Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of foreign trade and its effects.

Foreign trade is the reflection of economic relationships among the individual economies and represents the part of the country foreign relationships, which include trade exchange of a part of the production. in the simplifies balance understanding, it is usually presupposed that the object of this exchange is such a part of the production, which exceeds the home consumers demand and thus is the object of export, or, vice versa, that part of the home demand which is not satisfied by the home production and thus has to be covered by import. in reality, the whole process is, however, substantially more complicated, as the whole series of reasons (price, trade, political etc.) lead often to exporting even those products which might have been realised in the home market, regarding the purchasable demand, and on the other hand, import includes in most commodity groups also the products competing with the home production and thus securing a wider as-
Acquisition of the Alveo-Palatal Fricative /ʒ/ in L2 English and Jamaican Creole: A Comparative Study

This study investigates the claim that the strategies employed by second/foreign language learners are the same as those used by speakers of Creole languages. The speech of two speakers of the well-known Broad Jamaican Creole is checked against the performance of Saudi learners of English, focusing on the production of the voiced alveo-palatal fricative/ʒ/. The findings suggest that the speakers in the two groups produce the voiced affricate/dʒ/ instead, suggesting perhaps that the above claim is valid. This study provides external evidence to the validity of such theories as sound substitution, markedness, and historical sound change which are said to shape early language acquisition, including child language.
Discussions on Recent Results for --Contractive Mappings

We establish certain fixed point results for -generalized convex contractions, -weakly Zamfirescu mappings, and -Ciric strong almost contractions. As an application, we derive some Suzuki type fixed point theorems and certain new fixed point theorems in metric spaces endowed with a graph and a partial order. Moreover, we discuss some illustrative examples to highlight the realized improvements.
The Role of Psychological Capital on Job Embeddedness and Organizational Cynicism: A Study on Menoufia University Hospitals

Purpose: The objective of this study was to provide empirical evidence on the relationships between Psychological Capital (PsyCap), Job Embeddedness (JE) and Organizational Cynicism (OC). Research Design/Methodology: Using Luthans, 2006 of PsyCap, the study develops a number of hypotheses and tests them. Out of the 338 questionnaires that were distributed to employees at Menoufia University hospitals in Egypt, 315 usable questionnaires were returned, a response rate of 93%. Findings: The results showed that PsyCap is significantly related to the JE and OC. In other words, self-efficacy, optimism, hope and resilience significantly correlated with JE and OC. The results also supported the hypothesized model. The results refer to a direct effect in the opposite direction between the PsyCap and OC of employees. The study findings support the view that the dimensions of PsyCap were positively related with JE. Practical implications: The study suggests that Menoufia University hospitals in Egypt can improve JE by influencing its PsyCap, specifically, by developing self-efficacy, optimism, hope and resilience. The study provided that it is necessary to pay more attention to the dimensions of PsyCap as a key source for organizations to enhance the competitive advantage which is of prime significance for JE and OC. Originality/value: Preliminary evidence of the psychometric properties of the PCQ-24, which measures the construct of PsyCap (hope, self-efficacy, resilience and optimism) on an Egyptian sample, was provided in this study.
European works councils: potentials and obstacles on the road to employee influence in multinational companies

