Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
JOB INSECURITY, BURNOUT AND WORK ENGAGEMENT: THE IMPACT OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECTIVITY

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between job insecurity, affectivity, burnout and work engagement of employees (N = 297) in a government organisation. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The Job Insecurity Questionnaire, Affectometer 2, Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale were used as measuring instruments. Job insecurity as well as negative and positive affectivity had main effects on burnout and work engagement. Negative affectivity also interacted with job insecurity to influence the burnout and work engagement of employees. No interaction effects were found between positive affectivity and job insecurity. Opsomming Die doelstelling van hierdie studie was om die verband tussen werksonsekerheid, affektiwiteit, uitbranding en werksbegeestering van werknemers (N = 297) in ’n staatsorganisasie te ondersoek. Daar is gebruik gemaak van ’n dwarsdeursnee-opname-ontwerp. Die Werksonsekerheidsvraelys, Affectometer 2, die Oldenburg-Uitbrandingsvraelys en die Utrecht-Werksbegeesteringskaal is as meetinstrumente gebruik. Die resultate het daarop gedui dat werksonsekerheid, sowel as negatiewe en positiewe affektiwiteit hoofeffekte op uitbranding en werksbegeestering gehad het. Uitbranding en begeestering is ook deur die interaksie tussen negatiewe affektiwiteit en werksonsekerheid beinvloed. Geen interaksie-effekte is tussen positiewe affektiwiteit en werksonsekerheid gevind nie.
REAL ESTATE AND PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT: EXAMINING DIVERSIFICATION PROPERTIES

This paper examines the risk-return and diversification properties of real estate investments. In the process, we perform a variance analyses over NPI, TBI and NAREIT United States real estate indexes as well as some of the most common international investment benchmarks. The study uses data from January 1990 to March 2006. We present an optimal portfolio that could be used by financial managers and ordinary investors. Results disclose U.S. real estate with greater return than other important investment benchmarks for the fifteen-year study period. Additionally, real estate diversification benefits as constitute of a mix-portfolio are confirmed for the three used indexes. Evidence shows that direct investment in real estate is less sensitive to business cycles than is indirect investment through NAREIT and other similar Indexes. Finally, an optimal allocation of 49.6% for real estate index investing in NAREIT is identified.
Differentiated trends in student access and performance during the “Bologna Process”. The case of universities in Milan

The aim of this article is to examine trends in student access and performance at university during the implementation of the "Bologna Process". We focus on the universities in Milan in order to assess whether and to what extent institutions with different characteristics experienced differentiated changes in both first-year students composition and performance. The analysis of administrative data suggests that the reform favored a growth of enrolments and an heterogeneous change in student characteristics. Public and large universities attracted mainly students with a weaker school background, while in the private and more prestigious universities the proportion of new entrants from the secondary academic track did not decrease at all. Furthermore, there has been an overall improvement in student performance (early drop-out and exams inactivity) and a reduction of its heterogeneity across universities. Further research should address whether this is due to organizational improvements or simply reflects a lowering of academic standards.
Why did wage inequality decrease in Mexico after NAFTA

Contrary to what happened before nafta, wage inequality in Mexico de- creased after 1994. This paper investigates the forces behind the post-nafta de- crease in wage inequality. Using a quantile decomposition, I show that the decline in wage inequality is driven by a decline in the returns to education and potential experience, especially at the top of the wage distribution. Supply and demand are the main contributors to this change. On the supply side, there were substantial increases in college enrollment rates after 1994, which translated into an increase in the proportion of workers with a college degree. However, this increase in sup- ply was not met by an increase in demand for the highly educated: the proportion of the workforce in top qualified occupations and close to the top occupations did not increase as much as the increase in supply. As a result, college educated work- ers exercised wage pressure in top and less-than-top qualified occupations. A Bound and Johnson (1992) decomposition confirms that changes in relative sup-
An industry analysis of the power of human capital for corporate performance: Evidence from South Africa

