Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Natural climatic conditions as a determinant of productivity and economic efficiency of agricultural entities.

Th e scientifi c contribution builds on the previous scientifi c studies analysing the determinants of productivi- ty and economic effi ciency of the agricultural entities and extends the knowledge of the spatial econometrics area at the NUTS IV level (at the district level) for the reporting period. Th e paper aimed to assess the development of productivity and economic effi ciency of the agricultural entities in the reporting period based on the synthetic evaluation of the se- lected economic indicators by the methods of cluster analysis, and so to create a spatial map according to the regional diff erentiation at the NUTS IV level. On the basis of the completed analysis, we can conclude that the natural and climatic conditions have a dominant infl uence on the achievable productivity and economic effi ciency of the agricultural entities in ensuring the sustainability of the economic performance of agriculture in diff erent regions of Slovakia. On the basis of conducting the analysis, there were clearly defi ned two relatively coherent areas in Slovakia (at the district level), which are characterized by diff erences in the achieved production indicators and allow the regional diff erentiation of Slovakia into districts with more and less prosperous agricultural enterprises.
Improving Weather and Climatic Information Quality with User-Generated Observations

In this paper we suggest that active participation by civil society may arise through sharing of environmental data - observations of weather and other measurable variables in the environment, performed by individuals. A general model illustrating individual time resources is introduced, in order to map the two studied groups, i.e. school children and adults interested in weather due to their daily dependence on traffic conditions, and to further generalize the results to other groups in the society, regarding the potential role of the individual to produce valuable information beneficial to the society.
An Analysis of Gender Differentials in Twenty-seven Motivational Variables Influencing Career Aspirations of Teachers and Administrators

This study investigated a range of motivational variables which might lead individuals to become educational administrators. Identified and reported are those variables which are viewed by teachers who comprised the pool from which most future administrators are drawn. Twenty-seven items were identified and used on an instrument, designed by the writer. The null hypothesis for statistical differences between male and female educators was tested on each of the 27 items at the . 05 level of significance, using multivariate analysis of variance and the test of simple main effects. A 20% sample of randomly selected male and female administrators produced 371 responses. The instrument was sent to a total of 1042 educators in the state of North Carolina during the spring of 1986 with a response rate of 75%. It was hypothesized that no significant differences would exist for sex, status, or the interaction of these upon each other for each of the 27 motivators. However, based upon several variables selected for the study, 14 differences appeared to separate the sexes. Compared with male educators, female educators viewed several motivators more negatively. They are: (1) Increased public scrutiny; (2) Negative public reaction; (3) Less time for summer vacations; (4) Being subjected to greater psychological pressures associated with teacher evaluation; (5) Work with athletic personnel and programs; (6) Career family conflicts; (7) Responsibility for disciplinary actions. Compared with male educators, female educators viewed the following motivators most positively. The are: (1) Possibility of earning higher annual salary; (2) Possibility of influencing academic achievement; (3) Opportunity to improve morale; (4) Opportunity to achieve positive recognition; (5) Probability of fewer teaching responsibilities; (6) Likelihood of being supported by coworkers; (7) Opportunity for professional growth. In view of these findings, it seemed appropriate to conclude that female educators represented in this study were not as motivated as male educators to seek administrative positions because of the inherent conflicts associated with the nature of administrative work itself or the collective self-concepts of these women which did not find expression in the kinds of administrative tasks that exist in educational administration today. The study also notes however, that women who are currently administrators hold many views similar to male administrators and appear atypical of women educators in general. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)
Corporate Complicity in International Human Rights Violations

Two literatures—business and human rights and transitional justice—can be usefully combined to consider the issue of corporate complicity in past human rights violations in dictatorships and armed conflicts. But although the transitional justice literature emphasizes the positive role that international pressure plays in advancing justice, the business and human rights literature identifies international constraints in the area of corporate abuses. These include the lack of settled law establishing businesses' human rights responsibilities, the absence of courts to adjudicate corporate human rights violation cases, and the international focus on voluntary principles over legal obligations. Despite this unpropitious international climate, civil society mobilization and judicial innovation have advanced accountability efforts and overcome the strong veto power of business in some countries, often creatively blending international and domestic law. These efforts from below provide access to justice for victi.
Reflexivity and rigidity for complexes, II: Schemes

We prove basic facts about reflexivity in derived categories over noetherian schemes; and about related notions such as semidualizing complexes, invertible complexes, and Gorenstein-perfect maps. Also, we study a notion of rigidity with respect to semidualizing complexes, in particular, relative dualizing complexes for Gorenstein-perfect maps. Our results include theorems of Yekutieli and Zhang concerning rigid dualizing complexes on schemes. This work is a continuation of part I, which dealt with commutative rings.
Resources and Innovation in Family Businesses: The Janus-Face of Socioemotional Preferences

Family business socio-emotional preferences are often Janus-faced. Some strive to create a strong business they can pass on to offspring by building innovation-promoting resources such as human, relational, and financial capital. Other family firms cater to family desires for unqualified nepotism, altruism towards undeserving kin, and appropriation of firm assets to fulfill parochial desires that erode these resources. This article explores how such preferences, together with their impact on resources and the innovation demands of their markets, shape the approach to innovation.
Left ventricular structural characteristics in Cushing's syndrome.

