cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Stochastic Annuitization And Asset Allocation Under Uncertain Lifetime
Creators: name: Sabri, Nur A. A.
Publisher: name: University of Leicester
Year: 2020
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: In this thesis, we investigate a pensioner’s gains from access to annuities. We observe the optimal asset allocation and annuitization strategies for a pensioner whose retiring age is 65, with an individual pension wealth at retirement and with a guaranteed income from social security during the retirement period. We also observe with particular personal risk preferences towards risk, with a certain amount to buy more annuities after retirement and with certain limitations on pensioner’s asset allocation and annuitization strategies. The pensioner’s objective is to maximize the utility drawn from consumption during retirement with a Constant Relative Risk Aversion utility function. We develop and solve two main models on stochastic volatility for the pensioner who receives an income after retirement from life annuities and investment performance which are under the Constant Elasticity of Variance model and Heston’s Model. We start with the model proposed by Milevsky and Young in 2007 under the Geometric Brownian Motion model and address using the change variable technique. We extend the model under stochastic volatility and solve it using the combination of Legendre transform, dual theory and change variable technique. By adopting the Legendre transform, dual theory and change variable approaches, the explicit solution for optimal investment, consumption and annuitization strategies is derived for the power utility. We use a numerical example to investigate the influence of life annuities and model parameters on the optimal strategy. The results show that the optimal strategy depends on model parameters and the presence of life annuities in the model affects the pensioner’s decisions regarding optimal investment and annuity income level strategies for a period after retirement under the stochastic market price of risk. Besides, an annuity income plays a role in altering the consumption rates for all levels of risk aversion.
Spherical Hartree-Fock calculations with linear momentum projection before the variation.Part II: Spectral functions and spectroscopic factors
Creators: name: Rodríguez--Guzmán, R. R.
name: Schmid, K. W.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2005
Subjects: subject: Nuclear Theory (nucl-th)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The hole--spectral functions and from these the spectroscopic factors have been calculated in an Galilei--invariant way for the ground state wave functions resulting from spherical Hartree--Fock calculations with projection onto zero total linear momentum before the variation for the nuclei 4He, 12C, 16O, 28Si, 32S and 40Ca. The results are compared to those of the conventional approach which uses the ground states resulting from usual spherical Hartree--Fock calculations subtracting the kinetic energy of the center of mass motion before the variation and to the results obtained analytically with oscillator occupations.
description: 16 pages, 22 postscript figures
On extremal eigenvalues of the graph Laplacian
Creators: name: Serio, Andrea
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Spectral Theory (math.SP)
subject: Mathematical Physics (math-ph)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: 35P15, 81Q35, 34B45, 05C50

description: Upper and lower estimates of eigenvalues of the Laplacian on a metric graph have been established in 2017 by G. Berkolaiko, J.B. Kennedy, P. Kurasov and D. Mugnolo. Both these estimates can be achieved at the same time only by highly degenerate eigenvalues which we call maximally degenerate. By comparison with the maximal eigenvalue multiplicity proved by I. Kac and V. Pivovarchik in 2011 we characterize the family of graphs exhibiting maximally degenerate eigenvalues which we call lasso trees, namely graphs constructed from trees by attaching lasso graphs to some of the vertices.
description: 12 pages, 4 figures
The PAH Emission Deficit In Low-Metallicity Galaxies - A Spitzer View
Creators: name: O'Halloran, B.
name: Satyapal, S.
name: Dudik, R. P.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2005
Subjects: subject: Astrophysics (astro-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Archival observations of 18 starburst galaxies that span a wide range in metallicity reveal for the first time a correlation between the ratio of emission line fluxes of [FeII] at 26 microns and [NeII] at 12.8 microns and the 7.7 micron PAH strength, with the [FeII]/[NeII] flux ratio decreasing with increasing PAH strength. We also find a strong correlation between the [FeII]/[NeII] flux ratio and the host galaxy metallicity, with the flux ratio decreasing with increasing metallicity. Since [FeII] emission has been linked primarily to supernova shocks, we attribute the high [FeII]/[NeII] ratios in low-metallicity galaxies to enhanced supernova activity. We consider this to be a dominant mechanism for PAH destruction, rather than grain destruction in photoionized regions surrounding young massive stars. We also consider whether the extreme youth of the low-metallicity galaxies is responsible for the lack of PAH emission.
description: 19 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
Binary formation within globular clusters : X-ray clues
Creators: name: Gendre, B.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2004
Subjects: subject: Astrophysics (astro-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We have investigated the effect of the number of primordial binaries on the relationship between the total number of detected binaries within globular cluster and its collision rate. We have used simulated populations of binary stars in globular clusters : primordial binaries and binaries formed through gravitational interactions. We show that the initial number of primordial binaries influences the relationship between the number of detected sources and the collision rate, which we find to be a power law. We also show that observing an incomplete sample provides the same results as those obtained with a complete sample. We use observations made by XMM-Newton and Chandra to constrain the formation mechanism of sources with X-ray luminosities larger than 10^{31} erg/s, and show that some of the cataclysmic variables within globular clusters should be primordial objects. We point out a possibly hidden population of neutron stars within high mass globular clusters with a low collision rate.
description: 6 pages, no figure, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Bridging the gap between graphs and networks
Creators: name: Iñiguez, Gerardo
name: Battiston, Federico
name: Karsai, Márton
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph)
subject: Social and Information Networks (cs.SI)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: Network science has become a powerful tool to describe the structure and dynamics of real-world complex physical, biological, social, and technological systems. Largely built on empirical observations to tackle heterogeneous, temporal, and adaptive patterns of interactions, its intuitive and flexible nature has contributed to the popularity of the field. With pioneering work on the evolution of random graphs, graph theory is often cited as the mathematical foundation of network science. Despite this narrative, the two research communities are still largely disconnected. In this Commentary we discuss the need for further cross-pollination between fields -- bridging the gap between graphs and networks -- and how network science can benefit from such influence. A more mathematical network science may clarify the role of randomness in modeling, hint at underlying laws of behavior, and predict yet unobserved complex networked phenomena in nature.
description: 7 pages, 1 figure. To appear in Communications Physics as an Invited Commentary
The Effects of Trade and Exchange Rate Policies on Agriculture in Nigeria
Creators: name: Oyejide, T. Ademola
name: Oyejide, T. Ademola
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 1986
Subjects: subject: International Relations/Trade
subject: Agriculture and State
subject: Nigeria
subject: Commercial policy
subject: foreign exchange administration
subject: economic policy

