Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Third-country nationals as intercultural boundary spanners in multinational corporations

This paper aims to investigate the central roles, functions and competences of third-country nationals (TCNs) in intercultural boundary spanning in multinational corporations (MNCs): Why are TCNs particularly important for reducing complexity at the overlapping functional, geographic and external boundaries of MNCs with their related interferences and which role do they play as boundary spanners in cross-boundary collaboration? ,After introducing the theoretical background on boundary spanning and TCNs, the methodology applied in this paper is a theory-driven, qualitative approach based on 13 in-depth semi-structured interviews with TNCs conducted in 10 MNCs. ,The authors aggregate TCNs’ activities into four roles: disembedded cosmopolitan, intermediary, third party and team-related boundary spanner. They show that TCNs tend to understand the complex intercultural context between headquarters and subsidiaries, balance power asymmetries, use their in-between neutrality to create trust, and act in an interculturally highly competent way by using a great variety of intercultural and linguistic skills. The TCNs’ meta-competence permits a higher level, intellectual and abstract perspective, enabling TCNs to consider structures, objects and interactions from an affective distance. ,The differences between TCNs and “regular” expatriates or other interface managers are examined and methodological limitations as well as research implications are critically discussed. MNCs can intentionally assign TCNs with their related competence profiles when expecting boundary-spanning tasks. ,This paper is one of the few published that undergirds the TCN concept with empirical data and illustrates the suitability of specific role-takers such as TCNs for some complex challenges in international and intercultural management settings.
Current Density Mismatch in Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have sky-rocketed in recent years because of their high-performance, now at a certified 25.2%, as well as readily available fabrication methods and material components. They are now considered one of the main contenders to make a lasting impact in photovoltaics either as a stand-alone solution, for example on flexible substrates, or in multijunction architectures with established technologies such as silicon or CIGS. This tremendous potential has led to an unusually rapid development of perovskite materials by academic and industrial groups. This includes a coordinated effort for certified measurement protocols. For example, efficiency certifications of PSCs now consider the need for a stabilized power output because of the idiosyncratic ion migration in PSCs. Similarly, there is an effort toward the normalization of stability measurements to eventually form an industrial protocol. It is only logical to move toward standardization because it ensures comparability among research groups and industry. More binding measurement protocols also build credibility toward potential investors and are therefore a necessary precursor for industrialization. Another layer of normalizing the measurement of solar cells was recently introduced by several journals in the form of a checklist for reporting performance parameters of solar cell. Here it is typical, among a series of requirements, to report on the discrepancy between the short-circuit current density (Jsc) from external quantum efficiency (EQE) (Jsc,EQE) and current density-voltage (JV) (Jsc,JV) measurements. The EQE is a basic measurement for solar cells. It measures the conversion of an incident photon to an electron by the photovoltaic device and is in general a function of the photon wavelength. The inset of the EQE(λ) can provide the spectral regions which contribute to the photocurrent generation of the solar cell (see Figure 1). Its spectral shape reveals, for example, how efficiently an absorber material transforms light into current and may reveal loss mechanisms within the device stack. Experimentally, the EQE can be measured with a light source, often a Xe lamp, with a monochromator. The light source is used to illuminate the sample through an appropriate shadow mask. The device is kept at short-circuit condition, and the current through the device is measured with a source meter for each wavelength. The raw data of the current needs to be normalized to the number of incident photons, conducted by calibration of the setup with a reference solar cell with a known spectral response for each wavelength. The EQE is the spectral response of the solar cell; therefore, it can be used to calculate the Jsc of the cell under illumination.
Potential natural enemies of the invasive rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin in India

A invasive rugose spiraling whitefly (RSW) Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was found infesting coconut, banana, custard apple and several ornamental plants in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala for the first time in India. The identity of the pest species was determined through morphological and molecular tools. Furthermore cytochrome c oxidase-I gene (658 bp) of RSW was sequenced (GenBank accession number KY209909) which would serve as an ideal molecular diagnostic marker for its identification irrespective of its phenotypic plasticity. During the survey, several natural enemies were recorded and maximum parasitism was recorded by Encarsia guadeloupae Viggiani (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) and its COI gene was sequenced and deposited as Encarsia sp. (GenBank accession number KY223606). Per cent parasitism ranged from 20.0 to 60.0 % in different collection locations, highest parasitism being recorded in Kerala as compared to other states. The predators recorded were Mallada sp. , few coccinellids and predatory mites. This communication is the first report of the rugose spiraling whitefly, its host plant range and associated natural enemies in India.
Kinetic entropy-based measures of distribution function non-Maxwellianity: theory and simulations

