Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Agglomeration Economies and the Location of Foreign Direct Investment: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Romania

How important are agglomeration economies for the location of foreign manufacturing plants? We investigate this question by combining innovations from previous studies and by taking advantage of a quasi-experimental setting: the political and economic transition in Romania. The recent, sudden and sustained influx of foreign investors into Romania provides an ideal setting to disentangle agglomeration economies from endowment effects. Using a countylevel conditional logit set-up that controls for choice-specific fixed effects and endowment effects, we find that external economies from industry-specific foreign agglomeration and service agglomeration are important location determinants. Increases in the number of foreign plants and in service employment density by 10 percent make the average county 2.2 and 6.2 percent more likely to attract a new foreign investor. Local labor market conditions also matter. Our findings suggest that results are sensitive to the choice of geographical unit of observation and the inclusion of locational fixed effects.
The influence of compression level and inoculation on biochemical changes in lucerne silages.

The effect of different levels of compression (A1 = 420 gdm-1, A2 = 560 gdm-1) and inoculation (B1 = no inoculant, B2 = with inoculant) on changes in chemical composition, proteolysis and quality of lucerne silage was investigated in this paper. Based on the results of chemical analysis we found that in silages with more compressed material there was a reduction in the amount of ammonia nitrogen, soluble nitrogen and acetic acid, and increased content of protein nitrogen (‘true’protein) and production of lactic acid (p<0.05). With the inoculation of the ensiling material the production of ammonia nitrogen and acetic acid was reduced but the content of lactic acid and acidity was increased (p<0.05). The interaction of both investigated factors (A×B) induced a decrease in the proteolysis degree, increase of lactic acid production and decrease in acetic acid production, and decrease in pH values (p<0.001) in investigated silages. The investigated factors had less influence on the chemical composition of lucerne material, and the significant variations were observed in fat and NFE contents. On the basis of this investigation the degree of compression is the most important parameter in ensiling technology. With the adequate compression and reduction of air in the starting material, the aerobic phase is reduced and the activity of proeolytic enzymes is decreased. In practice the special attention should be given to factors on which directly or indirectly the level of compression of ensiled material depends: wilting, cutting, object selection and/or selection of machines used for compression.
Explaining Anglers Behavior Using Count Data Models with Endogenous Switching Regime by

A two stage model describes the behavior of anglers who fish with or without a license. The proposed multinomial logit-count data model examines characteristics influencing those who fish for recreation and those who may choose to fish to supplement their food budgets. The model is estimated using data from the national survey. Results show, among others, that anglers who fish to supplement their diet are more likely to come from households run by women, with less income and were less educated than those who fished for recreational purposes.
The Recovery of Energy from a Hybrid System to Improve the Performance of a Photovoltaic Cell

The main objective of this work is to study a photovoltaic/thermoelectric hybrid generator system, ranging from characterisation of thermoelectric (TE) and photovoltaic (PV) modules basic elements of thermal and PV energy conversion into electrical energy through necessary modelling steps. The bibliographic study allows TE and PV generation to be positioned in the current context, by presenting their history and evolution. In some sectors, this technology has already matured. For example, in the space sector, the scientific activity seems to show an acceleration in hybrid systems development in the solar field. This research field remains completely open, as evidenced by the multiplicity of technological solutions implemented. A significant part of this work has been to develop generic energy models of various modules (PV and thermal) for a multi-source generator design, based on experimental tests and existing technologies. In addition, a methodology for sizing optimisation of such generator was proposed by considering surface or volume criteria, number of thermoelectric generator (TEG) modules and temperature gradient.
Dissolution Kinetic Evaluation of Manganese-rich Iron ore by Sulphuric acid Solution

This study investigated the optimum conditions for the leaching of manganese-rich iron ore for subsequent beneficiation studies in laboratory scale. The experiments were carried out by varying the concentration of H2 SO4 solution and the leaching temperature. The properties of the iron ore was characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) as well asphoto-micrographic examination. The leaching experiments showed that the ore leaching increases with increasing acid concentration and temperature. About 78.9% of the iron ore was reacted within 120 minutes by 4M H2 SO4 solution at a temperature of 80oC. The activation energy (Ea) and the order of reaction were determined to be 31.14kJ/mol and 0.979, respectively. The leaching data were fitted to the shrinking core model and the experimental results followed a diffusion controlled mechanism. The residual product at optimal leaching was appropriately characterized and was found to contain silicate compound.
Controlled Passage through Resonance for Flexible Vibration Units

The problem of controlled passage through resonance zone for mechanical systems with several degrees of freedom is studied. Control algorithm design is based on speed-gradient method and estimate for the frequency of the slow motion near resonance (Blekhman frequency). The simulation results for two-rotor flexible vibration units illustrating efficiency of the proposed algorithms and fractal dependence of the passage time on the initial conditions are presented. The novelty of the results is in demonstration of good behavior of the closed loop system if flexibility is taken into account.
Population Size Effects on Progeny Performance in Banksia ilicifolia R. Br. (Proteaceae)

