Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Globalization and U.S. Wages: Modifying Classic Theory to Explain Recent Facts

This paper seeks to review how globalization might explain the recent trends in real and relative wages in the United States. We begin with an overview of what is new during the last 10-15 years in globalization, productivity, and patterns of U.S. earnings. To preview our results, we then work through four main findings: First, there is only mixed evidence that trade in goods, intermediates, and services has been raising inequality between more- and less-skilled workers. Second, it is more possible, although far from proven, that globalization has been boosting the real and relative earnings of superstars. The usual trade-in-goods mechanisms probably have not done this. But other globalization channels—such as the combination of greater tradability of services and larger market sizes abroad—may be playing an important role. Third, seeing this possible role requires expanding standard Heckscher-Ohlin trade models, partly by adding insights of more recent research with heterogeneous firms and workers. Finally, our expanded trade framework offers new insights on the sobering fact of pervasive real-income declines for the large majority of Americans in the past decade.
Is the discount on the secondary market a case for LDC debt relief

In 1988, the prices on the secondary market of LDC debt averaged 50 cents per dollar of face value. From the observation of such discount, this paper goes one step further and argues thatthe debt should be written down in order to account for the discrepancy between the face and market value of the debt. The paper is structured as follows. Section 1 spells out the model, section 2 calculates the socially efficient and the post-default growth rates of the economy. Section 3 shows that the lenders, if they were to monitor the investment and the consumption strategy of the borrower, would choose a lower investment strategy than the socially efficient one. Section 4 shows how an optimum rescheduling can achieve the equilibrium described in section 3. Section 5 shows the dynamic inconsistency of the optimal strategy spelled out in section 4, and shows the link with the"debt overhang"literature. Section 6 investigates the empirical relevance of the"debt overhang".
Foreclosures, House Prices, and the Real Economy

States without a judicial requirement for foreclosures are twice as likely to foreclose on delinquent homeowners. Comparing zip codes close to state borders with differing foreclosure laws, we show that foreclosure propensity and housing inventory jump discretely as one enters non-judicial states. There is no jump in other homeowner attributes such as credit scores, income, or education levels. The increase in foreclosure rates in non-judicial states persists for at least five years. Using the judicial / non-judicial law as an instrument for foreclosures, we show that foreclosures lead to a large decline in house prices, residential investment, and consumer demand.
The Effect of Extreme Climatic Events on Extreme Runoff in the Past 50 Years in the Manas River Basin, Xinjiang, China

To analyze extreme climatic change features and effects on runoff in the Manas River basin, Xinjiang, data were collected including daily mean temperature, daily highest and lowest temperatures, and daily precipitation from six meteorological stations in the Manas River basin as well as daily runoff data from the Kensiwate hydrologic stations during 1960-2010. By adopting the threshold value of extreme climatic events defined by ET ALDDMI and with the aid of nonparametric statistical tests, Pearson III methods, and others, the effect of extreme climatic events on extreme runoff in the past 50 years in the Manas River basin, Xinjiang, was analyzed. The results showed that in the past 50 years, 1) extreme warming events (annual extreme maximum temperature, warm-day and warm-night index) have risen significantly (P < 0.05). Among these the warm-day and warm-night indices decreased abruptly in 2001 and 1996, respectively. With respect to extreme cold events (annual extreme minimum temperature, cold-day and cold-night indices), the extreme minimum temperature was high after 1976, and the cold-day index weakened significantly, similar to the cold-night index. 2) Except for the continuous drought days (CDD), the other five indices of extreme precipitation events appeared to trend upward, with an abrupt change around 1993. 3) Flood events in 1990, mostly in summer, accounted for 42.9% of the total number of floods since 1960. Floods increased mainly because extremely high summer temperatures increased snowmelt, increasing inflow to the rivers, which combined with more precipitation to cause the increase in summer peak flood discharge.
Model Based Software Production Utilized by Visual Templates

In the automation domain programs are written by engineers. Available programming languages are normally standard IEC 61131-3 or vendor specific visual language. Programming requires domain knowledge and programming skills. Reusing programs is often simple copy / clone a working solution. There are different kinds of solutions done to effective produce programs. In Metso Automation application programs are first modeled and second systematically reused. The principles are applicable to be used in other context.
A note on the punctuated nature of movement paths

