Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rocky reef fish assemblages at six Mediterranean marine protected areas: broad-scale patterns in assemblage structure, species richness and composition

Abstract Fish assemblages inhabiting shallow rocky reefs at six Italian marine protected areas (MPAs) were investigated to assess broad-scale patterns in assemblage structure, species richness and composition, and to evaluate the presence of a latitudinal gradient in the distribution pattern of a thermophilic fish, the ornate wrasse Thalassoma pavo. Fish abundance was estimated by visual censuses carried out within the integral reserve zones, within the 1--7 m depth range and during four sampling periods. Multivariate analyses revealed significant differences in the assemblage structure among MPAs, although patterns of variation changed considerably from time to time and they were not consistent with latitudinal or longitudinal gradient. Fish assemblages of Miramare (northern Adriatic) and those of the other MPAs clearly separated into two groups. Multivariate differences among MPAs mainly relied upon some relatively common species (e.g. Diplodus puntazzo and Muraena helena). Substantial contribution to these differences was also accounted for by T. pavo. Significant differences among MPAs were detected also in species richness and total density of fish, although the effect of MPA on species richness varied significantly from time to time. Both species richness and total density of fish at Miramare were always higher compared to the other MPAs, likely in relation to peculiar habitat characteristics. Density of T. pavo declined significantly from south to north, thus confirming the thermophily of this species. Present data point out the importance of monitoring marine fish diversity through long-term surveys across a wide spatial scale, in order to detect the early effects of water warming and to develop future plans of management and conservation.
A taxonomic revision of Alyxia (Apocynaceae) in Australia

The genus Alyxia Banks ex R. Br. is revised for Australia. Seven species are recognised, namely A. buxifolia R. Br. , A. grandis sp. nov., A. ilicifolia F. Muell. , A. orophila Domin, A. ruscifolia R. Br. , A. sharpei sp. nov. and A. spicata R. Br. Alyxia ruscifolia has three subspecies with subsp. major and subsp. tropica newly described. Alyxia ilicifolia has two subspecies with subsp. magnifolia comb. & stat. nov. based on A. magnifolia Bailey. Generic and specific descriptions, a key to species, notes on typification, variation, distribution, ecology and conservation status are provided. Lectotypes are chosen for a number of names.
The milk‐molars of Perissodactyla, with remarks on molar occlusion.

SUMMARY. 1 A survey is made of the milk-molars of Perissodactyla and Condylarthra with a view to determining the evolutionary trends. 2 Molarization of the milk-molars takes place in a variety of ways, which may be grouped into three main types: (a) the condylarthran type, found also in Plagiolophus, (b) the type found in the Equidae and Brontotheriidae, and (c) that found in the Tapiroidea and Rhinocerotoidea. Each of these types has a characteristic order of development of the cusps. The condylarthran type is considered to be the most primitive. 3 From a study of the wear of the teeth, it is concluded that the occlusal movement in all Perissodactyla is transverse (ectal). The characteristic features of occlusion in the various families are discussed. 4 During molarization the talonid becomes intercalated between two trigonids, the intercalation taking place at a relatively late stage in type (a), earliest in type (b) and at an intermediate stage in type (c). The buccal parts of the trigonid and talonid become functional before the lingual parts. 5 The Palaeotheriidae (excluding Pachynolophus and Propachynolophus) are regarded as a distinct family that retains condylarth features of the milk dentition to a late date, and cannot be derived from Hyracotherium. With the exception of Plagiolophus, they show in their milk-molars transitional stages leading to the conditions found in other perissodactyls. 6 The hypothesis is put forward that the order of development of the cusps depends upon their different sensitivities to the graded morphogenetic conditions in the developing jaw. Correlated evolution of the upper and lower teeth suggests that occlusion has a morphogenetic basis which affects both jaws. 7 The concepts of homology due to descent from a common ancestral structure, homology due to parallel evolution, and serial homology are considered to be closely related and not sharply separable in practice.
Predicting instability

Unanticipated shocks could lead to instability, which is reflected in statistically significant changes in distributions of random variables. Changes in the conditional moments of stationary variables are predictable. We provide a framework based on a statistic for the sample generalized variance, which is useful for interrogating real time data and for predicting statistically significant sudden and large shifts in the conditional variance of a vector of correlated macroeconomic and financial variables. It is a test for a market-wide instability. Central banks can incorporate the framework in the policymaking process.
Characterization of rhizobia homologues of Sinorhizobium meliloti insertion sequences ISRm3 and ISRm4

