Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Entry and exit from Greek manufacturing industry: a test of the symmetry hypothesis

The paper examines the role of trade patterns in the entry and exit decisions of firms and tests the existence of symmetry between entry and exit factors. Trade patterns were found, through their entry and exit impact, to affect the structure of Greek industry rather unfavourably. Prospects seem to be bleaker within the integrated European market of the 1990s. The lack of symmetry leads to increasing concentration. The gloomy outlook is improved by the strong stand of existing, competitive firms.
Attitudes of rural landowners toward wolves in northwestern Minnesota

Abstract The natural recolonization of gray wolves (Canis lupus) into parts of their former range in the upper Midwest of the United States has led to wolves establishing territories in semi-agricultural areas containing livestock. As part of a study on wolf–livestock relationships in a northwestern Minnesota agricultural area, we surveyed rural landowners within and outside of wolf range to assess perceptions regarding the risks wolves pose to livestock (mainly cattle). The mean response score for rural landowners to the statement “I think wolves should be allowed to exist in northwest Minnesota” was between neutral and disagree. There was no difference in mean response scores between rural residents living within wolf range and residents living adjacent to but outside of wolf range. The rural residents' mean response score to the statement “Wolves are causing unacceptable levels of damage to northwest Minnesota's livestock industry” was between neutral and agree. Although there was a statistical difference in mean response scores of residents living within wolf range and residents living outside of wolf range, the scores were not substantially different from each other. While landowners felt wolves were a threat to their livelihood, other factors (market fluctuations, laws and government, diseases, extreme weather, flooding) were ranked as greater threats to the agricultural community. Rural residents both within and outside of wolf range harbored similar negative attitudes toward wolves, even though residents outside of wolf range have not had a population of wolves in their area for >100 years, indicating little change in cultural attitudes toward wolves.
A Simple Cost Reduction Strategy for Small Liquidity Traders: Trade at the Opening

Abstract We extend the market microstructure literature by examining trading strategies of a small discretionary liquidity trader in call and continuous markets. Our investigation of trading strategies uses intraday market and limit orders, and introduces the market-at-open order as an alternative strategy for a small liquidity trader. We find that a small trader can reduce transaction costs by trading at the opening. Using tick-by-tick transaction data, we demonstrate that the market-at-open order consistently produces better prices than market and limit orders executed during the trading day.
Turnaround Strategy Using Altman Model as a Tool in Solar Water Heater Industry in Karnataka

The sale of goods on credit is an essential part of the modern competitive economic systems. The credit sales are generally made on open account, in the sense that, there are no formal acknowledgements of debt obligations through a financial instrument. As a marketing tool they are intended to promote sales and there by profits. However, extension of credit involves risk and cost. It is easy for the organization to provide credit sale but collecting amount from customers is difficult. If there is no proper credit evaluation, default rate will increase. This paper analyses whether Altman Z score model can predict correctly, the failure of customers. The study is based on sample of 50 customers of M/s. Nuetech, during the period 2006-09. This study shows that Altman model performs well in predicting failures. The empirical results are interesting since they can be used by the organization in selecting the customers and assess their credit worthiness.
Detecting fraud in financial data sets

An important neef of corporations for internal audits is the ability to detect fraudulently reported financial data. Benford's Law is a probability distribution which is useful to analyse patterns of digits in numbers sets. A history of the origins of Benford's Law is given and the types of data sets expected to follow Benford's Law is discussed. This paper examines how BA students falsify financial numbers. The paper shows that they fail to imitate Benford's law and that there are cheating behaviour patterns coherent with previous empirical studies.
Broad-Scale Relationships between Shorebirds and Landscapes in the Southern Great Plains

ABSTRACT. Stopover use by migrating shorebirds is affected by patch-level characteristics of habitat, but the relative influence of broad-scale factors is poorly understood. We conducted surveys of ten 10-km-radius landscapes in north-central Oklahoma from 2007 through 2009 to examine the influence of the amount and composition of wetland habitats and surrounding land cover on shorebird use during migration. We used generalized linear modeling and an information-theoretic framework to identify factors that best explained species richness, total abundance, and abundance of four groups of shorebirds classified by breeding status and migration distance. Total abundance and richness both increased with the area of wetland habitat within a landscape, regardless of the composition of semi-natural and developed land cover surrounding wetlands. Abundance of shorebird species with different migration strategies varied in relation to the composition of wetland types within a landscape. The amounts of various permanent and semi-permanent wetlands best explained abundance of resident species. Short-distance migrant abundance was best explained by the amount of permanent lacustrine wetlands. The amounts of temporary and semipermanent floodwater habitats were important predictors for abundance of intermediate- and long-distance migrants, although permanent riverine habitats were also important for intermediate-distance migrants. Shorebird species richness was best explained by the amounts of floodwater habitats and permanent riverine wetlands. Broad-scale studies thus provide important insights on use of stopover habitats by migratory shorebirds. Within this region, conservation of riverine habitats with a large complement of ephemeral habitats is necessary to provide the stopover habitat for migrating shorebirds.
Awe Activates Religious and Spiritual Feelings and Behavioral Intentions