This paper addresses the question of how a moving item affects the nodes that lie along the path of movement. In particular, we are concerned with the question whether all nodes along the path of movement are affected in the same way or not. We first observe that most arguments that have been given to support the existence of intermediate reconstruction sites do not bear on this issue. We then discuss the logic of what a true argument would look like. Finally, we present three case studies. Two of them (A-reconstruction in Norwegian and VP-ellipsis in Dutch) provide prima facie arguments in favor of a position along the lines of Chomsky (1973, 1986, 2000), where some but not all nodes along the path of movement are affected by movement.
Specific Failures of Superalloys with Thermal Barrier Coatings Subjected to Thermo‐Mechanical Fatigue Loadings with a Thermal Gradient in a Simulated Combustion Environment

A new test system has been developed which enables us to apply complicated thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) loadings to superalloy specimens in order to simulate the conditions and significant temperature gradients that are experienced in components that operate in a combustion gas flow environment. Employing this system, some TMF tests were carried out for superalloy specimens with thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) under a combined condition in which the external load was superimposed on the thermal cycles. Here, special attention was paid to the specific damage morphologies and the deformation under this kind of complicated TMF loadings. Based on the experimental results, a new mechanistic model was proposed for the specific failure modes, especially for a creep-induced ratcheting phenomenon as well as for failures of ceramic top coat. Finally, this understanding is summarized in a damage map, which is defined in terms of some mechanical criteria.
Linear time-variable systems: Balancing and model reduction

A "uniformly balanced" realization for linear time-variable systems is defined. This representation is characterized by the fact that its controllability, and observability Gramians are equal and diagonal. Existence and uniqueness of the uniformly balanced realization is studied. Such a framework has many remarkable properties and leads to a novel method for approximating time-variable systems, where the subsystems of the balanced realization can be taken as a reduced model. The reduced model is examined from the point of view of stability, controllability, and observability.
The Petrology and Geochemistry of Granitoid Rocks of Troud Area in South-West of Shahrood

The area of study is located 120 Km north-east of Shahrood city. In terms of structure and geological classification, this area is located in the northern part of central Iran zone. Granitoids of Troud ranging from monzonite to granite. The main minerals of granitoids are quartz, plagioclase, and orthose. The accessory minerals are biotite, hornblende, sphene, and opaque minerals. Various textures of granular, graphic and prethite are observed in these rocks. Based on various diagrams of major and trace elements, this rock is I-type arc calk-alkaline, Meta to para-aluminous with continental origin form at subduction zone. All these characteristics, combined with low Al2O3/(FeO + MgO + TiO2) and (Na2O +K2O)/(FeO + MgO + TiO2) ratios and high Mg# values, suggest an origin through dehydration melting of alkaline mafic of lower crustal source rocks.
Community work – the missing link of municipal social policy

Municipal social policy has an important role in dealing with social problems of citizens. On micro level, municipalities spend a substantial amount of their budget solving such problems. However, increasing the amount of money spent on solving problems of each individual at micro level does not provide efficient fulfilment of the tasks defined for municipal social policy making. Thus new, complementary solutions should be looked into, as new ways of development of social work in municipalities should be designed with the aim to increase the level of citizen participation and joint responsibility, especially of socially vulnerable groups. Research results let the author conclude that social activity of socially vulnerable groups should be promoted by creating a series of prerequisites, among which citizen participation, need for organisational support, activities that would foster politician and municipality officials’ attitude towards citizen participation and their social capital increase, two-way relationship between citizens and officials, and the worker that would promote citizen participation, among which is social policy making, are considered to be very important. All of this can be successfully reached by developing community work in local municipalities. This is the missing link to combine macro and micro levels, or political determination and practical implementation of citizen participation.
INTERACTIVE MULTIBODY SIMULATION IN AUGMENTED REALITY1

In this paper, the authors discuss a methodology to enhance multibody systems simulations using Augmented Reality (AR) implementation. The AR deals with the use of live video imagery which is digitally processed and augmented by the addition of computer generated graphics. The purpose is to illustrate how recent developments in computer-aided design and augmented reality can improve the realism and interactivity when simulating the movement of digital mock-ups. The paper discusses hardware and software implementations and an overview of several illustrative examples. The basic idea is described starting from a simple simulation of a falling body subjected to gravity with the initial conditions set interactively by the user. Then, a more complex interactive simulation of the kinematics of a robot whose end-effector can be grabbed and moved by the user is presented. Finally, the real time dynamic simulation of a slider crank mechanism is discussed. The integration between AR and multibody simulation has revealed to be very useful for didactical purposes and collaborative design.
A hybrid variational-ensemble data assimilation scheme with systematic errorcorrection for limited-area ocean models

