Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dictators Don't Compete: Autocracy, Democracy and Tax Competition

It pays to be a tax haven. Ireland has become rich that way. Why do not all countries cut their capital taxes to get wealthy? One reason is structural. As the standard model of tax competition explains, small countries gain from competitive tax cuts while large countries suffer. Yet not all small (large) countries have low (high) capital taxes. Why? The reason, we argue, is political. While the standard model assumes governments to be democratic, more than a third of countries world-wide are non-democratic. We explain theoretically why autocracies are less likely to adjust to competitive constraints and test our argument empirically against data on the corporate tax policy of 99 countries from 1999 to 2011.
The Effect of Budgetary Controls on the Performance of an Organization

The discussion of budgeting has been a subject of debate over recent years. Although ZDF adopt budgeting controls, there have been no comprehensive studies on budgeting which has been conducted at ZDF in Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe budgeting control adoption has not been complete without the active engagement of various stakeholders at ZDF. At ZDF it is not known on how budgeting is conducted, whether budgetary controls in ZDF compare well with benchmarks, if control systems are effective in relation to performance of the organization. It is against this background that this study investigated how budgeting is conducted in the ZDF, establish whether the budgetary controls in ZDF compare well with benchmarks, examine the effectiveness of the control system in relation to performance of the organization, identify challenges to effective budgeting in ZDF and suggest improvements to the control systems. The literature on budgeting showed that the following areas have not been explored: the meaning attached to budgeting by ZDF is currently not known, the impact of budgeting in Zimbabwe is currently not known. Data for this study was collected through 65 questionnaires. The systematic random sampling method was adopted to select respondents for quantitative research while the purposive method was used to select respondents for qualitative research. The SPSS version 21.0 was used to analyze quantitative data while the reduction method was adopted for qualitative data.
Modeling haul-out behavior of walruses in Bering Sea ice

Understanding haul-out behavior of ice-associated pinnipeds is essential for designing and interpreting popula- tion surveys and for assessing effects of potential changes in their ice environments. We used satellite-linked transmitters to obtain sequential information about location and haul-out state for Pacific walruses, Odobenus rosmarus divergens (Il- liger, 1815), in the Bering Sea during April of 2004, 2005, and 2006. We used these data in a generalized mixed model of haul-out bout durations and a hierarchical Bayesian model of haul-out probabilities to assess factors related to walrus haul- out behavior, and provide the first predictive model of walrus haul-out behavior in sea ice habitat. Average haul-out bout duration was 9 h, but durations of haul-out bouts tended to increase with durations of preceding in-water bouts. On aver- age, tagged walruses spent only about 17% of their time hauled out on sea ice. Probability of being hauled out decreased with wind speed, increased with temperature, and followed a diurnal cycle with the highest values in the evening. Our haul-out probability model can be used to estimate the proportion of the population that is unavailable for detection in spring surveys of Pacific walruses on sea ice. Resume´ : Il est essentiel de comprendre le comportement d'echouerie chez les pinnipedes associes aux glaces pour plani- fier et interpreter les inventaires demographiques et pour evaluer les effets des changements potentiels dans leurs environ- nements glacials. Nous avons utilisedes emetteurs relies aux satellites pour obtenir des informations sequentielles sur la position et l'etat d'echouerie de morses du Pacifique (Odobenus rosmarus divergens (Illiger, 1815)) dans la mer de Bering en avril 2004, 2005 et 2006. Ces donnees utilisees dans un modele de melange generalisede duree des episodes d'echouerie et un modele hierarchique bayesien des probabilites d'echouerie nous servent aevaluer les facteurs relies aux comportement d'echouerie chez les morses et amettre au point le premier modele predictif sur le comportement d'echouerie chez les morses dans un habitat de glace de mer. Les morses marques passent en moyenne 9 h par episode
Simultaneous Two-Dimensional Continuous-Time Markov Chain Approximation of Two-Dimensional Fully Coupled Markov Diffusion Processes

In this paper, we propose a novel simultaneous two-dimensional continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) approximation method, in contrast to the existing double-layer approach, to approximate the general fully coupled Markov diffusion processes which cover all the classical models. Extensive simulation studies on different kinds of financial option pricing problems in the European, American, and barrier settings, confirm that the proposed methodology has superior accuracy and outperforms the widely applicable Monte Carlo (MC) simulation approach consistently.
The effect of chicory root powder on growth performance and some blood parameters of broilers fed wheat-based diets