Homologues to Sinorhizobium meliloti insertion sequences ISRm3 and ISRm4 were found within Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae field populations. Similarly, homologous sequences to S. meliloti ISRm4 were found in S. fredii strains. Based on the polymerase chain reaction, we cloned and partially sequenced some of these putative insertion sequence elements. DNA sequence comparisons indicate that S. meliloti and R. leguminosarum ISRm3-type elements are closely related whereas the ISRm4 homologues show distinct relationships. In addition, specific primers for PCR recognition of ISRm3 and ISRm4 elements in rhizobia species and S. meliloti ISRm6 were designed.
A Semi‐Explicit Approach to Canary Swaptions in HJM One‐Factor Model

Leveraging the explicit formula for European swaptions and coupon‐bond options in the HJM one‐factor model, a semi‐explicit formula for 2‐Bermudan options (also called Canary options) is developed. The European swaption formula is extended to future times. So equipped, one is able to reduce the valuation of a 2‐Bermudan swaption to a single numerical integration at the first expiry date. In that integration the most complex part of the embedded European swaptions valuation has been simplified to perform it only once and not for every point. In a special but very common in practice case, a semi‐explicit formula is provided. Those results lead to a significantly faster and more precise implementation of swaption valuation. The improvements extend even more favourably to sensitivity calculations.
Conditional cash transfers and female schooling: the impact of the female school stipend programme on public school enrolments in Punjab, Pakistan

Instead of mean-tested Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programmes, some countries have implemented gender-targeted CCTs to explicitly address intra-household disparities in human capital investments. This study focuses on addressing the direct impact of a female school stipend programme in Punjab, Pakistan – Did the intervention increase female enrolment in public schools? To address this question, we draw upon data from the provincial school censuses 2003 and 2005. We estimate the net growth in female enrolments in grade 6–8 in stipend eligible schools. Impact evaluation analysis, including difference-and-difference (DD), triple differencing (DDD) and regression-discontinuity design (RDD), indicate a modest but statistically significant impact of the intervention. The preferred estimator derived from a combination of DDD and RDD empirical strategies suggests that the average programme impact between 2003 and 2005 was an increase of six female students per school in terms of absolute change and an increase of 9% in female enrolment in terms of relative change. A triangulation effort is also undertaken using two rounds of a nationally representative household survey before and after the intervention. Even though the surveys are not representative at the sub-provincial level, the results corroborate evidence of the impact using school census data.
Engaging speech-language pathologists in a community of practice about participation-based aphasia rehabilitation

School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada; Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital, Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) de Laval, Laval, Québec, Canada; Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal, Institut universitaire sur la réadaptation en déficience physique de Montréal du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
Multiple time scales in volatility and leverage correlations: a stochastic volatility model

Financial time series exhibit two different type of non‐linear correlations: (i) volatility autocorrelations that have a very long‐range memory, on the order of years, and (ii) asymmetric return‐volatility (or ‘leverage’) correlations that are much shorter ranged. Different stochastic volatility models have been proposed in the past to account for both these correlations. However, in these models, the decay of the correlations is exponential, with a single time scale for both the volatility and the leverage correlations, at variance with observations. This paper extends the linear Ornstein–Uhlenbeck stochastic volatility model by assuming that the mean reverting level is itself random. It is found that the resulting three‐dimensional diffusion process can account for different correlation time scales. It is shown that the results are in good agreement with a century of the Dow Jones index daily returns (1900–2000), with the exception of crash days.
Monte Carlo tests of cointegration in a bivariate normal common factor system

In this paper the power and size distortions of three representative cointegration tests, the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF), Ẑα and Stock-Watson (SW) statistics are evaluated in some large-scale Monte Carlo simulations. Consistent with previous evidence, the ADF-statistic is seen to be sensitive to the validity of the common factor restriction in the data generating process of our study. The SW-statistic is stable but not high in terms of power. The Ẑα -test shows the best balance between power and size. In the light of previous evidence, the test statistics seem to be sensitive to the DGP used more than to parametric variation of the active DGP.
Purchasing power parity – nonlinear threshold unit root test for transition countries

This study applies the Threshold Autoregressive (TAR) model proposed by Caner and Hansen (2001) to test the validity of long-run Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) of eight transition countries over the period January 1995 to October 2011. The empirical results indicate that PPP holds true for only one country (i.e. Romanian) under study and the adjustment towards PPP is found to be nonlinear.
Diet, activity and reproduction of bat species (Mammalia, Chiroptera) in Central Amazonia, Brazil

