Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Foreign labours in Arctic destinations: seasonal workers' motivations and job skills

This research aims to trace the work phenomenon of foreign seasonal workers in Arctic destinations where the scenic landscapes and natural phenomenon are major attractions, and where labour shortage prevails during peak tourism months. Two themes relevant to Arctic seasonal workers are investigated in the study: worker job motivation and job performance. A qualitative approach is deployed, drawing on perspectives from both frontline staff and managers from the hospitality industry (e.g. hotels and cruise ships). The study setting is the Finnmark County in Norway, Europe's northernmost Arctic region. The resultant data reveal seven motivations for seasonal workers: (1) professional development, (2) novelty seeking, (3) decent pay scale, (4) friendship with colleagues, (5) favourable working environment, (6) scenery view and nature and (7) community integration. Future studies on job motivation may cross-validate these motivations to establish a robust measurement of foreign seasonal worker intention and behaviour.
Measurement of the Aharonov-Casher phase in an atomic system.

We describe a new experimental configuration suitable for observing the topological phase of Aharonov and Casher in atomic systems. Using this we have been able to show experimentally that the Aharonov-Casher phase is both independent of velocity and proportional to electric field and we have verified the predicted size of the effect with an accuracy of 4%
To Work More or Not to Work More: Difficult Choices, Complex Decisions for Low-Wage Parents

Employment promotion has dominated antipoverty policies in the United States over the last several decades. Increased employment, especially in low-wage jobs, has not generated economic stability for many parents and has brought to light uneasy tensions between increased earnings, less time with children, and reduced public supports that families face in moving up the economic ladder. We use data collected from 22 focus groups conducted with low- and moderate-income parents from four states and the District of Columbia to explore the ways in which parents make decisions about increasing hours of employment.
Fueling Innovation: The Impact of Oil Prices and CAFE Standards on Energy-Efficient Automotive Technology

This paper tests the induced innovation hypothesis that higher oil prices will lead to increased innovation in energy-efficient automotive technology. Using a dynamic model of patenting, we find robust empirical support for the hypothesis, concluding that both the acquisition cost and retail markup portion of fuel prices are powerful in generating subsequent innovation. Our results include the effects of CAFE regulations, finding no evidence of their impact on innovation, even within a model that endogenizes them via fuel price expectations.
The longitudinal effect of HRM effectiveness and dynamic innovation performance on organizational performance in Taiwan

This longitudinal study examined whether HRM effectiveness and dynamic innovation performance increase the level and growth rate of organizational performance. In 2002 we sent questionnaires to the top 1,000 manufacturing companies in Taiwan, and 181 valid questionnaires were returned. Otherwise, innovation and organizational performance between 2002 and 2005 were measured by research intensity and labor productivity. Latent growth curve modeling methodology was used to analyze the panel data over the 4-year period. Our results indicated that there was significant individual variability in terms of the intercept and slope factors for research intensity and labor productivity. HRM effectiveness was found to be a significant predictor of the intercept and slope factors of labor productivity. Initially, research intensity had a significant impact on the initial status of labor productivity, and an increasing rate of research intensity could significantly affect the growth rate of labor productivity.
Earnings Quality, Accruals and Subjective Goodwill Accounting

This paper analyses accounting accruals that may relate to earnings quality and its information content. The characteristics specifying earning quality are discussed according to research surveys of earnings quality. These are compared with the characteristics of accounting income specified by the concept of 'released from risks' in ASBJ (2006). In this context, the conversion process of subjective goodwill, which is related to the allocation problem in accounting income and its relation to earnings quality, is focussed upon. The allocation problem is examined by clarifying the conversion process of subjective goodwill, and by highlighting the portion of the allocation error that reflects managerial discretion.
Development blocks, malinvestment and structural tensions – the Åkerman–Dahmén theory of the business cycle

Abstract: Johan Åkerman and Erik Dahmén's institutional theory of economic fluctuations is a constructive alternative to traditional macroeconomic approaches and also to modern business-cycle analysis based on microeconomic optimization models. By its integration of a business-cycle and growth perspective, Åkerman and Dahmén's analysis was similar to that of Schumpeter in Business Cycles. But their notions of malinvestment, structural tensions, and development blocks provided an original explanation of the turning points in the business cycle. The Åkerman–Dahmén approach is more valid for innovation-driven cycles such as the ICT boom in the late 1990s and the subsequent crisis than for cycles with an independent role of financial-market conditions.
Household Consumption of Cheese: An Inverse Hyperbolic Sine Double‐Hurdle Model with Dependent Errors

