Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Borsuk-Ulam Theorems for Arbitrary S1 Actions and Applications.

Abstract : An S to the first power version of the Borsuk-Ulam Theorem is proved for a situation where Fix S to the first power may be nontrivial. The proof is accomplished with the aid of a new relative index theory. Applications are given to intersection theorems and the existence of multiple critica points is established for a class of functionals invariant under an S to the first power symmetry. Minimax arguments from the calculus of variations serve as an important tool in establishing the existence of nonlinear vibrations of discrete mechanical systems as modelled by Hamilton's equations. In these arguments one obtains the solutions of the differential equations as critical points of an associated Lagrangian by minimaxing the Lagrangian over appropriate classes of sets. Intersection theorems such as are proved in this paper play a crucial role in this process. In addition to obtaining some intersection theorems this report illustrates their use by proving an existence theorem for multiple critical points of the functional invarianet under an S to the first power symmetry group.
Psychosocial safety climate, work conditions, and emotions in the workplace: A Malaysian population-based work stress study.

We integrated psychosocial safety climate (PSC) with the job demands and resources (JD-R; Bakker & Demerouti, 2007) framework to examine the impact of both job demands and job resources at work on employee depression, anger, and engagement. PSC refers to a climate for the protection of employee psychological health and safety. As PSC theoretically influences the working environment, we hypothesized that PSC would have an indirect effect on specific negative emotions (e.g., anger, depression) via job demands and an indirect effect on positive emotion (e.g., engagement) through job resources. We used a population-based sample consisting of 269 public and private employees from the State of Selangor, Malaysia. Overall, results using structural equation modeling showed that PSC negatively related to job demands and positively related to job resources. In mediated paths, job demands carried the effect of PSC on anger and depression, whereas job resources carried the effect of PSC on engagement. We also showed that job demands related negatively to engagement, and that the effect was carried by anger and depression. Using multigroup analysis, we found that the model was invariant within both the public and private sectors. These findings suggest that JD-R theory may be expanded to include PSC as an antecedent, and that the PSC model is largely valid in an Eastern, Muslim, developing economy setting.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND MARKETING PERFORMANCE IN A NIGERIAN BUS COMPANY: AN INSIGHT FROM ABC PLC

This study examined the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on marketing performance (MP) of a road transportation company-Associated Bus Company (ABC Transport) PLC Nigeria. Data were generated from the company's internal and annual reports from 2009 to 2015. Using SPSS version 21, stated hypotheses were tested with multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that there is a significant and positive relationship between CSR and marketing performance. Further analysis shows that CSR does not significantly predict profitability and sales growth of the company, but predicts market share significantly. Based on these, the study recommends among others, that Companies should be consistent in the implementation of their CSR projects given the positive impact such projects have on marketing performance, and that CSR should be measured based on its long run effect and not just the short run result on marketing performance .
HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO): fine-grained, global-scale measurements of climatically important atmospheric gases and aerosols

The HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) programme has completed three of five planned aircraft transects spanning the Pacific from 85° N to 67° S, with vertical profiles every approximately 2.2° of latitude. Measurements include greenhouse gases, long-lived tracers, reactive species, O2/N2 ratio, black carbon (BC), aerosols and CO2 isotopes. Our goals are to address the problem of determining surface emissions, transport strength and patterns, and removal rates of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols at global scales and to provide strong tests of satellite data and global models. HIPPO data show dense pollution and BC at high altitudes over the Arctic, imprints of large N2O sources from tropical lands and convective storms, sources of pollution and biogenic CH4 in the Arctic, and summertime uptake of CO2 and sources for O2 at high southern latitudes. Global chemical signatures of atmospheric transport are imaged, showing remarkably sharp horizontal gradients at air mass boundaries, weak vertical gradients and inverted profiles (maxima aloft) in both hemispheres. These features challenge satellite algorithms, global models and inversion analyses to derive surface fluxes. HIPPO data can play a crucial role in identifying and resolving questions of global sources, sinks and transport of atmospheric gases and aerosols.
A randomised controlled trial of Prostar Plus for haemostasis in patients after coronary angioplasty.

