Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Examination of Effective Factors on Financial Leverage of the Companies Subjected to Article 44 Listed in Tehran Stock Exchange

The main purpose of the current paper is to examine the effective factors financial leverage of the companies subjected to article 44 listed in Tehran stock exchange. The spatial domain of the study is the listed companies in Tehran stock exchange and it is ranged from 2008 to 2011 (time domain). There have been considered 46 companies as the selected samples. Also, there has been provided 4 hypotheses to examine the relation between these variables. Hence, fixed to total assets ratio, financial growth rate of a company, return on assets and sale rate, and financial leverage is regarded as independent and dependent variables, respectively. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method is used to test hypothesis using EVIEWS 7 software. Regarding the results of the research, fixed to total assets ratio, financial growth rate of a company, return on assets and sale rate has significant impact on financial leverage of the companies subjected to article 44 listed in Tehran stock exchange.
Understanding perception and adaptation to climate change among cocoa farmers in tropical condition

The impact of climate change on agriculture, economy and livelihood of the populations of developing countries and mainly in Sub-Saharan West Africa (SSWA) is no longer a prediction but reality. The impacts of climate change have been found to be heavy on rural farmers whose source of livelihood is mainly from the natural resources in their environment. The farmers’ perception and adaptation to the climate change will therefore determine the extents to which they can overcome the challenges posed by climate change. In this research, the coping strategies as well as factors influencing the cocoa farmers’ adaptation to climate change in Ondo State, Nigeria was investigated. Data were collected through multi-stage sampling technique. A well structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from 100 cocoa farming households and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) Regression Techniques. The descriptive analysis revealed that, all the farmers were aware of climate change and they coped with the observed climate changes. The farmers used various adaptation methods which were diversifying into other crops (14.7%); monitoring of weather change by indigenous knowledge (32.6%); regular cocoa spraying (50.5%) and monitoring of weather change through media (24.2%). Household size (+0.05), farmer awareness of climate change (+0.34) and access to radio information (+0.81) were the key determinants of adaptation of farmers. Educating the farmers through the media to improve awareness of potential benefits of adaptation is an important policy measure. In addition, enhancing farmers’ access to extension agents is crucial in improving farmers’ awareness of climate change.
Behaviour during Malolactic Fermentation of Three Strains of Oenococcus oeni Used as Direct Inoculation and Acclimatisation Cultures

The behaviour in malolactic fermentation (MLF) of an autochthonous strain of Oenococcus oeni, C22L9, isolated from a winery in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), and of two other commercial strains of O. oeni, PN4 and Alpha (Lallemand Inc.), inoculated by direct inoculation (MBR®) and after a short acclimatisation phase (1-STEP®), was studied. Strain C22L9 carried out MLF slightly faster than the two other commercial strains, leading to a lower increase in volatile acidity and in 2,3-butanedione and 3-hydroxy-2-butanone concentrations, a higher lactic acid content, lower degradation of citric acid and increased degradation of ethanol. No great differences were observed in the duration of MLF, although the acclimatisation cultures were slightly faster, or in the composition of the wines when using the O. oeni strains in the form of MBR® or 1-STEP® cultures. The tasters did not detect significant differences in the wines obtained from the same strain of O. oeni in the two inoculation formats.
HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERMITTENT STREAMS WITHIN SOUTH DAKOTA'S NORTHERN GLACIATED PLAINS ECOREGION

Headwater streams are linked tightly with terrestrial systems and contribute directly to downstream channel habitat and water quality. They comprise the majority of stream miles in South Dakota but have received little attention. The objective of this effort was to assess differences in physical habitat between intermittent streams of the Prairie Coteau (PC) (n = 6) and those of the Prairie Coteau Escarpment (PCE) (n = 4). Habitat sampling occurred during the summer of 2007 following protocols of EPA (Peck et al. 2006) and Fritz et al. (2006). Results demonstrated no significant differences for bankfull width (p = 0.25), bankfull height (p = 0.55) and incised height (p = 0.39). Large and small tree canopy cover (> 5 m high) and woody understory cover (0.5 to 5.0 m high) were greater at PCE sites than PC sites. Alien plants were more prevalent at PC sites than PCE sites, and riparian human disturbances were more prevalent at PCE sites than PC sites. Results of this effort demonstrate differences among key riparian components from minimally disturbed streams of two level IV ecoregions. Continuing efforts will allow habitat comparisons and between-year comparisons among a larger number of level IV ecoregions.
ON THE FORMATION OF GALACTIC THICK DISKS