description: The past decade has been one of major turbulence in the global economy, including rapid inflation, oil price shocks, extraordinary rise and decline in food prices, and low real interest rates encouraging borrowers that had later proven unsustainable. The process of managing that turbulence, along with industry-oriented development strategies, has led many developing countries to grossly overvalue their exchange rates. The extent to which overvaluation discriminates against exports and agriculture in general and agricultural exports in particular had received increasing emphasis in recent years. Thus, the International Food Trade and Food Security Program at IFPRI has undertaken a series of country studies on the foreign trade and exchange rate regimes as they relate to the structure of incentives for agriculture in developing countries…This study was partially funded by the Ford Foundation’s office in Lagos, Nigeria, and by the International Development Research Centre of Canada. IFPRI is particularly grateful to these two organizations for their encouragement and support of this work on Sub-Saharan Africa.
Systematic Client Consultation in Development: The Case of Food Policy Research in Ghana, India, Kenya, and Mali
Creators: name: Babu, Suresh Chandra
name: Brown, Lynn R.
name: McClafferty, Bonnie
name: Babu, Suresh Chandra
name: Brown, Lynn R.
name: McClafferty, Bonnie
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 1997
Subjects: Agricultural and Food Policy
Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies

description: Successful food policy implementation is preceded by a defined policymaking process drawing from a sound information base. Yet too often the knowledge generated through food policy research does not become part of the local body of information and consequently is not used by policymakers. This leads to less than optimal food policies. This paper highlights the need for better linkages to be developed between the food research and food policymaking processes. We propose that a key component of the linkage is the integration of clients into the research process. This paper discusses the link between food policy researchers and one group of clients—food policy decision-makers. The paper first reviews the role of research and clients in the policymaking process and proposes a conceptual framework that integrates clients into the research process. Case studies utilizing client consultation in Ghana, India, Kenya, and Mali illustrate the hypothesis that integration of all client groups, including policy decision-makers and in-country researchers, beginning at the priority-setting stage of the research process, may best influence ultimate policy decisions.
Kronos Philosophical Journal, vol.IX/2020
Creators: name: Nowak, Piotr
name: Love, Jeff
name: Meng, Michael
name: Merwin, Christopher
name: Höffe, Otfried
name: Kalkavage, Peter
name: Herbich, Tomasz
name: Dziedzic, Anna
name: Ziemacki, Jerzy
name: Filipczak, Karolina
name: Dimitrijević, Ivan
name: Gentili, Dario
name: Stimili, Davide
name: Ginzburg, Carlo
name: Mrugalski, Damian
name: Perlikowski, Łukasz
name: Reinsch, Richard M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Martin Heidegger
Polish Philosophy
Aristotle
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Aby Warburg
Ernesto de Martino
Zygmunt Krasiński
Edward Abramowski
Wincenty Lutosławski
José Enrique Rodó

description: The annual Kronos Philosophical Journal was established in Warsaw in 2012. The papers presented in the annual might be of interest to the readers from outside Poland, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the dynamic thought of contemporary Polish authors, as well as entirely new topics, rarely discussed by English speaking authors.