The dependent double-hurdle model is generalized by an inverse hyperbolic sine transformation of the dependent variable. The resulting specification features a flexible parameterization, accommodates heteroskedastic errors, and nests a range of common limited dependent variable models. Results for U.S. household cheese consumption suggest that the homoskedastic and normal double-hurdle model is misspecified. Income elasticities are small and vary across household groups. Foodstamp recipients are more responsive to income changes than nonrecipients. Foodstamp recipients are also less likely to consume cheese but, conditional on consumption, spend more than nonrecipients. Copyright 1997, Oxford University Press.
An empirical analysis of commodity pricing

Commodity pricing models generally explain the link between commodity prices and stock levels in terms of a stock‐out constraint or a convenience yield. Analysis of this link is provided using monthly London Metals Exchange copper, lead, and zinc prices obtained for the period November 1964 to December 2003. A Markov model, fitted to these data, supports the existence of two distinct pricing regimes while the impact of convenience yields is also identified. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 26:391–415, 2006
Work in the Shadow: Micro and Macro Results

Abstract The main focus of this paper is on the shadow economy labor force in OECD, developing and transition countries. As well as informal employment in the rural and non-rural sector, other measures of informal employment, such as the share of women and men, are also shown. The most influential factors on the shadow economy labor force are tax policies and state regulation, which, if they rise, increase shadow economy activities. Furthermore, the discussion of recent micro studies underlines that economic opportunities, the overall burden of the state (taxes and regulations), the general situation on the labor market, and unemployment are crucial for an understanding of the dynamics of the shadow labor force.
Comparison of the Effects of Two Phonics Training Programs on L2 Word Reading

Empirical evidence shows that explicit phonics teaching is beneficial for English word reading. However, there has been controversy as to whether phonics teaching should incorporate meaning-involved decodable text instruction to facilitate children's word reading. This study compares the effects of phonics teaching with and without decodable text instruction on immediate and delayed English word reading in 117 Taiwanese children learning English, assigned to a Phonics-only group (n = 58) and a phonics plus decodable text instruction (Phonics+) group (n = 59). Results showed that although both groups significantly improved in immediate and delayed post-test word reading, the Phonics+ group performed better in both post-tests, but the difference was significant only in the delayed word reading, suggesting a better long-term retention effect produced by Phonics+ teaching. These indicated that incorporated meaning-involved decodable text reading might offer another better facultative linking route for English word reading even for non-alphabetic child learners of English. The findings were discussed from linguistic, psycholinguistic, and reading perspectives, with implications drawn for second/foreign language teaching and research in reading instruction.
Capital cities as open-air museums: a look at Québec City and Tunis

This paper presents the results of a comparative study of the national capitals of Québec and Tunisia, Québec City and Tunis, respectively, both of them being recognised World Heritage Cities and internationally renowned tourist destinations. For the purposes of this paper, our analysis deals specifically with heritagisation and touristification policies in these two cities, especially with policies that lead to their museumification through the promotion of practices and aesthetic values that transform them into open-air museums. These practices and values include outdoor exhibits, walking tours and historical circuits, day- and night-time festivals, and celebrations, with an emphasis put on ‘the old town’ in the creation of national and historical frames of reference for those activities. We draw on this perspective to examine the identity- and nationalism-based discourse that underlies such practices, together with their resulting representations. This leads us to conclude that in a context of globalisation and interactions alternating between local and global realities, national capitals make significant use of their tourist clienteles to assert their particular identity and so demonstrate to their own community, and to others outside, the role they play as ‘symbolic capital’ assets.
Timing of Investment and Financial Decisions in Imperfectly Competitive Financial Markets

The authors present a model in which firms can time their projects. They show that financing and investment decisions are interrelated if financial markets are not perfectly competitive, resulting in apparent timing of financing decisions. The authors obtain the result that the proportion of equity financing relative to debt is higher when economic conditions are improving. They also show that the type of financing depends both on current and past economic conditions. Finally, the authors show that there will be relatively more equity financing in industries in which obsolescence is more likely. Copyright 1993 by University of Chicago Press.
A Qualitative Model for Input Impedance and Coupling of Microstrip Patch Antennas by Means of Fuzzy Inference Method

