Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CAUSES OF NON-HUNTING MORTALITY OF ADULT MOOSE IN MINNESOTA, 2013 – 2017

Minnesota’s moose (Alces alces) are dying at rates much higher than elsewhere in North America. Moose have been nearly extirpated from the northwestern part of the state and aerial surveys indicate the northeastern population has declined 55% over the past decade. In 2013, a new study began to determine cause-specific mortality of adult moose in northeastern Minnesota by using GPS-satellite collars to get rapid notification of mortality events and recover carcasses within 24 hours of death. A total of 173 moose were collared over 3 years with annual non-hunting mortality rates of 19%, 12%, 15%, 13% and 14% in 2013-2017, respectively, and an overall mean of 14.4%. In total, 57 moose have died from non-hunting sources of mortality and 3 moose were legally harvested. Response times from mortality notification to arrival at the carcass were within 24 hours for 65% of death events. Most causes of mortality were healthrelated (65%), which included parasites (30%), bacterial infections (20%), accidents (3%), calving (2%) and other undetermined health issues (10%). The remainder was wolf-related (30%), with predisposing health conditions identified in nearly half of these moose. Legal harvest accounted for 5% of moose deaths. During the same time period, we also necropsied anecdotal moose deaths (n=91) across northern Minnesota, which included vehicle or train collisions, sick, and found dead animals. Parelaphostrongylus tenuis was confirmed in 42% of these cases, which is nearly twice the rate of detection of this parasite as in the collared moose studied during the same time period.
Constrained Banks, Constrained Borrowers: Bank Liquidity Constraints and Firm Access to External Finance

This paper provides evidence that small banks are liquidity constrained, and that positive liquidity shocks improve the financial position of their borrowers. To test for liquidity constraints, I show that bank lending is sensitive to exogenous cash windfalls received from the Argentine government. Lending increases by $0.66 for each dollar of additional liquidity, and that the marginal loans are not more likely to default than the inframarginal ones. Using new loan level data from a public credit bureau, I track the effects of the liquidity shock on the financial position of bank borrowers. When banks receive a cash windfall, their borrowers experience a 7.7% increase in total bank financing and a 0.6 percentage point decrease in the probability of bankruptcy. I finally show some evidence that adverse selection prevents full arbitrage of lending opportunities by competing, potentially unconstrained banks. (JEL: G21, E50, D82) * Columbia University GSB. I thank Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, Sendhil Mullainathan and Antoinette Schoar for invaluable comments and discussions. This work also benefited greatly from the thoughts of all the participants of the finance seminars at Columbia GSB, Kellogg (Northwestern), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Smith (Maryland), Sloan (MIT), Stanford GSB, Stern (NYU), Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm University, UT Austin, Yale SOM; the banking seminars at the New York Federal Reserve Bank and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Bank; and the development economics seminar at MIT. I am grateful for comments from Adam Ashcraft, Darrell Duffie, Iván Fernández-Val, Andrew Hertzberg, Arvind Krishnamurthy, Owen Lamont, Alexis León, Jun Pan, Francisco Pérez-González, Tano Santos, Sheridan Titman and Jeffrey Zwiebel.
Dual Tissue Regeneration: Non-Ablative Resurfacing of Soft Tissues with FotonaSmooth Mode Er:YAG Laser

It is shown that the extraordinary, extremely short optical penetration depth of the Er:YAG laser in tissue water makes this laser not only optimal for ablative procedures, but also for non-ablative resurfacing. A process of fast heat shocking of the epithelium, in addition to slow thermal injury of the connective tissue, is involved in non-ablative FotonaSmooth® mode Er:YAG resurfacing procedures. This dual tissue-regeneration mechanism (DTR) is accessible only to thermal remodeling devices with an extremely short energy penetration depth within the tissue, using unique FotonaSmooth® mode pulsing characteristics. In this regard, the Er:YAG laser wavelength holds a unique position due to its extraordinary wavelength coinciding with the highest absorption peak of water at 2,940 nm. It is proposed that this unique characteristic of the Er:YAG laser contributes significantly to the reported safety and efficacy of the FotonaSmooth® Er:YAG skin tightening, thermotherapy for treating genitourinary syndrome of menopause, and thermotherapy of snoring and sleep apnea.
Brain metastases: A single institute experience

