Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ATTRIBUTES OF AN EFFECTIVE MARKETING ACADEMIC: QUALITATIVE INSIGHTS FROM AN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY

This paper examines the personal attributes that increase the teaching effectiveness of a marketing lecturer. Based on eight focus groups of undergraduate marketing students at an Australian university, three factors emerged that lead to students’ perceiving marketing lecturers as being effective educators. These are (1) having a dynamic style, (2) friendliness and (3) the effectiveness of their communication. A conceptual framework is developed showing how dynamism, friendlessness and communication effectiveness influences teaching effectiveness.
Purported use and self-awareness of cognitive and metacognitive foreign language reading strategies in tertiary education in Mozambique

This paper explores the results of a Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS)-based questionnaire administered to 28 university student participants. The study is carried out in a post-colonial multilingual context, Mozambique. The main aims of the paper are to assess the degree of purported use and awareness of participants own use of reading comprehension skills and strategies in a foreign language (English). The participants were tested for their reading text comprehension using an IELTS comprehension test (Cabinda, 2013). The results revealed low reading comprehension levels. Results contrast with results from the SORS-based questionnaire (Cabinda, 2013) which revealed claims of use of a wide range of cognitive, metacognitive and supply strategies – aspects of high level reading ability and text comprehension. Conclusions show that the participants used or claimed to chiefly use metacognitive and cognitive reading strategies equally, matching the behaviour of good readers, but they also reported a high degree of supply strate- gies to construe meaning from text, mainly code-switching, translation and cognates. The latter cofirms results from studies by Jimenez et al. (1995, 1996) and Zhang & Wu (2009), yet do not conclusively show a correlation between the participants’ degree of text comprehension and their effective use of reading skills and strategies to construe meaning. Further conclusions show that the reported high use of these L1 (Portuguese or other) related supply strategies (not used by English L1 readers) does not aid their reading comprehension. Key words : EFL, reading strategies, cognition, metacognition, awareness
Divestments in Banking - Preliminary Evidence on the Role of External Factors

Divestment constitutes an important method of corporate restructuring. Despite this fact, the banking literature on divestment is very limited. In this text, we try to remediate partially to the shortcomings of the existing literature by examining empirically the role of external factors. Using a large sample of 313 transactions, we have established that parent companies originate from countries with relatively high accumulated wealth, slow GDP growth, stable macroeconomic situation and dominant bank intermediation in financial system. The acquirers in turn come from poorer countries with faster economic growth and relatively more market-oriented financial systems. Those results broadly conform with the predictions of three hypotheses formulated in the text, namely the weak performance hypothesis, the corporate governance hypothesis and the rebalancing hypothesis.
Longitudinal Cross-Gender Factorial Invariance of the Academic Motivation Scale

This study examined the measurement and latent construct invariance of the Academic Motivation Scale (Vallerand, Blais, Brière, & Pelletier, 1989; Vallerand et al., 1992, 1993) across both gender and time. An integrative analytical strategy was used to assess in one set of nested models both longitudinal and cross-gender invariance, and "interactional" and "simple" tests of invariance (e.g., cross-gender invariance across waves) were conducted. Results from a sample of 643 students (322 boys and 321 girls) across a 3-year time span showed good longitudinal cross-gender factorial invariance with different degrees of invariance depending on the sample, the educational level, or both. Implications for the validity of the Academic Motivation Scale, as well as for research on factorial invariance, are discussed.
The ACS survey of Galactic globular clusters. XII. Photometric binaries along the main sequence

Context. The fraction of binary stars is an important ingredient to interpret globular cluster dynamical evolution and their stellar population. Aims. We investigate the properties of main-sequence binaries measured in a uniform photometric sample of 59 Galactic globular clusters that were observed by HST WFC/ACS as a part of the Globular Cluster Treasury project. Methods. We measured the fraction of binaries and the distribution of mass-ratio as a function of radial location within the cluster, from the central core to beyond the half-mass radius. We studied the radial distribution of binary stars, and the distribution of stellar mass ratios. We investigated monovariate relations between the fraction of binaries and the main parameters of their host clusters. Results. We found that in nearly all the clusters, the total fraction of binaries is significantly smaller than the fraction of binaries in the field, with a few exceptions only. Binary stars are significantly more centrally concentrated than single MS stars in most of the clusters studied in this paper. The distribution of the mass ratio is generally flat (for mass-ratio parameter q > 0.5). We found a significant anti-correlation between the binary fraction in a cluster and its absolute luminosity (mass). Some, less significant correlation with the collisional parameter, the central stellar density, and the central velocity dispersion are present. There is no statistically significant relation between the binary fraction and other cluster parameters. We confirm the correlation between the binary fraction and the fraction of blue stragglers in the cluster. (Less)
Comparative Analysis of Microwave based Joining/Welding of SS304- SS304 using Different Interfacing Materials

