Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Long-term Use of Short-term Debt around the World

We propose novel proxies to identify firms that use short-term debt to fund long-term investment (SDLI). Using an international sample across 46 countries over the 1990-2015 period, we show that our SDLI proxies are negatively related to debt maturity, and positively related to the sensitivity of investment to short-term debt. Firms use more SDLI in less financially developed countries and during periods of financial crisis. Tests of our hypotheses show that the use of SDLI is mainly driven by the market timing hypothesis rather than the information asymmetry and agency conflict hypotheses. The use of SDLI is negatively associated with the cost of debt but positively associated with the cost of equity and financial risk. The rationale that firms use SDLI to mitigate their short-term financing costs may lead to overinvestment and ultimately impair the firms’ long-term operational performance. Our findings highlight the importance of conducting maturity matching between corporate debt and investments.
Bacterial sheath brown rot of rice caused by Pseudomonas fuscovaginae in Malagasy

Abstract Bacterial sheath brown rot, caused by Pseudomonas fuscovaginae appeared to be widespread in irrigated rice between 1300 and 2000 m elevation in Malagasy. Inhibition of panicle emergence increased with altitude. Local cultivars suffered much less than the introduced half‐dwarf ones from the International Rice Research Institute or the International Rice Cold Tolerance Nursery. In basic biochemical and serological tests, 22 P. fuscovaginae strains from Malagasy were similar to reference strains from Burundi and Japan, and several showed a higher aggressiveness in pathogenicity tests.
Osmotic Adjustment of Sorghum and Sunflower Crops in Response to Water Deficits and Its Influence on the Water Potential at Which Stomata Close

The soil and plant water status of irrigated and unirrigated sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench cv. TX610] and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. cv. Hysun 30) crops were compared on several days from the late vegetative to the early grain-filling stages of development. Additionally, the stems of plants from the irrigated and unirrigated plots of both species were cut near their base; this caused the plants to quickly dry until the stomata closed. The leaf water potential and leaf osmotic potential were measured when the stomatal resistance reached 6 s cm-¹ to give the water potential for stomatal closure and to provide osmotic potentials at equal turgor. Carbohydrate and potassium levels of leaves were also monitored. The mean daily minimum leaf water potentials in the irrigated sorghum and sunflower did not decrease below - 1 7 MPa and - 2.0 MPa, respectively, but decreased to - 2.1 MPa in the unirrigated sorghum and -2.6 MPa in the unirrigated sunflower. The osmotic potential at stomatal closure in the rapidly dried plants decreased with increasing leaf water deficit in both sunflower and sorghum: in both species the osmotic potential decreased approximately 0.6 MPa for each megapascal decrease in leaf water potential. The results indicate that both sorghum and sunflower adjusted osmotically in response to water deficits and that adjustment occurred at a rate of at least 0.1 MPa per day. The lowering of osmotic potential persisted less than 9 days after the relief of stress in both sunflower and sorghum. The soluble sugar concentration increased linearly in both sunflower and sorghum with osmotic adjustment: the rate of increase of soluble sugars was significantly greater in sunflower than sorghum. No changes in potassium concentration were observed during osmotic adjustment. The water potential at which the stomata closed varied from - 1.5 to -2.6 MPa in sorghum and - 1.7 to -2.7 MPa in sunflower: the water potential that induced stomatal closure decreased as the osmotic potential decreased. Stomatal closure occurred at a mean turgor of -0-5 MPa in both species: systematic error in the measurement of osmotic potential on frozen and thawed leaf tissue is considered the reason for the low turgor potentials at stomatal closure. The adaxial stomatal closed before the abaxial stomata in the sorghum and unirrigated sunflower but, since the leaf water potential initially fell rapidly and then became stable before the adaxial stomata closed, both the adaxial and abaxial stomata closed at the same leaf water potential
Effect of feeding carp with fat-supplemented pelleted diets on chemical composition of meat

The quality and quantity of fatty acids was studied in the meat of carp fed Aller Classic pellets (control group I) and Aller diet with the following fat supplements: sunflower oil and rapeseed oil (50%:50%) in group II; sunflower oil and linseed oil (80%:20%) in group III; fish oil (100%) in group IV; and pellets with pork scratchings in group V. Each group contained 12 fish. Carp were fed ad libitum for 5 months in basins with a closed water circulation system. At the end of feeding, fish were slaughtered and muscle samples were collected and analysed in accordance with AOAC procedures. Total cholesterol content of the muscles was determined colourimetrically. The mean weight of carp was the highest in group III and the lowest in group V. The addition of oils to carp diets resulted in the highest EUFA levels in fish from groups III and II.
Ultrastructure of Asci and Ascospores of Massarina velatospora from Intertidal Mangrove Wood

