Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Buyer-Supplier relationship and Service Performance: an Operations Perspective Analysis

This article analyzes the influence of the buyer-supplier relationship continuity on service performance. We used a survey with a sample of 53 companies that are users of international maritime transport belonging to two industries: Machinery and Food. The results related to Service Performance are similar to those found in past studies in industrial supply chains. The traditional performance criteria like delivery, dependability and cost clearly are influenced by the aspects related to the management of the relationship. This includes information exchange, trust and interaction between the parts.
CONCEPT EM DESIGN OF THE 650 MHZ CAVITIES FOR THE PROJECT-X*

Concept of the 650 MHz cavities for the Project X is presented. Choice of the basic parameters, i.e., number of cells, geometrical {beta}, apertures, coupling coefficients, etc., is discussed. The cavity optimization criteria are formulated. Results of the RF design are presented for the cavities of both the low-energy and high-energy sections.
Geomorphology of the Rotolon landslide (Veneto Region, Italy)

In this paper a geomorphological map of the Rotolon landslide is presented. This cartographic product was obtained using a combination of accurate field surveys together with airborne Lidar analysis, aerial photo interpretation and thermographic field surveys within a GIS. The map was prepared in order to analyze the morphological features of the landslide and therefore improve interpretation of the GB-InSAR data. This monitoring device was installed on the site after the detachment of a debris mass of 225,000 m3 on 4 November 2010. The main purpose of the post-event activities, including the geomorphological characterization, was to detect the processes acting on the landslide, evaluate the hazard related to each phenomenon, understand the landslide kinematics and define the residual risk for the area. The geomorphological map suggests that debris production and detachment are hazardous phenomena that involve the surficial detrital cover of a bigger and more complex landslide. The latter has the typical characteristics of a deep-seated gravitational slope deformation. The distinction between secondary processes, which appear to be the most hazardous in the short-term, and deep seated ones, demonstrates that accurate mapping provides important information for local administrations and decision makers, allowing them to prepare landslide susceptibility and hazard models.
Multiscale Systematic Risk: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan

Purpose: This study utilizes the wavelet approach namely Maximal Overlap Discrete Wavelet Transform (MODWT) to examine the multiscale risk-return relationship for Pakistan stock market. Methodology: The method enables scale-by-scale analysis of CAPM validity and heterogeneous market expectations. Findings: Our sample consists of 117 firms listed at Karachi stock exchange for the period January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2013. The empirical findings show that the riskreturn relationship is linear at higher (16-128 days) scales and average daily market risk premium is 23.8%. Recommendations: The study, consistent with literature, concludes that systematic risk is a multiscale phenomenon.
Extreme value models in a conditional duration intensity framework

The analysis of return series from financial markets is often based on the Peaks-over-threshold (POT) model. This model assumes independent and identically distributed observations and therefore a Poisson process is used to characterize the occurrence of extreme events. However, stylized facts such as clustered extremes and serial dependence typically violate the assumption of independence. In this paper we concentrate on an alternative approach to overcome these difficulties. We consider the stochastic intensity of the point process of exceedances over a threshold in the framework of irregularly spaced data. The main idea is to model the time between exceedances through an Autoregressive Conditional Duration (ACD) model, while the marks are still being modelled by generalized Pareto distributions. The main advantage of this approach is its capability to capture the short-term behaviour of extremes without involving an arbitrary stochastic volatility model or a prefiltration of the data, which certainly impacts the estimation. We make use of the proposed model to obtain an improved estimate for the Value at Risk. The model is then applied and illustrated to transactions data from Bayer AG, a blue chip stock from the German stock market index DAX.
Running head: EFFECTS OF GOAL PRIMING ON CORTISOL REPONSE 1 The Effects of Motivational Goal Priming on Cortisol and Psychological Responses in Males

54 Research in Achievement Goal Perspective Theory (AGPT) suggests that creating a caring/task55 involving climate can have many beneficial effects on participants in physical activity settings, 56 even buffering the physiological response to stress. However, less is known about how 57 individuals might buffer that response when an ego-involving climate is out of their control. This 58 study examined the potential for a motivational priming session to buffer the 59 psychophysiological stress response to an ego-involving climate in a physical activity setting. 60 Male college students (N = 38) between the ages of 18 and 30 years (! "# = 20.68, ! " = 2.66) 61 participated in a juggling session characterized by an ego-involving climate. Prior to juggling, 62 the experimental group received a motivational priming session that briefly reviewed the body of 63 AGPT literature, while the control group received information on the history of Sport 64 Psychology. Cortisol was measured at five time points throughout the study via saliva samples. 65 Participants also completed preand post-measures of self-reported anxiety and self-confidence 66 (CSAI-2). After controlling for background characteristics that may affect cortisol levels, results 67 showed a marked increase (as measured by percent change from baseline) in the control group, 68 but not the experimental group. However, psychological responses were stable across groups. 69
The Pricing Of Audit Services - Theory And Evidence

