Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Resistivity Size Effect in Epitaxial Nb(001) and Nb(011) Layers

Epitaxial Nb(011) and Nb(001) layers are sputter deposited onto <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${a}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-plane and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${r}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-plane sapphire substrates, respectively, and their resistivity <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\rho $ </tex-math></inline-formula> measured <italic>in situ</italic>, <italic>ex situ</italic>, and at 77 K as a function of layer thickness <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${d}= 4$ </tex-math></inline-formula>–400 nm. The resistivity increase with decreasing <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${d}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is independent of layer orientation and is described with the model by Fuchs and Sondheimer (FS), providing a value for the bulk electron mean free path <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda = {20} \pm {2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> nm at room temperature. Exposure to air causes a 1.5-nm-thick surface oxide and an increase in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\rho $ </tex-math></inline-formula> by up to 74%, suggesting a decrease in the surface scattering specularity from <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${p}_{{{1}}}= {0.9} \pm {0.1}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> at the Nb-vacuum interface to completely diffuse scattering (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${p}_{{{1}}}= {0}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) at the oxidized Nb surface. Alternatively, this increase in resistance can be attributed to roughening during surface oxidation while retaining completely diffuse scattering, yielding a lower bound for the room-temperature <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda $ </tex-math></inline-formula> of 9.0±0.4 nm. The product of the bulk resistivity <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\rho _{o}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> times <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda $ </tex-math></inline-formula> is temperature-independent and, depending on either choosing the roughness or the specularity interpretation, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\rho _{o}\,\,\lambda = {14}\times {10}^{{-{16}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> or <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${30} \times {10}^{{-{16}}}\,\,\Omega \text{m}^{{{2}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, respectively. These values are 3.9 and 8.5 times larger than <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\rho _{o}~\lambda $ </tex-math></inline-formula> from a previous theoretical prediction, indicating a dramatic break down of the classical FS model for Nb and indicating that the resistivity size effect in Nb is considerably larger than predicted earlier. They are also larger than for W, Ru, and Co, making Nb not promising for high-conductivity narrow interconnect lines.
Towards Kinect-based wheelchair user behavior analysis

In this thesis we present some techniques which can help to estimate the level of attention of a person sitting on a wheelchair in real time. We focus on person detection, head pose estimation and facial features localization, using depth data given by the Kinect, a low-quality consumer depth camera. Our solution to detect a person in the image is based on the flood fill algorithm and requires no initialization. We estimate the head pose adopting the discriminative random regression forests approach and we filter the solution in time domain, achieving robust results. Finally, we try to extract the 3D locations of a set of chosen facial points using random regression forests, which have been trained from a dataset acquired with the Kinect sensor.
Availability, accessibility and demand for recommended books in academic libraries

Reports results of a study, undertaken at Cardiff University, of the effect of loan periods on the utilization of short loan books and corroborates these with results of an availability survey. Compares the results with those from a similar survey conducted at Sussex University (Journal of Documentation, 52 (2) Jun 1996, 139-162). Discusses the implications of the results for the conduct of availability surveys and the management of recommended reading collections and notes the potential advantages of electronic provision of short loan materials. Concludes that, if recommended reading resources are to be fully utilized, librarians must ensure not only the ready availability of the material but also the convenience with which it can be used.
Gierveld Loneliness Scale-Short Version : Validation for the Brazilian Context 1

Individuals who experience a state of loneliness may feel that their needs of belonging are unfulfilled, suffering a state of social deprivation that might affect their well-being. For a better understanding, three studies (N = 939) aimed to adapt the short version of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale to Brazil. In Studies 1 and 2, exploratory and confirmatory analyses corroborated the expected two correlated factors structure: emotional and social. Evidences of convergent validity and factorial invariance between genders were also observed. Study 3 verified the instrument’s psychometric properties through Item Response Theory (IRT) and the results showed that the items presented acceptable levels of difficulty, discriminated participants with similar levels of aptitude/ endorsement and indicated that both factors of the measure presented substantial information for a wide range of the latent trait. We conclude that this measure is psychometrically suitable for use in Brazil.
Wine Economics*

