Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lin Ma Importance of Demand and Supply Shocks for Oil Price Variations

This paper studies the importance of demand and supply shocks in the oil market, and tries to explain the formation of the short-run oil price by applying an extended commodity storage model to the cyclical components of the price. First, I employ a multivariate method to extract the cyclical component of the oil price, world oil consumption, and global GDP. Next, I find a large and positive effect of global GDP shock on the oil price cycles in a VAR model. Then, I estimate the commodity storage model using a moment-matching method. All parameters are estimated significantly, and the model shows good capability of reproducing the volatility and persistence of oil price cycles. I find that the GDP shock generates a much more moderate effect on the oil price cycles in the extended commodity storage model than the empirical evidence from the VAR analysis, and the production shock plays an important role for the variance of the cyclical component of the oil price. JEL Classification: C15, G1, O13, Q4.
Effect of Stubble Heights and Treatment Duration Time on the Performance of Water Dropwort Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTWS)

Effect of Stubble Heights and Treatment Duration Time on the Performance of Water Dropwort Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTWS) Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) with Water Dropwort (Oenanthe javanica) were established in winter to investigate their potential role in the purification of eutrophicated water, and to identify the effects of different stubble heights of the Water Dropwort on the performance of the FTWs. The results of the experiments demonstrated: The Water Dropwort FTWs were effective in buffering the pH of the experimental water. The Water Dropwort FTWs were efficient in purifying eutrophicated water, with removal rate for total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), ammonium nitrogen (NH4+ - N), and nitrate nitrogen (NO3- - N) at 91.3, 58.0, 94.6, and 95.5% in the 15-day experiment, respectively. No significant difference in the purification effect was found among different stubble heights of Water Dropwort FTWs. Significant differences between the zero control and the FTWs were found for the removal of TP in the first 11 days; and for the removal of NH4+ - N in the first 4 days. No significant difference was found between the zero control and the FTWs for NO3- - N in the first 4 days, but significant difference was detected after day 4. The optimum treatment duration time for the FTWs with Water Dropwort will depend on the nutrients to be removed. These results will provide basis for further application of the FTWs at large scale, as well as for future studies on the mechanism of nutrient removal process. Wpływ czasu i wysokości ścierniska na proces oczyszczania ścieków z wykorzystaniem ruchomych mokradeł Badano proces oczyszczania wód z wykorzystaniem ruchomych mokradeł (FTW) obsadzonych Oenanthe javanica. Celem prowadzonych w zimie badań była ocena ich potencjalnej roli w oczyszczaniu wód zeutrofizowanych oraz określenie wpływu różnych wysokości ściernisk roślinnych na wydajność procesu. Wyniki eksperymentów wykazały, że systemy FTW skutecznie buforowały pH badanej wody. Za pomocą FTW ze zeutrofizowanej wody usunięto azot ogólny (TN), fosfor ogólny (TP), azot amonowy (NH4+ - N) i azot azotanowy (NH3- - N) odpowiednio w ilościach: 91,3, 58,0, 94,6 i 95,5%, w czasie trwania 15-dniowego eksperymentu. Nie wykazano istotnych różnic w efekcie oczyszczania przy stosowaniu różnych wysokości ściernisk roślinnych. Stwierdzono wpływ czasu prowadzenia eksperymentu na usuwanie TP, którego usunięto najwięcej w pierwszych 11 dniach, a NH4+ - N w ciągu pierwszych 4 dni trwania procesu. Nie stwierdzono istotnej różnicy między kontrolą i FTW dla NH3- - N w ciągu pierwszych kilku dni, ale znacząca różnica pojawiła się po 4 dniu. Optymalny czas trwania procesu z wykorzystaniem FTW zależy od składników odżywczych, które mają być usunięte. Opisane wyniki stanowią podstawę zarówno do rozwinięcia zastosowania FTW na dużą skalę, jak i dla przyszłych badań nad mechanizmem procesu usuwania składników odżywczych.
Parents’ perceptions over the use of New Technologies in Education

