Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Economic integration, foreign investment and international trade: the effects of membership of the European Union

This paper investigates the importance of economic integration in simultaneously fostering foreign direct investment (FDI) and international trade. These have rarely been analyzed jointly using contemporary econometric methods. We estimate the effect of European Union (EU) membership on FDI inflows and trade using annual bilateral data from 34 OECD countries over 1985–2013. We find that EU membership increases FDI inflows by on average 28%. We jointly estimate the impact of EU membership on trade and FDI and find that they are substantial, with the one on trade larger than the one on FDI, in the order of double
1 . 5 DOPPLER LIDAR MEASUREMENTS OF VERTICAL VELOCITY SPECTRA , LENGTH SCALES , AND COHERENCE IN THE CONVECTIVE PLANETARY BOUNDARY LAYER

There are many observations of one-dimensional spectra from in situ sensors in the atmospheric boundary layer. However, for the most part, these observations are at a few discrete levels (e.g. from towers) or not simultaneous in time (e.g. from aircraft). As a result, we have a general understanding of the shapes of component spectra as well as cospectra between velocity components and between a velocity component and a scalar, but little information about the spatial structure of turbulence. An exception to this is the work of Lenschow and Kristensen (1988) and Kristensen et al. (1989), who flew two identical aircraft in formation during the Dual Aircraft Formation Flight Experiment (DAFFEX) to obtain lateral two-point velocity statistics of all three wind components in the CBL. They also flew the two aircraft vertically displaced to measure vertical two-point velocity statistics (Davis, 1992). Similarly, Kristensen et al. (1989) used measurements from three towers arrayed roughly normal to the wind during the Lammefjord Experiment (LAMEX) to obtain two-point statistics in the atmospheric surface layer. Mann (1995) presented a detailed discussion of second-order turbulence structure in the neutral atmospheric surface layer and developed a model of two-point statistics that uses the isotropic turbulence spectrum of von Kármán. Applications of two-point statistics include estimating fluctuating loads on structures due to spatial variations in the turbulent velocity components, and calculating sampling requirements in order to estimate error variances in spatially averaged wind field variables such as divergence and vorticity (e.g. Lenschow et al. (1999)). With the development of instruments for remotely sensing velocity, such as Doppler radars and lidars, it is now possible to measure the radial velocity component as a function of distance from the transmitter and thus to map out two-dimensional fields of radial velocity. Here we report on measurements of vertical velocity w statis-
Bandwidth Enhanced Photopolymer Waveguide Hologram Based Optical

As multiprocessing comes into the mainstream, the board-to-board interconnects become even more critical. In a shared-memory multiprocessing system, the shared bus topology is the preferred interconnect scheme because its broadcast nature can be effectively utilized to reduce communication latency, lessen networking complexity, and support cache coherence. In the electrical domain, however, a major performance bottleneck is anticipated due to the restricted bus bandwidth. In this paper, an innovative architecture, optical centralized shared bus, is proposed for use in the multiprocessing systems. This architecture utilizes the terascale bandwidth capacity of substrate-guided optical interconnects, while at the same time, retaining the essential merits of the shared bus topology. Thus, a smooth migration with substantial multiprocessing performance improvement is expected. A conceptual emulation of the shared-memory multiprocessing scheme is demonstrated on a generic PCI subsystem with an optical centralized shared bus. The objective of this effort is to prove the technical feasibility from the architecture standpoint.
Influence of organic enrichment on the partitioning and bioavailability of cadmium in a microcosm study

