Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Linguistic gender marking gap and female staffing at MNC’s

This paper presents the impact of the linguistic gender marking gap on expatriate female staffing decisions in a multinational company. Transaction cost theory postulates that due to cultural differences, integration between parent and subsidiary companies becomes complex and costly. However, staffing from parent organisations could be helpful to minimise the cultural conflict by establishing better control and hence reducing the transaction cost. Language is considered as one of the major components that shapes culture, and linguistic gender marking gap could cause a difference in attitude towards male and female staff members from parent companies. Due to the nature of linguistic structures, which are embedded in ancestral culture and have a cognitive effect on speakers, the gap has two levels. The first is the gap between home and host countries’ languages. The second is between the official and informal languages used by the headquarters and the subsidiary. The analytical model, using an innovative gender gap variable, supports two carefully developed propositions, that the success of expatriate staffing at managerial level depends on the linguistic gender marking gap between home and host country, and that use of organisational language in subsidiaries reduces the linguistic gender marking gap between them.
Factors influencing penetration of micro-insurance in kenya

iv LIST OF TABLES . viii ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS . ix CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Background of the Study . 1 1.1.1 Concept of Micro-Insurance . 3 1.1.2 Insurance Penetration . 4 1.1.3 The Insurance Industry in Kenya . 5 1.2 The Research Problem . 7 1.3 Research Objectives . 10 1.4 Value of the Study . 10 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW . 11 2.
The Development of a simulation model for the Flexilink Protocol

The Flexilink protocol has been proposed to support audio-visual communication across the Internet. The protocol aims to support low latency to reduce communication jitter and support different sampling frequencies. This paper discusses real-time Ethernet protocols and presents a simulation model developed to evaluate the Flexilink protocol using the OMNeT++ simulation platform to simulate the behaviour of the Flexilink protocol over Ethernet networks. Simulation-based evaluation strategy enables the protocol to be evaluated by considering the effects of different parameters and different topologies, which would have been both time-consuming and costly if done using real hardware.
ELLIPTICAL ZONE BODY SEGMENT MODELlNG SOFTWARE: DIGITISING, MODELlNG AND BODY SEGMENT PARAMETER CALCULATION

The purpose of this paper is to introduce biomechanists to the 'eZone' software program as an efficient and readily accessible means of obtaining body segment parameter (BSP) data by the elliptical zone method. eZone is a MATLAB based program that eliminates the need for digitizing tables and thereby offers the possibility that the elliptical zone method could be used widely to maximize the accuracy of derived kinematics and kinetics. Preliminary results indicate that the product is 'user friendly'. However, the accuracy and reliability of the eZone program in particular and the elliptical zone method in general need to be established relative to other methods.
Assessment of Nutritional Status by Estimation of Nutrients and Food Intakes of Korean Elderly Women Living in Residential Homes

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of elderly women living in residential homes by esti- mating nutrients and food intakes. Food consumption survey was conducted by 3-day 24hr recall method with 99 elderly women aged 65 to 90 years from three residential homes in Seoul, Choonchun and Chunan and 46 free-living elderly women aged 65 to 88 years from Chunan as control group. Food intake data was converted into nutrient intake using computer aided nutritional analysis program. Mean energy intake and percentage of recommended daily allowance(RDA) of residential home residents were 1696kcal and 101% of RDA while those of control were estimated as 1939kcal and 119% of RDA. On average, absolute amount of nutrient intakes of residential home residents were slightly higher than control group. Subjects in control group showed significantly lower carbohydrate and vitamin A intake, while vitamin C intake was higher. However, nutrient intake quality determined by INQ(Index of nutritional quality) was significantly higher among control subjects in most nutrients except vitamin A than residential home residents. Intakes of calcium, vitamin A and riboflavin of all subjects in this study were less than 75% RDA meaning that nutritional status of calcium, vitamin A and riboflavin was insufficient and could possibly result in nutritional deficient. Some food groups such as milk or other dairy products must be strongly suggested to improve nutritional status of elderly women in this study. Ac- cording to the results of this study, meal plans of residential homes are quite adequate in quantity of macronutrients, but need to be improved in both quantity and quality of micronutrients. (J Community Nutrition 6(1) : 12 ~ 17, 2004)
An Analysis of Preposition (Idiomatic Phrases, Prepositional Phrases and Zero Prepositions) Detection Errors in the Writing of Graduate ESL Learners of Pakistan