The diet, activity and reproductive patterns of several species of bats were investigated in primary forests of Central Amazon. Between August 1996 and August 1997, using mist nets set both at canopy and understorey levels, 936 bats, belonging to 51 species, 31 genera and 6 families were captured. Fecal samples from 35 species were examined, with four food categories and 25 food items identified. Time of captures indicate a wide variation, but the major part of the species presented a peak of activity around the first hour after sunset. Three reproductive peaks were observed: October-November; January-February; and July-August, but reproductive patterns varied among the families. The structure of the bat fauna in Manaus is similar to other sites in the Amazon and Central America, the main common points being: a) a high diversity of bat species, usually more than 40 species representing 6-8 families; b) 3-4 very common and geographically widespread species; c) most species are represented by a few captures; d) frugivorous species dominate the fauna and insectivorous species are less often captured; and e) most species cluster in 2-3 guilds, dominated by small (< 12 g) species.
Diamond Wars? Conflict Diamonds and Geographies of Resource Wars

In the late 1990s, natural resources such as oil, diamonds, and timber came under increased scrutiny by conflict analysts and media outlets for their purported role in many contemporary wars. This article discusses some of the limitations of conventional arguments linking wars and resources. Dominated by econometric approaches and rational choice theory interpretations, arguments pertaining to “resource wars” often oversimplify or overlook the geographical dimensions of resource-related conflicts. By defining spatiality primarily in terms of the location of resource reserves and flows generating revenues for belligerents, these approaches overlook other geographical aspects of resources crucial to conflicts. Focusing on “conflict diamonds” and drawing on recent international relations works and geographical research on the political ecology of violence, commodity chains, and consumption, the article presents an alternative conceptual framework engaging with resource-related spaces of vulnerability, risk, and opportunity for conflicts. This framework, in turn, highlights policy biases resulting from oversimplified readings of “resource war” geographies.
Loan availability and investment: can innovative companies better cope with loan denials?

This study examines the consequences of loan denials for the investment performance of small- and medium-sized German enterprises. As a consequence of a loan denial, innovative companies experience a smaller drop in the share of actual to planned investment than noninnovative companies. The nonrandomness of loan denials is controlled for with a selection equation employing the intensity of banking competition at the district level as an exclusion restriction. We can explain the better performance of innovative companies by their ability to increase the use of external equity financing, such as venture capital or mezzanine capital, when facing a loan denial.
Momentum profits, nonnormality risks and the business cycle

This article examines the role of nonnormality risks in explaining the momentum puzzle of equity returns. It shows that momentum profits are not normally distributed and, relatedly, that the momentum profitability is partly a compensation for systematic negative skewness risk in line with market efficiency. This finding is pervasive across nine trading strategies that combine different holding and ranking periods and is reinforced when time dependencies in abnormal returns and risks are explicitly modelled. The analysis also reveals that the market and skewness risks of momentum portfolios evolve over the business cycle in a manner that is consistent with market timing and risk aversion. While nonnormality risks matter, a large proportion of the momentum profits remains unexplained which may provide comfort to behavioural theorists.
Evaluation of Shifts in White-Tailed Deer Winter Yards in the Adirondack Region of New York

Abstract In the Adirondack region of northern New York, USA, severe weather and deep snow typically force white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to congregate in areas of dense coniferous cover and along watercourses at lower elevations. We examined 16 yards in the Adirondacks and explored the observation that deer have changed their movement behavior to incorporate residential communities within their wintering areas. We compared locations of deer herds in 2003 and 2004 to deer wintering areas mapped during the 1960s and 1970s. Deer were predominantly absent in 9 of 16 historical yards but were present in residential communities within the same drainage. Yarding areas to which deer shifted contained more residential, deciduous, and mixed cover than yards where no shift occurred, indicating that deer in residential areas were using conifer and mixed cover at a finer scale than deer in nonresidential areas. Smaller winter ranges and core areas of marked deer in a residential winter yard further imply greater concentration of resources available in these areas. Marked deer demonstrated flexibility in core winter range fidelity, a behavior that allows for more permanent shifts as habitat and food resources change or as new areas with appropriate resources are encountered. Our study suggests that low-density residential areas in lowland conifer forests may provide an energetic advantage for deer during winter due to the assemblage of quality habitat interspersed with open areas and a variety of potential food sources in environments where movement is typically constrained by deep snow. Managers should consider the potential for changes in use of deer wintering areas prior to land conservation efforts and may need to adapt management strategies to reduce conflicts in communities occupied by deer during winter.
Redistribution in the age of austerity: evidence from Europe 2006–2013

ABSTRACT We examine the relationship between changes in a country’s public sector fiscal position on inequality at the top and bottom of the income distribution during the age of austerity from 2006 to 2013. We use a parametric Lorenz curve model and Gini-like indices of inequality as our measures to assess distributional changes. Based on Statistics of Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) and IMF data for 12 European countries, we find that more severe adjustments to the cyclically adjusted primary balance (i.e., more austerity) are associated with a more unequal distribution of income driven by rising inequality at the top. The data also weakly suggests a decrease in inequality at the bottom. The distributional impact of austerity measures reflects the reliance on regressive policies and likely produces increased incentives for rent-seeking while reducing incentives for workers to increase productivity.
Metabolic Syndrome Among Rural Women