Input impedance of microstrip patch antennas and coupling between array elements are very important, especially in active array design. There are several analytical and numerical methods reported to analyze this problem [Deshpande, M.D., et al., 1982], [Pozar, D.M. , 1982], which are quite time consuming when good accuracy is required. Here in this paper, a qualitative model which is very fast and accurate based on fuzzy inference is presented [Tayarani, M. , et al., 2001], [Tayarani, M. , et al.], and [Tayarani, M. , et al., 1999]. General structure of the model is reviewed at first based on input impedance of a single patch. Then we explain the key definitions and the method we used to extract the parameters of the model. At first some measured or simulated data is required to extract its knowledge. Here we used both measured and HFSS simulated data. Variation of centers and radii, for partial loci, and biases and slopes, for partial phase lines, as input parameters of the fuzzy model, could be fitted by very simple curves. Then input impedance of microstrip patch antenna for any feed position can be predicted very easily by applying the initial values calculated from the above simple curves to proposed fuzzy system. To show the ability of the proposed modeling technique, coupling between two microstrip patch antennas is also modeled in a same way and its membership functions were extracted.
Detection and segmentation of occluded vehicles based on symmetry analysis

Occluded vehicles detection and segmentation are the critical parts of intelligent transportation system for vehicle tracking or traffic flow analysis. Firstly, difference of Gaussian filter is used to reduce the high-frequency noise with enhancing the vehicle's structural features, followed by extracting the spatial symmetric axes by mirror coding LBP operators. Then, we use the number and location of symmetric axes to detect the vehicle occlusion. At last, the global optimal segmentation is obtained under the constraints of symmetry axes combined with contour concavity analysis. Experimental results demonstrate that by comparing with classical contour based methods, our approach can get higher accuracy on both occluded vehicle detection and segmentation especially in the influence of complex background noise.
An application of the von Cramon-Taubadel and Loy error correction models in analyzing asymmetric adjustment between retail and wholesale maize prices in Ghana

Previous studies analyzing asymmetric price transmission have been based on an econometric specification that is shown to be inconsistent with cointegration. This study draws on the concept of cointegration to implement the von Cramon-Taubadel and Loy error correction approach in analyzing retail-wholesale maize price transmission in Ghana. Asymmetries are modeled to affect the direct impact of price increases and decreases as well as adjustments to the equilibrium level. The analysis demonstrates that transmission between retail and wholesale maize prices in Ghanaian maize market is asymmetric. In accordance with common belief, retailers react more quickly to increasing wholesale prices than decreasing wholesale prices.
Pirated for Profit

This paper explains why a software manufacturer may permit limited piracy of its software. Piracy can be viewed as a form of price discrimination in which the manufacturer sells some of the software at a price of zero. In the presence of significant network externalities for the software, it may be profit maximizing for the software manufacturer to tolerate piracy by home consumers, most of whom have a low willingness to pay. This can increase the demand for the software by business users.
SUBSTRATE-FREE EPIDIDYMAL-LIKE BOVINE SPERMATOZOA.

A technique is presented for the collection of ejaculated bovine spermatozoa directly into an inhibitory diluent which renders the cells immotile and prevents the absorption of carbohydrate from the seminal plasma. When removed from the inhibitory diluent, such cells have low endogenous respiration which is markedly increased by the addition of fructose to the incubation medium or by pre-incubation in a fructose solution before washing and then subjecting the cells to
Tests of the Black-Scholes and Cox Call Option Valuation Models

IN THIS RESEARCH we use Cox's [7] and Cox and Ross' [8] constant elasticity of variance diffusion processes to model heteroscedasticity in returns to common stocks. The major goal of this paper is to test the Cox call option valuation model for constant elasticity of variance diffusion processes against the Black-Scholes [4] call option valuation model. We find that common stock prices do appear to be generated by constant elasticity of variance diffusion processes; moreover, we find that the Cox valuation model fits market prices of call options significantly better than the Black-Scholes model. Thus, our results have important implications for empirical analysis of call option data and may very- well have important implications for empirical analysis of common stock prices and prices of other financial instruments. At the theoretical level there are several plausible explanations for changes in stock return variances over time. First, firms may internally change their common stock return distribution through technological innovations and/or mergers and acquisitions. Another area of possible explanation for dynamic variances is contained in multiperiod consumption-investment theory (Rubinstein [16] and Fama [9]). If in each period aggregate consumer-investors plan their consumption and investment over multiple future periods, then the variances for securities may change over time as new information arises and new individuals (preferences) bid for risky assets in the capital markets. There is considerable evidence in the empirical literature that returns to common stocks are heteroscedastic. Blattberg and Gonedes [5] present evidence that a process in which the variance of returns changes randomly through time fits empirical data better than a stationary Stable Paretian process. Rosenberg [15] finds that the variance of monthly returns to the Standard and Poors 500 Index follows an autoregressive process through time. Using daily returns, Black [3] observes that the variance of returns varies inversely with the stock price. This inverse relationship between variance of returns and the stock price can be modeled by a constant elasticity of variance diffusion process.
The Distribution of Earnings in an Equilibrium Search Model with State-Dependent Offers and Counteroffers