In recent years, researchers have developed methods for joining bulk metals like aluminium, stainless steel, mild steel, cast iron etc. through microwave radiations. The present work is based on the joining of stainless steel-304 with two different interface materials i.e. Nickel based EWAC powder and 99.9% pure Nickel based powder. The obtained samples were characterized by XRD, SEM and Rockwell hardness test on HRC scale. The experimental results show that the Nickel based EWAC powder is better in terms of weldability than 99.9% pure Nickel based powder.
The Determinants of Small Firm Growth in the Greek Manufacturing Sector

The aim of this paper is twofold; first, to identify the variables that mostly affect rapid sales growth in Greek manufacturing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs); second, to examine the potential influence upon business growth and performance outcomes of those variables representing enterprise and financial management characteristics of the Greek SMEs. The study utilizes panel data of a random sample of 143 firms from the manufacturing SMEs sector in Greece. Regression analysis is used to determine the explanatory factors of rapid sales growth. This paper is firstly addressing the Greek case and our results are in line with the findings of other empirical studies in the European Union (EU), thus, supporting the convergence hypothesis among member states in EU. Indeed, factors found to influence significantly manufacturing SMEs growth in Greece are profitability, liquidity, reliance on long-term debt, employee productivity, fixed assets turnover and restricted sales credit terms. Moreover, our findings also suggest that SMEs located in big cities behave differently from firms located in the periphery with regard to factors related to growth. The same holds true for firms in different industry subgroups. Our findings give rise to several policy implications that are crucial for the competitiveness of the sector, especially in view of the changes induced by the European Monetary Union, as well as, by other undergoing economic changes in the country such as the Olympic Games 2004. Policies such as low cost financing, lower tax burdens, incentives for investments in new technology, continuous personnel training, promotion of ecommerce and cooperation with foreign firms might induce fast growth in Greek SMEs.
Self Actualization, Self Efficacy and Emotional Intelligence of Undergraduate Students

The purpose of the study is to investigate issues related with the identities, specifically self-related aspects such as self-actualization and self-efficacy and understand the emotional intelligence levels of undergraduate students in Turkey and analyze the relations of these aspects. The sample consists of 278 undergraduate students from Istanbul University Business Administration Faculty. Results reveal that emotional intelligence has significant and positive effect on self-actualization and self-efficacy. Selfactualization has also significant and positive effect on selfefficacy. Results are discussed.
Mechanisms of trophic partitioning within two fish communities associated with a tropical oceanic island

Understanding drivers of trophic partitioning at the community-wide level is an essential prerequisite to the establishment of an ecosystem-based management of fisheries. In this study, we tried to identify drivers of trophic partitioning within two communities of epipelagic and deep-sea fishes off Reunion Island. Effects of intrinsic (specie identity, etc) and environmental variables (fishing zone, month) on stomach contents composition and stable isotopes ratios were tested using regression tree and linear model respectively. Our results demonstrated first an independence of both communities with very few common prey although the distribution of their catches are very close, and second a very different pattern of resources partitioning among each community. Epipelagic fish species are segregated in three trophic guilds composed by species foraging on a limited range of prey. This observation is not consistent with the general view that these high trophic level species are opportunistic and generalist. The habitat seems to be the main driver of deep-sea fishes feeding partitioning, which is consistent with the sound-scattering layer interception hypothesis. Deep-sea fishes would distribute in the water column at different depths and all species would feed on the same resources at each depth.
The Assessment of Competence in University Adult Education: A Dynamic Approach

The present paper aims to explore the field of adult education and competence development in university settings. An ICT-based tool was used to assess three successive target groups of professionals considered adult students. Our results have a research and practical series of implications. Individuals gain self-knowledge and perception in terms of present and future competences; furthermore, the process of self-analysis could be initiated. Group level results are important for teachers and educators helping them towards a student-centred teaching/learning initiative, putting emphasis on the issue and managing diversity. Educational management can improve the quality of teaching and design a competitive path through differentiation.
Environmental Exposures, Genetic Susceptibility and Preterm Birth