Background: Brain metastases represent an important cause of morbidity for cancer patients. Its incidence has increased overall overtime as a consequence of improved detection by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, in Indian literature, scant data are available. At this moment, we have analyzed our data from a single tertiary care center in North India. The purpose of the study was to analyze the clinical profile of patients with brain metastases. A retrospective study from a single tertiary care center. Patients and Methods: A retrospective review of records of all patients who were registered in hospital-based cancer registry and developed brain metastases from June 2011 to June 2013 yielded 95 patients for analyses. Results: Majority of cases were seen in the 6th decade of life. Lung cancer was the most common primary followed by breast. On imaging (computed tomography or MRI), multiple lesions were more common than single. Most of the patients presented with a headache (37.9%). Supratentorial involvement was seen in 87.3% against 12.6% infratentorial involvement. Median time interval from diagnosis of primary and development of brain metastases was 13.8 months. A median survival of only 3 months was seen after development of brain metastases. Conclusion: The present study highlights that brain metastases occur mainly in elderly people with lung being the most common primary malignancy. It is a deadly event with a median survival of only 3 months.
Lower limb pain, standing, sitting and walking: the importance of freedom to adjust one's posture

Prolonged standing at work has been associated with lower extremity discomfort and cardiovascular symptoms. Since standing postures vary as to duration, type and constraint, and prolonged sitting has also been associated with discomfort and cardiovascular effects, associations between specific postures and health symptoms should be explored. Data from the 1998 Quebec Health and Social Survey were analyzed in this study; pain in the lower legs/calves or ankles/feet during the previous 12 months interfering with usual activities fairly often or all the time was the outcome studied. Fully 59% of workers in this study usually stand at work. Women had a significantly greater prevalence of lower leg/calf pain (11.0% vs 8.3%) as well as foot/ ankle pain (8.0% vs 5.1%). In the final model, standing (vs. sitting) postures were associated with pain in both lower legs/calves and ankles/feet. Taken together with other research findings, these results suggest that the effects of specific sitting and standing postures on cartilage, muscle and the cardiovascular system should all be considered when seeking to explain discomfort in the lower limb. They also suggest that freedom to sit at work is important in preventing pain in the lower limbs.
Debt Sustainability and Fiscal Space in a Heterogeneous Monetary Union: Normal Times vs the Zero Lower Bound

In this paper we study fiscal policy effects and fiscal space for countries in a monetary union with different levels of public debt. We develop a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model of a two-country monetary union, calibrated to match the characteristics of Spain and Germany, in which debt sustainability is endogenously determined a la Bi (2012) to shape the responses of the risk premium on public debt. Policy shocks change the market’s expectation about future primary surplus, producing a direct effect on the sovereign risk premium and macroeconomic responses of the economy. In normal times the costs of a government spending driven fiscal consolidation in the high-debt country are greatly diminished when this consolidation improves endogenously its debt sustainability prospects. Fiscal consolidations in both members of the monetary union decrease real interest rates and amplify the reduction in risk premium in the highly-indebted country, improving union-wide output in the long run, but at the cost of lower output in the low-debt country in the short term. On the contrary, when monetary policy is constrained at the zero lower bound, the risk premium channel arising from the endogenous determination of debt sustainability becomes muted. In the ZLB, a fiscal consolidation generates deflation expectations which increase the real interest rate and may compensate partially or completely, depending on the calibration, the benefits from a lower risk premium. In this context, a fiscal expansion in the low-debt country and a consolidation in the high-debt country delivers the greater positive impact on union-wide output. Finally, the risk premium channel only affects countries with medium or low levels of public debt indirectly through the negative spillovers from other high-debt members of the monetary union.
EARLY DIAGENETIC SULPHIDE MINERALS IN THE HAYLE ESTUARY, CORNWALL