In two experiments, we investigated the role of awe in activating the association between religiosity/spirituality and related feelings and behavioral intentions. In Experiment 1, the induction of awe (through the recall of a relevant event), but not the induction of pride or a neutral condition, led religious and spiritual participants to endorse a spiritual (Tibet) but not a hedonistic (Haiti) travel destination. In Experiment 2, the induction (through relevant video clips) of (a) awe of nature and (b) awe at childbirth, but not the induction of humor led religious/spiritual people to express, respectively, feelings of oneness with (a) others in general and (b) friends. Implications of these findings, for instance in understanding the role of self-transcendent positive emotions in religious rituals, are discussed.
The Influence of the Cloud Shell on Tracer Budget Measurements of LES Cloud Entrainment

AbstractDirect measurements of rates of entrainment into and detrainment from cumulus cloud cores obtained from LES model cloud fields produce values twice as large as those produced from tracer budget calculations. This difference can be explained by two effects: the presence of a shell of air around the cloud cores that is moister than the mean environment and air at the edge of the cloud core that is drier than the mean core, and the tendency for the mean tracer values of the entrained fluid to be greater than the mean tracer values of the cloud shell. Preferential entrainment of shell air that is moving upward faster than the mean shell creates strong vertical momentum fluxes into the cumulus cloud core, thereby making the assumption that cumulus cloud cores entrain fluid with zero vertical momentum incorrect. Variability in the properties of the moist cloud shell has strong impacts on entrainment values inferred from tracer budget calculations. These results indicate that the dynamics of the cloud sh.
Effect of rhombohedral to orthorhombic transition on magnetic and dielectric properties of La and Ti co-substituted BiFeO3

Polycrystalline Bi1−xLaxFe1−xTixO3 (x = 0.000–0.250) ceramics were synthesized by the tartaric acid modified sol–gel technique. It was observed that the co-substitution of La and Ti at Bi and Fe sites in BiFeO3 suppresses the impurity phase formation which is a common problem in the bismuth ferrite ceramics. The quantitative crystallographic phase analysis of x-ray diffraction pattern by employing Rietveld technique was performed with the help of FULLPROF program which suggests the existence of compositional driven crystal structure transition from rhombohedral (space group R3c) to the orthorhombic (space group Pbnm) symmetry. The oxygen octahedral tilt angle was found to be ∼13.82° for BiFeO3 (space group R3c) and decreases with the increase in co-substitution percentage. The structural transition breaks the spin cycloid structure in co-substituted BiFeO3 nanocrystallites and leads to canting of the antiferromagnetic spin structure. Hence, the remnant magnetization increases up to 10% of co-substitution and becomes 22 times that of BiFeO3. However, it decreases for higher co-substitution percentage due to significant contribution from the collinear antiferromagnetic ordering in the orthorhombic crystal symmetry. The dielectric constant attains a maximum for 10% of co-substitution.
Variability in Winter Mass Balance of Northern Hemisphere Glaciers and Relations with Atmospheric Circulation

An analysis of variability in the winter mass balance (WMB) of 22 glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere indicates two primary modes of variability that explain 46% of the variability among all glaciers. The first mode of variability characterizes WMB variability in Northern and Central Europe and the second mode primarily represents WMB variability in northwestern North America, but also is related to variability in WMB of one glacier in Europe and one in Central Asia. These two modes of WMB variability are explained by variations in mesoscale atmospheric circulation which are driving forces of variations in surface temperature and precipitation. The first mode is highly correlated with the Arctic Oscillation Index, whereas the second mode is highly correlated with the Southern Oscillation Index. In addition, the second mode of WMB variability is highly correlated with variability in global winter temperatures. This result suggests some connection between global temperature trends and WMB for some glaciers.
Section 5 : The influence of movement features on motor cortical activation in normal subjects

activation in normal subjects The previous section demonstrated that movement of the affected limb in stroke patients is associated with altered patterns of movement-related activity including relatively increased ipsilateral motor cortex activation. However, interpretation of such changes is difficult as patients may find the movement more effortful than control subjects. In this section the effects of factors which influence ‘effortfulness’ was tested in a group of normal subjects
The substellar mass function in the central region of the open cluster Praesepe from deep LBT observations