Recent spectroscopic observations in the Milky Way suggest that the chemically defined thick disk (stars that have high [α/Fe] ratios and are thus old) has a significantly smaller scale-length than the thin disk. This is in apparent contradiction with observations of external edge-on galaxies, where the thin and thick components have comparable scale-lengths. Moreover, while observed disks do not flare (scale-height does not increase with radius), numerical simulations suggest that disk flaring is unavoidable, resulting from both environmental effects and secular evolution. Here we address these problems by studying two different suites of simulated galactic disks formed in the cosmological context. We show that the scale-heights of coeval populations always increase with radius. However, the total population can be decomposed morphologically into thin and thick disks, which do not flare. We relate this to the disk inside-out formation, where younger populations have increasingly larger scale-lengths and flare at progressively larger radii. In this new picture, thick disks are composed of the imbedded flares of mono-age stellar populations. Assuming that disks form inside out, we predict that morphologically defined thick disks must show a decrease in age (or [α/Fe] ratios) with radius and that coeval populations should always flare. This also explains the observed inversion in the metallicity and [α/Fe] gradients for stars away from the disk midplane in the Milky Way. The results of this work are directly linked to, and can be seen as evidence of, inside-out disk growth.
Modelling the effect of absorption from the interstellar medium on transient black hole X-ray binaries

All observations of Galactic X-ray binaries are affected by absorption from gas and dust in the interstellar medium (ISM) which imprints narrow (line) and broad (photoelectric edges) features on the continuum emission spectrum of the binary. Any spectral model used to fit data from a Galactic X-ray binary must therefore take account of these features; when the absorption is strong (as for most Galactic sources) it becomes important to accurately model the ISM absorption in order to obtain unbiased estimates of the parameters of the (emission) spectrum of the binary system. In this paper, we present analysis of some of the best spectroscopic data from the XMM–Newton RGS instrument using the most up-to-date photoabsorption model of the gaseous ISM ISMabs. We calculate column densities for H, O, Ne and Fe for seven transient black hole X-ray binary systems. We find that the hydrogen column densities in particular can vary greatly from those presented elsewhere in the literature. We assess the impact of using inaccurate column densities and older X-ray absorption models on spectral analysis using simulated data. We find that poor treatment of absorption can lead to large biases in inferred disc properties and that an independent analysis of absorption parameters can be used to alleviate such issues.
Voices : An Inclusive Choir in Dortmund, Germany

The article describes the concept and work with an inclusive choir, in which students of the Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences at TU Dortmund University sing together with adult mentally challenged people. The choir ‘Voices’ was founded in 2010, as a part of the project Dortmunder Modell: Musik (DOMO: Musik) . The choir and project are committed to realising the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, particularly in developing models of cultural participation, relevant both for people with and without disabilities. After describing the DOMO: Musik project and its principles, newly developed ideas for inclusive choir work are presented, together with imminent difficulties and positive results. Special attention is drawn to the selection of the pieces under the aspect of artistic variety. Five pieces of the artistic interdisciplinary repertoire are presented. Finally, the student choir members reflect on their experiences in the inclusive choir and make clear the importance of joint activities leading to an inclusive society.
Determinants of capital structure: A study of Nigerian quoted companies