The theme addressed by this article is the opportunities for European Works Councils (EWCs) of gaining influence on corporate decisions in multinational companies (MNCs). The first part introduces the European Union Directive on European Works Coun- cils as well as debated themes and previous research on EWCs; further it discusses the concept of supranational employee influence as distinct from employee influence at plant and national level. In the second part of the article findings from Danish research on EWCs are presented and analyzed; the focus is on employee influence and factors inhibiting employee influence. The research is based on surveys among Danish EWC representatives as well as among man- agers in Danish based MNCs. It is found that the level of employee influence through EWCs is relatively low. Attempting to explain this the article further identifies a number of factors tending to inhibit the formulation and articulation of employee interests at the supranational, European level. In the concluding part of the article the findings are summed up and their relevance for EWCs in general are discussed. Europaische Betriebsrate - Potentiale und Hindernisse auf dem Weg zur Arbeiternehmerbeteiligung in multinationalen Unternehmen Zusammenfassung - Das in diesem Beitrag behandelte Thema sind die Chancen fur Europa- ische Betriebsrate (EBR), Einfluss auf korporative Entscheidungen in multinationalen Unter- nehmen (MNU) zu nehmen. Im ersten Teil werden neben der Direktive Richtlinie uber EBR die relevanten Themen fruherer Debatten und Untersuchungen uber die EBR vorgestellt, des weiteren das Konzept des supranationalen Einflusses, im Vergleich zu dem auf betrieblicher und nationaler Ebene, diskutiert. Der zweite Teil prasentiert und analysiert die Ergebnisse einer dDanischen Untersuchung uber EBR. Die Ergebnisse verdanken sich einer Befragung von dDanischen EBR-Mitgliedern und Managern in dDanischen MNU. Es zeigt sich, dass das Niveau des Arbeitnehmereinflusses durch EBR relativ niedrig ist. Im Bemuhen, dies zu erklaren, werden eine Reihe von Faktoren identifiziert, die Formulierung und Artikulierung von Arbeitnehmerinteressen auf supranationaler Ebene behindern. In der Konklusion wer- den die Ergebnisse resumiert und auf ihre Bedeutung fur die Institution der EBR diskutiert.
Performance of the strongly constrained and appropriately normed density functional for solid-state materials

Constructed to satisfy all known exact constraints and appropriate norms for a semilocal density functional, the strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) meta-generalized gradient approximation functional has shown early promise for accurately describing the electronic structure of molecules and solids. One open question is how well SCAN predicts the formation energy, a key quantity for describing the thermodynamic stability of solid-state compounds. To answer this question, we perform an extensive benchmark of SCAN by computing the formation energies for a diverse group of nearly one thousand crystalline compounds for which experimental values are known. Due to an enhanced exchange interaction in the covalent bonding regime, SCAN substantially decreases the formation energy errors for strongly-bound compounds, by approximately 50% to 110 meV/atom, as compared to the generalized gradient approximation of Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof (PBE). However, for intermetallic compounds, SCAN performs moderately worse than PBE with an increase in formation energy error of approximately 20%, stemming from SCAN's distinct behavior in the weak bonding regime. The formation energy errors can be further reduced via elemental chemical potential fitting. We find that SCAN leads to significantly more accurate predicted crystal volumes, moderately enhanced magnetism, and mildly improved band gaps as compared to PBE. Overall, SCAN represents a significant improvement in accurately describing the thermodynamics of strongly-bound compounds.
Earnings Management: Obvious Phenomenon in Albanian Market

Fiscal earnings, measures the performance of the company during the financial year. Motivated by different factors such as those related to the capital market, contractual motives etc, managers can manipulate earnings, increasing or reducing them and this phenomenon is recognized as “earnings management”. If we accept that the initiatives of “earnings management” lead to distortion of the financial results, it means that financial reports can be considered as poor quality reports, and financial information provided to the users and various parties of interest is also of poor quality. This paper is focused on reviewing the existing literature with regard to the Earnings Management in response to the growing pressure of investors, policy makers, and companies’ governance reform mechanisms to curb opportunistic behavior of the managers of these companies. It also examines the existence of this phenomenon in Albanian context as well as tests the importance of Modified Jones Model as an efficient tool for detection of abnormal accruals, used as a proxy for earnings management. The results show that firms in the Albanian market are engaged in earnings management initiatives.
Exploring the Influence of National Cultures on Non-Compliance Behavior

