Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Public Capital on Regional Convergence in Turkey

In recent years there have been many studies that explore the impact of public capital formation on economic growth at regional level, because public capital might give rise to reducing regional disparities across regions. Regarding Turkey, investigating the effects of public capital on economic convergence at the regional level gains importance since significant regional disparities exist between the regions. This study attempts to explore the dynamic effects of public capital on output per capita in terms of convergence in the Turkish regions. A conditional convergence model based on per capita GDP and public capital is estimated using the panel data set of Turkish regions at NUTS 1 level for the time period 1980-2001. The spatial effects are also investigated. The results show that there exists conditional convergence. The results also reveal that in some of the models public capital has a positive and significant effect on output per capita. However, in the models with spatial effects the public capital does not have a significant effect on regional convergence.
UNDRESSED FOR SUCCESS? THE EFFECTS OF HALF-NAKED WOMEN ON ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR by

Images of half-naked women are in many societies ubiquitous in advertising and popular culture. Yet relatively little is known about the potential impacts of such images on economic decision making. In this paper, we examine how exposure to images of half-naked women affect risk taking, willingness to compete and math performance. We perform a lab experiment with a total of 648 participants of both genders, randomly exposing participants to advertising images including either women in bikini or underwear, fully dressed women, or no women. Exposure to images of half-naked women could potentially have effects on economic preferences and performance through channels such as arousal, cognitive load and stereotyping. Following a pre-registered pre-analysis plan, we find no treatment effects on any of the outcome measures for female participants. For male participants, we also find no effect on willingness to compete or math performance, but suggestive evidence that men take more risk after having been exposed to images of half-naked women compared to images including no women. We thus do not find any strong support for the hypothesis that exposure to images of half-naked women impact economic preferences, but given the suggestive evidence for risk taking future studies should explore this further. We are very grateful for helpful comments and advice from Nina Åkestam, Ola Andersson, Uri Gneezy, Magnus Johannesson and seminar participants at the Stockholm behavioral economics workshops, as well as programming help from Andreas Born. We thank the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, the Jan Wallander and Tom Hedelius Foundation, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (A.D. is a Wallenberg Academy Fellow) and the Swedish Research Council for financial support. We also thank the photographer and the models for their great work. Stockholm School of Economics. Email: evelina.bonnier@hhs.se Stockholm School of Economics. Email: anna.dreber@hhs.se Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI), Stockholm University. Email: karin.hederos@sofi.su. se Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI), Stockholm University. Email: anna.sandberg@sofi.su. se
Spatial structure of hierarchical groups: testing for processes of aggregation, clustering, and spatial centrality in crayfish (Orconectes rusticus)

Competing group members tend to arrange in a social order that governs who will likely submit to whom. In many species the spatial distribution of individuals often reflects social status: dominants tend to occupy central locations while subordinates are often found along the group's periphery. This article explores the emergence of spatial consequences as a result of social rank differentiation. Rather than orienting centripetally, the movements of crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) primarily indicated a tendency to remain close to arena walls. Spatial locations were affected by the location of group members; but, rather than actively aggregating or clustering, individuals maintained a minimum distance. Previously established social rank did not affect spatial distributions. High population densities in the field are likely attributed to habitat constraints, rather than any social or centripetal tendencies of individual crayfish.
Prevention of circuit failures during field operation requires methods for the (1) early detection and isolation of faults and (2) prediction of remaining useful performance

Analog circuits play a vital role in ensuring the availability of industrial systems. Unexpected circuit failures in such systems during field operation can have severe implications. To address this concern, we developed a method for detecting faulty circuit condition, isolating fault locations and predicting the remaining useful performance of analog circuits. Through successive refinement of circuit’s response to a sweep signal, features are extracted for fault diagnosis. The fault diagnostics problem is posed and solved as a pattern recognition problem using kernel methods. From the extracted features, a fault indicator is developed for failure prognosis. Further, an empirical model is developed based on the degradation trend exhibited by the fault indicator. A particle filtering approach is used for model adaptation and remaining useful performance estimation. This method is completely automated and has the merit of implementation simplicity. Case studies on two analog filter circuits demonstrating this method are presented.
Visualization , Digital Humanities , and the Problem of Instrumentalism