The question of the existence of competition among auditors has been the subject of considerable discussion in recent years. More specifically, the "Big Eight" firms as a group have been accused of monopolizing the market for audits {Staff Study of the Subcommittee on Reports, Accounting and Management of the Senate Committee on Government Operations [1977]). However, evidence on the issue is scanty and typically anecdotal (e.g., Bernstein [1978]). The evidence of the Staff Study itself is limited to concentration statistics, with the allegations relying on what has come to be called the "concentration doctrine" (Demsetz [1973]). According to this doctrine, supplier concentration is a reliable indicator of supplier behavior and performance. In this paper, I provide evidence from a test of the hypothesis that price competition prevails throughout the market for the audits of publicly held companies, irrespective of the share of a market segment which is serviced by the Big Eight firms. The evidence is based on an examination of a sample cross-section of audit fees.
Determining the information content of futures market variables in India a time series approach

In this paper the causal nexus between futures return, trading volume, open interest and volatility for S&P CNX Nifty futures markets were analyzed for the period from January 1, 2002 to September 30, 2009. In view of the priority given to dynamic relationship in conducting this study, the Johansen-Juselius Multivariate cointegration, Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), Impulse Response Function (IRF) and Variance Decomposition (VDC), are used as empirical evidence. Our result reveals, that the causal linkage of return are influenced by all the other variables, whereas the ECTs coefficients are negative and significant in the long-run but their values are too high to be in equilibrium. We conclude that, any deviation from the equilibrium Cointegrating relationships, as measured by the ECTs, is mainly caused by changes in returns and volatility. In the case of IRF appears to be broadly consistent with earlier VECM results trading volume, open interest and volatility remain consistent over the period, whereas the fluctuation in futures return was mainly determined by the other future market variables. Finally, there exist a bi-directional causal relationship between futures market variables in the short-run and unidirectional causality running from trading volume and open interest with return and volatility bears the brunt of short-run adjustment to long-run equilibrium.
Has the "Ambition Success Networks" Educational Program Achieved its Ambition?

This paper evaluates the French RAR program (Reseaux Ambition Reussite or Ambition Success Networks), a junior high school program started in 2006 which intended to concentrate means and funds on well-chosen disadvantaged junior high schools. We use the criteria of eligibility to estimate a regression discontinuity model. For evaluated junior high schools, the increase in per-pupil teaching hours, and the decrease in class size are disappointing. Our results also suggest that the program may have had a negative effect on teacher and pupil enrollment. Both the proportion of older teachers and the proportion of poorly qualified teachers have increased and the pupils' achievement has decreased in Grade 9, the final year of junior high school. The RAR program has increased the disparity of teachers' characteristics and of pupils' ability between schools.
Dual task performance: a comparison between healthy elderly individuals and those with Parkinson’s disease

Introduction The dual tasks (DT) is learned during the whole life and a prerequisite in functional performance in different activities of daily living. Healthy elderly have reduced ability to perform motor activities and cognitive tasks simultaneously, compared to young adults. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly and classic motor symptoms coexist with prejudice in cognitive domains. Objective To compare balance, gait and performance in dual tasks of individuals with Parkinson’s disease and healthy elderly. Material and method Transversal study consisted of 21 individuals with PD, classified between 1.5 to 3 in Hoehn and Yahr scale and 21 healthy individuals. To evaluate the performance on simple tasks and dual tasks the participants were submitted to five simple tasks (motor) and each was associated with a cognitive task, featuring a DT. To balance and gait evaluation was used the following instruments: Berg Balance Scale, Tinetti Scale and Dynamic Gait Index. Results In respect to gait and performance in dual tasks, there was a statistically significant difference with the worst performance for the group of individuals with PD. Conclusion It was found that the group of elderly people with PD has lower performance in the execution of concurrent tasks when compared with healthy elderly, so the DT can be introduced in rehabilitation programs to improve the performance of these patients.
A factor analysis of volatility across the term structure: the Spanish case

We show how the term structure of volatilities for zero-cupon interest rates from the Spanish secondary debt market can be explained by a reduced number of factors. This factor representation can be used to produce time series volatilities across the whole term structure. As an alternative, volatilities can also be derived from a factor model for interest rates themselves. We find evidence contrary to the hypothesis that these two procedures lead to statistically equivalent time series, so that choosing the right model to estimate volatility is far from trivial. The volatility factor model fits univariate EGARCH volatility time series much better than the interest rate factor model does. However, observed differences seem to be of little consequence for VaR estimation on zero coupon bonds.
Changes in the Colorado Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa Decemlineata Say) Susceptibility Level to Pyrethroids and the Pest Resistance Mechanisms to Deltamethrin

