Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Entry Modes and the Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in a European Union Accession Country: The Case of Albania

The countries of South-Eastern Europe have begun attracting the interest of foreign investors as stability has begun to return to the region. For the purpose of this study, valuable information was collected regarding the determination of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Albania during the transition period 1989–2004. Its purpose was to identify the entry modes and the kind and type of motives and entry barriers for inward FDI that foreign firms have considered entering the country. This research has identified a variety of internal business conditions/factors (obstacles– motives/incentives) that have been examined by foreign enterprises. The study is part of a broader research agenda in the region based on previous FDI theories and follows Dunning's theory regarding the possible motives and entry barriers for foreign direct investment. A total of 51 foreign companies participated in this research representing the bulk of current, major FDIs into the country, providing a strong foundation upon which to base the findings.
Is the MCI a Useful Signal of Monetary Policy Conditions? An Empirical Investigation

This paper considers the role of the monetary conditions index as a tool to coomunicate the stance of monetary policy. The MCI is a linear combination of interest rate and exchange rate changes. Canada and New Zeland are pioneers in its usage. While the MCI was intended to increase monetary policy transparency and credibility it can also lead to confusion in financial markets especially if it is unclear whether changes in the MCI signal looser or tighter monetary policy. Daily data for Canada and New Zealand are to illustrate similarities and differences in how the MCI, versus the underlying asset prices that make up the index, react to "news". Anecdotal evidence is also used to make the point that the MCI can confuse rather than clarify the interpretation of monetary conditions.
Reevaluation of Energy Use in Wheat Production in the United States

Energy budgets for agricultural production can be used as building blocks for life‐cycle assessments that include agricultural products, and can also serve as a first step toward identifying crop production processes that benefit most from increased efficiency. A general trend toward increased energy efficiency in U.S. agriculture has been reported. For wheat cultivation, in particular, this study updates cradle‐to‐gate process analyses produced in the seventies and eighties. Input quantities were obtained from official U.S. statistics and other sources and multiplied by calculated or recently published energy coefficients. The total energy input into the production of a kilogram of average U.S. wheat grain is estimated to range from 3.1 to 4.9 MJ/kg, with a best estimate at 3.9 MJ/kg. The dominant contribution is energy embodied in nitrogen fertilizer at 47% of the total energy input, followed by diesel fuel (25%), and smaller contributions such as energy embodied in seed grain, gasoline, electricity, and phosphorus fertilizer. This distribution is reflected in the energy carrier mix, with natural gas dominating (57%), followed by diesel fuel (30%). High variability in energy coefficients masks potential gains in total energy efficiency as compared to earlier, similar U.S. studies. Estimates from an input‐output model for several input processes agree well with process analysis results, but the model's application can be limited by aggregation issues: Total energy inputs for generic food grain production were lower than wheat fertilizer inputs alone, possibly due to aggregation of diverse products into the food grain sector.
Studying the behavior of a multiobjective genetic algorithm to design fuzzy rule-based classification systems for imbalanced data-sets

This paper studies the behavior of a multiobjective Genetic Algorithm for jointly performing a feature selection and granularity learning for Fuzzy Rule-Based Classification Systems in the scenario of imbalanced data-sets. We refer to imbalanced data-sets when the class distribution is not uniform, a situation that it is present in many real application areas. We consider two different measures, one for the precision of the model and other for its complexity as the two objectives to optimize. In one previous approach, we aggregate these two measures in a single-objective Genetic Algorithm, and thus, a multiobjective approach of that Genetic Algorithm would yield a set of models with different trade-off between high accuracy and low complexity rather than a unique model, provided by the single-objective Genetic Algorithm. The experimental analysis, carried out over a wide range of imbalanced data-sets, shows that our approach is able to obtain a set of models with good trade-off between the two objectives considered but it is an open problem how to select the solution with best prediction ability from the whole set of solutions obtained.
Successful Treatment of Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis by Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Lavage Using Dialysate Containing Dissolved Hydrogen

