Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dates Palm Farming Systems Sustainability and Risk Efficiency in Oman

Date Palm is the most important cultivar in Oman and occupies 35% of total cultivated area and 78% of the total fruit trees area. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries attempted to improve Date production but due to climate change and environmental constrains agricultural production has shown instability in production and generated a desire to build a sustainable farming systems. The study used stochastic model to analyze Date Palm Farming Systems in Oman and identify the most sustainable and risk efficient one. Stochastic Efficiency with Respect to Function (SERF) technique use certainty equivalent concept to rank a set of risk efficient alternatives. The study found Batinah Region is the most risk efficient region and got a positive NPV with a probability of 88% followed by Dakhiliyah Region 77% and Dahirah Region 67%. The study also indicates Batinah and Dakhiliyah Regions which cultivate 52% of total Date Palm area in Oman is located in risk efficient farming system areas. Risk premium analysis performed and shows Dakhiliyah Region farmers can pay up to RO 59 for replanting Date Palm tree and move to Batinah Region farming practices with less risky farming system. The farmer in Dahirah Region is willing to pay RO 144 per Date Palm tree to shift to more efficient farming system practices such as Batinah Region. Date Palm Farming System analysis should be used as a basis and foundation for replanting program and resources and environmental constrains need be considered. A right economic incentives to be given to encourage production of selected Date Palm varieties for each region to increase ecosystem resilience and economic benefit.
Factors in the returns on stock : inspiration from Fama and French asset pricing model

Under the inspiration of Fama and French asset pricing model, this paper mainly studies the relationship between the month return of A shares and the factors that may have an effect on the stocks’ month return. It also compares the differences in the reaction of all shares and GEM board shares to these factors. It is important to highlight that these factors include the market, firm size, earnings and book-to-market information. The data used in this project comes from the quarterly data of China stock market from March of 2000 to December of 2011 and was used in panel model regressions. The regression time period of A shares is from March of 2000 to December of 2011, and the regression time period of GEM board shares is from December of 2009 to December of 2011 as a consequence that China’s GEM board was officially established in October 30 th of 2009. This document will show several linear models to explain the correlation between stock return (A shares and GEM board shares) and the factors (market factor, firm size factor, earning factor and book-to-market factor). Based on the result of the empirical study, we found that relative small book-to-market ratio may have positive effect on the stock returns of A shares and GEM board shares. Also that for the GEM board shares, relative smaller size and relative higher earnings are good for the price to rise. And that for A shares, size factor and earning factor have little influence on the stock return. Finally the GEM board shares are more sensitive to market factor than A shares.
Contentious concepts between description and explanation

The growing interest in neoliberalism and neoliberalisation has produced a wave of academic production, but also criticisms toward these concepts. They concern the conditions under which they may actually work as both/either explanans and/or explanandum of transformations affecting contemporary societies. The main accusations made are presented and compared with the actual uses of these categories, building above all on the applications made in the articles that follow in this special issue. It is argued that this pair of concepts may help to detect critical processes descriptively, but so far it has not been able to provide explanations. Working more as descriptors, or identifiers of processes and outcomes they, rather, provide indirect paths to explanation, by becoming explananda themselves. It is easier to understand the “why” of social processes and changes starting from these concepts and turning to other “real” theories than by direct use of them. In order to do that we need to operationalize neoliberalism and neoliberalisation as articulated ideal types, so as to take into account the existing varieties of policies, practices and relationships. This is still to be done and looks a lot like being a collective effort based on cumulative research and theorization
Controlling the Biocompatibility and Mechanical Effects of Implantable Microelectrodes to Improve Chronic Neural Recordings in the Auditory Nervous System

Implantable microelectrodes are useful for monitoring neural response patterns in the auditory cortex, however chronic neural recordings can often deteriorate with time (e.g. impedance measures across electrode arrays generally increase monotonically over the first 7 days post-implant). This problem is caused by the increasing spatial distribution of reactive tissue responses (corresponding to changes in impedance spectra along the electrode-tissue-interface). Therefore, the design of microelectrode probes must ensure that the neuronal ensembles lie within a cylindrical radius of the recording electrodes. In this chapter, chronic neural recording failure is examined via cortical spike patterns, histological analyses, indentation experiments, and finite element models. Next, the microfabrication of the “Utah” electrode array and the “Michigan” probe is compared to determine how their size, shape, and geometry address: (1) the spatial distribution of neurons (as related to recording quality); (2) the initial penetrating profile (as related to insertion killzones); (3) the reactive cell responses (as related to glial encapsulation); (4) the anchoring of the probe’s position in the tissue (as related to micromotions) and (5) the embedding of various bioactive reagents (ex: growth factors, anti-inflammatory drugs, etc.). Finally, a novel hydrogel “Dropping Method” is proposed for controlling the biocompatibility and mechanical properties at the electrode-tissue-interface.
Improved Measure on Extended Marginal Homogeneity for Ordinal Square Contingency Tables

