Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sequential Investment in Emerging Technologies under Policy Uncertainty

Investment in emerging technologies is particularly challenging, since, apart from uncertainty in revenue streams, firms must also take into account both policy uncertainty and the random arrival of innovations. We assume that the former is reflected in the sudden provision and retraction of a support scheme, which takes the form of a fixed premium on top of the output price. Thus, we develop an analytical framework for sequential investment in order to determine how price, technological, and policy uncertainty interact to affect the decision to invest sequentially in successively improved versions of an emerging technology. We show that greater likelihood of subsidy retraction lowers the incentive to invest, whereas greater likelihood of subsidy provision facilitates investment. However, embedded options to invest in improved technology versions raise the value of the investment opportunity, thereby mitigating the impact of subsidy retraction and making the impact of subsidy provision more pronounced. Additionally, by allowing for sequential policy interventions, we find that the impact of policy uncertainty becomes less pronounced as the number of policy interventions increases.
Student Motivation in Constructivist Learning Environment.

Background:The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between constructivist learning environment and students’ motivation to learn science by testing whether students’ self-efficacy in learning science, intrinsically and extrinsically motivated science learning increase and students’ anxiety about science assessment decreases when more opportunities for personal relevance, student negotiation, shared control, critical voice, and uncertainty for scientific knowledge is provided.Materials and methods:Constructivist Learning Environment Survey and Science Motivation Questionnaire were administered to 243 elementary school students. The hypothesized model for students’ motivation to learn science in their perceived learning environment was tested via LISREL.Results:The results revealed that the students were not much motivated to learn science in more constructivist learning environment. On the other hand, the findings indicated that the students were more motivated to learn science when they had more opportunities in relating science with the real world issues.Conclusions:Therefore, science educators should emphasize more on the connectedness of science at school to real life for motivating students to learn science.
Diffusion of lCTs and E-commerce adoption in manufacturing SMEs in Kenya

The Internet's World Wide Web has become the prime driver of modern E-commerce. The World Wide Web and the Internet together with other ICT enabling technologies offer a platform in the way organizations arrange their business processes. address their marketplaces. and partner with other enterprises. The objectives of this paper are to map ICT diffusion and adoption of e-commerce by manufacturing SMEs in Kenya and identify specific barriers to the exploitation of these drivers. The investigation adopts a descriptive survey research design in which rondom sampling techniques are used. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Results reveal that high cost. limited funds and lack of technical know-how are barriers in the diffusion of ICTs among the manufacturing SMEs.
Electrostatically Induced Carbon Nanotube Alignment for Polymer Composite Applications

xiv CHAPTER 1 – MOTIVATION AND BACKGROUND.1 1.1 – CNT Composite Property Variability.1 1.2 – Methods for Effecting CNT Alignment in Polymers.4 1.3 – Techniques for Characterizing CNT Alignment.6 1.4 – Polarized Raman Spectroscopy of CNTs.10 1.5 – Thesis Overview.12 CHAPTER 2 – REAL-TIME, IN SITU POLARIZED RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY OF CARBON NANOTUBE ALIGNMENT.13 2.1 – Chapter Synopsis.13 2.2 – Introduction.13 2.3 – Experimental.14 2.3. 1 – Materials.14 2.3. 2 – Sample Preparation.14 2.3. 3 – Experimental Setup.14 2.3. 4 – Real-time Polarized Raman Spectroscopy.15 2.4 – Results.19 2.5 – Discussion.22
Lasius neglectus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - a widely distributed tramp species in Central Asia

Departing from the assumed origin in Asia Minor or the Middle East, Lasius neglectus VAN LOON, BOOMSMA & ANDRASFALVY, 1990 has spread both to the west and to the east during the last decades. From 1998 to 2004 we collected 41 samples of L. neglectus at 17 different sites in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan; of those, 15 are new. The ant appears to be widespread in the Fergana Valley and in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek. This paper lists the findings of L. neglectus and describes the habitats in which the ants were found. The presence of L. neglectus in bordering countries is discussed.
Assessment of physical parameterizations using a global climate model with stretchable grid and nudging

