Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Same Side Stance Classiﬁcation Using Contextualized Sentence Embeddings

The same side stance classiﬁcation shared task surveyed approaches to decide whether two arguments have the same stance towards a particular topic. We show that embeddings derived from the transformer model BERT (De-vlin et al., 2019) outperform traditional bag-of-words and count-based word embeddings, yielding one of the two best-performing models on this task at the time of writing. In this paper, we detail our approach and further explore which of its hyperparameters inﬂuence the accuracy of our model with respect to the two task variants studied. We conclude that our model is good enough for the shared task but may need a more exhaustive inspection when exposed to a broader variety of data.
Assessment of Postharvest Losses Due to Catching Undersized Fishery Commodities and Size-Dependent Pricing in the Philippines

The continuing decline in catch rates instigates various fishing adjustments to keep up with the demands of a growing population. Fishery resources are being caught before they can attain their optimum harvestable size. Undersized catch elicits lower economic value; thus, considered as losses in postharvest fisheries. The present study focused on generating actual data on the volume of undersized catches in selected landing sites in the Philippines. It aims to quantify the magnitude of postharvest and financial losses incurred from catching fishery commodities below their marketable sizes. The estimated loss at 0.97% and 4.02% for capture and aquaculture commodities, respectively, was equivalent to PHP 15,235,290 financial loss. Estimation of losses by commodity showed that squid recorded the highest at 20.14%, followed by tilapia (9.61%), blue swimming crab (4.48%), shrimp (2.75%), small pelagics (1.98%), mussel (1.46%), oceanic tuna (0.91%), by-catch (0.79%), milkfish (0.09%), and oyster (0.02%). Excessive catching of undersized BSC and squid in Western Visayas may lead to overexploitation of resources and may adversely affect subsequent recruitment in the long run. The study's results indicate that catching undersized species could lead to substantial postharvest losses and subsequent loss of potential revenue to the industry players. Allowing the stocks to attain their maximum biomass level will minimize postharvest losses; thus, maximizing utilization of resources and benefits derived from the sector. Unrestrained catching of undersized fishery commodities undermines resource sustainability, economic potential, and food security. The strengthening of regulatory frameworks is, therefore, necessary to address both economic and ecological impacts.
The effects of a ground shield on spiral inductors fabricated in a silicon bipolar technology

The frequency dependence of the model parameters of patterned ground shield (PGS) inductors in large part is explained as a consequence of modeling a distributed system with a lumped model. Using an n/sup +/-buried/n-well PGS, the peak Q is improved by /spl sim/25% with small changes of L and C/sub p/. Having a PGS does not significantly improve isolation between inductors.
Selection of a reverse logistics project for end-of-life computers: ANP and goal programing approach

Considering the key issues involved in environmental-friendly disposal of end-of-life (EOL) computer, its supply chain should be designed to incorporate the key dimensions of reverse logistics. An important managerial decision-making activity undertaken by reverse logistics managers is selection of feasible projects that could be completed according to the resources available. The reverse logistics project selection is a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. While the experience and expertise of reverse logistics managers could work out for small sized projects, it might not be fruitful for multiple-criteria large sized reverse logistics in arriving at a proper decision related to selection of projects. The reverse logistics projects involve interdependencies among the criteria and the candidate reverse logistics projects. In this paper, a combination of analytical network process (ANP) and zero one goal programing (ZOGP) is used as solution methodologies to deal with the above problem. The ANP is used to determine the degree of interdependence among the criteria and candidate reverse logistics projects, while ZOGP permits the consideration of resource limitations and other constraints in arriving at the solution. The hybrid approach using ANP and ZOGP provides a realistic representation of the problem related to the selection of feasible reverse logistics for EOL computers.
A new perspective on the anomalies in the monthly closings of the Dow Jones Industrial Average

This study explores three types of month effects in the Dow Jones Industrial Average: (a) for a given period, if the mean of monthly percentage changes of each month was different from zero, (b) for a given period, if the mean of monthly percentage changes for a month was different from the means of all the other months, and (c) for a given period, if the variance of the monthly percentage changes for a month was different from the variances of all the other months. For our entire data set (May 1896 to December 2002) we find that the means of monthly percentage changes of only July, August, January and December were significantly greater than zero (months put in descending order). But the means of none of these three months were significantly higher compared to the means of all the other months. With a mean percentage change of -1.25%, only September appears with significant negative returns. And this mean is significantly lower compared to the means of all the other months. In other words, for the entire data set, we have a negative September effect. Month effect with respect to variance (variance of monthly percentage changes for a month being significantly different from all the other months) was found for January, February and December (lower variances), and April (higher variance). When we look at the first half of the twentieth century versus the second half, we see more pronounced month effects in the second half – considering all three types of effects we analyze. December exhibited all three types of effects in this period. When we sub-divide the last century into four 25-year periods, we find more pronounced month effects in the last quarter than in the previous three quarters.
Biomass Production by Desert Halophytes: Alleviating the Pressure on the Scarce Resources of Arable Soil and Fresh Water