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of the chicory root powder (CRP) on growth performance and some blood parameters in broiler chickens fed whole wheat (WW) or ground wheat (GW) based diets. A total of 240 one-day old (Ross 308) broiler chickens used in a completely randomised design (with 4 × 2 factorial arrangement), allocated to 8 treatments with 3 replicate and 10 birds per pen. Treatments were a combination of four levels of CRP (0%, 1.5%, 3%, 4.5%) and two forms of wheat grain (whole vs. ground). No differences were found for body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) between treatments during starter period (1–21 d). BWG of 4.5% CRP diet fed birds was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than that of control treatment during the growth (21–42 d) and whole trail period (1–42 d). FI and FCR in birds fed CRP diets were not significantly different compared to those of control (free CRP). Feeding WW compared to GW resulted in a significant increase in the relative weight of the gizzard. Feeding 4.5% CRP + GW decreased significantly triglyceride (TG) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)– cholesterol levels, but the total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein–cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein–cholesterol were not affected by dietary treatments. The results shown that feeding CRP up to 4.5% in GW-based diets significantly decreased TG and VLDL–cholesterol concentrations without adverse effects on broilers performance.
Fetal Growth of Man and Other Primates

W T r HEN human growth is divided into an embryonic, a fetal, and a post-natal period, it is found that our knowledge in regard to the first and last parts is far more advanced than that of the middle or fetal period. Of all biological sciences embryology and physical anthropology have contributed the largest shares to the literature on human growth. The physiology and the histology of growth have been investigated much less and not until in comparativelyxrecent years, the latter for instance by Levi (I925), the former by Friendenthal (I9I4). Comparative studies on the growth of different animals have been undertaken for but few and special purposes and no comprehensive paper on this promising problem is available as yet. In short, it can be stated that of the multitutde of questions, arising from the study of growth, a large proportion has up to the present time either not been answered at all or only in a tentative and incomplete manner. This review is restricted almost entirely to observations from the field of physical anthropology and places main emphasis on the period of growth extending from the time the embryo has gained a definitely human form to birth. In other words, the following discussion will deal principally with those ontogenetic changes in body size and proportions which take place during that phase of development which links the period properly assigned to embryology with that covered by the enormous literature on growth in children (Baldwin (i92i) has collected 9II titles pertaining to the growth of man from birth to maturity). Conditions in juveniles and adults are mentioned in this paper merely in order to indicate the general trend of growth changes during life after birth, and to compare certain features of fetal development with those at later stages of growth.
Influence of heat treatments on whey protein denaturation and rennet clotting properties of cow's and goat's milk

Effect of heat treatments (65-85 degrees C for 5-35 min) on the rennet clotting properties and whey protein denaturation of cow's and goat's milk was investigated. The rennet clotting time (RCT) of raw cow's milk was longer than that of goat's milk. Although heat treatments increased the RCT of cow's milk samples, this parameter was not affected when goat's milk was heated up to 85 degrees C for 30 min. Heat treatments higher than 70 degrees C for 15 min rendered a very weak curd from cow's milk, however the consistency of curd from goat's milk was slightly affected by heat treatments. Whey proteins from goat's milk were more denatured than those from cow's milk on samples heated at temperatures higher than 75 degrees C. A good relationship was established between whey protein denaturation and RCT in cow's milk. Dialysis of cow's milk against an excess of goat's milk decrease the RCT of raw and heated samples; goat's milk was not affected by dialysis treatment against cow's milk. The influence of CaCl2 concentration on RCT was higher on cow's than on goat's milk for heat treatments up to 80 degrees C for 30 min.
How Social Media Impacts Mass Media News Viewership in the Stock Market

We explored in this study the impact of social media on the viewership of mass media news in the stock market. We argue that the popularity of a topic on social media can affect the viewership of news articles the next day on this same topic. Moreover, the detailed characteristics of how social media information is written can amplify this effect. Analyzing 1.4 million pieces of stock-related news and around 50 million stock-related social media posts for the years of 2013 and 2014 from Sina Finance and Sina Weibo, we found social media volume on a stock at time t-1 is associated with mass media news viewership on the same stock at time t; this effect increases when social media sentiment is more intense or more positive, or when the social media information source is more verifiable. Furthermore, we conducted causality tests to confirm the impact of social media on mass media news viewership. Our findings have implications for theory and practice, especially with respect to the design of news recommendation systems as well as recent policy and associated legislation that is based on an oversimplifying assumption that social media steals from the mass media audience.
Seasonal variations in the biochemical composition of some common seaweed species from the coast of Abu Qir Bay, Alexandria, Egypt