This article analyses parents' views on the role that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays in the context of pedagogy. It also refers to parents' beliefs, fears and expectations towards new technologies. It uses data that were collected from primary schools and kindergartens of the region of Eastern Macedonian and Thrace in Greece. 1450 parents participated in this research, 869 were from primary schools and 581 from kindergartens. The results showed that parents (both from primary school and kindergarten) believe that new technologies help their children in the learning process and they believe that new technologies are beneficial for their children. Despite the fact that parents accept new technologies in their children's lives only for educational purposes, they don't want their children to spend a lot of time on the computer, because they are afraid that their children will not be able to socialize properly.
Appendix to ‘ Optimal Taxation with Risky Human Capital ’

Because second period utility is not monotonically increasing in human capital realizations, the sufficient conditions in Proposition 1 are not satisfied. Therefore, we directly verify that the expected lifetime utility is concave in the effort. Figure 1 shows that this is indeed the case, and that the first order approach is valid. Figure 1 also serves to illustrate the point that, as harsh as the welfare losses seem for high ability agents, they still enjoy the highest welfare. This, of course, is the direct outcome of the private information constraint. Figure 2 illustrates that the savings wedge for the main calibration with effort share η = 0.13 and for the HVY economy with η = 1. The savings wedge in both cases is strictly increasing in ability. Since high-ability agents face the riskiest second period consumption, they have the highest incentive to self-insure through savings. In order to discourage this, the social planner imposes a higher savings tax on them. This result stands in contrast to the previous literature that features exogenous i.i. d. shocks (e.g. Albanesi and Sleet 2006), where high-ability agents typically face less consumption risk, and a lower savings wedge than low-ability agents.
Comparison of performance of whitewood (Endospermum medullosum L. S. Smith) provenances and families in Vanuatu

This study reports a comparison of performance of four year-old whitewood (Endospermum medullosum L S Smith) provenances and families trials established by the Department of Forestry of Vanuatu and the South Pacific Regional Programme In Forest Genetic Resources project (SPRIG). Trees in the different open-pollinated, half-sibling families had mean heights ranging from 7.1 m to 10.2 m, dbh from 13.5 cm to 17.8 cm, wood volume from 0.07 to 0.14 m3 and survival from 54% to 91%. Seedlot GD11 from Shark Bay East Santo showed the superior mean height of 10.2 m followed by seedlot MT29 from Maewo and MS47 from Malel Central East Santo with 9.6 m. The shortest trees were in families JT35 (Forari, Efate) with 7.1 m, MT33 (Maewo) and JT30 (Forari, Efate) with 7.5 m. Trees in seedlots MS44 from Malel Central East Santo and MS32 from Palon East Santo had the biggest diameter increase(mean dbh of 17.8 cm) followed by seedlot GD11 Shark Bay East Santo and MS2 from Sara East Santo with 17.5 cm and MS55 from South East Santo with 17.4 cm. Seedlots with very low diameter increment were MT3 from Maewo and JT35 from Forari (mean dbh of 13.5 cm) followed by MT3 and MT4 from Central Pentecost with a mean dbh of 13.8 cm. Seedlots with superior wood volume production were MS2 from Sara East Santo (with mean of 0.15 m3 per tree) followed by seedlots MS32 Palon East Santo, GD11 Shark Bay East Santo, MS55 South East Santo with 0.14 m3 and MS3 Kole East Santo with 0.13 m3. The slowest growing seedlots were JT35 from Forari Efate and MT32 from Maewo with mean volume of 0.07 m3. Study reveals that there is a great potential among provenances and families for further improvement and to establish breeding programme to breed whitewood for higher quantity and better timber quality.
Laser-driven proton acceleration: source optimization and radiographic applications