due to Kingella species, nothing has been mentioned about using intraperitoneal antibiotics with PD fluid. Although our patient attempted to maintain strict sterile precautions and took appropriate care of her PD catheter site, 1 possibility may be that she contaminated the PD set with her oral secretions while coughing. She did admit that maybe 1 – 2 times she failed to use a facemask. This is a hypothesis only, as there is no definitive evidence of causality in our case. There is also no evidence in our case of the organism traversing the gastrointestinal tract to gain entrance into the peritoneal cavity. The possibility of causation via blood borne entry from the oral cavity or aerosol contamination seems to be the most plausible. Figueiredo et al. (18) suggested that use of a face mask during CAPD bag exchange gives no extra protection against peritoneal contamination. More importantly, patients must be educated to perform the connect/disconnect operation carefully, and to strictly observe accidental contamination of the hands. But the description was limited to a single renal unit with a seemingly small number of patients. Also, the patients were healthy and not sick like our patient who was coughing intermittently. This stresses the importance of strict hand hygiene and using a mask, especially if sick, before doing PD exchanges. She will be continued on long-term antibiotics for 6 weeks, her PD catheter was removed, and she will undergo intermittent hemodialysis with a tunneled catheter. In retrospect, she may have had a better outcome with intraperitoneal antibiotics. After completing her 42 days of antibiotics and close follow-up with regard to the clinical response, she will be re-evaluated regarding timing for the placement of a new PD catheter.
Organizational Change and Management Control in a Not-For-Profit Organization:A Qualitative Field Study

In this article we report the results of an inductive field study designed to develop an understanding of organizational and accounting change in an Australian church organization. We approach this study following the insights from Burns and Scapens’ (2000) theorisation of management accounting change and the new institutional sociology perspective. The data collection and analytical methodology adopted is grounded approach that summarized interview data into shorter statements to identify themes and to reveal the emergent phenomena. Eight broad themes emerged and were the points of discussion adopted by us. The cause and effect relationships of the predominantly internally generated organisational changes within a Christian-based community service organization became apparent. The subject organization had enjoyed success through hard work, commitment, dedication and loyalty and the collective energy of the individuals and groups within. Additionally, pressures of tighter government funding and service outcome orientation moderately caused the traditional family-like structure to diminish and evolve into, or at least resembled a more corporate styled organization. However, the structuring of the funded operations within the organization had a strong grain of internal force at the time that kept these influences fairly minimal, but manageable without impacting, to a large degree, the management accounting control mechanisms. Our contribution to the accounting and organizational change literature lies in the diversity in the findings that offers a rich and colorful representation of the impact of radical change in a not-for-profit organization. We call for more empirical research into this emerging area in management accounting.
Learning to invest better: Using ex post investment analysis on agri-environmental research and development

Public investment in agri-environmental, or natural resources management research, will be an ongoing challenge for evaluation. Two decades of triple bottom line research evaluation on publically funded portfolio investments are presented here as a useful example of research evaluation. These applications of the method to investments in a A$125 m (in present value terms) portfolio included 39 case studies incorporating 641 projects over two decades led by a government agency (Land & Water Australia). This portfolio-level analysis, with conservative assumptions and explicit attribution, shows that the reported returns to economic, environmental, and social values provide useful information. The program and project case studies have been published progressively to inform ex ante investments and this article provides a synthesis of that work. This article presents portfolio-level lessons from the conservative analysis of selected investments to show that for each dollar invested, >$5 of benefits were returned. The rate of return was 26%, making research investment in natural resource management a strongly performing investment. Despite the advances made using this method, there remain challenges in fully describing social and environmental outcomes. This method has now been applied to 15 other agencies investing >$441 m annually in Australian agri-environmental research and development. This portfolio evaluation of agri-environmental research and development is also a useful entry to the devilish details and a wealth of research evaluation knowledge. Copyright The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com, Oxford University Press.
Does corporate disclosure policy change financial analysts' behaviour? Evidence from France

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether financial analysts are sensitive to voluntary earning disclosures.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a literature review of the relationship between analysts' behaviour and corporate disclosures. It is assumed first that analyst coverage both influences and is influenced by voluntary earning disclosures, and that second, French managers are expected to make voluntary disclosures in order to reduce market uncertainty. To test these hypotheses, a simultaneous equation model and an ordinary least square regression framework were estimated on a sample of 154 French‐listed firms between 1998 and 2001.Findings – The results show that voluntary earning disclosures positively influence analyst coverage decision. They also show that voluntary disclosures improve the accuracy of analyst forecasts and reduce market uncertainty.Research limitations/implications – The paper does not cover all forms of corporate voluntary disclosures.Practical i.
MicroART: A Software Architecture Recovery Tool for Maintaining Microservice-Based Systems

