Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors Influencing Sexual Size Dimorphism in Temperate Waterstriders

Sexual size ratios (mean female length divided by mean male length) of 12 species of temperate waterstriders in the subfamily Gerrinae (Hemiptera, Gerridae) are analyzed to test both potentially nonadaptive and adaptive hypotheses for the evolution of sexual size dimorphism. Females tend to be larger than males, and regression of female length on male length (both log-transformed) reveals significant hypoallometry for size dimorphism. Both adaptive and nonadaptive explanations for the evolution of this allometry are discussed. Of these, only a nonadaptive model is consistent with the available data. Two closely related genera, Limnoporus and Gerris, are included in the data set, but covariance analysis reveals no significant effect of phylogeny on patterns of variation in size dimorphism. It is suggested, however, that the basic female bias may reflect descent from a common, highly dimorphic ancestor, rather than adaptation within this taxon. Four adaptive hypotheses are considered. Comparisons of the development times of males and females reveal that the female-biased size dimorphism is not associated with protandry, and the developmental-constraints hypothesis is therefore rejected. The hypothesis that selection for migration by flight tends to reduce sexual size dimorphism is supported by intraspecific comparisons of long-winged and short-winged morphs. A positive correlation between mating duration and residuals from the body-size regression supports the hypothesis that loading constraints associated with prolonged pairing select for increased size dimorphism. The available data on mating systems and size-selective mating support the hypothesis that sexual selection for large males promotes reduced or even reversed size dimorphism in some species, whereas sexual selection for large females increases size dimorphism in other species. Thus, patterns of size dimorphism in this taxon may be influenced by at least three, potentially interacting, selective processes: selection for dispersal by flight, selection for reduced loading during prolonged pairing, and sexual selection. The relative influence of these factors in three groups of ecologically similar species is discussed. The general conclusions of this study are consistent with the results of recent comparative studies of size dimorphism in primates. In both taxa, sexual size dimorphism is most strongly influenced by potentially nonadaptive factors, and the residual variation reflects the action of several selective factors. The complexity of size-ratio evolution revealed by these studies suggests that patterns of sizeratio variation within and among taxa, or size ratios typical of single species, are unlikely to be satisfactorily explained by reference to single hypotheses or to selective hypotheses only.
Copula Bivariate Probit Models: With an Application to Medical Expenditures

The bivariate probit model is frequently used for estimating the eff ect of an endogenous binary regressor (the "treatment") on a binary health outcome variable. This paper discusses simple modifi cations that maintain the probit assumption for the marginal distributions while introducing non-normal dependence using copulas. In an application of the copula bivariate probit model to the effect of insurance status on the absence of ambulatory health care expenditure, a model based on the Frank copula outperforms the standard bivariate probit model.
Importancia Económica Y Social De Los Servicios De Los Ecosistemas: Una Revisión De La Agenda De Investigación (Economic and Social Importance of Ecosystem Services: A Review of Research Agenda)

<b>Spanish Abstract: </b>Hasta hace 50 años, los servicios ecosistémicos eran invisibles para el análisis económico y social, se desconocía su contribución al sistema económico y la vida humana, en general. Hoy gracias al trabajo de diversos autores, el tema se aborda desde un enfoque multidisciplinario, ecología y economía se fusionan para reconocer y estimar la contribución de los servicios ecosistémicos y la importancia de su conservación. En este sentido, se realizó una revisión teórica exhaustiva con el objetivo de dar a conocer la importancia que tienen los servicios ecosistémicos al sistema económico y social, que desde siempre han contribuido al bienestar del hombre, proveen de alimentos, agua, combustibles, medicinas, regulación del aire, entre otros. Sin embargo, antes se consideraba que los bienes y servicios ambientales eran infinitos, su uso era intensivo y provocó la degradación del capital natural a niveles críticos, por ello actualmente se trabaja en políticas y medidas de conservación y manejo sustentable de los ecosistemas, que garanticen su regeneración y perdurabilidad. Se encontró que el capital natural es fundamental tanto para el sistema económico como el social, sin él no existirían, pues contribuye con múltiples beneficios directos e indirectos que sostienen el bienestar humano. <b>English Abstract: </b>50 years ago ecosystem services were invisible to the economic and social analysis. Their contribution to the economic system and the human life in general was unkown. Now, thanks to the work of many researchers the subject is studied from a multidisciplinary approach, ecology and economics blend to recognize and estimate the contribution of ecosystem services and the importance of their conservation. Therefore, a comprehensive theoretical review of the topic was conducted to reléase the importance of the ecosystem services to the economic and social systems, always have contributed to the human welfare, provide food, water, fuel, medicines, regulation of air, among other, however less, once considered as the environmental godos and services were infinite, their use was intensive and produce the degradation of the environment in critical levels, therefore currently the research focuses in policies and conservation strategies which ensure their regeneration and perdurability. Was found the natural capital is fundamental both the economic system and social system, would not exist without him, the natural capital contributes with multiple benefits direct and indirect that support human welfare.
The Opposing Effects of Information Complexity and Information Content on Return Volatility

