Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Foreign Interest Rates on the Economy : The Role of the Exchange Rate Regime ∗

It is often argued that small economies are affected by conditions in large countries. This paper explores the connection between interest rates in major industrial countries and annual real output growth in other countries. The results show that high large-country interest rates have a contractionary effect on annual real GDP growth in the domestic economy, but that this effect is centered on countries with fixed exchange rates. The paper then examines the potential channels through which large-country interest rates affect small economies. The direct monetary policy channel is the most likely channel when compared with other possibilities, such as a general capital market effect or a trade effect. JEL classifications: F3; F4 ∗We thank Andrew Bernard, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti, Romain Rancière, Alessandro Rebucci, Tiago Ribeiro, Andrew Rose, and seminar participants at the IMF, Dartmouth College, the Federal Reserve System’s Board of Governors, and the NBER Monetary Economics Summer Institute for comments. All remaining errors are the responsibility of the authors. We would also like to thank Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti for sharing data on capital controls and capital flows and Carmen Reinhart and Menzie Chinn for making their data available on their websites. We also thank Justin McCrary, Maury Obstfeld, David Romer, and Till von Wachter for very useful conversations. Part of this research was conducted while Jay Shambaugh was a Visiting Scholar at the IMF and a Visiting Fellow at the Institute for International Integration Studies at Trinity College Dublin. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the International Monetary Fund, its Executive Board, or its management.
Teacher professional development : a cross-national analysis of quality features associated with teaching practices and student achievement

This thesis ponders three theory-based aspects of the relationship between quality features of teacher professional development (TPD) and national educational outcomes by using comparable data from the United States (US), England, Japan and Finland. Studies carried out in the US and England have suggested that TPD delivered with content focus, coherence, active learning, collective participation and longer duration is linked with better teaching practices and student achievement. However, there has been no systematic examination of the generalisability of this association into different contexts, thus data from Japan and Finland is used here to explore this aspect. Firstly, I analyse whether student achievement in mathematics is associated with TPD which is either focused on content (Chapter 2) or managed coherently by head-teachers (Chapter 3). Then, I examine whether active teaching practices are associated to TPD with greater degrees of active learning, collective participation and extended duration (Chapter 4). I find that active learning is positively associated in Japan with all the teaching practices examined, whereas in Finland it is only related to project-based learning. Collective participation is also positively associated with project-based learning in Japan, but it is particularly detrimental in Finland, also for the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). TPD with longer duration increases the likelihood of using ICT in the US, cooperative learning in England and project-based learning in Finland. Contrary to expectations, I find that the achievement of students in the English-speaking countries seems to slightly decrease insofar as the coherence of TPD improves. Likewise, I also find a slight negative association for English and Japanese students in relation to the engagement of their teachers in mathematics content-focused TPD. These results suggest, contrary to current theory, that the relationships between the quality features of TPD and educational outcomes are country specific. What is more important, they cannot be accepted in all cases as a panacea for rasing the quality of education.
Improving Surface Flux Parameterizations in the Navy's Coastal Ocean Atmosphere Prediction System

Abstract : The long-term goal is to understand the physical processes that critically regulate the coupling between the oceanic and atmospheric boundary layers and develop advanced parameterizations of this interaction for a new generation of coupled ocean-atmosphere models. The objective of this research is to improve the surface flux and boundary layer turbulence parameterization in COAMPS(trademark)1 for low- and high-wind events over the ocean in the context of air-sea interaction. Special emphasis will be placed on flux parameterizations in low-wind regimes in collaboration with the Coupled Boundary Layer/Air-Sea Transfer (CBLAST) Defense Research Initiative community.
Varve Deposition and the Sediment Yield Record at Three Small Lakes of the Southern Canadian Cordillera