 Volume IX/2020 comprises papers on various traditions of European philosophy, focusing on Martin Heidegger and Polish philosophy.
Neutrinos in a left-right model with a horizontal symmetry
Creators: name: Kiers, Ken
name: Assis, Michael
name: Simons, David
name: Petrov, Alexey A.
name: Soni, Amarjit
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2005
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We analyze the lepton sector of a Left-Right Model based on the gauge group SU(2)_L x SU(2)_R x U(1), concentrating mainly on neutrino properties. Using the seesaw mechanism and a horizontal symmetry, we keep the right-handed symmetry breaking scale relatively low, while simultaneously satisfying phenomenological constraints on the light neutrino masses. We take the right-handed scale to be of order 10's of TeV and perform a full numerical analysis of the model's parameter space, subject to experimental constraints on neutrino masses and mixings. The numerical procedure yields results for the right-handed neutrino masses and mixings and the various CP-violating phases. We also discuss phenomenological applications of the model to neutrinoless double beta decay, lepton-flavor-violating decays (including decays such as τ\to 3μ) and leptogenesis.
description: 26 pages, 4 figures
Australian Sheep Industry CRC: Economic Evaluations of Scientific Research Programs
Creators: name: Vere, David T.
name: Griffith, Garry R.
name: Silvester, Luke T.
name: Vere, David T.
name: Griffith, Garry R.
name: Silvester, Luke T.
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2005
Subjects: subject: Agribusiness
subject: Farm Management
subject: Livestock Production/Industries
subject: Production Economics
subject: Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies
subject: sheep research
subject: economic evaluations
subject: economic-surplus- benefit-cost analysis.

description: By the end of its seven-year term in 2007-08, the Australian Sheep Industry CRC (Sheep CRC) will have received total funds of about $90 million, that comprises Commonwealth and industry funding of $30 million, and in-kind contributions valued at $60 million. This level of public and private funding emphasises the need for the Sheep CRC to demonstrate that its research programs will generate sound economic returns to all stakeholders. This paper reports an evaluation of the potential economic value of the achievements of the Sheep CRC at the midpoint of its term of operations at which it has some completed research and a large volume of research in progress. The main question that has been addressed in this evaluation concerns the nature and likely magnitude of the potential benefits relative to the costs of their realisation. The economic methods and other procedures that were used to answer this question, the evaluation scenarios and the results obtained are described. Based on the defined with- and without-Sheep CRC evaluation scenarios, the ‘bottom-line’ result was that the Sheep CRC’s scientific research programs have the potential to deliver a total incremental benefit with a 20-year net present value (NPV) of $191.3 million, and a total benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 8.1:1 (both at a 5% real rate of discount), indicating that the Sheep CRC’s total research investment over all programs has the potential to return about $8 for every $1 of research investment funds.
Decadenza
Creators: name: PsykoSapiens
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025

description: Decadenza Dentro la Decadenza è un’indagine filosofica che disvela il disfacimento dell’essere e la complicità del mondo con il proprio sopore. Attraverso una critica radicale delle strutture morali, delle categorie aristoteliche e del pensiero socratico, il testo espone l’uomo decadente, ridotto a simulacro, privo di radici e immerso in una realtà di efferatezza. 

Mostrare il Mostro diventa un atto rivelatore e implacabile: l’orrore non viene edulcorato ma esposto come una terribile meraviglia, seducente nella sua crudeltà. L’amore si spoglia delle sue illusioni metafisiche, rivelando la fusione corporea, mentre l’innamoramento è smascherato come inganno sensoriale e fuga dall’incontro autentico.