Abstract A transmission electron microscope investigation of the asci and ascospores of Massarina velatospora was undertaken using material collected from Boracay, Philippines. Our collection agrees with the type material although the ascospores were predominantly 1-septate. It was collected on wood of Sonneratia sp. that had been heavily attacked by molluscan borers. The asci are bitunicate with a thick (2–4 μm), fibrillar endoascus and a narrow ectoascus (100–300 nm) that is thickened at the apex with an ocular chamber in mature asci. Ascospore walls comprise a mesosporium, an electron-dense episporium surrounded by an exosporial mucilaginous sheath and bounded by a delimiting membrane that ruptures in water. A comparison of the ultrastructure of M. velatospora and other aquatic Massarina species is made.
Risk-Sharing, Identity, and Insurance Decisions: Evidence from Field Experiments in India

Weather is a major source of income risk, especially in low-income environments. This paper uses data from randomized field experiments involving Indian farmers to evaluate how the take-up viz commercial success of an innovative rainfall insurance product is affected by product priming that emphasizes insurance value to a family and group identity. We document that such product priming makes individuals (i) less sensitive to basis risk, but (ii) more sensitive to price, with an overall ambiguous effect on insurance demand. We explore several channels underlying the results and find evidence highlighting changes in risk attitudes via risk-sharing and identity.
GPI‐anchored CEA family glycoproteins CEA and CEACAM6 mediate their biological effects through enhanced integrin α5β1‐fibronectin interaction &

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CEA family member CEACAM6 are glycophosphatidyl inositol (GPI)‐anchored, intercellular adhesion molecules that are up‐regulated in a wide variety of human cancers, including colon, breast, and lung. When over‐expressed in a number of cellular systems, these molecules are capable of inhibiting cellular differentiation and anoikis, as well as disrupting cell polarization and tissue architecture, thus increasing tumorigenicity. The present study shows that perturbation of the major fibronectin receptor, integrin α5β1, underlies some of these biological effects. Using confocal microscopy and specific antibodies, CEA and CEACAM6 were demonstrated to co‐cluster with integrin α5β1 on the cell surface. The presence of CEA and CEACAM6 was shown to lead to an increase in the binding of the integrin α5β1 receptor to its ligand fibronectin, without changing its cell surface levels, resulting in increased adhesion of CEA/CEACAM6‐expressing cells to fibronectin. More tenacious binding of free fibronectin to cells led to enhanced fibronectin matrix assembly and the formation of a polymerized fibronectin “cocoon” around the cells. Disruption of this process with specific monoclonal antibodies against either fibronectin or integrin α5β1 led to the restoration of cellular differentiation and anoikis in CEA/CEACAM6 producing cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 210: 757–765, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Three large fire years threaten resilience of closed crown black spruce forests in eastern Canada

An emerging paradigm regarding vegetation response to climate warming is that the interaction of weather extremes and disturbance will trigger abrupt changes in ecosystem types by overcoming resilience of dominant species. Black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.)) ecosystems are widespread across the North American boreal forest, because of ecophysiological adaptations that allowed these communities to thrive in fire-prone areas. We investigated resilience of spruce-moss forests to weather-disturbance interaction after a 3-year period (2005 to 2007) of major fire activity caused by extreme fire weather in eastern Canada. Pre- and post-fire conifer densities and environmental parameters related to seed rain, post-fire seedbeds, microclimate, and post-fire weather were measured in 133 burned stands throughout the closed-crown forest of Quebec. Critically low black spruce (BS) regeneration was observed in almost all of the stands, leading to a decrease in stand density and a shift of species dominance from BS to jack pine (Pinus banksiana (Lamb.), JP). The studied sites were characterized by thick residual organic matter, resulting in a predominance of charred duff, a seedbed associated with low water retention and high variation in temperature. While high levels of JP seedling establishment were reported on this seedbed, it was unfavorable to BS germination and survival in the context of warm and dry weather that prevailed in post-fire summers. In these ecosystems, early vegetation establishment patterns are generally reliable predictors of future stand composition and the exclusion of BS will presumably be maintained through succession. During large fire years, high proportions of the landscape are subjected to the interaction of fire regime and weather that creates unsuitable conditions for BS regeneration. Hence, vegetation change is susceptible to happen at a broad scale. Therefore, the frequency of major fire years could have a decisive influence on the rate of vegetation response to climate change in this biome.
EFFECT OF GAMMA IRRADIATION ON SOFTENING CHANGES AND ENZYME ACTIVITIES DURING RIPENING OF PAPAYA FRUIT