This paper examines the determinants of corporate capital structure of thirty-five firms listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange between 2006 and 2012. Panel data methodology was employed and pooled Ordinary Least Squares was (OLS) used to estimate the coefficients of six firm-specific determinants. Results reveal that the three leverage ratios (Total Leverage Ratio, Long-Term Leverage Ratio and Short-Term Leverage Ratio) are negatively and significantly related with profitability. Firm size and asset tangibility are however, positively and significantly related with leverage proxies. The outcome of the study shows that Nigerian firms rely heavily on the use of retained earnings (internal source) and where funds raised are insufficient, they then seek for external source. This is in line with financial theory and provides evidence in support of Pecking Order Theory. Key Words : Capital structure, Leverage, Pecking order, Static trade off, Nigeria
What Motivates Consumers to Purchase Organic Food in Malaysia

The aim of this study is to investigate the consumer motivational factors that influence their attitude to purchase of organic food in Malaysia. Consumer motivational factors involved past experience, health consciousness and personal values were examined in this study. Data from 421 organic food consumers were obtained through a survey conducted in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya or better known as Klang Valley, Malaysia. The structural equation modelling was used for data analysis and four hypotheses were tested. The findings showed that all four hypotheses were accepted. Health consciousness had the greatest positive influence on consumer attitude of organic food, followed by past experience and personal values. Purchase of organic food products was significantly affected by consumer attitude of the products. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First and from a theoretical perspective, it offers both development and validation of Theory of Planned Behaviour and Hierarchy of Effect model. Second and from a pragmatic perspective, the findings proposed useful information to organic food providers in developing and implementation of effective strategies to enhance consumption of organic food.
Novel compact "via-less" ultra-wide band filter utilizing capacitive microstrip patch

This paper presents a novel compact “via-less” UWB filter derived from a quarter-wavelength short-circuited stubs model. In this compact “via-less” UWB filter, there is no connecting vias as short circuit elements. Unlike its previous model that has 5 short-circuited stubs, this novel shape consists of two pairs of stubs which are joint together to share on the same microstrip patch and thus reduces total size of the UWB filter itself making it more compact in nature. With proper width optimization, the microstrip patch is able to decouple and provides low impedance to the ground in the UWB frequencies range. The filter delivers 3.85GHz to 10.44 GHz frequency range with 92.23% of fractional bandwidth. The magnitude of insertion loss is below than 0.53 dB and the return loss is lower than −14.8dB in the passband frequencies. The −3 dB bandwidth is from 3.85 GHz to 10.44 GHz with 92.23% of fractional bandwidth. The group delay only varied by 0.47 ns in the passband, which makes it suitable for radio communication systems.
Price and Wealth Dynamics in a Speculative Market with Generic Procedurally Rational Traders

An agent-based model of a simple financial market with arbitrary number of traders having relatively general behavioral specifications is analyzed. In a pure exchange economy with two assets, riskless and risky, trading takes place in discrete time under endogenous price formation setting. Traders' demands for the risky asset are expressed as fractions of their individual wealths, so that the dynamical system in terms of wealth and return is obtained. Agents' choices, i.e. investment fractions, are described by means of the generic smooth functions of an infinite information set. The choices can be consistent with (but not limited to) the solutions of the expected utility maximization problems. A complete characterization of equilibria is given. It is shown that irrespectively of the number of agents and of their behavior, all possible equilibria belong to a one-dimensional "Equilibrium Market Line". This geometric tool helps to illustrate possibility of different phenomena, like multiple equilibria, and also can be used for comparative static analysis. The stability conditions of equilibria are derived for general model specification and allow to discuss the relative performances of different strategies and the selection principle governing market dynamics.
MOULD AND MYCOTOXIN CONTAMINATION OF PIG AND POULTRY FEED