We evaluate the impact of complexity and content of new information on stock return volatility dynamics around 10-K fillings. On average, return volatility increases by 0.4% in the first four weeks after the release of the report, followed by a 2.6% decrease in the subsequent six weeks. This hump-shaped dynamics is more pronounced for firms with larger 10-K reports. The effects are economically significant: an optionsbased investment strategy exploring the volatility dynamics generates 17.3% annualized return spread. Our findings highlight the importance of timing for understanding the opposing effects of complexity and content of new information on asset prices.
Different Utilization of Deoxycytidine as DNA-Thymine in Lymphoid Tissues of the Mouse

Small pieces of tissues were cut and homogenized in an appropriate volume of 2 M NaCl. Pure, highly polymerized DNA was extracted after RNase and protease treatment from the homogenate of lymphoid tissues of mouse. The extracted DNA contained no detectable RNA, and the yields ranged from 30 % to 70 % of DNA in the starting material. Using pure DNA extracted by this method, the rate of [G-3H]deoxycytidine incorporation into cytosine and thymine of DNA in thymus was different from that in mesenteric lymph nodes in mouse after administration of [G-31-1]deoxycytidine. Thus, the utilization of deoxycytidine as DNA-thymine was differed between the thymus and mesenteric lymph nodes in the mouse.
How Serious is the Measurement-Error Problem in a Popular Risk-Aversion Task?

This paper uses the test/retest data from the Holt and Laury (2002) experiment to provide estimates of the measurement error in this popular risk-aversion task. Maximum likelihood estimation suggests that the variance of the measurement error is approximately equal to the variance of the number of safe choices. Simulations confirm that the coefficient on the risk measure in univariate OLS regressions is approximately half of its true value. Unlike measurement error, the discrete transformation of continuous risk aversion is not a major issue. We discuss the merits of a number of different solutions: increasing the number of observations, IV and the ORIV method developed by Gillen et al. (2019).
Market Reaction to Large Transfers on the Bitcoin Blockchain - Do Size and Motive Matter?

Abstract How does the market react to large Bitcoin transactions? We analyze effects of 2,132 transactions involving at least 500 Bitcoins. While results for all transactions are inconclusive, further analysis of transaction size and presumed transfer motives based on publicly known Bitcoin addresses of cryptocurrency exchanges reveals significant price effects depending on the type of transaction. The results indicate that the market recognizes the nature of the transfer and prices in new information.
Rethinking Optimum Currency Area Theory: Endogenous Synchronisation of Shocks in Europe

This work aims to assess whether the hypothesis of endogenous synchronisation of shocks is verified in the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). A state-space model, which yields time-varying coefficients, is estimated with structural demand and supply shocks to several European economies and those of Germany. The goals is to obtain dynamic measures of correlation, which can help understand to what extent have structural shocks to European economies become more or less synchronised with Germany's throughout the EMU experience. Evidence shows that demand shocks have become increasingly synchronised, which corroborates the hypothesis of endogeneity. However, this phenomenon does not seem to be restricted only to EMU members. Furthermore, results prove that this increasing synchronisation occurred mainly in peripheral countries. For supply shocks conclusions are not as clear. Nevertheless, results do seem to point to the fact the countries outside the EMU have not become more structurally similar to Germany.
Capital Financing Under Information Asymmetry: Debt Underpricing as a New Signaling Approach