The Hayle Estuary, Cornwall, acted as an effective sediment trap for mine waste tailings and smelt waste released into the river catchments draining into the estuary. The stratigraphy of two 3 m cores recovered from Copperhouse Pool, Hayle comprises interbedded muds (interpreted as mine waste slimes) and sands in the upper 50 cm, passing down into sands composed predominantly of carbonate shell debris. Vacuum resin-impregnated core plugs sampled from more organic-rich intervals in the upper 150 cm of both cores were examined using scanning electron microscopy. Detrital heavy and opaque minerals include abundant grains of cassiterite, chalcopyrite, Fe oxides, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, polymetallic slags, detrital angular pyrite, ilmenite, monazite, zircon, wolframite, ? loellingite (As-Fe), galena, chalcocite/bornite and pyromorphite. Abundant diagenetic sulphide minerals also occur in these samples, and include Cu-Fe-(As) sulphides (probably chalcopyrite), As sulphides and pyrite. The precipitation of chalcopyrite occurred under reducing conditions with the reaction buffered by the Fe system. Possible copper concentrations in equilibrium with the authigenic chalcopyrite are so low that it is likely that there was an influx of more oxidising pore waters carrying higher levels of copper, which was then precipitated on reaching more reducing conditions. The precipitation of the As sulphides occurred from pore fluids with a high arsenic concentration under less reducing conditions than the chalcopyrite.
Nonclassical dynamic modeling of nano/microparticles during nanomanipulation processes

Since the manipulation of particles using atomic force microscopy is not observable in real-time, modeling the manipulation process is of notable importance, enabling us to investigate the dynamical behavior of nanoparticles. To model this process, previous studies employed classical continuum mechanics and molecular dynamics simulations which had certain limitations; the former does not consider size effects at the nanoscale while the latter is time consuming and faces computational restrictions. To optimize accuracy and computational costs, a new nonclassical modeling of the nanomanipulation process based on the modified couple stress theory is proposed that includes the size effects. To this end, after simulating the critical times and forces that are required for the onset of nanoparticle motion on the substrate, along with the dominant motion mode, the nonclassical theory of continuum mechanics and a developed von Mises yield criterion are employed to investigate the dynamical behavior of a cylindrical gold nanoparticle during manipulation. Timoshenko and Euler–Bernoulli beam theories based on the modified couple stress theory are used to model the dynamics of cylindrical gold nanoparticles while the finite element method is utilized to solve the governing equations of motion. The results show a difference of 90% between the classical and nonclassical models in predicting the maximum deflection before the beginning of the dominant mode and a difference of more than 25% in the dynamic modeling of a 200 nm manipulation of a gold nanoparticle with a length of 25 µm and aspect ratio of 30. This difference increases with each increment of the aspect ratio and reduction of manipulation distance. Furthermore, by applying an extended von Mises criterion on the modified couple stress theory, it is found that the failure aspect ratio of a cylindrical gold nanoparticle based on nonclassical models is 212% more than that of the classical model. In the end, the results are compared with those of the classical method on polystyrene nanorods. The results for cylindrical gold nanoparticles indicate that the material length scale has a major effect on the exact positioning of cylindrical nanoparticles.
Response of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) to Application of some Organic Fertilizers under Different Colors of Plastic Mulch

Field experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions during two successive winter seasons of 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 to investigate the effect of different mixes of organic fertilizers (combinations between rabbit manure, olive pomace and/or compost with 50% of mineral fertilizers compared to 100% mineral fertilizer) and different mulches colors (control, transparent and black) on growth and yield of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.). Transparent and black plastic mulch treatments led to increase the soil temperature and soil moisture content compared with bare soil treatment (control). The transparent plastic mulch was more effective than the black plastic mulch regarding plant growth and yield. Besides, using the plastic mulches enhanced the plant roots uptake and the plant leaves contain the highest minerals N, P and K. The mixing 50% amount of mineral fertilizers and the three tested sources of organic fertilizers i.e. rabbit manure, olive pomace and compost (1:1:1) (V) obtained the highest values of vegetative growth and fruit yield in the both growing seasons. On the contrary, using olive pomace as individual organic fertilizer with the half amount of mineral fertilizers produce the lowest values of vegetative growth as well as fruit yield. The maximum fruit yields were 2022 and 2044 g per plant in the first and second season, respectively, was obtained by combining the half amount of mineral fertilizers and the mix of (rabbit manure, olive pomace and compost) under transparent plastic mulch. Whereas, the lowest fruit yield was 467 g per plant obtained from bare soil (non-mulched treatment) combined with olive pomase plus half amount of mineral fertilizers.
Dissolved Metal(loid) Concentrations and Their Relations with Chromophoric and Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter in an Urban River in Shenzhen, South China

