Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Downy Woodpecker Foraging Behavior: Efficient Sampling in Simple Stochastic Environments

I describe a study in which free—roaming downy Woodpeckers (Picoides pubescens) were allowed to forage in three different, patchy stochastic environments where patches (small, thin logs with holes drilled into them to hold food items) contained either zero or a fixed number of food items. All the patches in an environment were, however, identical in appearance. Downy Woodpeckers systematically searched the holes of a patch for food items, and thus the foraging task for an energy—maximizing woodpecker was to determine to what extent to sample a patch without success (without finding a food item) before giving the patch up as being empty and moving on. A model is presented to determine the optimal sampling solution. Although this foraging task is relatively simple, optimal solutions to many stochastic foraging problems may be quite complex. Thus, the observed foraging behavior is compared to the model's predictions as well as to some suggestions form the literature of simple behavioral mechanisms (e.g., a fixed giving—up—time strategy) that animals may use to approximate optimal solutions. The results show that the woodpeckers clearly recognized the fact that some patches contained food items while others did not, and use this information in following a sampling strategy more sophisticated than any of the suggested simple behavioral mechanisms. The predicted sampling behavior on empty patches and that observed were in qualitative but not quantitative agreement. The model predicted that a single number of holes in a patch should be sampled without success while, in fact, a distribution of number of holes sampled was observed. The mode of the distributions, however, corresponded to the predicted value in two of the three environments. It is shown that the woodpeckers did not know with complete accuracy at least some of the model's parameters, and that this may be related to a weak counting ability. A weak counting ability, the need to sample for environmental changes, a stochastic element in a bird's behavior itself, or some combination of these factor may contribute to the observed variability in sampling behavior. Nevertheless, perhaps through some ability to estimate time, the woodpeckers exhibited a sampling strategy very similar to that predicted by a simple energy maximization model, and such sampling abilities are crucial to more complex stochastic foraging models.
Financial Reporting Quality on Investors’ Decisions

Financial reporting quality has been said to play an important role in reducing information asymmetry. Thus, firms with high financial reporting quality may enhance more investors’ decision. Hence, the basic objective of this study is to determine whether earnings quality influence investors’ decision. The sample consisted of 10 manufacturing companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange Market. The study period is 5 years (2010-2014). Data on accrual quality, volume of investment, Size, age and growth rate and earnings per share were drawn from the published annual report and accounts of the sampled companies. Correlation matrix, Vector auto regressive estimation and Pooled OLS model were employed for the analysis. Diagnostic tests for post estimation were also performed on the model. The result of the Ramsey Reset test shows a p-value of 0.2105, implying that model has no omitted variables. Also, Wooldridge test for autocorrelation in panel data indicates no first-order autocorrelation, showing a p-value of 0.3642. We calculated accruals quality based on the modified accrual model proposed by Mac Nichols in 2002. In this paper, the absolute value of residual error represents the financial reporting quality. This threshold is based on the idea that accruals reduce the smoothing initiated by the change in the cash flow and thus increase the earnings awareness. The study finds evidence of a positive association between investors’ decision and financial reporting quality.
Digestion of soybean globulins, glycinin, α-conglycinin and β-conglycinin in the preruminant and the ruminant calf

Two experiments involving either preruminant (exp. 1) or ruminant (exp. 2) fistulated calves were conducted to study the in vivo digestion of glycinin, α-conglycinin and β-conglycinin from soybean. It was incorporated as a flour (product A, antigenic in vitro) or a protein concentrate (product B, non antigenic in vitro) in milk replacers (exp. 1), or as a meal (product C, antigenic in vitro) in a weaning starter (exp. 2). ELISA detection of residual globulin immunoreactivity was determined on ileal digesta in exp. 1, and on duodenal, ileal and faecal digesta in exp. 2. Ileal flow of glycinin, α-conglycinin and β-conglycinin represented 10.3, 1.2 and 0.9% of corresponding globulin amounts ingested, in the case of product A (exp. 1). Immunoreactive α-conglycinin could only be detected in ileal digesta (1.3% of intake) of calves fed the diet containing product B. In exp. 2, immunoreactive globulins entered the duodenum in low amounts (below 1% of respective intake), especially after weaning. Accordingly, the.
A review of size trends among North Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.)

