Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Population and economic development in Sarawak, Malaysia

This paper chooses a Malaysian state in Borneo Island, Sarawak, as the case study to examine the relationship between population growth and economic development. The findings imply that there is no statistically significant long-run relationship, but a causal relationship between population growth and economic development in Sarawak. In other words, the empirical findings indicate that population can have neither positive nor negative impact on economic development. The findings also indicated that income expansion did cause the population expansion in Sarawak, Malaysia.
An Optimal Control Problem of Forward-Backward Stochastic Volterra Integral Equations with State Constraints

This paper is devoted to the stochastic optimal control problems for systems governed by forward-backward stochastic Volterra integral equations (FBSVIEs, for short) with state constraints. Using Ekeland's variational principle, we obtain one kind of variational inequalities. Then, by dual method, we derive a stochastic maximum principle which gives the necessary conditions for the optimal controls.
Understanding Female Sport Attrition in a Stereotypical Male Sport Within the Framework of Eccles's Expectancy–Value Model

An empirical research study based upon the expectancy–value model of Eccles and colleagues (1983) investigated the effect of gender-role orientations on psychological dimensions of female athletes' sport participation and the likelihood of their continued participation in a stereotypical masculine activity. The model (Eccles et al., 1983) posits that gender-role orientation is linked to the intention to persist or discontinue sport participation, which is acted upon indirectly through mediation by two motivational variables: an individual's perceived competence and the perceived value of the activity. Three models were compared to test this mediation hypothesis with 333 female adolescent handball players in a prospective study. Results from structural equation modeling showed that a fully mediated model fit the data. The masculinity orientation positively predicted value for and perceived competence in handball, whereas the femininity orientation negatively predicted perceived competence. In addition, the two motivational variables negatively predicted intention to drop out. Finally, such intentions are the more proximal predictors of actual dropout.
Moderating Effects of Job Stress in Emotional Exhaustion and Feeling of Energy Relationships with Positive and Negative Behaviors: Job Stress Multiple Functions Approach

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships between emotional exhaustion and feeling of energy with positive and negative behavioral outcomes at workplaces with consider moderating effects of job stress among employees of an industrial organization in Esfahan, Iran. Using a simple random sampling method, a sample of 275 employees completed the job stress, emotional exhaustion, feeling of energy, deviant behaviors, organizational citizenship behavior and creativity questionnaires. The results revealed that: 1) Job stress moderates the relationship between emotional exhaustion and deviant behaviors. That is, in low job stress, emotional exhaustion negatively and significantly related to deviant behaviors, while in high job stress, emotional exhaustion positively and significantly related to deviant behaviors. 2) Job stress also moderates the relationship between emotional exhaustion and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs). That is, in low job stress, emotional exhaustion positively and significantly related to organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs).
Is innovativeness an additional determinant for dividend payout

This paper investigates the determinants of dividend payout for U.S. and German firms, with special attention to innovativeness. Therefore a regression analysis is made including R&D-revenue ratio, firm size, profitability, growth opportunities and debt-to-equity ratio. Furthermore, a comparison of the regression coefficients for innovativeness was made to investigate, if there is a difference between both countries. After running the regression analysis based on the gathered data, the results show a partially significant negative impact of innovativeness on dividend payout for U.S. firms in the years 2008 and 2010, whereby no significant relationship for the total time span was found, using pooled data. The difference between the regression coefficients for both countries for the total time span is not significant, whereby for the years 2008 and 2010 a significant difference was found. In general all variables only show significant results for one part of the sample and therefore only partially confirm previous studies.
A Novel Dual-Band Frequency Selective Surface Absorber

In this paper, a dual-band Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) absorber is presented for Wireless Local Area Network (W LAN) security. The FSS absorber is designed for two frequencies of interest, i.e., 2.45 GHz (lo wer band) and 5.25 GHz (upper band), respectively. FSS design consists of two layers; first layer consists of conducting square-loop elements while second layer consists of resistive square-loop elements, placed in-front of a conducting FSS layer. The proposed FSS design provides good frequency stability for oblique incidences for perpendicular (TE) and parallel (TM ) polarizations. It provides better absorption rate for 2.45 GHz and 5.25 GHz frequency bands and allow the t ransmission of other microwave frequencies. Also, the proposed FSS design reduces multipath fading of additional WLAN signals which occurred due to the placement of conducting FSS layer. Presented results demonstrate that the proposed FSS design has a stable frequency response for the desired frequency bands for TE and TM polarizations with good absorption rate when the incident wave angle varied fro m 0 0 to 45 0 .
An examination of land use impacts of sea level rise induced flooding