The aim of the present study was to assess structural characteristics of the left ventricle by echocardiography in a group of patients with Cushing's syndrome compared with a control population. Eighteen patients with Cushing's syndrome and 18 controls, matched for sex, age, body weight, body surface area, blood pressure (BP) and duration of hypertension were investigated by M-mode (2-D derived) echocardiography. In each of the two groups, 11 of 18 subjects were hypertensive. Relative wall thickness (RWT) was above normal (> 0.45) in 11 (five normotensive and six hypertensive) of 18 patients with Cushing's syndrome and in two (hypertensive) of 18 controls. Left ventricular mass index was abnormal in three (one normotensive and two hypertensive) patients with Cushing's syndrome and in four hypertensive controls. All other systolic function indices were within normal and similar in both groups. No correlation was found between RWT and BP as well as between RWT and urinary cortisol levels in patients with Cushing's syndrome. A significant correlation was found between RWT and duration of disease. Echocardiography after successful surgery showed normalisation of RWT in five of six patients in whom it was previously abnormal. Our data suggest that time factor, i.e. long-lasting exposure to increased cortisol, rather than hormone or BP levels is the most relevant determinant of left ventricular concentric remodeling in patients with Cushing's syndrome.
Factors affecting patient satisfaction: an exploratory study for quality management in the health-care sector

This study examines the factors affecting patient satisfaction and their relationships with respondent demographics for tertiary-level health-care services. Data were collected from in-patients of multispecialty hospitals located in northern India with the help of a structured questionnaire. Factor analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-test techniques have been employed to analyse the data. The study has revealed that factors which affect patient satisfaction are affordability and convenience, fulfilment of clinical requirements, nursing and staff care, general behaviour of doctors, registration and administrative procedures, infrastructure and amenities, professional behaviour of doctors and facilities at reception and out-patient department area. It has also been found that health insurance and various categories of respondent demographics, namely gender, residence, education and occupation are significantly different statistically (P < .05) with respect to the identified factors.
Estimation of Equivalent Circuit Parameters of Single-Phase Transformer by Using Chaotic Optimization Approach

This paper deals with parameter estimation of single-phase transformer equivalent circuit by using Chaotic Optimization Approach (COA). Unknown transformer equivalent circuit parameters need to be accurately estimated for the best possible matching between the measured and the estimated transformer output characteristics (for example, output power—load resistance characteristic). Unlike literature approaches which apply different estimation techniques and are based either on the nameplate data or the load data obtained from experiments, in this paper the use of COA is evaluated on both types of input data. For two single-phase transformers, different with respect to machine power and voltage levels, the COA-based parameter estimation is compared to various literature techniques as well as to classical method based on open-circuit and short-circuit tests. The results show that COA outperforms other approaches in terms of average error between the measured and the estimated values of the primary current, secondary current and secondary voltage at full load, or between the measured and the estimated output characteristics. The effectiveness of COA is additionally confirmed through its application on laboratory 2kVA, 220 V/110 V, 50 Hz single-phase transformer.
Children's exposure to magnetic fields produced by U.S. television sets used for viewing programs and playing video games.

Two epidemiologic studies have reported increased risk of childhood leukemia associated with the length of time children watched television (TV) programs or played video games connected to TV sets. To evaluate magnetic field exposures resulting from these activities, the static, ELF, and VLF magnetic fields produced by 72 TV sets used by children to watch TV programs and 34 TV sets used to play video games were characterized in a field study conducted in Washington DC and its Maryland suburbs. The resulting TV-specific magnetic field data were combined with information collected through questionnaires to estimate the magnetic field exposure levels associated with TV watching and video game playing. The geometric means of the ELF and VLF exposure levels so calculated were 0.0091 and 0.0016 microT, respectively, for children watching TV programs and 0.023 and 0.0038 microT, respectively, for children playing video games. Geometric means of ambient ELF and VLF levels with TV sets turned off were 0.10 and 0.0027 microT, respectively. Summed over the ELF frequency range (6-3066 Hz), the exposure levels were small compared to ambient levels. However, in restricted ELF frequency ranges (120 Hz and 606-3066 Hz) and in the VLF band, TV exposure levels were comparable to or larger than normal ambient levels. Even so, the strengths of the 120 Hz or 606-3066 Hz components of TV fields were small relative to the overall ambient levels. Consequently, our results provide little support for a linkage between childhood leukemia and exposure to the ELF magnetic fields produced by TV sets. Our results do suggest that any future research on possible health effects of magnetic fields from television sets might focus on the VLF electric and magnetic fields produced by TV sets because of their enhanced ability relative to ELF fields to induce electric currents.
When Good Business Relationships Go Bad: A Quantitative Analysis of Dark Side Variables in Mature Supply Chain Relationships