Ion acceleration from solid targets irradiated by high-intensity pulses is a burgeoning area of research, currently attracting large interest worldwide. The properties of laser-driven ion beams (high brightness and laminarity, high-energy cut-off, ultrashort burst duration) are, in several respects, markedly different from those of ‘conventional’ accelerator beams. In view of these properties, laser-driven ion beams have the potential to be employed in a number of innovative applications in the scientific, technological and medical areas. The scope of this paper is to briefly review the state of the art in this area and discuss in this context some recent results obtained by our group and collaborators, aimed at studying the acceleration mechanism, optimizing the source properties and applying the beams as a diagnostic tool in scientific experiments. An application that has already produced important results is the use of laser-accelerated protons as a particle probe for the detection of electric and magnetic fields in plasmas. Examples of these results will be presented and discussed.
Pre-dialysis hospital use and late referrals in incident dialysis patients in England : a retrospective cohort study

Background. Timely referral to specialist kidney care can improve outcomes for patients and delay the onset of dialysis, yet late referral (LR) remains a problem in many countries. We aimed to estimate the proportion of LRs that could potentially have been detected earlier because of increases in patients’ general hospital activity. Methods. A cohort of patients starting dialysis in the English NHS (National Health Service) during 2010/11 was approximated using hospital administrative data. The time between first recorded contact with a consultant nephrologist and starting dialysis was used to categorize the timeliness of referral. Monthly rates of inpatient activity prior to starting dialysis for both referral types were compared with the national average. Results. A cohort of 3928 patients was detected. One-third (34%) of the cohort started dialysis <90 days after their first referral to a nephrologist. Rates were higher for patients starting haemodialysis than peritoneal dialysis. The proportion of patients receiving their first dialysis as an emergency rises from 27% for those referred before 3 months to 67% for those referred on or after the day of starting dialysis. Half of the late referred patients (49%) have hospital activity rates more than double the national average (adjusted for age and sex) at 90 days before they start dialysis. Conclusions. A substantial proportion of patients (49%) referred late for specialist kidney care have had regular contact with other hospital services. This could represent a missed opportunity to improve outcomes by timely management of their kidney disease.
Ejection Landslide at Northern Terminus of Beichuan Rupture Triggered by the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake

On 12 May 2008, the Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake triggered wide- spread damaging landslides in many parts of the Longmen Shan area. Among these landslides, the Donghekou ejection landslide is quite special. It is located at the north- east end of the Beichuan rupture, and it has caused a great loss of life at the villages of Donghekou, Qinchuan, and Sichuan Provinces. Because of its special location, this ejection landslide differs from landslides caused by gravity or rainstorms only; the sliding surface is not uniformly continuous. Instead, two sections can be distin- guished: an upper section with a step sliding surface and a lower section more gently dipping. The landslide started with material ejection caused by large local seismic acceleration, throwing rocks into the air with a parabolic trajectory before they fell back to the ground. In this paper, we analyze geologic and geomorphologic conditions that favored the occurrence of this landslide, and we introduce a simple tectonic- geomorphology model to explain the mechanism that led to the ejection landslide. We find that the location of the landslide zone, along with the domino-like ground tension cracks observed on both sides of the Beichuan rupture, is controlled by the propagation of the rupture. Our result also suggests that, in addition to local seismic shaking intensity, horizontal acceleration, and geomorphologic and geologic condi- tions, the vertical acceleration and the style of faulting could also play an important role in the occurrence of earthquake-triggered landslides.
Seismo‐ionospheric coupling appearing as equatorial electron density enhancements observed via DEMETER electron density measurements