Abstract Fine wine has a few characteristics that differentiate it from other agricultural commodities and beverages, rendering it an interesting topic for economists. Fine wine can regularly fetch bottle prices that exceed several thousand dollars. It can be stored a long time and can increase in value with age. Fine-wine quality and prices are extraordinarily sensitive to fluctuations in the weather the year in which the grapes were grown. Wine is an experience good, that is, its quality cannot be ascertained before consumption. As a result, consumers often rely on “expert opinion” regarding quality and maturation prospects. This article describes the emergence and the unparalleled rise of wine economics from the 1980s to the present and sheds light on its three main topics: finance, climate change, and the role of expert opinion. (JEL Classification: Q1, G11, Q54, L15)
EFFECTS OF ALLEGATIONS OF CORPORATE MISCONDUCT ON SHARE VALUE – A STUDY ON THE SWEDISH MARKET

We set out to determine the stock market's reaction to announcements of corporate illegalities in Sweden resulting in the company being fined or sued. By visiting the main legal authorities in Sweden, we manually collect our observations of announcements of misconduct for listed companies creating a unique dataset of 49 observations from the period January 1990 to April 2008. Using the event study methodology, we compute abnormal returns and obtain results which suggest a general trend of a nonexistent market reaction in Sweden. We conclude that the reasons for this observation is due to the fundamental structure of the legal system in Sweden where individuals rather than companies are targeted and the size of fines imposed are trivial in comparison to the firms’ market value. However, we note that firms being sued for violating the Competition Act experience a significant negative wealth loss of 1.39% following the announcement of the illegality. It proves the Swedish Competition Authority’s ability to efficiently implement its legislation. Reactions to other legislators’ law enforcement are absent which ultimately reflects Swedish companies' ability to shirk the consequences of fraudulent activities.
Integrating conservation genetic considerations into conservation planning : a case study of bull trout in the Lake Pend Oreille

Integration and inclusion of population genetics perspectives and data are increasingly critical for conservation planning of at-risk living resources (Waples 1991; Nielsen 1995). This requirement, however, has not been routinely or comprehensively implemented in past conservation efforts. We discuss a generalized approach for ensuring an open and deliberative process whose aim is the long-term conservation of population-level biological diversity in bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus). We describe a practical application of principles for defining conservation units. Moreover, we describe the primary conservation genetic considerations Integrating conservation genetic considerations into conservation planning: a case study of bull trout in the Lake Pend Oreille—lower Clark Fork River system
econstor Make Your Publications Visible . A Service of zbw

We study the forecasting performance of three alternative large scale approaches for German key macroeconomic variables using a dataset that consists of 123 variables in quarterly frequency. These three approaches handle the dimensionality problem evoked by such a large dataset by aggregating information, yet on different levels. We consider different factor models, a large Bayesian VAR and model averaging techniques, where aggregation takes place before, during and after the estimation of the different models, respectively. We find that overall the large Bayesian VAR provides the most precise forecasts compared to the other large scale approaches and a number of small benchmark models. For some variables the large Bayesian VAR is also the only model producing unbiased forecasts at least for short horizons. While a Bayesian factor augmented VAR with a tight prior also provides quite accurate forecasts overall, the performance of the other methods depends on the variable to be forecast.
Students’ reasoning in mathematics textbook task-solving

This study reports on an analysis of students’ textbook task-solving in Swedish upper secondary school. The relation between types of mathematical reasoning required, used, and the rate of correct task solutions were studied. Rote learning and superficial reasoning were common, and 80% of all attempted tasks were correctly solved using such imitative strategies. In the few cases where mathematically founded reasoning was used, all tasks were correctly solved. The study suggests that student collaboration and dialogue does not automatically lead to mathematically founded reasoning and deeper learning. In particular, in the often common case where the student simply copies a solution from another student without receiving or asking for mathematical justification, it may even be a disadvantage for learning to collaborate. The results also show that textbooks’ worked examples and theory sections are not used as an aid by the student in task-solving.
A direct numerical investigation of two-way interactions in a particle-laden turbulent channel flow