Abstract Variations in protein, carbohydrate, lipid, ash, moisture, fatty acid and amino acid contents of the seaweeds Ulva lactuca Linnaeus (Chlorophyta), Jania rubens (Linnaeus) J.V. Lamouroux and Pterocladia capillacea (S.G. Gmelin) Bornet (Rhodophyta) were studied seasonally from spring to autumn 2010. The seaweeds were collected from a rocky site near Boughaz El-Maadya on the coast of Abu Qir Bay east of Alexandria, Egypt. Remarkable seasonal variations were recorded in the levels of the studied parameters in the three species. Pterocladia capillacea was characterized by the highest protein and carbohydrate content throughout the different seasons, whereas Ulva lactuca contained more lipids (4.09 ± 0.2%) than J. rubens and P. capillacea. The highest total fatty acids were recorded in J. rubens during the three seasons, while saturated fatty acids were predominant in P. capillacea during spring. This is due mainly to the presence of palmitic acid (C16:0), which made up 74.3% of the saturated fatty acids. The highest level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in these algae was measured in J. rubens; DHA (22:6ω3) was the main acid, making up 26.4% of the total fatty acids especially during summer. Proline was the major component of the amino acids in the three algal species, with maximum amounts in U. lactuca.
CEO Turnover: Performance Measurement and Monitoring

When deciding on managerial continuation or termination, a firm’s board can rely on the performance measure realization and active monitoring, which provides additional information about a manager’s ability. We show that more informative performance measurement can surprisingly increase the value of monitoring, either because it warrants further investigation, or due to the increased likelihood of a false positive or false negative. In this case, these sources of information are “complements”. In private equity firms, they are typically complements conditional on a bad performance, and substitutes conditional on a good performance. We also provide a typology of complementarity in large public firms.
Suckers, Punters, Pathbreakers: When Homo Oeconomicus is Selflessly Selfish

Rational choice presupposes that people do what they like better than any available alternative. If, however, we mistrust what they declare to like or what psychology is supposed to tell us about it (a pardonable enough mistrust), we can only infer what they like from observing what they do. We must be content with revealed preference. The theory of choice is locked into the tautology of “they do what they like because they like what they do,” and requiring their preferences to be orderly and consistent is of little practical help. In its elegance, modern choice theory, as represented in neoclassical economics, is too smooth and slippery to be very useful. However, choices can be shown to be rational in a simpler sense. Though there may well be others, the most significant of these choices are made by the sucker who contributes to a public good, the punter who makes the risky first move in an equilibrium selection for a “game,” and the pathbreaker who pioneers a new way rather than leave it to others to do it.
The Fate of Nitrogen Applied to a Mature Kentucky Bluegrass Turf

Research on nitrate-nitrogen (NO 3 -N) leaching in turfgrass indicates that, in most cases, leaching poses little risk to the environment. Most of the research was conducted on sites that were recently established, and the potential for greater NO 3 -N leaching from mature turf sites is unknown. The fate of nitrogen (N) was examined for a 10-yr-old Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) turf using intact monolith lysimeters and microplots. From October 2000 through July 2002, half of the lysimeters and microplots were treated annually with urea at a high rate of 245 kg N ha -1 (49 kg N ha -1 application -1 ). The remaining lysimeters and microplots were treated annually with urea at a low rate of 98 kg N ha -1 (24.5 kg N ha -1 application -1 ). The Oct. 2000 urea application was made with 15 N double-labeled urea to facilitate fertilizer identification among clippings, verdure, thatch, soil, roots, and leachate. The average total recovery of applied labeled fertilizer nitrogen (LFN) for the low and high N rates was 78 and 74%, respectively. NO 3 -N concentrations in leachate for the low N rate were typically below 5 mg L -1 . For the high N rate, NO 3 -N concentrations in leachate were often greater than 20 mg L -1 . Over approximately 2 yr, 1 and 11% of LFN was recovered in leachate for the low and high N rates, respectively. This research indicates that single dose, high rate, water soluble N applications (49 kg N ha -1 application -1 ) to mature turfgrass stands should be avoided to minimize the potential for NO 3 -N leaching.
Variation in the characteristics of milkfat from pasture‐fed dairy cows during late spring and the effects of grain supplementation.

Abstract Sources of variation in milkfat characteristics were determined after approximately 115 days‐in‐milk for Friesian cows that had calved in spring and grazed ryegrass‐white clover pastures. Three groups each of 15 multiparous cows were managed as separate herds. Each herd was subjected to one of 3 management strategies: pasture only, pasture only during the experimental period but previously supplemented with 2–3 kg/cow/day maize grain, and pasture plus 3–4 kg/cow/day maize grain. During a 3‐week period beginning in November 1994, milk samples were collected twice‐weekly from individual cows and analysed for total milkfat, protein and lactose, fatty acid profiles, and solid fat content (SFC). Repeat analyses were conducted on 39 samples to provide an estimation of analytical variation for fatty acid profiles. Estimates of between‐cow variation were greater than those of within‐cow variation for all parameters except fatty acids C6:0, C14:0, and C18:2. Analytical variation was small. SFC at 10°C of .
Industrial Upgrading in Mixed Market Economies: The Spanish Case