We report the processes and results of statistical analysis on the ionospheric electron density data measured by the Detection of Electro‐Magnetic Emissions Transmitted from Earthquake Regions (DEMETER) satellite over a period of 6 years (2005–2010), in order to investigate the correlation between seismic activity and equatorial plasma density variations. To simplify the analysis, three equatorial regions with frequent earthquakes were selected and then one‐dimensional time series analysis between the daily seismic activity indices and the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) intensity indices, which represent relative equatorial electron density increase, were performed for each region. The statistically significant values of the lagged cross‐correlation function, particularly in the region with minimal effects of longitudinal asymmetry, indicate that some of the very large earthquakes with M > 5.0 in the low‐latitude region can accompany observable precursory and concurrent EIA enhancements, even though the seismic activity is not the most significant driver of the equatorial ionospheric evolution. The physical mechanisms of the seismo‐ionospheric coupling is consistent with our observation, and the possibility of earthquake prediction using the EIA intensity variation is discussed.
Enzymatic properties and subtle differences in the substrate speci fi city of phylogenetically distinct invertebrate N-glycan processing

Fused lobes (FDL) hexosaminidases are the most recently genetically defined glycosidases involved in the biosynthesis ofN-glycans in invertebrates, and their narrow specificity is essential for the generation of paucimannosidic N-glycans in insects. In this study, we explored the potential of FDL hexosaminidases in the utilization of different artificial and natural substrates, both as purified, native compounds or generated in vitro using various relevant glycosyltransferases. In addition to the already-known FDL enzyme from Drosophila melanogaster, we now have identified and characterized theApismellifera FDL homolog. The enzymatic properties of the soluble forms of the affinity-purified insect FDL enzymes, expressed in both yeast and insect cells, were compared with those of the phylogenetically distinct recombinant Caenorhabditis elegans FDL-like enzymes and theN-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-specific Caenorhabditis hexosaminidase HEX-4. In tests with a range of substrates, including natural N-glycans, we show that the invertebrate FDL(-like) enzymes are highly specific for N-acetylglucosamine attached to the α1,3-mannose, but under extreme conditions also remove other terminal GalNAc and N-acetylglucosamine residues. Recombinant FDL also proved useful in the analysis of complex mixtures of N-glycans originating from wild-type and mutant Caenorhabditis strains, thereby aiding isomeric definition of paucimannosidic and hybrid N-glycans in this organism. Furthermore, differences in activity and specificity were shown for two site-directed mutants ofDrosophila FDL, compatiblewith the high structural similarity of chitinolytic andN-glycan degrading exohexosaminidases in insects. Our studies are another indication for the variety of structural and function aspects in the GH20 hexosaminidase family important for both catabolism and biosynthesis of glycoconjugates in eukaryotes.
The influence of cooling techniques on cutting forces and surface roughness during cryogenic machining of titanium alloys

Abstract Titanium alloys are one of the materials extensively used in the aerospace industry due to its excellent properties of high specific strength and corrosion resistance. On the other hand, they also present problems wherein titanium alloys are extremely difficult materials to machine. In addition, the cost associated with titanium machining is also high due to lower cutting velocities and shorter tool life. The main objective of this work is a comparison of different cooling techniques during cryogenic machining of titanium alloys. The analysis revealed that applied cooling technique has a significant influence on cutting force and surface roughness (Ra parameter) values. Furthermore, in all cases observed a positive influence of cryogenic machining on selected aspects after turning and milling of titanium alloys. This work can be also the starting point to the further research, related to the analysis of cutting forces and surface roughness during cryogenic machining of titanium alloys.
Preliminary Analysis of Intention to Purchase Halal Cosmetics Behavior

The demand for halal cosmetics by consumers is seen to be increasingly growing in the last two years. The increase in demand is influenced by several factors such as psychological, product quality, religiosity, consideration for the future and attitude. Hence, this study aims to examine the factors that influence the purchase behavior of halal cosmetic among Malaysians. This paper presents the results of a pilot study. Empirical data was collected via the survey questionnaire. A total of 129 responses were collected and used for analysis. Using the correlation test it was found that there is a relationship between intention to purchase with attitude, psychological, product quality, religiosity, and consideration for the future. Nevertheless strength of the relationship varies. The strength of the relationship is highest for attitude and lowest for psychological. The results of this study will be used to refine the instrument and subsequently used to collect data from a larger pool of respondents.
Vitamin D 3 triggers antitumor activity through targeting hedgehog signaling in human renal cell carcinoma