Preterm births cause a large public-health burden because of its high prevalence, leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, and environmental hazards is considered to be a potential risk factors (Adams et al., 2000; Bloom et al., 2001; Tucker & McGuire, 2004; Colvin et al. 2004; Fraser et al. 2004; Murphy et al. 2004). The frequency of preterm births is about 12–13% in the USA and 5–9% in many other developed countries; however, the rate of preterm birth has increased in many locations (Goldenberg et al., 2008). Thus, to elicit of risk factors that could predict high risk of preterm birth represents a challenge to practitioners and researchers. The increasing rate of preterm birth in recent decades, despite improvements in health care, creates an impetus to better understand and prevent this disorder. The identification of women at increased risk of preterm delivery is an important challenge. Preterm birth likely depends on a number of interacting factors, including genetic, epigenetic, and environmental risk factors (Windham et al., 2000; Plunkett & Muglia, 2008). The epidemiological data suggested that both genetic factors and socioenvironmental factors may influence preterm birth (Wang et al., 2000; Nukui et al., 2004; Lewis et al., 2006; Suh et al., 2008). Genetic studies may identify stable over time markers, which can predict preterm birth in genetically susceptible subjects and the gene-environment studies may explain how the variations in the human genome (polymorphisms) can modify the effects of exposures to environmental health hazards (Kelada et al., 2003). Given individual genetic variations of pregnant women and different environmental exposures, the study may reveal women group susceptible to environmental hazards and may explain the differences in risk of preterm birth among individuals exposed to a particular environmental toxicant (Rothman et al., 2001). Furthermore, enhanced understanding of pathologic mechanisms may allow the development of interventions that can be used to prevent or treat preterm birth. To date, however, only a relatively few studies on the association of gene-environment interactions with preterm birth have been published (Wang et al., 2002; Genc et al., 2004; Macones et al., 2004). Experimental and epidemiologic studies provide evidence that a number of drinking water disinfection by-products (DBPs), including trihalomethanes (THM), may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Epidemiological studies suggested that pregnant women
Einstein-matter evolution and tails for scalar and Yang-Mills fields

We show how matter can be included in a constrained ADM-like formulation of the Einstein equations on constant mean curvature surfaces. Previous results on the regularity of the equations at future null infinity are unaffected by the addition of matter with tracefree energy-momentum tensor. Two examples are studied in detail, a conformally coupled scalar field and a YangMills field. We first derive the equations under no symmetry assumptions and then reduce them to spherical symmetry. Both sectors (gravitational and sphaleron) of the spherically symmetric Yang-Mills field are included. We implement this scheme numerically in order to study late-time tails of scalar and Yang-Mills fields coupled to the Einstein equations. We are able to evolve spacetimes that disperse to flat space, accrete onto a given black hole or collapse to a black hole from regular initial data. The sphaleron sector of Yang-Mills is found to exhibit some nontrivial gauge dynamics.
Flexible Products in Microfinance: Overcoming the Demand-Supply Mismatch

The success of microfinance rests upon product simplicity, standardization, and the capacity to stimulate client discipline. However, poor people desperately need flexible financial products to improve their day-to-day money management and cope with shocks. This paper discusses how microfinance institutions could design flexible products efficiently. First, we clarify the concept of financial flexibility. Second, based on literature in microfinance, banking, and behavioral economics, we summarize the state of knowledge on the trade-off between flexibility and client discipline. Last, we weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the few flexible products already implemented by microfinance institutions worldwide.
Entrepreneurial overconfidence and its impact upon performance

A hubris theory of entrepreneurship suggests that financial forecasts are often informed by the use of heuristic methods prone to overconfidence. While overconfidence can be advantageous during the start-up phase, it is also linked to overoptimistic forecasts, non-optimal outcomes and firm failure. This article uses a data set from 203 micro and small firms operating in North West Italy where overconfidence is measured as the difference between budget estimates and actual results for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), owner equity and borrowing costs. These measures are employed to identify the extent of overconfidence by entrepreneurs in their financial forecasts and to analyse any relationship between overconfidence and the characteristics of the entrepreneur and the firm. A probit analysis is employed to investigate any association between overconfident financial forecasts and subsequent firm failure. The results are consistent with the hypotheses, suggesting that the majority of entrepreneurs are prone to overconfident budgetary forecasts that are directly associated with firm failure. Such overconfidence is mitigated by an entrepreneur’s level of educational attainment and the use of budgetary controls.
Comparison Between Open Pollinated Progenies and Hybrids Performance in Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus urophylla