Even in industrialised emerging economies, the value-generating competencies of a workforce, known as its human capital efficiency, are a key resource for commercial success. The objective of this research is to empirically investigate the relationship between human capital efficiency (as measured by value-added human capital) and the financial and market performance of companies listed on the Main Board and Alternative Exchange (ALT-X) of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Return on assets, revenue growth and headline earnings per share were used as financial performance indicators; while market-to-book ratio and total share return were used to measure market performance. Multivariate regressions were performed, with panel data covering 390 companies in the financial, basic materials, consumer services, consumer goods, industrial and technology industries from 2001 to 2011. First, human capital efficiency was found to have no effect on the market performance of listed companies in South Africa. Secondly, higher human capital efficiency was found to result in the extraction of greater returns from both tangible and intangible assets in all industries. Thirdly, higher profitability was found to be associated with higher human capital efficiency in almost every industry in South Africa, with the exception of the technology industry, where human capital efficiency was found to be independent of headline earnings per share. Finally, higher revenue growth was found to be positively associated with human capital efficiency in those industries which are not consumer-driven. In the consumer-driven industries, human capital efficiency contributes to bottom line profitability even though it is not a driver for revenue growth. Overall, the results of this study confirm that human capital efficiency enhances a company’s financial performance, whether it be through a greater capacity for production and service delivery, tighter cost controls or better use of company resources. Management in all South African industries are encouraged to develop the value-creating abilities of their employees through employer-driven personnel enrichment and training programs and by incentivising workers to pursue further education.
Molecular and morphological data resurrect the long neglected Carex laxula (Cyperaceae) and expand its range in the western Mediterranean

Carex sylvatica subsp. paui is a poorly studied taxon considered endemic from a few places in the western Mediterranean. It has been frequently misidentified as C. sylvatica subsp. sylvatica . To date, it has been reported only from the NE Iberian Peninsula and the NW Africa. We use molecular —nuclear ribosomal and plastid sequences— and morphological data to shed light on the taxonomic circumscription and distribution of this taxon, especially regarding its distinction from the type subspecies. The genetic data support the recognition of C. sylvatica subsp. paui as an independent taxon, and confirm new records from the Balearic and Tuscan archipelagos. It implies a considerable increase in its range and a new taxon for the Italian flora. Strikingly, the morphometric analyses revealed that the Sicilian type specimen of C. laxula identifies this species with C. sylvatica subsp. paui . We consider that the taxon should be ranked at the species level. Based on the priority of the name C. laxula over C. paui , we subsume C. sylvatica subsp. paui in C. laxula . We also provide notes on the ecology of the species.
Action Research, Learning Styles, and EFL/ESL Writing.

This paper offers an example of how to apply action research to improve English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL)/English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) writing instruction. This research was conducted over a 5-year period while the researcher taught 9 semester-long sections of advanced EFL writing to Taiwanese undergraduates. Using Reid's (1987) Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire and the researcher's own open-ended surveys, information was systematically analyzed and gathered about students' learning style preferences. The underlying goal of the study was to understand the relationship between learning styles and EFL/ESL writing, and to subsequently understand the students and better discern what approaches would both accommodate and challenge them. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator with its four Jungian categories of types (extroversion-introversion, sensing-intuition, thinking-feeling, judging-perceiving) was used. It was found that students were generally hostile to any writing instruction because their primary goal in learning English was to learn to talk to foreigners, not to write to them. It is concluded that teachers should first try to explore systematically the learning style preferences of their students before beginning to teach. (Contains 38 references.) (KFT) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Action Research, Learning Styles, and EFL/ESL Writing Nathan B. Jones, Ed.D. Department of Foreign Languages & Literature National Tsinghua University Hsin Chu, Taiwan R.O. C. njones@mx.nthu. edu.tw A revision of a paper presented on May 22, 1998 at the Trends in Second Language Teaching and Learning Conference, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION /4. ERIC) This document has been reproduced as eceived from the person or organization originating A. made to Minor changes have been improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. 2 sesT CO IT PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
The relationship between self-efficacy and reading proficiency of first-year students: An exploratory study

Self-efficacy, which is the belief about one’s ability to perform a task successfully, has been widely acknowledged as important in learning. This affective factor, though not explicitly evident, has been said to play an important role in academic performance. However, its role in reading development has not been widely investigated. To determine the relationship between self-efficacy and reading proficiency, a study was conducted with first-year students in a South African tertiary institution. Students’ self-efficacy levels were elicited through a questionnaire and their reading proficiency was obtained through the Test of Academic Literacy levels (TALL), which essentially assesses reading proficiency. An analysis of variance showed a robust relationship between reading self-efficacy and reading proficiency for this cohort of students. Regression analysis conducted with other affective factors showed self-efficacy as the best predictor of students’ reading proficiency. Results are discussed as they relate to previous research and recommendations are made to include the development of self-efficacy in reading instruction.
Characterisations of open multivalued linear operators by

