Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incentive profit-sharing rules joined with open-book accounting in SME networks

Profit-sharing rules applied together with open-book accounting are a synergetic combination that encourages SME networks to continuous innovation. This article studies profit-sharing rules that work as incentives for cost reduction in networks. We describe a case study of a steel-roof manufacturing and assembly network, where profit sharing became relevant shortly after open-book accounting was successfully implemented. Moreover, we present a dynamic game theoretic model for the study of the desired characteristics of profit-sharing rules in such networks. We find that, under quite general assumptions, profit-sharing rules need to satisfy certain conditions in order to encourage the network partners to announce their cost-reducing ideas immediately. A suitable and simple profit-sharing rule is the combination rule which rewards the innovator and the target of cost reduction.
Ultrafast excited-state dynamics in the green fluorescent protein variant S65T/H148D. 2. Unusual photophysical properties.

In the preceding accompanying paper [Shu, X. , et al. (2007) Biochemistry 46, 12005-12013], the 1.5 A resolution crystal structure of green fluorescent protein (GFP) variant S65T/H148D is presented, and the possible consequences of an unusual short hydrogen bond (<or=2.4 A) between the carboxyl oxygen of Asp148 and the phenol oxygen of the chromophore are discussed. This work reports the femtosecond time-resolved emission of this variant at pH 5.6 by ultrafast fluorescence upconversion spectroscopy. Following excitation at 400 nm, green fluorescence is observed at 510 nm with a rise on a time scale that is faster than the 170 fs instrument response. Time-resolved emission spectra at 140 K also exhibit the immediate appearance of green fluorescence, and this extremely fast process is hardly affected by deuteration of exchangeable protons. These results appear to be dramatically different from those of wild-type GFP, in which the green fluorescence at 508 nm is produced on the picosecond time scale as a result of excited-state proton transfer from the state that is excited at 400 nm. The unique features observed in S65T/H148D and apparent ultrafast excited-state proton transfer are discussed in light of evidence for multiple states underlying the band at around 415 nm, as suggested by steady-state fluorescence spectra. The behavior of these different states may explain the novel photophysical properties observed for this GFP variant, including the ultrafast green fluorescence and the absence of completely matched decay in blue fluorescence. It is speculated that two different orientations of the Asp introduced at position 148, not distinguishable by chromatography, mass spectrometry, or X-ray crystallography, give rise to the two functionally distinct populations.
Digital Predistortion for Concurrent Dual-Band Transmitters Using 2-D Modified Memory Polynomials

Cross-band modulation effects in the concurrent dual-band transmitters are quite noticeable for the linearization. This paper proposes a novel two-dimensional modified memory polynomial (2D-MMP) technique to compensate for nonlinear distortion in the concurrent dual-band transmitters. By taking into account the cross-band modulation effects, the 2D-MMP model is developed by properly modifying the envelope terms of the conventional memory polynomial (MP) model. This makes the model complexity of the 2D-MMP model significantly reduced compared to the prior 2D-DPD model in previous work. However, the linearization ability of the 2D-MMP model is still retained. Simulations prove that the 2D-MMP model is quite robust to different PA models. Experimental measurements were carried out for a dual-band class-AB PA exhibiting mild nonlinearity and a highly nonlinear dual-band Doherty PA. The results show that the 2D-MMP model can achieve nearly the same linearization accuracy compared to the 2D-DPD model, with much less coefficients. Less than -52 dBc adjacent channel power ratios (ACPRs) for the dual-band class-AB power amplifiers (PAs) and -50 dBc ACPRs for the dual-band Doherty PA in the dual bands were achieved.
The Modelica BehaviorTrees Library: Mission Planning in Continuous-Time for Unmanned Aircraft