For square contingency tables with ordered categories, Yamamoto et al. (2007) considered a measure to represent the degree of departure from extended marginal homogeneity. It attains the maximum value when one of two symmetric cumulative probabilities is zero. The present paper proposes an improved measure so that the degree of departure from extended marginal homogeneity can attain the maximum value even when the cumulative probabilities are not zeros. An example is given.
Dead zones in protostellar discs: the case of jet emitting discs

Context. Among the many aspects related to planet formation and migration, dead zones are of particular importance as they may influence both processes. The ionisation level in the disc is the key element in determining the existence and the location of the dead zone. This has been studied either within the standard accretion disc (SAD) framework or using parametrized discs. Aims. In this paper, we extend this study to the case of jet emitting discs (JED), the structure of which strongly differ from SADs because of the new energy balance and angular-momentum extraction imposed by the jets. Methods. We make use of the (r, z) density distributions provided by self-similar accretion-ejection models, along with the JED thermal structure derived in a previous paper, to create maps of the ionisation structure of JEDs. We compare the ionisation rates we obtain to the critical value required to trigger the magneto-rotational instability. Results. It is found that JEDs have a much higher ionisation degree than SADs, which renders the presence of a dead zone in these discs very unlikely. Conclusions. As JEDs are believed to occupy the inner regions of accretion discs, the extension of the dead zones published in the literature should be reconsidered for systems in which a jet is present. Moreover, since JEDs require large-scale magnetic fields close to equipartition, our findings again raise the question of magnetic field advection in circumstellar accretion discs.
Climate change and poverty in Africa: mapping hotspots of vulnerability.

Climate change and increasing climate variability threaten the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), and some of the worst effects on human health and agriculture will be in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in vulnerable regions. The relationships between climate change and the vulnerability of resource-poor croppers and livestock keepers and their resilience to current and future climate variability need to be better understood. This paper describes the generation of information that combines projected climate change in agricultural systems with vulnerability data. The results of the analysis, in terms of vulnerable people particularly at risk for deleterious effects of climate change, are being used for impact assessment, targeting and priority setting, to help identify locations for specific research and adaptation activities. Given the heterogeneity in households’ access to resources, poverty levels and ability to cope, vulnerability assessments need to be done at the sub-national level to help improve the adaptive capacity and coping strategies of highly vulnerable households.
Si/SiGe quantum cascade superlattice designs for terahertz emission

Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are compact sources that have demonstrated high output powers at terahertz (THz) frequencies. To date, all THz QCLs have been realized in III-V materials. Results are presented from Si1−xGex quantum cascade superlattice designs emitting at around 3 THz which have been grown in two different chemical vapor deposition systems. The key to achieving successful electroluminescence at THz frequencies in a p-type system has been to strain the light-hole states to energies well above the radiative subband states. To accurately model the emission wavelengths, a 6-band k⋅p tool which includes the effects of nonabrupt heterointerfaces has been used to predict the characteristics of the emitters. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy have been used along with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to fully characterize the samples. A number of methods to improve the gain from the designs are suggested.
Towards an integrating crowdsourcing definition

Crowdsourcing” is a relatively recent concept that encompasses many practices. This diversity contributes to the fact that its limits are blurred, and it is usually identified with any type of Internet-based collaborative activity, such as cocreation or user-innovation. Varying definitions of crowdsourcing exist and therefore, some authors present certain specific examples of crowdsourcing as paradigmatic, while others present the same examples as the opposite. In this paper, existing definitions of crowdsourcing are revised to extract common elements and to establish the basic characteristics of any crowdsourcing initiative. Based on these existing definitions, an exhaustive and consistent definition for crowdsourcing is presented and contrasted in ten cases.
Wild Forests: Conservation Biology And Public Policy

"Wild Forests" presents a coherent review of the scientific and policy issues surrounding biological diversity in the context of contemporary public forest management. The authors examine past and current practices of forest management and provide a comprehensive overview of known and suspected threats to diversity.In addition to discussing general ecological principles, the authors evaluate specific approaches to forest management that have been proposed to ameliorate diversity losses. They present one such policy -- the Dominant Use Zoning Model incorporating an integrated network of "Diversity Maintenance Areas" -- and describe their attempts to persuade the U.S. Forest Service to adopt such a policy in Wisconsin.Drawing on experience in the field, in negotiations, and in court, the authors analyze the ways in which federal agencies are coping with the mandates of conservation biology and suggest reforms that could better address these important issues. Throughout, they argue that wild or unengineered conditions are those that are most likely to foster a return to the species richness that we once enjoyed.
Toward a Microdevelopmental, Interdisciplinary Approach to Social Emotion