Monitoring of Colorado potato beetle (CPB) resistance to different insecticides has been conducted in Poland for years. This work presents the current status of the CPB susceptibility level to deltamethrin and beta-cyfluthrin, noting the important in- crease of pyrethroid toxicity towards the CPB, when compared with earlier data. The work also presents research on CPB resistance mechanisms to pyrethroids. The resistance research was conducted using different enzymes blockers: piperonyl butoxide, S,S,S- tributylphosphorotrithioate and diethyl malonate.
Global Asymptotic Stabilization Control for a Class of Nonlinear Systems with Dynamic Uncertainties

This paper is concerned with the global asymptotic stabilization control problem for a class of nonlinear systems with input-to-state stable (ISS) dynamic uncertainties and uncertain time-varying control coefficients. Unlike the existing works, the ISS dynamic uncertainty is characterized by the uncertain supply rates. By using the backstepping control approach, a systematic controller design procedure is developed. The designed control law can guarantee that the system states are asymptotically regulated to the origin from any initial conditions and the other signals are bounded in closed-loop systems. Moreover, it is shown that, under some additional conditions, a linear control law can be designed by the proposed methodology. The simulation example demonstrates its effectiveness.
Epigenetic influence on cardiovascular protective mechanisms in vivo: explorations of t-PA release and extracellular vesicle genetic content

Background Ischemic heart disease is one of the leading causes of death globally. This thesis explores endogenous mechanisms protecting against myocardial ischemia in context of epigenetics (changes in gene activity not caused by changes in DNA sequences). Epigenetic regulation of vascular thromboprotective mechanism was assessed, as well as the capacity of extracellular vesicle (EV) involvement in mediating epi genetic changes related to cardioprotection in ischemic preconditioning (IPC). Aims The aim of Papers I and II was to evaluate if histone deacetylase inhibition, by valproic acid (VPA) treatment, increases stimulated tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) release capacity and affects plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels in vivo, in healthy large animals and in an atherosclerotic cohort. The aim of Papers III and IV was to assess if coronary venous EV genetic content is affected by myocardial IPC in vivo.
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF 40 CM ION OPTICS FOR THE NEXT ION ENGINE

The results of performance tests with two 40 cm ion optics sets are presented and compared to those of 30 cm ion optics with similar aperture geometries. The 40 cm ion optics utilized both NSTAR and TAG (Thick-Accelerator-Grid) aperture geometries. All 40 cm ion optics tests were conducted on a NEXT (NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster) laboratory model ion engine. Ion optics performance tests were conducted over a beam current range of 1.20 to 3.52 A and an engine input power range of 1.1 to 6.9 kW. Measured ion optics' performance parameters included near-field radial beam current density profiles, impingement-limited total voltages, electron backstreaming limits, screen grid ion transparencies, beam divergence angles, and start-up transients. Impingement-limited total voltages for 40 cm ion optics with the NSTAR aperture geometry were 60 to 90 V lower than those with the TAG aperture geometry. This difference was speculated to be due to an incomplete burn-in of the TAG ion optics. Electron backstreaming limits for the 40 cm ion optics with the TAG aperture geometry were 8 to 19 V higher than those with the NSTAR aperture geometry due to the thicker accelerator grid of the TAG geometry. Because the NEXT ion engine provided beam flatness parameters that were 40 to 63 percent higher than those of the NSTAR ion engine, the 40 cm ion optics outperformed the 30 cm ion optics.
Changing of the Guard: Structural Change and Corporate Science in the Semiconductor Industry

This article documents a structural change in the production of science in the U.S. semiconductor industry over almost three decades. We observe a change in scientific productivity over time, where smaller firms publish more articles per dollar in R&D. Moreover, our results show a positive relationship between the value of intangibles and scientific publications, driven by basic research results. These effects are especially strong among Fabless 'design' firms and among firms in the post-PC era of semiconductor manufacturing, in line with a premium for smaller firms which invest in science in times of structural technological change.
Disentangling Discrimination on Spanish Boards of Directors