We construct an equilibrium job search model with on-the-job search in which firms implement optimal-wage strategies under full information in the sense that they leave no rent to their employees and counter the offers received by their employees from competing firms. Productivity dispersion across firms results in wage mobility both within and across firms. Workers may accept wage cuts to move to firms offering higher future wage prospects. Equilibrium productivity dispersion across ex ante homogeneous firms can be endogenously generated. Productivity dispersion then generates a nontrivial wage distribution which is generically thin-tailed, as typically observed in the data.
Analysis of the molecular and clinicopathologic features of surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma in patients under 40 years old.

INTRODUCTION The youthful lung cancer may constitute an entity with distinct clinicopathologic characteristics and a controversial prognosis compared with the older counterpart. Whether the youthful lung cancer has the exclusively distinct molecular features has not been well investigated. METHODS Thirty-six resected lung adenocarcinomas from young patients under 40 years old were analyzed concurrently for mutations in EGFR, KRAS, HER2, BRAF, AKT1, ALK, RET, TP53 and LKB1 and enrolled as the younger group. Their molecular and clinicopathologic characteristics were compared with those of 87 adenocarcinoma cases from patients above 40 years old which were collected as the older group. RESULTS The comparable overall survival (OS) (P=0.942), more early adenocarcinomas (P=0.033), more wedge resections (P<0.001) and fewer smokers (P=0.004) were seen in the younger group, when compared with the clinicopathologic characteristics in the older group. Nineteen EGFR mutations (52.8%), 3 KRAS mutations (8.3%), 2 EML4-ALK fusions (5.6%) and 1 KIF5b-RET fusion (2.8%) were identified in the younger group. The difference of oncogenic mutations between the two groups was statistically insignificant (P=0.396). Twenty-six TP53 mutations (72.2%) and 4 LKB1 mutations (11.1%) were found in the younger group. When compared with the old patients, young patients showed a higher prevalence of TP53 mutations (P<0.001) and a comparable prevalence of LKB1 mutations (P=0.951). CONCLUSIONS The youthful lung cancer unequivocally presented the distinct clinicopathologic characteristics including more early adenocarcinomas and fewer smokers. It showed the similar oncogenic characteristics and higher prevalence of TP53 mutations compared with the older counterpart.
Rethinking the brand concept: new brand orientation

Recent academic work has introduced a series of innovative concepts to the branding debate. In particular, the concept of brands that are embedded throughout the organisation has come to the fore. This paper uses a literature review and three mini‐case studies to explore the issues in the branding debate and to illustrate how brand management is changing in response to market and environmental changes.
Noise Variance Adaptive SEA for Motion Estimation: A Two-Stage Schema

In a practical video encoder, a video sequence obtained from a CCD camera inevitably conveys noise, which degrades not only image quality but also coding efficiency. Based on the statistic analysis of noise signal, a noise variance adaptive two-stage successive elimination algorithm (NVA-SEA) for block motion estimation is presented. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can get close performance to the full search, while the computation time has been significantly reduced
Long‐term Coordination of Timber Production and Consumption Using a Dynamic Material and Energy Flow Analysis

A dynamic model for wood and energy flows is used to analyze regional timber management. The model combines a sitequality‐dependent forest‐growth module with modules for the timber industry, timber products use, waste management, and energy supply. The model is calibrated with data of a Swiss lowland region for the period of 1900–1997. Scenarios are developed for the period until 2100 in order to discuss possible future roles of domestic timber.
Studies on penicillinase produced by a strain of Staphylococcus aureus

Some aspects of the induction of penicillinase formation in penicillin-resistant strains of staphylococci have been studied, particularly with respect to methicillin and benzylpenicillin. The greater effectiveness of methicillin, in this respect, is shown to be due largely to greater stability towards penicillinase. A method of preparing cell-free penicillinase is described, and some properties of this and the penicillinase of whole cells, reported. The Michaelis constants for a number of penicillins are given and their significance with regard to the effectiveness of the penicillin against penicillinase-producing staphylococci is discussed. The inactivation of staphylococcal penicillinase by high concentrations of substrate is described.