—In this paper we present the concept of “slow analytics” that attempts to bridge the gap between humanities tasks and visualization. Often within technological disciplines the pursuit of speed and efﬁciency are paramount. But, with domain experts like literary critics, slow and methodical interaction with texts is part of the work ﬂow and sense-making process. By challenging the paradigm of efﬁciency we can design visualizations and interactions that are much more
A Galerkin method for the forward-backward heat equation

In this paper a new variational method is proposed for the numeri- cal approximation of the solution of the forward-backward heat equation. The approach consists of first reducing the second-order problem to an equivalent first-order system, and then using a finite element procedure with continuous elements in both space and time for the numerical approximation. Under suit- able regularity assumptions, error estimates and the results of some numerical experiments are presented.
β-Cyclodextrin Grafted Cellulose and Cationic Starch for Antibacterial Paper Products: A Comparative Study

Two kinds of macromolecules applied in papermaking were modified with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and loaded with ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CipHCl) in an attempt to compare their potential applications in antimicrobial paper. β-CD grafted cellulose (β-CD-Cel) and β-CD grafted cationic starch (β-CD-CS) were prepared by grafting β-CD onto cellulose fiber and cationic starch using citric acid (CA) and epichlorohydrin (ECH) as crosslinking agents, respectively. β-CD-Cel and β-CD-CS were both loaded with an antimicrobial agent (CipHCl) to form inclusion complexes, namely β-CD-Cel-CipHCl and β-CD-CS-CipHCl. Furthermore, the inclusion complexes were added to the pulp to prepare antibacterial paper. The antimicrobial activity and physical properties of the paper were investigated. The results showed that the paper with both inclusion complexes exhibited excellent antibacterial activity, and the antibacterial activity with β-CD-CS-CipHCl was higher than that with β-CD-Cel-CipHCl. Moreover, the addition of both β-CD-Cel-CipHCl and β-CD-CS-CipHCl affected the tensile and tear strengths of the paper. The paper with β-CD-CS-CipHCl had better physical properties than that with β-CD-Cel-CipHCl because the CS acts as a reinforcing agent in papermaking. These prepared antibacterial paper sheets may be useful for preventing wound and nosocomial infections in the medical and packaging fields.
Climate of seed source affects susceptibility of coastal Douglas‐fir to foliage diseases

Seed-source movement trials using common garden experiments are needed to understand climate, tree (host), and pathogen interactions. Douglas- ﬁ r ( Pseudotsuga menziesii var menziesii ) is an important tree species native to western North America in ﬂ uenced by the foliar fungi Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii , a biotroph and causal agent of Swiss needle cast (SNC), and Rhabdocline species, necrotrophs that cause Rhabdocline needle cast. We used the Douglas- ﬁ r Seed-Source Movement Trial, a large provenance study of Douglas- ﬁ r that consists of populations and test sites chosen to represent the range of climate conditions experienced by Douglas- ﬁ r west of the Cascade and northern Sierra Nevada Mountains, USA, to assess disease severity and symptom expression in Douglas- ﬁ r in relation to climatic differences between test sites and population sources. Using generalized linear mixed models, probability of disease severity/expression was modeled with respect to the climate variables May through September precipitation (MSP), mean winter temperature (MWT), and continentality. Stark differences in disease expression were observed in trees from different regions, especially in relation to resistance to Rhabdocline spp. and tolerance to P. gaeumannii . There were no major differences across seed-source regions at any particular site in infection levels of P. gaeumannii assessed by fruiting body abundance, yet disease tolerance followed similar geographic patterns as resistance to Rhabdocline spp. Transfers of populations from low to high MSP, and/or cool to warm MWT, increased the probability of moderate to severe Rhabdocline spp. infection and SNC disease symptoms. Our results suggest that local seed sources are adapted to local climate and pathogen pressures and that seed sources from regions with high foliage disease pressure are most resistant/tolerant to those foliage diseases. We also con ﬁ rm that temperature and precipitation are important epidemiological factors in forest disease and that assisted migration must take into account trophic interactions of trees. Movement of seed sources from dry spring and summer and/or cool winter conditions to mild, mesic environments is likely to lead to increased probability of losses due to these foliage diseases.
Beam attenuation and chlorophyll concentration as alternative optical indices of phytoplankton biomass

