Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Birdwatching and avitourism: a global review of research into its participant markets, distribution and impacts, highlighting future research priorities to inform sustainable avitourism management

Avitourism is an emerging sub-sector of the nature-based tourism industry, where tourist travel motivations are focused around birdwatching. Certain aspects of the industry are yet to be examined adequately. This paper reviews patterns among 66 research studies published between 1989 and 2014 that examine avitourism, its participants and stakeholders across several research themes. There is a distinct northern hemisphere bias (n = 46) in avitourism research effort, with research dominated by studies of the avitourists themselves (n = 35). Key objectives of studies reviewed were primarily concerned with the economic impacts of avitourism (n = 21), the motivations of birders as avitourists (n = 18) and increasing our understanding of the avitourism market (n = 12). Ten studies specifically examined the types of birds or bird-related events (i.e. migrations) avitourists seek. Few studies (n = 6) have examined the negative impacts on birds arising from avitourism. The sustainability of avitourism is dependent upon understanding both the avitourism product and the willingness of avitourists to see particular species. Enhanced understanding of avitourism opportunities and avitourist desires could guide industry growth, assist the economies of many communities, highlight birds and habitats vulnerable to the negative impacts of avitourism, and help finance conservation work. A series of priority research themes are outlined.
Thresholds for Sampled Sloan Letters Are Smaller Than Sample Spacing

Purpose. Although the effect of spatial sampling on the visibility of grating stimuli is well described and well understood, little research has been conducted into the effects of spatial sampling on the visibility of letter optotypes. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether thresholds for spatially sampled Sloan letters were equal to or significantly smaller than the spacing between spatial samples. Methods. For four visually normal subjects, we measured Sloan letter acuity thresholds, presented on a computer monitor, after the letters had been sampled by sampling arrays with 6.285 elements per square degree, (23.9 min of arc between samples for a square packed array). We used four different sampling arrays: square packed; hexagonally packed; a cone-like array with positive contrast; and a cone-like array with negative contrast. Thresholds were assessed using letter-counting rules and also Probit analysis. Results. Although results depended on array type, and the definition of sample spacing, letter acuity thresholds were substantially less than estimates of sample spacing by between 0.290 log units (49% less) (hexagonally sampled Probit thresholds compared with spacing between hexagonal samples) to 0.136 log units (27% less) (positive contrast cone-like sampled letter-counting thresholds compared with spacing between rows of hexagonal samples). Conclusions. Sample spacing is not an absolute limit for Sloan letter thresholds. By comparison with previous measurements of human foveal cone sampling of space, our findings suggest that cone sampling limits for Sloan letters could be as small as 20/4.
Performance of Smoothing Methods for Reconstructing NDVI Time-Series and Estimating Vegetation Phenology from MODIS Data

Many time-series smoothing methods can be used for reducing noise and extracting plant phenological parameters from remotely-sensed data, but there is still no conclusive evidence in favor of one method over others. Here we use moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to investigate five smoothing methods: Savitzky-Golay fitting (SG), locally weighted regression scatterplot smoothing (LO), spline smoothing (SP), asymmetric Gaussian function fitting (AG), and double logistic function fitting (DL). We use ground tower measured NDVI (10 sites) and gross primary productivity (GPP, 4 sites) to evaluate the smoothed satellite-derived NDVI time-series, and elevation data to evaluate phenology parameters derived from smoothed NDVI. The results indicate that all smoothing methods can reduce noise and improve signal quality, but that no single method always performs better than others. Overall, the local filtering methods (SG and LO) can generate very accurate results if smoothing parameters are optimally calibrated. If local calibration cannot be performed, cross validation is a way to automatically determine the smoothing parameter. However, this method may in some cases generate poor fits, and when calibration is not possible the function fitting methods (AG and DL) provide the most robust description of the seasonal dynamics.
A Hedonic Analysis of Retail Milk and Oatmeal Attributes in Québec