Urbanization is often accompanied by aquatic metal(loid) pollution, which is regulated by dissolved organic matter (DOM). However, the relationships between dissolved metal(loid) concentration and the bulk, chromophoric, and fluorescent DOM in black and odorous urban rivers are still poorly understood. Here, we investigated the dissolved metal(loid) concentrations of Zn, Cu, Cr, As, Pb, and Cd and their correlations with DOM-related parameters in water samples from a polluted urbanized watershed in Shenzhen, China. The results showed that the Zn and Cu concentrations in the mainstream and tributary exceeded the national standards, and the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was an important source, as indicated by the abrupt concentration increases downstream of the WWTP. The dissolved metal(loid) concentrations were not always significantly correlated with the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration or the ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (UV254); however, they were more likely to be correlated with the maximum fluorescence intensity (Fmax) of protein-like fluorescent DOM components. A strong correlation between the Cu/DOC ratio and specific UV254 (SUVA254) previously reported did not exist in the present study. Instead, the Cu/DOC ratio was positively correlated with the Fmax/DOC ratios for protein-like fluorescent DOM components. Our study highlights that protein-like fluorescent DOM may be more important than humic-like fluorescence DOM and chromophoric DOM in terms of interacting with dissolved metal(loid)s in black and odorous urban rivers.
Assessing the Competition in the Jordanian Banking Sector by Using Panzar-Rosse Approach

This paper aimed at assessing the levels of competition in the Jordanian banking sector, using the so called Panzar-Rosse model. The study used a sample of 13 Jordanian commercial banks listed on Amman Stock Exchange during the time period 2009-2015.Pooled data regression was used to measure the level of competition among Jordanian banking. The major findings indicated that the computed H statistic for the sample was 0.3111, indicating that the Jordanian banking sector is under monopolistic competitive nature, but still close to the monopoly market with high concentration and low competition among banks.
Comparison of four machine learning algorithms for digital soil mapping in the Vale

This work compares three neural networks (Fuzzy ARTMap, SOM, and MLP) and a decision tree (Gini) to predict soil classes in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. A digital elevation model (DEM) with spatial resolution of 5 meters, a digital cartographic base at scale 1:5,000, and a detailed conventional soil map were used on Idrisi GIS software. Seven variables were calculated from the DEM and the cartographic base. Variable values and soil types were read in randomly distributed points with sampling densities of 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 4 points per hectare. Data from sampling points were used to train the algorithms and to estimate soil orders in the whole study area. Accuracy assessment used the conventional soil map as reference. The Gini decision tree presented highest overall accuracy (71%) and Kappa Index (0.58) with 2 points per hectare, and was less sensitive to sampling density, obtaining Kappa above 0.5 in all sampling densities starting from 1 point per hectare. MLP neural network showed similar performance, but was more sensitive to sampling density, obtaining Kappa above 0.5 only with sampling densities starting from 1.5 points per hectare. Both algorithms showed potential to predict soil orders at detailed scale in the study area.
The Effect of Plastocrete® RT6 Plus and Coca-Cola Admixtures on The Concrete Setting Time and Strength

