Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Innovations on the ICT Market in the Twenty-first Century

This article explores the influence of innovations on the information and communication technologies (ICT) market. In the first part of the article, I draw on extant literature concerning the definition of innovation to describe notable types of innovation and the factors that determine their introduction in various functional areas and processes. Following this, I analyze the influence of innovation on the efficiency of virtual organizations that have been active in the ICT market (i.e., Google, Nasza-Klasa). These case studies clearly illustrate that innovation allows firms to secure competitive advantages within the dynamic segments of the ICT market, and is thus a key factor for success. In this vein, the case studies demonstrate that for enterprises that operate in dynamic markets characterized by frequent changes in technology, innovation is the primary contributor of competitive advantage. In particular, product and service innovations are most important for providing firms with advantages over their competitors and redefining the market structure.
Tests of redshift-space distortions models in configuration space for the analysis of the BOSS final data release

Citation: White, M. , Reid, B. , Chuang, C. H. , Tinker, J. L. , McBride, C. K. , Prada, F. , & Samushia, L. (2015). Tests of redshift-space distortions models in configuration space for the analysis of the BOSS final data release. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 447(1), 234-245. doi:10.1093/mnras/stu2460
29. CHEMICAL ZONATION OF PLAGIOCLASE PHENOCRYSTS FROM LEG 51, 52, AND 53 BASALTS

Chemical zonation of phenocryst phases present a record of the physicochemical changes in magma from which they crystallized. Several recent studies (e.g., Bottinga et al., 1966; Albarede and Bottinga, 1972; Kirkpatrick, 1976, 1977; Sibley et al., 1976; Shimizu, 1978) have addressed the zonation of major and trace elements in plagioclase from the point of view of the growth dynamics from a magma and have shown that disequilibrium composition features of the phenocrysts should provide a better understanding of the physicochemical evolution of the associated magma. As diffusion coefficients, growth rates, and chemical composition of phenocrysts as a function of supercooling become available, parameters like cooling rates and non-equilibrium partition of trace elements of crystallizing magmas may be modeled quantitatively. Oceanic basalts are among the terrestrial volcanic rocks that show relatively little differentiation from primitive liquids originating in the mantle and do not seem to show extensive mixing from different sources. Their relatively simple crystallization history make them well suited for the detailed study of the chemical zonation of their phenocryst assemblages.
Hospitalizations for Respiratory Problems and Exposure to Industrial Emissions in Children

Industrial activities such as metal smelting, petroleum refining, and open mining emit air pollutants that can affect the health of surrounding communities. Few studies have assessed respiratory effects of acute exposure to industrial air emissions in children. In this study, we examined the association between daily exposure to air emissions from an industrial complex and hospitalizations for respiratory problems of children living nearby using a case crossover design. We used hospitalizations for respiratory problems of children under 5 years old living within 7.5 km of the industrial complex from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2010. Pollutant exposure was estimated using daily mean and maximum concentrations of SO 2 and PM 2.5 at fixed monitoring stations located near the complex. We also calculated the daily percentage of hours that a child’s residence was downwind of the industrial complex as an indicator of exposure to emissions. Odds-ratios were adjusted for temperature, relative humidity and wind speed, and calculated using conditional logistic regressions, reported by increases of interquartile range. A significant positive association was found between hospitalization for asthma or bronchiolitis and the percentage of hours downwind (OR: 1.11, 95% CI=1.01–1.22) but large statistical variability was noted for associations with all three exposure metrics (OR maximum SO 2 levels: 1.06, 95% CI=0.98–1.15; OR daily maximum PM 2.5 levels: 0.97, 95% CI=0.86–1.09). The results suggest that exposure to the mixture of air pollutant emissions from an industrial complex may induce respiratory health problems in children residing nearby.
Anterolateral approach for mini-open degenerative rotator cuff repair by transosseous sutures in elderly

Aims and Objectives: This study was undertaken to introduce anterolateral approach for mini-open degenerative rotator cuff tear in elderly and evaluate its outcome and effectiveness. Material and Methods: This study evaluated 25 cases that were repaired by mini-open repair using anterolateral approach. There were 15 men and 10 women with average age of 57.4 years. Average follow up was 12.6 months. There were 2 partial thickness, 4 small, 8 medium, 8 large, and 3 massive tears. An incision around 5-6 cm from anterolateral edge of acromion and dissected to the raphe between anterior and middle deltoid. Subacromial decompression was done by removing anteroinferior part of acromion. The torn tendon was repaired through single or double row technique using bony tunnels drilled in greater tuberosity. The deltoid was sutured back to remaining acromion. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the American Shoulder and Elbow surgeon (ASES) scoring system. Results: The average visual analogue scale (VAS) and ASES scores improved respectively from 8.88, 83.32 preoperatively to 1.04 and 17.68 postoperatively. There were no statistically significant difference between final ASES scores and age, symptom duration. Men had higher final ASES scores than women (p= 0.012)
Tangible and Intangible Capital and the Pattern of Specialisation in the EU