INTRODUCTION Information security is a widely discussed topic these days (e.g., Brooke, 2004; Gordon, Loeb, & Lucyshyn, 2005; Ponemon Institute, 2007). Despite years of investments in technology and processes, truly protecting data remains a distant goal for information security officers (Al Awadi & Renauld, 2007). Figuring out what, when and how to protect has become very complex and has created the need for a new approach, which includes establishing meticulous risk fundamentals and which requires using a holistic technical understanding (Richards, 2008). New technological developments such as Software-as-a-service, Web 2.0 technologies and multimedia hardware like iPhones increase the number of possibilities for sensitive information falling in the wrong hands. To make matters worse, some companies are decreasing budgets in IT security in order to reduce cost, and recent lay-offs have increased the risk of disgruntled employees taking off with sensitive data (Gage, 2009). The risk is real and the problem is huge: In a 2009 survey among IT managers in the U.S. and Europe, almost all respondents, 98%, said their organization has experienced tangible loss as a result of a cyber attack incident and 31% experienced theft of customer or employee personally identifiable information. Another 25% were hit with theft of corporate data (Symantec, 2009). And according to another study (Verizon Business RISK Team, 2009) more electronic records were breached in 2008 than the previous four years combined, most by organized crime. Besides threats from malicious outsiders (hackers), there are also malicious and negligent insiders (employees). A large worldwide survey (Ernst & Young, 2009) shows that the economic crisis has increased the number of ex-employees stealing or intentionally destroying data (malicious insiders). Despite the threats from malicious in-and outsiders, negligence and carelessness amongst employees still pose the greatest security threat to a company (e.g., Ponemon Institute, 2006; Whitty, 2006; Krom, 2006; Moreau, 2007; Burke C Sherman, 2004; Schaffner, 2007). Non-compliance behavior can be classified as one of the human risk factors. Non-compliance behavior can be defined as risk taking behavior, deliberate or not-deliberate, by insiders or employees who ignore an organization's (security) policies and guidelines. Several studies have been conducted to find out what causes employees not to follow the IT security policies and guidelines (e.g., Siponen, 2000; Wold, 2004; Cumps et al., 2007). A review of the existing literature resulted in five influencing factors: Carelessness; Lack of Awareness; Stricter IT Governance; Poor Business-IT Alignment; (National) Culture. …
Modelling ecological change over half a century in a subtropical estuary: impacts of climate change, land-use, urbanization and freshwater extraction

The Clarence River Estuary is the largest estuary in southeast Australia, with an extensive floodplain encompassing multiple river channels and a large coastal lagoon. It is the focus of major commercial and recreational fisheries and there is pressure to divert its freshwater inputs for agricultural and domestic uses. We used a spatial biogeochemical model to simulate the variability and evolution of this system on timescales from days to decades over the past half century. Like most tropical and subtropical estuaries, the Clarence River Estuary is strongly in - fluenced by river discharge, sediment and nutrient loads. Given the high nutrient loads arriving from the upper catchment, plankton biomasses in the model were typically limited by flushing through the estuary channels. However, the longer residence times of the lagoons produced a pro- foundly different regime where higher zooplankton concentrations were supported by recycling of nutrients and detritus. Using alternative model scenarios, it was found that the ecology of the lagoon was sensitive to changes in land-use and urbanization within the local sub-catchment, but was largely insensitive to changes in upstream river discharge (i.e. rainfall or freshwater extrac- tion). The opposite was true in the estuary channels, where changes in land-use or urbanisation in the populated lower catchment had little effect on the estuarine ecology, while even modest reductions in river discharges dramatically increased the biomass of the smaller phytoplankton and zooplankton groups, and favoured benthic algae over seagrass and macroalgae. The contrast- ing responses of these 2 estuarine environments suggests the need for distinct management approaches, with stringent controls on nutrient loads into coastal lagoons and protection of environmental flows into estuary channels.
Age, growth and population structure of the yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre, 1788) exploited along the east coast of India