In this paper we describe a methodology for detecting preposition errors in the writing of ESL graduate learners. To investigate the nature of errors in the writing skill problems of graduate learners, two fifty graduate male and female learners randomly selected from four colleges and one university were asked to complete two writing skill tasks: Fifth word deletion and open composition test. The study is related to the research question: Why ESL graduate learners commit errors in their writing skills? (a) Prepositions, phrasal verbs and idiomatic phrases. It is detected that preposition overuse and preposition omission are the common problems for ESL. Besides, students deem prepositions quite tricky to use in their writing. So the findings show the wrong use of prepositions specifically ‘with, in, of’ and unnecessary insertion of prepositions. It is observed that errors are because of the interference of L1 in L2. Besides, the final results of the two tests showed that Prepositions (prepositional verbs, prepositional phrases, phrasal verbs, zero prepositions) are quite problematic for ESL learners. The learners try to put prepositions on the same patterns of L1 which ultimately leads them towards errors. Keywords: Prepositions, idiomatic phrases, prepositional phrases, zero prepositions and interference of L1 in L2
Line Flow Based WLAV State Estimation using BBO and WIPSO Techniques

This paper presents a new line flow based weighted least absolute value (LFWLAV) technique for power systems making use of line flows, bus power injections and bus voltage magnitudes as the measurement vector has been suggested and it has been solved through BBO and WIPSO methods. State variables are estimated by means of constant, line flow based jacobian matrix developed from the network equations. The proposed selection of state variables has been advantageous as the jacobian matrix turns out to be constant which reduces the computational burden. Moreover, the suggested technique generates an output which gives a suggestion related to the overloaded lines and limit violated buses instantly rather than calculating them through separate equations. Weighted Least Squares (WLS) technique has been applied for solving the proposed line flow based state equations in the absence as well as presence of bad measurements and the results are validated against those obtained using the conventional WLAV technique. The effectiveness of the proposed method was examined by computer simulations through three test systems: (1) 14-bus IEEE test system, (2) 30bus IEEE test system and (3) 57-bus IEEE test system. Its convergence and calculation time had been determined cautiously and when compared with options acquired with the aid of the standard WLAV method. The results show that the proposed LFWLAV method spends less execution time than the standard method does with similar convergence characteristics.
D-Galactose Catabolism in Penicillium Chrysogenum: Expression Analysis of the Structural Genes of the Leloir Pathway

In this study, we analyzed the expression of the structural genes encoding the fve enzymes comprising the Leloir pathway of D-galactose catabolism in the industrial cell factory Penicillium chrysogenum on various carbon sources. The genome of P. chrysogenum contains a putative galactokinase gene at the annotated locus Pc13g10140, the product of which shows strong structural similarity to yeast galactokinase that was expressed on lactose and D-galactose only. The expression profle of the galactose-1-phosphate uridylyl transferase gene at annotated locus Pc15g00140 was essentially similar to that of galactokinase. This is in contrast to the results from other fungi such as Aspergillus nidulans , Trichoderma reesei and A. niger , where the ortholog galactokinase and galactose-1-phosphate uridylyl transferase genes were constitutively expressed. As for the UDP-galactose-4-epimerase encoding gene, fve candidates were identifed. We could not detect Pc16g12790, Pc21g12170 and Pc20g06140 expression on any of the carbon sources tested, while for the other two loci (Pc21g10370 and Pc18g01080) transcripts were clearly observed under all tested conditions. Like the 4-epimerase specifed at locus Pc21g10370, the other two structural Leloir pathway genes–UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (Pc21g12790) and phosphoglucomutase (Pc18g01390)–were expressed constitutively at high levels as can be expected from their indispensable function in fungal cell wall formation.
Dimensions of Job Performance

Abstract : This report describes and applies a method of determining the dimensions that make up the performance of work throughout the Navy's enlisted ratings and grades. The dimensions of work performance are defined within a hierarchy from micro to macro and the relationships between such dimensions and input variables such as ability, experience, and motivation are described. Key inclusions and omissions from current research within DoD on the prediction of job performance are identified. Keywords: Job Performance, Performance measures, Performance dimensions, Naval personnel, Enlisted personnel.
Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting of Mycoplasma gallisepticum isolates from chickens

Ten field isolates of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) from different geographical areas of Iran were analyzed by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD). RAPD analysis produced reproducible banding patterns on the basis of which various distinct amplification patterns could be detected. MG isolates compared with reference strains (S6 and Mg SS) and vaccine strain (ts-11) and demonstrated distinct RAPD profiles. The results indicated genotypic diversity and heterogeneity among MG isolated from field, which can be used for epidemiological studies and for differentiation between vaccine strain, and field isolates.
A dual graph construction for higher-rank graphs, and K-theory for finite 2-graphs

Given a k-graph A and an element p of N k , we define the dual k-graph, pA. We show that when A is row-finite and has no sources, the C*-algebras C*(A) and C*(pA) coincide. We use this isomorphism to apply Robertson and Steger's results to calculate the K-theory of C*(A) when A is finite and strongly connected and satisfies the aperiodicity condition.
Environmentally Friendly Bleaching on Bamboo (Neosinocalamus) Kraft Pulp Cooked by Displacement Digester System