Lacustrine sediments deposited in three small glacier-fed lakes of the southern Canadian Cordillera are derived primarily from subglacial erosion and delivered via short proglacial streams or by direct melting and calving of cirque glaciers. Sediment transport and deposition during early summer is controlled by runoff-generated bottom currents and in the late summer through winter by settling from suspension. This forms distinct rhythmic laminations of silt and clay in distal lake areas. Cesium-137 content in all three lakes indicates that these are varve sediments. Time series of varve thickness covering the interval 1863 to present show distinct declines in sediment yield from 310 to less than 150 t km[sup [minus]2] a[sup [minus]1]. The decline is related to sediment exhaustion following glacier retreat from Little Ice Age maxima and the opening of intervening sediment storage sites. Annual varve thickness is significantly related to fluctuations in summer or late summer temperature highlighting the importance of ice ablation, melt-water runoff, and subglacial sediment sources in controlling deposition rates. Singular climate events, such as autumn storms provide distinctive sedimentary signatures in the varve record. Reconstructed sediment yield for the Little Ice Age is as much as 100% greater than the average Holocene rate. 39 refs.,more » 8 figs., 2 tabs. « less
Preliminary on-station study of growth performance of grower pigs on ensiled cassava pulp and dried cassava leaves.

The performance of grower pigs on diets containing graded levels of cassava pulp, cassava peels and dried cassava leaves was studied. Twenty-four Large White grower pigs at an average initial live-weight of 20 kg were distributed over six diets by the completely randomized design. The pulp was preserved by ensiling in polyethylene bags for a period of three months before use. The pigs were group-fed once-daily for five weeks. The average daily gains (ADG) of the pigs were 0.27, 0.19, 0.28, 0.26, 0.15 and 0.20 kg live-weight gain/day on diets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively. The cost of feed were 0.16, 0.15, 0.15, 0.13, 0.12 and GH¢0.10 per kg of feed for diets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 respectively. The corresponding economy of gain (EG) were 0.58, 0.74, 0.53, 0.49, 0.72 and GH¢0.49. The highest inclusion rate was 30% for the pulp and 20% for the leaves. The pigs were weighed weekly over a five week period. Whereas the ADG of the pigs in this study was best on diet 3 (25% pulp), the EG was best on the diets 4 (30% pulp) and 6 (20% cassava leaves).
Phytochemistry of plants associated with a 400-year-old stand of hemlock at Clear Lake Reserve, Ontario

Several species of higher plants and mushrooms have been surveyed growing under the canopy of old stands of hemlock surrounding Clear Lake near Minden, Ontario. Some of the hemlock seedlings growing on fallen trunks together with debris in which they were growing were brought to a greenhouse in pots, and some of them were transferred into sandy soil. The conditions of growth involved a gradient of shading. As an analysis of the debris revealed a low pH, the soil in all pots was kept at a pH of 5.5. The best growing seedlings were in the most shaded areas in pots filled with plant debris and the worst growth was in sandy soil in full sunlight. We have measured the concentration of phenolic compounds, which was found to be highest in dying plants in sandy soils in full sunlight, and lowest in shaded areas in pots filled with debris.
Interactions between large-scale climate and river flow across the northern North Atlantic margin

To assess the nature of hydrological sensitivity to climatic change a clear understanding of the cascade of hydroclimatological processes from atmosphere-surface-mnoffis necessary, yet this is poorly defined for the northern North Atlantic. This research gap is addressed through a composite analysis of large-scale climatic controls on monthly high and low river flow across this region for 1968-1997. Analyses are structured using hydrological regions defined by cluster analysis, and focus on the month of November. High river flow in all regions is associated with more maritime climatic conditions, driven in northern Europe by a stronger Atlantic pressure gradient and wind-speeds. In eastern North America, high river flow is linked to the opposite conditions. This is suggestive of a positive (negative) relationship between European (North American) river flow and the North Atlantic Oscillation. Additionally, inverse climatic associations between northern European hydrological regions (north versus south) appear linked to the Scandinavian pattern.
Correlation between Metabolic Syndrome and Mild Cognitive Impairment