i RÉSUMÉ . i i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . i ii TABLE OF CONTENTS . iv LIST OF TABLES . vi LIST OF FIGURES . vi CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 OVERVIEW AND PROBLEM STATEMENT. 1 1.2 OBJECTIVES . 2 1.3 STRUCTURE OF THESIS . 3 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW . 4 2.1 OVERVIEW . 4 2.2 CANADIAN FOOD LABELLING POLICY . 5 2.3 U.S. FOOD LABELLING POLICY . 7 2.4 FOOD LABELLING HISTORY AND PREVALENCE . 8 2.5 FOOD LABELLING AND CONSUMER PURCHASING DECISIONS . 10 2.5. 1 Experimental Studies . 11 2.5. 2 Economics . 13 2.5. 3 Stated Preference Literature . 13 2.5. 4 Revealed Preference Literature: Hedonic Pricing Method . 15 2.6 CHOICE OF METHODOLOGY . 18 2.7 HEDONIC THEORY . 19 2.7. 1 Three Central Considerations . 22 2.7. 2 Selection of the Good . 22 2.7. 3 Selection of Attributes . 23 2.7. 4 Functional Form . 28 CHAPTER III: DATA AND MODEL SPECIFICATION . 32 3.1 DATA. 32 3.1.1 Product Characteristics . 33 3.1.2 Store Characteristics . 33 3.2 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS . 34 3.2.1 Descriptive Statistics of Retail Milk Products . 34 3.2.2 Descriptive Statistics of Retail Oatmeal Products . 41 3.3 LARGE SAMPLE SIZE . 45 3.4 MODEL SPECIFICATION . 46 3.4. 1 Hedonic Pricing Model for Milk . 47 3.4. 2 Hedonic Pricing Model for Oatmeal . 50
Haplotype analysis in VEGF gene and increased risk of Alzheimer's disease

Del Bo and colleagues recently investigated the association of four polymorphisms in the promoter region of the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) gene in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and found two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (C[ 2578]A and C[ 1198]T) to be associated with an increased risk of disease. This is the first association of VEGF with AD and their findings are plausible. However, there are certain queries that should be addressed while making any conclusions about the data. The authors evaluated the additive interaction among the variants studied and showed that individuals carrying ( 257AA)/( 1190GA)/( 1154GA) genotype had the greatest risk for development of AD (p 0.004). However, the interactive analyses conducted by them that are also known as “haplotype” analyses have not been done in a proposed way. These analyses use different statistical methods for inferring haplotypes using genotypic data in unrelated individuals. Most of these methods rely on expectation maximization (EM) and Newton–Raphson (NR) algorithms. Del Bo and colleagues have not reported any algorithm for inferring haplotype frequencies. Moreover, the authors have not reported LD between the polymorphisms. A lack of LD among the variants will make their additive interactive analysis useless. Many studies done on complex disorders have found haplotypes explaining the risk of disease more than individual SNPs. However, it is essential to do such analyses in a proposed way before making any appropriate conclusions. In the current study, the haplotype analyses should be repeated before making any inferences about interactions among the SNPs.
Facebook use and its relationship with sport anxiety

ABSTRACT Social media (e.g., Facebook and Twitter) use has increased considerably since its inception; however, research examining the relationship between social media use and sport has not progressed as rapidly. The purpose of the current study was to explore the prevalence rates of Facebook use among athletes around and during sport competitions and to investigate the relationships between sport anxiety and Facebook use. Two hundred and ninety-eight athletes of varying levels completed measures for sport anxiety and Facebook use, which included descriptive information about Facebook use prior to, during and following competitions. Results indicated that 31.9% of athletes had used Facebook during a competition and 68.1% had accessed Facebook within 2 h prior to competition. Time spent on Facebook prior to competition was significantly (and positively) correlated with the concentration disruption component of sport anxiety. Furthermore, regression analyses revealed that having push notifications enabled on an athletes’ phone predicted 4.4% of the variability in sport anxiety. The percentage of athletes who accessed Facebook within 2 h of, or during, a competition is somewhat alarming considering the importance of psychological preparation in sport, which may compromise optimal psychological readiness and may lead to increased sport anxiety.
STATISTICS IN UGANDAN SCHOOLS: CHALLENGES ON INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT

In C. Reading (Ed.), Data and context in statistics education: Towards an evidence-based society. Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Teaching Statistics (ICOTS8, July, 2010), Ljubljana, Slovenia. Voorburg, The Netherlands: International Statistical Institute. www.stat.auckland.ac. nz/~iase/publications.php [© 2010 ISI/IASE] STATISTICS IN UGANDAN SCHOOLS: CHALLENGES ON INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT
Noise Trading and Exchange Rate Regimes

Both the literature and new empirical evidence show that exchange rate regimes differ primarily by the noisiness of the exchange rate, not by measurable macroeconomic fundamentals. This motivates a theoretical analysis of exchange rate regimes with noise traders. The presence of noise traders can lead to multiple equilibria in the foreign exchange market. The entry of noise traders alters the composition of the market and generates excess exchange rate volatility, since noise traders both create and share the risk associated with exchange rate volatility. In such circumstances, monetary policy can be used to lower exchange rate volatility without altering macroeconomic fundamentals.
Debugging performance failures

An application execution profile has meaning only when it is compared to another profile obtained from a slightly different executing context. Unfortunately, current profilers do not efficiently support performance comparison across multiple profiles. As a consequence, profiling multiple executions is often realized in an ad-hoc fashion, often resulting in missing opportunities for caching. We propose multidimensional profiling as a way to repeatedly profile a software execution by varying some variables of the execution context. Having explicit execution variation points is key to precisely understanding how a particular feature performance evolves along the version history of the software.
Currency Integration under Labor Mobility : when Cost is incurred

We assess whether renouncing monetary policy autonomy becomes a cost of currency integration under labor mobility in the framework of the New Open Economy Macroeconomics. Assuming Nash equilibrium among central banks of candidate countries, we find that the forfeiture of monetary policy autonomy becomes a cost when country-specific total factor productivity shocks hit them, labor input weights differ between candidate countries, and country specific shocks on marginal disutility of labor occur. These finer points suggest that it cannot generally be concluded that there is no cost of currency integration under labor mobility, as discussed in the classic Optimum Currency Area theory.
Increased angiogenesis in Cdk4R24C/R24C:Apc+/Min intestinal tumors

Cyclin dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4) is a cell cycle regulator involved in early G1 cell cycle progression and has been indirectly implicated in angiogenesis in the Min mouse system, a mouse that harbors a mutation in the Apc gene. Apc+/Min mice when crossed with Ink4a/arf-/- mice, exhibited increased angiogenesis of colorectal tumors suggesting that dysregulation of Cdk4 (due to loss of Ink4a-mediated suppression) may contribute to enhanced angiogenesis. To demonstrate a direct role for Cdk4 in angiogenesis, we crossed mice that have an activated Cdk4, Cdk4R24C/R24C mice, with Apc+/Min mice and examined levels of angiogenesis in intestinal tumors formed. Our results show an increase in the percentage of highly vascularized tumors in Cdk4R24C/R24C:ApcMin/+ and Cdk4+/R24C:ApcMin/+ mice compared to Cdk4+/+:ApcMin/+ mice. In addition immunohistochemical analysis showed an increase in CD-31 staining localized to endothelial cells of Cdk4R24C/R24C:ApcMin/+ mouse tumors, supporting the hypothesis of increased vasculature in these tumors. Further analysis showed an increase in the expression of the E2F1 target proteins Vegf-b and Cyclin A in Cdk4R24C/R24C:Apc+/Min intestinal tumors. Together these data suggest that the dysregulated Cdk4 gene plays an important role in angiogenesis during intestinal tumor formation and may in part act via increasing E2F1 target proteins. This is the first report to show that Cdk4 has a direct role in angiogenesis in vivo and may be an important drug target to reduce or prevent angiogenesis during intestinal tumor formation.
Estimation of Demand Functions Using Cross‐Sectional Household Data: The Problem Revisited