Abstract. A hybrid variational-ensemble data assimilation scheme to estimate the vertical and horizontal parts of the background error covariance matrix for an ocean variational data assimilation system is presented and tested in a limited-area ocean model implemented in the western Mediterranean Sea. An extensive data set collected during the Recognized Environmental Picture Experiments conducted in June 2014 by the Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation has been used for assimilation and validation. The hybrid scheme is used to both correct the systematic error introduced in the system from the external forcing (initialisation, lateral and surface open boundary conditions) and model parameterisation, and improve the representation of small-scale errors in the background error covariance matrix. An ensemble system is run offline for further use in the hybrid scheme, generated through perturbation of assimilated observations. Results of four different experiments have been compared. The reference experiment uses the classical stationary formulation of the background error covariance matrix and has no systematic error correction. The other three experiments account for, or not, systematic error correction and hybrid background error covariance matrix combining the static and the ensemble-derived errors of the day. Results show that the hybrid scheme when used in conjunction with the systematic error correction reduces the mean absolute error of temperature and salinity misfit by 55 and 42 % respectively, versus statistics arising from standard climatological covariances without systematic error correction.
Revitalizing Technical and Vocational Education in Nigeria for Youths and National Development

Nigeria as a developing nation cannot but strive to meet with the fast speed of technological advancement and the challenges in a globalize world nowadays. If she must address the numerous technological and job challenges, the issue of technology, skills and vocation acquisition must be tackled with all sincerity in the country’s education system. Highly industrialized nations have at one time or the other identified technical and vocational education as a transformational and development key index policy trust for technological growth, economic performance and development in general. Technical and vocational education lays emphasis on learning, skills acquisition; job creation and development that would enable individual engaged in it adjust to the changes in the ever dynamic society of today. This paper therefore, tends to examine this aspect of education in the country’s education system and the need to revitalize it to promote the technological growth in particular and development in general. It suggests among others; adequate funding, improvement of the status of technical and vocational education and training of needed manpower to impart the requisite skills and competencies the youths required in the technology world of today. Keywords: Revitalizing, Technical, Vocational, Youths, National Development
Network positions: Strategic Alliance in the Tobacco Industry in Nicaragua

This paper is based on the theory of the organizations as a network. I study the strategic alliances in the tobacco industry in Nicaragua. The study is more theoretical than empirical. I work with approaches in this field and any data of Central Bank of Nicaragua. My objective is to demonstrate that the firms in the tobacco industry are prone to enter in strategic alliances. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.5377/farem.v0i10. 1611 Revista Cientifica de FAREM-Esteli No.10 2014: 17-26
First report of two North American branchiobdellidans (Annelida: Clitellata) or crayfish worms on signal crayfish in Europe with a discussion of similar introductions into Japan

Two species of North American branchiobdellidans, Cambarincola gracilis Robinson, 1954 and Cambarincola okadai Yamaguchi, 1933, have been reported in Europe for the first time. These branchiobdellidans together with Xirogoniton victoriensis Gelder and Hall, 1990 were found on signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana, 1852), collected from the Lot and Tarn River drainages in southern France. Specimens of X. victoriensis were also reported on the same host in the Mayenne River drainage in northeastern France. Brief morphological descriptions of the three alien branchiobdellidan species are given. These introductions are briefly discussed and compared with similar alien ectosymbiotic associations found in Japan.
Information Retrieval by Linkage Discovery

This article discusses the topic of information retrieval by linkage discovery and reviews the related work of others in this area. Linkage discovery has been proven to be a useful method of relating sections of text, themes, and subtopics. This article discusses the relationship of linkage discovery and information retrieval including its background and a summary of work by the authors Lu and Segall (2013; 2011) and Lu et al. (2012; 2011) and that of others in the related areas of algorithms and models, multi-document summarization, web linkage and similarity measures, and linkage and semantic analysis. With the development of richness of information using software and Internet, the need of knowledge discovery from a huge amount of information is increasing. Linkage discovery is about how to find matching records or duplicates among entities and sections within or across the files. There are many applications in linkage discovery, such as entity resolution for wrong spelling, entity resolution for data from different database systems with different data structures, entity resolution for timely changes of personal information, discovery of linkage between different sections in electric publications. For entity resolution, the Fellegi-Sunter model can be used to discover linkage as shown in new model Entity Resolution for Fellegi-Sunter (ERFS) by Lu and Segall (2013). To discover linkage between different sections in digital publications, one can use semantic analysis. In this article, we discuss a review of literature related to the Fellegi-Sunter model, Stanford Entity Resolution Framework (SERF), Expectation Maximization (EM) and Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) and other methods, each of which can be used for information retrieval to discover linkage from entities and sections within or across the files.
Preliminary Evaluation of a Snap Bean Harvester in Southern Puerto Rico