OBJECTIVES to clarify the efficacy and safety of Prostar Plus, a new percutaneous vascular surgical device (PVS) for vascular haemostasis. DESIGN prospective randomised controlled trial. METHODS a consecutive series of 60 patients were randomised to either PVS (n =30) or conventional manual compression ( n =30) following coronary angioplasty or stenting with femoral access using an 8-F sheath. RESULTS PVS significantly shortened the time to haemostasis (10 s.d. 3 vs. 27 s.d. 9 min, p <0.001), ambulation (2.2 s.d. 0.9 vs. 11.0 s.d. 1.4 h, p <0.001), and discharge (2.2 s.d. 0.4 vs. 3.1 s.d. 0.7 days, p <0.01), compared with the manual compression group with no major complications. PVS also increased patient comfort assessed by using a visual-analogue scale method. Although these clinical benefits reduced the hospital cost ($1301 s. d. 248 vs. 1613 s.d. 460, p <0.05), the cost of the PVS device (approximately $350) cancelled the cost-saving benefit. CONCLUSIONS this randomised study indicates that Prostar Plus is safe, more effective and comfortable than conventional manual compression.
A prospective single-center analysis of the safety and efficacy of the hydrocoil embolization system for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

OBJECT The HydroCoil embolization system is a helical platinum coil coated with a polymeric hydrogel that expands when it contacts aqueous solutions to increase filling volumes, improve mesh stability, and possibly elicit a healing response within the aneurysm. In this paper, the authors report the 1-year recurrence and complication rates of 67 aneurysms embolized with the HydroCoil system. METHODS Sixty-four consecutive patients (67 total aneurysms) with small (< or =7 mm), large (8-15 mm), very large (16-24 mm), and giant (> or =25 mm) aneurysms in the anterior and posterior intracranial circulations were treated with HydroCoils between March 2003 and September 2004. All aneurysms were embolized by the senior author (A.S.B) with HydroCoils alone or in combination with bare platinum coils, until either there was no further angiographic contrast filling of the aneurysm or the microcatheter was pushed out of the dome by the coil mass. Balloon assistance was used in three cases and combined Neuroform stent-coil embolization in eight other cases. To evaluate the safety and 1-year efficacy of the HydroCoil system, periprocedural complications were recorded, and angiographic recurrences were categorized using the Raymond-Roy Occlusion Classification (RROC) system. The 1-year aneurysm recurrence rate independent of size was 15% in patients treated with HydroCoils. Seventy percent of the patients had stable occlusions. The recurrence rate for small aneurysms was 3.7%, and the combined recurrence rate for small and large aneurysms was 6%. Fifteen percent of the aneurysms initially categorized as RROC Type 2 or 3 with stasis of contrast material at the time of initial embolization improved in RROC type, allowing the authors to develop the aneurysm embolization grade to predict recurrence. The neurological complication rate was 14.9%, of which 4.5% represented permanent neurological deficits. CONCLUSIONS The HydroCoil embolization system is safe and provides excellent 1-year occlusion of small and large aneurysms with initial RROC Type 1, as well as those with RROC Types 2 and 3 with stasis of contrast material at the time of embolization. Very large and giant aneurysms were not as successfully occluded with this system. Treatment of large and giant internal carotid artery aneurysms was more likely to result in cranial nerve palsies and postembolization headaches than treatment in other locations. The aneurysm embolization grade the authors developed using the results of this study accurately predicted 1-year recurrence rates based on the immediate postembolization angiographic characteristics of the treated aneurysm.
FACTORS AFFECTING CAPITAL STRUCTURE OF THE BANKS LISTED ON IRAQI STOCK EXCHANGE (2009-2014)

The current study aims to examine the factors affecting capital structure of (16) banks listed on the Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) during the period 2009 to 2014. Several factors could have an impact on capital structure. While, this study concentrates on four characteristics of Iraqi banks and attempts to identify their effect on financing decision of these banks. Growth, profitability, liquidity and size have been used as independent variables. However, the study depends on leverage as a dependent variable to measure the capital structure of banks. Using a multiple linear regression model by (SPSS) program different results have been revealed. The findings show that growth is not one of the determinants of capital structure and it has no effect on the leverage of these banks at all. While, there is a statistically negative relationship of capital structure choice with profitability and liquidity. On the other hand, the findings indicate that the size affects capital structure of the banks positively and significantly. The study could have a great contribution to financing decision of the banks listed on ISX for choosing the optimal capital structure.
A Novel Fractional Fourier Transform-Based ASK-OFDM System for Underwater Acoustic Communications