Lengths measurements of 6,758 yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares ), landed by hook and line operators off eastern Indian coast were taken (20–185 cm FL) from 2003 to 2009. Age and growth were estimated using length based methods. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters estimated were L∝ = 197.42 cm, annual K= 0.30 and t0= -0.1157. Mortality estimates were M= 0.48 and Z= 0.71 and F= 0.23 with the exploitation ratio E= 0.32. Growth was rapid during the initial years when the annual growth increment was as high as 36.6 cm during the first year then which to as low as 3.3 cm in the tenth year. The fish attained a fork length of 56.2 cm at the end of one year. Size at maturity (87.5 cm) corresponded to an age of 1.7 years and the oldest individual in the sample was 9+ years (186 cm). The annual mean lengths varied from 80.6 cm to 115.3 cm with an average mean length of 101.9 cm. The fishery comprised of mostly adults with 64% comprising of fishes larger than size at first maturity.
Transaction tax and market volatility: Evidence from the Taiwan futures market

This paper employs an asymmetric component generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (AC-GARCH) model to test the relation between securities transaction tax (STT) and market volatility. Proponents of an STT argue that such a tax will reduce market volatility by discouraging the trading activity of destabilizing short-term traders. In contrast, Song and Zhang (2005) hypothesize that in the markets with relatively higher volatility and larger noise trader participation, an increase in STT will lead to an increase in market volatility. This paper uses daily data on TAIEX futures to test the Song and Zhang (2005) hypothesis. The results reveal that the volatility in high tax periods is larger than that in low tax periods, especially for the part of short-term volatility.
A Case Study Evaluating Economic Implications of Two Grazing Strategies for Cattle Ranches in Northwest Argentina

Abstract In the Argentinean Chaco Arido region, cattle production based on cow–calf operations is the principal source of agricultural income, and rangeland is the main forage source for cattle. Traditional grazing strategy (TGS, high stocking rate and continuous grazing) is considered the main cause of current rangeland degradation. Research shows that rangeland and cattle production improvements are possible when using a conservative grazing strategy (CGS, moderate stocking rate and rest rotation grazing). The aim of this research was to compare the effects of TGS and CGS applications on economic results for a cattle ranch in the region. To achieve this objective we used an approach that included estimations of forage and cattle production, and economic results. The study period was 1972/73–1983/84. Results showed that during the study period forage production and herd size were almost doubled with CGS, but maintained with TGS. The difference in net income between CGS and TGS (in Argentinean pesos, $), increased linearly from negative (−$2.88 · ha−1) to positive ($4.48 · ha−1) in the first 4 yr, and then was maintained at positive values (averaging $4.48 · ha−1). Data suggest that CGS leads to higher productivity and better economic results than TGS in the medium and long terms.
Chitin Degradation in the Salt Marsh Environment.

Distribution of chitinoclastic bacteria in the Barataria Bay salt marsh environment appeared to be related to factors of 1) organic matter, 2) chitin deposition, and 3) to a lesser extent, temperature. Highest concentrations g of chitinoclasts (10 cells/gm sediment) were observed in areas of high organic content, i.e., the emerged marshland soil. The water column contained the least number of 2 3 chitinoclasts (10 -10 cells/ml). Peak bacterial biomass occurred simultaneously with optimum numbers of chitinproducing animals in the water column. Species of the genus Beneckea comprised the predominant bacterial biota, although within the marshland soil a much greater diversity of species types was found. Large concentrations of chi­ tinoclasts were associated with the intact exoskeleton and the digestive tract of penaeid shrimp. The function of the bacteria in the shrimp digestive tract is possibly that of enzyme production (chitinase) and elaboration of growth factors. Bacteria ingested by the animal also provide a direct food source. In situ rates of chitin degradation were extremely high, i.e., 87 mg/day/gm chitin, while pure culture and in vitro rates were similar to those reported in the litera­
Maternal control of calcium concentration in the larval nursery of the bromeliad crab, Metopaulias depressus (Grapsidae)