Social emotions about others’ minds, for example, admiration for virtue and compassion for social pain, play a critical role in interpersonal relationships, motivation, and morality. However, historical biases toward studying emotions as automatic reactions generated within a solitary individual limit our ability to study emotions about others’ minds, which are inherently complex, social, and subjective. Here, I argue that a microdevelopmental approach, that is, considering these emotions as dynamic, context-dependent mental constructions actively organized from simpler cognitive and affective psychological components, may help to overcome the difficulties of studying these emotions by providing new perspectives on: reliably inducing these emotions; parsing the ensuing experiences into component psychological processes organizing over time; and relating these component processes to patterns of brain activation.
IS THERE ANY COİNTEGRATİON BETWEEN TURKEY'S AND GREECE'S MİLİTARY EXPENDİTURES?

Ýki NATO uyesi ve ayný zamanda iki komþu ulke olan Turkiye ve Yunanistan aralarýndaki husumetten dolayý bu ulkelerin askeri harcamalarýnda uzun donemli bir iliþki olabileceði varsayýmý bu calýþmada incelenecektir. Ilgilenilen donem 1949 ve 2001 arasýdýr. Augmented Dickey-Fuller testi ile serilerin duraðanlýðýna bakýldýktan sonra Johansen eþbutunleþik testi uygulanarak uzun donemli bir iliþkinin var olup olmadýðý araþtýrýlmýþtýr. Ampirik bulgular ilgili donemde iki ulkenin askeri harcamalarý arasýnda uzun donemli bir iliþkinin varlýðýný gostermektedir. Hata duzeltme modeli (ECM) ile iki ulkenin askeri harcamalarýnýn birbirlerini nasýl besledikleri de gosterilmiþtir
Global talent management in science-based firms: an exploratory investigation of the pharmaceutical industry during the global downturn

This paper investigates global talent management (GTM) in science-based firms during the global downturn. Literature on the resource-based view, the best-fit perspective and resource dependency theory is used to frame a qualitative study of nine global pharmaceutical firms that explores how multiple actors view GTM during the global downturn. The study investigates how actors perceive the strategic priorities of the firm during the downturn; the challenges of aligning GTM to address these priorities; the values of top management in supporting investment in GTM and the challenges encountered in coordinating and controlling GTM processes. The findings reveal that actors considered GTM to be strategically important because it enabled firms to simultaneously manage downsizing, expansion and structural alignment, and it helped them to prepare for growth in the future. Multi national companies exercised control and coordination of GTM during the global downturn through increased use of structural reporting, greater involvement of headquarter (HQ) and regional HQ in subsidiary talent decisions, networking and cognitive control strategies. The paper concludes by identifying direction for future research on this topic.
Trophic structure of a bathyal benthopelagic boundary layer community south of the Balearic Islands (southwestern Mediterranean)

During 2 deep-sea oceanographic cruises carried out in October 1996 and May 1998, megafauna (fish and decapod crustaceans), suprabenthos, zooplankton, and environmental variables from the water column (fluorescence and light transmission) were simultaneously collected between 210 and 1752 m depth. Fish were the dominant megafaunal taxon in biomass along the slope; deca- pod crustaceans were co-dominants at intermediate depths (between 402 and 710 m). Suprabenthos and zooplankton attained their maximal biomass at intermediate depths, with deeper maxima detected for suprabenthos (between 802 and 1322 m) than for zooplankton (between 402 and 802 m). Fish and decapod biomass were weakly correlated with each other, and with the suprabenthos- zooplankton biomass, fluorescence and light transmission. Significant correlations were, however, detected between the suprabenthos and zooplankton and their possible food-sources deduced from fluorometer and light transmission data, with different patterns depending on the distribution of each compartment (trophic level) in the water column and the sediment-water interface. Within a single taxon (crustaceans), size distribution for suprabenthos-zooplankton and megafaunal species followed opposite temporal patterns in our study. Among suprabenthos-zooplankton species, smaller speci- mens (recruitment) were detected in October 1996, coinciding with the highest fluorometer signals in the water column. The dominant phytoplankton/phytodetritus consumers (the euphausiid Euphausia krohni and the mysid Boreomysis arctica) showed clearer recruitment peaks during October than those species preying upon meiofaunal taxa (the amphipod Rhachotropis caeca, and the isopod Munnopsurus atlanticus). These results suggest that the influence of food input signals progressively decreases with increasing trophic level, and therefore the indirect effect of superficial production on top trophic levels is difficult to establish at least for the short time scales of our oceanographic surveys.
Lago Maggiore oligotrophication as seen from the long-term evolution of its phytoplankton taxonomic size structure