A key research area in wireless transmission is underwater communications. It has a vital role in applications such as underwater sensor networks (UWSNs) and disaster detection. The underwater channel is very unique as compared to other alternatives of transmission channels. It is characterized by path loss, multipath fading, Doppler spread and ambient noise. Thus, the bit error rate (BER) is increased to a large extent when compared to its counterpart of cellular communications. Acoustic signals are the current best solution for underwater communications. The use of electromagnetic or optical waves obviously entails a much higher data rate. However, they suffer from high attenuation, absorption or scattering. This paper proposes a novel fractional fast Fourier transform (FrFT)—orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (FrFT-OFDM) system for underwater acoustic (UWA) communication—which employs the amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulation technique (FrFT-ASK-OFDM). Specifically, ASK achieves a better bandwidth efficiency as compared to other commonly used modulation techniques, such as quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and phase shift keying (PSK). In particular, the system proposed in this article can achieve a very promising BER performance, and can reach higher data rates when compared to other systems proposed in the literature. The BER performance of the proposed system is evaluated numerically, and is compared to the corresponding M-ary QAM system in the UWA channel for the same channel conditions. Moreover, the performance of the proposed system is compared to the conventional fast Fourier transform (FFT)-OFDM (FFT-OFDM) system in the absence and presence of the effect of carrier frequency offset (CFO). Numerical results show that the proposed system outperforms the conventional FFT-based systems for UWA channels, even in channels dominated by CFO. Moreover, the spectral efficiency and data rate of the proposed system are approximately double the values of the corresponding conventional OFDM systems for the same parameters.
Empirical examination of organizational culture on accounting information system and corporate performance

Purpose The study aims to empirically examine the impact of organizational culture on accounting information system and corporate performance of firms in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted using top corporate executives of diverse firms from different industrial sectors. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and a further post hoc test was done using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Findings The study demonstrates that there is a statistically significant relationship between organizational culture on accounting information system and corporate performance. The results indicate that mission, adaptability and consistency dimensions of organizational culture were significant and also accounting information system influences corporate performance. Moreover, there are significant differences in the means of accounting information system on different industrial sectors. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to the extent that only overall profitability was used to measure performance. In addition, the study did not control for leadership style and organizational structure in the relationships. The implication of the study is that ethical culture-shaped accounting information system and financial reporting practice which ultimately leads to corporate performance. Originality/value Ghana is a developing country where structures and institutions are not well developed. Businesses and organizational forms are now beginning to pick up; therefore, organizational culture, accounting information systems and their impact on corporate performance are not well documented. These are all new phenomena in this part of the globe. The context of Ghana in terms of national culture that feeds into organizational culture, institutions, quality and application of accounting information is entirely different from that of advanced countries. The study therefore contributes to the extant literature by applying the constructs of organizational culture, accounting information system and corporate performance within a developing country perspective.
Impact of corrective health information on consumers’ perceptions of “reduced exposure” tobacco products

Objective: To determine whether providing corrective health information can reduce the tendency of consumers to believe that the implied marketing message that two “potentially reduced exposure products” (PREPs) are safer than regular cigarettes. Design: Face-to-face interviews with smokers assigned to one of four conditions, which varied in terms of the presence or absence of health information that qualified claims made in advertising for two PREPs. Subjects: A convenience sample of 177 smokers in Boston area. Interventions: Health information detailed the extent to which exposure to toxins and health risks of the brands were unknown. Main outcome measures: Respondents’ assessments of the health risks and toxicity of the two combustible PREPs, Advance and Eclipse. Results: The health information had a modest but significant effect on ratings of health risk, and reduced perceptions that switching to the new brands would lower a smoker’s risk of cancer (OR 0.75; p<0.05). The health information had no effect on perceptions of toxicity. Conclusions: A small dose of corrective information was effective in tempering smokers’ perceptions. A higher dose of public health campaigns would be needed to affect misperceptions likely to follow a full-scale tobacco marketing effort.
SRI: Truths and lies

This paper proposes a skeptical look at the socially responsible investing (SRI) industry. Building upon a new database for European and American domestic equity mutual funds, it investigates whether there is a discrepancy between what is said (e.g., names or labels) and what is done (investments of mutual funds holdings) about SRI. It turns out that the correspondence between de jure and de facto SRI is weak. Additionally, using a novel nonlinear factor-augmented panel model, it is found that the de facto ethical positioning only matters for the funds’ financial performance. Both results shed new light on the SRI industry and pave the way for a new regulation framework.
The Impact of Lending Standards on Default Rates of Residential Real-Estate Loans