Abstract The Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique atmospheric general circulation model with zooming capability (LMDZ) has been used in a nudged mode to enable comparison of model outputs with routine observations and evaluate the model physical parameterizations. Simulations have been conducted with a stretched grid refined over the vicinity of Paris, France, where observations, collected at the Trappes station (Meteo-France) and at the Site Instrumental de Recherche par Teledetection Atmospherique observatory, are available. For the purpose of evaluation of physical parameterizations, the large-scale component of the modeled circulation is adjusted toward ECMWF analyses outside the zoomed area only, whereas the inside region can evolve freely. A series of sensitivity experiments have been performed with different parameterizations of land surface and boundary layer processes. Compared with previous versions of the LMDZ model, a “thermal plume model,” in association with a constant resistance to evapora.
Dogs as assistants in dyadic pedagogue-child interations in residential youth welfare services

Das Ziel dieser Studie war herauszufinden, ob und wie sich Verhalten und Stressmanagement von Kindern(n=9) mit unsicherem bzw. desorganisiertem Bindungsmuster in Spielinteraktion mit einem Sozialpadagogen(n=7) durch die Anwesenheit und eventuelle Interaktion mit einem freundlichen Hund verandern. Bisherige Studien zeigen, dass Bindungsreprasentationen kaum auf Tiere ubertragen werden und dass diese in Interaktionen mit Therapeuten beruhigend und vertrauensbildend wirken. Zur Uberprufung dieser Hypothesen, wurden neun Kinder-Betreuer/innen Teams aus betreuten Wohngruppen wahrend jeweils vier Spielsitzungen gefilmt und vorher und nachher von den Kindern und Sozialpadagogen Speichelproben zur Bestimmung des Stresshormons Kortisol entnommen. In zwei der vier Sitzungen war jeweils ein freundlicher Hund (n=2) anwesend. In Anwesenheit des Hundes nahm Kortisol im Speichel aller beteiligter Betreuer/innen ab, was tendenziell auch bei den Kindern wahrend des Spiels unabhangig der Anwesenheit eines Hundes der Fall war. Im Zuge tiergestutzter Interventionen wurden die Interaktionen entspannter und intensiver. Der Spielverlauf wurde seitens der Kinder weniger oft abrupt verandert und haufiger wurden Situationen verbal oder durch Handlungen erwidert. Des Weiteren wurde in der Anwesenheit eines Hundes mehr gelacht. Bei allen Kindern und deren padagogischen Betreuer/innen wurde wahrend der tiergestutzten Interventionen eine geringere Konfliktanspannung, sowie ein hoheres Mas an Aufmerksamkeit fur die soziale Umgebung beobachtet und bestatigten sich durch eine geringere Anzahl von Ticks. Die Spielsituation wurde in Anwesenheit des Hundes bei der Verhaltensanalyse positiver bewertet und die Kinder zeigten mehr Bindungssicherheit als ohne Hund. Diese Ergebnisse fordern gemeinsam mit anderen gut strukturierten Studien tiergestutzte Interventionen im padagogischen und therapeutischen Bereich.
The effect of acupressure on sleep quality in patients with chronic heart failure

1 MSc of Nursing Education, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran 2 MSc of Critical Care Nursing, North East Petroleum Industry Health Organization, Sarakhs, Iran 3 MSc of Nursing Education, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran 4 BSc of Nursing, Neyshabour University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabour, Iran 5 BSc of Nursing, North East Petroleum Industry Health Organization, Sarakhs, Iran 6 MSc of Nursing Education, Neyshabour University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabour, Iran
Experiencing Dehumanization: Cognitive and Emotional Effects of Everyday Dehumanization

Research into dehumanization has focused on its perpetrators and neglected the experience of its targets. Across two studies we present evidence that people experience interactions as dehumanizing when other people's behavior undermines basic elements of personhood, such as identity and status. These experiences have cognitive and emotional consequences. Two forms of experienced dehumanization were apparent. In one, a failure to recognize the target's equal status is associated with aversive self-awareness and feelings of shame and guilt. In the other, a failure to recognize the target's basic existence as a person is associated with cognitive deconstructive states and feelings of sadness and anger.
Linear and non linear body wave inversion