During ten-year period (1995—2004), a totat of 756 analyses of pig and poultry feed was performed. Standard methods were used for microbiological determi- nation. Qualitative and quantitative analyze of mycotoxins was performed by TLC tech- nique. Feed for young categories contained from 100 to 3,400,000 CFU/g of feed. In 35.71% of all samples the detected amount was above acceptable levels. Feed for adult ca- tegories contained from 800 to 8,000,000 CFU/g of feed. In only 7.54% of samples this amount was over the tolerable level. Species determination revealed great heterogeneity, with the most common findings of Penicillium spp. (28.38%), Aspregillus spp. (26.37%), Mucor spp. (24.67%), Fusarium spp. (11.33%) and Rhizopus spp. (9.22%). The amount and type of mycotoxin varied depending on the feed category as well as on year of detection, implicating a strong influence of climatic factors and average humidity of the specified year. In a total of 320 analyzed feeds for pigs and poultry the characteristic finding was a combined contamination with two or three mycotoxins. In 161 samples of feed for young animals the presence of AFB1, F-2 and OTA was detected in 36, 161 and 161 samples, respectively, while in 33, 83 and 71 samples the de- tected amounts were above tolerable levels. In 159 samples of feed for adult animals the presence of AFB1, F-2 and OTA was detected in 32, 159 and 159 samples, respectively, while in 31, 65 and 99 samples the de- tected amounts were above tolerable levels.
Designing Landscapes for Child Health

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions and is a major public health problem globally (Ebbeling et al., 2002; Pate et al., 2008), which causes many serious health-related problems (van Emmerik et al., 2012; Daniels et al., 2005; Din-Dzietham et al., 2007; Lorch and Sharkey, 2007) such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis (Sallis and Owen 1999; Pate et al. 1995; Hume et al. 2005; Raitakari et al., 1997; Teixeira et al., 2001; Bailey, 1995; Berenson, 1986; Van Mechelen et al., 2000), sleep apnea syndrome (Wabitsch, 2000) and psychological problems (Dietz, 1998; Daniels, 2006). Obesity is caused by a higher energy intake than energy expenditure, resulting in excessive weight gain (Koezuka et al., 2006). Theory implies that energy balance is maintained by energy expenditure, and physical activity helps to improve energy expenditure resulting weight loss (Weinsier et al., 1998; Lambert and Goedecke, 2004; Chaput et al., 2011). Physical activity helps to improve metabolic profile, muscular and bone health (Anderson and Butcher, 2006; Ekelund et al., 2008; Hind and Burrows, 2007; Biddle et al., 1998), mental health and academic performance (Singh et al., 2012; Strong et al., 2005). For a healthy living, it is recommended that children should participate to at least 60 min/day of physical activity and include vigorous physical activity at least 3 days/week (Strong et al., 2008). Daily walking is a useful activity for healthy living (Shultz et al., 2011) and children should accumulate at least 12.000 steps per day to maintain a healthy weight (Tudor-Locke et al., 2011).
Simultaneous Measurement of CCN Activity and Chemical Composition of Fine-Mode Aerosols at Noto Peninsula, Japan, in Autumn 2012

Size resolved CCN activity and bulk chemical composition of atmospheric aerosols in the submicrometer size range were measured at Noto Ground-based Research Observatory (NOTOGRO), facing the Sea of Japan at the tip of Noto Peninsula, in autumn 2012. In the atmospheric measurement, the CCN efficiency spectra, where the CCN number fraction is plotted against the diameter of aerosols, were obtained for four different supersaturation (SS) conditions. The hygroscopicity parameter κ, which depends on the chemical composition of aerosols, was estimated from analysis of the CCN spectra. The CCN activation diameters of ambient aerosols were clearly larger than those of pure ammonium sulfate under all SS conditions. The bulk chemical composition derived by an aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM) also indicated the significant mass fraction of organics in the submicrometer size range. The relationship between the estimated κ values and the CCN activation diameters suggests that organics contribute the aerosol mass especially in the size range of less than 100 nm. The contribution of organics observed in this study was more apparent than those of other sites in East Asia. The mass concentrations and chemical compositions of the aerosols varied with trajectory pathway, which caused large fluctuations in κ values especially at higher SS conditions. The negative correlations between organic mass fraction and the diameters of cloud droplet diameters were observed under low SS conditions (0.13% and 0.25%), suggesting that less-hygroscopic organics, that can suppress the initial growth rates of cloud droplets, were included during the periods of large organic mass concentrations.
UNDERSTANDING THE FACTORS THAT ATTRACT TRAVELLERS TO BUY AIRLINE TICKETS ONLINE IN SAUDI ARABIA