We investigate kinetic entropy-based measures of the non-Maxwellianity of distribution functions in plasmas, i.e. entropy-based measures of the departure of a local distribution function from an associated Maxwellian distribution function with the same density, bulk flow and temperature as the local distribution. First, we consider a form previously employed by Kaufmann & Paterson (J. Geophys. Res., vol. 114, 2009, A00D04), assessing its properties and deriving equivalent forms. To provide a quantitative understanding of it, we derive analytical expressions for three common non-Maxwellian plasma distribution functions. We show that there are undesirable features of this non-Maxwellianity measure including that it can diverge in various physical limits and elucidate the reason for the divergence. We then introduce a new kinetic entropy-based non-Maxwellianity measure based on the velocity-space kinetic entropy density, which has a meaningful physical interpretation and does not diverge. We use collisionless particle-in-cell simulations of two-dimensional anti-parallel magnetic reconnection to assess the kinetic entropy-based non-Maxwellianity measures. We show that regions of non-zero non-Maxwellianity are linked to kinetic processes occurring during magnetic reconnection. We also show the simulated non-Maxwellianity agrees reasonably well with predictions for distributions resembling those calculated analytically. These results can be important for applications, as non-Maxwellianity can be used to identify regions of kinetic-scale physics or increased dissipation in plasmas.
Performance measurement in the parallel interdependent processes systems under decentralized and centralized modes

Abstract Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a non-parametric technique that is widely used in measuring the performance (efficiency) of decision-making units (DMUs). Many network DEA models have been built to investigate the internal structure of a system, which was considered a “black box” in traditional DEA models. However, the interdependent relationship between system components is rarely considered in performance evaluation. Interdependent processes system has become common in production systems because of complex competition. In this study, we build a novel DEA model to investigate the efficiency of a parallel system with two interdependent components. Furthermore, decentralized and centralized models are built to respectively measure the efficiency of DMUs in decentralized and centralized organization modes. The analysis shows that fewer inputs can produce more outputs but fewer wastes among the components under the centralized mode. Finally, our approach is verified through a numerical example and an application to Chinese high-level universities.
Estimation and Determinants of Multidimensional Energy Poverty among Households in Nigeria

The sustainable use of clean and safe sources of energy is indeed a global challenge. Traditional and unsafe forms of energy use is predominant among households in sub-Saharan Africa. This is not only a threat to the environment, but also constitutes health risk to the population. In the Nigeria context, this study provides the first attempt to estimate household energy poverty status and also investigate the driving factors of household energy poverty status using the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) dataset. The analytical techniques adopted in this study are based on Multidimensional Energy Poverty Index (MEPI) and Tobit regression model. Our results show that national average MEPI was 0.38, suggesting that majority of the households are energy poor. Energy poverty is however found to be higher in rural areas than in urban areas. We also found that male-headed households, age, rural sector and northeast residents are found to be the energy poverty enhancing factors, while household income and credit access are energy poverty inhibiting factors. The study concludes that income smoothening among other energy poverty reduction interventions should be prioritized, especially among rural households in order to help them exit energy poverty trap.
Benchmarking Loss given Default Discount Rates

This paper provides a theoretical and empirical analysis of alternative discount rate concepts for computing loss given default (LGD) rates using historical bank workout data. It benchmarks five discount rate concepts for workout recovery cashflows in order to derive observed LGDs in terms of economic robustness and empirical implications: contract rate at origination, loan-weighted average cost of capital, return on equity (ROE), market return on defaulted debt and market equilibrium return. The paper develops guiding principles for LGD discount rates and argues that the weighted average cost of capital and market equilibrium return dominate the popular contract rate method. The empirical analysis of data provided by Global Credit Data (GCD) shows that declining risk-free rates are in part offset by increasing market risk premiums. Common empirical discount rates lie between the risk-free rate and the ROE. The variation in empirical LGDs is moderate for the various discount rate approaches. Further, a simple correction technique for resolution bias is developed and increases observed LGDs for all periods, particularly recent periods.
Smallholder oil palm farmers’ pro-adaptation behaviour under climate impact scenario: application of protection Motivation Theory

ABSTRACT Persistent climate impacts in Malaysia pose severe difficulties for smallholder farmers, whose livelihoodsare primarily dependent on resources from agriculture. Adaptation policies are essential to adapt to the Motivation Theory (PMT) was applied to fill this gap as an underpinning for identifying the major contributing factor of farmers' adaptation behaviour to climate effects. A study of 382 smallholder farmers in the Malaysian peninsula was conducted using a multi-stage stratified random sampling technique, revealing that specific farmers were postponing protection actions in the face of serious continuous impact. A low tendency to adopt policies suitable for decreasing climate impacts has been noted. Partial least square (PLS) path design and Bayesian system analysis were used to reveal the responsiveness, perceived severity, cost of reaction, perceived susceptibility, self-efficacy, earnings, and social norms considerably affected the adaptation behaviour. The feeling of controlling climate effects on the farm can increase the adoption of protective measures. Hence, collaborative programmes need to be developed to support farmers, and foster feelings of control over climate change and its impacts.
Straw amendments did not induce high N2O emissions in non‐frozen wintertime conditions: A study in northern Germany

