Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adiabatic theorem for bipartite quantum systems in weak coupling limit

We study the adiabatic approximation of the dynamics of a bipartite quantum system with respect to one of its components, when the coupling between the two components is perturbative. We show that the density matrix of the considered component is described by adiabatic transport formulae exhibiting operator-valued geometric and dynamical phases. The present results can be used to study the quantum control of the dynamics of qubits and of open quantum systems where the two components are the system and its environment. We treat two examples, the control of an atomic qubit interacting with another one and the control of a spin in the middle of a Heisenberg spin chain.
REDD+ piloting process in the Zanzibar Islands, Tanzania: The assessment of the community perceptions and attitudes

Introduction of REDD+ initiatives in Tanzania underwent a series of preparation activities including launching and implementation the National REDD+ pilot projects. While the piloting have now lasted for four years the local communities’ awareness, perceptions and their attitudes towards these initiatives have not been adequately studied in Tanzania. This study therefore was carried out to assess the community perception and determine social sustainability of REDD+ initiatives in Zanzibar Islands. Specifically the study aims to determine the levels of community awareness, perception, participation and attitudes towards this initiative. Five Shehia (Villages) which are Kumbaurembo, Muyuni C, Mtende, Chuchumile and Hanyegwamchana were involved in the study. Data were collected through key informant interviews, focus group discussions and household questionnaire survey. Content analysis was used to analyse qualitative information from focus group discussions and in depth interviews, while indexes were used to determine the levels of community participation, awareness and attitudes. Findings revealed a high level of community awareness (63.3%) with moderately high level of participation as shown by 47.8%. Results show a favourable attitude of about 77% despite the low levels of education, over dependence of forest resources and small size of land holdings that would be expected to affect communities’ perception, attitudes. The study concludes that communities in Zanzibar islands have positive attitude and perceptions on conservation initieatives which is a good indicator for sustainability of REDD+ initiatives. However, in a bid to sustain the communities’ continued involvement, there should be continued capacitation of the communities to be in full control of their resources as well as ensuring equitable benefit sharing. Key Words: REDD+, Community perception, Attitudes, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Blind Admission? The ability of NSC maths to signal competence in university commerce courses as compared to the former SC Higher Grade maths

Mathematics is an important signal used for admission into commerce courses in South African universities. In 2008 the new National Senior Certificate replaced the former Senior Certificate. This new exam no longer had different grades and thus created a structural break in the ability of the mathematics mark to signal preparedness for university. Although the Department of Education provided a “translation” key between the two Certificates, the University of the Witwatersrand (and other universities) admitted many more students in 2009 that met the entry requirements than previously. However, this cohort has lower average test and exam scores than previous years. This suggests that marks obtained for mathematics in the new National Senior Certificate are inflated when compared to the former Senior Certificate. This paper uses similar tests, for two commerce subjects, written by students in 2008 and 2009 to create a comparison between the mathematics marks under the two different certificates. The results suggest that marks in the range of 40-100% for Higher Grade mathematics for the Senior Certificate are now compressed into the 70-95% range for the new National Senior Certificate. This significantly weakens the ability of the school-leaving mathematics mark to signal the ability of students to cope with first year commerce courses.
Taking Responsibility: Psychological and Attitudinal Change through a Domestic Violence Intervention Program in New South Wales, Australia

Literature widely reports the negative impacts of domestic violence at individual, family, and societal levels. Intervention programs that effectively assist violent men to develop alternate ways of relating, and thus enhance the safety of women and children, are of significant value to governments and the community. This study evaluates the effectiveness of one such program in promoting change in relevant attitudes and psychological constructs. Program participants completed pre- and post-group surveys containing validated scales that measured their gender equity beliefs, self-esteem, mastery, and psychological distress. Over the duration of program attendance, positive changes were evident regarding men’s self-esteem, mastery, and psychological distress, however, no significant change in gender equity beliefs was apparent. The positive changes evident amongst participants indicate beneficial outcomes from group work participation in areas that have been identified as risk factors for violent behaviour. The results also suggest that intervention programs would benefit from an increased focus on gender equity beliefs, and that further research is necessary on the extent to which this focus could improve attitudes, and consequently promote safety for women and children.
Evaluative criteria applied by South African female fashion consumers when purchasing casual daywear