Background: Metabolic Syndrome (MS) is increasing at an alarming rate to become a major public health problem worldwide including Egypt. Metabolic syndrome is the clustering of a group of interrelated disorders, including obesity, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension, that together increases risk of developing cardiovascular disease diabetes type two as well as increases morbidity and mortality in an individual above the sum of the risk associated with each abnormality. Aim of the study: Assess burden and determinants of Metabolic Syndrome among rural women. Subjects and methods: A cross sectional community based study included 124 females, aged ≥ 35 years old in a rural area located in Upper Egypt. Legible women were randomly selected from the community using systematic random sample. Data were collected by an interview questionnaire included socio demographic data, lifestyles factors as smoking history, physical activity, history of diabetes, hypertension, as well as any taken medications. Weight, height, waist line and BMI as well as blood pressure were measured. Fasting blood glucose and lipid profile were detected. Finally Metabolic Syndrome was diagnosed according to the guidelines of National Cholesterol Education Program, Adult Treatment Panels III (NCEP-ATP III, 2006). Results: Nearly one-quarter of rural women participated in the study has metabolic syndrome who were significantly (55.8 ± 9.1) older than normal counterparts (50.1 ± 10.6) (p=0.007). More than two third (72.7%) of those with metabolic syndrome were significantly obese compared to 39.6% of normal females (p=0.01). Central obesity was significantly higher among females with metabolic syndrome than normal ones (102.6 ± 10.8 vs. 91.5 ± 12.3 respectively) (p=0.001). There was significant increase in total cholesterol and LDL among those with metabolic syndrome (208.1 ± 31.9 and 129.6 ± 31.4) than normal ones (186.1 ± 28.5 and 128.7 ± 49.6) respectively. The most significant factors predicting metabolic syndrome among the studied women using multiple logistic regression, were overweight and obesity (OR=3.4, P=0.001) followed by increasing age (OR=1.4, P=0.002*). Conclusion: Obesity according to BMI classification, central obesity, sedentary life style, as well as hypelipidemia predominates among rural women participated in this study which make them carry a higher risk and predisposition to a long list of non communicable diseases among which is metabolic syndrome. It is recommended to carry out community awareness and intervention program tackling these risk factors.
The effects of macroeconomic stability on foreign trade. An analysis for Spain, 1986–2000

Two main factors underlie the rebirth of interest in the study of the influence of the real exchange rate on trade, the reduction of its volatility and the current trend towards price stability. The objective of this study is to analyse the effects of the process of nominal convergence, required of the European member states for the fulfilment of monetary integration, on foreign trade flows. The case of Spain, which is especially interesting in this context, is studied for the period 1986 to 2000. The results of estimating the aggregate functions of the export and import of goods shows how macroeconomic stability has altered the behaviour of trade with respect to the two basic determinants – income and prices – how it has caused a significant structural change in the real exchange rate and, finally, how it has laid the explanatory bases for transactions in the twenty-first century with the single currency – the euro.
Promoter Hypermethylation of Progesterone Receptor Isoform B (PR-B) in Endometriosis

The physiological effects of progesterone (P) is mediated by two isoforms of progesterone receptors (PRs): PR-A and PR-B. Progestins have long been used in the treatment of endometriosis but unfortunately the relief of pain is relatively short-term. In addition, about 9% of women with endometriosis simply do not respond to progestin therapy due to reasons unknown. In fact, a general tendency for relative progesterone resistance within eutopic and ectopic endometrium of women with endometriosis and the downregulation of PR-B, but not PR-A, in endometriosis have been noted. Since promoter hypermethylation is well-documented to be associated with transcriptional silencing, we sought to determine the methylation status of the PR-A and PR-B promoter regions in the epithelial component of endometriotic implants using a combination of laser capture microdissection (LCM), methylation specific PCR, and bisulfite sequencing. We found that the promoter region of PR-B, but not PR-A, is hypermethylated in endometriosis as compared with controls. In addition, the PR-B expression was significantly reduced in the ectopic endometrium. Our finding suggests that progesterone resistance in endometriosis in general and the down-regulation of PR-B, but not PR-A, in particular, are a result of promoter hypermethylation of PR-B, but not PR-A. This, in conjunction with our reported aberrant methylation of HOXA10 in the eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis, strongly suggests that endometriosis is an epigenetic disease. This perspective should potentially open up new avenues for the delineation of pathogenesis of endometriosis, and might also lead to novel ways to treat the disease through reversing aberrant methylation via pharmacological means.