Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SHARED SERVICE CENTRE – CASE STUDY

The subject of the research is Shared Service Centre (SSC) established by Henkel GmbH. Henkel GmbH is the leader in SSC, and belongs to the group of companies which has started automatized activities in it. The aim of this article is to emphasize that permanent improvement of business performance with fulfilling customer requests is a precondition for further development of any company. The main hypothesis of the research is that SSC improved profitability of the company. It is tested and confirmed on EBIT margin in % of Henkel GmbH. The case study is based on interviews and presentations of Henkel’s CFOs in the period from 2003 to 2017, and the relevant data announced in annual reports of the company. However, Henkel GmbH will have new challenges with appliance of a new strategy, in order to support their vision to create sustainable value. One of them is to accelerate digitalization, especially in SSC.
Accuracy of spectroscopy-based radioactive dating of stars

Context. Combined spectroscopic abundance analyses of stable and radioactive elements can be applied for deriving stellar ages. The achievable precision depends on factors related to spectroscopy, nucleosynthesis, and chemical evolution. Aims. We quantify the uncertainties arising from the spectroscopic analysis, and compare these to the other error sources. Methods. We derive formulae for the age uncertainties arising from the spectroscopic abundance analysis, and apply them to spectroscopic and nucleosynthetic data compiled from the literature for the Sun and metal-poor stars. Results. We obtained ready-to-use analytic formulae of the age uncertainty for the cases of stable+unstable and unstable+unstable chronometer pairs, and discuss the optimal relation between to-be-measured age and mean lifetime of a radioactive species. Application to the literature data indicates that, for a single star, the achievable spectroscopic accuracy is limited to about ±20% for the foreseeable future. At present, theoretical uncertainties in nucleosynthesis and chemical evolution models form the precision bottleneck. For stellar clusters, isochrone fitting provides a higher accuracy than radioactive dating, but radioactive dating becomes competitive when applied to many cluster members simultaneously, reducing the statistical errors by a factor √ N. Conclusions. Spectroscopy-based radioactive stellar dating would benefit from improvements in the theoretical understanding of nucleosynthesis and chemical evolution. Its application to clusters can provide strong constraints for nucleosynthetic models.
Rail Degradation Prediction Models for Tram System: Melbourne Case Study

Tram is classified as a light rail mode of transportation. Tram tracks experience high acceleration and deceleration forces of locomotives and wagons within their service life and also share their route with other vehicles. This results in higher rates of degradation in tram tracks compared to the degradation rate in heavy rail tracks. In this research, gauge deviation is employed as a representative of track geometry irregularities for the predication of the tram track degradation. Data sets used in this research were sourced from Melbourne’s tram system. For model development, the data of approximately 250 km of tram tracks are used. Two different models including a regression model and an Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) model have been applied for predicting tram track gauge deviation. According to the results, the performances of the regression models are similar to the ANN models. The determination coefficients of the developed models are above 0.7.
Can Daphnia lumholtzi invade European lakes

The cladoceran Daphnia lumholtzi is a subtropical and tropical zooplankter, and an invasive species in North America. Thus far, D. lumholtzi has not been detected in Europe. Here we investigated whether a hypothetical introduction to Europe could result in a successful invasion, either now or in the near future when facilitated by climate change. In laboratory experiments, we tested whether different clones of D. lumholtzi can invade a resident community consisting of native Daphnia from lake Klostersee, Germany, and how invasion success depends on temperature and the presence or absence of planktivorous fish. In some treatments, invasion success was consistently high, and D. lumholtzi reached densities similar to the native competitors by the end of the experiment. The presence of a planktivorous fish reduced the invasion success of D. lumholtzi, and a clone with an inducible defense against fish predation was a more successful invader than a permanently defended clone. Of the three temperatures tested in this study (15, 20, and 24 °C), invasion success was highest at 20 °C. To understand the competitive interaction between native and introduced Daphnia, we fit a Lotka-Volterra-type competition model to the population dynamics. Our experimental and modeling results suggest that D. lumholtzi can invade European lakes and can cause substantial declines in the population size of native Daphnia, with potential consequences for higher trophic levels.
Temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity of granite and quartz-monzonite from south Bulgaria: geodynamic inferences

The temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity for granite and quartz-monzonite specimens from South Bulgaria has been studied, using equipment of the Geophysical Institute of Czech Academy of Sciences, which enables the automatic control of the experiment. Comparisons between electrical conductivity curves measure- ments under laboratory and the real local deep geothermal conditions have been made in order to evaluate the influ- ence of the mineral transitions on the formation of geophysical layers in the Earth's crust. The abrupt decrease in electrical conductivity at 200 o -330°C correlates with the beginning of the transition magnetite-maghemite. The maximum of electrical conductivity in the temperature interval 750-820°C in granite coincides with the transition of β- quartz to β 2 -tridymite. All these mineral transitions are accompanied by volume changes. The probable fluctuations of the heat flow in the Earth's crust in South Bulgaria, near the critical phase transition zones, are the cause of the volume changes in the rocks, the consecutive increase in the stress and the restoration of the tectonic equilibrium by weak earthquakes sequences. The hypothesis for sinking of the tectonic block is not acceptable because the recent vertical movements are positive - 1 to 2 mm/year. What remains is the hypothesis of progressing of the thermal flow from the deep parts of the Earth's crust and upper mantle towards the most shallow layers of the crust. The area of the most active influence of the heat flow from the asthenosphere uplifting is exactly the zone of the Maritza fault, from where the studied specimens originate.
Prevalence of Macrosomia in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Macrosomia is a risk factor for adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes and previous studies have reported different prevalence of macrosomia in Iran. We conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the overall prevalence of macrosomia in Iran. Materials and Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of all published literature pertaining to prevalence rates of macrosomia using international and national electronic databases ISI Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Scopus, SID, Magiran and Google Scholar from their inception until June 2017 with standard keywords. Egger test and Funnel plot were used to evaluate the publication bias and Cochran test and I2 statistics were used to examine the statistical heterogeneity. Pooled estimate of the prevalence of macrosomia were calculated using random effects meta-analysis. Results: A total of 40 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The publication bias assumption was rejected Egger test (P=0.719) and Funnel plot. The results of Cochran test and I2 statistics revealed substantial heterogeneity (Q=1040.5.00, df = 39, P2=96.3%). The overall prevalence of macrosomia using the random effect model in Iran was 5.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.4-5.9). Moreover, the macrosomia prevalence in Tehran and other cities were 3.9% (95% CI: 3.2-4.7) and 6.0% (95% CI: 5.0-7.1), respectively. Conclusion:The macrosomia rate in Iran is high. There is a critical need to improve the education and the gestational care and identifying at risk neonates to reduce the macrosomia rate and its adverse outcomes.
Nonlinear Cointegration and Nonlinear Error Correction: Record Counting Cointegration Tests

In this article we propose a record counting cointegration (RCC) test that is robust to nonlinearities and certain types of structural breaks. The RCC test is based on the synchronicity property of the jumps (new records) of cointegrated series, counting the number of jumps that simultaneously occur in both series. We obtain the rate of convergence of the RCC statistics under the null and alternative hypothesis. Since the asymptotic distribution of RCC under the null hypothesis of a unit root depends on the short-run dependence of the cointegrated series, we propose a small sample correction and show by Monte Carlo simulation techniques their excellent small sample behaviour. Finally, we apply our new cointegration test statistic to several financial and macroeconomic time series that have certain structural breaks and nonlinearities.
Effect of potassium sources on the antioxidant activity of eggplant

Potassium participates in the essential processes in plant physiology, however, the effects of K sources on plant metabolism have been little studied. Also, in certain cases, K sources and concentrations may cause undesirable effects, e.g., soil salinization. The objective was to evaluate the effect of K sources and levels on the enzyme activity of the antioxidant system and protein content in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) leaves and to determine the most suitable K sources for these physiological characteristics. The experiment was conducted in randomized blocks, in a 2 × 4 factorial design, consisting of two K sources (KCl and K2SO4) and rates (250, 500, 750, and 1000 kg ha-1 K2O), with four replications. The following variables were evaluated: plant height, number of leaves per plant, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and leaf protein content. There was an increase in CAT activity with increasing K levels until 30 days after transplanting (DAT), when K2SO4 was applied and until 60 DAT, when KCl was used; after this period, the enzyme activity decreased under both sources. The activity of SOD increased in the presence of KCl, but was reduced with the application of K2SO4. For both K sources, increasing rates reduced the protein content and number of leaves per plant, and this reduction was greater under KCl application. Thus it was concluded that KCl tends more strongly to salinize the soil than K2SO4. Both for KCl and for K2SO4, the increasing rates adversely affected the activities of CAT and SOD and the levels of leaf protein in eggplant. The potential of KCl to reduce the enzyme activity of SOD and CAT, leaf protein content and plant growth of eggplant was stronger than that of K2SO4.
Product Market Reforms and Employment in OECD Countries