An increasing area of oilseed rape cultivation in Europe is used to produce biodiesel. However, a large amount of straw residue is often left in the field in autumn. Straw mineralization provides both carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) sources for emission of soil nitrous oxide (N2O), which is an important greenhouse gas with a high warming potential. Some studies have focused on soil N2O emissions immediately post‐harvest; however, straw mineralization could possibly last over winter. Most field studies in winter have focused on freeze‐thaw cycles. It is still not clear how straw mineralization affects soil N2O emissions in unfrozen wintertime conditions. We carried out a field experiment in northern Germany in winter 2014, adding straw and glucose as a source of C with three rates of N fertilizer (0, 30, and 60 kg N ha−1). During the 26 days of observation, cumulative N2O emission in treatments without C addition was negative at all N fertilizer levels. Straw addition produced –3.2, 11.2, and 5.0 mg N2O‐N m−2 at 0, 30, and 60 kg N ha−1, respectively. Addition of glucose surprisingly caused –1.5, 74.6, and 165 mg N2O–N m−2 at 0, 30, and 60 kg N ha−1, respectively. This study demonstrates that oilseed rape straw does not cause high N2O emissions in wintertime when no extreme precipitation or freeze‐thaw cycles are involved, and soil organic C content is low. However, N2O emission could be intensively stimulated, when both easily available organic C and nitrate are not limited and the soil temperature between 0 and 10°C. These results provide useful information on potential changes to N2O emissions that may occur due to the increased use of oilseed rape for biodiesel combined with less severe winters in the northern hemisphere driven by global warming.
Proposal of new stable ABC2 type ternary semiconductor pnictides K3Cu3P2 and K3Ni3P2: First‐principles calculations and prospects for thermosphysical and optoelectronic applications

The ABC2 type ternary semiconductors have attracted much attention owing to their increasing fundamental and technological interest in optoelectronic, thermoelectric and nuclear detector applications. In this paper, using first‐principles methods, we first time reported on structural, optoelectronic, and thermophysical properties of two newly designed ABC2 type ternary semiconductor pnictides namely, K3Cu3P2 and K3Ni3P2. For the comparative analysis of the properties derived from density‐functional‐theory, we employed the most accurate full‐potential linearized augmented plane wave method. To count for electronic correlation and exchange interactions in compounds K3Cu3P2 and K3Ni3P2, we employed modified‐Becke‐Johnson potential and generalized‐gradient‐approximation (GGA) subjected to Hubbard potential U in the form of GGA + U method, respectively. Both the compounds are found to be stable mechanically and thermodynamically, and hence could be synthesized. From the calculated electronic band structures we predict direct band gap semiconducting nature of the compounds with band gap values of order 1.7 eV (spin up)and 1.82 eV (spin down)for K3Ni3P2 and 1.8 eV for K3Cu3P2. The density of states revealed that Ni‐3d and Cu‐3d states contribute mainly in the valence band of the compounds, having moderate spin symmetry in up and down spin polarized states. The calculated optical band gap for K3Ni3P2 is 1.9 eV (spin up) and 1.88 eV (spin down); while for K3Cu3P2 it is 1.8 eV. The optical spectra also showed that the main peak occurred due to hybridization of Ni/Cu‐d states. The optical dispersive spectra exhibit that both materials are efficient absorbers of photons in the UV region. On the other hand, the value of reflectivity is low in IR to visible region, while strong reflectivity is observed in UV part of the spectrum. To investigate the magnetic nature, the computed cell magnetic moment for K3Ni3P2 is 3.0 μB. As such, these materials are suitable in thermophysical and optoelectronic devise applications.
Speciation and domestication in Suiformes: a genomic perspective