Summary The cellulose industry in Brazil uses, mainly, hybrids between Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla. Not only the volume but also the wood density has great influence in the cellulose productivity, therefore a selection for both characteristics should be done as an alternative to increase the improvement program efficiency. The present work has been carried out with the objective of comparison between Open Pollinated progenies (OP) and hybrids performance in E. grandis and E. urophylla. To do so, 15 OP progenies of E. grandis, 15 OP progenies of E. urophylla, and 15 hybrids between E. grandis × E. urophylla, plus four controls were evaluated. The experiment was carried out from October to November 2001, in three sites, Aracruz and São Mateus, in the Espírito Santo State, and Caravelas, Bahia State, Brazil, in a 14 × 14 lattice design, involving the 49 treatments mentioned plus other progenies not considered in this article, with single tree plots and 40 replicates. Two years later the circumference at breast height (CBH) and the basic wood density (BWD) were evaluated. The hybrids performance for CBH was higher, an average, 38,7% than the OP progenies for both species. Part of the heterosis in relation to parental means could be attributed to the inbreeding depression due to selfing that occurred in the OP progenies and the dominance controlling this character. For the BWD the hybrids performance was the same of the OP progenies. Since there was divergence between the parents, it can be inferred that dominance has no importance for this trait. The negative correlation between the CBH and the BWD could impair the simultaneous selection for both traits, depending on the wood basic density range used by the industry.
Risk taking tendency: An investigation of amateur athletes in mountain and road races

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the predisposing risk-taking among mountain and road runners, and if the experience gender and age affect risk-taking, as well as to explore if both mountain and road runners are seeking to participate in a risk environment. Two hundred fifty-five (255) amateur athletes participated in the study, and their age ranged from 20 to 59. Participants completed the questionnaire "Sensation Seeking Scale" that investigates participants’ usual feelings. Males’ scores were significantly higher than females’ were. In addition, athletes of mountain racing showed significantly higher scores than road athletes in all factors of the questionnaire. These results shows that mountain racing athletes are seeking to experience higher levels of stimulation and new experiences than the road racing athletes. Finally, experienced athletes scored higher than novice athletes, showing that experienced athletes are seeking new experiences, avoiding boredom and seeking stimulation in the context of the competition.
Invertebrates in urban areas: A review

As urbanisation is set to continue, understanding the impact on wildlife becomes increasingly important if we are to be able to conserve biodiversity. As an excellent group of bioindicators, invertebrates can allow us to understand some of the forces in urban areas which impact upon biodiversity and wildlife populations. This paper discusses some of the trends in the abundance, diversity and richness of invertebrates related to urbanisation and the specific urban environmental and traffic factors which may be at play.
House Price Effects on the Labour market: a new Dutch Disease?

We investigate the causal effect of house price movements on employment dynamics. Using a dataset of 34 countries over the last 40 years, we show the large and significant impact of house prices on unemployment fluctuations using property taxes as an instrument for house prices. A 10% (instrumented) depreciation in house prices yields to a 3% increase in the unemployment rate. These results are very robust to the inclusion of the variables commonly used to explain unemployment rate developments. Besides the effects on unemployment rates, house prices also impact labor reallocation between tradable and non-tradable sectors: rising (declining) house prices do not only lead to hiring (firing) of construction workers, it also leads to real exchange rate appreciations that affect manufacturing activity. Over the housing cycle, total effect of house prices on employment in the tradable sector is negative.
Islamic Finance for SMEs

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) make up the bulk of the economic tissue of the economy. In developing countries, they represent the majority of employment, including female employment. Investing in SMEs is a long-term and smart strategy, with sustainable returns that multiply across regions, countries and societies. SMEs constitute the overwhelming majority of firms. Globally, SMEs make up over 95% of all firms, account for approximately 50% of GDP and 60%–70% of total employment, when both formal and informal SMEs are taken into account. This amounts to between 420 million and 510 million SMEs, 310 million of which are in emerging markets. Promoting access to finance for SMEs has been on the global reform agenda since the global financial crisis. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the opportunities of development and growth as well as the main challenges to Islamic finance for SMEs. This paper will help to deepen understanding of the concepts of Islamic finance as well as SMEs. In addition to evaluate how Islamic financial institutions can support SMEs.
Assumptions of the Joined Wing Flying Model Programme

Joined wing configuration is considered as a candidate for future airplanes. Potentially it should allow reducing both empty weight and drag of the airplane. Both effects can reduce the fuel consumption thus decreasing operational costs and greenhouse gasses emission. However this configuration is very difficult to apply due to the aerodynamic coupling and static indeterminacy. This paper presents the research project taken to expand the knowledge concerning this configuration. Its novel version with front wing at the top of the fuselage will be investigated in details. The paper describes assumptions of the project, the following steps and expected results.
Regional disparities in gross job and worker flows in Finland

The aim of this study is to characterize the structure and the evolution of Finnish regional labour markets in terms of gross job and worker flows using establishment- level data. There is no solid evidence that the gross job creation rate is on average lower in Eastern and Northern Finland. The rapid rise in regional unemployment disparities in the 1990s can be explained via the rise in the disparities in the gross job destruction rates across regions during the great slump of the early 1990s. There are also distinct regional differences in the adjustment of labour demand at the establishment level.