We estimate the employment effects of product market reforms aimed at increasing competitive pressures and easing government controls in a sample of OECD countries over the past two decades. We control for several labour market policies and institutions that are thought to influence equilibrium employment rates, and check whether there are interactions between these policies and product market reforms. We find cross-country evidence that some labour and product market policies may be complementary and adjust for this in regressions. Consistent with the implications of the imperfect competition/bargaining model of Blanchard and Giavazzi (2003), our estimates suggest that restrictive regulations have curbed employment rates significantly in countries where no product market reforms were implemented. These effects appear to have been magnified by the interaction of such regulations with labour market settings that provide a strong bargaining power to insiders, suggesting that rent sharing tends to depress employment. The implication is that significant employment gains can be obtained by deregulating product markets in overly regulated countries. Moreover, these employment gains are likely to be higher in countries that have rigid labour markets. Effets sur l'emploi des reformes des marches des biens et services dans les pays de l'OCDE Nous estimons l'impact sur l'emploi de reformes des marches des biens et services augmentant la pression concurrentielle et allegeant le poids des reglementations, sur la base d’un echantillon de pays de l’OCDE et au cours des vingt dernieres annees. Les variables de controle incluent differents instruments de politique de l’emploi susceptibles de modifier le niveau des taux de chomage d’equilibre ou d’interagir avec les reformes du marche des biens. En effet, certaines politiques de l’emploi paraissent complementaires de reformes sur le marche des biens. Les resultats obtenus sont coherents avec le modele de negociation et competition imparfaite de Blanchard et Giavazzi (2003). Ils suggerent que des reglementations restrictives se seraient traduites par des effets defavorables importants sur l’emploi dans les pays ou aucune reforme significative sur le marche des biens n’a ete mise en oeuvre. Ces effets defavorables auraient ete renforces par des institutions conferant un fort pouvoir de negociation aux insiders, accreditant l’idee selon laquelle la constitution de rente de situation sur le marche du travail pese sur l’emploi. En termes de politique economique, cet article suggere que des gains significatifs quant au niveau de l’emploi peuvent etre attendus d’une dereglementation des marches des biens dans les pays exagerement restrictifs dans ce domaine. Ces gains seraient d’autant plus eleves que les rigidites sur le marche du travail sont importantes.
Direct Measurements of Mean Reynolds Stress and Ripple Roughness in the Presence of Energetic Forcing by Surface Waves: REYNOLDS STRESS OVER WAVE-FORMED RIPPLES

Direct covariance observations of the mean flow Reynolds stress and sonar images of the seafloor collected on a wave-exposed inner continental shelf demonstrate that the drag exerted by the seabed on the overlying flow is consistent with boundary layer models for wave-current interaction, provided that the orientation and anisotropy of the bed roughness are appropriately quantified. Large spatial and temporal variations in drag result from nonequilibrium ripple dynamics, ripple anisotropy, and the orientation of the ripples relative to the current. At a location in coarse sand characterized by large two-dimensional orbital ripples, the observed drag shows a strong dependence on the relative orientation of the mean current to the ripple crests. At a contrasting location in fine sand, where more isotropic sub-orbital ripples are observed, the sensitivity of the current to the orientation of the ripples is reduced. Further, at the coarse site under conditions when the currents are parallel to the ripple crests and the wave orbital diameter is smaller than the wavelength of the relic orbital ripples, the flow becomes hydraulically smooth. This transition is not observed at the fine site, where the observed wave orbital diameter is always greater than the wavelength of the observed sub-orbital ripples. Paradoxically, the dominant along-shelf flows often experience lower drag at the coarse site than at the fine site, despite the larger ripples, highlighting the complex dynamics controlling drag in wave-exposed environments with heterogeneous roughness.
Corporate Finance and Comparative Advantage

Innovative firms typically have a high growth potential, need external funds to finance investment, and rely on the key effort and know-how of inside entrepreneurs. Given the limited amount of tangible assets and the non-contractible nature of entrepreneurial effort, these firms are often financially constrained. Access to external funds becomes an important factor in the expansion of innovative industries. This paper models a two sector economy of innovative and standard industries and shows how the pattern of comparative advantage is shaped by factor endowments and variables relating to corporate finance. In particular, a larger equity ratio of young entrepreneurial firms and tough corporate governance standards relax the financing constraints and create a comparative advantage in innovative industries
An Examination of Health-Spending Growth in the United States: Past Trends and Future Prospects

Follette and Sheiner focus on the determinants of the historical and prospective growth in health care spending in the United States. Income and aging had a large role in the past, and the rise in health insurance coverage had a dramatic effect on spending for health care of the elderly. The authors examine the implications for consumption of non-health goods and services of ever increasing expenditure on health care and argue that per capita expenditure persistently outpacing per capita income would not lead to the crowd-outing of non-health consumption. They study the distribution of health spending by income quintile and age group over the next seventy five years, projecting current spending and financing patterns and assuming a given excess growth of spending over income, and find unprecedented levels of private health spending by the lowest quintiles. Finally, Follette and Sheiner assess the implications for the federal budget of two alternatives that may capture the endogenous response by government in the past and they examine two scenarios where government support is reduced, which is inconsistent with past experience but consistent with proposals to scale back entitlement growth in the face of budget pressures.
Palaeolatitude and age of the Indo–Asia collision: palaeomagnetic constraints