Questo testo non offre salvezza né redenzione: è un manifesto per la liberazione del pensiero attraverso la distruzione delle sue strutture, una chiamata a osservare l’abisso senza distogliere lo sguardo.
A Search For Eclipsing Companions To White Dwarf Stars
Creators: name: Belardi, Claudia
Publisher: name: University of Leicester
Year: 2020
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: In this Thesis, I present a search for eclipsing companions to white dwarf stars, with the aim of studying and more accurately constraining the properties of evolved planetary systems. I first undertake an independent, ground-based survey of metal-rich white dwarfs with similar physical properties to WD1145+017, the first discovered white dwarf hosting a disrupting planetesimal. While no transit-like features are detected in the survey, photometric variability is discovered in two objects. I investigate the nature of such variability in both objects. At the time of writing this work, I am awaiting spectroscopic data for one of the targets in order to search for evidence of an unseen companion. The second object reveals no radial velocity variations, thus the most likely source of variability is determined to be accretion events from the surrounding environment. Moreover, I take part in analysing the white dwarf sample in Campaign 14 of the Kepler K2 mission, sampling 368 white dwarfs brighter than 20 mag. In the sample, I ?nd a brown dwarf totally eclipsing a white dwarf with a period of ~133 minutes. Only two other eclipsing white dwarf + brown dwarf systems were known previous to this discovery. Finally, I present the discovery of two post common-envelope binary systems in the Next Generation Transit Survey. The ?rst system consists of an M4 star orbiting a cool (~7500 K) white dwarf with a period of ~13.85 hours. Only one other system similar to this had been previously discovered. The second binary is a younger, hotter system, in which an ~18,000 K white dwarf is eclipsed by a late-K or early-M main sequence companion.
A New Spin on an Old Black Hole: NuSTAR Spectroscopy of EXO 1846-031
Creators: name: Draghis, Paul A.
name: Miller, Jon M.
name: Cackett, Edward M.
name: Kammoun, Elias S.
name: Reynolds, Mark T.
name: Tomsick, John A.
name: Zoghbi, Abderahmen
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The black hole candidate EXO 1846-031 underwent an outburst in 2019, after at least 25 years in quiescence. We observed the system using \textit{NuSTAR} on August 3rd, 2019. The 3--79 keV spectrum shows strong relativistic reflection features. Our baseline model gives a nearly maximal black hole spin value of $a=0.997_{-0.002}^{+0.001}$ ($1σ$ statistical errors). This high value nominally excludes the possibility of the central engine harboring a neutron star. Using several models, we test the robustness of our measurement to assumptions about the density of the accretion disk, the nature of the corona, the choice of disk continuum model, and addition of reflection from the outer regions of the accretion disk. All tested models agree on a very high black hole spin value and a high value for the inclination of the inner accretion disk of $θ\approx73^\circ$. We discuss the implications of this spin measurement in the population of stellar mass black holes with known spins, including LIGO events.
description: 13 pages, 5 figures, 1 table. Published in ApJ
How effective is the EU Entry Price System for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables?
Creators: name: Goetz, Linde
name: Grethe, Harald
name: Goetz, Linde
name: Grethe, Harald
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2008
Subjects: subject: Agricultural and Food Policy
subject: Demand and Price Analysis
subject: threshold cointegration
subject: spatial price transmission
subject: vector error correction model

description: The EU protects EU growers of 15 kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables against international competition not only by the means of ad valorem tariffs of up to 20%, but also by the EU entry-price system (EPS), which is designed to restrict imports below the product-specific, politically designated entry price level. This study investigates the influence of the EPS on import prices of fruits and vegetables per product and country of origin. We utilise a unique data set comprising about 60,000 observations of daily synthetic import prices. We develop two indicators for the effectiveness of the EPS, which serve as variables in a cluster analysis identifying four classes differing in the relevance of the EPS. Results suggest that the relevance of the EPS is heterogeneous among products as well as countries of origin for most fruits and vegetables. Thus, an adequate assessment of the importance of the EPS requires not only a product-specific but also a country-specific analysis. Overall, our results indicate that the effectiveness of the EPS is highest for the import of artichokes, courgettes, cucumbers, lemons, plums and tomatoes. The influence of the EPS on apples, clementines and pears is significantly lower, and of least relevance for EU imports of apricots, mandarins, oranges, peaches and nectarines and table grapes. The EPS has the greatest effect on countries which neighbour the EU, whereas it is of minor importance for exports from far-away countries with the exception of China and South Africa.
A minimal statistical-mechanical model for multihyperuniform patterns in avian retina
Creators: name: Lomba, Enrique
name: Weis, Jean-Jacques
name: Guisández, Leandro
name: Torquato, Salvatore
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Biological Physics (physics.bio-ph)
subject: Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Birds are known for their extremely acute sense of vision. The very peculiar structural distribution of five different types of cones in the retina underlies this exquisite ability to sample light. It was recently found that each cone population as well as their total population display a disordered pattern in which long wave-length density fluctuations vanish. This property, known as hyperuniformity is also present in perfect crystals. In situations like the avian retina in which both the global structure and that of each component display hyperuniformity, the system is said to be multi-hyperuniform. In this work, we aim at devising a minimal statistical-mechanical model that can reproduce the main features of the spatial distribution of photoreceptors in avian retina, namely the presence of disorder, multi-hyperuniformity and local hetero-coordination. This last feature is key to avoid local clustering of the same type of photoreceptors, an undesirable feature for the efficient sampling of light. For this purpose we formulate a simple model that definitively exhibits the required structural properties, namely an equimolar three-component mixture (one component to sample each primary color, red, green, and blue) of non-additive hard disks to which a long-range logarithmic repulsion is added between like particles. A Voronoi analysis of our idealized system of photoreceptors shows that the space-filling Voronoi polygons interestingly display a rather uniform area distribution, symmetrically centered around that of a regular lattice, a structural property also found in human retina. Disordered multi-hyperuniformity offers an alternative to generate photoreceptor patterns with minimal long-range concentration and density fluctuations. This is the key to overcome the difficulties in devising an efficient visual system in which crystal-like order is absent.
Managing animal health status information in the cattle market
Creators: name: Rat-Aspert, Olivier
name: Weldegebriel, Habtu T.
name: Stott, Alistair W.
name: Fourichon, C.
name: Rat-Aspert, Olivier
name: Weldegebriel, Habtu T.
name: Stott, Alistair W.
name: Fourichon, C.
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2008
Subjects: subject: Livestock Production/Industries
subject: Asymmetric information
subject: Third-Party certification
subject: Disease Externalities