Interact~\le processes between organic enrichment and cadmium (Cd) were examined in a microcosm experiment over a 10 wk period. Microcosms were stocked with 4 benthic species: Arnpll~ura filiforrn~s, Amphiura chiajei, Abra alba and Nereis dive]-sicolor. The partitioning of Cd between the sediment and pore water phases and the subsequent bioaccumulation of Cd in benthic macrofauna were investigated under different organic enrichment regimes. Add~t ions of Cd without organic enrichment resulted In significant increases in both the sediment and pore water Cd concentrat~ons, the magnitude was much greater in the pore water, with a 3-fold increase indicating that the pore water phase showed the greatest fract~onal changes in response to Cd input The subsequent bioaccumulation of Cd to 3 benthic species, Amphiura filiformis, Amphiura chiajei and Abra alba, also increased with this Cd only treatment, as in the ambient sedimentary environment. Cd additions combined with different organic enrichment regimes of cellulose fibres, sewage and benthic algae, at low and high doses, sign~ficantly altered the Cd partitioning In the sedimentary ma t r~x . Both algal treatments and high sewage levels significantly decreased the sediment redox potent~al, with a corresponding increase in sulfide activity. All organic types reduced pore water Cd concentrations, showing a highly significant organic dosage response. However, Cd bioaccumulation in the 3 benthic species exam~ned showed s~gnificant variation between the different types or sources of organic material, with an increasing gradient of Cd h~oaccumulation In the sequence: fibres < sewage < algae. The growth response of N. d~versicolor represented a b~ologlcal measure of benthic food 'quality' and follo~ved this same increasing trend In response to organic enrichment. Therefore, direct concordance was shown between the effect of organic type on polychaete growth and Cd bioaccumulation, indicating that high quality, potential benthic 'food', such as algae, leads to increased Cd bioaccumulation. This study demonstrates that organic 'quality' or a related parameter forms a most significant factor In determining Cd bioaccumulat~on to the marine benthos, and that some sources of organic enrichment do indeed reduce metal bioaccumulation. K E Y WORDS: Cadmium 0 1 g a n ~ c enrichment . Pore ~va te r . Sediment Partitioning . Biovailability Microcosm
Using Passive Seismic Data From Multiple Sensors For Predicting Earth Dam And Levee Erosion

Earth dams and levees support industrial applications, flood defense, and irrigation infrastructure around the world. These structures naturally undergo erosion over time and massive erosion events can result in catastrophic failure. When these structures fail, disastrous floods can displace or even kill nearby residents. Thus, it is important to know when and where these structures have progressive internal erosion events so appropriate action can reduce the impact of the erosion. This work explores improvements on the performance of previous machine learning methods for the continuous health monitoring of earth dams and levees (EDLs). Specifically, we explore ensemble classification algorithms (Bagging, Boosting, and Random Forest) to combine the passive seismic data from multiple sensors; we note that previous work only considered the data from one sensor in the wired sensor network. By considering features extracted from the signals of multiple sensors, Boosting with support vector machines (SVMs) shows a 1.5 to 41.7% increase in F1 score over single support vector machine (SVM) models depending on the specific sensor chosen for the single SVM. We also explore the use of SVM models trained on data from distinct sensors for visualizing the locations of detected erosion events in the structure.
THEORY OF WELDING OF METALLIC PARTS IN MICROWAVE CAVITY APPLICATOR

We have been successfully welding bulk metals and dissimilar metals by microwave radiation, by using metal powder particles in the weld zone. In this paper, we have tried to explain the insight of electromagnetic field penetration into spherical conductive powder particles and its spatial oscillatory distribution. This new developed theoretical explanation here, gives insight as to how the entire weld zone volume becomes heat source; via absorption of microwave radiation, and thus this process of welding with microwave radiation, is with inertia less heat transfer, volumetric heating with inverted temperature profile.
The Biomass-based Value Web as a Novel Perspective on the Increasingly Complex African Agro-food Sector