In the present study a methodology is developed to estimate the source parameters of an earthquake using teleseismic body wave inversion. The focal mechanism is determined from the second order moment tensor which is related with a double couple source. An initial solution is obtained using the generalized SVD method. Then, by imposing a double couple solution additional constrains are introduced. The minimization between observed and synthetics permits the calculation of the Lagrange multipliers and following, the determination of the components of the seismic moment tensor. Finally, the solution of the nonlinear problem is obtained by applying the Newton-Gauss method using an iterative process.
Seismic Wave Propagation in Soil-Structures Systems

A discrete formulation of the seismic wave propagation in times domain is presented in order to calculate the seismic response of an idealized city. The buildings are modelled as being the prolongation of the continuous medium, and are subjected to the vertical shear wave propagation. The layers of the ground and the rock substratum under the base of the foundations are introduced in the formulation to take account of the effects of soil-structure interaction. The seismic response is expressed according to the travel time of the waves between the layers of the ground, the coefficients of reflexion and transmission and of the interfaces. In the developed equations one takes account of the effects of filtering dependent on the frequency which appear in the foundation and storey levels. The calculation of the response is thus reduced to a simple system of equations with finite elements for each layer, which can be solved starting from the rock substratum. Compared with the formulation generally used in the dynamics of structures which consists in using the concept of vibration, the formulation based on wave propagation provides several advantages, among which, simplified calculations, better representation of damping, the possibility of taking account of the effects of the stratification of the ground under the foundation, and better tools for identification and the detection of the damage in the case of seismic recordings. The examples presented in this article show the versatility of the method. Keywords: Soil-structure interaction, Site-city effects, Shear wave propagation, Finite element approach.
Contribution à l'étude des mouvements d'air dans le bâtiment à l'aide d'un code de champ : application à la ventilation naturelle d'un local par une ou deux grandes ouvertures

Les methodes simples d'evaluation du renouvellement d'air dans le bâtiment constituent un outil interessant mais ne sont pas toujours adaptees au calcul du renouvellement d'air par ventilation naturelle a travers les grandes ouvertures exterieures. L'objectif de notre travail est d'etudier dans quelle mesure les codes de champ peuvent constituer une alternative a l'emploi de ces methodes ainsi qu'au montage d'experimentations lourdes. Apres avoir mis en evidence la dispersion des resultats fournis par les methodes simplifiees ou semi-detaillees pour l'evaluation du renouvellement d'air dans un local ventile par une grande ouverture exterieure en simple exposition, nous examinons les potentialites et les limites des codes de champ. Dans le cas de la convection mixte au sein d'une cavite parallelepipedique chauffee creusee dans le plancher d'une soufflerie, nous etudions la sensibilite des resultats numeriques obtenus a l'aide du code CFD Fluent a la finesse du maillage, au choix du modele de turbulence ainsi qu’aux conditions imposees en soufflage, et nous confrontons ces resultats numeriques a des resultats experimentaux de la litterature. Dans le cas d'une salle de classe ventilee mecaniquement, nous confrontons le champ de vitesse obtenu par simulation numerique a nos mesures experimentales realisees in situ. Nous realisons ensuite la simulation numerique de la ventilation naturelle d'un local, en ventilation traversante et en ventilation simple. Le cas de la ventilation simple fait apparaitre des defauts de convergence locale dans l'ouverture, que nous attenuons grâce a une procedure de resolution en 2 etapes successives. Une visualisation de l'ecoulement de ventilation simple dans une cavite est realisee a l'aide d'une experimentation dans un canal hydraulique, et comparee qualitativement aux resultats numeriques. Des correlations donnant le debit de renouvellement d'air dans le local en fonction de la vitesse du vent et de l'ecart de temperature entre la cavite et l’ambiance exterieure sont etablies.
The Analysis of the Bank Interest Influence and Exchange Rate Towards Composite Stock Price Index in Indonesia Using Vector Error Correction Model Approach