The paper introduces a continuous-time architecture and a Modelica library for mission planning based on behavior trees. It allows to study the long-time behavior of complex aircraft models in interaction with reactive mission plans by means of efficient simulations. The developed Modelica library is used in a mission example for a solar high-altitude aircraft and the advantages of the behavior tree formulation in both simulation speed and modularity are discussed. The architecture will further be used to deploy automatically coded mission plans to actual flight computers using the functional mockup interface.
On the wavefront of ultrahigh intensity lasers : spatial contrast and gratings deformation

The implications of the high repetition rate of the ANGUS 200TW laser system operated by the University of Hamburg and DESY are studied within the framework of the laser wakefield accelerator LUX. Combined with a non ideal spatial contrast in the focal plane, the repetition rate leads to a fast degradation of the capillary target. We investigate the profile of the far field distribution with a high dynamic range, as well as the source of the discrepancies between the camera measurement and the expected profile derived from the laser wavefront measurement. Furthermore, combined with the high energy of the laser pulses, the repetition rate also leads to a high average power absorbed by the in-vacuum gold coated diffraction gratings used to compress the pulses after amplification. The increase of the substrate temperature then deforms the surface and results in a drastic degradation of the laser divergence and wavefront quality. A broad range parameter scan allows us to define a power threshold above which the deformations of the optics are no longer negligible. Different gratings are finally compared in terms of surface deformation and coating damage threshold. Die Auswirkungen der hohen Wiederholrate des ANGUS 200TW Lasersystems bei die Hamburg Universitat und DESY werden im Kontext des LUX Laser-Plasma Beschleunigers untersucht. Kombiniert mit einem nicht idealen raumlichen Kontrast in der Brennebene, fuhrt die Wiederholungsrate zu einer schnellen Degradation der Kapillar-Targets. Wir untersuchen das Strahlprofil im Fernfeld mit einem hohen Dynamikbereich, sowie die Quelle der Abweichungen zwischen der Kameramessung und dem erwarteten Profil, das von der Laserwellenfrontmessung abgeleitet wurde. Daruber hinaus fuhrt die Wiederholrate in Kombination mit der hohen Energie der Laserimpulse zu einer hohen absorbierten mittleren Leistung in den goldbeschichteten Beugungsgittern, die verwendet werden um die Impulse nach der Verstarkung im Vakuum zu komprimieren. Die Erhohung der Substrattemperatur verformt dann die Oberflache und fuhrt zu einer drastischen Verschlechterung der Laserdivergenz und der Wellenfrontqualitat. Parameterscans uber einem breiten Bereich ermoglichen es uns, eine Leistungsschwelle zu definieren, uber der die Verformungen der Optik nicht mehr vernachlassigbar sind. Unterschiedliche Gitter werden schlieslich hinsichtlich der Oberflachenverformung und der Zerstorschwelle der Beschichtung verglichen.
Importance, Cohesion and Structural Equivalence in the Evolving Citation Network of the International Journal of Research in Marketing

The citation network of the International Journal of Research in Marketing (IJRM) is examined from 1981 to 1995. We propose a model that contains log-linear and logmultiplicative terms to estimate simultaneously the importance, cohesion, and structural equivalence of journals in the network across time. Our findings show that the overall importance of IJRM in its network is low but growing. The importance of psychology journals in the network appears to be decreasing. Clear cohesive and structurally equivalent groups of core marketing, methodology, managerial and psychology journals with distinct functions in the network are identified. Recommendations for future citation research are offered.
Capital Structure And Corporate Financial Performance: Evidence From Nigerian Cement Companies