A procedure that corrects for selectivity bias is proposed to estimate demand functions using cross-sectional data under the assumption that prices vary across households. This procedure, which extends the work by Cox and Wohlgenant, includes a two-equation system of expenditure and unit value functions. This model is applied to household expenditures for beef steaks and roasts. Copyright 1998, Oxford University Press.
Quality cost models and their application: A review

Total quality management (TQM) today emerges as one of the most important elements in strategic management with the importance of quality costs increasing as a measure to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of quality activities. This paper reviews different quality cost models currently in practice, compares both the strengths and the weaknesses of each model, and highlights their application in different areas.
Value Relevance of IFRS Mandatory Disclosure Requirements

Purpose: We address recent calls for research regarding the valuation implications of mandatory disclosure requirements (cf. Hassan et al., 2009; Leuz and Wizocki, 2008; Schipper, 2007). Design: We measure compliance with all IFRS mandatory disclosure requirements for a sample of firms. We subsequently explore whether the compliance scores (i.e. the mandatory disclosure levels) are value relevant and whether the value relevance of accounting numbers differs across high and low compliance/disclosure companies.Findings: We find that the levels of mandatory disclosures are value relevant. Additionally, not only the relative value relevance (i.e. R2) but also the valuation coefficient of net income of high compliance companies is significantly higher than that of low-compliance companies.Limitations: This paper is an indicative single country case study that focuses on the IFRS adoption year (2005) in the EU. It forms a new avenue for research regarding the valuation implications of mandatory disclosure requirements. It remains to future research to examine whether our findings also hold in other countries and periods.Practical implications: These findings are expected to be particularly relevant to standard setters and regulatory bodies who are concerned about the implications of mandatory disclosure requirements (Schipper, 2007). Originality/value: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that examines the value relevance implications of IFRS mandatory disclosure requirements, focusing on European country after 2005. The findings indicate that IFRS mandatory disclosures do lead to more transparent financial statements (cf. Pownall and Schipper, 1999), mitigating concerns about companies’ fundamentals (cf. Anctil et al., 2004).
Environmental Depletion, Governance, and Conflict

While the link between natural resource dependence and internal conflict has been approached from a variety of angles in a large and growing interdisciplinary literature, the feasibility-discontent dichotomy still frames a fluid research agenda in both economics and political science. This article attempts to help bridge the gap by allowing for both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of potential rebels. Simple non-cooperative bargaining yields a nonlinear impact of regulatory quality on the likelihood of conflict and shows that corruption and resource depletion jointly affect the outcome. The empirical analysis that follows looks at the effect of environmental depletion and government corruption on the emergence of civil conflicts using a large panel data set. Resource depletion, the quality of governance, and their interaction are found to be significant determinants of civil conflict incidence. Results are robust to model and specification as well as to several steps taken to address potential endogeneity concerns.
Inhibitors of Protein Kinases and Phosphatases Alter Root Morphology and Disorganize Cortical Microtubules

To investigate molecular mechanisms controlling plant morphogenesis, we examined the morphology of primary roots of Arabidopsis thaliana and the organization of cortical microtubules in response to inhibitors of serine/threonine protein phosphatases and kinases. We found that cantharidin, an inhibitor of types 1 and 2A protein phosphatases, as previously reported for okadaic acid and calyculin A (R.D. Smith, J.E. Wilson, J.C. Walker, T.I. Baskin [1994] Planta 194: 516–524), inhibited elongation and stimulated radial expansion. Of the protein kinase inhibitors tested, chelerythrine, 6-dimethylaminopurine, H-89, K252a, ML-9, and staurosporine all inhibited elongation, but only staurosporine appreciably stimulated radial expansion. To determine the basis for the root swelling, we examined cortical microtubules in semithin sections of material embedded in butyl-methyl-methacrylate. Chelerythrine and 100 nM okadaic acid, which inhibited elongation without causing swelling, did not change the appearance of cortical arrays, but calyculin A, cantharidin, and staurosporine, which caused swelling, disorganized cortical microtubules. The stability of the microtubules in the aberrant arrays was not detectably different from those in control arrays, as judged by similar sensitivity to depolymerization by cold or oryzalin. These results identify protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation
INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON ADMINISTRATIVE BEHAVIOR

