Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Eigenvalue vs perimeter in a shape theorem for self-interacting random walks

We study paths of time-length $t$ of a continuous-time random walk on $\mathbb Z^2$ subject to self-interaction that depends on the geometry of the walk range and a collection of random, uniformly positive and finite edge weights. The interaction enters through a Gibbs weight at inverse temperature $\beta$; the "energy" is the total sum of the edge weights for edges on the outer boundary of the range. For edge weights sampled from a translation-invariant, ergodic law, we prove that the range boundary condensates around an asymptotic shape in the limit $t\to\infty$ followed by $\beta\to\infty$. The limit shape is a minimizer (unique, modulo translates) of the sum of the principal harmonic frequency of the domain and the perimeter with respect to the first-passage percolation norm derived from (the law of) the edge weights. A dense subset of all norms in $\mathbb R^2$, and thus a large variety of shapes, arise from the class of weight distributions to which our proofs apply.
DESORPTION OF LEAD, COPPER AND ZINC FROM IRAQI SILTY CONTAMINATED SOIL

This study presents an experimental investigations undertaken to evaluate the effect of two extractant solutions (EDTANa2 and/or citric acid) and different conditions (pH, extractant concentration, and contact time) on the removal efficiency. Iraqi silty soil are studied, the soil was artificially contaminated with lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) to achieve higher levels of contamination. A series of batch experiments were conducted to determine the removal efficiency of lead, copper, and zinc using EDTANa2 and/or citric acid. The influence of solution pH, extraction time, and extractant concentration were studied in order to evaluate the optimum condition for soil washing process. The feasibility of soil washing method for decontamination of soil was evaluated in laboratoryscale batch experiments. Soil samples containing 500 mg/kg of Pb, Cu, or Zn were subjected to ethelenediaminetetraacitic acid disodium salt (EDTANa2) and/or citric acid (CA) treatment. Soil washing experiments performed on 2.0 g portions of the spiked soil using (0.001, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1M) chelating agents at a solid:liquid ratio of 1:10 showed that extraction efficiency of EDTA-Na2 was much higher than that of citric acid, and higher concentrations of complexing agent lead to better extraction. Results show that EDTA-Na2 was better in releasing soil-bound metals from the soil compared to citric acid where 67.13% of lead was extracted using 0.1M of EDTA-Na2 while only 36.5% was extracted using the same concentration of CA. Up to 51.48% of copper was extracted using EDTA-Na2 while only 24.86% was extracted using CA. similar results appear for zinc, where 44.2% was extracted using EDTA-Na2 and 16.73% was extracted using CA. The highest extraction values of lead can be observed at pH values from 4 to 5 , copper at pH= 8 and zinc at pH = 9.
Spatial Competition in Quality, Demand-Induced Innovation, and Schumpeterian Growth

We develop a general equilibrium model of vertical innovation in which multiple firms compete monopolistically in the quality space. The model features many firms, each of which holds the monopoly to produce a unique quality level of an otherwise homogenous good, and consumers who are heterogeneous in their valuation of the good’s quality. If the marginal cost of production is convex with respect to quality, multiple firms coexist, and their equilibrium markups are determined by the degree of convexity and the density of quality-competition. To endogenize the latter, we nest this industry setup in a Schumpeterian model of endogenous growth. Each firm enters the industry as the technology leader and successively transits through the product cycle as it is superseded by further innovations. The intrinsic reason that innovation happens in our economy is not one of displacing the incumbent; rather, innovation is a means to differentiate oneself from existing firms and target new consumers. Aggregate growth arises if, on the one hand, increasingly wealthy consumers are willing to pay for higher quality and, on the other hand, private firms’ innovation generates income growth by enlarging the set of available technologies. Because the frequency of innovation determines the toughness of product market competition, in our framework, the relation between growth and competition is reversed compared to the standard Schumpeterian framework. Our setup does not feature business stealing in the sense that already marginal innovations grant non-negligible profits. Rather, innovators sell to a set of consumers that was served relatively poorly by pre-existing firms. Nevertheless, "creative destruction" prevails as new entrants make the set of available goods more differentiated, thereby exerting a pro-competitive effect on the entire industry.
A Novel Simulator of Nonstationary Random MIMO Channels in Rayleigh Fading Scenarios

For simulations of nonstationary multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) Rayleigh fading channels in time-variant scattering environments, a novel channel simulator is proposed based on the superposition of chirp signals. This new method has the advantages of low complexity and implementation simplicity as the sum of sinusoids (SOS) method. In order to reproduce realistic time varying statistics for dynamic channels, an efficient parameter computation method is also proposed for updating the frequency parameters of employed chirp signals. Simulation results indicate that the proposed simulator is effective in generating nonstationary MIMO channels with close approximation of the time-variant statistical characteristics in accordance with the expected theoretical counterparts.
Perception of Innovativeness in Companies and Business Environment Institutions