Coastal regions become unprecedentedly vulnerable to coastal hazards that are associated with sea level rise. The purpose of this paper is therefore to simulate prospective urban exposure to changing sea levels. This article first applied the cellular automaton-based SLEUTH model (Project Gigalopolis, 2016) to calibrate historical urban dynamics in Bay County, 10 Florida (US)–a region that is greatly threatened by rising sea levels. This paper estimated five urban-growth parameters by multiple-calibration procedures that used different Monte Carlo iterations to account for modelling uncertainties. It then employed the calibrated model to predict three scenarios of urban growth up to 2080–historical trend, urban sprawl, and compact development. We also assessed land-use impacts of four policies: no regulations; flood mitigation plans based on the whole study region and on those areas that are prone to experience growth; and the protection of conservational lands. This 15 study lastly overlaid projected urban areas in 2030 and 2080 with 500-year flooding maps that were developed under zero, 0.2-m, and 0.9-m sea level rise. The calibration results that a substantial amount of built-up regions extend from established coastal settlements. The predictions suggest that total flooded area of new urbanised regions in 2080 would be more than 25 times that under the flood mitigation policy, if the urbanisation progresses with few policy interventions. The joint model generates new knowledge in the domain between land use modelling and sea level rise. It contributes to coastal spatial planning 20 by helping develop hazard mitigation schemes and can be employed in other international communities that face combined pressure of urban growth and climate change.
The Impact of Financial Advisors on the Stock Portfolios of Retail Investors

This study investigates the impact of financial advisors on portfolio returns, risk, trading, and diversification using a large data set of individual Dutch equity investors, with random assignment to specific advisors. We confirm recent experimental results on the benefits of advisory interventions that control for moral hazard behavior and endogeneity as a result of self-selection. Advice improves risk-adjusted equity returns and reduces risk. In addition, advisors reduce trading activity, as proxied by the frequency of trades. This study is unique in terms of the data set, the focus on individual stocks, and the use of the Hausman-Taylor panel estimation technique.
Genetic evidence supports recolonisation by Mya arenaria of western Europe from North America

Mya arenaria (L.), the softshell clam, is currently widespread on the east and west 29 coasts of North America. This bivalve also occurs on western European shores where the post 30 Pleistocene origin of the species, whether introduced or relict, has been debated. In this study 31 320 M. arenaria from eight locations in Europe and North America were collected. Eighty- 32 four clams from seven of the locations were examined for mitochondrial DNA variation by 33 sequencing a section of the cytochrome oxidase I ( COX I) gene. These were analysed together 34 with 212 sequences, sourced from Genbank, from the same gene from 12 additional 35 locations, chiefly from eastern North America but one site each from western North America 36 and one from western Europe. Ten microsatellite loci were also investigated in all 320 clams. 37 Nuclear markers showed reduced levels of variation in certain European samples. The same 38 common COX I haplotypes and microsatellite alleles were present throughout the range of M. 39 arenaria , though significant differences were identified in haplotypic and allelic composition 40 between many samples, particularly those from the two continents, Europe and North 41 America. These findings support the hypothesis of post Pleistocene colonisation of European 42 shores from eastern North America (and the recorded human transfer of clams from the east 43 to the west coast of North America in the 19 th Century).
Some Exact Solutions of Plane Steady Hydromagnetic Flow with Variable Viscosity

The aim of the present paper is to find some exact solutions of steady two dimensional finitely conducting incompressible fluid flow under the presence of transverse magnetic field using transformation of variables. We have considered, vorticity distribution proportional to the stream function perturbed by a quadratic stream. The results are shown by various graphs.
Organisational responses to workplace harassment

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to explore what kind of measures personnel managers have taken to intervene in workplace harassment and to explore how organisational characteristics and the characteristics of the personnel manager affect the choice of response strategies.Design/methodology/approach – The study was exploratory and used a survey design. A web‐based questionnaire was sent to the personnel managers of all Finnish municipalities and data on organisational responses and organisational characteristics were collected.Findings – The study showed that the organisations surveyed relied heavily on reconciliatory measures for responding to workplace harassment and that punitive measures were seldom used. Findings indicated that personnel manager gender, size of municipality, use of “sophisticated” human resource management practices and having provided information and training to increase awareness about harassment all influence the organisational responses chosen.Research limitations/implications .
Increased larval survival of Seriola lalandi using Pseudoalteromonas sp. as probiotics