The aim of this work was to study the role of cell wall and ethylene related enzymes to papaya fruit firmness. Irradiation treatment was used as an imposed stress to cause changes in firmness. Physiologically mature papaya fruits were irradiated (500 Gy) and allowed to ripen at 22C and 90% RH. Polygalacturonase (PG), pectinmethylesterase (PME), β-galactosidase, cellulase and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (ACC-oxidase) activities were followed during ripening and correlated to changes in firmness, skin and pulp color, respiration and ethylene production. The firmness of irradiated fruits was retained at least 2 days longer than in normal fruits and also had a slower rate of softening. Total soluble solids (°Brix), cellulase activity and ethylene production were not altered by irradiation treatment. The activity patterns of PG, PME and β-galactosidase were related to pulp softening and affected by irradiation. ACC-oxidase activity was influenced by irradiation treatment, but its changes were not temporally related to those in firmness. It was concluded that irradiation had no direct effect on firmness but it acted by altering the ripening induced synthesis of cell wall enzymes, mainly PME. Cette etude examine l'effet d'une irradiation gamma sur la fermete des papayes reliee a l'action de plusieurs enzymes connues importantes dans le metabolisme de la membrane cellulaire. Des papayes sont irradiees et entreposees pour une maturation a 22°C et 90% d'humidite relative. Les activites enzymatiques (polygalacturonase, pectinesterase, β-galactosidase, cellulase, oxidase) sont suivies pendant la maturation et correlees aux modifications dans la fermete, la couleur de la peau et la pulpe, la respiration et la production d'ethylene. L'irradiation n'a pas d'effet direct sur la fermete du fruit mais agit sur les enzymes des membranes cellulaires.
Banks as a Safe Haven for Depositors: Interest Rates, Regulations, and Interbank Markets

One of the challenges of modern banks is providing uninsured wholesale depositors with a safe haven. We model banks deciding their own capital and liquidity levels in a forwardlooking manner to absorb an exogenous shock to their investment through interbank trading. A regulatory framework consisting of the upper bound of the interbank rate and regulatory minimums on both capital and liquidity is required to secure the safety of deposits by preventing banks from expropriating depositors to suit the interests of shareholders. Ex-post intervention must in uence the reservation rate of depositors, as it provides the lower bound of the interbank rate.
Water-stress tolerance of black and eastern cottonwood clones and four hybrid progeny. II. Metabolites and inorganic ions that constitute osmotic adjustment

The biochemical bases of water-stress tolerance in a pedigree consisting of black cottonwood (Populustrichocarpa Torr. & Gray female) and eastern cottonwood (Populusdeltoides Bartr. male) parental clones and four hybrid progeny were investigated. Trees were grown outdoors in pots; well-watered trees (soil water potential greater than −0.03 MPa) were kept moist in trays, and stressed trees (soil water potential less than −2.0 MPa) were subjected to repeated cyclical stress of 1 or 2 days duration over the 14-week study. Analysis of the major metabolites and ions in fully expanded leaves demonstrated that the greatest degree of osmotic adjustment was displayed by male hybrid 242, the P. deltoides male parent, and male hybrid 239 to a lesser extent. Osmotic adjustment in leaves of both hybrid 242 and the P. deltoides male parent was primarily constituted by malic acid, K, sucrose, and glucose, with the same metabolites also increasing in fine roots of hybrid 242, the only clone to display osmotic adjustment .
Price of Risk Fluctuations and the Size Premium

This paper empirically describes how the risk premiums of size portfolios vary with macro-economic fluctuations in the price of risk at the portfolio formation dates, thereby explaining the lack of robustness involving the unconditional size premium: Only portfolios formed in "bad" states - with price of risk among the largest 30% - earn significantly positive premiums (7.5% per year on average). Inevitably, the subsample in which the premium is absent dominates and easily distorts the unconditional evidence that supports the size premium literature. Conditional tests contradict the (unconditional) conclusions that the size premium is consistent with the ICAPM or non-existent after 1981.
Fish preference by the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina), with implications for the control of damage to fishing gear

This study compares food preference for different fish species by harbour seals in a seal colony off the northwest coast of Sweden. Seals were offered several different species of dead fish in net cages and showed a preference for herring, gadids and flatfish. Other fish such as eel and eelpout were mostly rejected. Five-bearded rockling, bullrout and small labrids were always rejected. Seal visits occurred at only 30% of the total number of feeding opportunities, in spite of the fact that seals were constantly present in the area. The temporal and spatial aggregation of the pattern of seal visits to the cages was not randomly distributed. This study suggests that only a minority of the seals in the area used the baited cages and that the feeding preferences could be a result of specialised prey selection. This has important implications for the choice of appropriate management options to control seal damage of fishing gear. It is predicted that it may be a more successful and efficient option to focus on those individual seals found in the vicinity of the fishing gear, rather than to carry out random culling amongst the whole population.
Control of Adventitious Root Production and Hypocotyl Hypertrophy of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) in Response to Flooding