This paper investigates the determinants of specialisation in 7 European countries and 4 major industrial sectors in the last 20 years. Next to the impact of traditional factors such as productivity and the endowment of labour and capital, we look at the importance of accounting for capital heterogeneity, by distinguishing between ICT and non-ICT assets, and for intangible capital such as skills and R&D. Our results show that intangible capital and innovation play an important part in increasing the value added shares of the Manufacturing sector while increasing investments in ICT have driven resources away from Manufacturing and towards the Service industry.
A triple wire medium as an isotropic negative permittivity metamaterial

This paper presents an effective medium approach to calculate the attenuation and phase constants of modes in a 3D connected wire medium both below and above the plasma frequency. Physical and nonphysical modes in the structure are identified for all the important lattice directions. According to this, the medium behaves as an isotropic material in the vicinity of the plasma frequency. These results were compared with the numerical simulation and it was observed that the wave spreads below the plasma frequency along all the important lattice directions with the same attenuation constant. This implies isotropic behavior of the 3D wire lattice below the plasma frequency, and thus this medium can be considered as an isotropic negative permittivity medium.
The effect of climate change and emission scenarios on ozone concentrations over Belgium: a high-resolution model study for policy support

Abstract. Belgium is one of the areas within Europe experiencing the highest levels of air pollution. A high-resolution (3 km) modelling experiment is employed to provide guidance to policymakers about expected air quality changes in the near future (2026–2035). The regional air quality model AURORA (Air quality modelling in Urban Regions using an Optimal Resolution Approach), driven by output from a regional climate model, is used to simulate several 10-year time slices to investigate the impact of climatic changes and different emission scenarios on near-surface O3 concentrations, one of the key indices for air quality. Evaluation of the model against measurements from 34 observation stations shows that the AURORA model is capable of reproducing 10-year mean concentrations, daily cycles and spatial patterns. The results for the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP)4.5 emission scenario indicate that the mean surface O3 concentrations are expected to increase significantly in the near future due to less O3 titration by reduced NOx emissions. Applying an alternative emission scenario for Europe is found to have only a minor impact on the overall concentrations, which are dominated by the background changes. Climate change alone has a much smaller effect on the near-surface O3 concentrations over Belgium than the projected emission changes. The very high horizontal resolution that is used in this study results in much improved spatial correlations and simulated peak concentrations compared to a standard 25 km simulation. An analysis of the number of peak episodes during summer revealed that the emission reductions in RCP4.5 result in a 25% decrease of these peak episodes.
Local Information Theoretic Methods for smooth Coefficients Dynamic Panel Data Models

This paper considers estimation and inference in semiparametric smooth coefficients dynamic panel data models. It proposes a class of local estimators that can be given an interesting information‐theoretic interpretation and a number of test statistics that can be used to test for the (local) correct specification of the model and for the constancy of the smooth coefficients. The results of the paper are rather general as they allow for the three cases of ‘large N, small T’, ‘small N, large T’ and ‘large N, large T’, for the possibility that some of the regressors might be correlated with the unobservable errors and for the possibility that some of the variables used in the estimation might not be directly observable. Simulations show that the proposed method have competitive finite sample properties.
Effect of Changes in Behaviour on the Heart Rate and its Diurnal Variation in a Male and a Female Eland (Taurotragus oryx)

Abstract Heart rate (HR) is related to the physiological state of most of vertebrates, e.g. the level of metabolism, motion or stress. In previous reports, the HR of eland was measured during sedation and general anaesthesia. Therefore, we wanted to evaluate HR in alert eland with emphasis on variations by different behaviours and time of the day. We measured HR by Polar S610 device in an adult male and an adult female. Behaviour during recumbent and rumination, standing and rumination, standing, standing and eating, movement, excitement during feeding, stressful event, handling in restraint box and sleep were recorded and synchronised with data from HR device. In the male, HR was lowest during recumbency and rumination. In the female, HR was lowest during sleep. The highest HR was measured during handling in a restraint box. The HR was higher during the night for most of the behaviours. Further research should focus on explaining the diurnal variation in HR as it relates to specific behaviour.
Farmers’ adaptive measures to climate change induced natural shocks through past climate experiences in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam

This study examined farmers’ adaptive measures to climate change induced natural shocks through past climate experiences in the Mekong River Delta (Vietnam) from a data set of 330 farmers. Seemingly unrelated regression model was used to identify the determinants of farmers’ adaptive measures. Results showed that male household head, education of the household head, marital status of the household head, production assets, firm size, availability of credit, access to market, temperature and rainfall had significant impacts on choices of adaptation. Results also indicated that past climate experiences was the most important determinant of adaptive measures. Policy messages enhanced access to credit, to markets, and created awareness on climate change. Other policy options could also be suggested, including: strengthening education level of farmers, facilitating cheap technologies, spurring irrigation investment through public - private partner, and supporting the land reform such as farmers’ cooperation in large-scale production.
Enhanced Electrorheological Response of Cellulose: A Double Effect of Modification by Urea-Terminated Silane

As a natural polymer with abundant sources, cellulose was one of the earliest applied electrorheological (ER) materials. However, cellulose-based ER materials have not attracted much attention because of their relatively low ER effect and sensitivity to water. In this study, cellulose rods were decorated with a urea-terminated silane, 1-(3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl) urea, after being swelled in sodium hydroxide solution. The morphologies and structures of the cellulose particles were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, confirming the dramatic differences of the treated cellulose particles from the pristine cellulose. Rheological behaviors of the pristine and modified cellulose particles in silicone oil were observed using a rotational rheometer. It was found that the silane-modified cellulose showed higher ER effect and higher dielectric properties than the pristine cellulose particles, which was not only related to the grafted polar molecules but may also be associated with the porous morphologies of the treated cellulose particles.
The factors affecting the risk attitude in entrepreneurship: evidence from Latin America

This article departs from the traditional analysis of the effects of risk aversion in entrepreneurship to study the determinants of entrepreneurial risk aversion in developing a new venture and becoming an entrepreneur. We took fear of failing as a proxy for risk aversion and applied our analysis to the most important Latin American economies. We observed that being male, having more years of formal education and believing to have the necessary skills to develop a new venture decreased the probability of feeling a fear of failing and, thus, eventually increased the probability of developing a new venture. Age affects risk quadratically (first positively, but after some point, negatively), and if there is a prior experience of having shut down a business, risk aversion increases, that is, the probability of feeling a fear of failing, which reduces the probability of becoming an entrepreneur.
Export Diversification Dynamics in Tanzania: Non-Traditional Products Approach

This paper empirically examines the influence of export diversification on export growth, following strides towards non-traditional exports diversification in Tanzania. The causal relationship between export growth and growth rate of aggregate non-traditional products using time series data from 1980 to 2012 was examined. Growth rate of aggregate traditional products was included in the study for comparable purposes. The results indicate that growth rate of aggregate non-traditional products has a statistically significant impact on the overall export growth in the short run while that of aggregate traditional products has recorded insignificant impact. This suggests that recent export growth in Tanzania is attributed to by non-traditional product growth. How-ever, there is no long run relationship between the two variables but a bi-directional short run relationship which runs from non-traditional products to export growth and vice-versa exists. Keywords : Export Diversification, Non-Traditional Product, Traditional product, export growth, vertical export diversification, horizontal export diversification. JEL: F43
Hedging performance of the Libor market model: the cap market case

This article investigates the hedging performance of the Libor Market Model (LMM) as well as the need to use models that explicitly incorporate Volatility Specific Factors (VSF) to better the hedging results. We compare the hedging performance of a standard LMM to that of a Constant Elasticity of Variance (CEV) LMM and find that, although the volatility risk is not completely removed by a hedge portfolio composed only of bonds, using a standard LMM is adequate to obtain high hedging performance in the cap market.
Effect of feed supplementation with phytohaemagglutinin in combination with alpha-ketoglutarate on growth and nitrogen elimination pathways in rats with acute renal failure induced by nephrectomy

Introduction: Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and alpha-ketoglutaric acid (AKG) in growing rats stimulate a change in the proportion of N excretion via urine and faeces, in favour of faecal excretion. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of oral supplementation of PHA and AKG on pathways of nitrogen excretion and serum levels of urea in uraemic conditions induced by nephrectomy. Material and methods: Experiment 1 - 12 rats were assigned to one of two groups, control and PHA. Experiment 2 - PHA was administered to 36 male rats which were assigned to 4 groups: 1) uraemic control, 2) uraemic + AKG, 3) Shamoperated, 4) Sham-operated + AKG. AKG was administered via drinking water, while PHA was administered via a stomach tube. Results: Lower daily weight gain (P<0.05), increase in small intestine and total GI tract weight (P<0.05) as well as significant reduction in N excretion in urine in the PHA group were observed (P<0.05). Significantly higher daily weight loss in the uraemic rats, compared to that of the sham-operated rats, was observed (P<0.05). A significant increase in N excretion in faeces was observed in the AKG group, compared to control within the sham-operated rats (P<0.05) and when compared to the uraemic rats (P<0.05). in both sham-operated and uraemic rats, AKG treatment led to a significant reduction in the urea levels (P<0.05). Conclusions: The change in the proportion of N excretion via urine and faeces caused by PHA due to increasing the rate of protein production in the intestinal wall, apparently favouring faecal excretion, can be enhanced by the oral administration of AKG.
Altitudinal dependence of a statistically significant diel temperature cycle in Scottish lochs