espanolLa demanda mundial de alimentos aumenta el interes en el desarrollo de la acuicultura. En Chile se estan haciendo esfuerzos significativos para desarrollar el cultivo de Seriola lalandi, debido a la alta demanda de su carne a nivel nacional e internacional. Sin embargo, esta especie plantea dificultades persistentes con respecto a la sobrevivencia de las larvas. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar los efectos de la bacteria Pseudoalteromonas sp. como un suplemento probiotico en el cultivo de larvas de S. lalandi. Para esto, larvas de S. lalandi se alimentaron con rotiferos (Brachionus rotundiformis y Brachionus plicatilis) y Artemia sp. que se cultivaron previamente usando microalgas mezclado con Pseudoalteromonas sp. Rotiferos y artemias fueron buenos vectores de probioticos debido a que las larvas de S. lalandi alimentadas con suplemento probiotico presentaron mayor sobrevivencia y longitud que el control al final del experimento. Estos hallazgos ponen en evidencia que los probioticos de Pseudoalteromonas sp. son buenos candidatos para el uso en cultivos de larvas de S. lalandi. Sin embargo, se necesita mas investigacion en una escala de cultivo mayor para validar su uso a nivel comercial. EnglishGlobal demand for food increases the interest in develop of aquaculture. Significant efforts are being made in Chile to develop Seriola lalandi culture, because of the high demand of this fish meat at national and international level. However, this species poses persisting difficulties regarding larval survival. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of Pseudoalteromonas sp. bacteria as a probiotic supplement on the larval culturing of S. lalandi. For this, S. lalandi larvae were fed rotifers (Brachionus rotundiformis and Brachionus plicatilis) and Artemia sp. that were previously cultured using microalgae mixed with Pseudoalteromonas sp. Rotifers and Artemia were good probiotics vectors because S. lalandi larvae fed probiotic supplement showed higher survival that the control. These findings evidence that Pseudoalteromonas sp. are good probiotic candidates for use in S. lalandi larval cultures. However, is needed more research on major scale cultivation to validate their use commercially.
On the significance of magnetic anomalies from the Baja California Peninsula: its relationship with IOCG deposits and the deep crustal magnetic layer

A regional-residual separation process has been applied to aeromagnetic data observed over southern California and the Baja California Peninsula. The 3D analytic signal amplitude computed from the residual magnetic anomalies is intense and delineates a strip ~60 km wide and ~1200 km long characterized by short-wavelength and high amplitude anomalies, that extends from southern California southward nearly to the tip of the Baja California Peninsula. Known iron-oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) ore deposits are for the most part located in the northern portion of the strip, and its eastern boundary closely follows the magnetite-ilmenite boundary. The amplitude and continuity of regional magnetic anomalies, which suggests an almost continuous belt of magnetized rocks, supports a hypothesis suggesting that the western margin of the Baja California Peninsula evolved as an island arc that was accreted to the western margin of North America in Cretaceous time. Inverse modeling of the long-wavelength regional magnetic anomalies indicates that two nearly continuous belts of magnetized rocks, of mafic to intermediate composition, extend from southern California to the La Paz fault. The boundary between these two belts is located near the Bahia de Sebastian Vizcaino, in a region where magnetization abruptly decreases.
Evaluating medicines dispensing patterns at private community pharmacies in Tamilnadu, India.

Objectives: To evaluate patterns of dispensing of medicines from private community pharmacies in Tamilnadu and to identify and analyze problems in medicine supply or dispensing toward its rational use. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in two towns of Tamilnadu, India between July 10 and October 25, 2009. Medicines dispensed from 24 randomly selected pharmacies, each from a different area of two towns were investigated. Two 2 hour study visits were made. Data were collected by observations and interviews with pharmacists or drug retailers. Results: A total of 1160 medicines were dispensed; 44.2% on a doctors prescription and the remaining over the counter (26.9% on request by clients themselves and 28.9% on recommendations from pharmacists). Anti-infective agents were the most commonly dispensed (20.6% of all items), followed by medicines acting on the gastrointestinal system (18.2%), vitamins and nutritional supplements (10.9%), analgesics and antipyretics (10.5%). More than three-quarters of the anti-infective agents (n=188; 78.7%) were provided over the counter. The study indicates that 61.2% of prescription-only medicines were dispensed over the counter. Conclusions: Extensive supply of medicines (both prescription-only and over the counter) from private pharmacies, including those used for serious illnesses, has been observed. The study shows trends toward inappropriate dispensing. Educational and managerial interventions to improve dispensers’ knowledge, professional behavior and attitudes are required to improve the situation.
Studies on effect of stabilizers, chelators and inherent periodicity on nanoparticle antioxidant activity