description: The paper analyses the problem of information in the cattle market, particularly as it relates to the status of animal health, and discusses ways to limit it with the view to improving social surplus. Against this background, it aims to achieve three major objectives. Firstly, it describes the ways of improving the level of information through such schemes as Conventional Warranties and Third Party Certification and the different choices made by sellers and buyers in the presence of these schemes. Secondly, it studies the various ways by which these schemes make an impact on equilibria in different markets (i.e., the pooling market and the premium market), and, consequently, on the social surplus. Thirdly, it identifies the necessary conditions for a third party/public decision-maker to increase social surplus and reduce the negative externality caused by disease by managing and supporting Third Party Certification. The paper shows that product certification and product warranty cannot coexist because product warranty is suboptimal. It also shows that certification, and a possible supporting of certification or animal testing does not necessarily improve the safety of the trade.
Forensic Considerations for the High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF)
Creators: name: McKeown, Sean
name: Russell, Gordon
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Cryptography and Security (cs.CR)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: The High Efficiency File Format (HEIF) was adopted by Apple in 2017 as their favoured means of capturing images from their camera application, with Android devices such as the Galaxy S10 providing support more recently. The format is positioned to replace JPEG as the de facto image compression file type, touting many modern features and better compression ratios over the aging standard. However, while millions of devices across the world are already able to produce HEIF files, digital forensics research has not given the format much attention. As HEIF is a complex container format, much different from traditional still picture formats, this leaves forensics practitioners exposed to risks of potentially mishandling evidence. This paper describes the forensically relevant features of the HEIF format, including those which could be used to hide data, or cause issues in an investigation, while also providing commentary on the state of software support for the format. Finally, suggestions for current best-practice are provided, before discussing the requirements of a forensically robust HEIF analysis tool.
description: 8 pages, conference paper pre-print
Ficicis porcatus
Creators: name: Rabaglia, Robert J.
name: Beaver, Roger A.
name: Johnson, Andrew J.
name: Schmaedick, Mark A.
name: Smith, Sarah M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Ficicis
Ficicis porcatus

description: Ficicis porcatus (Chapuis)
 Hylesinus porcatus Chapuis, 1869: 31.
 Ficicis porcatus (Chapuis): Beaver 1991: 91.
 Hylesinus subcostatus Eggers, 1923: 137. Synonymy: Nunberg 1956: 210.
 Schedl (1951a) reported this species as Hylesinus subcostatus Eggers from Tutuila (Amouli and Fagatogo). The species occurs in the Oriental region, but has a more easterly distribution than F. despectus (Beaver & Liu 2010), and is widely distributed in the Pacific islands.
 Remarks: Wood & Bright (1992) synonymized this species with Ficicis despectus without giving reasons, and without indicating that it was a new synonym; Beaver & Liu (2010) consider it a distinct species with H. subcostatus a synonym.
Current survey records: American Samoa: Tutuila Isl.: Malaeimi; Ta‘ū Isl.: Faleasao.
description: Published as part of Rabaglia, Robert J., Beaver, Roger A., Johnson, Andrew J., Schmaedick, Mark A. & Smith, Sarah M., 2020, The bark and ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae and Platypodinae) of American Samoa, pp. 171-195 in Zootaxa 4808 (1) on page 178, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4808.1.11, http://zenodo.org/record/3927891
Economic Feasibility of Organic Farms and Risk Management Strategies
Creators: name: Medina, Felipe
name: Iglesias, Ana
name: Medina, Felipe
name: Iglesias, Ana
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2008
Subjects: subject: Farm Management
subject: Risk and Uncertainty
subject: Risk management
subject: organic farming
subject: stochastic simulation
subject: risk strategies and agricultural insurance

description: Organic farmers must face different risks than conventional farmers Due to the special features of management of their productive system, and due to the specific characteristics of their cultivations. This study analyses the specific risks that organic farmers must manage as well as the different strategies that there are developing nowadays. Even if the Spanish farmers rely on the insurance system to manage their risks, today organic farmers do not have specific insurance products to manage them. The methodology and results presented in this study include a risk analysis carried out by evaluating statistical, probabilistic, and stochastic properties of the organic production data. We evaluate and discuss the aspects of our study that relate to other international studies. Productions considered in this research are olives, vineyard and cereals. Specific risk management strategies developed by organic farmers – in contrast with conventional farmers – have been identified and quantified, showing the different attitudes based on their risk perception and the potential vulnerability of their farms. Agricultural insurance tool for organic farmers in Spain has been studied and analyzed as an important risk management.
Co-operation and economic relationship as determinants for competitiveness in the food sector: the Spanish wheat to bread chain
Creators: name: De Magistris, Tiziana
name: Gracia, Azucena
name: De Magistris, Tiziana
name: Gracia, Azucena
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2008
Subjects: subject: Agribusiness
subject: competitiveness
subject: food
subject: Spain