Understanding the two-way interactions between finite-size solid particles and a wall-bounded turbulent flow is crucial in a variety of natural and engineering applications. Previous experimental measurements and particle-resolved direct numerical simulations revealed some interesting phenomena related to particle distribution and turbulence modulation, but their in-depth analyses are largely missing. In this study, turbulent channel flows laden with neutrally buoyant finite-size spherical particles are simulated using the lattice Boltzmann method. Two particle sizes are considered, with diameters equal to 14.45 and 28.9 wall units. To understand the roles played by the particle rotation, two additional simulations with the same particle sizes but no particle rotation are also presented for comparison. Particles of both sizes are found to form clusters. Under the Stokes lubrication corrections, small particles are found to have a stronger preference to form clusters, and their clusters orientate more in the streamwise direction. As a result, small particles reduce the mean flow velocity less than large particles. Particles are also found to result in a more homogeneous distribution of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in the wall-normal direction, as well as a more isotropic distribution of TKE among different spatial directions. To understand these turbulence modulation phenomena, we analyse in detail the total and component-wise volume-averaged budget equations of TKE with the simulation data. This budget analysis reveals several mechanisms through which the particles modulate local and global TKE in the particle-laden turbulent channel flow.
Adaptive array antenna combined with tapped delay line using processing gain for spread-spectrum CDMA systems

The paper first proposes a method to correctly update the weights of an adaptive array antenna using the inherent processing gain of a spread spectrum (SS) receiver, even for received signals with very low desired-to-undesired signal power ratio (DUR). Since the method reduces effect of the delay in the controlling loop, stable convergence can be guaranteed in a fading channel. Secondly the method is applied to a tapped delay line (TDL) adaptive array antenna in order to improve performance of rejecting co-channel interference in CDMA. The array is investigated corresponding to the DUR and bandwidth of SS signals. <<ETX>>
An exploration of Cava wineries : a resource-based approach

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory study is to identify the most important resources, and emerging issues among Spain’s Cava wineries, including opportunities and challenges, from predominantly winery operators, and through the lens of the resource-based view of the firm (RBVF). Design/methodology/approach: Unstructured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with the representatives of five Cava firms, and with the manager of the local Institute of Cava in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Spain. In addition, owners/managers of seven other Cava wineries provided responses and comments via email. Findings: The attributes pertaining to the RBVF, such as valuable, rare, imperfect imitable resources, and (non)substitutability emerged in the present study, illustrated by the local designation of origin (DO), tradition/history, territory, specific grape varietals, and increased perceived quality of Cava products. In order to address pressing challenges and maximise opportunities, particularly the decline of domestic Cava consumption, participants underline strategies to gain more exposure in international wine consumer markets, and also benefit from the growing popularity of gastronomy and wine tourism. Originality/value: Originality and value in this research are demonstrated in two ways. First, the study focuses on a region, which, despite its long history and tradition, has received limited attention from the academic literature, especially in recent years. Second, the study adopts the RBVF to facilitate understanding of contemporary issues affecting Cava wineries, and in aligning theory and findings. To date, this theoretical framework has been marginally adopted to examine the wine industry; this limitation is even more evident within the Cava industry.
Music Instrument Identification using Convolutional Neural Networks

Identifying musical instruments in polyphonic recordings with computational methods is a challenging but essential task in the domain of Music Information Retrieval. Such algorithms can improve music recommendation and genre recognition systems or inform other tasks like source separation, automatic score notation as well as music tagging. The following master thesis presents an Instrument Identification, or synonymously, an Instrument Recognition system for polyphonic classical music material including a preprocessing method to reduce crosstalk within multi-track recordings. The above mentioned reduction method is able to adaptively estimate the crosstalk amount in the spectral domain and subsequently applies spectral subtraction to remove it. Different datasets with randomly generated crosstalk from anechoic classical music recordings were employed for development and evaluation purpose. The algorithm shows promising results regarding the crosstalk reduction performance while only producing a small amount of musical artefacts. In order to adjust the algorithm for different application purposes, the trade-off regarding reduction strength and musical artefacts can be adapted by parameter scaling. Besides its original function, to pre-process audio material for labelling, the algorithm can also be utilized as post production effect for multi-track recordings or as de-noising approach within multi-channel microphone arrays. The instrument identification system is based upon a convolutional neural network which is trained on a dataset of multi-track recordings from different classical music concerts at the Berlin University of Arts. Those multi-tracks both contain spot microphone recordings as well as the individual stereo mixtures. By utilizing the above mentioned crosstalk reduction method, the spot microphone recordings are first pre-processed to determine the respective instrument activities. Those activities are then transformed to labelling information by thresholding. Input features for the convolutional neural net are extracted from the stereo mixtures in form of mel-spectrograms. Both labels and features are generated on a variety of different time frame sizes. After the training procedure, the classification model is able to predict the combination of instruments in a given classical music piece for each frame. Furthermore, the influence of frame size on the classification performance is investigated. Additionally, this work also evaluates two different methods based on sliding classification and multiple instance learning to train a classifier on large time frames but eventually predict on smaller time frames. In this way, imprecise labels may be employed to classify music recordings more accurately regarding the time resolution.
The Role of Organizational Experiences in the Formation and Acceptance of a Leader Identity : A Phenomenological Study of Leaders Working Within the Context of a Religious Not-for-Profit Organization