MCI (Mild cognitive impairment) is an intermediate stage in the trajectory from normal cognition to dementia. Subjects with MCI have a high rate of progression to dementia over a relatively short period. Subjects with MCI also experience a greater mortality than cognitively normal subjects. Method: One hundred and fifty eight patients aged 65 years or more (106 males and 52 females) were included in our study. In addition to a detailed medical and neurological history and examination, MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination), CDR (Clinical Dementia Rating Scale), Geriatric Depression Scale, Global Deterioration Scale and lipid profile were performed for all patients. Results: Significant correlation between metabolic syndrome and its components and MCI. Conclusion: Patients with metabolic syndrome have higher risk for development of MCI.
Hamburger Beiträge zur Angewandten Mathematik Unstable Attractors : Existence and Stability Indices

We show that unstable attractors do not exist for smooth invertible dynamics. In systems lacking these properties we draw simple conclusions about their stability indices and look at examples highlighting extreme cases of stability and attractiveness – characterised in terms of stability indices. In particular, we investigate the possibilities for great discrepancies between the local and non-local indices σloc(x) and σ(x), also depending on properties of the system. We show that while σloc(x) = −∞ holds for all unstable attractors, it is not straightforward to uniquely identify them using stability indices.
History of fire in a southern Ohio second-growth mixed-oak forest

The role of fire in shaping the composition and structure of Quercus (oak)-dominated communities in the deciduous forests of eastern North America is becoming clearer but fire regimes are less well known. I analyzed the fire-scar patterns in 14 oak cross sections from a mixed-oak stand in Vinton County, southeastern Ohio, to determine the frequency and seasonality of fire. This oak stand was even-aged and originated in the mid-1850s, so the fire history is representative of the period after Euro-American settlement. The tree rings were crossdated, calendar year of the fire sears was assigned, and season of burning noted. The fire-scar dates are Weibull-distributed, and the median probability interval is 3.6 years. The 95% and 5% Weibull probability exceedance intervals were 0.4 and 12.1. Spatially extensive (major) fires occurred every 7.5 years, and the 95% and 5% exceedance intervals for these fires were 0.9 and 24.3. The fires probably were ignited by people. Fire scars indicated that most fires (69%) occurred during the dormant season or in the spring (25%) and were rare (6%) during the summer (May 1 to July 30). These patterns are not significantly different from dates of observed wildfires in Vinton County. Seasonal climate has no apparent relationship to fire occurrence.
Integration with respect to L\'evy colored noise, with applications to SPDEs

In this article, we introduce a L\'evy analogue of the spatially homogeneous Gaussian noise of Dalang (1999), and we construct a stochastic integral with respect to this noise. The spatial covariance of the noise is given by a tempered measure $\mu$ on $\bR^d$, whose density is given by $|h|^2$ for a complex-valued function $h$. Without assuming that the Fourier transform of $\mu$ is a non-negative function, we identify a large class of integrands with respect to this noise. As an application, we examine the linear stochastic heat and wave equations driven by this type of noise.
Geologia, geocronologia, petrologia e metalogênese do prospecto Cu-Mo Yanac, ICA, PERU

The Yanac prospect is located at northeast of Chincha Alta, Ica Region, Peru, in the Arequipa segment of the coastal batholith of Peru and in the northwestern end of the late Cretaceous copper metallogenic belt of the Andes. Three major granitic rocks, contemporaneous with gabbroic diorite-dioritemonzodiorite intermineral dykes and enclaves, were defined at Yanac prospect. The host rock of the Yanac porphyritic system, with U/Pb zircon age of 70.6 ± 1.0 Ma, is a medium to coarse-grained equigranular granodiorite from the Incahuasi superunit of the coastal batholith. With an inconsiderable difference age and error within of 1 Ma. , both, the Incahuasi granodiorite is intruded by a fine to medium-grained porphyritic granodiorite, with U/Pb zircon age of 71.0 ± 1.0 Ma,and by a medium to coarse-grained porphyritic granodiorite-diorite, with U/Pb zircon age of 67.75 ± 0.80 Ma. Finally, trachydacite and basaltic dykes cut the porphyry system. They are postmineralization and could be related with the emplacement events of the coastal batholith. The Incahuasi granodiorite, the porphyritic granodiorite and the porphyritic granodiorite-diorite have petrographic characteristics of oxidized magmas. Geochemically, the granitic rocks, the dykes and the enclaves that occur in the granites have calc-alkaline and metaluminous composition, similar to I-type magmas from
Piecewise Union Blend with Adjustable Primitive’s Subsequent Blend Range Parameters in Constructive Geometry