Chlorophyll has long functioned as the prominent field metric for phytoplankton biomass, but its variability can be strongly influenced by (even dominated by) physiological shifts in intracellular pigmentation in response to changing growth conditions (light, nutrients, temperature). The particulate beam attenuation coefficient (cp) may offer an alternative optical measure of phytoplankton biomass that is readily assessed in situ and relatively insensitive to changes in intracellular pigment content. Unlike chlorophyll, however, cp is not uniquely associated with phytoplankton and varies as well with changes in inorganic, detrital, and heterotrophic particles. In open ocean environments, particles in the size range of 0.5 to 20 m (i.e., within the phytoplankton size domain) dominate cp. Multiple field studies have indicated that the ratio of cp to chlorophyll (i.e., c*p) registers first-order changes in algal physiology, suggesting that cp covaries with phytoplankton carbon biomass. Here we use approximately 10,000 measurements of cp and fluorescence-based chlorophyll estimates (ChlFl) to evaluate the correspondence between these two phytoplankton biomass proxies. Our study focuses on a region of the eastern equatorial Pacific where mixed layer growth conditions are relatively homogeneous, thereby constraining phytoplankton chlorophyll:carbon ratios and allowing chlorophyll to function as a reliable measure of phytoplankton biomass. Over our 6600 km transect, cp was exceptionally well correlated with ChlFl (r 2 0.93). Our results contribute additional support for cp as a viable index of phytoplankton carbon biomass in the open ocean.
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL FOR REPLICABILITY ANALYSIS FOR GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDIES

Note that q = Ef (fdr(z)|z ∈ ZOR) < Ef (t(q)|z ∈ ZOR) = t(q). Since Fdr(ZOR) is the expectation of fdr(z) for fdr(z) ≤ t(q), and q < t(q), it follows that Fdr(ZOR) < t(q). Moreover, since Fdr(Z) ≤ Fdr(ZOR), it follows that (1 − Fdr(Z)/t(q)) ≥ (1 − Fdr(ZOR)/t(q)) > 0. Therefore, the right hand side of expression (1.2) is smaller than P (ZOR)(1−Fdr(Z)/t(q)) and item 1 follows. In order to prove item 2, let tdr(z) = 1 − fdr(z) be the true discovery rate. Straightforward calculus shows for every z
Formal Refinement Verification in Metropolis

When building system level models of computer systems, often it is advantageous to begin with an abstract mode l for the purposes of simulation or initial behavior verification. However, once this abstract model has served its purpose, a more detailed, less abstract model should replace it to give not onl y a more “realistic” performance estimation but also bring the model closer to a possible physical implementation for reasons such as sy nthesis. However, in order to make this refinement, one must be assured that the refined models conform to the behavior of their abstract counterparts. This paper introduces the beginning of a framework for the Metropolis Design Environment which begins to verify this refinement.
Evaluating body condition in small mammals

Body condition (energy reserves) can have important fitness consequences. Measuring condition of live ani- mals is typically done by regressing body mass on measures of body size and using the residuals as an index of condi- tion. The validity of this condition index was evaluated by determining whether it reflected measured fat content of five species of small mammals (yellow-pine chipmunks (Tamias amoenus Allen), bushy-tailed wood rats (Neotoma cinerea Ord), deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatusOrd), red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi Vigors), and meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus Ord)). We also determined whether body water could predict fat content, enabling the use of hydrogen-isotope dilution for estimating condition. For all five species, condition estimates weakly predicted fat content and more accurately predicted variation in lean dry mass and water content. The relationship between body water and fat content was inconsistent among the five species, discouraging against the general use of isotope dilution in these animals. Although ecologically important, these indices are best interpreted as explaining variation in all constituents of body composition.
AN ANALYTICAL NON-STATIONARY DISPERSION-DEPOSITION MODEL