L'abondance des saumons du Pacifique nord (Oncorhynchus spp.) a presque double au cours de la periode de 1975 a 1993. A mesure que la population de saumons a croisse, on a note une diminution correspondante de la taille moyenne des adultes lors de la remonte (a maturite). Comme presque toute la periode de croissance des saumons se deroule dans l'ocean, ce dernier joue un role important dans l'abondance de ces poissons. Nous avons constate une diminution de la taille corporelle moyenne chez 45 des 47 populations de ces saumons, qui comprennent cinq especes de l'Amerique du Nord et de l'Asie. La production totale de saumons etait assez bien correlee avec les tendances environnementales de 1925 a 1989, mais la relation inverse entre l'abondance de la population et la taille moyenne observee de 1975 a 1993 indique l'existence d'une limitation des ressources de l'ocean supportant le saumon. Le taux de survie accru dans l'ocean et l'elargissement des programmes de mise en valeur au cours des annees 1980 et au debut des annees 1990 sont des facteurs probables de la reduction de la taille du saumon observee dans toutes les parties de l'ocean. Si ces tendances persistent, la productivite des populations de saumons pourrait diminuer en reponse aux changements de la fecondite, de la taille des oeufs et de l'âge du poisson a maturite.
Studies in degeneration of peripheral nerves

This experimental study has been made with the full realization that a vast amount of work has already been done on the various phases of the degeneration phenomena which occur subsequent to the sectioning of a peripheral nerve. However, previous work upon the changes within the neurocyte has been very meager in amount, the original and excellent work of Nissl having been accepted in its entirety. Tn making this study we had two points in mind: first, to study the changes within the peripheral nerve and within the neurocyte together, in order that we might more closely correlate the two, and, second, to study several nerves, both cranial and spinal, in order that we might compare the changes in each under the same conditions. This study was suggested by previous work done in this laboratory by Dr. L. Bender, in which she was unable to detect any changes within the spinal cord after sectioning the sciatic nerve in rabbits. Throughout this work we have used the rabbit as our experimental animal. All operative procedures have been carried out under ether anaesthesia and with strict aseptic precautions. The f acial, hypoglossal, inferior dental, and sciatic nerves have been used for this study. The sensory branches of the radial were also chosen, but because of their smallness and of the technical difficulties thus incurred in trying to pick them
CATABOLITE REPRESSION OF THE SYNTHESIS OF PECTIN‐DEGRADING ENZYMES BY SUILLUS LUTEUS (L. EX FR.) S. F. GRAY AND HEBELOMA OCULATUM BRUCHET

SUMMARY The synthesis of pectin-degrading enzymes in vitro by both Suillus luteus (L. ex Fr.) S. F. Gray, a proven ectomycorrhizal fungus, and Hebeloma oculatum Bruchet, a saprotrophic, non-mycorrhizal species of a frequently ectomycorrhizal genus, is repressed by glucose. The possibility that a control mechanism, which is based on catabolite repression and which prevents extensive intracellular fungal infection, operates in ectomycorrhizas is discussed.
Impact of IFRS Transition Complexity on Audit and Non-Audit Fees: Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Listed Companies in Finland

This study focuses on whether IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) adjustments to consolidated financial statements and fees paid to statutory auditors are related in the samples of Finnish first-time IFRS users. The Finnish data are employed since prior research findings suggest that there are large differences between Finnish accounting standards (FAS) and IFRS. Therefore, it is highly likely that extensive demand for audit and non-audit services during the transition from FAS to IFRS would be requested. When taking into account several control variables in line with prior research, our analyses based on unique, hand-collected data indicate that fees paid to auditors are slight related to the degree of IFRS adjustments. The finding is consistent with our hypothesis. Also, the study provides evidence that a company with a high disparity between FAS and IFRS in its financial accounts needs more costly non-audit services during the transition phase than one with low disparity. However, the results suggest that audit fees are not significantly related to the magnitude of IFRS adjustments.
Bilateral Multiple Gamma Returns: Their Risks and Rewards