The utilization of plants for mitigating carbon dioxide accumulation in the atmosphere in Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects and biofuel production causes a severe burden on the limited sources of arable land and fresh water. This research is aimed at finding alternative plant types for biomass and biofuel production among desert halophytes. Such plants have the advantages of being naturally adapted to grow under the harsh desert conditions, on non-arable soils irrigated with reclaimed sewage or other types of brackish water. Exceptionally fast growing salt-resistant genotypes were identified among native populations of Tamarix of Israel. These may serve for future CDM projects and short-rotation forestry for biomass production. Another plant that originated from East Africa, Euphorbia tirucalli was also shown to be able to grow under desert conditions and saline water irrigation. This plant has been named in the literature as a potential source of biofuel. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Analysis of Small Deformation of Helical Flagellum of Swimming Vibrio alginolyticus

The deformation of a flagellum of Vibrio alginolyticus, single-flagellate bacteria, is analyzed theoretically assuming the shape of the flagellum to be a circular helix. The viscous force exerted on the flagellum in aqueous fluid is estimated applying the resistive-force theory based on the Stokes flow. The moment of force in the flagellum are described in analytical expressions and also the curvature and the torsion of the deformed flagellum are expressed analytically according to the Kirchhoff rod model. The deformation of the flagellum is obtained numerically solving evolution equations which determine a space curve from the curvature and the torsion. Comparing variations of the pitch of helical flagella between the numerical solutions and the results of measurement, the flexural rigidity or the elastic bending coefficient for the flagellum of Vibrio alginolyticus is estimated.
Correlation between Static and Dynamic Response of Model Masonry Structures

The paper presents correlations between response of the same structural system subjected to either dynamic shaking or static lateral forces. Two one-quarter scale test structures were constructed with identical designs and were tested in the laboratory using two different methods. The first structure was subjected to simulated earthquake motions on a shaking table while the second structure was forced to displace through the same history at static rates using computer controlled servohydraulic actuators. Characteristics of dynamic lateral force distributions are examined first and followed by a description of techniques used for the static loading experiment. Correlations are made between observed response of the statically and dynamically tested twin structures to suggest differences in strength, stiffness and energy dissipation that may arise with each test method.
Confidence in Judicial Institutions in Europe

Numerous studies draw attention to the decline of p ublic trust in the political system. In general, however, the literature emphasizes the erosion of c itizens’ consensus towards political authorities, lending less weight to attitudes towards political institutions; the underlying principles of the democratic system also seem to be subject to higher lev ls of support. The ESS study has addressed the perception of democracy among citizens of Europ ean countries and their assessments of their political systems. This paper intends to examine th e properties of the political and judicial systems and their relationship with the level of trust in j udicial institutions. Drawing information from different sources, the paper examines respondent ch ara teristics and distinctive features of political and judicial systems, including judges’ independenc e, the efficiency of the legal framework in settling disputes, the degree of prevalence of the rule of law, the political systems’ polarization, a nd public trust in parliamentary institutions.
Exploration for Heavy Crude Oil and Natural Bitumen

Gross volumes of oil, which must be kept in mind to address the volume/size framework, may be thought of in order from largest to probably smallest volumes as follows: (1) generated; (2) dissipated; (3) degraded/ partially preserved; and (4) trapped and conventionally producible. Basic knowledge of these volumes may be from greatest to least in essentially reverse order. The 332 largest known accumulations (less than 1% of the total number) account for more than three-quarters of the known 7.6 trillion bbl of oil and heavy oil or tar in more than 40,000 accumulations in the world. About 2.4 trillion bbl of estimated undiscovered conventional oil added to the known volume of 7.6 trillion bbl yields a total of 10 trillion bbl known or reasonably estimated. World-wide cumulative production of about 500 billion bbl of oil accounts for only 5% of the gross. Oil in place must be estimated for conventional oil fields before comparison with heavy oil and tar accumulations. The size range of accumulations considered in the size distribution of the 332 largest known accumulations is from 0.8 to 1850 billion bbl of oil. The smallest conventional fields in the distribution are about 1 billion bbl because the size cut-off is 0.5 billion bbl of oil recoverable. The size distribution of the 332 largest known accumulations approaches log normal and is overwhelmed by the largest three supergiant tar deposits that hold nearly half of the total 5495 billion bbl. Globally, the largest three accumulations, all heavy oil or tar, are in South and North America; the two largest conventional oil fields are in the Middle East. Prudhoe Bay and East Texas fields rank 18 and 34, respectively, in descending size order .
An empirical investigation of antecedents to information exchange in supply chains