This paper discusses convergence through the concept of industrial upgrading and its application to the Spanish case. The paper explains the recent rise of Spain’s firms in high value-added service sectors and the fall in capital and skill-intensive manufacturing through the characterisation of Spain’s institutional structure. I argue that Spain’s institutional system is defined by peer coordination (PC), a non-hierarchical form of strategic coordination based on the presence of public-private interdependencies and direct state-business interactions. Under PC, Spanish firms in complex services sectors enabled the state to achieve developmental goals in exchange for sector-specific advantages that facilitated upgrading. The absence of effective intermediary agents hindered the development of PC in manufacturing sectors dominated by small firms. Furthermore, PC limited their access to the patient capital and stable demand necessary to develop new, complex products. The central state and some regional governments were able to circumvent these limitations only in exceptional cases.
Carbon and nitrogen cycling on intertidal mudflats of a temperate Australian estuary. III. Sources of organic matter

The sources and cycling of organic matter on 2 mudflats in the Huon Estuary, SE Tasmania, were investigated over 4 seasons using pigment and lipid biomarkers as well as stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen; 1 site was in the upper estuary,1 site was in a marine side-arm. The organic matter within the sediments at both sites was dominated by terrestrial sources, but most of this was refractory and only slowly remineralised. Significant, but seasonally variable, amounts of organic matter were derived from microphytobenthos (MPB), but this was rapidly remineralised and comprised only a minor fraction of the preserved sediment organic matter pool. Compound specific stable-isotope analysis of bacterial biomarkers suggested that the bacteria within the sediment were consuming microalgae-derived material. Separation of MPB from the sediment at the site in the upper estuary using the lens-tissue technique was found to significantly fractionate the algae com- munity with cyanobacteria being enriched in the separated fraction. Nitrogen fixation probably con- tributed significantly to the growth requirements of cyanobacteria at the site in the upper estuary, as indicated by the low δ 15 N value of the cyanobacteria separated from the sediment.
Haircuts

When 'confidence' is lost, 'liquidity dries up. ' We investigate the meaning of 'confidence' and 'liquidity' in the context of the current financial crisis. The financial crisis is a manifestation of an age-old problem with private money creation, banking panics. We explain this and provide some evidence with respect to the current crisis.
Sex ratio in Clematis gentianoides DC.

Abstract From 20 wild plants of the dioecious Tasmanian endemic, Clematis gentianoides, 1 941 seeds gave 367 males and 292 females. The trend towards an excess of males was not heterogeneous in the 20 progenies, 2 of which were significantly different from equality. The proportions of male plants could not be definitely related to percentage germination or death of seedlings. Earlier and later germinating groups had a similar sex ratio. Male plants produced more flowers than females and tended to flower earlier in age and earlier in the season. The heterogametic sex is not known.
Another “French paradox”: explaining why interest rates to microenterprises did not increase with the change in French usury legislation

Conventional wisdom indicates that the growth of credit may not materialize if credit rates remain capped by usury laws, as had long been the case in France. France therefore abolished usury ceilings on loans to microenterprise in an effort to increase financing for microentrepreneurs. This should have led to an increase in interest rates and increase in microcredit. However, we do not find any increase in interest rates and this is therefore a paradox. The paper provides a brief literature review and the salient features of the legislative changes in France. It follows this up with a presentation of interest rate movements. The discussion of possible explanations of the paradox includes classical market analysis (global interest rates, money supply, and competition), behavioral and institutional analysis (guarantees, Basel II and risk taking, legal concept of abusive support, protection for over-indebtedness, information asymmetry and limited liability) and softer institutional reasons (religion, risk-taking culture).
Feedback limitation of photosynthesis of Phaseolus vulgaris L grown in elevated CO2

The capacity for photosynthesis is often affected when plants are grown in air with elevated CO2 partial pressure. We grew Phaseolus vulgaris L. in 35 and 65 Pa CO2 and measured photosynthetic parameters. When assayed at the growth CO2 level, photosynthesis was equal in the two CO2 treatments. The maximum rate of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) consumption was lower in plants grown at 65 Pa, but the CO2 partial pressure at which the maximum occurred was higher in the high-CO2-grown plants, indicating acclimation to high CO2. The acclimation of RuBP consumption to CO2 involved a reduction of the activity of RuBP carboxylase which resulted from reduced carbamylation, not a loss of protein. The rate of RuBP consumption declined with CO2 when the CO2 partial pressure was above 50Pa in plants grown under both CO2 levels. This was caused by feedback inhibition as judged by a lack of response to removing O2 from the air stream. The rate of photosynthesis at high CO2 was lower in the high-CO2-grown plants and this was correlated with reduced activity of sucrose-phosphate synthase. This is only the second report of O2-insensitive photosynthesis under growth conditions for plants grown in high CO2.