While the supply chain literature encourages firms to develop strong relationships as a means of improving performance and reducing uncertainty (Cannon & Perreault, 1999; HoveSibanda & Pooe, 2018; Kwamega, Li, & Abrokwah, 2018), empirical studies have shown the effects of such relationships to be mixed (Grayson & Ambler, 1999; Pillai & Sharma, 2003; Barnes, 2005; Teller, Kotzab, & Grant, 2012) or even negative (Granson & Ambler, 1999; Backhaus & Buschken, 1999; Raweewan & Ferrell, 2018). Supply chain collaboration may not be sustainable over the long run (Barratt, 2004) and collaboration may be difficult to implement and benefit from (Barratt, 2004; Min et al., 2005). While strategic alliances may fortify partners against outside competition, they may also increase dependence among the partners or vulnerability of one partner (Hamel, Doz, & Prahalad, 1989) and these closer relationships do not always deliver the expected value (Piercy, 2009). Empirical evidence shows that very few businesses achieve the anticipated level of results from collaborative efforts (Jap & Ganesan, 2000; Anderson & Jap, 2005; Villena, Revilla, & Choi, 2011).
Quantification of present and past biomass productivity as a support to effective biomass management

We used statistical data including specific calculations to show how the productivity of different biomass categories varies with land use, environmental conditions and land management at national and local level in Slovakia. Three different study sites were selected. Averaged annual productivity of the total biomass from one hectare ranged from 5.96 to 12.03 t on arable land, from 4.02 to 15.20 t on grasslands and from 11.72 to 13.56 t on forest land. Although the biomass productivity varied among the various biomass categories and the study sites, the average annual values of the total biomass per hectare from productive land was about the same at all three study sites (11.62, 11.68, 11.78 t/ha). Detailed quantification of different biomass categories offered a variety of possibilities to use them for further applications in economy and ecosystem services. At the national level, the unused biomass could have produced 29.8 PJ (petajoule) of heat energy.
Exploring opportunities for providing pharmacists with feedback on their practice and performance around the electronic Minor Ailments Service in Scotland

The electronic Minor Ailments Service (e‐MAS), implemented in all community pharmacies in Scotland since 2006, allows pharmacists to manage minor ailments at no charge to patients including provision of medication, advice or referral. E‐MAS is supported through an electronic network, ‘E‐pharmacy’, which is managed by National Health Service Scotland. E‐pharmacy has the capacity to remotely record e‐MAS activities, such as details of medicines supply and patient registration allowing provision of feedback to community pharmacies.
The political economy of climate change

This article debates institutional proposals given to address climate change which is not attacking basic socioeconomic determinants but only impacts such as emissions of greenhouse gases (GHE). Getting to the bottom of the problem requires moving beyond mere energy transition to renewable energy, which is necessary. But they are insufficient to ensure the preservation of life on earth and the social order. These circumstances enable the emergence of the political economy of climate change, introducing a necessary reform towards sustainability by applying the required and appropriate economic and financial instruments and regulations; thus it is not just a matter of adaptation and mitigation of this situation, but of restructuring the economy, society and culture to the benefit of people. Key words: Climate change, mitigation, adaptation, restructuring.
Factors Affecting the Financing Policy of Commercial Banks in Ethiopia

Determining the optimal capital structure is one of the most fundamental policy decisions faced by financial managers. Since optimal debt ratio influences firm’s value, different firms determine capital structures at different levels to maximize the value of their firms. Thus, this study examines the relationship between leverage and firm specific (profitability, tangibility, growth, risk, size and liquidity) determinants of capital structure decision, and the theories of capital structure that can explain the capital structure of banks in Ethiopia. In order to investigate these issues a mixed method research approach is utilized, by combining documentary analysis and in-depth interviews. More specifically, the study uses twelve years (2000 - 2011) data for eight banks in Ethiopia. The findings show that profitability, size, tangibility and liquidity of the banks are important determinants of capital structure of banks in Ethiopia. However, growth and risk of banks are found to have no statistically significant impact on the capital structure of banks in Ethiopia. In addition, the results of the analysis indicate that pecking order theory is pertinent theory in Ethiopian banking industry, whereas there are little evidence to support static trade-off theory and the agency cost theory. Therefore, banks should give consideration to profitability, size, liquidity and tangibility when they determine their optimum capital structure.
A biological circuit design for modulated parity-check encoding in molecular communication