The bilateral gamma model for returns is naturally derived from the lognormal model. Maximizing entropy in a random time change delivers the symmetric variance gamma model. The asymmetric variance gamma follows on incorporating skewness. Differential speeds for the upward and downward motions lead to the bilateral gamma. A further generalizations results in the bilateral double gamma model when the speed parameter of the bilateral gamma model is itself taken to be gamma distributed on entropy maximization. A rich five to seven parameter specification of preferences renders possible the extraction of physical densities from option prices. The quality of such extraction is measured by examining the uniformity of the estimated distribution functions evaluated at realized forward returns. The economic value of risky returns is seen to embed three/five risk premia for the bilateral gamma/bilateral double gamma. For the bilateral gamma they are up and down side volatilities compensated in up and down side drifts, and the down side drift compensated in the up side drift. For the bilateral double gamma one adds in addition compensations for skewness. Results reveal a drop in the down side risk premium since the crisis with an increase in the recent period.
Influence of tree species on the epilithic bryophyte flora in deciduous forests of Sweden

Abstract Bryophytes growing on siliceous boulders were studied in two forests in east-central Sweden to investigate the influence of different overstorey tree species on bryophyte species composition. Granite boulders, 0.5–2.0 m across, lying below the crowns of Ulmus glabra, Fraxinus excelsior, Acer platanoides, Quercus robur, Betula pendula, and Picea abies were studied in mixed stands. The presence, abundance and sporophyte frequency of all bryophyte species were noted. Tree species was the factor explaining most of the variation in bryophyte species composition. Boulders below tree species with a high bark pH (Ulmus, Fraxinus and Acer) had a similar species composition, with many bryophytes present indicating high pH conditions such as Brachythecium populeum, Homomallium incurvatum and Pseudoleskeella nervosa. On boulders below Picea the bryophyte composition was very different, with species indicating low pH conditions such as Ptilidium pulcherrimum, Dicranum montanum and Platygyrium repens. Below Quercus and Betula the bryophyte composition was intermediate between these two groups, with species indicating both high and low pH conditions such as Brachythecium reflexum and Hedwigia ciliata. The amount of litter on the boulders was another important factor explaining much of the variation. Species like H. incurvatum and Orthotrichum urnigerum were more common on boulders with much litter, while P. pulcherrimum was more common on boulders without litter. The size of the boulder was also important for bryophyte species composition, primarily because of the larger number of species on large boulders. Trunk diameter, canopy cover and distance from the tree had little or no influence on the bryophytes. The conclusion is that throughfall chemistry and chemical composition of leaf litter are the two most important factors explaining bryophyte species composition on boulders in these forests.
The Association between Dividend Payouts and Firm Growth in Australia: Do the Bad Apples Contaminate the Good?

The Australian Equities Database (AED) provided by the Australian Centre for Financial Studies (ACFS) provides the opportunity for a timely investigation of Australia’s stock-listed firms and its stock markets. In this paper, the aim is to assess (i) the effectiveness of a firm’s reinvestment of its earnings, and, in reciprocation, to assess (ii) the effectiveness of the markets in differentiating between those firms whose reinvestments lead to a growth in earnings and those whose reinvestments do not. Our findings suggest that firms with high earnings retentions run the range between high and low performers and that the market can only be partially successful in distinguishing between them. This leads to a concern that fund managers have a bias to invest in firm that provide more handsome dividends.
Physiological and growth responses of two African species, Acacia karroo and Themeda triandra, to combined increases in CO2 and UV‐B radiation