In this study, we develop a static signaling game model to examine the problem of a firm raising funds externally to finance an investment project when there is an information asymmetry between the firm and its outside investors, and the life-span of the investment project is very short. Different from other capital financing models, we also allow the firm to choose the selling price of the securities issued, to explore the possibility of underpricing as a signaling tactic. We provide an efficient procedure for identifying all possible perfect bayesian equilibria (PBEs) resulting in our model, and fully characterize the optimal financing strategy adopted by the firm under various scenarios. Our study finds that when the cost of bankruptcy is low, a high-quality firm cannot signal its type to investors through its choice of financial instrument (equity or debt). The firm must instead sell its debt security at a discounted price (known as debt underpricing) to make the signaling feasible. We also show this signaling strategy to be optimal when the degree of information asymmetry is sufficiently large and the cost of bankruptcy sufficiently low. This corroborates with the empirical studies carried out in previous studies. Our work also reveals that it is still optimal for a firm to issue risky debt even when the information asymmetry cannot be resolved, due to the low information cost embedded in the debt contract. We explore how the debt underpricing improves the investment inefficiency caused by the problem of information asymmetry. We compare different financing strategies in revealing information of a firm, with the aim of determining an optimal strategy.
Forgotten by the Highway: Globalisation, Adverse Incorporation and Chronic Poverty in a Commercial Farming District of South Africa

This paper presents key findings from a livelihoods survey of households in four poor neighbourhoods in the Western Cape district of Ceres, one of the centres of South Africa's deciduous fruit export industry. It explores the nature and dynamics of the persistence of poverty in the context of continued and relatively sustained economic development and growth, and considers whether the concept of 'social exclusion' can help in making sense - especially policy sense - of these dynamics. It is suggested that while focusing on 'social exclusion' certainly helps draw attention to power relations, powerlessness, and the processes that perpetuate these, coming up with workable policy responses to social exclusion requires developing a much more nuanced analysis of the social processes involved in what is perhaps more productively thought of as 'adverse incorporation'. The paper begins with a short description of Ceres and a brief introduction to the key theoretical issues. A schematic overview of social relations and inequality in Western Cape agriculture precedes a summary of some of the key policy responses developed to address poverty and inequality after the transition to democratic rule, and a sketch of some of the most important trends in the sector. This provides the background for a discussion of household livelihood activities and problems. The paper draws on quantitative surveys and semi-structured interviews with selected households, as well as on analyses and insights flowing from medium and long-term qualitative research and fieldwork on deciduous fruit production and social power relations in the area.
A Survey of Systemic Risk Indicators

The aim of this survey is to provide a rigorous, but not so technical, introduction to several systemic risk indicators frequently used in official publications by institutions involved in macroprudential analysis and policy. The selected indicators are classified using three taxonomies. The first one adopts the point of view of regulators and policy-makers, whose attention is usually focused on the implementability and forward-looking nature of the indicators. The second taxonomy highlights the features that are most relevant for researchers, i.e. the reliance on a sound theoretical background and the use of advanced analytical techniques. The third taxonomy classifies the indicators according to the specific aspects of systemic risks that are captured. For each indicator both general and technical descriptions are provided, as well as specific examples.
Employment Persistence

The recent U.S. expansion has provided employment experience to individuals at tail of the skill distribution. Will these opportunities bestow persistent benefits in the form of greater future employability? Using synthetic cohorts constructed from the CPS, this paper estimates the degree of persistence in cohort-level employment rates in excess of persistence in aggregate macroeconomic conditions. This approach is in some ways superior to testing for hysteresis in the aggregate unemployment rate because it abstracts away from compositional changes in the labor force by focusing on particular demographic groups. After controlling for aggregate conditions, there is little evidence of significant persistence in cohorts' employment rates; the effects of aggregate shocks are essentially dissipated within three years. However, economic conditions that prevailed when the cohorts first entered the labor market significantly affect the average lifetime employment rate of cohorts of less-educated men.
Potential Gains from International Diversification: Cross-Country Evidence from an Alternative Methodology

I examine the international diversification gains from the perspective local investors using MSCI index data for 48 stock markets. I implement a framework recently proposed by Rudin and Morgan (2006, Journal of Portfolio Management). Based upon a principal components analysis run over the covariance matrix, the “Portfolio Diversification Index” resumes the diversification potential across an investment set via a single statistic without requiring any statistical inference regarding the returns expectations. Evidence is globally in favor of the potential gains from global diversification for local investors in each country. Unlike the results obtained from the mean-variance framework, the diversification gains does not differ significantly across local investors in developed and emerging markets. The costs from home bias are sizeable in that for relatively low levels of the domestic investment share by 15-20%, the resulting international portfolio exhibit an almost undiversified pattern. I also examine the dependence of the diversification potential as local investors enlarge the international portfolio pool. Remarkably, the marginal gains from adding one more foreign destination drop sharply as the portfolio size increases. For most cases, an international portfolio made up by 40 stock markets yields the same diversification scheme which would be obtained via a medium-sized portfolio consisting of 10 to 15 markets.
The Future of Data Analysis in Evolutionary Genomics