Regarded as one of the future enabling technologies of the Internet of Things at the biological and nanoscale domains, Molecular Communication (MC) promises to enable applications in healthcare, environmental protection, and bioremediation, amongst others. Since MC is directly inspired by communication processes in biological cells, the engineering of biological circuits through cells' genetic code manipulation, which enables access to the cells' information processing abilities, is a candidate technology for the future realization of MC components. In this paper, inspired by previous research on channel coding schemes for MC and biological circuits for cell communications, a joint encoder and modulator design is proposed for the transmission of cellular information through signaling molecules. In particular, the information encoding and modulation are based on a binary parity check scheme, and they are implemented by interconnecting biological circuit components based on gene expression and mass action reactions. Each component is mathematically modeled and tuned according to the desired output. The implementation of the biological circuit in a simulation environment is then presented along with the corresponding numerical results, which validate the proposed design by showing agreement with an ideal encoding and modulator scheme.
Comparative effectiveness of cefazolin versus cloxacillin as definitive antibiotic therapy for MSSA bacteraemia: results from a large multicentre cohort study.

OBJECTIVES We compared the effectiveness of cefazolin versus cloxacillin in the treatment of MSSA bacteraemia in terms of mortality and relapse. METHODS A retrospective cohort study examined consecutive patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia from six academic and community hospitals between 2007 and 2010. Patients with MSSA bacteraemia who received cefazolin or cloxacillin as the predominant definitive antibiotic therapy were included in the study. Ninety-day mortality was compared between the two groups matched by propensity scores. RESULTS Of 354 patients included in the study, 105 (30%) received cefazolin and 249 (70%) received cloxacillin as the definitive antibiotic therapy. In 90 days, 96 (27%) patients died: 21/105 (20%) in the cefazolin group and 75/249 (30%) in the cloxacillin group. Within 90 days, 10 patients (3%) had a relapse of S. aureus infection: 6/105 (6%) in the cefazolin group and 4/249 (2%) in the cloxacillin group. All relapses in the cefazolin group were related to a deep-seated infection. Based on the estimated propensity score, 90 patients in the cefazolin group were matched with 90 patients in the cloxacillin group. In the propensity score-matched groups, cefazolin had an HR of 0.58 (95% CI 0.31-1.08, P = 0.0846) for 90 day mortality. CONCLUSIONS There was no significant clinical difference between cefazolin and cloxacillin in the treatment of MSSA bacteraemia with respect to mortality. Cefazolin was associated with non-significantly more relapses compared with cloxacillin, especially in deep-seated S. aureus infections.
Switching to Ziprasidone in the Clinical Practice Setting: An Open-Label Study

Objective: This observational study evaluates the long-term outcome of switching to ziprasidone in patients with schizophrenia in the clinical practice setting. Methods: Patients (208) with schizophrenia who had been switched to ziprasidone monotherapy due to partial response or tolerability problems were followed for 1 year. Efficacy was assessed at baseline and months 1, 3, and 12 with Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Clinical Global Impression-severity (CGI-S), and CGI-improvement. Quality of life, functionality, and safety measures, including metabolic parameters, were also assessed; 195 subjects comprised the per protocol analysis population. Results: A reduction ≥ 30% in BPRS total score was observed in 42.5% of the subjects. Mean scores of the BPRS (global and positive and negative clusters), CGI-S and CGI-I significantly decreased at endpoint (p < 0.001). Ziprasidone treatment was also associated with statistically significant improvements in the GAF, WHO-DAS-II, and SF-12. After 1-year follow-up, a mean weight decrease of −1.6 kg (p < 0.05) was observed. Mean levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides also decreased (p < 0.01) while HDL cholesterol levels increased (p < 0.05) at endpoint. No significant changes in mean glucose levels at study end were detected. Conclusion: These findings suggest that switching to ziprasidone is effective and well tolerated in patients with schizophrenia requiring a change in antipsychotic medication.
Financial constraints and asset pricing: comprehensive evidence from London Stock Exchange

This study provides comprehensive evidence on the pricing of financial constraints (FC) risk on London Stock Exchange during the period 1988–2013. Utilizing a large number of proxies for FC, we find that investors are not compensated with higher premia for holding shares of financially constrained firms. To the contrary, in most of the cases, the most constrained firms significantly underperform, both statistically and economically, the least constrained ones. Focussing on the Whited–Wu index to construct a zero-cost FC factor that goes long the most constrained firms and sells short the least constrained ones, we find that this factor carries a significantly negative premium and it is priced in the cross-section over and above the commonly used risk factors.