This paper analyses the impact of lending standards for residential real estate (RRE) loans on default rates, using a novel loan-level dataset from the European DataWarehouse (EDW) that covers eight euro area countries. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to use, for this purpose, a consistent set of loan-level data on loans originated in multiple euro area countries. Previous literature has used either national loan-level data, which does not allow for cross-country comparisons, or aggregate cross-country data. The dataset is first explored through an extensive descriptive analysis and this is followed by static probit regressions. The findings confirm the key influence of lending standards – in particular, loan-to-value and loan-to-income ratios at origination, original loan maturity and borrower employment status – on loan default rates. The impact of other variables, such as interest rate fixation and payment type, varies depending on the country of loan origination. These results are particularly relevant for microprudential supervisors in their ongoing assessment of banks’ credit policies. The highlighted country specificities should be taken into account in macroprudential policymaking.
Media Calcium Attenuates Mitochondrial 1,25(OH)2D Production in Phosphorus or Vitamin D-Deprived Rats

ABSTRACT: Although PTH and hypophosphatemia are the best known stimulators of 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1α-hydroxylase, 1,25(OH)2D3 production in rats and humans can be modulated by circulating calcium, independent of PTH. To test whether calcium modulates this function directly in mitochondria, we examined effects of calcium on 1α-hydroxylase in isolated mitochondrial preparations under basal and stimulated conditions. Rats were fed a low phosphorus (or matched control) diet for 4 or 7 d or a vitamin D-deficient (or matched control) diet for 2, 4, or 7 wk. Renal mitochondria were isolated and assayed for 1α-hydroxylase activity in the presence or absence of added calcium. Calcium did not alter 1α-hydroxylase in rats on control diets. After 4 d of low phosphorus diet, 1α-hydroxylase was increased 2-fold over basal activity; media calcium prevented this stimulatory response. By 7 d the calcium effect was not evident. After 4 wk of vitamin D deprivation, activity was ∼30-fold greater than controls; calcium reduced this response significantly (15-fold). A significant, but less marked inhibition of activity by calcium was present in rats subjected to 7 wk of vitamin D deprivation. Extramitochondrial calcium can directly modulate 1,25(OH)2D3 production, but this effect appears to be secondary to the primary physiologic regulators of this function. The calcium effect can be overcome after longer term exposure to phosphorus deprivation, but is sustained in the presence of long term vitamin D deprivation.
Marketing of innovative products for environmentally friendly small and medium enterprises

The marketing of innovative products that are environmentally friendly is the concern of the global community and can compete with other products. This study aims to (1) describe the process of marketing innovative products for small and medium businesses that are environmentally friendly. (2) Analyze the role of small and medium enterprises in marketing innovative products that are environmentally friendly. Research informants are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) totaling 382. Data collection is carried out using qualitative methods. The results showed that (1) The number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) registered until the end of 2017 reached 8300 units. This amount is quite large, and if managed properly it will increase regional revenues and reduce unemployment, especially if the existing SMEs are developed in environmentally friendly innovation products with a green marketing orientation, of course, this can increase the income of SME entrepreneurs (2) Entrepreneurs SMEs that carry out innovative products that are environmentally friendly are increasingly increasing marketing performance with increasing demand for the products they produce while increasing their income. Some of the SMEs, have carried out production processes that are environmentally friendly, and in fact have increased sales and income as well, because the public believes that the product produced is very clean, using raw materials that are truly safe, and certified Indonesian National Standards (SNI) and halal label, efficiency in the use of raw materials, energy and water which all can reduce operational costs.
A DEVS - based End-to-end Methodology for Hybrid Control of Embedded Networking Systems

Abstract We present a formal Modeling and Simulation (M&S) methodology for hybrid control of networking systems. The method is used for analysis, design and implementation of Quality of Service (QoS) control systems in Network Processor (NP)-based applications. We apply continuous Control Systems Theory to enforce Admission Control strategies into discrete–event network traffic. This represents a hybrid system modeling problem, that has to be treated formally to guarantee the applicability of the continuous control theoretical results into discrete– event systems. We show that using DEVS (Discrete Event System Specification), in combination with Quantized State Systems (QSS) numerical methods for the approximation of continuous systems, offers numerous advantages: these frameworks provide the means to accurately analyze and design hybrid models for Admission Control and they can be seamlessly integrated into a unified formal framework. It also enables the transition between the DEVS–based simulation and the deployment of the obtained hybrid models into the target networking platform.