Abstract Frantz, L.A. F. (2015). Speciation and Domestication in Suiformes: a genomic perspective. PhD thesis, Wageningen University, the Netherlands The diversity of life on earth owes its existence to the process of speciation. The concept of speciation is primordial for evolutionary biologists because it provides a framework to understand how contemporary biodiversity came to be. Moreover, not only natural phenomena can result in the differentiation of life forms. Indeed, biodiversity can also be the result of direct and indirect human influence such as domestication. In this thesis, I investigate these evolutionary processes (speciation and domestication) in the Suiformes superfamily (pigs and related species). I use complete genome sequences to illuminate many specific aspects of the speciation and domestication in Suiformes as well as to draw general conclusions on these crucial processes. In chapter 2 I show how genomes provide an essential source of information to retrieve deep taxonomic relationships among Suiformes. This allows me to describe multiple novel aspects of their early evolutionary history such as the fact that Suiformes colonised North America at least twice. In this chapter, I further highlight and discuss novel methodological limitations that are inherent to phylogenomics. In chapters 3, 4 and 5 I use genome sequences to resolve the evolutionary history of the genus Sus (domestic pigs and wild boars species). More precisely, I show that, contrary to the expectation of simple models of speciation, the evolutionary history of these species involved alternating periods of gene-flow and genetic differentiation that are tightly linked to past climatic fluctuations that took place over the last 4 million years. In addition, these chapters also provide novel insights into the process of speciation by demonstrating that genetic differentiation between species can be achieved, even when gene-flow is strong. Lastly, in chapter 6 I tested multiple models of domestication for S. scrofa. In this chapter I show that models involving reproductive isolation between wild and domestic forms are incompatible with genomic data. Moreover, this chapter demonstrates that, while domestic pigs are morphologically homogenous, they are not genetically homogenous. Together, these findings have important implications for our understanding of the process of domestication because it shows that this process was not solely the result of captivity. Together, the results of this work not only provide a comprehensive evolutionary history for the Suiformes, but also novel insights into the complex processes (speciation and domestication) that are responsible for the diversity of life on earth.
Interactions Between Social Structure, Contact Networks, and Infectious Disease Spread in Wildlife Populations

Socially complex species that live in large groups are traditionally considered to have elevated risks of disease transmission. Beyond group size, it is being increasingly recognized that the dynamics of infection spread largely depends on the organization of contacts occurring in host populations. Network theory has emerged as a powerful tool in recent years, as it provides a framework for incorporating host contact patterns into models of infectious disease spread. Comparing empirical networks has proven to be challenging, however, and limited knowledge about disease transmission mechanisms has resulted in underutilization of network analytic approaches in wildlife epidemiology. In this dissertation, I address these challenges to answer three specific questions (i) does social structure mitigate the risk of disease transmission? , (ii) can unique social network structures associated with different social systems predict their disease outcomes? , and (iii) can empirical networks be utilized to infer transmission pathways of infectious diseases? I answer these questions by leveraging an extensive empirical dataset of the social organization of more than 40 species, and developing novel tools for network analysis. I first test the hypothesis that subdivisions in animal social networks alleviate the disease costs of group living. Since direct observations of social interactions in solitary species and species with cryptic lifestyle are difficult, I first demonstrate how bipartite
Arab-Muslim Americans’ personality riddle and consumer ethnocentrism

Abstract This study aims to theorize the relationship between acculturation and consumer ethnocentrism for ethnic group minorities. Our study seeks to achieve two interrelated goals. The first is to explore key factors (ethnic identification, religious commitment, and patriotic feelings toward home country) that shape Arab-Muslim Americans’ acculturation level. The second is to extend the conceptual boundaries of consumer ethnocentrism by exploring acculturation impacts on Arab-Muslim Americans’ ethnocentric tendencies toward their home county, and toward Arab countries (co-ethnic countries). Data were collected from 168 Arab-Muslim Americans living in the US Northeast Region. We found that Arab-Muslim Americans’ ethnic identification, religious commitment, and patriotism drive significant negative influences on their acculturation process. The findings lend credence to our postulation of a negative influence of the level of Arab-Muslim Americans’ acculturation on their ethnocentric tendencies toward home country, thus further corroborating the notion that immigrants’ home-country ethnocentrism can be predicted on their acculturation levels.
On the Difference of Coefficients of Starlike and Convex Functions

Let f be analytic in the unit disk D={z∈C:|z|<1}, and S be the subclass of normalized univalent functions given by f(z)=z+∑n=2∞anzn for z∈D. Let S*⊂S be the subset of starlike functions in D and C⊂S the subset of convex functions in D. We give sharp upper and lower bounds for |a3|−|a2| for some important subclasses of S* and C.
Modeling Head-On Collisions: The Problem of Identifying Collision Parameters

The analyses performed by the experts are crucial for the settlement of court disputes, and they have legal consequences for the parties to legal proceedings. The reliability of the simulation result is crucial. First, in article, an impact simulation was performed with the use of the program default data. Next, the impact parameters were identified from a crash test, and a simulation was presented. Due to the difficulties in obtaining the data identified, the experts usually take advantage of simplifications using only default data provided by the simulation program. This article includes the original conclusions on specific reasons of simplified collision modeling in Multi Body Systems (MBS) programs and provides specific directions of development of the V-SIM4 program used in the study to enhance the models applied. This manuscript indicates a direction for crash model development in MBS programs to consider a varied 3D body space zones stiffness related to the structure of the car body and the internal car elements instead of modeling the car body as a solid with an average stiffness. Such an approach would provide an alternative to Finite Element Method (FEM) convention modeling.