Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Allocation of the Commons: Parking and Stopping on the Commons

The economic forces governing transitions between different property rights regimes has been the source of extensive study since Demsetz's path breaking 1967 essay, "Toward a Theory of Property Rights. " This paper offers first a general critique of that position, chiefly on the ground that it underestimates the practical difficulties of orchestrating efficient transitions in contexts where strong political forces are at play. Thereafter, the paper explores the movement among various systems that are used to allocate a particular public good, namely parking places on public streets. It examines both bottom-up systems that rely on analogues to the rule of first possession (in both clear and snowy weather) and top-down systems that use meters and permits as allocation devices. It offers explanations as to why the optimal rule will tend to vary with the density of traffic and generally opposes the use of special permits that limit occupancy to residences of certain neighborhoods, which effectively reduce the carrying capacity of a system of roads.
CHEMICAL FEATURES OF BIOTITES FROM METAMORPHIC AND GRANITIC ROCKS OF THE YANAI DISTRICT IN THE RYOKE BELT, JAPAN

Composition of biotites in metamor phic rocks has been discussed by many authors in terms of bulk composition and metamorphic grade of host rocks (e.g. Miyashiro, 1956; Engel and Engel, 1960; Oki, 1961; Hayama, 1964; Wenk, 1970). It has been shown that Fe in biotite increases in general with increasing meta morphic grade, whereas Ti, Mg and Al decrease. However, the behaviours of these elements in metamorphic processes are not known in detail. Biotites from some Caledonian calc alkaline plutonic rocks follow a well-defined trend in the FeO-MgO-A12O3 diagram
Wall Street and Main Street: What Contributes to the Rise in the Highest Incomes?

We consider how much of the top end of the income distribution can be attributed to four sectors -- top executives of non-financial firms (Main Street); financial service sector employees from investment banks, hedge funds, private equity funds, and mutual funds (Wall Street); corporate lawyers; and professional athletes and celebrities. Non-financial public company CEOs and top executives do not represent more than 6.5% of any of the top AGI brackets (the top 0.1%, 0.01%, 0.001%, and 0.0001%). Individuals in the Wall Street category comprise at least as high a percentage of the top AGI brackets as non-financial executives of public companies. While the representation of top executives in the top AGI brackets has increased from 1994 to 2004, the representation of Wall Street has likely increased even more. While the groups we study represent a substantial portion of the top income groups, they miss a large number of high-earning individuals. We conclude by considering how our results inform different explanations for the increased skewness at the top end of the distribution. We argue the evidence is most consistent with theories of superstars, skill biased technological change, greater scale and their interaction.
Mapping university-industry-government relations on the Internet: The construction of indicators for a knowledge-based economy.

University-industry-government relations can be indicated by using advanced search engines on the Internet. This methodology provides us with opportunities to construct time series, compare among nations, distinguish between the use of national languages as against English, map relational patterns, etc. On the occasion of the Third Triple Helix Conference in Rio de Janeiro (April 2000), we focused on the comparison between Brazil and The Netherlands, with reference to an international baseline. The data can easily be reproduced for other countries. In addition to studying the different domains and their university-industry-government relations, we analyze, among other things, the role of the respective (national) languages. The major findings are: (1) patterns of development are similar in shape, but different in size when comparing Brazil with The Netherlands, and with the international environment; (2) "industry-government" relations are enhanced in the national dimension, while "university-industry" relations are profiled in the (international) "any language" domain; and (3) labels which can be controlled by actors (like title words of web pages) reflect upon (and thus lag behind) structural features of the database
Instability of the North Pacific subtropical countercurrent

AbstractThe North Pacific Subtropical Countercurrent (STCC) has a weak eastward velocity near the surface, but the region is populated with eddies. Studies have shown that the STCC is baroclinically unstable with a peak growth rate of 0.015 day−1 in March, and the ~60-day growth time has been used to explain the peak eddy kinetic energy (EKE) in May observed from satellites. It is argued here that this growth time from previously published normal-mode instability analyses is too slow. Growth rates calculated from an initial-value problem without the normal-mode assumption are found to be 1.5 to 2 times faster and at shorter wavelengths, due to the existence of (i) nonmodal solutions and (ii) sea surface temperature front in the mixed layer in winter. At interannual time scales it is shown that because of rapid surface adjustments, the STCC geostrophic shear, hence also the instability growth, is approximately in phase with surface forcing, leading to EKE modulation that peaks approximately 10 months later.
Blocking sets and partial spreads in finite polar spaces / Jan De Beule.