Biology as a whole has entered a new era in which data analysis plays a prominent role; but in the field of evo- lutionary genomics, data analysis has so far yielded little of value. This relative failure has been due in large part to meth- odological problems. Frequently, researchers have not sufficiently considered alternative hypotheses, leading to a kind of "computer-assisted storytelling". Moreover, there has been widespread use of model-based statistical methods that depend heavily on assumptions regarding evolutionary processes of which we have little knowledge. The field of evolutionary genomics would benefit from a greater use of "sturdy statistics" that are model-free and make few assumptions about processes we do not understand.
On the Brink? Intra Euro-Area Imbalances and the Sustainability of Foreign Debt

In this paper we study the intra-euro area imbalances based on a ynamic general equilibrium model. We show that European financial integration and the introduction of the euro might have contributed to the development of imbalances. Interest rate convergence following EMU accession led to net foreign debt positions, which prove difficult to reverse. Simulation results for the euro area suggest that current account imbalances and foreign debt positions of today’s crisis countries have significantly diverged from a sustainable path. Increasing investment in the EMU core and productivity in crisis countries may permit a return to sustainable foreign debt levels and correct macroeconomic imbalances in the euro area.
The impact of feedlot effluent on water quality and aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure in streams of the upper Vaal River catchment, South Africa

The impact of three intensive feedlots on aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure under high and low flows in the upper Vaal catchment was investigated. Water quality variables recorded upstream and downstream of feedlot activity include pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, temperature, turbidity, chloride, phosphate, sulphate, ammonium, nitrite, nitrate and chemical oxygen demand. Differences in water quality between upstream and downstream sites included nutrient concentrations, pH and conductivity. Alterations in family-level invertebrate community structures indicated a decline in abundances and species richness at sites situated downstream of feedlots. SIMPER analysis reflected invertebrate similarities for upstream and downstream sites for both low-flow and high-flow surveys. Downstream similarities of 59.03%, 69.26% and 63.92% were recorded. Some clear seasonal influences occurred. Redundancy analysis, using water quality variables and taxonomic orders, explained 80.3%, 81.3% and 86.0% of the variances recorded.
Does Party School Education Shape the Executive Behavior Preference?

This study examines the effects of Party School education on managerial styles. Using a sample of Chinese state-owned listed firms during 2004-2014, we find that firms whose executives have the Party School experiences generate fewer patents but have more advertising and trade credit activities. The results are robust when we control for the other managerial background characteristics, political connection and endogeneity. We further discuss possible underlying mechanisms through which the Party School experiences influence managerial decisions and show that there is risk aversion effect and political resources effect, but little evidence supported by the career concerns effect. These results show that Party School experience has significant explanatory power for managerial decision and firm outcomes. Overall, our study extends the literature and offers novel evidence on how previously under-explored managerial trait-Party School experience relates to managerial styles.
The first 100 Years of Women’s Representation in Danish Local Politics (1909-2009) – Patterns of Contagion?

Celebrating the centennial for women’s inclusion in the local political elites in Denmark this paper discuss why women has in some municipalities acquired parity in numerical representation while in others still lacks behind their male colleagues and have conquered only very few seats at the council. The paper argues that a longitudinal perspective should be applied and suggest four dynamic hypotheses: A Duverger-inspired contagion from the left hypothesis suggesting that successful left-wing parties has led to a contagion of the other parties raising the total number of women councilors in these municipalities, a critical mass hypothesis suggesting that when female representation reach a certain level a chain reaction will start and women will reach parity soon thereafter, a role model hypothesis stating that the election of a female mayor affects the number of female councilors in the years after, and a Rokkan-inspired contagion from the centre hypothesis claiming that the increase in women representation is to be observed in the centre first and only in the periphery of the country later. The hypotheses are tested by including two elections only and therefore the results are not overwhelming so the paper suggest including a longer time span for further analyses.
Start-Up Absorptive Capacity: Does the Owner's Human and Social Capital Matter?

This study investigates how business owner human and social capital affect start-up absorptive capacity under different environmental conditions. From our analysis of a sample of 199 Flemish start-ups, we observe that the owner’s start-up experience and bridging social capital are positively and significantly related to the new venture’s ability to acquire, assimilate, and exploit external information. In addition, our findings reveal a positive, but decreasing effect of owner specific human capital as a function of environmental turbulence. Furthermore, we find that management experience significantly stimulates start-up absorptive capacity within highly dynamic environments, whereas it hinders it within stable environments. Finally, implications and opportunities for future research are provided.