Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Disintegrated Impact of Trade Openness on Income Inequality: Empirical Evidence from Bangladesh

There have been many studies on the relationship between trade and income inequality, but very few of them have distinguished the idea of trade by export and import. For this reason this study is conducted to see how the income inequality of Bangladesh get impacted with the presence of import and export separately. ARDL bound test is used to inspect whether they possess long run relation with income inequality for the period of 1975 to 2016. Thereupon export has been found to be widening the income gap in the long run. Though import improves the situation by abating the gap, it is not significant enough. Besides that other imperative macroeconomic variables are used to condense the omitted variable bias and their outcomes akin to the theory for developing country aspect. Furthermore, models like FMOLS, DOLS and CCR are used for ensuring the robustness of the result and other diagnostic tests support the validity of the result. Moreover policies related to labor welfare need to be set in a manner so that minimum wage allows a worker to lead a healthy life which will help keeping him or her productive. In addition, correspondent authority should frame the policies to diversify the export sector to give the opportunity to small entrepreneurs a chance to enter by providing the convenient environment.
Effect of Environmental Factors on Geosmin Production by Fischerella Muscicola

The production of geosmin by axenic cultures of Fischerellamuscicola (ATCC 29114) was analysed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. A methanol based extraction procedure preceding closed loop stripping was successfully applied for quantitative analysis. The major part of geosmin produced by this cyanobacterium was bound in the cells. Less than 1% of the total geosmin was released. The content of geosmin in cells varied with culture conditions. Higher concentrations (based on protein amount) were observed in lag phase cultures and under anaerobic growth conditions. The synthesis of geosmin was temperature dependent showing minimum percentage concentrations at the optimum growth temperature (30°C). Heat shock treatment at 47°C did not affect the subsequent production of geosmin.
Variability of the precipitation over the Tianshan Mountains, Central Asia. Part I: Linear and nonlinear trends of the annual and seasonal precipitation

The Tianshan Mountains, with their status as ‘water tower’, receive quantities of precipitation that are among the highest in Central Asia. There are considerable knowledge gaps regarding the understanding of spatial and temporal patterns of precipitation over this water‐scarce region. Based on the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) data set, this study evaluated the precipitation variations over Tianshan Mountains on different time scales by using Mann‐Kendall (M‐K) test approaches and the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) method. The results show that (a) most parts of Tianshan experienced increasing annual precipitation during 1950–2016 while Western Tianshan, which is the wettest region, faced a downtrend of precipitation during the same 67 years; (b) the annual precipitation in the Tianshan Mountains has exhibited high‐frequency variations with 3‐ and 6‐year quasi‐periods and low‐frequency variations with 12‐, 27‐year quasi‐periods. On the decadal scale, Tianshan had two dry periods (1950–1962 and 1973–1984) and two wet periods (1962–1972 and 1985–2016) and has experienced a tendency of continuous humidification since 2004; (c) the precipitation over the Tianshan Mountains shows a strong seasonality. In total, 63.6% of all precipitation falls in spring and summer. Distinctive differences are found in seasonal precipitation variations among the sub‐Tianshan regions. Obvious upward trends of precipitation over Eastern Tianshan were found in all seasons, with Eastern Tianshan entering a humid period as early as 1986. Northern and Central Tianshan experienced a decreasing trend in summer and spring. However, in the other seasons, those two sub‐Tianshan regions have been in humid periods since the 1990s. The precipitation over Western Tianshan showed an upward trend in summer and autumn. The obvious downward trends in spring and winter have led to dry periods in these two seasons from 1997–2014 to 2008–2016, respectively.
Cooperative Target Enclosing of Ring-Networked Underactuated Autonomous Surface Vehicles Based on Data-Driven Fuzzy Predictors and Extended State Observers

This article addresses the cooperative target enclosing problem of ring-networked underactuated autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs). The target velocity is unavailable, and the ASVs are subject to sideslip effects, unknown control gains, and uncertain kinetics. The control objective is to drive a fleet of ASVs to surround a moving target at a desired range and maintain a spaced formation. An integrated distributed guidance and model-free control method is presented based on extended state observers (ESOs) and a data-driven fuzzy predictor. Specifically, by using two ESOs to estimate the unknown relative kinematics induced by the unknown target velocity and unknown sideslip and a distributed target estimator to recover the target position, intermediate range keeping and phase keeping guidance laws are designed to achieve a circular motion and an evenly spaced formation, respectively. Next, a model-free fuzzy control law is developed based on a data-driven fuzzy predictor, which learns the unknown control gains and uncertain kinetics simultaneously. Finally, the closed-loop control system is proven to be input-to-state stable through Lyapunov analysis. The salient feature of the proposed method is that cooperative circumnavigating a maneuvering target with unknown velocity can be achieved without the global target information and knowledge of vehicle kinetics. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed distributed guidance and control method for cooperative target enclosing of ASVs.
Reducing Food Waste in the Retail Supply Chains by Improving Efficiency of Logistics Operations