The bleaching of pulp prepared by a displacement digester system (DDS) for displacement cooking of bamboo (Neosinocalamus) was established by comparing the results from elemental chlorine-free (ECF) bleaching and totally chlorine-free (TCF) bleaching. This process produced the optimal performance of obtained pulp via O-D0-EOP-D1 bleaching, where the Kappa number of DDS pulp was 18 to 22, and the Kappa number of oxygen delignified pulp was 10 to 12. The brightness of the obtained pulp was over 86% ISO, the yield was up to 46%, and the viscosity was approximately 800 mL·g-1. In contrast, O-Q-P1-P2 bleaching was advantageous for pulp with kappa number less than 5 after oxygen delignification. The brightness of obtained pulp was up to 81% ISO, the yield was over 40%, and the viscosity was about 650 mL·g-1. In TCF bleaching, the water consumption was 20 m3·t-1, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) content was 30 kg·t-1, and the absorbable organic halogen (AOX) content was zero. The water consumption of ECF bleaching was 4 times that of TCF bleaching, while the COD content was 16 kg·t-1 and the AOX content was 2 kg·t-1.
Anisotropic Character of Talc Surfaces as Revealed by Streaming Potential Measurements, Atomic Force Microscopy, Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Contact Angle Measurements

Abstract A study of the interfacial properties of the basal plane and the edge surfaces of talc is described in this paper. The isoelectric points measured at two different crystallographic surfaces by the streaming potential method were found to be similar and exist at about pH 3.0. In the case of the edge surface, the zeta potential increases at higher pH values which can be attributed to the hydration of surface magnesium ions. The forces between the edge of a 20 μm talc particle and the two different crystallographic surfaces of talc were measured at various pH values using atomic force microscopy (AFM). These measurements show differences between the properties of the basal plane and edge of the talc. Finally, the differences in the hydration of the basal plane and the edge of talc are revealed from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The basal plane of talc is much less hydrated than the edge as can be seen from the water density distribution functions which correlate quite well with the contact angle measurements at the basal plane surface and the edge surface. Improved quality of the edge surface was achieved by sandblasting (erosion with alumina) and research regarding the characteristics of this edge surface is in progress.
Public Market Institutions in Venture Capital: Value Creation for Entrepreneurial Firms

Institutions that traditionally focus on the public equity market are making an increasing number of venture capital (VC) investments in the private market. This paper investigates this phenomenon and finds that an institution-backed entrepreneurial firm is more likely to have a successful exit, either through an IPO or through an acquisition. These institution-backed entrepreneurial firms also tend to be more mature, require higher amount of financing and attract more reputable VC investors. Our baseline results continue to hold in a propensity score matching analysis. Further analysis indicates a strong positive association between prior public equity market performance of an institution and successful exit of entrepreneurial firms backed by the institution. Finally, we present evidence consistent with the hypothesis that institutions contribute to the successful exits of entrepreneurial firms through the certification effect.
Symbolic software for Y -energy extremal Finsler submanifolds

The paper describes a novel software library which provides the basic relativistic geometric objects for (pseudo-) Finsler manifolds. This extends the MAPLE symbolic computation framework initiated by Rutz de Solange ((4)). In particular, the Y -mean curvature ((42)) is studied for pseudo-Finsler locally Minkowski manifolds, and the PDEs of the Y - extremal minimal hypersurfaces are derived for the conformally deformed Berwald-Moor relativistic model.
Packet switching networks traffic prediction based on radial basis function neural network

New multimedia applications require Quality of Service support, which is still not successfully implemented in current packet-switched networks implementations. This paper presents a concept of neural network predictor, suitable for prediction of short-term values of traffic volume generated by end user. The architecture is Radial Basis Function neural network, optimized with respect to a number of neurons. Testing mode of the neural network is very fast, what enables application of this tool in nodes of telecommunication network. This would help to warn a network management system on early symptoms of congestion expected in the near future and avoid the network overload.
An empirical analysis on the relationship between emissions trading system and R&D investment

Innovation is now expected to play an important role to overcome difficult issues of climate change more than ever. To examine how to induce innovation, the relationship between environmental policy and innovation has been focused on. Still few researches, however, have examined the impact of the EU emission trading scheme on innovation based on econometric analysis. This study scrutinises how corporate responses towards the EU ETS influence R&D investments of EU major corporations. Using firm-level panel data, which is constructed based on the data of corporate responses to the Carbon Disclosure Project, EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, and corporations’ CSR reports, I estimate two dynamic panel models using system GMM estimator. Endogeneity issue is addressed in these models. The results show that corporations which have a policy or a strategy to comply with the EU ETS or to react proactively before being regulated by the EU ETS are more likely to encourage R&D investment. The process of reacting towards the EU ETS may provide an opportunity for corporations to recognise the importance of R&D investment for their future strategy.
Impedance Method for Leak Detection in Zigzag Pipelines