A reduction in population size due to land clearing and habitat fragmentation may have negative effects on plant fitness. A relationship between population size and progeny performance for four small (n 100 plants) populations of Banksia ilicifolia, a widespread but naturally fragmented species in south-western Australia, was assessed. Seeds collected from the field were germinated and a comparative growth study conducted in a greenhouse. After six months, the survival rate of seedlings from larger populations was double (36%) that of smaller populations, while germination rates and other measures of growth performance were independent of population size. The conservation and management implications of reduced fitness associated with small population size in B. ilicifolia are discussed.
DIFFERENTIAL FORMS ON GENERAL COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRAS

Introduction. Let K be a commutative ring with ulnit, and let R be a commutative unitary K-algebra. We shall be concerned with variously defined cohomology theories based on algebras of differential forms, where R plays the role of a ring of functions. Let TR be the Lie algebra of the K-derivations of R, and let E(TR) be the exterior algebra over R of TR. We can form HoomR(E(TR), R) and define on it the usual formal differentiation. If R is the ring of functions on a C? -rmanifold then the elements of TR are the differentiable tangent vector fields, and the complex HomR(E(TR),R) is naturally isomorphic to the usual de Rham complex of differential forms. In [5, ? 6-9] the complex HoMR(E(TR), R) is studied. It is shown that if K is a field contained in R, and if either R is an integral domain finitely ring-generated over K and TR is R-projective, or R is a field, then the homology of this complex may be identified with Extv(R, R), for a suitably defined ring V. 1-6 of the present work are primarily a straightforward generalization of the results of this portion of [5] to the case in which K and R are arbitrary (commutative) rings. In making this generalization we are led naturally to replace TR by an arbitrary Lie algebra with an R-module structure which is represented as derivations of R and which satisfies certain additional properties satisfied by TR. We give these properties in ? 2. Lis essentially a quasi-Lie algebra as defined in [3]. The precise definition given corresponds to that of a d-Lie ring given in [8], where also the cohomology based on HomR(E(L), A) is defined. In ? 2 we define an associative algebra V of universal differential operators generated by R and L. In case L operates trivially on R, V is the usual universal enveloping algebra of the R-Lie algebra L. In ? 3 we prove a Poincare-BirkhoffWitt theorem for V. In ? 4 we show that if Lis R-projective then for any V-module A we may identify the cohomology based on HomR(E(L), A) with Extv(R, A), which we denote by HR(L, A). In particular, the de Rham cohomology of a C manifold is thus identified with an Extv(R, R).
Bayesian Quadrature Approaches to State-Price Density Estimation

The Risk Neutral or State Price Density (SPD) is used for a variety of important activities in finance, including providing an arbitrage-free tool for pricing complex and less liquid securities and making inference for volatility that is consistent with observed option prices. The importance of understanding this density with respect to asset pricing and risk management has led to a competing number of approaches for estimating the SPD. We propose a finite-dimensional model for the SPD in a Bayesian framework. This modeling approach can be viewed as a Bayesian Quadrature model, where the locations and weights of support points in the finite-dimensional representation of the SPD are random variables. This modeling approach allows a ’prior’ reference distribution which can be a parametric distribution (e.g. the lognormal density) or which can be uniform and completely non-informative, and it also provides a posterior distribution of SPD that is consistent with the observed option prices. We asses the performance of the proposed model using simulation studies based on synthetic data and then by contrasting the method with a number of competing methods using S&P 500 index option data.
Dealing with standardization in liberalized network industries: Some lessons from the European railway sector

The European railway sector is undergoing dramatic changes. During the still ongoing liberalization process most vertically-integrated railway operators have already been “unbundled”. The shift from integrated to disintegrated companies coupled with the introduction of competition – so far in freight, but as of 2010 also in international passenger traffic – is having profound implications on the development and deployment of new technologies. In addition, within the framework of the Single European Market the main stakeholders have now to work under the constraint of interoperability. The paper examines railway standardization processes within an interoperable environment. So far, the railway sector has a strong history of national standards development. In the area of signalling, the result and current situation is therefore a patchwork of poorly interoperable systems. The paper builds on a case study of the development and deployment of a core signalling system – the European Rail Train Management System (ERTMS) – to illustrate the difficulties to coordinate a standardization process in such a liberalized and deregulated environment. The paper questions whether, in the framework of the emerging technological and institutional environment, the current governance of rail standards is suited to the EU’s objectives of a competitive railway market. Through the introduction of ERTMS the paper discusses the role of the new European Rail Agency (ERA) as the locus for coordinating the ERTMS standardization process. It makes recommendations as to which actor(s) is/are best suited to govern the standardization of such highly complex and interdependent technical systems.
MIXING, FLOCKING AND COOPERATION: ANALYTICAL STUDIES OF TRANSPORT PHENOMENA IN BIOLOGY