This study aims to analyze the influence of bank interest and exchange rate towards composite stock price index in Indonesia under the period of January 2010-December 2016. The method applied is Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). The findings show that this method aces to show the pace of adjusting balance from the short period up to long period towards stock price index variable. The gap between bank interest level and the exchange rate has the low impact towards composite stock price index. For a longer period, the exchange rate would bring negative impact to composite stock price in Indonesia. Meanwhile, in a short period, it would not affect exchange rate and bank interest rate towards stock price index in Indonesia. Keywords: Stock Price, Exchange Rate, Vector Error Correction Model, Bank Interest Rate
Do M&As of Greek listed firms before the economic crisis improved their current liquidity and profitability ?

This study examines the impact of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) on liquidity as long as the profitability of listed companies at the ASE (Athens Stock Exchange) in Greece at the beginning of the economic crisis. Using accounting data (financial ratios), the post-merger performance of a sample of Greek companies, listed on the Athens Stock Exchange that executed one merger or acquisition in the two-year-period from 2008 to 2009 as acquirers, is investigated in order to study how firms administer liquidity and profitability before the outbreak of the sovereign debt crisis and during the following years of economic crisis in Greece (2010 and 2011) and if the merger decision improve their performance. For the purpose of the study, a set of financial ratios is employed, in order to measure firms' performance and to compare pre- and post-merger performance for two years before and after the M&As announcements (with accounting data analysis from 2006 to 2011). The question that tries to analyse this paper is if in the merger procedure of Greek listed firms their decision have as business priority to achieve higher profits and they failed to secure their viability through their liquidity. The results revealed that M&As had a negative impact on the post-merger performance of merger-involved firms, and more analytically concerning the profitability ratios, but not their liquidity levels due to the M&As events. Last, different post-merger performance results are observed among the examined firms according to a business industry categorization and are revealed slightly better results for the firms with business activities in the industry of metals, mining and constructions.
D. (2014). Differences in risk factors for self-harm with and without suicidal intent: Findings from the ALSPAC

Background: There is a lack of consensus about whether self-harm with suicidal intent differs in aetiology and prognosis from non-suicidal self-harm, and whether they should be considered as different diagnostic categories. Method: Participants were 4799 members of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a UK population-based birth cohort who completed a postal questionnaire on self-harm with and without suicidal intent at age 16 years. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to examine differences in the risk factor profiles of individuals who self-harmed with and without suicidal
Focussing of stress by continents in 3D spherical mantle convection with self‐consistent plate tectonics

Previous mantle convection studies with continents have revealed a first‐order influence of continents on mantle flow, as they affect convective wavelength and surface heat loss. In this study we present 3D spherical mantle convection models with self‐consistent plate tectonics and a mobile, rheologically strong continent to gain insight into the effect of a lithospheric heterogeneity (continents vs. oceans) on plate‐like behaviour. Model continents are simplified as Archaean cratons, which are thought to be mostly tectonically inactive since 2.5 Ga. Long‐term stability of a craton can be achieved if viscosity and yield strength are sufficiently higher than for oceanic lithosphere, confirming results from previous 2D studies. Stable cratons affect the convective regime by thermal blanketing and stress focussing at the continental margins, which facilitates the formation of subduction zones by increasing convective stresses at the margins, which allows for plate tectonics at higher yield strength and leads to better agreement with the yield strength inferred from laboratory experiments. Depending on the lateral extent of the craton the critical strength can be increased by a factor of 2 compared to results with a homogeneous lithosphere. The resulting convective regime depends on the lateral extent of the craton and the thickness ratio of continental and oceanic lithosphere: for a given yield strength a larger ratio favours plate‐like behaviour, while intermediate ratios tend towards an episodic and small ratios towards a stagnant lid regime.
Analysis of climate variability and its economic impact on agricultural crops: The case of Arsi Negelle District, Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