Criteria used by fashion consumers to assess the quality of apparel products during the decision-making process are a good indication of what considerations marketers and retailers should keep in mind for customer satisfaction. Evaluative criteria used to a great extent by apparel customers when judging garment quality are intrinsic attributes, embracing physical features such as design/style, materials and construction as well as performance features such as aesthetic and functional aspects of clothing.The broad research aim of this exploratory study was to determine which intrinsic criteria were used by female fashion consumers in the Vaal Region to evaluate apparel quality when purchasing casual daywear.Aself-administered, structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Section 1 measured the importance of intrinsic clothing evaluative criteria, while section 2 gathered demographic information of the respondents.Arepresentative sample was chosen from the academic personnel of all seven tertiary institutions in theVaal Region in SouthAfrica.The majority of the lecturers (38%) was between the ages of 31 and 40, which was relatively young. The predominant population group was white (65.7%), while 25% of the respondents were black. They all had a tertiary qualification, indicating a relatively high educational level, and an average income, based on research by Stellenbosch Bureau for Economic Research. Regarding the application of evaluative criteria for quality assessment, these respondents used intrinsic apparel attributes extensively. Three functional performance aspects namely durability, comfort and fit were rated equal and most important for judging quality. Three clusters of respondents could be distinguished, each with a specific disposition towards the evaluative criteria.
Over-expression of Arginine Decarboxylase Gene in Tapetal Tissue Results in Male Sterility in Tomato Plants

Homeostasis of cellular Polyamines (PAs) is very important for proper growth and development of living organisms. Development of male sex organ and gametophyte in plants is a complex process involving many known and unknown pathways. PAs are actively involved in the development of anther and pollen. In the present study, oat arginine decarboxylase (ADC) gene has been over-expressed in tapetum of tomato using tapetum-specific TA29 promoter to perturb the PA homeostasis in order to see its implication on male fertility. Tapetum-specific ADC overexpression resulted in PA accumulation, mainly in free and bound fractions in the anther of transgenics. Transgenic lines displayed abnormal pollen and tapetum development. Pollen grains were aborted and distorted in morphology and tapetum showed premature degeneration in ADC transgenics. These transgenics failed to set seeds, but cross pollination with normal pollen from wild type plants restored the seed setting indicating that s ADC over-expression did not affect female fertility. ADC over-expression also did not affect the growth and morphology of transgenics. The present study suggests that the excess of PAs in anther is lethal for pollen and tapetum development and overexpression of ADC gene can be an effective approach for the engineering of male sterility in plants.
Forward and inverse modelling of post-seismic deformation

We consider a new approach to both the forward and inverse problems in post-seismic deformation. We present a method for forward modelling post-seismic deformation in a self-gravitating, heterogeneous and compressible earth with a variety of linear and nonlinear rheologies. We further demonstrate how the adjoint method can be applied to the inverse problem both to invert for rheological structure and to calculate the sensitivity of a given surface measurement to changes in rheology or time-dependence of the source. Both the forward and inverse aspects are illustrated with several numerical examples implemented in a spherically symmetric earth model.
Investment Bank Market Share and the Performance of Acquiring Companies: Canadian Evidence

This study examines the relationship between the investment bank market share and the performance of the companies in Canada that sought their advice as an acquirer in a merger transaction. We investigate the validity of two alternative hypotheses proposed by Rau (2000): Superior deal hypothesis and Deal completion hypothesis. The former posits that managers seek top investment advisors because of their ability to recognise the added value in their investments where as the latter have their ability to complete the deal quicker. Tobin’s Q is used as a performance measure to find out if the top quality investment banks delivered greater value to their clients compared to low quality banks. We examine the effects of time on deal performance by measuring change in Q at two different points in time – one and two years after the merger respectively. Then we investigate the effect of past performance and past market share on the current market share of a particular investment bank.
Proof Carrying Code using Algebraic Specifications

Proof Carrying Code is a methodology developed to establish trust between code consumer and producer. The latter formally proves that the code he sents to the former satisfies some safety properties. That proof is received by the consumer together with the code, that is under inspection. Next the consumer verifies the proof before authorizing the execution of the code. While PCC is a powerful approach, some issues like reusability and the diculty of the producer to produce the formal proofs, hinder its wide use. In this paper we propose an alternative schema for proof carrying code using tools from the fields of algebraic specifications and design by contract to counter some of these problems.
Development and charachterization of barley supllemented flavored chapattis