The institutional structure of an organization creates a distinct pattern of constraints and incentives for state and societal actors which define and structure actors’ interests and channel their behavior. The interaction of these actors generates a particular administrative logic and process, or culture. However, since institutional structures vary, a neo-institutional perspective suggests that there will be many different kinds of relatively long-lasting patterns of administrative behavior―each pattern being defined by the particular set of formal and informal institutions, rules, norms, traditions, and values of which it is comprised―and many different factors affecting the construction and deconstruction of each pattern. Following this logic, this article develops a multilevel, nested model of administrative styles and applies it to the observed patterns of regulatory reform in many jurisdictions over the past several decades.
Management and complications of anesthesia for transvenous electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation in horses: 62 cases (2002-2006).

OBJECTIVE To describe management of anesthesia for transvenous electrical cardioversion (TVEC) in horses and report perianesthetic complications. DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 62 horses with atrial fibrillation and without underlying cardiac disease and 60 horses without atrial fibrillation. PROCEDURES Medical records of horses with atrial fibrillation anesthetized for TVEC were reviewed, as were records of horses without atrial fibrillation anesthetized for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The TVEC group horses were compared with MRI group horses for incidence of intraoperative bradycardia and use of inotropic drugs. Data obtained included patient signalment, weight, duration of anesthesia, heart rate and arterial blood pressure during anesthesia, anesthetic drugs administered, mode of ventilation, perioperative complications, and quality of recovery. RESULTS The TVEC group horses were > 1 year of age and were predominantly Standardbreds. The TVEC group horses underwent a total of 76 anesthetic episodes. For 40 (52.6%) anesthetic episodes, horses received xylazine only for premedication, and for 26 (34.2%) anesthetic episodes, horses received xylazine and butorphanol. Induction of anesthesia consisted of ketamine administration in various combinations with diazepam and guaifenesin for 74 (97.4%) anesthetic episodes and ketamine alone for 2 (2.6%). Bradycardia in horses was encountered during 15 of 76 (19.7%) anesthetic episodes. Minor signs of possible postanesthetic myopathy occurred following 6 (7.9%) anesthetic episodes. No significant difference was found between TVEC and MRI group horses regarding incidence of bradycardia and inotropic drug administration. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Short-duration anesthesia for TVEC of atrial fibrillation in horses without underlying cardiac disease was a safe procedure.
Econometric Models for Count Data with an Application to the Patents-R&D Relationship

This paper focuses on developing and adapting statistical models of counts (non-negative integers) in the context of panel data and using them to analyze the relationship between patents and RD persistent individual (fixed or random) effects, and "noise" or randomness in the Poisson probability function. We apply our models to a data set previously analyzed by Pakes and Griliches using observations on 128 firms for seven years, 1968-74. Our statistical results indicate clearly that to rationalize the data, we need both a disturbance in the conditional within dimension and a different one, with a different variance, in the marginal (between) dimension. Adding firm specific variables, log book value and a scientific industry dummy, removes most of the positive correlation between the individual firm propensity to patent and its R&D intensity. The other new finding is that there is an interactive negative trend in the patents - R&D relationship, that is, firms are getting less patents from their more recent R&D investments, implying a decline in the "effectiveness" or productivity of R&D.
The Relationship Between Ownership Structure and Performance in Listed Australian Companies

This paper examines the relationship between ownership structure and corporate performance in Australian listed companies. The study applies the models advanced by Demsetz and Villalonga (2001), examining the relationship between ownership and performance when ownership is modelled as a multi-dimensional endogenously determined variable. OLS results suggest that ownership is significant in explaining performance. However, when endogeneity is taken into account, ownership is not statistically dependent on the performance measure. Finally, previous research by authors including Morck, Schleifer and Vishny (1988) suggests that the relationship between ownership and performance is nonlinear. We fit a generalised nonlinear model that nests models advanced previously. Results provide limited evidence of a nonlinear relationship between managerial share ownership and firm performance.