The interactive effects of increased carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration and ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280-320 nm) radiation on Acacia karroo Hayne, a C 3 tree, and Themeda triandra Forsk. , a C 4 grass, were investigated. We tested the hypothesis that A. karroo would show greater CO 2 -induced growth stimulation than T. triandra, which would partially explain current encroachment of A. karroo into C 4 grasslands, but that increased UV-B could mitigate this advantage. Seedlings were grown in open-top chambers in a greenhouse in ambient (360 μmol mol -1 ) and elevated (650 μmol mol -1 ) CO 2 , combined with ambient (1.56 to 8.66 kJ m -2 day -1 ) or increased (2.22 to 11.93 kJ m -2 day -1 ) biologically effective (weighted) UV-B irradiances. After 30 weeks, elevated CO 2 had no effect on biomass of A. karroo, despite increased net CO 2 assimilation rates. Interaction between UV-B and CO 2 on stomatal conductance was found, with conductances decreasing only where elevated CO 2 and UV-B were supplied separately. Increases in water use efficiencies, foliar starch concentrations, root nodule numbers and total nodule mass were measured in elevated CO 2 . Elevated UV-B caused only an increase in foliar carbon concentrations. In T triandra, net CO 2 assimilation rates were unaffected in elevated CO 2 , but stomatal conductances and foliar nitrogen concentrations decreased, and water use efficiencies increased. Biomass of all vegetative fractions, particularly leaf sheaths, was increased in elevated CO 2 , and was accompanied by increased leaf blade lengths and individual leaf and leaf sheath masses. However, tiller numbers were reduced in elevated CO 2 . Significantly moderating effects of elevated UV-B were apparent only in individual masses of leaf blades and sheaths, and in total sheath and shoot biomass. The direct CO 2 -induced growth responses of the species therefore do not support the hypothesis of CO 2 -driven woody encroachment of C 4 grasslands. Rather, differential changes in resource use efficiency between grass and woody species, or morphological responses of grass species, could alter the competitive balance. Increased UV-B radiation is unlikely to substantially alter the CO 2 response of these species.
An Improved Protocol for Regeneration of Sorghum bicolor from Isolated Shoot Apices

An improved and producible protocol for in vitro regeneration of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] from shoot meristem explant is reported. By striking an optimal balance between a weak auxin like naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and the cytokinin thidiazuron (TDZ), the isolated shoot meristems were manipulated to follow either organogenic or embryogenic pathway. There was no intermediate callus formation. Multiple buds were induced on enlarged meristems using MS medium with 5. 0μM of TDZ, 17. 72μM Benzylaminopurine (BAP), and 1. 074μM NAA. To maximize the number of bud initials per explant, three parameters (seed size, germination technique, and age of explant) were studied. Five to 7-day-old shoot meristems responded best with ≥80% induction of bud initials. Seed size was not significant in influencing induction potential of the shoot meristems. Six weeks after in vitro culture, each meristem produced 35-40 shoot buds. Direct somatic embryogenesis (≥80% induction) was accomplished following a two-step culture procedure consisting of induction of multiple buds and formation of somatic embryos. A high frequency (700-1000) of somatic embryos per explant was obtained on MS medium with 17. 72μM BAP and 2.69 μM NAA. Shoots from both organogenic and embryogenic pathways rooted on half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 8. 28μM Indole 3-butyric acid (IBA) and 1. 14μM Indole acetic acid (IAA). After one month on rooting medium, plants with well-developed roots were transferred to jiffy cups. Such plants were subsequently acclimatized in the glasshouse, and were grown till maturity; they showed normal seed set. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis of regenerants did not detect any DNA polymorphism.
Payment Behaviour: The Role of Socio-Psychological Factors

This research examines the effects of socio-psychological factors on consumers’ payment behaviour. Based on insights from the socio-psychological and payment literature we build a theoretical model of payment behaviour. We test this model empirically by focusing on the choice between cash and electronic payments, and by using the outcomes of two specially constructed surveys of a representative panel of Dutch consumers. We are significantly better able to explain payment behaviour than traditional payment models. Moreover, we provide useful insights for those who want to understand and steer payment behaviour. Consumers’ payment attitudes depend on perceptions of attributes, such as safety and acceptance. Together with social norms, roles, emotions, and perceived control, these attitudes drive payment intentions. Although payment intentions are the key determinant of payment behaviour, payment habits also play an important role in explaining how consumers pay.
Analytical and Empirical Evidence of the Effect of Tax Rates on the Trade-Off between Debt and Managerial Ownership