The class of all open linear relations is characterised in terms of the restrictions of the linear relations to finite-codimensional subspaces. As an application, we establish two results, the first of which shows that an upper semi-Fredholm linear relation retains its index under finite rank perturbations, and the second is a density theorem for lower bounded linear relations that have closed range. Results of Labuschagne and of Mbekhta about linear operators are covered.
Fusion investing: An esoteric approach to portfolio formation

This study contributes to the debate on active and passive portfolio management by providing an alternate means of constructing an active portfo lio. This “fusion strategy” has underpinnings in the realm of behavioural finance, namely the value-growth phenomenon and the momentum effect. The fusion strategy developed in this study was compared against two passive benchmarks and four active benchmarks. All returns are calculated net of transaction costs, initially set to 1% per month per share. Sta tistical testing, done via stochastic dominance, yielded inconclusive results in the majo rity f cases. The exception however, was that Fund B stochastically dominated the fusion str ategy at second order. This implies that a risk-averse investor would prefer to invest in Fund B. By the use of Sharpe and Treynor ratios, the results were also inconclusive. However , the Sortino ratio shows that the fusion strategy outperforms all benchmarks chosen, except Fund A. The performance of the fusion strategy was also not induced by either a sector ro ation strategy, the existence of the January effect or by the level of transaction costs.
Hortitherapy – complementary method in physiotherapy numer

Hortitherapy is a long-known form of therapy based on a natural connection of human and wildlife and inherited positive attitude to the environment. It supplements traditional methods of rehabilitation and therapy through active gardening and passive use of gardens. Hortitherapy programs are very diverse worldwide, including different age groups and concerning different patients, e.g. after strokes, accidents, and suffering from Alzheimer disease or mental disorders. The programs are aimed at improvement of physical, psychical, social and cognitive functions of patients. They help in maintaining and recovery of health and good mood. Therapeutic activities in the gardens are conducted in hospitals, social welfare houses, rest homes, hospices, reformatories, or in centers for people addicted to alcohol or drugs. Among the countries with the highest number of hortitherapy centers are USA, Canada, Australia, while in Europe – Germany.
Deregulation and Productivity: Empirical Evidence on Dairy Production

&NA; We investigate productivity development and its relation to resource reallocation effects in the dairy sector in southeast Germany during the phasing‐out of the European Union milk quota. We hypothesize that both extreme output price levels and market deregulation fostered efficient reallocation of production resources. We use a farm‐level dataset containing financial accounting data for a period of 15 years. Farm‐level productivity is estimated by a proxy variable approach that is robust to endogenous input choice. We compare this approach to other estimation techniques as well as an index‐based analysis. After aggregation we decompose sector productivity into unweighted mean productivity and a covariance term measuring the allocation of resources toward more productive farms. We observe an increase in the covariance term coinciding with a period of deregulation efforts and volatile milk prices. We seek to find support for our hypotheses by a regression analysis linking the measure for the potential covariance between resource reallocation and productivity on the one hand, and deregulation as well as price variability on the other. In this analysis we find some empirical evidence for the hypotheses.
Studying and Enhancing Professional Learning Community for School Effectiveness in Iceland

This study focuses on the professional learning community in three schools in Iceland. The aims are to see if there is a relationship between the professional learning community and the schools' level of effectiveness; and investigate if implementation of a professional learning community will improve the school's level of effectiveness. The study is a mixed model research, conducted in two phases; a correlation study into the professional community in two outlier schools of different levels of effectiveness and an experimental study in the third school. The results indicated a significant relationship between schools' levels of effectiveness and the professional learning community. However, more information is still needed in order to answer the fundamental question of how to improve the professional learning community within a school.
Two New Catalogues of Superclusters of Abell/ACO Galaxy Clusters out to redshift 0.15

We present two new catalogues of superclusters of galaxies out to a redshit of z = 0.15, based on the Abell/ACO cluster redshift compilation maintained by one of us (HA). The first of these catalogues, the all-sky Main SuperCluster Catalogue (MSCC), is based on only the rich (A-) Abell clusters, and the second one, the Southern SuperCluster Catalogue (SSCC), covers declinations delta 15) superclusters (8%), and (4) new superclusters formed by the connection of A-clusters through bridges of S-clusters (2%). Power-law fits to the cumulative supercluster multiplicity function yield slopes of alpha = -2.0 and alpha = -1.9 for MSCC and SSCC respectively. This power-law behavior is in agreement with the findings for other observational samples of superclusters, but not with that of catalogues based on cosmological simulations.
Subjective Experience Aspect of Consciousness Part II Integration of Classical and Quantum Concepts for Emergence Hypothesis