A snap bean planting was established on March 21, 1978, at the Fortuna Substation, in southern Puerto Rico, with the purpose of comparing mechanical with hand harvesting. There were no significant differences between yields of the hand-harvested and the mechanical harvested plots. There was significant difference between the time consumed per ha in the hand and mechanical harvesting, i. e. 395.7 vs. 100.7 man-hours, respectively. Although the percentage of extraneous matter harvested was high (32.8%) it could be reduced with adequate blower and reel calibration.
Valence-band tunneling induced low frequency noise in ultrathin oxide (15 Å) n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors

Low frequency flicker noise in n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (n-MOSFETs) with 15A gate oxide is investigated. A noise generation mechanism resulting from valence band tunneling is proposed. In strong inversion condition, valence-band electron tunneling takes place and results in the splitting of electron and hole quasi-Fermi levels in the channel. The excess low frequency noise is attributed to electron and hole recombination at interface traps between the two quasi-Fermi levels. Random telegraph signal in a small area device is characterized to support our model.
A Model to Analyze Small and Medium Enterprises’ Training Needs Related to the Internationalization

Formal training can play a particularly important role in supporting the internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). However, the demand for education services by the latter still appears limited. This is due to known structural and cultural limits that are found widely in this type of business and to the fact that the provision of training—especially that which is funded—does not seem to address adequately SMEs’ needs; in many cases, such training is not stimulating, because it is perceived as too general. In fact, SMEs do not constitute a single homogeneous group and therefore assistance needs vary among the different types of firms. So, especially in relation to internationalization, it is clear that there are important differences to consider due to the variety of approaches and ways of developing this process. In order to optimize the resources to invest in the promotion of training, there is a need to find a proper balance between providing “viable solutions for all businesses” and offering “targeted responses and tailored services”. In such a context, the main objective of this paper is to identify and systematize the variables that most influence the SMEs’ training needs related to internationalization by taking into account the differences among them. To this end, an empirical analysis was developed involving a significant number of Italian SMEs by using a combination of qualitative research methods. The results show the critical issues faced by the investigated firms during their internationalization process and highlight some important variables that affect their training needs: export involvement, characteristics of the product/market, characteristics of the company, exporting strategy, and human resources. Based on these variables, the writers identified clusters of firms characterized by similar needs and problems to be faced.
Part Based HPLC-PDA Quantification of Podophyllotoxin in Populations of Podophyllum hexandrum Royle "Indian Mayapple" from Higher Altitude Himalayas

In the present study, a simple, sensitive, selective and reliable HPLC method based on photo diode array detector (PDA) has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of an important compound (podophyllotoxin) in leaves and rhizomes parts of four different populations of Podophyllum hexandrum Royle from North Indian Himachal Pradesh higher altitude Himalayas. The analysis was carried out on a RP-18e (LiCrosphere, 5µm, 250 x 4.0 mm) column, with isocratic elution of acetonitrile: water (40:60, v/v). The method was validated for accuracy, precision, limit of detection and quantification. The regression equation revealed a good linear relationship (r2 = 0.9999 for podophyllotoxin) within test ranges. The limit of detection and limit of quantification for analyte in PDA was 50 and 110µg, respectively. The method showed good reproducibility for the quantification of podophyllotoxin in P. hexandrum. Keyword: HPLC-PDA, Podophyllotoxin, Indian Mayapple, Podophyllum hexandrum Royle, Himachal Pradesh, Higher altitude Himalayas.
Board Games Play Matters: A Rethinking on Children's Aesthetic Experience and Interpersonal Understanding.

There has been a growing awareness of the contribution of play to the young children’s learning and development. This study aims to investigate the implement of board games play on children’s aesthetic experience and interpersonal understanding in Montessori and Constructivist classrooms. With the underlying framework follows a developmentally appropriate practice, Aesthetic Curriculum Outlines of Taiwan Education Bureau and Selman’s conceptualization of interpersonal understanding of Negotiation Strategies (NS) and Shared Experience (SE) served as the standard to collect and analyze children’s art work and play. The result is based on preschool educators’ observing and mapping during 18-week period of what children (56 children aged 60-72 month) are offered within art work and board games play, including DRECKSAU, ZICKE ZACKE, and SLEEPING QUEENS. Analytical results of children’s art work and school interviews showed difference in responsive and productive aesthetic experience in both classrooms. Analysis of NS and SE results showed a predominant use of Level 1 in both classrooms; while the Constructivist children had higher percentage and with more variety of Level 2 NS and SE. With comparison of NS and SE in friend and acquaintance pairings, there was no statistical difference in the interpersonal understanding; while there was significant difference in children’s adoption of sub-categories in Level 1 NS. In the end, the results are discussed in terms of children’s exploration and inquiry implications for early schooling educators.