The aim of this paper is to present key features of innovative enterprise in opinion of entrepreneurs and Business Environment Institutions. The survey conducted among entities from selected EU region reveals how innovativeness is described by entrepreneurs and institutions which supporting them. It appears that the key feature of an innovator is ability to quickly adapt to market changes by modifying offered products and processes. The significant problem, identified by the survey, is insufficient cooperation between entrepreneurs and universities/research centres. According to this, it is indispensable to create adequate mechanisms, which on the one hand would activate academic world to commercialize their research and on the other hand improve the research information flow.
The Power of Economic Networks: Investor Recognition through Supply-Chain Relationship Disclosures

We show that firms gain visibility and shareholder base through economic relationships with reputable trading partners. We find that supplier firms enjoy a boost in news coverage and a subsequent reduction in advertising expenses when they disclose trading relationships with large and well-known customer firms. After relationship disclosure, supplier firms are more likely to be held by the same institutional investor and covered by the same analyst following their customer firms. We show that managers are aware of this effect and selectively disclose relationships that benefit their firms' visibility. Our findings highlight the role of product-market network as an important channel through which small and young firms gain investor recognition and improve their operating environment.
Identification of mutants in phosphorus metabolism

Phosphorus availability is often limiting for plant growth. However, little is known of the pathways and mechanisms that regulate phosphorus (P) uptake and distribution in plants. We have developed a screen based on the induction of secreted root acid phosphatase activity by low-P stress to identify mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana with defects in P metabolism. Acid phosphatase activity was detected visually in the roots of A. thaliana seedlings grown in vitro on low-P medium, using the chromogenic substrate, 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-phosphate (BCIP). In low-P stress conditions the roots of wild-type plants stained blue, as the induced root acid phosphatase cleaved BCIP to release the coloured product. Potential mutants were identified as having white, or pale blue, roots under these conditions. Out of approximately 79 000 T-DNA mutagenised seedlings screened, two mutants with reduced acid phosphatase staining were further characterised. Both exhibited reduced growth and differences in their P contents when compared to wild-type A. thaliana. The mutant with the most severe phenotype, pho3, accumulated high levels of anthocyanins and starch in a distinctive visual pattern within the leaves. The phenotypes of these mutants are distinct from two previously identified phosphorus mutants (phol and pho2) and from an acid phosphatase deficient mutant (pup1) of A. thaliana. This suggested that the screening method was robust and might lead to the identification of further mutants with the potential for increasing our understanding of P nutrition.
Motivation and Learning English: A Study on Nepalese Public High School Learners

Motivation is long found to be an important factor to affect the task of learning an L2 as it provides the stimulus required to initiate and sustain the task of learning the L2. It is even argued that if learners are motivated, they are likely to succeed in the task of language learning regardless of other factors. The present study examined the Nepalese public high school learners’ motivation to learn English. Based on Dornyei’s (2005; 2009) second language (L2) motivational Self System as the theoretical framework, this study employed a 64 item questionnaire to collect the data. Correlation and regression were carried out to establish that the main factors affecting learners’ English language learning motivation were attitude to learning English and ideal L2 self. However, ought-to L2 self did not contribute to learners’ motivation directly, which is on the contrary to the findings of the study done in Asian contexts previously. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3126/nelta.v19i1-2.12084 Journal of NELTA, Vol 19 No. 1-2, December 2014: 99-116
Alternatives to animal use in veterinary education: A growing debate

Bazi otoriteler farkli dusunse de, veteriner hekimligi egitiminde ogrencilerin oncelikli olarak hayvan kullanmadan ogrenim gorebilecegi tezi saglam temellere dayandirilabilir. Bu konu bilissel hayvan etolojisi alaninda yeni bilgi ve gelismeler ile hayvan refahi konusunda artan farkindalik ve endiselerin isiginda incelenmeye degerdir. Biyoetik ve hayvan refahina iliskin kavramlarin ogretilmesi gunumuz veteriner hekimligi ile gittikce baglantili hale gelmistir. Ancak bazi veteriner fakultelerinin egitim programlarinda bu konu uzerinde yeterince durulmamaktadir. Arastirmacilar, veteriner hekimligi egitiminde hayvan kullanimina en iyi alternatifin bunlarin yerini alabilecek diger metotlarin kullanilmasi oldugunu dusunmektedir. Sentetik dokular gibi alternatif yontemlerden asamali olarak canli hayvan tedavisi ve gercek hastalarin oldugu klinik ortama gecis, pratik uygulamalar acisindan oldukca faydali olacaktir. Baslangic dersleri ve prosedurlerin sentetik modeller ve bilgisayar simulasyonlari ile yurutulmesi, sonrasinda etik acidan uygun sekilde elde edilmis kadavralar uzerinde devam ettirilmesi gereklidir. Ogrencilerin gercek hastalarla bu asamadan sonra karsilasmalari uygun olacaktir. Bu pedagojik yaklasim, klinik hekimlik icin ogrencinin gerekli becerileri kazanmasini saglamasinin otesinde onlara “hisseden varliklara” saygili olmayi da ogretecektir. Iyi klinik beceri ve yasama saygi kombinasyonu profesyonelligin ve etik standartlarin artmasi uzerine olumlu katkilar saglayacaktir
Investigation of EEG Alpha Rhythm of Artists and Nonartists During Visual Perception, Mental Imagery, and Rest