Food scientist are actively involved to improve the quality of wheat through composite flour technology by supplementing wheat flour with other grain flours. Barley grains are outstanding source of total dietary fibers (TDF) and offers remarkable quantity of active ingredients for health elevation and disease prevention. Purposely, the current research work was designed to improve the nutritional potential of wheat chapattis by including barley flour 10%, 20%, 30% along with the addition of functional blend (Methi powder and garlic paste) 2%, 4%, 6% levels respectively. Wheat and barley composite flour were analyzed for its chemical, mineral, antioxidant and total dietary composition. The supplementation of barley flour and functional blend into wheat flour enhanced the mineral. Addition of barley flour and functional blend increased total phenolic in composite flour 0.41 (control) to 0.69 mg GAE.100g-1 and DPPH from 20.95 - 23.82%. Total dietary fiber in composite flour varied form 3.11% (control) to 7.69% (30% barley flour with 6% functional blend). Total dietary fiber in chapattis ranged from 6.04 (control) to 8.21% (30% barley flour with 6% functional blend). 30% supplementation of barley flour and 4% addition of functional blend presented better sensory response of the prepared chapattis. All the outcomes revealed that nutritionally rich chapattis should be incorporated in daily diet to explore the dietary worth of barley.
Institutional Investors, Dividend Policy and Firm Value—Evidence from China

The China stock market and institutional investors have experienced an extraordinary development during the past decades. Therefore, it is important to examine the real effects of institutional investors. This paper investigates relationship between institutional investors and firm value using Chinese listed companies from 2008 to 2014. This paper finds that institutional investors help improve firm value. Further analysis shows that institutional investors improve firm value by increasing cash dividend payout. The empirical results of this paper show that institutional investors help improve corporate governance and reduce agency costs.
Maximising abilities of individuals with intellectual disabilities: importance of parental self-efficacy.

A parent’s level of self-efficacy effects how they as parent behave and interact with their child. This is essential, especially for parents of child with ASD, as a much higher level of investment is required to help a child with ASD realize their potential. Previous research has highlighted the importance of self-efficacy in parents in a child’s education and social development. This study used a sample of 42 parents (males n= 16; females n= 26) of children with ASD to examine how demographic factors (i.e age, gender and hours psent working per week) can affect their self-efficacy. Majority of the sample used was provided by Autism Ireland. Correlation between IVs and DVs (parental efficacy & perceived self-efficacy) were observed using various statistical methods. Results show there to be a correlational relationship between the age of the parent and the levels of perceived self-efficacy (PSE). Results are supported by previous research that also examined age as a predictor for levels of self-efficacy.
Determinants for the Attraction of Urban Dairy Farm Investment in Mekelle City, Ethiopia

This study addressed the urban dairy farm investments in Mekelle city, Tigray Regional State, Ethiopia. Its main objective was to analyze the factors for urban dairy farm investment attraction in Mekelle city. Quantitative primary data was collected through structured questionnaire from a sample of 59 dairy farmers selected by using proportionate simple random sampling. Analysis was conducted by using ordinal logistic regression model. Thus, age, year of experience, access to finance, health care service, training, distance, infrastructure and governmental policy were found to be statistically significant determinants of the urban dairy farm investment attraction. Therefore, the government and other stakeholders should motivate dairy farm investors by giving training on business issues; arrange trade fares, forums and exhibitions for experience sharing; and address the prevailing finance problems, infrastructure challenges, and dairy inputs, among others Finally, future researchers are suggested to carry out large scale and in-depth studies to identify factors affecting the overall attractiveness of urban dairy farm investment in other part of Tigray region there by to develop appropriate strategies for the development and attraction of dairy farm investment. Key w ords : Chi-Square, Cooperatives, Determinant Factors, Dairy Farm, Investment, Mekelle City, Ordered Logit, Small Holders.
Surface plasmon resonance sensor with a magneto-optical structure

Due to resonant excitation of surface plasmons, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors combined with ferromagnetic thin films allow an enhancement of the magneto-optical (MO) response. MO-SPR structures with Au/Co/Au sandwiches are theoretically analyzed in transverse configuration by 4×4 matrix algebra. The influence of sandwich film thickness, layer order and Co –Au multilayers on the relative change of the reflectance for p-polarized waves is analyzed. The results show the important role of the incidence angle distribution of the reflectance without magnetic ordering on the MO- SPR response. An optimized geometry and a corresponding feedback are discussed.
The impact of leverage on investment expenditures: New insights from analyzing private enterprises

Recent research shows that firms with more debt invest less. Yet, the underlying reasons remain unclear. In this paper, we exploit some of the specific characteristics of private enterprises to investigate the non-linear and multi-period aspects of theoretical asymmetric information and agency models explaining the leverage-investment relation. After addressing the endogeneity of leverage, our fixed effects regression results on a large sample of 64,246 private firm years support both non-linear and multi-period implications of credit constraints. Specifically, the data reveal a negative impact of leverage on investment, which decreases with the debt ratio but never turns positive. We also find some support for the agency model of underinvestment in a non-linear model, as relatively highly leveraged firms with substantial growth opportunities invest less.
Differential search algorithm-based parametric optimization of electrochemical micromachining processes