Despite widespread discussions of online consumer behaviour and the effect of web quality on online user’s actions, there is still a lack of research in the area of consumer attitude towards the services provided by airline companies due to the specific nature of travellers. – being using the internet for different motivations and buying specific kind of product (e-tickets). This study aims to measure consumers’ electronic satisfaction and intention to purchase tickets from Airlines websites. The results provide better understanding on the factors that attract travellers to adopt the most cost effective distribution channel for Airlines (own website) for ticketing needs. To obtain the study objective, a conceptual framework is developed based on literature pertaining to e-consumer behaviour, web quality, and travel and tourism streams. A detective quantitative methodology was chosen to examine the constructs and the relations within the framework. An online survey targeting actual airline online users (travellers) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is suggested with items covering 9 constructs: Information Quality (IQ), System Quality (SQ), Perceived usefulness (PU), Perceived ease of use (PEOU),e-Trust (ET), Airline reputation (AR), Price Perception (PP), e-Satisfaction (ES), and Intention to Purchase (IP). Findings would help decision makers within airline companies to understand their customers’ online behaviour and enable enhancements and modifications to be made to their airline storefront, hence ensuring the satisfaction of potential customers and conversion of visitors into buyers.
Evolution of a magnetic field in a differentially rotating radiative zone

Recent spectropolarimetric surveys of main-sequence intermediate-mass stars have exhibited a dichotomy in the distribution of the observed magnetic field between the kG dipoles of Ap/Bp stars and the sub-Gauss magnetism of Vega and Sirius. We would like to test whether this dichotomy is linked to the stability versus instability of large-scale magnetic configurations in differentially rotating radiative zones. We computed the axisymmetric magnetic field obtained from the evolution of a dipolar field threading a differentially rotating shell. A full parameter study including various density profiles and initial and boundary conditions was performed with a 2D numerical code. We then focused on the ratio between the toroidal and poloidal components of the magnetic field and discuss the stability of the configurations dominated by the toroidal component using local stability criteria and insights from recent 3D numerical simulations. The numerical results and a simple model show that the ratio between the toroidal and the poloidal magnetic fields is highest after an Alfv\'en crossing time of the initial poloidal field. For high density contrasts, this ratio converges towards an asymptotic value that can thus be extrapolated to realistic stellar cases. We then consider the stability of the magnetic configurations to non-axisymmetric perturbations and find that configurations dominated by the toroidal component are likely to be unstable if the shear strength is significantly higher than the poloidal Alfv\'en frequency. An expression for the critical poloidal field below which magnetic fields are likely to be unstable is found and is compared to the lower bound of Ap/Bp magnetic fields.
The behavior and strength of bolted shingle splices, May 1971 (M.S. thesis)

Bolted shingle joints are currently designed by methods developed for riveted joints in single shear which do not make effective use of the high shear strength of the fasteners. In this study, the results of a series of analytical studies and a complimentary test program examining the strength and behavior of bolted shingle joints are presented. Criteria for the design of shingle joints based on the observed behavior are suggested. The variables examined in the analytical studies were (a) the A /A ratios, (b) the number of fasteners, (c) the number n s of fasteners per region, and (d) the number of regions. Similar to butt joints, the average shear strength of shingle joints was shown to decrease with joint length. The test program was developed from the analytical studies to show. exp~rimentally that the predicted. trends in joint behavior were valid. Nine shingle joints of A572 steel were tested. Two joints were fastened with 7/8 in. Huckbolts. The remaining joints were fastened with 7/8 in. A325 bolts. The slip characteristics and strength of the Huck-bolted joints were comparable to the behavior of the A325 bolted joints. The test results confirmed the indications of previous studies that the