In this investigation, following the principal-agent theory, possibilities to reduce existing information asymmetries are derived and their effects on the information exchange are examined. Results of an empirical investigation based on a structural equation model confirm that monitoring measures and frequent meetings positively influence the exchange of information while explicit contracts have rather negative effects. Premiums and specific investments, however, seem to play insignificant roles. Measures, such as building a reputation mechanism, will probably prove to be effective only in the long run.
Managing uncertainty – an empirical analysis of supply chain risk management in small and medium-sized enterprises

Uncertainty and the need for lean processes forces manufacturing companies to intensively deal with supply chain risk issues. The purpose of this article is the empirical investigation of supply chain risk management in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Using data from 67 manufacturing plants from the German automotive industry, differences between large-scale enterprises and SMEs are identified. After addressing the general question whether SMEs consider their supply chain as vulnerable, the key drivers of supply chain risks are analysed. Furthermore, instruments of supply chain risk management are investigated in terms of their suitability for creating a resilient supply chain by comparing SMEs with large-scale companies. Finally, this article examines existing differences with respect to how companies deal with risk. The analyses show that SMEs predominantly focus on reactive instruments that absorb risks through the creation of redundancies instead of preventing risks.
Wage inequality and firm productivity: analysis with employer-employee data

In recent years there has been an increase in income inequality in Costa Rica. This technical note shows the study of the relationship between-firm wage inequality and firm productivity for the country under the framework of the OECD LinkEED project. The analysis was carried out using an empirical procedure provided by the OECD with a dataset from the Costa Rican Central Bank that matches employer-employee data in the period 2006 to 2017. The results indicate that wage inequality slightly increased in Costa Rica between 2006 and 2017. The results also show that of this increase 36% was due to between-firm dispersion. This increase seems to be completely explained by an increase of differences in the workforce composition between firms, while the dispersion between firms due to factors related to firm wage premia was decreased. The estimates of the pass-through of firm productivity to wages was around 0.05%.
EXTENT OF SUPPRESSION OF RICE EAR HEAD BUG, Leptocoryza acuta. Th POPULATION BY DIFFERENT NEEM FORMULATION IN FIELD OF PADDY CULTIVAR Swarna mashuri (MTU 7029) DURING KHARIF SEASON

Extent of suppression of rice ear head bug (gundhi bug), Leptocoryza acuta Th. population by six selected neem formulations were carried out in the field of paddy cultivar Swarna mashuri (MTU 7029) during four consecutive kharif crop seasons of 2005-2008 at Raiganj, Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal, India. Apart from this there is a plot with no pesticide application considered as control. Experiment was laid out in randomized block design and had three replications for each year. All the treatments were effective significantly to suppress L. acuta incidence and accordingly the extent of grain damage. Chaffy grain formation due to L. acuta infestation was also minimized in all cases. Numerically least damage with minimum L. acuta incidence was noted from the field treated with monocrotophos 36 WSC (1.46 adult + 2.01 nymphs /5 hills and 2.41chaffy grains). This was followed by commercial formulation of nimbecidine (5%), neem oil (2%), neem seed kernel extract (5%), neem leaf extract (5%), neem root extract (5%) and neem bark extract (5%) in descending order. The pesticide untreated plot has registered 4.73 adult +8.62 nymphs’ population /5 hills and 33.81% chaffy grains. In consideration of yield increase over control, maximum efficacy was registered when monocrotophos 36 WSC was applied @ 1125ml/ha. This was followed by commercial formulation of nimbecidine, neem oil, neem seed kernel extract, neem leaf extract, neem root extract, neem bark extract in descending order.
Optimization procedure for the design of ultrafast, highly efficient and selective resonant cavity enhanced Schottky photodiodes

An expression of quantum efficiency for high-speed resonant-cavity-enhanced (RCE) Schottky photodiodes is derived. This expression includes the structural and the physical parameters of the photodetector and takes into account the parameters of the metallic Schottky mirror and the wavelength dependence of the reflectivities. The metal layer thickness sets the maximum achievable quantum efficiency as it decays exponentially with it. The antireflection coating layer, on the other hand, determines the photodetector selectivity and the optimum absorption layer thickness that maximizes its quantum efficiency. An algorithm for the design and optimization of RCE Schottky photodetectors has been developed. Theoretical values of 647 GHz and 129 GHz were obtained, respectively, for the carrier-transit time limited 3-dB bandwidth and bandwidth-efficiency product for an RCE Schottky photodetector with a 0.02 /spl mu/m gold layer.
Reduction of biofilm in chronic wounds by antibacterial protease combined with silver dressing