This study was conducted to analyze climate variability and its economic impact on agricultural crop productivity in Arsi Negelle district Central Rift Valley region in Ethiopia. The study analyzed observed climate variability, downscaled future projection (2046–2065 periods) with reference to base line data from years 1981-2009 by using self-organising map downscaling (SOMD) technique. In addition, the study has employed Ricardian approach to analyze marginal effects of temperature and rainfall on agricultural crop productivity based on farm data generated from 174 farmers. Annual crop net revenue was regressed on climate, soil and socio-economic variables. The result obtained from metrology data indicated that in the study area, climate variability has been observed and the minimum temperature found to be more variable than maximum temperature does. While rainfall found to be more variable in Langano than in Arsi Negelle stations in the period from 1981 to 2009. Result obtained from simulation analysis for the future period indicated that significant climate variability is expected to be observed for the projection period from 2046 to 2065. Detailed analysis of rainfall projection has shown that, main rainy season is expected to decrease, while short rainy season that runs from March to May is expected to increase. Regressing of net revenue was found that climate have a significant impact on the farmers’ net revenue per hectare. As a 1°C increase in temperature during the main rainy and dry seasons reduced the net revenue by 5179.65 and 704.19 Birr per hectare respectively. On the other hand, a 1°C increase in temperature marginally during the short rainy seasons was found to increase the net revenue per hectare by 1081.81 and 1542.65 Birr respectively. An increasing precipitation by 1mm during the main rainy and dry seasons reduced the net revenue per hectare by 1184.00 and 328.90 Birr respectively. Result obtained from interviewing of households indicated that farmers were aware of the occurrence of climate variability and changes hence devised adaptation strategies in response to it. The overall finding from the study suggests that there is a need to support farmers’ adaptation capacity and improve their crop production efficiency to overcome future scenarios of climate change impacts.
High-order aberration compensation with multi-frame blind deconvolution and phase diversity image restoration techniques

Context. For accurately measuring intensities and determining magnetic field strengths of small-scale solar (magnetic) structure, knowledge of and compensation for the point spread function is crucial. For images recorded with the Swedish 1-meter Solar Telescope (SST), restoration with multi-frame blind deconvolution (MFBD) and joint phase diverse speckle (JPDS) methods lead to remarkable improvements in image quality but granulation contrasts that are too low, indicating additional stray light. Aims. We propose a method to compensate for stray light from high-order atmospheric aberrations not included in MFBD and JPDS processing. Methods. To compensate for uncorrected aberrations, a reformulation of the image restoration process is proposed that allows the average effect of hundreds of high-order modes to be compensated for by relying on Kolmogorov statistics for these modes. The applicability of the method requires simultaneous measurements of Fried's parameter r(0). The method is tested with simulations as well as real data and extended to include compensation for conventional stray light. Results. We find that only part of the reduction of granulation contrast in SST images is due to uncompensated high-order aberrations. The remainder is still unaccounted for and attributed to stray light from the atmosphere, the telescope with its re-imaging system and to various high-altitude seeing effects. Conclusions. We conclude that statistical compensation of high-order modes is a viable method to reduce the loss of contrast occurring when a limited number of aberrations is explicitly compensated for with MFBD and JPDS processing. We show that good such compensation is possible with only 10 recorded frames. The main limitation of the method is that already MFBD and JPDS processing introduces high-order compensation that, if not taken into account, can lead to over-compensation.
DO INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND LABOR STANDARDS AMELIORATE SYNCHRONOUSLY? ESTIMATION OF LABOR DEMAND ELASTICITY IN TURKEY1

The broad objective of this paper is to examine the challenges faced by the Turkish labor market in the aftermath of the so-called trade liberalization period, particularly questioning whether a prominent change in pattern can be observed in labor demand elasticity. In the study, labor demand elasticities in the export-ing and import-competing sectors are estimated based on research undertaken between the years 1984 to 2001. Thus, the study looks for a vigorous link, or a dichotomy - if there is - between the strategies to stimulate international trade and the demand for labor.