Microservice-based systems are characterised by a multitude of small services, each running in its own process and communicating with lightweight mechanisms. The microservice architectural style strongly encourages high decoupling among microservices in order to ease their independent deployment, operation, and maintenance. However, there are situations in which having a global overview of the system is fundamental. In this paper we present the first prototype of our Architecture Recovery Tool for microservice-based systems called MicroART. MicroART following Model-Driven Engineering principles, is able to generate models of the software architecture of a microservice-based system, that can be managed by software architects for multiple purposes.
Business Failure in Construction Industry

Business failure is an extremely disruptive force in the construction industry. The chance of failure for a construction company has increased over the past 10 years. In the past five years, the average age of a construction company at failure has been declining. Construction companies must always be aware of the possibility of business failure. Constant monitoring of their financial condition through the use of financial ratios is key. Overall industry indicators must also be monitored and trends analyzed to determine swings in failure probabilities. This paper investigates the effect of macroeconomic factors on business failures in the construction industry, and develops a model for evaluating and forecasting these failures.
An integration model for innovative products in Korea and China: bio-based smart clothing

In order to analyse users' acceptance of an innovative product in the information age, this study investigates the relationships among perceived ease of use, usefulness, enjoyment, and purchase intention of smart clothing based on bio-signal. This study considers the fashion innovation and technology innovation to understand potential users' characteristics of innovative products. To achieve objectives of this study, we carry out the survey targeting reading groups, and providing them with pictures of biomedical smart clothes. Perceived ease of use and benefit had a positive effect on the purchase intention in Korea, but did not have an effect on the purchase intention in China. The results of the difference analysis shows that the fashion innovation perceiving the Chinese customers had a greater impact the perceived ease of use and usefulness than the Korea customers. This study provides various insights on the market for innovative products, suggesting that our results may be useful to both companies and researchers.
An Effective Graph-Based Hierarchy Image Segmentation

Abstract This paper explores a Minimum Span Tree (MST) based multi-level image segmentation method. We define an edge weight based optimal criterion (merging predicate) which based on statistical learning theory (SLT), a scale control parameter is used to control the segmentation scale. On the other hand, a data structure is designed to keep adjacency of the objects during the MST based segmenting process. This make it is a simple and easy way to realize multi-level hierarchy image segmentation. Experiments based on the natural image and high resolution remote sensing images show the proposed merging predicate can keep the integrity of the objects and do well on preventing over-segmentation; the multi-level segmentation can avoid less segmentation. It also proves its efficiency in segmenting the high resolution remote sensing images. It will provide multilevel spatial neighbours’ information for image interpretation.
COHERENT RISK MEASURES FOR DERIVATIVES UNDER BLACK–SCHOLES ECONOMY

This paper proposes a risk measure for a portfolio of European-style derivative securities over a fixed time horizon under the Black–Scholes economy. The proposed risk measure is scenario-based along the same line as [3]. The risk measure is constructed by using the risk-neutral probability (-measure), the physical probability (-measure) and a family of subjective probability measures. The subjective probabilities are introduced by using Girsanov's theorem. In this way, we provide risk managers or regulators with the flexibility of adjusting the risk measure according to their risk preferences and subjective beliefs. The advantages of the proposed measure are that it is easy to implement and that it satisfies the four desirable properties introduced in [3], which make it a coherent risk measure. Finally, we incorporate the presence of transaction costs into our framework.
Nitrogen fluorescence induced by the femtosecond intense laser pulses in air

Our experiments show that external focusing and initial laser energy strongly influences filament generated by the femtosecond Ti–sapphire laser in air. The experimental measurements show the filament length can be extended both by increasing the laser energy and focal length of focusing lens. On the other hand, the plasma fluorescence emission can be enhanced by increasing the laser energy with fixed focal length or decreasing the focal length. In addition, the collapse distance measured experimentally are larger than the calculated ones owing to the group-velocity-dispersion effect. In addition, we find that the line widths of the spectral lines from $\text{N}_{2}$ is independent of filament positions, laser energies and external focusing.
Depressive symptoms and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in women after childbirth