The increasing global demand for biomass as primary agricultural products and feedstock for various forms of usage, transforms agriculture from a food to a biomass-supplying and processing sector in which the utilization of the various feedstock and intermediate products is more flexible than it was in the past decades. Besides the demand increase for food and feed, the accelerated demand for biomass-based energy has started to change the global agricultural production and price structure. However, on bioenergy's coat-tails, biomass demand for other uses has increased as well (i.e., fiber and other industrial raw materials, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, flowers and other ornamental demand as well as the environmental functions): Substituting biomass-based products for crude oil-based products in various industrial areas is – if not yet in mass-production – in its experimental phase. For instance, the market for biomass-based plastic grows: The CocaCola company is already using 30% biomass-based PET plastic (Ritschkoff, 2014), while Toyota and other car brands have started to replace oil-based plastic for cars with bioplastics (EBB 2013, TTC 2013). This rise in global biomass demand is an opportunity for many agricultural-based, low-income countries to diversify their economy. Yet, concerns prevail that producing more and diversified non-food crop biomass commodities will compete with domestic food production and perpetuate these countries’ status as mere suppliers of raw materials. Three strategies may counter these concerns:
Nutritional Properties of African Pear Seed and Performance of Defatted Cake in Poultry Feed Formulations

The proximate composition and anti-nutritional properties of the African pear seed (APS) were determined. The oil was extracted and the physico-chemical properties of the oil were analysed. The cake obtained after oil extraction was utilized in poultry feed production and its performance was evaluated. The results showed that the seed has a high dry matter content of 87.22%, as well as a high fat content (19.47%) indicating usefulness in the edible oil processing industry. The oil characteristics were within the required range of values for edible oils. Among the anti-nutrients analysed, trypsin inhibitors were the highest (7.33%) while polyphenols were lowest (0.35%). The poultry feeding trial revealed that diet 1 with 40:25:15 maize:APScake:soybean showed no significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) from the control in most of the parameters tested. All the samples diets sustained growth and no mortality was recorded.
SOME PROBABILISTIC INEQUALITIES FOR FUZZY RANDOM VARIABLES

In this paper, the concepts of positive dependence and linearlypositive quadrant dependence are introduced for fuzzy random variables. Also,an inequality is obtained for partial sums of linearly positive quadrant depen-dent fuzzy random variables. Moreover, a weak law of large numbers is estab-lished for linearly positive quadrant dependent fuzzy random variables. Weextend some well known inequalities to independent fuzzy random variables.Furthermore, a weak law of large numbers for independent fuzzy random vari-ables is stated and proved.
CHARACTERIZING THE SEDIMENTARY HISTORY OF CAVE DEPOSITS, USING ARCHAEOMAGNETISM AND ROCK MAGNETISM, ATAPUERCA (NORTHERN SPAIN)*

We use a combination of rock magnetism (anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, AMS) and magnetic polarity to characterize cave deposits and as a proxy for sedimentary fabric. In three localities at the Atapuerca archaeological site (Galeria, Gran Dolina and Sala de los Ciclopes), magnetic foliation (K max /K int ) is always greater than lineation (K int /K min ), consistent with a primary, depositional, sedimentary fabric. Our results, although preliminary, reveal a higher degree of anisotropy in autochtonous deposits compared to allochthonous deposits, possibly indicative of a higher hydrodynamic regime in the former. At two localities the magnetic lineation (K max ) defines a cluster which is thought to be antipodal to the palaeocurrent direction. Hence we are able to retrieve palaeoflow directions in deposits that otherwise lack any other sedimentary structure. We conclude that AMS is a powerful tool for determining the hydrodynamic character of depositional environments in cave sediments at the Atapuerca archaeological site. A better understanding of the depositional environment and how sedimentation occurred allows reconstruction of the karst evolution and ultimately a better definition of human interaction with the environment.
Co-production between Ministry and Citizens - New challenges for program management

In this paper we discuss a co-production experiment in direct interaction between a department and citizens. In 2002 The Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Development and Environment (VROM) has started the program Citizen and Environment in order to make her environment policy to a greater extent of, for and by citizens. After an evaluation VROM decided to broaden the program to her entire policy field and the program changed into Policy with Citizens. This renewed Policy with Citizens program contains two goals: (1) citizen participation and (2) organizational change and learning. The two goals are strongly related, but also contain certain tensions. CitizensÂ’ participation as a goal can be developed at project level, but the aim of a more open organization is less concrete and probable more difficult to accomplish. This last goal requires a more process-oriented approach instead of a project approach. The program management has to maintain a connection between the short-term project results and long-term processes of organizational change. In this paper we will evaluate the management of first round of the Policy with Citizens program. It contains an exploration of barriers for co-production. We assume policy makers at national level will have to overcome barriers at personal, program and organizational level in order to increase the extern orientation of their organisation. We discuss competences they need in order to act successfully in co-production processes.
Testing multivariate uniformity: The distance‐to‐boundary method