Context. Studies of the mass function (MF) of open clusters of different ages allow us to probe the efficiency with which brown dwarfs evaporate from clusters to populate the field. Surveys of older clusters (age 100 Myr) are not affected so severely by several problems encountered in young clusters, such as intra-cluster extinction and large uncertainties in brown dwarf models. Aims. We present the results of a deep photometric survey to study the MF of the central region of the old open cluster Praesepe (age 590 +150 −120 Myr, distance 190 +6.0 −5.8 pc), down to the substellar regime. Methods. We performed an optical (riz and Y-band) photometric survey of Praesepe using the Large Binocular Telescope Camera covering an area of 0.59 deg 2 in the cluster centre from i ∼ 19. 0m ag (∼100 MJup )d own to a5 σ detection limit at i ∼ 25. 6m ag (∼40 MJup). The survey is approximately 95% complete at i = 23.8 mag and z = 22. 0m ag (∼55 MJup). Results. We identify 59 cluster member candidates, of which 37 are substellar, by comparing with the predictions of a dusty atmosphere model. The MF of those candidates rises from the substellar boundary until ∼67 MJup and then declines. This is quite different from the form inferred for other open clusters older than 50 Myr, but seems to be similar to those found in very young open clusters, the MFs of which peak at ∼10 MJup. Either Praesepe really does have a different MF from other clusters or they had similar initial MFs but a different dynamical evolution. Since most of the candidates are faint, we lack astrometric or spectroscopic follow-ups to test their memberships. However, the contaminations by field dwarfs, galaxies, or giants are found to have little effect on the shape of MF and therefore the MF of “real” cluster members should have similar characteristics.
Neurocogni ve Features of the Frontal Lobe in Parents of Au s c Children

Method: The study group included 64 parents of children (aged 4-18 years) diagnosed with autism, according to DSM-IV criteria, that were followed-up at the child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic. Parents of children with Down syndrome (n = 60) were selected as the control group. We administered the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Stroop Test, and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Test (WAIS) to both groups in order to evaluate executive functions, attention, inhibition, and intelligence.
Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography # 10 . 18 Regional Economic Resilience , Hysteresis and Recessionary Shocks

This aim of this paper is to present the objectives and scope of an evolutionary approach to economic geography. We argue that the goal is not only to utilise the concepts and ideas from evolutionary economics (and evolutionary thinking more broadly) to help interpret and explain how the economic landscape changes over historical time, but also to reveal how situating the economy in space adds to our understanding of the processes that drive economic evolution, that is to say, to demonstrate how geography matters in determining the nature and trajectory of evolution of the economic system. We will argue that evolutionary economic geography is concerned with the spatialities of economic novelty; with how the spatial structures of the economy emerge from the micro-behaviours of economic agents; with how, in the absence of central coordination or direction, the economic landscape exhibits self-organisation; and with how the processes of path creation and path dependence interact to shape geographies of economic development and transformation, and why and how such processes may themselves be place dependent. Economic transformation proceeds differently in different places, and the mechanisms involved neither originate nor operate evenly across space. Our concern is both with the ways in which the forces making for economic change, adaptation and novelty shape and reshape the geographies of wealth creation, work and welfare, and with how the spatial structures and features so produced themselves feed back to influence the forces driving economic evolution. In the final part, we summarize a number of papers that have contributed to evolutionary economic geography, and which will be published in The Handbook on Evolutionary Economic Geography that is edited by the two authors, and forthcoming at Edward Elgar.
A Multitrait–Multimethod Approach to Assessing Childhood Aggression and Related Constructs

Abstract: Data were collected about 95 fourth-grade and fifth-grade children from three sources (teachers, parents, and children) on four constructs related to aggression (proactive aggression, reactive aggression, callous–unemotional traits, and anger dysregulation) by using a multitrait–multimethod design. Two goals were addressed through a correlated-trait–correlated-method analysis: (a) Investigate the overlap versus distinctiveness of proactive aggression, reactive aggression, callous–unemotional traits, and anger dysregulation by examining the correlations among their trait factors. (b) Investigate the extent to which the informant who assessed children’s aggression was associated with the rating given. Moderate-to-strong trait factor correlations emerged among all pairs of latent trait factors, suggesting at best modest discriminant validity among the constructs. The informant played a significant role for almost all ratings; however, teachers’ ratings were the most strongly linked to method variance, and children’s ratings provided the most convergent validity with other sources. Findings are discussed in terms of enhanced assessment of childhood aggression.
A hedgehog-like signal is involved in slow muscle differentation in Sepia officinalis (Mollusca)

