversity and there is value to search for new useful alleles to incorporate to the breeding programs.
Comparative efficacy of Dreissena rostriformis bugensis (Bivalvia: Dreissenidae) spawning techniques.

Spawning of Dreissena rostriformis bugensis, commonly known as the quagga mussel, under laboratory conditions has received relatively little attention. A comprehensive understanding of spawning is necessary to better predict the implications that introduction of quagga mussels will have on an ecosystem. We evaluated three methods to induce spawning in quagga mussels: external application of serotonin, temperature shock (TS), and temperature shock with the addition of gonad slurry (TS+GS). Mussels were individually exposed to the spawning treatments, and success or failure to produce gametes was observed. We also examined the relationship between shell length, time to spawn, and gamete production. We found that TS produced a maximum of 22 % spawning success. The addition of gonad slurry showed a slight increase over TS at 32 %. Serotonin was found to produce the highest percent spawning at 77.3% success. Our results show that a clear dose response relationship exists between serotonin concentration and spawning response, and that consistent spawning of both males and females is observed following exposure to serotonin at concentrations at or above 5×10 -4 M. We found no correlation between mussel size and clutch size or time to spawn; however the time delay between serotonin exposure and spawning onset was found to be greater in females than males.
Spatial patterns of two co-occurring savanna and forest tree species in a dense fire-protected savanna fragment

Savanna-forest transition under fire-exclusion could be explained by differential competitive performance of savanna and forest species under shading/fire-exclusion. Aiming to understand strategies related to either habitat affinity, we investigated spatial patterns of a savanna and a forest species in a fire-protected savanna. We predicted that: savanna species would have lower abundance than the forest species due to a restriction in the number of open microsites; segregation of size classes and a trend from clumping to regularity with size for forest species due to absence of microsite limitation and intra-specifc competition; and spatial association and increasing clustering with size for savanna species due to microsite limitation. To test these predictions, we described spatial patterns of plants in two size classes in three plots of 0.5 ha. We analyzed spatial patterns and associations of size classes using SADIE methodology. Different from what we expected, both species were more abundant among the studied plots and exhibited an increasing aggregation from small to large size classes. We also found a positive spatial association between size classes of both. These results suggest that both savanna and forest species produce similar spatial patterns independently of habitat affinity. We discuss the possible processes responsible for the observed patterns.
Determine the Proper Level of Yeast with Different Levels of Roughages to Improve the Nutritive Value of Lamb's Ration

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplemented two levels of yeast culture (YC) to two rations of different roughage levels on animal performance, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, nutritive value and rumen fermentation of growing lambs. Sixty Ossimi male lambs of an average being 37.5Kg body weight and 9 months age were randomly assigned to six nutritional groups. Animals were fed two basal rations differ in roughage ratios (Control 1 or 2) without supplementation or supplemented with 0.1 or 0.2% dry yeast containing 10 8 cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae per gram (Yea- Sacc 1026 ). The growth experiment lasted 120 days. A digestion trail was carried on and samples of rumen liquor were collected at the end of the growth experiment. The results showed that addition of YC to the basal ration increased DMI, TDNI, DCPI, feed conversion ratio and did significantly (P<0.05) improve lambs average daily gain (ADG). On the other hand, YC supplementation improved digestion coefficients of DM, OM, CP and CF. Nitrogen balance, TDN and DCP also significantly (P<0.05) increased by the addition of YC. Ruminal pH value increased (P<0.05) and ammonia concentration decreased (P<0.05) for in animals fed YC supplemented rations compared to the control rations. However, total VFA's concentration not significantly affected by YC supplementation. Supplementation of YC to control 2 of higher roughage content significantly (P<0.05) increased acetate concentration and decreased of propionate concentration in rations 5 and 6 compared with other rations. While, the butyrate concentration were significantly (P<0.05) decreased with supplement control ration 1 and 2 by both two levels of YC (rations 3, 4, 5, and 6). It could be concluded that addition of YC to sheep rations containing different levels of roughages improved growth performance, crude protein and crude fiber digestibility, nitrogen balance and some rumen parameters. (Sawsan, M. Gad, Tawila, M.A., Abou Ward, G.A., Salama R. and Soad El-Naggar. Determine the Proper Level of Yeast with Different Levels of Roughages to Improve the Nutritive Value of Lamb's Ration. Life Sci J 2012;9(3):1773-1780) (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com. 256
Effects of the Dielectric Environment on the Electrical Properties of Graphene