Manuscript Type: Empirical Research Question/Issue: This study seeks to find evidence of discrimination behind the scarce presence of women on Spanish boards of directors through factors within firms linked with different theories of discrimination. Research Findings/Insights: Using data on the boards of directors from the top 1,000 Spanish companies in 2005 and 2008, we identify some signals of discrimination. We find that women directors are scarcer in those sectors where there are fewer female managers or where the directors mainly draw on the firm’s executive staff. There is also evidence of the dynamics of Becker’s theory of discrimination, since time and competition seem to play in favor of a female presence on Spanish boards. We also find a contagion effect, implying a positive relationship between the number of women already on the board and the likelihood of adding a woman. This could signal some kind of underestimation of women’s skills and preconceptions about their attitudes (such as risk-aversion) and hence their capacity to hold these positions. Theoretical/Academic Implications: This study provides empirical support for the prediction of Becker’s theory of discrimination. The study also furnishes evidence in favor of the existence of false preconceptions concerning the skills and risk attitudes of female managers. Practitioner/Policy Implications: In order to reduce discrimination before reaching the board we propose to implement education and mentoring initiatives to improve the training of the female candidates, and to improve the work- and family-life balance. Once they are included in the pool of candidates the implementation of good corporate governance practices related to transparency and objectivity in selection procedures and/or even the establishment of a women’s quota on boards may contribute to dismiss employers’ negative beliefs about the capabilities of female candidates.
The Lapedo Child Reborn: Contributions of CT Scanning and Rapid Prototyping for an Upper Paleolithic Infant Burial and Face Reconstruction. The Case of Lagar Velho Interpretation Centre, Leiria, Portugal

The Lagar Velho rock shelter became known worldwide since the discovery, in late 1998, of a nicely preserved Upper Paleolithic burial, containing an almost complete child skeleton, whose later anatomical study provided strong evidence for an admixture between the latest Neanderthal communities of Iberia and the first anatomically modern humans during the few millennia that the two populations co-existed. Given the importance of the find and the fragility of the skeleton, it was decided, for exhibition purposes, to make a replica of the burial context. This endeavor implied the combination of CT scanning of the complete skeleton, virtual reconstruction of the severely shattered skull, and rapid prototyping of the totality of the bone inventory through different methods (stereolithography and 3D printing). The burial depression was reproduced through traditional modeling techniques. In addition, Rapid prototyping was also essential for the facial reconstruction of the “Lapedo Kid”, which will be available to visitors of the Lagar Velho Interpretation Centre, in Leiria, Portugal. This paper presents the main stages of production of two of the most appealing objects of this local museum facility, evaluating the combined use of scanning techniques, virtual and physical prototyping for the improvement of public access to archeological heritage.
THE IMPACT OF SEPARATED VOTING AND CASH FLOW RIGHTS ON FRENCH IPO VALUATION: A PRINCIPAL AGENT PERSPECTIVE

This paper examines how the use of mechanisms separating voting rights from cash flow rights – such as dual share classes, pyramid structures and voting pacts agreements– influence the valuation of firms at IPO. We claim that these mechanisms, adopted by founder-CEOs to insulate them against the market for corporate control and to maintain private benefit extraction, have negative effects on IPO valuation. However, we also claim the negative impact of these disconnecting mechanisms on IPO valuation to be moderated by (1) firm size and age and (2) founder-CEO’s status and equity retained at the IPO. We examine our claims using a unique hand-collected dataset of all 258 IPO’s involving founder-CEOs completed in the French capital markets from 1995 to 2010. We find support for our first claim. We found only mixed support for our second claim with retained equity moderating the effect.
The effect of psychological counselling program on developing the positive and sport confidence and its relationship with the performance level of karate students.

YOUSEF AMAL1, ELTANAHI NAGLA1 Abstract Purpose: this study aims to design a psychological counseling program and know its effect on developing the positive and confidence sport and their relationship with the level of the performance of karate subject for the female students in the faculty of physical education, Zagazig University, Egypt. Methods: The experimental approach has been applies, the sample of this study was (40) students in the second year who study karate subject, scales were applied the positive scale consists of (42) question, the high degree refers to increase of the positive level to the student and vice verse, Carolina test of the sport confidence, it consists of three dimensions: perceived sports competence, perceived control, Dispositional optimism. The psychological counseling program has been applied in (12) weeks as (2) meetings per week in the first (8) weeks in the program there was one meeting per a week in the (4) last weeks, the period of meeting (45-60) minutes, it consists of these techniques, the techniques of following relaxation, the mental relaxation, meditation, awareness, role playing, feeling reflection according to the counseling which was set upon self confidence, home works, lecture, discussion and modeling. Results: the psychological counseling program has a positive effect on
Dynamics of Mushy Layers on a Finite Domain

Mushy layers are regions of intermixed liquid and solid which can arise during the solidification of binary alloys, generally consisting of dendritic solids with solute-rich liquid in the interstices. They occur due to an instability resulting from the buildup of rejected solute along the solidification front. Liquid ahead of the front becomes supercooled, so disturbances to the interface grow more rapidly than the interface itself. A simple experiment has a tank filled with a uniform solution at uniform temperature being placed upon a cold surface. Early on, a small solid layer forms at the bottom capped by a rapidly advancing mushy layer. Typical modeling efforts have made at least one of two assumptions, that the tank is of infinite depth or that the diffusion of solute is negligible. This dissertation investigates the finite-domain problem in the presence of solute diffusion, highlighting new interfacial dynamics and other behaviors that arise in this case.