It has been proposed that parental care in invertebrates controls for physicochemical conditions. This suggests that the parent detects deviations from optimal conditions and responds by correcting the deviation for the benefit of the offspring. In the bromeliad crab, Metopaulias depressus, mothers accumulate snail shells (CaCO3) in the leaf axil containing the larvae, which results in an increase in Ca2+and pH, both beneficial to the young. I tested the hypotheses that mothers: (i) control for calcium levels and only collect shells when calcium is too low; (ii) always collect shells, independent of the calcium content of the nursery; (iii) collect shells if encountered, but increase their activity if the calcium content becomes critical. In a field experiment, I reduced the initial calcium concentration in the nurseries of one group and increased it in another group. In both groups mothers collected shells. However, they collected significantly more shell mass per day in the group with reduced levels than in the group with high levels. The results support hypothesis (iii) and unequivocally demonstrate maternal control of physicochemical conditions in the nursery. This is the first proof that crustacean mothers actively regulate abiotic conditions for their offspring.
Ppd1, Vrn1, ALMT1 and Rht genes and their effects on grain yield in lower rainfall environments in southern Australia

Abstract. Allele-specific markers for important genes can improve the efficiency of plant breeding. Their value can be enhanced if effects of the alleles for important traits can be estimated in identifiable types of environment. Provided potential bias can be minimised, large, unbalanced, datasets from previous plant-breeding and agronomic research can be used. Reliable, allele-specific markers are now available for the phenology genes Ppd-D1, Vrn-A1, Vrn-B1 and Vrn-D1, the aluminium-tolerance gene TaALMT1, and the plant-stature genes Rht-B1 and Rht-D1. We used a set of 208 experiments with growing-season rainfall of <347 mm from southern Australia to estimate the effects of seven frequent combinations of the phenology genes, an intolerant and a tolerant allele of TaALMT1, and two semi-dwarf combinations Rht-B1b + Rht-D1a (Rht-ba) and Rht-B1a + Rht-D1b (Rht-ab) on grain yield in lower rainfall, Mediterranean-type environments in southern Australia. There were 775 lines in our analyses and a relationship matrix was used to minimise bias. Differences among the phenology genes were small, but the spring allele Vrn-B1a might be desirable. The tolerant allele, TaALMT1-V, was advantageous in locations with alkaline soils, possibly because of toxic levels of aluminium ions in subsoils. The advantage of TaALMT1-V is likely to be highest when mean maximum temperatures in spring are high. Rht-ab (Rht2 semi-dwarf) was also advantageous in environments with high mean maximum temperatures in spring, suggesting that for these stress environments, the combination of Vrn-B1a plus TaALMT1-V plus Rht-ab should be desirable. Many successful cultivars carry this combination.
The Use of Dental Services Among Older Australians: Does Location Matter?

Based on the National Health Survey of 2005, this study examined the use of dental services among non-institutionalised older Australians. The results of the regression revealed differences in the frequency of dental visits across the states. The greater the public dental health expenditure per capita in each state the more likely residents of that state were to have visited the dentist in the previous year. Older people residing outside major cities experienced the greatest disadvantage. In addition to the socioeconomic factors reported by studies, in Australia inequalities in access to dental health services was associated with urbanicity and Australian states.
Unsplit-Field Implementation of the Higher-Order PML using Z-Transform Method and DB Formulation for Arbitrary Media

─ On the basis of the stretched coordinate perfectly matched layer (SC-PML) formulations, the Z-transform method, and D-B formulation, an efficient and unsplit-field implementation of the higher-order PML scheme with more than one pole is proposed to truncate the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) lattices. This method is completely independent of the material properties of the FDTD computational domain and hence can be applied to the modeling of arbitrary media without any modification. The higher-order PML has the advantages of both the conventional PML and the complex frequency shifted PML (CFS-PML) in terms of absorbing performances. The proposed algorithm is validated through two numerical tests carried out in three dimensional and two dimensional domains. It is shown in the numerical tests that the proposed PML formulations with the higher-order scheme are efficient in terms of attenuating both the low-frequency propagating waves and evanescent waves and reducing late-time reflections, and also hold much better absorbing performances than the conventional SC-PML and the convolutional PML (CPML) with the CFS scheme. Index Terms ─ finite-difference time-domain (FDTD), perfectly matched layer (PML), and Z-transform method.