This thesis provides the study of graphene’s electrostatic interaction with the substrate surrounding it. Mathematical models based on current experimental configurations of graphene field-effect transistors (FET) are developed and analyzed. The conductivity and mobility of charge carriers in graphene are examined in the presence of impurities trapped in the substrate near graphene. The impurities encompass a wide range of possible structures and parameters, including different types of impurities, their distance from graphene, and the spatial correlation between them. Furthermore, we extend our models to analyze the influence of impurities on the fluctuations of the electrostatic potential and the charge carrier density in the plane of graphene. The results of our mathematical models are compared with current experimental results in the literature.
Survival Analysis of Diabetes Mellitus Patients Using Parametric, Non-Parametric and Semi-Parametric Approaches: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Diabetes is a chronic illness that requires lifelong care to control blood glucose levels and prevent complications. The aim of this study is to model survival probability of diabetic patients who were under follow-up and identify significant risk factors for mortality and morbidity. Recorded hospital data were obtained for a cohort of 462 patients at Yekatit-II Hospital, Ethiopia. The patients have been under follow-up from September 2003 to August 2011. The Parametric, Non-Parametric and Semi-Parametric Survival Models are used to estimate the survival time as well as examine the association between the survival time with different demographic, health and risk behavior variables. The analysis shows that most factors significantly contribute to a shorter survival time of diabetes mellitus patients. These factors include being overweight, alcohol use, tobacco use, complication of diabetes mellitus, patients diagnosed with type I diabetes mellitus, uncontrollable blood pressure, high blood cholesterol level, excess amount of fasting blood sugar level and positive family history of diabetes mellitus. It is therefore recommended that people ought to be cognizant on the burden of these risk factors and well informed about the disease.
Flow cytometric analysis of circulating endothelial cells and endothelial progenitors for clinical purposes in oncology: A critical evaluation (Review)

Malignant tumors are characterized by uncontrolled cell growth and metastatic spread, with a pivotal importance of the phenomenon of angiogenesis. For this reason, research has focused on the development of agents targeting the vascular component of the tumor microenvironment and regulating the angiogenic switch. As a result, the therapeutic inhibition of angiogenesis has become an important component of anticancer treatment, however, its utility is partly limited by the lack of an established methodology to assess its efficacy in vivo. Circulating endothelial cells (CECs), which are rare in healthy subjects and significantly increased in different tumor types, represent a promising tool for monitoring the tumor clinical outcome and the treatment response. A cell population circulating into the blood also able to form endothelial colonies in vitro and to promote vasculogenesis is represented by endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). The number of both of these cell types is extremely low and they cannot be identified using a single marker, therefore, in absence of a definite consensus on their phenotype, require discrimination using combinations of antigens. Multiparameter flow cytometry (FCM) is ideal for rapid processing of high numbers of cells per second and is commonly utilized to quantify CECs and EPCs, however, remains technically challenging since there is as yet no standardized protocol for the identification and enumeration of these rare events. Methodology in studies on CECs and/or EPCs as clinical biomarkers in oncology is heterogeneous and data have been obtained from different studies leading to conflicting conclusions. The present review presented a critical review of the issues that limit the comparability of results of the most significant studies employing FCM for CEC and/or EPC detection in patients with cancer.
Shear‐wave splitting around the Eifel hotspot: evidence for a mantle upwelling

SUMMARY We present the results of a shear-wave splitting analysis across the Eifel hotspot in westcentral Europe. Our data set includes 18 permanent European broadband stations and 102 temporary Eifel broadband and short-period stations. We observe variations in splitting at most permanent stations, but are not able to model them reliably with unique dipping-axis or two-layer anisotropy models. We prefer instead a single-layer model with a horizontal fast axis to approximate the first-order anisotropy, which varies smoothly between stations. We observe a first-order parabolic pattern in fast polarization azimuth around the hotspot, which suggests that a lattice preferred orientation (LPO) of olivine fast axes exists in the asthenosphere as a result of the interaction between the slowly WSW-moving Eurasian plate and a mantle upwelling beneath the Eifel volcanic fields. The minority of the variation not explained by this model correlates with rapid lateral changes in splitting, and is interpreted as a result of additional anisotropy and/or the effects of dynamic recrystallization associated with LPO development in the region of corner flow near the conduit. Our parabolic asthenospheric flow (PAF) interpretation is consistent with Eifel geological, tomographic, receiver function, global absolute plate motion, electrical conductivity anisotropy, and geochemical studies, as well as with splitting studies in the Great Basin and around Hawaii. We suggest that the Eifel upwelling is sporadic, and a result of a low excess upwelling temperature and/or varying crustal stresses that periodically shift and facilitate eruption. The PAF pattern we observe neither suggests nor rules out anisotropy in the conduit associated with a wet Eifel upwelling. We use our optimum PA F model parameters to calculate a Eurasian plate speed of 12 km Ma −1 ,w hich is consistent with the recent HS3-NUVEL1A speed of 19 ± 14 km Ma −1 .
Computational and Experimental Investigation of the Flow Structure and Vortex Dynamics in the Wake of a Formula 1 Tire