Due to the rapid and common deterioration of aquatic ecosystems, scientists and environmental protection organizations acutely need means capable of producing quantitative estimates for structural deformations of natural communities. Recently, very common biomass size spectra ignore community taxonomic composition, i.e., one of the most important kinds of biological information. Therefore, another very old, but rare in planktonology, method – the traditional taxonomic size spectrum (TTSS) – can be helpful. TTSS, a specific form of size-frequency distribution of taxonomic units, reveals repeating patterns of deep subalpine Lago Maggiore (Italy) phytoplankton taxonomic structure. The general TTSS pattern was safeguarded during 22 annual cycles (1984-2005), when many principal environmental characteristics were changed considerably during the lake oligotrophication. At the same time, the fine structure deformations of this pattern helped us divide the total oligotrophication process into several stages characterized by notable changes of TTSS peaks' proportions. These peak-height alterations were caused by pronounced changes in the species list and overall taxonomic diversity of the lake phytoplankton. The average cell volume decline was found. It was significantly correlated with the total phosphorus descending trend. This cell volume decline was produced by the addition of numerous species into the medium-and-small size fractions. Typical patterns of the stable and transitory stages were differentiated, which could be valuable for environmental protection and diagnostic applications. The central peak height difference between the stable and the transitory periods was statistically significant. Oligotrophication process decomposition into several more homogenous groups of years was supported by quantitative estimators produced by hierarchical cluster analysis. The highest level of the similarity measure (Pearson r) in pairs of annual TTSS was close to the respective estimates found for other lakes. Concomitantly, its minimal level, produced by a specific pair of abnormal years at the beginning and end of the studied process, was found previously only for pairs taken from two different ecosystems (Lakes Kinneret and Tahoe). This way, TTSS can be applied as a quantitative analysis means of the integral natural community structural evolution. Such tools are acutely needed for environmental management, monitoring, and theoretical ecology.
A multi-epoch VLBI survey of the kinematics of CJF sources. I. Model-fit parameters and maps

Context. This is the first of a series of papers presenting VLBI observations of the 293 Caltech-Jodrell Bank Flat-Spectrum (hereafter CJF) sources and their analysis. Aims. One of the major goals of the CJF is to make a statistical study of the apparent velocities of the sources. Methods. We have conducted global VLBI and VLBA observations at 5 GHz since 1990, accumulating thirteen separate observing campaigns. Results. We present here an overview of the observations, give details of the data reduction and present the source parameters resulting from a model-fitting procedure. For every source at every observing epoch, an image is shown, built up by restoring the model-fitted components, convolved with the clean beam, into the residual image, which was made by Fourier transforming the visibility data after first subtracting the model-fitted components in the uv-plane. Overplotted we show symbols to represent the model components. Conclusions. We have produced VLBI images of all but 5 of the 293 sources in the complete CJF sample at several epochs and investigated the kinematics of 266 AGN.
ON $I$-CAUCHY SEQUENCES IN $p$-ADIC LINEAR $2$-NORMED SPACES

In this paper, we introduce the concept of I-convergence which is closely related to I-convergence and the concepts I and I-Cauchy sequences in p-adic linear 2-normed space. Also we investigate the relation between these concepts in p-adic linear 2-normed space. AMS Subject Classification: 11B68, 11F80, 46A15, 11S80, 46A65
Poverty as a Malaise of Development:: A Discourse Analysis in its Global Context

In this chapter, a social constructivist approach to poverty discourses is combined with a realist approach to the causes of poverty. A specific argument is set out: that three of the main discourses related to ? poverty? all tend to mask the real structural elements and relations that perpetuate poverty in capitalist society today. The three discourses I focus on are the charity discourse, the social-exclusion discourse, and the economic poverty discourse. I am quite critical of discourses that have contradictory notions embedded in them. Without meaning to disparage these discourses, I argue that they need to be augmented (and hence radically changed) by the addition of a structuralist element that recognises that some oppressive class, gender and ethnic relationships need urgently to be changed. I point out one specific performative contradiction to illustrate my critique. The chapter ends by offering what I would regard as a better moral reasoning strategy than the simplistic poverty discourses. Thus, I argue, a weak social constructivist approach to poverty discourses can be combined with a realist approach to the causes of poor/rich relations.