In this article, differences in alpha power between multichannel EEG signals of artists and nonartists were investigated. The two groups were compared during visual perception, mental imagery, and at-rest conditions. We found no significant differences between the two groups in absolute alpha power at rest. Both absolute and relative alpha power were found to be significantly lower in artists during the visual perception and the mental imagery tasks for some of the channels, suggesting that the cerebral efforts of artists were higher during these conditions. These results indicate that artists considered more features of a painting compared to nonartists. The two groups differed in relative alpha power during the visual perception task compared to the at-rest condition. Relative alpha power values decreased during the visual perception for both groups; however, their variation patterns were different. More significant decreases in relative upper alpha power (10-12Hz) during the visual perception task for .
Satellite observations of ozone in the upper mesosphere

Ozone profiles in the upper mesosphere (70–100 km) retrieved from nine instruments are compared. Ozone from the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument is used as the basis of comparison. Other measurements are from the Halogen Occultation Experiment, the High Resolution Doppler Imager, the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding, the Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars, the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment—Fourier Transform Spectrometer, the Solar Occultation For Ice Experiment, the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System, and the Superconducting Submillimeter‐Wave Limb‐Emission Sounder. Comparisons of each data set with SABER using coincident profiles indicate agreement in the basic vertical profile of ozone but also some systematic differences in daytime ozone. Ozone from the SABER 9.6 μm channel is higher than the other measurements over the altitude range 60–80 km by 20–50%. Nighttime comparisons indicate better relative agreement (<10% difference). Taking all the data, not limited to coincidences, shows the global and seasonal distributions of ozone in the upper mesosphere from each instrument. The average maximum in ozone mixing ratio is around 90–92 km during daytime and 95 km at night. There is a maximum in ozone density at night (∼90 km) and during some hours of the day. The latitude structure of ozone has appreciable variations with season, particularly in the tropical upper mesosphere. The basic latitude‐altitude structure of ozone depends on local time, even when the analysis is restricted to day‐only observations.
Value Uncertainty, Price Impact and the Choice of the Equity Issuing Method

In this paper we develop a model for the choice of the equity issuing method, where the major determinants of the choice are 1) over- and undervaluation of shares and 2) the price impact from selling shares in the market. In our model there is a price impact, i.e., a temporary decline in price, whenever a company sells its equity to investors. The price impact is necessary to induce the investors to carry the additional risk associated with the equity offering. The price impact is larger for rights issues than for public equity offerings, as in the latter case the investment bank through its marketing efforts attracts new investors to the market, which reduces the price impact. Due to the difference in price impact, in our model, public offerings dominate rights issues unless companies are sufficiently undervalued. Such sufficient undervaluation can occur in our model only for "hard to value" firms, i.e., firms with large value uncertainty. In the empirical part, using a sample of the largest European stocks, we show that there is indeed a price impact and it is larger for rights issues. Secondly, we show that over- and undervaluation and value uncertainty affect the choice of the offering method as predicted by the model. Our theoretical and empirical results are consistent with the observed positive run-up before public offerings, which is followed by poor long-run returns for the issuing firms' stocks. In case of rights offerings, there is no run-up.
Periodontopathogenic bacterial species among patients with periodontal diseases at Mulago Hospital Dental Clinic in Kampala, Uganda: A cross-section study