Preface The characterisation of substructures of incidence geometries, satisfying certain conditions, is a classical problem. In this thesis, we consider particular substructures of certain finite generalised quadrangles and finite classical polar spaces. Our aim is to contribute to the knowledge of these substructures. In Chapter 1 the field of research is situated, and basic concepts are introduced. We give an overview of projective spaces, polar spaces and gen-eralised quadrangles. For each of these geometries, we give definitions of important substructures, including those that will be considered in this thesis. Sometimes details are left for the introductory sections of each chapter. Furthermore, some historical references are given. Chapter 2 can be seen as a stand alone part of the thesis, but the link with Chapter 3 will be made clear. In this chapter we consider an important class of finite generalised quadrangles: the so-called translation generalised quadrangles. A classical example of a translation generalised quadrangle is the non-singular parabolic quadric Q(4, q) in the 4-dimensional projective space PG(4, q). Considering any point-line geometry, one can try to find a set of lines such that every point is covered exactly once. Such a set of lines is called a spread. Also partial spreads are interesting in many situations. Partial spreads are sets of lines covering all points at most once. Finding for instance upper bounds on the size of partial spreads, or revealing the geometrical structure of the uncovered points, is a classical problem for any partial spread of any point-line geometry. In Chapter 2, we obtain theorems on partial spreads of translation gener-alised quadrangles, using characterisation theorems of quite different structures , namely minihypers in projective geometries. Minihypers have important applications in coding theory, and recent characterisation theorems are related to blocking sets of projective planes. Hence, results on partial spreads iii iv Preface of translation generalised quadrangles become related to blocking sets of pro-jective planes. This kind of characterisation theorems is found in e.g. certain characterisation theorems of partial spreads of projective spaces and is thus not surprising. Trying to improve the results for the parabolic quadric Q(4, q), we make use of the description of this quadric as translation generalised quadrangle. In Chapter 3, we consider a different problem. The non-singular parabolic quadric Q(6, q) in the six dimensional projective space PG(6, q) is an example of a finite classical polar space. A classical problem for all these spaces …
Title : System of Wheat Intensification ( SWI ) : A new concept on low input technology for increasing wheat yield in marginal land

During the wheat growing season of 2010, farmers’ field trials were carried out in four districts of Far Western Nepal to demonstrate the System of Wheat Intensification (SWI). The trials were carried out by two different organizations; Mercy Corps Nepal and FAYA Nepal while implementing food security projects in these four districts; Dadeldhura, Doti, Baitadi and Kailali. The overall objective of the trial was to test the technology in farmers’ field and compare the yield from SWI with yield from traditional practice. For this purpose, the participating farmers were organized into groups, trained on SWI technology and field trails were conducted under the close supervision of project team. Mercy Corps Nepal adopted its Participatory Action Research (PAR) framework and “Farming as A Business” (FAAB) intervention modality for commercial orientation while FAYA Nepal conducted demonstration trainings for testing this technology. The results indicated that the average grain yield increased by 91 to 100 percent with adoption of SWI technology compared to traditional practice. Farmers responded positively to the results of the demonstration and those who participated in the PAR and demonstration trainings were willing to adopt SWI, given that the yield is increased significantly to meet their household level food security. Since seed priming, line sowing, gap filling and weeding are some tedious tasks required to perform in SWI, introduction and use of simple tools for seed sowing and weeding is recommended for ensuring wider adoption of SWI in this region. Results have shown that increased yield through complete SWI technique can ensure food availability for extra 6 months for a typical 6-member household with average land holdings. So, SWI technique is very crucial for the food security of poor, marginal and landless farmers of Far Western Region where wheat is a major food item.
Sequence variants of the DRD4 gene in autism: Further evidence that rare DRD4 7R haplotypes are ADHD specific

A high prevalence of rare dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) alleles in children diagnosed with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been reported [Grady et al., 2003 ]. In this prior study, extensive resequencing/haplotype data of the DRD4 locus was used to suggest that population stratification was not the explanation for the high prevalence of rare alleles. In the current study, DNA resequencing/haplotyping was conducted on 136 DRD4 alleles obtained from autism probands, collected from the same geographic population as the prior ADHD probands (Orange County, CA). A number of studies have suggested that the susceptibility genes underlying these two disorders might partially overlap. Rare DRD4 variants were not uncovered in this autism sample beyond that expected by chance. These results suggest strongly that the high prevalence of rare DRD4 alleles in ADHD probands is due to ascertainment of the sample by diagnosis of ADHD. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Components of interannual ozone change based on Nimbus 7 TOMS data