In this work an atmospheric dispersion-deposition model to describe the radionuclides concentration after a hypothetical nuclear accident is presented. The developed model has two parts. The first one describes the concentration due to the material released after an arbitrary period from a given source. The second one describes the concentration change during the current period due to the dispersion of the material that is in the atmosphere. Here the solution for the first part is presented. A non-stationary analytical solution is obtained from the atmospheric diffusion equation. The model solves the transport (convection-diffusion) equation in which the contaminant settling is explicitly incorporated. Regarding the boundary conditions, it is assumed a null diffusion through the mixed layer top and an albedo at the ground level. From the general solution obtained for the contaminant concentration the Gaussian plume formula is derived as a particular case when it is assumed a stationary point source, vd =0 (total reflection) and vs,=0 (without settling). Assuming vd 0 and vs,= 0, is compared with the Source Depletion Model (SoDM) and with the Surface Depletion Model (SuDM). The agreement is excellent when comparing with the SuDM, which is the exact solution for the diffusion equation when the settling is modeled only in the boundary condition. Two additional cases are presented, the former is the steady state solution: vd 0 and vs, 0, and the last one is a non-stationary simulation with a transport time of 3600 s with vd 0 and vs, 0. For the last case, two Erf functions appear in the solution as result of time integration that model the plume front traveling in the atmosphere. This new contaminant transport model describes the concentration evolution in a more realistic way, representing the plume falling. This is an improvement respect to the known dispersion-deposition models (SoDM, SuDM).
Stable commutator length in Baumslag–Solitar groups and quasimorphisms for tree actions

This paper has two parts, on Baumslag-Solitar groups and on general G-trees. In the first part we establish bounds for stable commutator length (scl) in Baumslag-Solitar groups. For a certain class of elements, we further show that scl is computable and takes rational values. We also determine exactly which of these elements admit extremal surfaces. In the second part we establish a universal lower bound of 1/12 for scl of suitable elements of any group acting on a tree. This is achieved by constructing efficient quasimorphisms. Calculations in the group BS(2,3) show that this is the best possible universal bound, thus answering a question of Calegari and Fujiwara. We also establish scl bounds for acylindrical tree actions. Returning to Baumslag-Solitar groups, we show that their scl spectra have a uniform gap: no element has scl in the interval (0, 1/12).
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Aim: To evaluate some biochemical changes associated with oral contraceptive (OC) pills administration on healthy women in Gaza City (GC). Methodology: The study design was a case control. The sample size was 80 healthy women aged 20-35 years from the Swidey Clinic who had taken OC pills for at least three continuous cycles. The control sample was healthy married women who were not going on OC before and match the cases in age and residence. The study questionnaire included issues about the following information: age, gender, weight, height, health history, blood pressure, Nature of menstrual cycle, bleeding, insomnia, pain in the stomach, difficulty in breath, pain in hands and feet, appetite and headaches. Blood parameters analysis of the study population included complete blood count (CBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), high density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), and triacylglycerol (TAG). Leptin determination was carried out using a commercially available diagnostic system test kits. SPSS were used to analyze obtained data. Results: The results showed statistically significant differences among study population with respect to regular of menstrual cycle (MC) (2=5.371, P= 0.024), increased appetite (2= 4.386, P= 0.002), increased headache (2= 6.82, P= 0.000), increased body mass index (2= 7.31, P= 0.015), cholesterol were significantly higher among the cases compared to control (179.1± 4.3mg/dl vs 157.5± 4.12mg/dl, and p=0.000), LDLC were significantly higher among the cases compared to control (97.6±3.8mg/dl vs 86.2± 3.4 mg/dl, and p=0.002), increased C-reactive protein (2= 5.381, p= 0.034), there were a significant increase in the mean level of leptin among the cases compared to the controls (36.3± 2.3 ng/ml vs. 28.6± 2.1 ng/ml, and p= 0.003), and the levels of WBC, Gran and Mch were significantly higher among the cases (7.2±2.1 K/μL, 60.7±8.3 % and 26.9±2.2pg) compared to the controls (6.6±1.7 K/μL, 54.9±11.7 % and 25.7±3.4 pg), with p=0.001, p=0.000 and p=0.003, respectively. In contrast, the results
Trait divergence and the ecosystem impacts of invading species