description: The objective of the paper is to investigate the impact of co-operation amongst stakeholders of the food chain on enterprise competitiveness. The analysis focuses on the Spanish wheat to bread chain. A theoretical model is developed which covers the main components that define competitiveness (profitability, turnover, market share, customer loyalty and product quality), quality supply chain relationship (trust, commitment and satisfaction) and the main factors explaining supply chain relationship (i.e. quality and frequency of the communication, personal bounds, etc.). The Spanish wheat to bread supply chain has been chosen to empirically test the model. This sector is very fragmented all along the chain, with a high number of wheat farmers, millers and bakers. Exchanges in the sector are mainly done in the open market but there is an increasing tendency to maintain stable relationships with suppliers to assure quality. Therefore, stakeholders in the wheat to bread chain are mainly using two types of economic relationships: “repeated market transactions” and “spot market” but the former is by far the most used. Based on data from a standardised survey with farmers, processors and retailers a structural equation modelling approach has been applied to empirically test the influence of relationship quality on stakeholders’ competitiveness in the Spanish wheat to bread chain. The main conclusion of the study is that, as the quality of the relationship in the Spanish wheat to bread chain improves the stakeholder’ competitiveness increases. The results also reveal that quality of the relationship in the Spanish wheat to bread chain is based on trust, satisfaction and commitment with buyers/sellers and strongly influenced by communication quality and quantity. In addition, the outcome shows that the quality of communication has an indirect positive effect on stakeholders’ competitiveness through the relationship quality. Finally, the only factor that will influence the quality of the relationship is the equal power distribution along the chain. Moreover, personal bounds positively influence the quality of communication in the bread Spanish supply chain.
Using Amazon Alexa APIs as a Source of Digital Evidence
Creators: name: Krueger, Clemens
name: McKeown, Sean
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Cryptography and Security (cs.CR)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: With the release of Amazon Alexa and the first Amazon Echo device, the company revolutionised the smart home. It allowed their users to communicate with, and control, their smart home ecosystem purely using voice commands. However, this also means that Amazon processes and stores a large amount of personal data about their users, as these devices are always present and always listening in peoples' private homes. That makes this data a valuable source of evidence for investigators performing digital forensics. The Alexa Voice Service uses a series of APIs for communication between clients and the Amazon cloud. These APIs return a wide range of data related to the functionality of the device used. The first goal of this research was to clarify exactly what kind of information about the user is stored and accessible through these APIs. To do this, a combination of literature review and exploratory analysis was used to establish a list of all relevant APIs. Then, possible artefacts and conclusions to be drawn from their responses were identified and presented. Lastly, the perspective of the users was taken, and options for improving their privacy were reviewed. Specifically, the history of interaction between the user and Alexa is available through multiple APIs, and there are several options to delete it. It was determined that these options have different behaviours and that most of them do not remove all data related to user interaction.
Relationships' sustainability: the case of German wheat-to-bread chain
Creators: name: Bavorova, Miroslava
name: Hockmann, Heinrich
name: Bavorova, Miroslava
name: Hockmann, Heinrich
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2008
Subjects: subject: Agribusiness
subject: economic relationships
subject: sustainability
subject: termination