Previously, we proposed a superposition-based hypothesis (H1) in the dual-aspect-dual-mode PE-SE framework to address the Type-1 explanatory gap (how subjective experiences (SEs) aspect of consciousness can emerge from non-experiential matter) as follows: (1) fundamental entities (strings or elementary particles: fermions and bosons) have material and mental aspects and are carriers of SEs/proto-experiences (PEs) in their mental aspect in superimposed form (Vimal, 2008b), and (2) a specific SE is embedded in a neural-net via neural Darwinism and is selected by matching and selection processes (Vimal, 2009b). In Part I of this series (Vimal, 2009f), we unpacked the quantum view of superposition in terms of subquantum dual-aspect primal entities (bhutatmas) and discussed Type-2 explanatory gap: ‘how it is possible that some SEs (such as happiness, sadness, painfulness, and similar SEs) were already present in primal entities, whereas there is no shred of evidence that such SEs were conceived at the onset of universe’. To address both gaps, we extended the working hypothesis H1 as follows: (3) Some of the SEs that entails Type-2 explanatory gap can be derived from the fundamental SEs/PEs and the stimulus-context. (4) In addition, the fundamental SEs/PEs follow the principle of the emergence of SE and anti-SE (or bhutatma and anti-bhutatma) in a dual-aspect vacuum at the onset of universe; and/or the mechanism of cycles of universe (that may have memory) might have preserved irreducible fundamental SEs/PEs superposed in the primal entities. In the current Part II of this series, we propose two alternative hypotheses (superposition-then-integration- emergence based H2, and integration-emergence based H3 where superposition is not required) in addition to other speculative hypotheses: (H2) fundamental entities and inert matter are the carriers of superimposed fundamental PEs (not SEs), which are integrated by interaction processes and neural-Darwinism (co-evolution via the evolutionary process of adaptation and natural selection, co-development, and sensorimotor co-tuning). In H3, a string or an elementary particle has its own PE; a matter is not a carrier of PE(s) in superposed form as it is in H2, rather it is a proto-experiential entity and has two aspects at every level; this is a dual-aspect panpsychism. In H2 and H3, a specific SE emerges in a neural-net from the interaction of its constituent neural-PEs, namely, from the interaction between the feed forward stimulus-dependent neural signals and the fronto-parietal feedback attentional signals, in analogy to water emerges from the interaction of hydrogen and oxygen. In all hypotheses, (a) interaction processes and neural-Darwinism are active, (b) there is a PE attached to every level of evolution (such as atomic-PE, molecular-PE, genetic-PE, bacterium-PE, neural-PE, neural-net-PE, and so on), and (c) SEs emerge/arise when essential ingredients of SEs (such as wakefulness, attention, re-entry, working memory and so on) are satisfied.
Fidelity decay and entropy production in many-particle systems after random interaction quench

We analyze the effect of spin degree of freedom on fidelity decay and entropy production of a many-particle fermionic (bosonic) system in a mean-field, quenched by a random two-body interaction preserving many-particle spin S. The system Hamiltonian is represented by embedded Gaussian orthogonal ensemble (EGOE) of random matrices (for time-reversal and rotationally invariant systems) with one plus two-body interactions preserving S for fermions/bosons. EGOE are paradigmatic models to study the dynamical transition from integrability to chaos in interacting many-body quantum systems. A simple general picture, in which the variances of the eigenvalue density play a central role, is obtained for describing the short-time dynamics of fidelity decay and entropy production. Using some approximations, an EGOE formula for the time (tsat) for the onset of saturation of entropy, is also derived. These analytical EGOE results are in good agreement with numerical calculations. Moreover, both fermion and boson systems show significant spin dependence on the relaxation dynamics of the fidelity and entropy.
Human Resource Advantage in the Networked Organisation

It is often assumed that firms have freedom of choice over their HR policies and practices, however, the networks within which they operate suggest that the HR practices themselves may be influenced by clients, suppliers, partners and other collaborators. This paper aims to examine the development of HR policies and practices as a consequence of the exercise of strategic choice within the network. The influence of networks on competitive advantage is particularly evident in knowledge intensive firms (KIFs) that rely solely on their human capital to generate intellectual capital. We present three software firm case studies to illustrate various types of influences that the network may have on the HR Advantage of a firm.