Article history: Received June 2 2013 Received in revised format August 15 2013 Accepted August 15 2013 Available online August 19 2013 Electrochemical micromachining (EMM) appears to be a very promising micromachining process for having higher machining rate, better precision and control, reliability, flexibility, environmental acceptability, and capability of machining a wide range of materials. It permits machining of chemically resistant materials, like titanium, copper alloys, super alloys and stainless steel to be used in biomedical, electronic, micro-electromechanical system and nanoelectromechanical system applications. Therefore, the optimal use of an EMM process for achieving enhanced machining rate and improved profile accuracy demands selection of its various machining parameters. Various optimization tools, primarily Derringer’s desirability function approach have been employed by the past researchers for deriving the best parametric settings of EMM processes, which inherently lead to sub-optimal or near optimal solutions. In this paper, an attempt is made to apply an almost new optimization tool, i.e. differential search algorithm (DSA) for parametric optimization of three EMM processes. A comparative study of optimization performance between DSA, genetic algorithm and desirability function approach proves the wide acceptability of DSA as a global optimization tool. © 2013 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved
Inclination-dependent spectral and timing properties in transient black hole X-ray binaries

We use a simple one-dimensional parametrization of timing properties to show that hard and hard-intermediate state transient black hole X-ray binaries with the same power spectral shape have systematically harder X-ray power-law emission in higher inclination systems. We also show that the power spectral shape and amplitude of the broad-band noise (with low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations, QPOs, removed) are independent of inclination, confirming that it is well correlated with the intrinsic structure of the emitting regions and that the ‘type C’ QPO, which is inclination dependent, has a different origin to the noise, probably geometric. Our findings suggest that the power-law emission originates in a corona which is flattened in the plane of the disc, and not in a jet-like structure which would lead to softer spectra at higher inclinations. However, there is tentative evidence that the inclination dependence of spectral shape breaks down deeper into the hard state. This suggests either a change in the coronal geometry and possible evidence for contribution from jet emission, or alternatively an even more optically thin flow in these states.
GSB STUDENT ’ S CONTRIBUTION THE EFFECTS OF PERCEIVED SERVICE QUALITY , CORPORATE IMAGE , CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND SWITCHING COSTS ON CUSTOMER LOYALTY IN VIETNAMESE PRIVATE BANKS : A STUDY OF ASIA COMMERCIAL BANK IN HO CHI MINH CITY

The purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of the impact of perceived service quality, corporate image, customer satisfaction, and switching costs on customer loyalty in a Vietnamese private bank. Additionally, this research aims to investigate the relationships between perceived service quality, corporate image and customer satisfaction. The data was collected from 400 respondents using SERVPERF survey instrument. The research outcomes reveal that all factors have a significant correlation with customer loyalty. The findings also show that there are relationships between perceived service quality, corporate image and customer satisfaction.
On lasso for censored data

In this paper, we propose a new lasso-type estimator for cen- sored data after one-step em update. While several penalized likelihood estimators have been proposed for censored data variable selection through hazards regression, many such estimators require parametric or propor- tional hazards assumptions. The proposed estimator, on the other hand, is based on the linear model and least-squares principles. Penalized Buckley- James estimators are also popular in this setting but have been shown to be unstable and unreliable. Unlike path-based learning based on least- squares approximation, our method requires no covariance assumption and the method is valid for even modest sample sizes. Our calibration estima- tor is equivalent to the minimizer of a well-defined convex loss function and, thus, yields an exact regularized solution path. Thus, the numerical algorithms are fast, reliable, and readily available because they build on existing software for complete, uncensored data. We examine the large and small sample properties of our estimator and illustrate the method through simulation studies and application to two real data sets.
The Association between Profitability and the Extent of Voluntary Disclosure of Financial Information in the Annual Reports: A Study on Listed Banks of Bangladesh

The aim of this paper is to measure the extent of disclosure of voluntary financial information in the annual reports of listed banks in Bangladesh. An effort has also been made to identify the impact of profitability on the level of voluntary disclosure. An unweighted disclosure index with 14 financial items has been used to measure the extent of disclosure. The study reveals that most of the listed banks of Bangladesh are not making satisfactory level of voluntary disclosure with average score of about 42.86%. The findings also show that profitability is not significant in explaining the level of voluntary disclosure of financial information.