This study examined the leadership identity development of a sample of leaders in order to better understand leaders’ perceptions about what contributed to the development of their leadership identities. Using indepth interview questions, the lived experiences of organizational leaders were explored so as to build on the limited existing research on leadership identity and offer further insight into the phenomenon of leadership identity formation. The results of this study revealed that the study participants had each experienced leadership within multiple social and organizational contexts. Based on the responses of study participants, the acceptance of their leadership identities was influenced, in part, by the leaders to whom they had been exposed and by the social contexts in which their leadership experiences took place. The participants in this study began to identify themselves as leaders while working within the context of organizations that provided opportunities for leadership, collaboration, and mentorship from experienced leaders.
Pattern of referral to a consultation-liaison psychiatry service in an Egyptian cancer center

Aim/Objective/Background Integration of consultation-liaison(C-L) psychiatry services in palliative care units in oncology departments is very limited in Egypt. A new dedicated C-L psychiatry service was recently established within the premises of the palliative care clinic in Kasr al Ainy Center for Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine (NEMROCK), Cairo, Egypt. The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics, diagnoses and follow up of patients referred to this new service in a year period. Methods The clinical and psychiatric characteristics of all consecutive oncology patients (n=44) referred to this new C-L psychiatric service in a year period were examined. Psychiatric diagnosis was made according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders, 5th edition (DSM 5). Results A total number of 44 patients (12 males and 32 females) were referred to the C-L clinic during the study period. Half of the patients had breast cancer.The other half was a diverse group involving different sites. In the advanced stage of cancer, males were significantly more represented than the females. As regards psychiatric diagnosis, the most common category was adjustment disorder (22 patients) followed by major depression (11 patients). Six of the patients had non-psychiatric distress, two had a primary psychotic disorder, two had substance related disorder and one had a major cognitive disorder. Causes of suffering in the non-psychiatric distressed group included lack of adequate medical information, physical concerns, existential concerns and family concerns. Most patients received psychotropic medication. Conclusions The scope and severity of psychiatric morbidity and distress detected in the referred oncology patients reflects the need to integrate C-L psychiatric services within psycho-oncological and palliative care clinics.
Zinc deficiency in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Background Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common behavioral disorder in children that may persist into adulthood. Insufficient nutritional supply and deficiency of trace elements and other components including various minerals have been suggested to play a role in the development of ADHD symptoms. Zinc in particular was found to be significantly deficient in patients with ADHD compared with healthy controls, so it was concluded that zinc deficiency might play a role in the etiopathogenesis of ADHD. Objectives The aim of the work is to investigate the association of serum zinc levels with ADHD diagnosis, its symptom domains, and severity. Patients and methods A total of 75 children aged from 6 to 14 years with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV) diagnosis of ADHD were enrolled in this study. All children were assessed using Colored Progressive Matrices IQ test, Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children Present and Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL), the Working Memory Index (WMI) of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III), and Conner’s Parent Rating Scale − Revised − Long version (CPRS-R-L). Serum zinc level was measured in all children using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results Overall, 52% of children with ADHD (n=39) had forthright zinc deficiency with serum zinc levels less than 60 μg/dl. Five children only had marginal zinc levels, with serum zinc level ranging between 60 and 80 μg/dl. Serum zinc levels were lower in children living in rural areas. Zinc-deficient children showed lower IQ scores than non-zinc-deficient group.