The morphological changes of the shoots of Helianthus annuus cv. Russian caused by varying periods of flooding of the roots were studied. Attention was focused on adventitious root formation and hypocotyl hypertrophy which are known to be caused by excess water around the roots in the absence of anoxia. Twenty-four hours of flooding was found to be sufficient to cause both of these responses. Experiments involving flooding, leaf removal, shoot apical bud removal, two different light intensities, and a treatment in which only a small proportion of the roots were flooded suggested that a major factor causing the flood-induced changes in the hypocotyl arises in the root but other factors may come from the leaves. In the longer-term experiments other flood-induced changes in shoot morphology were leaf epinasty, death of shoot apex, extreme chlorosis and hypertrophy of nodes and internodes. There was no apparent contribution of adventitious roots to the survival of flooded plants.
Historical and Anticipated Changes in Forest Ecosystems of the Inland West of the United States

Euro-American settlement of the Inland West has altered forest and woodland landscapes, species composition, disturbance regimes, and resource conditions. Public concern over the loss of selected species and unique habitats (e.g., old-growth) has caused us to neglect the more pervasive problem of declining ecosystem health. Population explosions of trees, exotic weed species, insects, diseases, and humans are stressing natural systems. In particular, fire exclusion, grazing, and timber harvest have created anomalous ecosystem structures, landscape patterns, and disturbance regimes that are not consistent with the evolutionary history of the indigenous biota. Continuation of historical trends of climate change, modified atmospheric chemistry, tree density increases, and catastrophic disturbances seems certain. However, ecosystem management strategies including the initiation of management experiments can facilitate the adaptation of both social and ecological systems to these anticipated changes. A fairly .
Reduced and Conservation Tillage Effects on Soil Ecological Properties in an Organic Farming System

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effects of reduced and conservation tillage, namely two-layer ploughing (LP) and layer-cultivating (LC) on soil ecological properties (physical, chemical, microbiological) in an organic farming system relative to ploughing (P). As a major trend, the amounts of soil organic C, microbial biomass C and N, the Cmic to Corg ratio, and microbial activity increased at 0–15 cm depth in the order? —LP—LC while they decreased at 15–25 cm depth in the same order, both in green fallow and winter rye plots. For example, at 0–15 cm depth, soil microbial biomass C concentration was significantly 25% (LP) and 30% (LC) greater in green fallow plots and 18 to 20% greater in winter rye plots than in P. This was highly correlated with an increase in aggregate stability at these sites. Non-ploughing also resulted in a significantly higher bulk density. In addition, the amounts of ergosterol were higher at 0–15 cm depth in LP and LC treatments than in P. Hence, it is indicated that the microbial community changed towards fungi at 0–15 cm depth in reduced and conservation tillage plots. It can be concluded that reduced or conservation tillage in organic farming systems has beneficial effects on soil organic matter, microbial biomass, and activity.
Welfare Costs of Bilateral Currency Crises: The Role of International Trade

This paper shows that bilateral currency crises reduce bilateral trade up to 50% after controlling for the depreciation rate. Using a trade model, these reductions are connected to the welfare costs of currency crises. The results show that a single currency crisis can result in welfare reductions through changes in international trade corresponding to more than 10% (and up to 41%) of the costs of autarky for 23 different currency crisis episodes between 1960 and 2014. These welfare costs are also shown to be greater than the welfare gains from having free trade agreements and using common currencies for 25 different currency crisis episodes.
Austerity

We study the optimal debt and investment decisions of a sovereign with private information. The separating equilibrium is characterised by a cap on the current account. A sovereign repays debt amount due that exceeds default costs in order to signal creditworthiness and smooth consumption. Accepting funding conditional on investment/reforms relaxes borrowing constraints, even when investment does not create collateral, but it depresses current consumption. The model contains the signalling elements emphasised by creditors in the Greek austerity programmes and is consistent with the reduction in the loans issued by Greece and their interest rate following the 2015 election.
Genetic Variances of Agronomic Traits in Tetraploid Crested Wheatgrass under Competitive Conditions

Limited research has been conducted on characterizing the genetic variability of important agronomic traits of forage grasses grown in seeded swards. This study was conducted to estimate the degree of genetic control, i.e., the heritability (h 2 ), of several agronomic, morphological and physiological traits of crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fischer ex Link) Schultes] under sward conditions. Thirty ramdomly selected half-sib families from a genetically broad-based crested wheatgrass population were evaluated at one location for 2 yr in single-row plots that were spaced 38 cm apart and seeded at a rate of 90 seed m −1 . Heritabilities were determined for the following traits based on the progeny means of the 30 families: fresh forage yield, dry matter yield, tiller height, tiller number, flag leaf width, spikelets per spike, proline content, first-cut vigor, regrowth vigor, and flag leaf pubescence [. ]