A multiple regression statistical model is applied to estimate the latitude and seasonal dependences of the solar cycle, quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), and anthropogenic trend components of stratospheric total ozone change using 13.2 years of Nimbus 7 TOMS data. The characteristics of the linear trend component are in agreement with earlier studies. The QBO regression coefficient is significantly different from zero at high southern latitudes in the Austral spring supporting earlier evidence that the Antarctic ozone depletion is modulated by the QBO. The existence of a solar cycle component is indicated by empirical studies of model residuals and by the approximate agreement of the derived global mean solar coefficient amplitude with photochemical calculations. Initial estimates for the latitude dependence of the solar coefficient suggest higher amplitudes with increasing latitude, especially in the southern hemisphere in spring. The statistical model predicts a return to more rapid ozone depletions during the next 4 years as solar minimum is approached.
Strengthening the admissions process in health care professional education: focus on a premier Pacific Island medical college

Relying solely on measures of intellectual aptitude and academic performance in university admissions can be disadvantageous to underprivileged students. The Fiji School of Medicine primarily uses such measures to evaluate and select student applicants, and the introduction of supplementary assessments could provide better access for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This study examined the need for supplementary assessments in the admission process, types of additional assessments needed, and stakeholders’ views on a multi-entry multi-exit strategy currently in use at the Fiji School of Medicine. A survey of the key stakeholders was conducted in February and March 2012 using closed and open ended questionnaire. One hundred and twenty-two validated questionnaires were self-administered by key stakeholders from the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (CMNHS) and Fiji Ministries of Education and Health, with a response rate of 61%. Returned questionnaires were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Sixty-five percent of respondents supported the introduction of supplementary assessments, 49% favoured admissions test, and 16% preferred assessing non-academic factors. Many respondents supported the School’s multi-entry multi-exit strategy as a ‘good policy’ that provided ‘flexibility’ and opportunity for students, but should be better regulated. These findings demonstrate the need for supplementary assessments in the selection process and for continued support for the use of multi-entry multi-exit strategy at the school.
The rhetorical complexity of competitive and common victimhood in conversational discourse

Much current research on collective victimhood acknowledges the role of rhetoric but does not fully address the implications for micro-level variation in personal expressions of victimhood. The focus has tended to be on individual differences in collective victimhood construals where people may either see their group as the sole possessor of victim-status or may incorporate other groups into an inclusive category. While recent research sees a strategic element in some “inclusivity”, we argue that all claims of victimhood are strategic. By using a discursive approach, we show variability in the expression of victimhood and how this accomplishes different activities in conversations. Several focus groups consisting of victims from Northern Ireland were analysed to identify presentations of victimhood and their relation to the unfolding dynamics of the conversation. We demonstrate that presentation of victimhood is an interactional concern, link this to the concept of “needs” and suggest implications this might have.
Ensemble lightning prediction models for the province of Alberta, Canada

Lightning is a major cause of wildland fires in Canada. During an average year in the province of Alberta, 330 000 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes occur. These strikes are responsible for igniting 45% of reported wildfires (~450 fires) and 71% of area burned (~105 000 ha). Lightning-caused wildland fires in remote areas have large suppression costs and a greater chance of escaping initial attack when compared with human-caused fires, which are often located close to infrastructure and suppression resources. In this study, geographic and temporal covariates were paired with meteorological reanalysis and radiosonde observations to generate a series of 6-h and 24-h lightning prediction models valid from April to October. These models, based on cloud-to-ground lightning from the Canadian Lightning Detection Network, were developed and validated for the province of Alberta, Canada. The ensemble forecasts produced from these models were most accurate in the Rocky Mountain and Foothills Natural Regions, achieving hits rates of 85%. The Showalter index, latitude, elevation, longitude, Julian day and convective available potential energy were found to be highly important predictors. Random forest classification is introduced as a viable modelling method to generate lightning forecasts.
Effect of Pb loss on the ages of reference zircons QGNG and SL13, and of volcanic zircons from the Early Devonian Merrions and Turondale Formations, New South Wales

Recent papers (Black et al. 1997; Jagodzinski & Black 1999) reported that SL13‐referenced SHRIMP zircon ages are ca 1.3% younger than QGNG‐referenced ages. It is shown here that these authors overestimated their analytical errors and as a consequence failed to register the presence of large and variable fractions of Pb loss within both QGNG (median 40% of spots) and SL13 (25%). If only the oldest 206Pb/238U age groups within each of the same 16 analytical sessions are selected for comparison, the 206Pb/238U ages of QGNG relative to SL13 agree with the Concordia intersection age by isotope dilution to within 0.4% (standard deviation). This observation eliminates the possibility of systematic bias. Jagodzinski and Black (1999) also overlooked Pb loss in their ages for the Early Devonian Turondale and Merrions Formations, which are corrected here for time‐scale use.
Radiosonde Daytime Biases and Late-20th Century Warming