One of the basic problems of sustainability in modern society is the reduction of waste, particularly when it comes to food. Food waste has negative impacts on different dimensions of sustainability: social (hunger), economic (resource costs), and environmental (resource consumption and waste generation). This paper focuses on waste reduction through improving the inventory management system in the dairy distribution chain by the application of modern information and communication technologies (ICT). The approach is tested and verified in a case study by application of simulation modelling. Two inventory management models are created, and their impact on waste in the distribution part of the supply chain is examined. Model 1 represents the current dairy inventory management system in the supply of retail stores. Model 2 is based on a higher level of information connectivity between participants (RFID product labelling and the appropriate level of information technology), enabling automatic product ordering and changes in inventory management policy. The obtained results confirm that coordinated inventory management, supported by the application of modern ICT, can significantly contribute to the improvement of the sustainability of the food supply chain, and provide an exact quantification of the given contribution in the case of the dairy industry.
Is It Possible to Make Money on Investing in Companies Manufacturing Solar Components? A Panel Data Approach

In the interests of the environment, many countries set limits on the use of non-renewable energy sources and promote renewable energy sources through policy and legislation. Consequently, the demand for components for renewable energy systems exhibits an upward trend. For this reason, managers, investors, and banks are interested in knowing whether investing in a business associated with the semiconductor and related device manufacturing sector, especially the photovoltaic (PV) systems manufacturers, is worthy of a penny. Using a sample for the period of 2015–2018, we apply a new approach to panel data, extending existing research using Classification Trees with the k-Nearest Neighbor and Altman model. Our aim is to analyze the financial conditions of enterprises to identify key indicators that distinguish companies producing PV system components (labeled “green, G”) from companies that do not manufacture PV components (“red, R”). Our results show that green companies can be distinguished from red companies at classification accuracies of 86% and 90% for CRT and CHAID algorithms in Classification Trees method and 93% for k-Nearest Neighbor method, respectively. Based on the Altman model and the analysis of crucial ratios, we also find that green businesses are characterized by lower financial performance although future ratio values may equal or exceed the values for the red companies if current upward trends are sustained. Therefore, investing in green companies presents a viable alternative.
The Equity Risk Premium Puzzle in Pakistan

Our study uses the consumption-based asset-pricing power utility model to test the Equity Risk Premium (ERP) puzzle in Pakistan. The study has collected monthly stock price data from July 1997 to December 2017 from the PSX data portal. We extracted information about macroeconomic factors such as inflation and risk-free interest rate from the State Bank of Pakistan. Moreover, the study used private consumption and population data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The results suggest that the ERP puzzle has a strong occurrence in Pakistan, a phenomenon previously associated with only developed markets. One disadvantage of the present investigation is the small sample size. A longer time duration could have reduced short-term biases. Past researchers have suggested different approaches for solving the equity premium puzzle. For instance, some studies used improvised structural models to justify the equity risk premium puzzle using macroeconomic factors.
Credit availability, signalling and auditor choice

ABSTRACT Taken the cancellation of the upper limit of loan interest rates as a quasinatural experiment and based on the signal theory of auditor demand, this paper investigates how the improvement of credit availability affects the choice of auditors. Results show that, compared with low-risk enterprises, high-risk enterprises tend to choose high-quality audits because of the increased loan availability after the liberalisation of the loan interest rate ceiling, and this tendency is more pronounced in the corporations with higher financing constraints. The above results are still valid after a series of robustness tests. Further analysis reveals that high-risk companies choosing high-quality auditors do obtain more long-term loans after the loan interest rate ceiling was lifted. This study identifies the causal relationship between credit availability and auditor choice, and also provides empirical evidence for the signal function of high-quality auditors in China’s credit market.
Moderating effect of supply chain complexity in governance mechanisms and operational performance relationship: Evidence from a sub-Saharan African market