This study seeks to examine the impact of capital structure on corporate financial performance of four cement companies in Nigeria for the period 2006 – 2015. Data selected as proxies for the financial performance of the firms, which included return on asset (ROA), return on equity (ROE), and return on sales (ROS) were generated from the firm’s audited annual financial reports. Data on total debt/asset ratio (TDA), long-term debt/asset ratio (LDA), and equity/asset ratio (EQA) were selected as proxies for capital structure of the firms. Also, data on asset-turnover ratio (ATO) (measurement for asset utilization), total asset (TAST) and total sale (TSAL) – measurements for firm size, were selected as control variables. The parameters of the above variables were estimated using Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method. The result of the study revealed that all the capital structure variables (TAD, LDA and EQA) have mixed impact on financial performance indicators (ROA, ROE and ROS) used in the study. While there existed positive relationships between the control variables of ATO, TAST and performance, TSAL negatively related to financial performance measures. Following from the findings of the study, corporate decision makers in Nigerian cement industry should be careful in the use of debts. While it is necessary to use debt as a source of finance, such a decision should be a last option as supported by the Pecking order theory. Rather, retained earnings should be preferred.
The role of modern media technology in improving collaborative learning of students in Jordanian universities

This paper proposes a framework for examining the impact of using social media for collaborative learning between researchers in two universities, namely the University of Jordan and Yarmouk University in Jordan. The proposed framework is based on the Constructivist Theory. The outcomes yielded significant correlations for the interaction with the student, interaction with teachers, engagement, the use of social media in education interaction, and behavioral intention to use social media for collaborative learning among university students. Limitations and future work are also presented.
Investigating the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptomatology and executive functions.

This thesis aimed to investigate the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptoms (particularly obsessive intrusive thoughts) and executive functions (particularly working memory). Previous research had demonstrated executive function (EF) deficits in individuals with OCD. Executive functions are those cognitive mechanisms that help to control and regulate thoughts and behaviour. However, several questions remained unanswered: 1) do individuals with subclinical OCD also demonstrate EF deficits? 2) Are those EF deficits found in individuals with OCD trait in nature, or caused by state factors? 3) Are EFs implicated in OCD-relevant processes, such as thought control strategies? Three studies were conducted to help investigate these questions further. The study presented in chapter two found no difference between individuals with subclinical OCD and nonclinical individuals on a range of executive function tasks. The study presented in chapter three found that an increase in obsessive intrusive thoughts did not lead to impairments in working memory. The study presented in chapter four found no relationship between working memory and an individual’s ability to dismiss obsessive intrusive thoughts. The implications of the results from this thesis are discussed and future directions are suggested.
A Bayesian approach to discrete object detection in astronomical data sets

A Bayesian approach is presented for detecting and characterizing the signal from discrete objects embedded in a diffuse background. The approach centres around the evaluation of the posterior distribution for the parameters of the discrete objects, given the observed data, and defines the theoretically optimal procedure for parametrized object detection. Two alternative strategies are investigated: the simultaneous detection of all the discrete objects in the data set, and the iterative detection of objects. In both cases, the parameter space characterizing the object(s) is explored using Markov-chain Monte Carlo sampling. For the iterative detection of objects, another approach is to locate the global maximum of the posterior at each iteration using a simulated annealing downhill simplex algorithm. The techniques are applied to a two-dimensional toy problem consisting of Gaussian objects embedded in uncorrelated pixel noise. A cosmological illustration of the iterative approach is also presented, in which the thermal and kinetic Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effects from clusters of galaxies are detected in microwave maps dominated by emission from primordial cosmic microwave background anisotropies.
Mood and the Perception of Sexual Interest in Different Cultural Contexts: A Comparison Between a Malaysian and a Swiss Sample

The current study examined, on the basis of past findings and theories on mood and cognition, whether people’s perception of sexual interest from others would decrease when they are in a negative mood and increase when they are in a positive mood. Using repeated-measures experiments, university students in Switzerland (n = 117) and Malaysia (n = 117) underwent mood inducement procedures followed by participation in video-guided imagined interactions, where they judged the sexual interest of their interaction partners. Results revealed a dampening effect of negative mood on sexual perceptions in the Swiss sample. No significant mood differences in sexual perception were found in the Malaysian sample. Our results suggest that this sample difference may be associated with differences in endorsement of cultural values. The more people valued social harmony and stability, the less likely they were to succumb to mood effects on sexual perception.
An Empirical Analysis of Determinants of Retailer Pricing Strategy