The temperature difference between adjacent 0000 and 1200 UTC weather balloon (radiosonde) reports shows a pervasive tendency toward cooler daytime compared to nighttime observations since the 1970s, especially at tropical stations. Several characteristics of this trend indicate that it is an artifact of systematic reductions over time in the uncorrected error due to daytime solar heating of the instrument and should be absent from accurate climate records. Although other problems may exist, this effect alone is of sufficient magnitude to reconcile radiosonde tropospheric temperature trends and surface trends during the late 20th century.
Robust flood frequency analysis: Performance of EMA with multiple Grubbs‐Beck outlier tests

Flood frequency analysis generally involves the use of simple parametric probability distributions to smooth and extrapolate the information provided by short flood records to estimate extreme flood flow quantiles. Parametric probability distributions can have difficulty simultaneously fitting both the largest and smallest floods. A danger is that the smallest observations in a record can distort the exceedance probabilities assigned to the large floods of interest. The identification and treatment of such Potentially Influential Low Floods (PILFs) frees a fitting algorithm to describe the distribution of the larger observations. This can allow parametric flood frequency analysis to be both efficient, and also robust to deviations from the proposed probability model's lower tail. Historically, PILF identification involved subjective judgement. We propose a new multiple Grubbs‐Beck outlier test (MGBT) for objective PILF identification. MGBT PILF identification rates (akin to Type I errors) are reported for the lognormal (LN) distribution and the log‐Pearson Type III (LP3) distribution with a variety of skew coefficients. MGBT PILF identification generally matched subjective identification from a recent California flood frequency study. Monte Carlo results show that censoring of PILFs identified by the MGBT algorithm improves the extreme quantile estimator efficiency of the expected moments algorithm (EMA) for negatively skewed LP3 distributions and has little effect for zero or positive skews; simultaneously it protects against deviations from the LP3 in the lower tail, as illustrated by distorted LN examples. Thus, MGBT generally makes flood frequency analysis based on the LP3 distribution with EMA both more accurate and more robust.
Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies in the South Eastern Mediterranean Sea

The hydrographic data of 61 years were used to study the regular formation of the sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) and their evaluation in the South Eastern Mediterranean Sea in front of the northern Egyptian waters. The area of study lies between 31- 33 o N and 25-34 o E. Time distribution of SSTA values display both positive and negative cycles. The periods of these cycles fluctuated between 8 and 15 years. These cycles are nearly associated with the 11 year cycle of sun-spots activities. Normal SSTA band occupies only 21.41%, while the positive and negative bands occupy 32.90% and 45.69%. Active zones and periods were determined from the zonal and time distribution of the mean positive, negative and amplitude of SSTA in the study period (1948-2008) for each 1 o x1 o grid. The active period of the year is from June to August. The coastal areas are more active especially in the positive and amplitude bands due to the Interannual variations in coastal heating and cooling. The anti- cyclonic gyre areas are more active especially in the negative band due to Interannual variations in gyre strength.
Bearing-capacity prediction of spatially random c ϕ soils

Soils with spatially varying shear strengths are modeled using random field theory and elasto-plastic finite element analysis to evaluate the extent to which spatial variability and cross-correlation in soil properties (c and ϕ) affect bearing capacity. The analysis is two dimensional, corresponding to a strip footing with infinite correlation length in the out-of-plane direction, and the soil is assumed to be weightless with footing placed on the soil surface. Theoretical predictions of the mean and standard deviation of bearing capacity, for the case where c and ϕ are independent, are derived using a geometric averaging model and then verified via Monte Carlo simulation. The standard deviation prediction is found to be quite accurate, while the mean prediction is found to require some additional semi-empirical adjustment to give accurate results for "worst case" correlation lengths. Combined, the theory can be used to estimate the probability of bearing-capacity failure, but also sheds light on the stoc.
EMPIRICAL CORRELATION OF SOIL LIQUEFACTION BASED ON SPT N-VALUE AND FINES CONTENT

ABSTRACT A critical review of field performance of sandy soil deposits during past earthquakes is conducted with special emphasis being placed on Standard Penetration Test N-values and fines content. The field relationship between adjusted dynamic shear stress ratio and normalized SPT N-values together with laboratory tests on undisturbed sands indicate that (1) sands containing more than 10 percent fines has much greater resistance to liquefaction than clean sands having the same SPT N-values, (2) extensive damage would not occur for clean sands with SPT N1-values (N-values normalized for effective overburden stress of 1 kgf/cm2) greater than 25, silty sands containing more than 10 percent fines with SPT N1-values greater than 20, or sandy silts with more than 20 percent clay, and (3) sands containing gravel particles seem to have less resistance to liquefaction than clean sands without gravel having the same SPT N-values. On the basis of the above findings, an improved empirical chart separating liquefiable and non-liquefiable conditions is presented in terms of dynamic shear stress ratio, SPT N-values, fines content, and shear strain amplitude.