description: In recent years there has been a shift in emphasis from transaction-based to more co-operative relationships, as chain members have recognised the need to invest in their supply chain relationships in order to protect their businesses. These non-arm’s-length relationships are capable of generating relational rents for chain partners. The main aim of this paper is to investigate why, in spite of the advantages of the non-arm’s-length relationships, some relationships do not continue. To enhance the understanding of the termination process, we identify and analyse the factors inducing relationship sustainability (continuation) as well as termination in the case of the German wheat-to-bread chain. The study built on the findings of relationship marketing approach that stresses the importance of building longer-term relationships with customers rather than carrying out individual transactions. In addition, the findings of modern microeconomic theories including transaction costs theory and industrial theory are taken into consideration. The empirical analysis is based on two data sets: First, a quantitative questionnaire survey and second, interviews with stakeholders of the wheat-to-bread chain were conducted, aiming at identifying the role of economic and behavioral dimensions of relationships for their termination. The questionnaire survey provides that businesses assess the relationships in the wheat-to-bread chain, being of high quality and long term duration. The results show that trust, satisfaction and commitment - the behavioural dimensions of relationships quality - are very high in the considered chain. Competitive price, competitive quality and supply continuity were identified as determinants mostly important for buyers’ satisfaction as directly influencing relationships’ performance. In addition, the results demonstrate that lack of trust is the reason why relationships do not develop or are terminated in the early phases of the relationship. In the long lasting relationships on the other hand, the reasons for termination are mostly of economic nature. The paper shows why sustainable relationships may enhance business’ competitiveness and analyses why in spite of it the relationships terminate. As the result of the research we understand the sustainable relationships as those relationships in that the costs for starting the relationship are exceeded by returns gained from the cooperation in time.
Phase-synchronization properties of laminar cylinder wake for periodic external forcings
Creators: name: Khodkar, Mohammad Amin
name: Taira, Kunihiko
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We investigate the synchronization properties of the two-dimensional periodic flow over a circular cylinder using the principles of phase-reduction theory. The influence of harmonic external forcings on the wake dynamics, and the possible synchronization of the vortex shedding behind the cylinder to these forcings, is determined by evaluating the phase response of the system to weak impulse perturbations. These horizontal and vertical perturbations are added at different phase values over a period, in order to develop a linear one-dimensional model with respect to the limit cycle that describes the high-dimensional and nonlinear dynamics of the fluid flow via only a single scalar phase variable. This model is then utilized to acquire the theoretical conditions for the synchronization between the cylinder wake and the harmonic forcings added in the global near-wake region. Valuable insights are gained by comparing the findings of the present research against those rendered by the dynamic mode decomposition and adjoint analysis of the wake dynamics in earlier works. The present analysis reveals regions in the flow which enable phase synchronization or desynchronization to periodic excitations for applications such as active flow control and fluid-structure interactions.
Enhancing the integration of agri-food supply chains: theoretical issues and practical challenges in the UK malting barley supply chain
Creators: name: Leat, Philip M.K.
name: Revoredo-Giha, Cesar
name: Leat, Philip M.K.
name: Revoredo-Giha, Cesar
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2008
Subjects: subject: Agribusiness
subject: supply chain management
subject: malting barley supply chain
subject: supply chain coordination
subject: competitiveness

description: The purpose of this paper is to explore the issues that may affect the integration (i.e., the relationships) between the different actors that comprise a supply chain. Whist the theoretical part of the paper can be referred to any supply chain, the empirical part is focused on the UK barley to beer supply chain. The main motivation behind the topic is that improvements in the relationships amongst the different segments of a chain can enhance its efficiency and effectiveness, (e.g., through improvements in coordination and cooperation), and therefore, its competitiveness and long term sustainability. The paper is based on two complementary analyses: the first one consisted of a structural equation model (SEM) to determine those factors that affect the sustainability of relationships in the chain. The model is estimated based on a survey of 69 chain stakeholders. The second analysis comprised an in-depth case study based on an important malting-barley- to-beer supply chain in Eastern England, and had the purpose of providing further understanding of those aspects that were highlighted by the SEM. The overall results pointed out to five factors affecting the relationships in the malting barley to beer agri-food supply chain: communication, compatibility of aims in the supply chain, contractual relationships backed by professional regard and personal bonds; high levels of trust exist between the chain participants and a willingness to resolve any problems; and commercial benefit.
Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized from Escherichia coli
Creators: name: Abhang, Pranay
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: 100713 Nanotoxicology, Health and Safety
subject: FOS: Nanotechnology
subject: 100703 Nanobiotechnology
subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences

description: The emerging water borne infections and lifestyle diseases are topics of serious concern. The modern therapeutics has been effective against these problems. Nevertheless,there is need of novel strategies to combat these problems. In the present research, ten Escherichia coli isolates were isolated from sewage. All isolates were screened out for synthesis of silver nanoparticles by using silver nitrate. Out of these ten isolates, one promising isolate (ESN 1) showed higher production of silver nanoparticles which were characterized by UV-Vis -spectroscopy, FTIR analysis, XRD and FESEM. The promising isolate was identified as Escherichia coliESN 1 by using biochemical tests on VITEK machine. The antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of silver nanoparticles were analysed by using well diffusion method and DPPH radical scavenging assay, respectively. The attempt is to use silver nanoparticles in Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) for treatment of wastewater
Deeply virtual and exclusive electroproduction of omega mesons
Creators: name: CLAS Collaboration
name: Morand, L.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2005
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Experiment (hep-ex)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The exclusive omega electroproduction off the proton was studied in a large kinematical domain above the nucleon resonance region and for the highest possible photon virtuality (Q2) with the 5.75 GeV beam at CEBAF and the CLAS spectrometer. Cross sections were measured up to large values of the four-momentum transfer (-t < 2.7 GeV2) to the proton. The contributions of the interference terms sigma_TT and sigma_TL to the cross sections, as well as an analysis of the omega spin density matrix, indicate that helicity is not conserved in this process. The t-channel pi0 exchange, or more generally the exchange of the associated Regge trajectory, seems to dominate the reaction gamma* p -> omega p, even for Q2 as large as 5 GeV2. Contributions of handbag diagrams, related to Generalized Parton Distributions in the nucleon, are therefore difficult to extract for this process. Remarkably, the high-t behaviour of the cross sections is nearly Q2-independent, which may be interpreted as a coupling of the photon to a point-like object in this kinematical limit.
description: 15 pages,19 figures
Single-impulse magnetic focusing of launched cold atoms
Creators: name: Pritchard, Matthew J
name: Arnold, Aidan S
name: Smith, David A
name: Hughes, Ifan G
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2005
Subjects: subject: Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph)
subject: Optics (physics.optics)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We have theoretically investigated the focusing of a launched cloud of cold atoms. Time-dependent spatially-varying magnetic fields are used to impart impulses leading to a three-dimensional focus of the launched cloud. We discuss possible coil arrangements for a new focusing regime: isotropic 3D focusing of atoms with a single-impulse magnetic lens. We investigate focusing aberrations and find that, for typical experimental parameters, the widely used assumption of a purely harmonic lens is often inaccurate. The baseball lens offers the best possibility for isotropically focusing a cloud of weak-field-seeking atoms in 3D.
description: 16 pages, 7 figures
The future of the European sugar market: A case for quotas
Creators: name: Boussard, Jean-Marc
name: Boussard, Jean-Marc
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2008
Subjects: subject: International Relations/Trade
subject: Marketing
subject: FOS: Economics and business
subject: quotas
subject: cobweb
subject: market

description: The advertised EC policy toward sugar is clearly to let market drive supply and demand. But there exist reasons to think that the setting up of the traditional quota policy was not a consequence of chance, or of an efficient lobbying system by farmers, but of practical necessity and of efficiency, in face of market failures. In view of this reasoning, it is not impossible that a large crisis in the more or less remote future leads to reinstall a sugar quota system which probably should had to be reformed, but should never have been suppressed.
description: Replaced with revised version of paper 10/22/08.
Item I explanatory notes.pdf
Creators: name: Ye, Michelle Jia
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: 200323 Translation and Interpretation Studies
subject: FOS: Languages and literature

description: This is an item of the dataset titled "A History from Below: Translators in the Publication Network of Four Magazines of China Book Company, 1913-1923" (DOI:10.6084/m9.figshare.7380389), in which description of the item is available. The purpose of separating the item from the dataset is for the insertion of the hyperlink of the item in the paper of the same title, forthcoming in Translation Studies.
A Dynamical Mean-Field Theory for Learning in Restricted Boltzmann Machines
Creators: name: Çakmak, Burak
name: Opper, Manfred
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Machine Learning (cs.LG)
subject: Disordered Systems and Neural Networks (cond-mat.dis-nn)
subject: Machine Learning (stat.ML)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We define a message-passing algorithm for computing magnetizations in Restricted Boltzmann machines, which are Ising models on bipartite graphs introduced as neural network models for probability distributions over spin configurations. To model nontrivial statistical dependencies between the spins' couplings, we assume that the rectangular coupling matrix is drawn from an arbitrary bi-rotation invariant random matrix ensemble. Using the dynamical functional method of statistical mechanics we exactly analyze the dynamics of the algorithm in the large system limit. We prove the global convergence of the algorithm under a stability criterion and compute asymptotic convergence rates showing excellent agreement with numerical simulations.
description: 29 pages, 2 figures
Hypothenemus areccae
Creators: name: Rabaglia, Robert J.
name: Beaver, Roger A.
name: Johnson, Andrew J.
name: Schmaedick, Mark A.
name: Smith, Sarah M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Hypothenemus
Hypothenemus areccae

description: Hypothenemus areccae (Hornung)
 Bostrichus areccae Hornung, 1842: 117.
 Hypothenemus areccae (Hornung): Reitter 1913: 73.
 Hypothenemus oahuensis Schedl, 1941: 110. Synonymy: Wood 1960: 41.
 Schedl (1951a) reported this species as H. oahuensis from Tutuila (Afono trail, Utulei and Maloata). This species is widespread across the tropics.
Current survey records: American Samoa: Tutuila Isl.: Aoa, Fagatogo, Iliili, Malaeimi, Tafuna; Ta‘ū Isl.: Fitiuta, Ta‘ū.
description: Published as part of Rabaglia, Robert J., Beaver, Roger A., Johnson, Andrew J., Schmaedick, Mark A. & Smith, Sarah M., 2020, The bark and ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae and Platypodinae) of American Samoa, pp. 171-195 in Zootaxa 4808 (1) on page 178, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4808.1.11, http://zenodo.org/record/3927891