This paper empirically investigates the determinants of retailers' pricing decisions. It finds that competitor factors explain the most variance in retailer pricing strategy. Only in the cases of price-promotion coordination and relative brand price do category and chain factors explain much variance in retailer pricing. These findings are derived from a simultaneous equation model of how underlying dimensions of retailers' pricing strategies are influenced by variables representing the market, chain, store, category, brand, customer, and competition. The optical scanner data base describes 1,364 brand-store combinations from six categories of consumer packaged goods in five U.S. markets over a two-year time period. Our study classifies retailers' pricing strategies based on four underlying dimensions: price consistency, price-promotion intensity, price-promotion coordination, and relative brand price. These four pricing dimensions are statistically related to: (1) competitor price and deal frequency (competitor factors), (2) storability and necessity (category factors), (3) chain positioning and size (chain factors), (4) store size and assortment (store factors), (5) brand preference and advertising (brand factors), and (6) own-price and deal elasticities (customer factors). These findings are useful to retailers profiling alternative pricing strategies, and to manufacturers customizing the levels of marketing support spending for different retailers.
Uncertainty in newton's constant and precision predictions of the primordial helium abundance

The current uncertainty in Newton's constant, G_N, is of the order of 0.15%. For values of the baryon to photon ratio consistent with both cosmic microwave background observations and the primordial deuterium abundance, this uncertainty in G_N corresponds to an uncertainty in the primordial 4He mass fraction, Y_P, of +-1.3 x 10^{-4}. This uncertainty in Y_P is comparable to the effect from the current uncertainty in the neutron lifetime, which is often treated as the dominant uncertainty in calculations of Y_P. Recent measurements of G_N seem to be converging within a smaller range; a reduction in the estimated error on G_N by a factor of 10 would essentially eliminate it as a source of uncertainty in the calculation of the primordial 4He abundance.
Learning to Teach and Follow in Repeated Games

The goal of a learning agent playing a repeated game is to maximize its payoffs over time. In repeated games with other learning agents, this often requires that an agent must learn to offer and accept profitable compromises. To do so, past research suggests that agents must implement both teaching and following strategies. However, few algorithms successfully employ both kinds of strategies simultaneously. In this paper, we present an algorithm (called SPaM) that employs both kinds of strategies simultaneously in 2-player matrix games when the complete game matrix is observable. We show (empirically) that SPaM learns quickly and effectively when associating with a large class of agents, including self, best response learners, and (perhaps) humans.
Polish listeners’ perception of vowel inherent spectral change in L2 English

Abstract This paper describes a perception experiment with Polish listeners involving vowel inherent spectral change (VISC) in L2 English. A forced-choice rhyming task employing the Silent Center (SC) paradigm revealed relatively uniform effects of stimulus type (SC, Initial, Middle, Final) on accuracy across two proficiency groups, despite greater overall accuracy on the part of the more proficient users. Analysis of individual vowel pairs used in the rhyming trials revealed some effects of proficiency on the degree to which formant movement in the stimuli affected identification accuracy. This research contributes to the relatively sparse literature on VISC in L2 acquisition. Phonological considerations underlying the degree of VISC in Polish and English are also discussed.
Peripheral Nervous System Progenitors Can Be Reprogrammed to Produce Myelinating Oligodendrocytes and Repair Brain Lesions

Neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) give rise to the neurons and glia of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). NCSC-like cells can be isolated from multiple peripheral organs and maintained in neurosphere culture. Combining in vitro culture and transplantation, we show that expanded embryonic NCSC-like cells lose PNS traits and are reprogrammed to generate CNS cell types. When transplanted into the embryonic or adult mouse CNS, they differentiate predominantly into cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage without any signs of tumor formation. NCSC-derived oligodendrocytes generate CNS myelin and contribute to the repair of the myelin deficiency in shiverer mice. These results demonstrate a reprogramming of PNS progenitors to CNS fates without genetic modification and imply that PNS cells could be a potential source for cell-based CNS therapy.
Diffeomorphisms and holographic anomalies