During the casting in a warmer tropical temperature, a setting time delay is required to maintain the workability of the concrete, commonly achieved by the addition of admixtures i.e. silica fume (SF), fly ash (FA), and Plastrocrete® . However, high sugar content Coca-Cola in niche conditions is proposed as an ingredient for delaying concrete setting time in combination with conventional admixtures. This research aims to compare the setting time of admixtures from CocaCola and Plastocrete® RT6 plus in concrete mixing with control data of concrete mixed with SF or FA. The second aim is to measure the compression strengths between combinations of Coca-Cola and Plastocrete® RT6 plus. Concretes were produced with admixtures of SF, FA, Plastocrete® RT6plus, or Coca-Cola. The concrete used to control was f'c20 and f'c 25, while other concrete mixes were produced with the addition of Coca-Cola at 0.15% from the weight of cement at variation of moisture treatments. The first method to produce concrete (f'c20+Plas0.23%+Cola0.15% and f'c25+Plas0.23%+Cola0.15%) did not employ water reduction. The second concrete productions (f'c25+Plas0.46%+Cola0.15% and f'c25+Plas0.46%+Cola0.15%) reduced the addition of water at 8.8% (v/w). The first concrete production method had a setting time 44% longer than control. The reduced water concrete in the second productions had a setting time 34% longer than control. Meanwhile, the Plastocrete® RT6 Plus admixture with the reduced water delayed the concrete setting time by 26% longer than control. The delayed setting time of Plastocrete® RT6 Plus admixture with reduction of water was shorter than in the treatment with Coca-Cola. The combination of the addition of Coca-Cola with Plastocrete® RT6 plus by reducing the amount of adding Coca-Cola to 0.10% with Plastocrete® RT6 plus can delay concrete setting time by 51% longer than normal concrete and increase concrete compressive strength by 13% higher than normal concrete. Mixing Coca-Cola with Plastocrete® RT6 plus not only provided an optimal delay effect on setting time but also significantly increase the compressive strength that was desired during the casting in warm tropical weather applied in building construction of Mulawarman University, Samarinda, Indonesia.
Working Paper No 17/08 Testing the role of comparative advantage and learning in wage and promotion dynamics by Arngrim Hunnes

Can job assignment based on comparative advantage and learning about workers’ ability explain wage and promotion dynamics within firms? In order to answer this question the Gibbons and Waldman (1999b) model is estimated in a Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) framework using a unique data set on white collar workers in Norway for the years 1987-1997. The estimation is carried out on two different occupational groups: technical and administrative white collar workers. The selection of workers into a given position within a firm hierarchy is based on comparative advantage. Both measurable and unmeasurable skills are important. This holds in both occupations studied. When it comes to firms’ learning about their workers the results are not so clear. But overall the results on learning seem to have stronger support than what previous studies have found. In general, there is more evidence for learning about administrative white collar workers than about technical white collar workers.
Rates and Determinants of Successful Vaginal Birth after a Previous Caesarean Section: A Prospective Cohort Study

Caesarean delivery has remained an important surgical intervention in contemporary obstetric practice [1-3]. Worldwide, primary and repeat caesarean delivery rates have reached their highest levels [4-6]. Even though, variation exists in the rates across countries; currently the rate ranges from 10% to 40% [6-8]. Due to increased risk of maternal complications on repeat caesarean section (CS) and safety of vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC), trial of labour for selected group of patients with a previous lower segment transverse scar has become a favorite strategy [7]. Abstract
Gender and opinions about mental illness as predictors of attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help

Abstract Help-seeking attitudes have been an important part of research into the kinds of college students who do and do not seek psychotherapy. The current study investigated the relationship between students' opinions about mental illness and their attitudes toward seeking professional help. By also using gender as a predictor of help-seeking attitudes, the researchers examined the effects of opinions about mental illness on help-seeking attitudes above and beyond well-known gender effects. This is important because opinions about mental illness are the kind of attitudinal variables that should be more modifiable than gender identity. The results indicate that females had more positive attitudes toward seeking help than males, and that people's opinions about mental illness, especially more benevolent, less authoritarian, less socially restrictive and higher mental hygiene ideology perspectives, accounted for a significant percentage of positive help-seeking attitudes beyond the percentage accounted for.