Given a random sample taken on a compact domain S ⊂ d, the authors propose a new method for testing the hypothesis of uniformity of the underlying distribution. The test statistic is based on the distance of every observation to the boundary of S. The proposed test has a number of interesting properties. In particular, it is feasible and particularly suitable for high dimensional data; it is distribution free for a wide range of choices of 5; it can be adapted to the case that the support of S is unknown; and it also allows for one‐sided versions. Moreover, the results suggest that, in some cases, this procedure does not suffer from the well‐known curse of dimensionality. The authors study the properties of this test from both a theoretical and practical point of view. In particular, an extensive Monte Carlo simulation study allows them to compare their methods with some alternative procedures. They conclude that the proposed test provides quite a satisfactory balance between power, computational simplicity, and adaptability to different dimensions and supports.
ADBI Working Paper Series FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT SPILLOVERS AND PHARMACEUTICAL INNOVATION: THE ROLE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

This paper examines the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on domestic innovation based on a data set covering the pharmaceutical industries across 29 provinces in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over the period 1998–2007. We show that there is a negative horizontal spillover effect of FDI on domestic innovation when the intellectual property rights (IPR) regime is weak. This spillover effect became more positive when the IPR regime |strengthened after the PRC’s accession to the World Trade Organization) (WTO) in 2001. We also show that there is a positive upstream spillover effect of FDI on domestic suppliers of pharmaceutical intermediates. Taken together, our findings provide important policy implications on why developing countries should encourage FDI and strengthen the IPR regime together to enhance domestic innovation for promoting productivity and economic growth.
The Corner Detection of Image based on Harris Algorithm

Image matching is a key technology to be solved in the fields of digital image processing and computer vision.Matching based on feature points is most widely used now.How to locate the right feature points is a vital issue.Only accurate feature points can lead right matching results. The corner is one of the important features of images. Corner detection plays an important role in image processing and computer vision,which is a kind of important feature extraction method in image processing.In order to improve the accuracy of corner detection in image,and remove noise interference effectively,the paper introduces a method of corner detection based on Harris algorithm,which are described briefly the basic principle and basic implementation process.The experiment shows that this algorithm is simple and easy to operate,the corner extracted are very effective.This method makes the precision and efficiency of image registration improved greatly.
Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oil of Sature jahortensis Against Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria

Results: The antibiotic resistance profile of the E. coli isolates were as follows: ceftazidime (50%) cefixime (41.6%), tetracycline (75%), erythromycin (58.3%). However K. pneumoniae isolates showed resistance to ceftazidime (33.3%), cefixime (58.3%), erythromycin (75%) and S. aureus isolates were resistant to cefixime (33.3%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (41.66%), penicillin (50%), oxacillin (83.3%), ceftazidime (66.6%) and vancomycin (8.3%). The essential oil of this plant had inhibitory effect against most isolates. More than 1/3 of the E. coli isolates showed the lowest MIC (10 ppm) whereas more than 1/3 of the K. pneumoniae isolates showed the highest (250 ppm) MIC values. In contrast, equal number of S. aureus isolates showed the low MIC values (10 and 50 ppm), while the heighest MIC (250 ppm) was seen in 1/3 of isolates and moderate MIC (100 ppm) was seen in one isolate only. Conclusions: The Saturejahortensis essential oil has a potent antimicrobial activity against multi-drug resistant bacteria. The present study confirms the usefullness of this essential oil as antibacterial agent but further research is required to evaluate the practical value of this plant before proving its therapeutic applications.
Element-loaded organic scintillators for neutron and neutrino physics