In constructive geometry, implicit blends with blend range parameters are important in constructing a complex surface because they limit the blend surface within specified regions and deform primitive locally after blending. However, because they behave like Max or Min blend in non-blending regions, their primitives always have similar sizes of subsequent blend surfaces when used as a primitive in sequential blends. To solve this problem, this paper proposes union blends that provide each primitive an additional parameter to adjust a primitive’s subsequent blending range in later blends; thus, primitives are able to individually adjust the sizes of their subsequent blends by varying the values of the additional parameters. In addition, a generalized method is proposed to develop the proposed union blends with C continuity from an existing blend. 
Modélisation numérique des écoulements ouverts de convection naturelle au sein d’un canal vertical asymétriquement chauffé

Cette these porte sur la modelisation numerique des ecoulements ouverts de convection naturelle au sein d'un canal vertical asymetriquement chauffe a flux constant. Elle s'inscrit dans un contexte national de comparaison associant approches numeriques (benchmark de la Societe Francaise de Thermique SFT) et experimentales. La particularite de ce type d'ecoulement reside dans le fait que le moteur du mouvement est situe au sein meme de l'ecoulement, rendant alors difficile la modelisation des interfaces et par consequent la definition des conditions aux limites a appliquer aux frontieres ouvertes du domaine de calcul. Nous proposons ici deux approches numeriques de modelisation de ce type d'ecoulement. La premiere approche consiste a inclure a la fois le canal vertical et son environnement exterieur dans le domaine de calcul. Cette approche integre les interactions canal - environnement exterieur de maniere implicite et nous permet d'obtenir une description complete de l'ecoulement et ainsi de caracteriser les interfaces du canal. Sur la base de ces simulations, des solutions numeriques de reference modelisant un ecoulement de convection naturelle dans un canal vertical immerge dans un environnement infini sont etablies. La deuxieme approche consiste a restreindre le domaine de calcul aux limites geometriques du canal. Plusieurs methodes de resolution et modelisation des interfaces sont alors proposees et comparees avec les solutions de reference precedentes. Une approche originale basee sur des conditions limites de type Robin pour la pression motrice montre ainsi de tres bon accords avec les solutions de reference.
Community wind power ownership schemes in Europe and their relevance to the United States

LBNL-48357 E RNEST O RLANDO L AWRENCE B ERKELEY N ATIONAL L ABORATORY Community Wind Power Ownership Schemes in Europe and their Relevance to the United States Mark Bolinger Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 1 Cyclotron Rd., MS 90-4000 Berkeley, California 94720 Environmental Energy Technologies Division May 2001 Download from: http://eetd.lbl. gov/EA/EMP/ The work described in this study was funded by the Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-ACO3-76SF00098.
The use and outcomes of non-pharmacological analgesia in the adult emergency department

Background: The treatment of pain in the emergency department (ED) has historically relied on pharmacological analgesia. However, little is known about the concurrent use of non-pharmacological analgesia. Aims/Objectives: This research explores the self-reported use and outcomes of non-pharmacological analgesia in adult ED patients with moderate to severe pain. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in an adult ED of self-reported use of non-pharmacological pain management via a patient-reported outcome measure. The results are presented with descriptive statistics and multivariable modelling. Results: 45.8% (n=296) of all respondents used non-pharmacological interventions. The most used non-pharmacological interventions are hot packs (34.9%, n=103), distraction (22.3%, n=66), and cold packs (12.9%, n=38). In multivariate modelling, females, patients who did not receive pre-hospital analgesia, and daily average access block time all affected the use of non-pharmacological analgesia. Within a multivariable model, non-pharmacological analgesia increased the amount of pain relief achieved. Conclusion: Non-pharmacological analgesia use is affected by gender, treatment before the ED and ED workload. Nevertheless, clear benefits to the use of non-pharmacological analgesia were seen. Further work must be undertaken to encourage providers' use of this modality and capture any additional benefits to the patient.
Measurement of the Parity Violating Asymmetry in Elastic Electron Scattering off 208Pb