We show that, for a firm facing a high marginal tax rate, the benefit of using debt relative to managerial ownership to control agency costs increases at a decreasing rate. Debt and managerial stock ownership represent alternative mechanisms for reducing agency costs of the relationship between owner-investors and managers in firms. However, although debt and managerial ownership provide overlapping benefits, only debt can provide the differential benefit of reducing the firm's tax liability. While the tax benefit from using debt relative to managerial ownership to control agency conflicts is an increasing function of the firm's marginal tax rate, the decreased managerial ownership results in external investors bearing a larger part of the cost of debt that accrues to the firm. Effectively, for external investors, the cost of debt decreases at a decreasing rate when the marginal tax rate increases. Therefore, the trade-off between debt and managerial ownership predicted by the agency literature is expected to be strong at low marginal tax rates, but get progressively weaker at higher marginal tax rates. In this paper, we build an analytical model of this hypothesis and provide strong empirical evidence in its support. Our study contributes to a further understanding of how tax rates might affect the interaction of capital structure decisions with the incentive compatibility issues and corporate governance. The study also provides a basis for future studies to examine factors other than tax rates that differentially affect debt and managerial ownership costs.
An Area Wide Model (Awm) for the Euro Area

This paper presents a quarterly estimated structural macroeconomic model for the euro area, denoted area-wide model (AWM). This model has been developed with four uses in mind: the assessment of economic conditions in the area, macroeconomic forecasting, policy analysis and deepening understanding of the functioning of euro area economy. Five key features of the model are highlighted. First, it treats the euro area as a single economy. Second, it is a medium sized model which, while detailed enough for most purposes, is nonetheless sufficiently small to be manageable in the context of forecasting and simulation exercises. Third, the model is designed to have a long run equilibrium consistent with classical economic theory, while its short run dynamics are demand driven. Fourth, the current version of the AWM is mostly backward-looking, i.e. expectations are reflected via the inclusion of lagged variables. Finally, the AWM uses quarterly data, allowing for a richer treatment of the dynamics, and is mostly estimated on the basis of historical data (rather than calibrated). The paper comprises the following elements. First, a general overview of the structure of the model and of its long-run and short-run properties is provided, with particular emphasis on how the model reaches its steady state. This is followed by a review of the key behavioural equations, showing e.g. the extent to which the standard behavioural equations are capable of fitting the historical euro area data which has been constructed. Finally results from two illustrative simulations are provided, i.e. a fiscal expenditure shock and a change in interest rates. Appended to the main text are the full list of econometric results, the detailed description of the database and the results of stochastic long run simulations. In addition, a companion file comprising all of the quarterly time series underlying the AWM is made available.
BACILLUS SUBTILIS FOR THE CONTROL OF POWDERY MILDEW ON CUCUMBER AND ZUCCHINI SQUASH

Application of concentrated metabolites of Bacillus subtilis - CMBS - (5,000 µg/mL) one and 24 h before or after inoculation of Sphaerotheca fuliginea (3 x 104 conidia/mL) reduced the number of lesions on cucumber leaves by 90-99%. The average number of lesions on control plants was 16.7 per leaf. A wettable powder product formulated with cells (10%) and metabolites (10%) of B. subtilis (WPBS), and CMBS sprayed on cucumber plants (1,000 µg/mL and 10,000 µg/mL) twice a week totally controlled powdery mildew. In the control treatment, 18 days after the first spray, the percent leaf surface covered by lesions was 99.0 and 46.7%, on the cotyledonary and expanded leaves, respectively. In the control treatment, 30 days after the first spray, the percent leaf surface with lesions was 26.1%, while leaves sprayed with CMBS presented no lesions. The fresh weight per plant was 4.3 g in the control treatment; 12.2 g, and 10.2 g for plants sprayed with CMBS at the concentration of 1,000 and 10,000 µg/mL, respectively; and 9.7 g and 10.1 g for plants sprayed with WPBS 1,000 and 10,000 µg/mL, respectively. For zucchini squash, CMBS (5,000 µg/mL) sprayed every 2, 4, and 6 days showed reductions in lesioned leaf surface of 100.0, 98.3, and 94.7%, respectively.