New types of element-loaded (B and Gd) organic scintillators for neutron detection and neutrino experiments have been synthesized recently at JINR. Their optical, spectral, scintillation and radiopurity characteristics are presented and discussed. It is shown that the 5 % B-loaded scintillator has a light output as much as 70 % relative to the unloaded one. The same characteristics for the 3 % Gd-loaded sample is equal to 51 %. Transparency and other properties of the produced scintillators did not change at normal conditions for at least one year.
Size-selected black carbon mass distributions and mixing state in polluted and clean environments of northern India

Abstract. We have measured black carbon properties by using a size-selected single-particle soot photometer (SP2). The measurements were conducted in northern India at two sites: Gual Pahari is located at the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) and Mukteshwar at the Himalayan foothills. Northern India is known as one of the absorbing aerosol hot spots, but detailed information about absorbing aerosol mixing state is still largely missing. Previous equivalent black carbon (eBC) mass concentration measurements are available for this region, and these are consistent with our observations showing that refractory black carbon (rBC) concentrations are about 10 times higher in Gual Pahari than those at Mukteshwar. Also, the number fraction of rBC-containing particles is higher in Gual Pahari, but individual rBC-containing particles and their size distributions are fairly similar. These findings indicate that particles at both sites have similar local and regional emission sources, but aerosols are also transported from the main source regions (IGP) to the less polluted regions (Himalayan foothills). Detailed examination of the rBC-containing particle properties revealed that they are most likely irregular particles such as fractal aggregates, but the exact structure remains unknown.
Rewarding Good Behavior in Peer-to-Peer Networks

Large-scale human cooperation is vital to society. Designers and community facilitators of peer-to-peer networks are constantly investigating free-riding prevention measures for their platforms. Such schemes of rewarding good behavior remain a challenging problem in fully decentralized P2P networks. This work is a first attempt to integrate cutting-edge technologies developed by the Tribler team into a functional reputation-driven P2P network. We start by evaluating the possibilities of our system in supporting generous donations, and we continue with the issue of enforcing preferential treatment by implementing a reciprocity mechanism in Libswift, the reference implementation of the upcoming IETF Peer-to-Peer Streaming Internet Standard. Additionally, we use and evaluate solutions developed during this project in two experiments, followed by a third one whose goal is to demonstrate the concept of indirect reciprocity using the fully integrated system. Aiming to open the road for further research, we conclude with initial insights into the behavior of the involved components, alongside with a number of potential weaknesses.
Impact of humic acid as an organic additive on ruminal fermentation constituents, blood parameters and milk production in goats and their kids growth rate

1 Alexandria University, Faculty of Agriculture, Animal Production Department, P.O. Box 21545, Alexandria, Egypt 2 Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, Livestock Research Department, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications, New Borg El-Arab, P.O. Box 21934, Alexandria, Egypt 3 Agriculture Research Centre, Animal Production Research Institute, Sheep and Goats Research Department, Dokki, P.O. Box 12618, Giza, Egypt
Tuning Genetic Algorithm Parameters to Improve Convergence Time

Fermentation processes by nature are complex, time-varying, and highly nonlinear. As dynamic systems their modeling and further high-quality control are a serious challenge. The conventional optimization methods cannot overcome the fermentation processes peculiarities and do not lead to a satisfying solution. As an alternative, genetic algorithms as a stochastic global optimization method can be applied. For the purpose of parameter identification of a fed-batch cultivation of S. cerevisiae altogether four kinds of simple and four kinds of multipopulation genetic algorithms have been considered. Each of them is characterized with a different sequence of implementation of main genetic operators, namely, selection, crossover, and mutation. The influence of the most important genetic algorithm parameters—generation gap, crossover, and mutation rates has—been investigated too. Among the considered genetic algorithm parameters, generation gap influences most significantly the algorithm convergence time, saving up to 40% of time without affecting the model accuracy.