Human clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCC) remains resistant to treatments despite the progress in targeted therapies. Several signaling pathways acting during renal development are reactivated during kidney tumorigenesis; this is the case of the sonic hedgehog (SHH)-Gli. Interestingly, the precursor of active vitamin D3 (VD3), cholecalciferol, has been demonstrated to be a strong inhibitor of SHH-Gli signaling. Here, we show the preclinical efficacy of cholecalciferol in CCC both in vitro and in vivo. A panel of CCC cell lines, tumors and normal corresponding tissues from CCC patients were used to evaluate the expression of the VD3 receptor and metabolizing enzymes and the effects of cholecalciferol treatment. Subsequently, xenografted mice were treated with cholecalciferol in a prophylactic or therapeutic manner; their response and the adverse effects were evaluated on the basis of weekly monitoring, followed by blood collection procedures and X-ray micro-computed tomography. VD3 receptor and metabolizing enzymes are dramatically decreased in human cell lines and tumors. Cholecalciferol decreases cell proliferation and increases cell death by inhibition of the SHH-Gli pathway. Xenografted mice treated with cholecalciferol exhibit absence of tumor development or substantial growth inhibition. The treatment was shown to be safe; it did not induce calcification or calcium reabsorption. These findings establish that, although VD3 receptors and metabolizing enzymes are absent in CCC, cholecalciferol supplementation is a strong tool to block the reactivation of SHH-Gli pathway in this pathology, leading ultimately to tumor regression. Cholecalciferol may have highly therapeutic potential in CCC.
Corporate Borrowing and Debt Maturity: The Effects of Market Access and Crises

This paper studies how access to different markets and crises impact debt financing and maturity. Using data on worldwide corporate issuance activity in domestic and international bond and syndicated loan markets during 1991-2014, the paper shows that these markets are affected differently by crises, while providing financing to different firms at distinct maturities. During the global financial crisis and domestic banking crises, large firms moved away from the crisis-hit markets toward less affected, longer-term ones, switching their financing sources. Hence, firms that switched markets compensated for the financing shocks and maintained, or increased, their borrowing maturity. Country-level maturities also remained stable or even lengthened. However, firms that did not move across markets typically experienced declining financing and shorter borrowing maturities. Firm movements across markets are consistent with credit tightening during crises due to supply-side shocks, significantly affecting debt composition, borrowing maturity, and credit redistribution across firms of different sizes.
Recruitment Strategies and Match Quality – New Evidence from Representative Linked Employer-Employee Data

In economics, the recruitment process of firms is largely treated as a black box. To shed light on this process, we use new representative linked employer-employee data for German private-sector establishments to explore search, selection and screening activities over the years 2012-2018. We document longitudinal changes in hiring policies and address the heterogeneity across establishments relating to size, ownership, sector, and unobserved heterogeneity. Firms' recruitment strategies have sizeable effects on the composition of worker productivity, worker-firm match quality, the number of open vacancies, as well as expected staffing problems. Finally, we outline potential mechanisms and research gaps for future work, where there is room for more detailed and causal evidence.
‘Voluntary’ Poverty Alleviation Resettlement in China

Current conceptualizations of resettlement in China as either voluntary or involuntary are too rigid. New guidelines and policies, particularly around Poverty Alleviation Resettlement (PAR), are emphasizing the importance of voluntarism. Little is known, however, about how the principle of voluntary relocation of villagers has actually been implemented. This study explores this process by examining local implementation and experiences of PAR in Linfen Prefecture, Shanxi. It introduces China's nationwide PAR programme, and then identifies the spatial and temporal characteristics of PAR in Linfen from 1997 to 2010, highlighting the factors that contribute to widespread voluntary resettlement.