ABSTRACT This study draws on the tenets of transaction cost economics to examine the moderating effect of supply chain complexity on the relationship between formal control and social control mechanisms, and operational performance. The study argues that under conditions of increased supply chain complexity, the effect of formal control mechanism on operational performance is weakened while the effect of social control mechanism on operational performance is strengthened. These propositions are tested on a sample of 331 firms in a sub-Saharan Africa market, Ghana. Findings from the study show that at higher levels of supply chain complexity, formal control and social control have negative and positive effects on operational performance, respectively. These findings provide nuanced perspectives on how the performance consequences of formal and social controls vary under the same organizational circumstance. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
The Level of Diversification on the Firms of the Iberian Market

It is a fact that a company’s durability may depend on its capacity to readjust to a world in continuous change. Diversification strategies should be a security device, reduce the risk, and at the same time, search for possible profitable opportunities. Therefore, when a diversified firm follows one of its business sections and realizes that the performance is worse than foreseen, this negative impact may be diminished by other segments with better performance. Contextually, the current study aims to determine a correlation between value and corporate diversification in the Iberian market. We use Tobin’s Q as the measure for value and the Herfindahl Index to measure diversification. In addition to the study of correlation, this paper also analyses the level of diversification for the firms that integrate the Iberian market and if their market value is above or below their book value. Using these metrics, we found a negative correlation between value and diversification in the Iberian Market. In our sample, we also found that highly diversified firms performed worse than focused firms on average. In the Portuguese sample, we were able to determine the level of diversification that maximizes the Tobin’s Q of a firm. According to Tobin's Q, our sample was characterized by a low level of diversification in general and that the companies were slightly overvalued. Key-Words: Tobin’s Q; Herfindahl Index; Corporate Refocusing; Diversification Received: April 27, 2021. Revised: May 31, 2021. Accepted: June 4, 2021. Published: June 7, 2021.
Thermo-hydro-mechanical modelling study of heat extraction and flow processes in enhanced geothermal systems

Abstract. Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) are widely used in the development and application of geothermal energy production. They usually consist of two deep boreholes (well doublet) circulation systems, with hot water being abstracted, passed through a heat exchanger, and reinjected into the geothermal reservoir. Recently, simple analytical solutions have been proposed to estimate water pressure at the abstraction borehole. Nevertheless, these methods do not consider the influence of complex geometrical fracture patterns and the effects of the coupled thermal and mechanical processes. In this study, we implemented a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) model to simulate the processes of heat extraction, reservoir deformation, and groundwater flow in the fractured rock reservoir. The THM model is validated with analytical solutions and existing published results. The results from the systems of single fracture zone and multi-fracture zones are investigated and compared. It shows that the growth of the number and spacing of fracture zones can effectively decrease the pore pressure difference between injection and abstraction wells; it also increases the production temperature at the abstraction, the service life-spans, and heat production rate of the geothermal reservoirs. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis on the flow rate is also implemented. It is observed that a larger flow rate leads to a higher abstraction temperature and heat production rate at the end of the simulation, but the pressure difference may become lower.
Correlation between Skin Cell Wall Composition and Polyphenol Extractability of Pinot noir and Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes

The composition of skin cell wall material from Pinot noir and Cabernet Sauvignon grape berries from four different regions in California was investigated to determine relationships between cell wall composition and phenolic extractability observed under winemaking conditions. Multiple vineyards (sites) per region were studied. Cell wall composition analysis included determining total soluble sugars, proteins, noncellulosic glucose, cellulose, lignin, lipids, total polyphenolic content, soluble polysaccharides, and uronic acid, as well as isolation efficiency. Results indicated that cell wall material (CWM) composition is mainly site-specific, with some effect due to variety and little to no effect from the growing region. Grape phenolics analyzed included monomeric flavan-3-ols, anthocyanins, polymeric phenols, and polymeric pigments and could be used to distinguish between varieties. Grapes grown in the same region exhibited similar phenolic extractability, indicating a significant effect of the growing area, as well as a synergistic effect between CWM composition and grape phenolics. CWM composition analysis indicated that demethylation of pectin favored the release of phenolics, while lignin content correlated negatively with the phenolics extracted. Proteins showed a negative correlation with polymeric phenols, whereas no correlation was found with polymeric pigments. Anthocyanin extractability was highly affected by its content within grape skins, more so than other phenolics that are present in both the skins and seeds.
Contextualizing Cannabis Implicit Associations: Consideration of Peers and Personality