Impedance Method for Leak Detection in Zigzag Pipelines Transportation of liquids is a primary aspect of human life. The most important infrastructure used accordingly is the pipeline. It serves as an asset for transporting different liquids and strategic goods. The latter are for example: chemical substances, oil, gas and water. Thus, it is necessary to monitor such infrastructures by means of specific tools. Leakage detection methods are used to reveal liquid leaks in pipelines for many applications, namely, waterworks, oil pipelines, industry heat exchangers, etc. The configuration of pipelines is a key issue because it impacts on the effectiveness of the method to be used and, consequently, on the results to be counterchecked. This research illustrated an improvement of the impedance method for zigzag pipeline by carrying out an experimental frequency analysis that has been compared with other methods based on frequency response. Hence, the impedance method is generally used for simple (straight) pipeline configurations because complicated pipelines with many curves introduce difficulties and major uncertainties in the calculation of characteristic impedance and in the statement of boundary conditions. The paper illustrates the case of a water pipeline where the leakage is acquired thanks to pressure transducers.
Quantifiable effectiveness of experimental scaling of river-and delta morphodynamics and stratigraphy

Laboratory experiments to simulate landscapes and stratigraphy often suffer from scale effects, because reducing lengthand time scales leads to different behaviour of water and sediment. Classically, scaling proceeded from dimensional analysis of the equations of motion and sediment transport, and minor concessions, such as vertical length scale distortion, led to acceptable results. In the past decade many experiments were done that seriously violated these scaling rules, but nevertheless produced significant and insightful results that resemble the real world in quantifiable ways. Here we focus on self-formed fluvial channels and channel patterns in experiments. The objectives of this paper are 1) to identify what aspects of scaling considerations are most important for experiments that simulate morphodynamics and stratigraphy of rivers and deltas, 2) to establish a design strategy for experiments based on a combination of relaxed classical scale rules, theory of bars and meanders, and small-scale experiments focussed at specific processes. We present a number of small laboratory setups and protocols that we use to rapidly quantify erosive and sedimentary types of forms and dynamics that develop in the landscape experiments as a function of detailed properties such as effective material strength and to assess potential scale effects. Most importantly, the width-to-depth ratio of channels determines the bar pattern and meandering tendency. The strength of floodplain material determines these channel dimensions, and theory predicts that laboratory rivers should have 1.5 times larger width-to-depth ratios for the same bar pattern. We show how floodplain formation can be controlled by adding silt-sized silica flour, bentonite, Medicago sativa (alfalfa) or Partially Hydrolyzed PolyAcrylamide (a synthetic polymer) to poorly sorted sediment. The experiments demonstrate that there is a narrow range of conditions between no mobility of bed or banks, and too much mobility. The density of vegetation and the volume proportion of silt allow well-controllable channel dimensions whereas the polymer proved difficult to control. The theory, detailed methods of quantification and experimental setups presented here show that the rivers and deltas created in the laboratory seem to behave as natural rivers when the experimental conditions adhere to the relaxed scaling rules identified herein, and that required types of fluvio-deltaic morphodynamics can be provoked by conditions and sediments selected on the basis of a series of small-scale experiments.
Constraining bubble dynamics and mixing with dissolved gases: Implications for productivity measurements by oxygen mass balance

We used a dynamic mixed layer model to determine carbon export by the oxygen mass balance method from a time series of O-2/Ar, N-2/Ar and Ne measurements collected at station ALOHA near Hawaii from July 2000 to June 2001. The inert gas measurements constrain the flux of oxygen into the mixed layer from small, collapsing bubbles (injection) to be greater than or equal to the flux from larger bubbles (exchange), with mean estimates of the ratio in the range of 1-2. We also show that monthly observations of temperature and inert gases cannot constrain the rate of diapycnal mixing at this location, because of uncertainties in air-sea heat flux estimates and bubble dynamics. Organic carbon export from the mixed layer calculated from our dataset was 1.1 +/- 0.5 mol C m(-2) yr(-1), with most of the error deriving from uncertainties in the parameterization of diffusive gas exchange with wind speed. Our estimates of carbon export from the zone beneath the mixed layer but still in the euphotic zone ranged from 0 to 0.6 mol C m(-2) yr(-1) as the rate of background diapycnal mixing was increased from 0. 1 to 1.0 cm(2) s(-1). We conclude that the oxygen mass balance method has errors of about a factor of two in areas similar to the subtropical North Pacific, with the main uncertainties deriving from mixing rates and the parameterization of diffusive gas exchange.