MEASUREMENT OF THE PARITY VIOLATING ASYMMETRY IN ELASTIC ELECTRON SCATTERING OFF Pb SEPTEMBER 2014 JONATHAN WILLIAM WEXLER, JR., B.A., HAMILTON COLLEGE M.S., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST PH.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by Krishna Kumar The Lead Radius Experiment (PREX) was carried out in order to provide a modelindependent measurement of the RMS radius √ 〈r2 n〉 of the neutron distribution in the Pb nucleus. The parity-violating scattering asymmetry for longitudinally polarized 1.06 GeV electrons from an unpolarized Pb target was measured at Q = 0.00880 GeV. This measurement was performed by the PREX collaboration in Hall A at Jefferson Laboratory in Newport News, VA, between March and June, 2010. The electron detectors used in this measurement were designed and fabricated by University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Smith College. The resulting parity-violating asymmetry was measured as APV = 656± 60(stat.)± 14(sys.) ppb. This asymmetry extrapolates to a difference in radii between the nuclear neutron and proton distributions of √ 〈r2 n〉 √〈 r2 p 〉 = 0.33 −0.18 fm.
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in adult-onset citrullinemia: elevated glutamine levels in comatose patients.

BACKGROUND Adult-onset type II citrullinemia is an inborn error of urea cycle metabolism that can lead to hyperammonemic encephalopathy and coma. However, type II citrullinemia is rare outside Japan, and diagnosis and treatment can be delayed. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy may be a useful adjunct to magnetic resonance imaging, and has been applied to noninvasively study chemical metabolism in the human brain. PATIENTS We describe 2 patients with type II citrullinemia who presented with episodic postprandial somnolence and coma. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed bilaterally symmetrical signal abnormalities of the insular cortex and cingulate gyrus. On magnetic resonance spectroscopy, glutamine and glutamate levels were elevated, and choline and myo-inositol levels were decreased. The diagnosis of citrullinemia was confirmed based on elevated plasma ammonia and citrulline levels. CONCLUSION Characteristic features found at the time of magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy may be helpful for early diagnosis of type II citrullinemia in adult patients who present with hyperammonemic encephalopathy and coma.
Longshore Suspended Sediment Transport at the Mouth of the Colorado River, Matagorda, Texas.

Abstract : The primary objective of this investigation was to increase understanding of mean suspended sediment concentration and longshore sediment transport rates in response to varying offshore wave conditions. Explicit objectives were as follows: (a) assist and advise in the deployment and collection of field data using optical suspended sensors during WES experiments at Colorado River, TX, (b)assist in the analysis and interpretation of such data, (c) use such data to evaluate the ability of wave-current interaction sediment transport theory to calculate the observed suspended load and longshore flux of sediment, (d) prepare and deploy fiber-optic suspended sediment sensors during WES experiments at Colorado River, TX, and (e) analyze data collected with the fiber-optic sensor. Addressing these objectives requires accurate measurement of the time-varying concentration field and fluid forcing. (MM)
Comparisons of satellite (GOSAT) and ground-based spectroscopic measurements of CH4 content near Saint Petersburg: influence of data collocation

We compared atmospheric column average mole fractions of methane measured with ground-based Fourier transform spectroscopy at the Physical Department of Saint Petersburg State University (59.9° N, 29.8° E) in years 2009–2012 with similar data obtained from the Japanese Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) satellite. For the GOSAT data version V02.xx, average and median values of biases between satellite and ground-based methane mole fractions are −(1.7–4.1) ppb and their standard deviations are 10–13 ppb. These values are similar to biases between the GOSAT satellite and the ground-based Total Carbon Column Observation Network and Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change making Fourier transform spectroscopic observations. Average and median biases for satellite data selected within α = ±1° latitude–longitude vicinity from the ground-based observations site are smaller than those for α = ±3° and α = ±5°.