This study examined the course of psychological problems in women from late pregnancy to six months postpartum, the rates of psychiatric, especially depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms and possible related antecedent variables. During late pregnancy, one to three days postpartum, six weeks and six months postpartum, 47 of the 60 participating women completed a battery of questionnaires including the General Health Questionnaire, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the PTSD Symptom Scale. In general, most women recovered from psychiatric and somatic problems over the period of investigation. However, depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms in particular were not found to decline significantly. Six weeks postpartum, 22% of the women had depressive symptoms, with this figure remaining at 21.3% six months postpartum. In addition, 6% of the women studied reported clinically significant PTSD symptoms at six weeks postpartum with 14.9% reporting such symptoms at six months postpartum. The most important predictor for depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms was the block variable “anxiety in late pregnancy”. Other predictors were the variables “psychiatric symptoms in late pregnancy”, “critical life events” and the “experience of delivery”. The results of our study show a high prevalence rate of psychiatric symptoms in women after childbirth and suggest, besides the experience of the delivery itself, a vulnerability or predisposing history that makes the development of psychiatric symptoms after childbirth more probable.
A New Approach for the Determination of Ventilatory and Lactate Thresholds

In order to determine the ventilatory threshold (VT) and the lactate threshold (LT) in a reliable way, a new method is proposed and compared with conventional methods. The new method consists of calculating the point that yields the maximal distance from a curve representing ventilatory and metabolic variables as a function of oxygen uptake (VO2) to the line formed by the two end points of the curve (Dmax method). Male cyclists (n = 8) performed two incremental exercise tests a week apart. Ventilatory/metabolic variables were measured and blood was sampled for later lactate measurement during each workload and immediately after exercise. No statistical differences were observed in the threshold values (expressed as absolute oxygen uptake; VO2) determined by the Dmax method and the conventional linear regression method (according to O2 equivalent; EqO2) and venous blood at the onset of blood lactate (OBLA), while VT assessed with the conventional linear method (according to the slope of CO2 output; Vslope) yielded significantly lower threshold values. Similar results were obtained from the reproducibility test. Thus, the Dmax method appears to be an objective and reliable method for threshold determination, which can be applied to various ventilatory or metabolic variables yet yield similar results. The results also showed that breathing frequency can be used to determine VT.
Staggered SAR: High-Resolution Wide-Swath Imaging by Continuous PRI Variation

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a remote sensing technique, capable of providing high-resolution images independent of weather conditions and sunlight illumination. This makes SAR very attractive for the systematic observation of dynamic processes on the Earth's surface. However, conventional SAR systems are limited in that a wide swath can only be achieved at the expense of a degraded azimuth resolution. This limitation can be overcome by using systems with multiple receive apertures, displaced in along track, but a very long antenna is required to map a wide swath. If a relatively short antenna with a single aperture in along track is available, it is still possible to map a wide area: Multiple swaths can be, in fact, simultaneously imaged using digital beamforming in elevation, but “blind ranges” are present between adjacent swaths. This paper considers an innovative concept, staggered SAR, where the pulse repetition interval (PRI) is continuously varied. This concept allows the imaging of a wide continuous swath without the need for a long antenna with multiple apertures. The choice of the sequence of PRIs and the preprocessing of the raw data are discussed in detail, showing how the staggered SAR is even less affected by ambiguities of pointlike or extended targets with respect to a system with constant PRI, which simultaneously maps multiple swaths. Some system design examples are finally presented and compared.
Identification of Rhizobium-specific intergenic mosaic elements within an essential two-component regulatory system of Rhizobium species

Analysis of the DNA regions upstream of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene (pckA) in Rhizobium meliloti and Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234 identified an open reading frame which was highly homologous to the Agrobacterium tumefaciens chromosomal virulence gene product ChvI. A second gene product, 500 bp downstream of the chvI-like gene in R. meliloti, was homologous to the A. tumefaciens ChvG protein. The homology between the R. meliloti and A. tumefaciens genes was confirmed, because the R. meliloti chvI and chvG genes complemented A. tumefaciens chvI and chvG mutants for growth on complex media. We were unable to construct chvI or chvG insertion mutants of R. meliloti, whereas mutants carrying insertions outside of these genes were readily obtained. A 108-bp repeat element characterized by two large palindromes was identified in the chvI and chvG intergenic regions of both Rhizobium species. This element was duplicated in Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234. Another structurally similar element with a size of 109 bp was present in R. meliloti but not in Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234. These elements were named rhizobium-specific intergenic mosaic elements (RIMEs), because their distribution seems to be limited to members of the family Rhizobiaceae. A homology search in GenBank detected six more copies of the first element (RIME1), all in Rhizobium species, and three extra copies of the second element (RIME2), only in R. meliloti. Southern blot analysis with a probe specific to RIME1 showed the presence of several copies of the element in the genome of R. meliloti, Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234, Rhizobium leguminosarum, and Agrobacterium rhizogenes, but none was present in A. tumefaciens and Bradyrhizobium japonicum.