In the tentacle of Sepia officinalis, smooth-like, helical and cross-striated fibres deriving fromdifferent populations of myoblasts are present. Myoblasts appear at different times during thedevelopment and express two muscle-specific transcription factors: Myf5-like and MyoD-like factors.Myoblasts expressing Myf5 give rise to slow fibres, whereas fast fibres derive from MyoD+ myoblasts.We found that a Hedgehog (Hh)-like signal was present in the central nerve cord of the tentacle fromthe early stages of development and in a specific population of myoblasts which are the precursors ofslow muscle fibres. The model showed interesting similarities with vertebrates, in which Sonichedgehog is a protein secreted by axial structures (the notochord and neurotube) and is involved inslow muscle differentiation and in survival of muscle precursors.
Designing a Mobile Serious Game to Promote Healthy Lifestyles

Behaviours such as diet, sedentariness and how much exercise we do play a major role in influencing health and wellbeing. As a medium, mobile serious games have the potential to educate and foster behaviour change whilst engaging and motivating users. This paper illustrates the usercentred design approach used to develop a mobile serious game to promote healthy lifestyles. In particular, this research, developed in the frame of the PEGASO European project, focuses on teenagers and healthy behaviours linked to the prevention of obesity. In this approach, teenagers from different European countries (Italy, Spain, and United Kingdom) participate to the co-design of the serious game. This activity is still ongoing but first findings show encouraging feedback concerning the generic game mechanics and the designed game. Keywords—Serious game, behaviour change techniques, health and lifestyles, mobile application.
Foreign Aid and the Public Sector Budget Process in a Developing Country: the case of Cameroon

Foreign aid is an important source of finance to a majority of developing countries since it supports the budgetary process and therefore enhances the development of these countries. In this paper, a welfare utility maximization function is used to determine how government spending and tax revenue respond to aid flows. The empirical evidence supports the hypotheses that in Cameroon, during 1965-2002, foreign aid had a positive effect on total government expenditure, government investment expenditure and recurrent spending on education, agriculture and communication. The study also provides evidence that, aid flow leads to greater tax efforts.
Effectiveness of the antenatal pelvic floor exercise for stress urinary incontinence among the postpartum women

Postnatal stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is an important social and hygienic health problem affecting between 3% and 24% of adult women. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of antenatal exercise on postpartum women who were identified with SUI during their third trimester pregnancy. Among 103 women attending antenatal clinic of Dhulikhel Hospital, 34 women were identified with SUI during their third trimester pregnancy. They were treated by physiotherapist with antenatal exercise including education and home exercises. After 6 months, a telephone survey was conducted to find out the results of the treatment given during the antenatal period. Only 27 respondents answered the telephone survey. From these respondents, only 37% women had continued exercises where as 63 % of the women did not continue to do exercises even after identifying the problem. All women who continued the recommended exercises were found to have no SUI whereas SUI had reoccurred in 70% women who discontinued exercises. A very significant (p=0.00) association was found between antenatal pelvic floor muscle exercise, prevention and treatment of SUI indicating that pelvic floor exercise helps prevent SUI during antenatal period. Awareness of the importance of Pelvic floor exercise should be promoted especially in developing countries like Nepal which offers a cost effective management and improve the quality of life.
Conservation genetics of an island toad : Bufo bufo in Jersey

On Jersey (British Channel Islands), common toads often reproduce in small, urban ponds. This atypical breeding strategy has implications for their persistence and they have declined on the island in recent times. We used polymorphic microsatellite markers to compare genetic diversity in Bufo bufo from five different ponds in Jersey with two populations from north-west France. Genetic diversity of Jersey toads was comparable with that of populations elsewhere in Europe. Numbers of breeding female toads in Jersey were correlated with pond area but estimators of genetic diversity were unrelated to pond area or female numbers. F-st estimates and isolation by distance tests indicated that there is little gene flow between breeding sites on the island. Jersey populations last shared a common ancestor with those of north-west France long before the island's physical separation about 6000 years ago. Toads have a long history in Jersey and were once probably very numerous there. The average effective historical population size of Jersey toads is estimated to be 15,000-16,000. Although genetic diversity of Jersey B. bufo is currently quite high, recent developments on the island may threaten this situation in the near future.
What is limiting low-temperature atomic layer deposition of Al2O3? A vibrational sum-frequency generation study

The surface reactions during atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al2O3 from Al(CH3)3 and H2O have been studied with broadband sum-frequency generation to reveal what is limiting the growth at low temperatures. The –CH3 surface coverage was measured for temperatures between 100 and 300 °C and the absolute reaction cross sections, describing the reaction kinetics, were determined for both half-cycles. It was found that –CH3 groups persisted on the surface after saturation of the H2O half-cycle. From a direct correlation with the growth per cycle, it was established that the reduced reactivity of H2O towards –CH3 is the dominant factor limiting the ALD process at low temperatures.