The flow field around a 60% scale stationary Formula 1 tire in contact with the ground in a closed wind tunnel is examined experimentally in order to validate the accuracy of different turbulence modeling techniques. The results of steady RANS and Large Eddy Simulation (LES) are compared with PIV data performed within the same project. The far wake structure behind the wheel is dominated by two strong counter-rotating vortices. The locations of the vortex cores, extracted from the LES and PIV data as well as computed using different RANS models, show that the LES predictions are closet to the PIV vortex cores. All turbulence models are able to accurately predict the region of strong downward velociy between the vortex cores in the centerplane of the tire, but discrepancies arise when velocity profiles are compared close to the inboard and outboard edges of the tire, due to the sensitivity of the solution to the tire shoulder modeling. In the near wake region directly behind the contact patch of the tire, contour plots of inplane-velocity are compared for all three datasets. The LES simulation again matches well with the PIV data.
Field Investigation on Vibration Behavior of Railway Track Systems

Investigations on vibration behaviors of railway track systems were attempted in this research. This was made by conducting a comprehensive field investigation into the free vibration of track systems and response of tracks to train moving loads. In-situ modal analysis was used in a railway track field as an efficient method of investigating dynamic properties of railway track systems. Natural frequencies and mode shapes of the track system in different in- situ track conditions were obtained for the fist time. The sensitivity of the natural frequencies of the track to the types of sleepers, fastening systems, ballast conditions, and rail joints were studied. Efficiency of rail welded joints in CWR tracks and the effects of replacing timber sleepers with concrete sleepers on dynamic behavior of a track were investigated. Advantages of flexible sleeper fastening system from the aspects of serviceability and passenger riding comfort were discussed. The effects of the track accumulative loading as a main indicator of ballast degradation on track dynamic behavior were studied. Rail deflections were calculated by using auto-spectra obtained from vibrations of the track under trainloads, leading to the development of a new mathematical expression for the calculation of the rail dynamic amplification factor.
Seeing the light: depth and time restrictions in the foraging capacity of emperor penguins at Pointe Géologie, Antarctica

The foraging ability of visual hunters depends critically on light conditions. Emperor pen- guins Aptenodytes forsteri are reported to be visual hunters, but breed and forage at high latitudes and are thus exposed to extreme changes in light conditions in the course of the year. We examined how light influenced the foraging ability of breeding emperor penguins using loggers in winter (n = 5) and spring (n = 4) 2005 at Pointe Geologie (66° 40' S, 140° 01' E), Antarctica, as well as by using models of light availability over the year and as a function of depth. The model showed that daylight was contin- uous between days of the year 350 and 363 and that the sun did not rise between days of the year 166 and 180. Logger-measured light intensity decreased with water depth, and depth-specific values were higher at greater sun elevation angles. Depth-time use (given by the maximum depth reached multi- plied by the number of hours at which this depth could be achieved over 24 h) of spring-foraging pen- guins was 8394.5 m × h, which was more than twice that of winter-foraging birds at 3845.4 m × h, showing the severe constraints imposed by winter conditions. Average catch-per-unit effort was related to mean maximum diving depth and was highest around mid-day in winter and highest during dawn and dusk in spring. This reflects availability of prey to foraging emperor penguins.
On the Dynamic Development of Social Ties: Theory and Application

We implement, expand with limited foresight, and test the performance of the theoretical social ties model of van Dijk and van Winden (1997). The model is estimated on various experimental data sets of repeated public good games involving different numbers of players. Our estimation results provide direct support for the proposed social ties mechanism, showing that the history of social interaction is an essential determinant of preferences. About a quarter of the subjects appear to be forward-looking. Both the within-sample and the out-of-sample predictive performance of the model turn out to be remarkably good, as it is able to track the often complex dynamic contribution patterns. This is true both for games played in pairs and in groups of four players, where the decision-making processes are much more complex. Moreover, we show that this model performs better than some other social preferences models that allow for a dynamic implementation. Our conclusion is that this simple, tractable, and psychologically grounded model of social preferences can account very well for dynamic behavioral patterns in repeated public good games.