Abstract Based on near-surface temperature measurements conducted at high temporal resolution in 16 Scottish lochs in 2001, a strong seasonal cycle was observed in the magnitude of the diel surface temperature range (DSTR). The influence of 5 site-specific potential predictor variables including altitude, latitude, longitude, lake surface area, and maximum lake depth on the timing of the start and end of a statistically significant DSTR was investigated. The DSTR is important because it is expected to have implications for many processes that affect biogeochemical cycling in lakes, including the rates of metabolic processes. The timing of the start of a statistically significant DSTR in spring showed a strong dependence on altitude, a much weaker dependence on latitude, but no dependence on any other predictor variable tested. The timing of the end of a statistically significant DSTR in autumn showed no dependence on any of the predictor variables tested. Because the start of a statistically significant DSTR is dependent on altitude but its end is not, its duration is also dependent on altitude. Because the start of a significant DSTR is related to the onset of thermal stratification, the results suggest that the altitude of a lake will affect the timing of the onset of thermal stratification and its duration.
HOW READY ARE PEOPLE FOR CASHLESS SOCIETY

Financial technology could be an effective tool to achieve financial inclusion. However, it neededa certain level of readiness of society. In this paper, we investigated the determinants of readinessin the implementation of digital financial services which led to cashless society. We did a surveyon 993 adults in a province in Indonesia using proportional sampling technique. Estimated usingordinary least square, our empirical results showed that readiness perception had high correlationwith the quality of supporting infrastructure. By taking into account some demographic factors,we found that more educated and younger people had high spirit to adopt this system. Evidenceshowed that men were more enthusiastic in using such technological-based system. However, wedid not find an evidence on the difference of readiness perception between those living in rural andthose living urban areas.
Mass Media: Its Consumption and Impact on Residents of Thimphu and Rural Areas

Mass Media in Bhutan primarily refers to the radio, Kuensel (the national newspaper), cinema halls, television and Internet. These are the main media disseminating information and serving as sources of entertainment. Although different forms of media were introduced since the launching of socio-economic development in the 1960s, television and Internet services were introduced only in June 1999. While television, newspapers, cinemas and Internet services are largely confined to the urban areas radio is the only effective communication medium in the rural areas.
Light-activated modulation and coupling in integrated polymer–liquid crystal systems

We explore the transfer of an incident light pattern onto the liquid crystal (LC) bulk in a photorefractive cell through an integrated photoconducting layer that modulates the electric field applied to the device. The electrical properties and the strength of modulation are investigated as a function of the incident light intensity as well as the frequency and amplitude of the applied voltage, for two LCs with very different electrical conductivity. A simplified electrical model of the cell is proposed, demonstrating that the LC conductivity is a key factor determining the beam-coupling strength.
Effect of lateral viscosity variations in the top 300 km on the geoid and dynamic topography

SUMMARY We have investigated the impact of lateral viscosity variations (LVV) in the top 300 km of the mantle on the long-wavelength gravitational response of the Earth. In contrast to the previous studies we demonstrate that the LVV may play a crucial role if a model with imposed plate velocities and partial layering is considered. Assuming LVV in the top mantle associated with the continental roots and the oceanic asthenosphere, we are able to explain a significant portion of the geoid (85 per cent) and of the free-air gravity data (55 per cent) without invoking a complex radial viscosity profile or assuming a lithosphere with an unrealistically low uniform viscosity. The best fit to the data is found for models in which mass anomalies located at the boundary between upper and lower mantles reduce the mass flux across the 660 km discontinuity by a factor of 3. These models are characterized by a low average value of viscosity in the asthenosphere below the oceans (∼10 19 Pa s) and a large viscosity contrast (>100) between the young suboceanic mantle and the deep continental roots. The viscosity in the deep upper mantle is found to be around 3 × 10 20 Pa s while a value higher by at least two orders of magnitude is typical for the lower mantle. The predicted dynamic surface topography is influenced by the surface plate velocities and its amplitude amounts to a few hundred metres. Besides investigating the viscosity structures that reflect the different thicknesses of the lithosphere in continental and oceanic regions, we have searched for a large-scale pattern of lateral viscosity variation in the top 300 km that yields the best fit to the geoid. The pattern obtained by this inversion shows a good correlation with the ocean‐continent distribution and 90 per cent of the geoid and 67 per cent of the free-air gravity can be explained.