Objective: Implicit cannabis associations (ICAs) inconsistently predict cannabis use (CU), and little is known about their formation. Personality, behavioral approach and inhibition, were tested as predictors of ICAs, which in turn, was expected to predict CU (mediation). Peer context was tested as a moderator. Method: Data were taken from three annual assessments of a larger longitudinal study. The community sample (314 emerging adults, mean age = 19.13, 54% female, 76% White/non-Hispanic at the first assessment) completed an ICA task and questionnaire assessments of CU, personality, and peer norms. Results: ICAs were positively associated with CU at high but not low levels of perceived peer approval/use. Behavioral inhibition was negatively associated ICAs, which in turn, predicted infrequent CU at high levels of peer approval/use (moderated mediation). Behavioral approach was marginally associated with ICAs. Conclusions: Peer context and personality are important for understanding the formation of ICAs and their association with CU.
The intergroup sensitivity effect in mergers and acquisitions: Testing the role of merger motives

: Research has shown that people are more defensive to criticism when it stems from an outgroup member, compared to an ingroup member (the intergroup sensitivity effect: ISE). We conducted two online vignette experiments to examine the ISE in the context of an organizational merger and the role of merger motives for the ISE. We predicted that the ISE would also emerge in mergers and acquisitions (MAs), but people would respond less negatively to criticism from the outgroup when the motive for the merger is described as achieving synergies rather than growth. In Experiment 1 (N = 452), which did not mention any motives behind the acquisition, a significant ISE emerged. Experiment 2 (N = 587) again showed an ISE regardless of the merger motive. In both experiments, the ISE was mediated by perceptions of the outgroup criticism as less legitimate and constructive. Overall, this research points to the intergroup sensitivity effect as a relevant phenomenon during post-merger integration. Abstract Research has shown that people are more defensive to criticism when it stems from an outgroup member, compared to an ingroup member (the intergroup sensitivity effect: ISE). We conducted two online vignette experiments to examine the ISE in the context of an organizational merger and the role of merger motives for the ISE. We predicted that the ISE would also emerge in mergers and acquisitions (M&As), but people would respond less negatively to criticism from the outgroup when the motive for the merger is described as achieving synergies rather than growth. In Experiment 1 ( N = 452), which did not mention any motives behind the acquisition, a significant ISE emerged. Experiment 2 ( N = 587) again showed an ISE regardless of the merger motive. In both experiments, the ISE was mediated by perceptions of the outgroup criticism as less legitimate and constructive. Overall, this research points to the intergroup sensitivity effect as a relevant phenomenon during post- merger integration.
High energy flash X-ray image restoration using region extrema and kernel optimization

The quality of high energy ﬂash X-ray images is crucial to the high-precision diagnosis of object density. High energy ﬂash X-ray radiography is susceptible to the system blur, which usually causes the poor quality of static images. In response to this, a novel restoration algorithm using region extrema and kernel optimization (REKO) is presented. Based on the observation that the region extrema distribution of blurred high energy ﬂash X-ray images deviates from opposite ends of image grey domain, the sparseness-inducing prior for regularizing image region extrema is applied to construct the restoration model. Considering the sparse characteristics of blur kernels, the sparseness-inducing regularization is incorporated to constrain blur kernels in the restoration model. The non-convex and non-linear objective function is gradually minimized through energy alternating minimization and dually linear approximation. Furthermore, a continuity enforced kernel optimization algorithm is proposed to estimate more accurate blur kernels. The discontinuous kernel elements are suppressed by extracting the main structure of blur kernels and constructing kernel continuity function in cross windows. Experimental results demonstrate that our algorithm can more accurately estimate blur kernels and achieve restoration results with sharper edges on high energy ﬂash X-ray images.
From detection to sentencing: a homicide case flow analysis of the Dutch criminal justice system

ABSTRACT Homicide engenders broad moral concerns in society, and its aftermath can be understood as a barometer for criminal justice policy. Of all homicides committed, however, only some lead to arrest, to prosecution and ultimately to conviction in court. So far, no study has assessed the entire flow of homicide cases through the criminal justice system based on a nationwide sample. This study seeks to fill this empirical void by describing the entire flow of homicide cases and assessing the size of outflow at each stage of the criminal justice funnel in the Netherlands for a 20-year period. Our analysis highlights two main findings: First, the vast majority of suspects first identified by the police are ultimately sentenced for a homicide. Second, even in a country with low homicide rates and high rule of law indices, selection takes place at all stages of the criminal justice funnel. Whilst outflow mostly centres around exceptional clearance and legal factors, future work should assess the extent to which extra-legal characteristics play a role in crimes that are being investigated as potential homicides.