To evaluate the efficacy of antibacterial protease combined with silver dressing on biofilm reduction and healing in chronic wounds. A pilot, single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted. Fifty-six participants with chronic wounds were recruited and randomized (1:1) to the experiment group (antibacterial protease solution + silver dressing, AP) or a control group (0.9% normal saline + silver dressing, NS). The interventions were carried out once two days and the wounds were monitored for 28 days. The wound tissue samples were collected. The bacteria and extracellular polymeric substance in the biofilm of the wound tissues were pathologically checked by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). The wound volume reduction rate, Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) score, pH and temperature were measured. After treatment for 28 days, in the AP group, bacteria and extracellular polymeric substance in the biofilm of the wound tissues decreased more significantly than those in the NS group when observed by CLSM (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the AP group displayed more significant reduction in the wound volume reduction rate, Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing Score (PUSH) and pH compared to the NS group (P = 0.030, 0.023, 0.015, respectively). There were no statistical differences in wound temperature between the groups (P = 0.422). The application of antibacterial protease combined with silver dressing showed higher efficacy of the biofilm reduction in chronic wounds.
THE ROLE OF STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: AN EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM MANUFACTURING SECTOR IN THAILAND

Strategic human resource management (SHRM) has emerged as a critical issue concurrently with businesses' growing emphasis on strategy. Due to the increasing instability in its setting, the business's response has been to establish a comprehensive internal structure that includes human resource management systems. The key to providing an efficient response is to have an HRM system adapted to strategic needs. This study attempted to investigate the relationship between strategic HR influences and improve organizational engagement and performance. A questionnaire survey was employed in this study, and approximately 406 firms participated. Employees from Thailand's manufacturing sector were sampled for the study. Findings from our study revealed that administrations could help increase employees' integration with the business by providing training, participation of the staff in planning and decision-making, and career growth opportunities that they drive observe to be advantageously aimed at them.
Using zooplankton community to assess water quality and trophic condition of Lake Saheb Bandh, Purulia, West Bengal,India

The present contribution explores the usefulness of zooplankton as a tool for assessing the water quality and trophic status of a fresh water lake Saheb Bandh, situated between 23o29'42"N latitude and 86o21'37"E longitude of Purulia district, West Bengal, India. The lake water was sampled monthly and investigated for water limnology and zooplankton community structure using statistical measurement of diversity indices to characterize the zooplankton fauna for a period of one year (March 2014 to February 2015). Regarding zooplankton species composition, a total of 32 species belonging to 22 genera were recorded, out of which Rotifera was represented by 15 species, Cladocera by 10 species, Copepoda by 6 species and Ostracoda by 1 species. Rotifera was the predominant group (44.38%), followed by Cladocera (35.34%), Copepoda (19.37%) and Ostracoda (0.9%) in the following order of dominance: Rotifera > Copepoda > Cladocera > Ostracoda. There were strong correlations between the lake’s limnological parameters and its zooplankton communities. From limnological analysis, it is evident that variables like lake surface temperature and dissolved oxygen are the most important factors influencing the seasonal pattern of zooplankton population. Alkaline pH and nutrients were the main environmental factors which affected zooplankton abundance in the lake. Monthly and seasonal variation of zooplankton species in respect of dominance, diversity, evenness and richness were calculated. Presence of certain species was considered to be a biological indicator for water quality status and trophic condition of the lake. Q Brachionus/Trichocerca (QB/T) index was used for the determination of trophic level of the lake and the lake is eutrophic. Overall, results showed that limnological parameters and zooplankton assemblages’ have considerable effects on the water quality and trophic condition that can potentially affect the functioning of this ecosystem.
The Value of CSR in Times of Increased Policy Uncertainty: Evidence from the Brexit Referendum

Scrutinising the 2016 Brexit Referendum, this paper examines the impact of economic policy uncertainty on the relationship between corporate financial performance and CSR using a sample of 320 non-financial firms listed at the London Stock Exchange. The sample covers the period of 2014 to 2018 with 2016 marking increased, and 2017 and 2018 representing years of moderated policy uncertainty. Using cross-sectional regression analysis of shock-period buy-and-hold returns, this paper finds (I) a statistically and economically significant inverse relationship between reservoirs of social capital previously accrued through CSR initiatives and returns. The effect is driven by the Governance component of CSR, whereas the impact of combined Environmental and Social pursues was not found to be meaningful. Using difference-in-difference methodology with continuous treatment, this investigation concludes (II) high-CSR and low-CSR firms do not differ in terms of sensitivity to adverse Brexit shock implications on operating performance, profitability, financial health, and firm value. Further, (III) effects of CSR on aforementioned aspects of real performance were not found to vary alongside levels of policy uncertainty.