Periodontal diseases (PD) are disorders of the supporting structures of the teeth caused by components of the plaque that develop on the hard root surface adjacent to the soft tissues. Periodontal disease is caused by bacteria living in plaque biofilms. These bacteria also affect dental implants, causing peri-implantitis, and eventually implant failure. Early diagnosis and treatment to eliminate or significantly reduce these bacterial loads enables clinical success with dental implants. However, culture-based methods for detecting these bacteria are difficult to implement therefore making DNA–based techniques more efficient. WHO adds that at present, the distribution and severity of periodontal infections vary in different parts of the world and within the same region or country. In Uganda, data on prevalence of common bacteria species causing periodontal diseases is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of periodontopathogenic bacteria in patients attending Mulago Hospital Dental School Clinic. Paper point periodontal specimens were collected from 100 periodontal diseases patients. These specimens were directly tested for 11 selected periodontopathogenic bacteria using two molecular tests: Micro-IDent ® and Micro-IDent ® plus (HAIN Lifescience GmbH, Nehren, Germany). It was found that 86% of the studied participants were with periodontopathogenic bacteria species. Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Prevotella intermedia prevalence was 86, 7, 1 and 1%, respectively. Some patients had more than one periodontopathogenic bacteria detected. Average age and pocket depths of the study participants were 32 years and 3.5 mm, respectively. Age, pocket depth and gender were not statistically associated with any of the isolated periodontopathogenic bacteria species (p>0.05).
ORGANISATIONAL ARRANGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN ORGANISATIONS OPERATING IN SLOVAKIA AND CZECH REPUBLIC

STACHO ZDENKO, URBANCOVA HANA, STACHOVA KATARINA: Organisational arrangement of human resources management in organisations operating in Slovakia and Czech Republic. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 2013, LXI, No. 7, pp. 2787–2799 A necessary condition of eff ective functioning of human resources management in an organisation is the creation of adequate organisational conditions including the existence of a human resources management department, its size, composition and responsibility, which are formed following particular conditions of the given organisation. Competitive environment of organisations operating in Slovakia and Czech Republic is growing with the process of world economy globalisation, and it brings the need of fl exibility in management, and therefore we have to get used to changes also in the sphere of human resources management, and learn to cope with new impulses and situations. At present, that predominantly includes spreading eff ects of global fi nancial and economic crisis, infl uencing all spheres of life in Slovakia and in Czech Republic too. Handling this situation presupposes fl exibility in assessment of changes in environment where organisations operate, ability to detect all positive as well as negative impacts and situations, and formulation of measures to enhance their own position sensibly and cautiously. Due to the need of focusing of organisations on comprehensive arrangement of human resources management, in questionnaire researches, we focused on fi nding out whether and to what extent organisations operating in Slovakia (n = 340) and in Czech Republic (n = 109) focus on human resources management arrangement. The objective of the article is to compare results in the sphere of human resources in organisations operating in Slovak and Czech Republics. The results show that 67% organisations in Slovakia and only 43% in the Czech Republic had a human resources management department which realised followed human resources management functions and personnel strategy. human resources management, outsourcing of personnel activities, organisational strategy, functional strategies, human resources management departments, organisations operating in Slovakia
Control and raising: Gone with(out) a trace?

PRO is a theoretically attractive empty category that is proposed to fill the subject position in non-finite (control) clauses. The motivation for its existence is mainly based on uniformity because all sentences necessitate a subject and contain a verb phrase that requires distribution of theta roles in accordance to the theta criterion (Chomsky, 1981). The empirical evidence for PRO remains unclear. The processing of control involves an intricate interaction of constraints. Though recent research on control has contributed to the empirical evidence supporting PRO (Nicol and Osterhout, 1988; Osterhout and Nicol, 1988; Walenski, 2002), it is difficult to find reliable effects that are comparable to the more robust findings on trace reactivations (Nicol and Osterhout, 1988; Nicol and Swinney, 1989; Hestvik et al., 2005, 2010). In this thesis, I present findings on possible reactivation patterns in control sentences, using picture recognition of correct and incorrect PRO antecedents presented at specific test positions. I also compare control sentences with a similar syntactic construction in the main experiment. Raising sentences have a surface structure syntactically similar to control sentences but result from movement. This operation creates a trace position rather than a PRO. Both experimental studies were designed in the same manner. They are two reaction time experiments inwhich sentenceswere presented to a participant, word for word, on a computer screen. At certain test positions throughout these sentences, an image was presented and the participant was asked to decide whether or not the image was presented previously in the occurring sentence in word form. A green button was pressed for ’yes’ and a red button was pressed for ’no’. The pilot study lasted a little over twenty minutes per participant while the main experiment lasted approximately fifteen minutes. The pilot experiment sampled priming effects compared to a baseline defined by position from 20 participants. It included object and subject control test sentences and filler sentences. The images were presented randomly at three test positions illustrated in the examples below. The positions were either (1) before or (2) after the infinitive marker or (3) at the end of the sentence. These positions represent the position of PRO in (1) S-structure or (2) D-structure and an unrelated position (3). Object control: Flodhesten frarådet alligatoren (1) å (2) gå til festen (3). The hippo warned the alligator (1) to (2) go to the party (3). Subject control: Alligatoren lovet sjiraffen (1) å (2) bade i sjøen snart (3). The alligator promised the giraffe (1) to (2) bathe in the sea soon (3).