SUMMARY Ongoing controversies on the timing and kinematics of the Indo–Asia collision can be solved by palaeomagnetically determined palaeolatitudes of terranes bounding the Indo–Asia suture zone. We show here, based on new palaeomagnetic data from the Linzizong volcanic rocks (54–47 Ma) near the city of Lhasa, that the latitude of the southern margin of Asia was 22.8 ± 4.2°N when these rocks were deposited. This result, combined with revised palaeomagnetic results from the northernmost sedimentary units of Greater India and with apparent polar wander paths of India and Eurasia, palaeomagnetically constrain the collision to have occurred at 46 ± 8 Ma (95 per cent confidence interval). These palaeomagnetic results are consistent with tomographic anomalies at 15–25°N that are interpreted to locate the Tethyan oceanic slab that detached following collision, and with independent 56–46 Ma collision age estimates inferred from the timing of slowing down of India, high pressure metamorphism, the end of marine sedimentation and the first occurrence of suture zone and arc detritus on the Greater Indian margin. When compared with apparent polar wander paths of India and Eurasia, the ∼46 Ma onset of collision at 22.8 ± 4.2°N implies 2900 ± 600 km subsequent latitudinal convergence between India and Asia divided into 1100 ± 500 km within Asia and 1800 ± 700 km within India.
Exploring the effect of yoga and diet counseling on dietary intake of college-going females

Yoga and diet counseling have long been considered to have beneficial effects on health. The objective of the present study was to examine the short term impact of a brief lifestyle intervention based on the cumulative beneficial effects of yoga and diet counseling on dietary and nutritional parameters, which are important components of health, in 60 young college-going females enrolled at one of the constituent colleges of the University of Delhi. The dietary variables were measured at baseline and at end of the 3month intervention using a pre-post intervention design. The intake of cereals and millets, pulses, roots and tubers, green leafy vegetables, visible fats and oils, and sugar was significantly lower among the post-intervention group as compared to the pre-intervention group. The intake of vitamin C was above the recommended dietary allowances in the pre-intervention group but got significantly reduced in the post-intervention group. The intake of dietary folate significantly increased in the post-intervention group as compared to the pre-intervention group. Overall, consumption of both food and nutrient intake was not sufficient among the subjects in comparison with the recommendations after the 3-month intervention period. The observations suggest that a short term lifestyle modification based on yoga and diet counseling has a few important beneficial effects on dietary and nutritional parameters in college-going females, however, a longer duration intervention may yield a better overall improved dietary intake.
NANO-MECHANICAL EVALUATION OF THE HETEROJUNCTION LAYERS IN SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS

Being good candidate materials for solar cell absorbers due to their high absorption and resistance to deterioration, the hetrojunction layers compounds in solar photovoltaic cells CuInSe 2 , CuInS 2 , AgGaSe 2 , and AgGaS 2 are evaluated from the continuum mechanics point of view. Using Orthonormal Decomposition Method (ODM), namely, Orthonormal Tensor Basis Method (OTBM), the tetragonal structure is decomposed into two parts; isotropic (two terms) and anisotropic parts. The overall elastic stiffness is used for comparison among these layers com- pounds, and for correlation with the calculated bulk modulus and lattice constant. A scale quan- titative comparison of the contribution of the anisotropy to the elastic stiffness and to quantify the degree of anisotropy in an anisotropic material is investigated using the Norm Ratio Criteria (NRC). Moreover, the norm and norm ratios are found to be very useful for selecting suitable materials for electro-optic devices, acousto-optic devices and solar photovoltaic cells.
Topographic Coupling of the Atlantic Overturning and Gyre Circulations

AbstractThe vorticity dynamics associated with the mean and time-varying gyre and overturning circulations of the Atlantic Ocean are examined in a realistic ocean model hindcast simulation of the late twentieth century. Abyssal flow interaction with sloping bottom bathymetry gives rise to the bottom pressure torque (BPT) term of the vertically integrated vorticity equation. The dominance of this term in the closure of the barotropic gyre circulation noted in previous studies is corroborated here for both non-eddy-resolving and eddy-resolving versions of the Parallel Ocean Program (POP) model. This study shows that BPT is also a dominant term in the vorticity balance of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) and therefore represents a key dynamical link between the overturning and gyre streamfunctions. The interannual variability of the Atlantic circulation over the last several decades, viewed in terms of time-varying integral vorticity balances, demonstrates the fundamental role played by.