are induced in plants by a variety of plant-associated rootcolonizing microbes, including plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, P. indica and mycorrhizal fungi, as summarized in Shoresh et al. (2010). This is, apparently, an example of convergent evolution by very dissimilar organisms. Presumably, the ability of these microbes to induce changes in plants, resulting in a large number of healthy roots in which they live, provides a competitive advantage.
Trachoma: An ancient and contemporary scourge

SUMMARY Trachoma is an ancient yet contemporary scourge. It is a specific kerato-conjunctivitis caused by certain serovars of Chlamydia trachomatis. It affects an estimated 84 million people and remains the commonest communicable cause of blindness in 6 million people. WHO has introduced the SAFE strategy which needs to be implemented with more determination in Nigeria if the level of trachoma blindness is to be positively impacted. This is particularly in the area of identification of communities in need of intervention through more widespread application of Rapid assessment methods. The challenges in trachoma research remain to improve the accurate diagnosis of active disease, to monitor emergence of antibiotic resistance and to improve the understanding of transmission and reservoirs of the infectious agent.
Southern California CSU DNP Consortium California State University, Fullerton California State University, Long Beach California State University, Los Angeles IMPROVING FIRST CASE START EFFICIENCY IN INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY: A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT A DOCTORAL PROJECT Submitted in Partial Fulfillment 

iii LIST OF TABLES . vi LIST OF FIGURES . vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . viii BACKGROUND . 1 Problem Statement . 1 Purpose Statement. 6 Supporting Framework . 6 Plan-Do-Study-Act Definitions . 7 PDSA Literature Review . 8 Application of PDSA in Reducing Delays in Interventional Radiology . 11 REVIEW OF LITERATURE . 15 Overview . 15 Delays . 15 First Case Starts . 18 Communication Failures . 19 The Checklist . 20 Briefings. 23 METHODS . 26 Setting . 26 Sample . 26 Procedure . 27 Project Team . 27 Checklist and Team Briefing . 28 Data Analysis . 29 Protection of Human Subjects . 30 RESULTS . 31 First Case Start . 31 Post Implementation Survey . 35 Cost . 36 DISCUSSION . 39 Limitations . 46 Implications . 47 Conclusion . 48 REFERENCES . 50 APPENDIX A: INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY CHECKLIST . 57 APPENDIX B: REVISED INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY CHECKLIST . 58 APPENDIX C: SURVEY. 60 APPENDIX D: INTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD (IRB) ACTION NOTICE . 61
Virtual Burglary

Objectives: This article explores the potential of virtual reality (VR) to study burglary by measuring user responses on the subjective, physiological, and behavioral levels. Furthermore, it examines the influence of individual dispositions, such as sensation seeking and self-control, on behavior during a virtual burglary event. Methods: Participants, male university undergraduates (N = 77), could freely move around a virtual neighborhood wearing a VR headset and using a game controller and were instructed to burgle one of the houses in the neighborhood. Participant movement, items stolen from the house, and heart rate (HR) were recorded throughout the burglary event. Individual dispositions were measured before, and subjective user responses were measured after, the event. Additionally, we experimentally varied whether there was an alarm sounding and participants’ beliefs about the chance of getting caught (deterrence). Results: Participants reacted subjectively to the burglary event by reporting high levels of presence in the virtual environment (VE) and physiologically by showing increased HRs. In terms of behavior, high deterrence resulted in fewer items being stolen and a shorter burglary. Furthermore, sensation seekers stole more valuable items, while participants high in conscientiousness stole fewer items. Conclusions: The results suggest that VEs have substantial potential for studying criminal behavior.