Title of dissertation: MIXING, FLOCKING AND COOPERATION: ANALYTICAL STUDIES OF TRANSPORT PHENOMENA IN BIOLOGY Siming He Doctor of Philosophy, 2018 Dissertation directed by: Professor Eitan Tadmor Department of Mathematics Transport behavior widely takes place in biological phenomena. In this thesis, I study the delicate interactions between transportation and other forces in biology, diffusion, alignment, cooperation included. The thesis focuses on three topics: (i) chemotaxis in moving fluid; (ii) flocking of birds and fish; (iii) multi-species chemotaxis and multi-species flocking dynamics. We use the Patlak-Keller-Segel equations with additional advection to model the chemotaxis phenomena in the moving fluid. It is well-known that if there is no underlying fluid transport, the total number of cells in the environment determines the long-time behavior of the dynamics. If the number is large enough, cells will concentrate to form clusters and cause break-downs of the model. We discover that external strong fluid flow has the potential to suppress the possible blow-up in the system. We use the Cucker-Smale model and the Motsch-Tadmor model to describe the flocking behavior of fish or birds. While the well-posedness theory of the PDE in one dimension is well-understood, little is known in dimension two. We give explicit sufficient condition to guarantee the existence of unique global strong solutions and clarify the role played by the stretching and vorticity. In the last part of the thesis we introduce multi-species concepts into the chemotaxis models and flocking models. We discover new conditions to guarantee the well-posedness of the multi-species Patlak-Keller-Segel systems and the multi-species Cucker-Smale models. MIXING, FLOCKING AND COOPERATION: ANALYTICAL STUDIES OF TRANSPORT PHENOMENA IN BIOLOGY
Correlations between lizard cranial shape and diet: A quantitative, phylogenetically informed analysis

Although the relationship between dietary and phenotypic specialization has been well documented for many vertebrate groups, it has been stated that few such general trends can be established for lizards. This is often thought to be due to the lack of dietary specialization in many lizards. For example, many species that are reported to be insectivorous may also consume a variety of plant materials, and the reverse is often true as well. In this study, we investigate whether a correlation exists between general cranial form and dietary niche in lizards. Additionally, we test previously proposed hypotheses suggesting that herbivorous lizards should be larger bodied than lizards with other diets. Our data indicate that lizards specializing in food items imposing different mechanical demands on the feeding system show clear patterns of morphological specialization in their cranial morphology. True herbivores (diet of fibrous and tough foliage) are clearly distinguished from omnivorous and carnivorous lizards by having taller skulls and shorter snouts, likely related to the need for high bite forces. This allows herbivores to mechanically reduce relatively less digestible foliage. Carnivores have relatively longer snouts and retroarticular processes, which may result in more efficient capture and processing of elusive prey. When analysed in an explicit phylogenetic context, only snout length and skull mass remained significantly different between dietary groups. The small number of differences in the phylogenetic analyses is likely the result of shared evolutionary history and the relative paucity of independent origins of herbivory and omnivory in our sample. Analyses of the relationship between diet and body size show that on average herbivores have a larger body size than carnivores, with omnivores intermediate between the two other dietary groups.
Frequency-Domain Dynamic Pruning for Convolutional Neural Networks

Deep convolutional neural networks have demonstrated their powerfulness in a variety of applications. However, the storage and computational requirements have largely restricted their further extensions on mobile devices. Recently, pruning of unimportant parameters has been used for both network compression and acceleration. Considering that there are spatial redundancy within most filters in a CNN, we propose a frequency-domain dynamic pruning scheme to exploit the spatial correlations. The frequency-domain coefficients are pruned dynamically in each iteration and different frequency bands are pruned discriminatively, given their different importance on accuracy. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can outperform previous spatial-domain counterparts by a large margin. Specifically, it can achieve a compression ratio of 8.4x and a theoretical inference speed-up of 9.2x for ResNet-110, while the accuracy is even better than the reference model on CIFAR-110.
Large-eddy simulation of turbulent winds during the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident by coupling with a meso-scale meteorological simulation model