Using the relation between diffeomorphisms in the bulk and Weyl transformations on the boundary, we study the Weyl transformation properties of the bulk metric on-shell and of the boundary action. We obtain a universal formula for one of the classes of trace anomalies in any even dimension in terms of the parameters of the gravity action.
Quantitative Spectroscopy of 24 A Supergiants in the Sculptor Galaxy NGC 300: Flux-weighted Gravity-Luminosity Relationship, Metallicity, and Metallicity Gradient

A quantitative spectral analysis of 24 A supergiants in the Sculptor Group spiral galaxy NGC 300 at a distance of 1.9 Mpc is presented. A new method is introduced to analyze low-resolution (~5 Å) spectra, which yields metallicities accurate to 0.2 dex including the uncertainties arising from the errors in Teff (5%) and log g (0.2 dex). For the first time the stellar metallicity gradient based on elements such as titanium and iron in a galaxy beyond the Local Group is investigated. Solar metallicity is measured in the center and 0.3 solar in the outskirts and a logarithmic gradient of –0.08 dex kpc−1. An average reddening of E(B − V) ∼ 0.12 mag is obtained, however, with a large variation from 0.07 to 0.24 mag. We also determine stellar radii, luminosities, and masses and discuss the evolutionary status. Finally, the observed relationship between absolute bolometric magnitudes Mbol and flux-weighted gravities gF = g/T4eff is investigated. At high temperatures the strength of the Balmer lines depends solely on the flux-weighted gravity, which allows a precise direct determination of log gF with an accuracy of 0.05-0.1 dex. We find a tight relationship between Mbol and log gF in agreement with stellar evolution theory. Combining these new results with previous work on Local Group galaxies, we obtain a new flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relationship (FGLR), which is very well defined and appears to be an excellent alternative tool to determine distances to galaxies.
Der Open-access-publikationsserver Der Zbw – Leibniz-informationszentrum Wirtschaft the Open Access Publication Server of the Zbw – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics 'by a Silken Thread': Regional Banking Integration and Pathways to Financial Development in Japan's Great Recession 'by a Silke

Terms of use: The ZBW grants you, the user, the non-exclusive right to use the selected work free of charge, territorially unrestricted and within the time limit of the term of the property rights according to the terms specified at → http://www.econstor. eu/dspace/Nutzungsbedingungen By the first use of the selected work the user agrees and declares to comply with these terms of use. Abstract How do financial development and financial integration interact? We focus on Japan's Great Recession after 1990 to study this question. Regional differences in banking integration affected how the recession spread across the country: financing frictions for credit-dependent firms were more severe in less integrated prefectures, which saw larger decreases in lending by nationwide banks and lower GDP growth. We explain these cross-prefectural differences in banking integration by reference to prefectures' different historical pathways to financial development. After Japan's opening to trade in the 19th century, silk reeling emerged as the main export industry. The silk reeling industry depended heavily on credit for working capital but comprised many small firms that could not borrow directly from larger banks. Instead, silk merchants in Yokohama, the main export hub for silk, provided silk reelers with trade loans. Many regional banks in Japan were founded as local clearing houses for such loans, and regional banks continued to account for above-average shares in lending in the formerly silk-exporting prefectures long after the decline of the silk industry. Using the cross-prefectural variation in the number of silk filatures in 1895 as an instrument, we confirm that the post-1990 decline was worse in prefectures where credit constraints were tightened through low levels of banking integration. Our findings suggest that different pathways to financial development can lead to long-term differences in de facto financial integration, even if there are no formal barriers to capital mobility between regions, as is the case in modern Japan. Finance and Banking in East Asia, the conference on " Financial globalization, financial crises and the (re)-regulation of banking " at the University of Zurich, the Austrian National Bank Workshop on " Financial Markets and Real Economic Activity " and the EEA-ESEM meetings 2012 in Malaga.