approved: ______________________________________________________ Stacey L. Harper The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is tightly regulated in biological systems as overproduction can lead to oxidative stress and result in a number of diseases. Due to its negative effects, antioxidants are studied and used against ROS in medicine, pharmaceuticals and therapeutics. Because of issues with the uptake and delivery of natural antioxidants, nanoparticle (NP) antioxidants are promising due to their higher bioavailability, solubility and stability. Given the importance of oxidative stress and the potential for certain NPs to modify redox balance, it is important to build a rapid, reproducible, robust assay for analysis of NP chemical behaviors. Many studies have addressed the impact of surface chemistry on single NP antioxidant capacity (AOC), yet few have compared different NP AOCs in relation to their intrinsic properties. In this study, we investigated the AOC of silver, gold and eight lanthanide metal oxide NPs (AgNP, AuNP and LnOxNPs) using Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay. We found that all of the NPs tested exhibited AOC, and AuNP AOC was more pronounced than AgNP when ions were not accounted for in the reaction. When ions released from the surface were removed by the addition of chelators into the dispersion, the AOC of AgNP was higher than AuNP. For the LnOxNPs, the AOC exhibited periodicity based on their elemental properties. LnOxNPs AOC was negatively correlated to the amount of unpaired electrons in 4f orbital and lanthanum crystal ionic radius. This study supports that we can predict AOC of various NPs based on their intrinsic atomic properties. Moreover, it provides a potential mechanism to simulate and explain the effect of surface chemistry on AOC of NPs, which will be valuable for nanomedicine and the nanoscience industry. ©Copyright by Zheng Zhou April 21, 2015 All Rights Reserved Studies on Effect of Stabilizers, Chelators and Inherent Periodicity on Nanoparticle Antioxidant Activity
Impact of Managerial Commitment on Risk Taking with Dynamic Fund Flows

We present a model with dynamic investment flows, where fund managers have the ability to generate excess returns and study how forcing them to commit part or all of their personal wealth to the fund they manage affects fund risk taking. We contrast the behavior of a manager that may invest her personal wealth in a private account to a manager that is either forced to commit her wealth to the fund she manages, or a manager who is not allowed to hold risky assets held by the fund privately. We show that a fund managed by a manager with higher ability does not necessarily achieve higher expected returns but achieves lower idiosyncratic volatility. For a manager with constant ability, restrictions placed on her personal account do not influence her choices in the fund, while for a manager whose ability varies stochastically they result in higher expected returns and idiosyncratic volatilities. Fund strategies can be non-monotone both in the manager's commitment level and the ratio of manager to investor wealth. Our results are robust to incomplete information and to competing managers with correlated ability.
Taking communication to task? A critical review of recent trends in language teaching

Work in the area of task-based language instruction has called into question certain central tenets of communicative language teaching. This article reviews recent research into task-based pedagogy and reflects on its implications for the foreign language classroom. Following a review of perceived weaknesses in the so-called communicative approach, the article examines the task-based critique of the traditional presentation-practice-production lesson paradigm and describes an alternative framework based around classroom tasks. A task-based approach is shown to accord better with what we know about second language acquisition than conventional ‘synthetic’ language syllabuses. However, attention is also drawn to a number of concerns with the approach as currently propounded, in particular its neglect of language learning as a cognitive process of skill acquisition. The article concludes by suggesting that tasks in the communicative classroom should be linked to a more consistent focus on form and to more guided practice than is currently envisaged by ‘strong’ versions of task-based teaching.
Regional and historical factors supplement current climate in shaping global forest canopy height

Canopy height is a key factor that affects carbon storage, vegetation productivity and biodiversity in forests, as well as an indicator of key processes such as biomass allocation. However, global variation in forest canopy height and its determinants are poorly known. We used global data on Light Detection and Ranging‐derived maximum forest canopy height (Hmax) to test hypotheses relating Hmax to current climate (water availability, ambient energy and water–energy dynamics), regional evolutionary and biogeographic history, historical climate change, and human disturbance. We derived Hmax for 32 304 forested 55‐km grid cells using 1‐km global canopy height data (maximum height of 1‐km cells within a 55‐km grid). Variation in Hmax was related to latitude and biomes, along with environmental and historical variables. Both spatial and non‐spatial linear models were used to assess the relative importance of the different hypothesized factors. Hmax was inversely related to latitude (i.e. tall canopies at the equator), but with high geographical variability. Actual evapotranspiration and annual precipitation were the factors most correlated to Hmax globally, thus supporting the water–energy dynamics hypothesis. However, water limitation emerged as a key factor in tropical and temperate biomes within specific geographic regions, while energy limitation was a more important factor in boreal regions where temperature is more limiting to trees than water. Hmax exhibited strong variation among biogeographic regions, supporting the role of regional evolutionary and biogeographic history in structuring broad‐scale patterns in canopy height. Furthermore, there were divergent relationships between climate and Hmax between the Southern and Northern Hemispheres, consistent with historical evolutionary contingencies modulating these relationships. Historical climate change was also related to Hmax, albeit not as strongly, with shorter canopy heights where late‐Quaternary climate has been less stable. In contrast, human disturbance was only weakly related to Hmax at the scale (55 km) examined here. Synthesis. This study confirms that forest canopy height is strongly controlled by current climate, but also provides evidence for an important supplementary role for regional–historical factors. This highlights the importance of considering evolutionary and biogeographic history for achieving a comprehensive understanding of forest ecosystem properties.