Abstract. A significant amount of radioactive material was accidentally discharged into the atmosphere from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant from 12 March 2011, which produced high contaminated areas over a wide region in Japan. In conducting regional-scale atmospheric dispersion simulations, the computer-based nuclear emergency response system WSPEEDI-II developed by Japan Atomic Energy Agency was used. Because this system is driven by a meso-scale meteorological (MM) model, it is difficult to reproduce small-scale wind fluctuations due to the effects of local terrain variability and buildings within a nuclear facility that are not explicitly represented in MM models. In this study, we propose a computational approach to couple an LES-based CFD model with a MM model for detailed simulations of turbulent winds with buoyancy effects under real meteorological conditions using turbulent inflow technique. Compared to the simple measurement data, especially, the 10 min averaged wind directions of the LES differ by more than 30 degrees during some period of time. However, distribution patterns of wind speeds, directions, and potential temperature are similar to the MM data. This implies that our coupling technique has potential performance to provide detailed data on contaminated area in the nuclear accidents.
HISTALP—historical instrumental climatological surface time series of the Greater Alpine Region

This paper describes the HISTALP database, consisting of monthly homogenised records of temperature, pressure, precipitation, sunshine and cloudiness for the ‘Greater Alpine Region’ (GAR, 4–19°E, 43–49°N, 0–3500m asl). The longest temperature and air pressure series extend back to 1760, precipitation to 1800, cloudiness to the 1840s and sunshine to the 1880s. A systematic QC procedure has been applied to the series and a high number of inhomogeneities (more than 2500) and outliers (more than 5000) have been detected and removed. The 557 HISTALP series are kept in different data modes: original and homogenised, gap‐filled and outlier corrected station mode series, grid‐1 series (anomaly fields at 1° × 1°, lat × long) and Coarse Resolution Subregional (CRS) mean series according to an EOF‐based regionalisation. The leading climate variability features within the GAR are discussed through selected examples and a concluding linear trend analysis for 100, 50 and 25‐year subperiods for the four horizontal and two altitudinal CRSs. Among the key findings of the trend analysis is the parallel centennial decrease/increase of both temperature and air pressure in the 19th/20th century. The 20th century increase (+1.2 °C/+ 1.1 hPa for annual GAR‐means) evolved stepwise with a first peak near 1950 and the second increase (1.3 °C/0.6hPa per 25 years) starting in the 1970s. Centennial and decadal scale temperature trends were identical for all subregions. Air pressure, sunshine and cloudiness show significant differences between low versus high elevations. A long‐term increase of the high‐elevation series relative to the low‐elevation series is given for sunshine and air pressure. Of special interest is the exceptional high correlation near 0.9 between the series on mean temperature and air pressure difference (high‐minus low‐elevation). This, further developed via some atmospheric statics and thermodynamics, allows the creation of ‘barometric temperature series’ without use of the measures of temperature. They support the measured temperature trends in the region. Precipitation shows the most significant regional and seasonal differences with, e.g., remarkable opposite 20th century evolution for NW (9% increase) versus SE (9% decrease). Other long‐ and short‐term features are discussed and indicate the promising potential of the new database for further analyses and applications. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society.
Scanning thermal microscopy: A review

Fundamental research and continued miniaturization of materials, components and systems have raised the need for the development of thermal‐investigation methods enabling ultra‐local measurements of surface temperature and thermo‐physical properties in many areas of science and applicative fields. Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) is a promising technique for nanometer‐scale thermal measurements, imaging, and study of thermal transport phenomena. This review focuses on fundamentals and applications of SThM methods. It inventories the main scanning probe microscopy‐based techniques developed for thermal imaging with nanoscale spatial resolution. It describes the approaches currently used to calibrate the SThM probes in thermometry and for thermal conductivity measurement. In many cases, the link between the nominal measured signal and the investigated parameter is not straightforward due to the complexity of the micro/nanoscale interaction between the probe and the sample. Special attention is given to this interaction that conditions the tip–sample interface temperature. Examples of applications of SThM are presented, which include the characterization of operating devices, the measurements of the effective thermal conductivity of nanomaterials and local phase transition temperatures. Finally, future challenges and opportunities for SThM are discussed.
Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann freezing of a thermally fluctuating artificial spin ice probed by x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy

We report on the crossover from the thermal to the athermal regime of an artificial spin ice formed from a square array of magnetic islands whose lateral size, 30 nm × 70 nm, is small enough that they are dynamic at room temperature. We used resonant magnetic soft x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy as a method to observe the time-time correlations of the fluctuating magnetic configurations of spin ice during cooling, which are found to slow abruptly as a freezing temperature of T0=178±5 K is approached. This slowing is well described by a Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann law, implying that the frozen state is glassy, with the freezing temperature being commensurate with the strength of magnetostatic interaction energies in the array. The activation temperature, TA=40±10 K, is much less than that expected from a Stoner-Wohlfarth coherent rotation model. Zero-field-cooled/field-cooled magnetometry reveals a freeing up of fluctuations of states within islands above this temperature, caused by variation in the local anisotropy axes at the oxidised edges. This Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann behavior implies that the system enters a glassy state upon freezing, which is unexpected for a system with a well-defined ground state.