Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trapped in a State of Mitigating Danger: Forgotten Process, Forgotten Women

Women who are in intimate partner abusive relationships undergo a change process, which is a spectrum of emotional and behavioral responses to violence that is identifiable in stages. The end result is that wo�en terminate their relationships or renegotiate their circumstances to halt the violence: Treatment protocol for abused women is shifting to individualized intervention based on these stages. Leaving and returning to an abusive relationship is a predominant theme in the change process that has not been investigated. The present study examined this forgotten leave-return process in a sample of forgotten women. Grounded theory methodology was utilized to describe the experiences of 18 primarily homeless, African American women with a history of substance use, who had left and returned to an intimate partner abusive relationship multiple times. Data were colleqted by audio taped, semi-structured interview. Central to women's experiences was mitigating danger. The key components of mitigating danger are: (1) coming to know abuse as danger; (2) how knowing motivates leaving and (3) the continuity of danger incurred by leaving. The prevailing contextual condition that influenced coming to know danger was the abuser's substance use. Experiencing abuse within this context influenced perception that violent episodes were more severe, frequent and unpredictable. Protective leaving, which is accompanied by returning, is a reflection of this unpredictability. Because the experiences of these women did not include the progression of cognitive change as reported in extant research, protective leaving indicates that a readiness to terminate abusive relationships may exist. Their entrapment was influenced
OPTIMIZATION OF USE OF MANUFACTURING RESOURCES BY ENTERPRISES OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

The article deals with the main aspects of the stages of development and construction of an optimization of the economic and mathematical model of agricultural enterprises' resources for identifying reserves of resource potential, its rational use and increase of the economic efficiency of economic activity. Some economic indicators of functioning and development of agricultural enterprises that can be taken into account when compiling an optimization model are analysed. The basic stages of construction of the economic and mathematical model and their characteristic features are revealed. Applied testing of mathematical calculations has been carried out for the agricultural enterprise LLC UM-Vatutino, which wants to optimize the structure of its production in order to ensure maximum overall profitability. The developed economic and mathematical model provides the main activities of the UM-Vatutino LLC. They are the cultivation of grain and forage crops, cows of various productivity. Such a model can be used to analyse and identify the reserves of resource potential of enterprises of any form of ownership, at different periods of time, as well as to identify features of strategies for improving the economic efficiency of economic activity of the enterprise itself and its individual units. In addition, the constructed model can be modified both structurally and substantively. The analysis results are processed by means of one of the office programs of Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheets. Data analysis has been performed with the use of the "Solver" tool in spreadsheets. It allows finding an optimization solution with a large number of variables. As a result, it has been confirmed that the application of economic and mathematical methods is very effective in assessing not only the resource potential of agricultural enterprises, but also optimizing the volumes of sales of products, feeds, raw materials for another. The process of modelling in the activities of agricultural enterprises gives the opportunity to make managerial decisions at various stages of the operation and development of the enterprise.
Climate risk in a globalized world: empirical findings from supply chains in the Swedish manufacturing sector

A consequence of the interconnectedness of global supply chains is that disturbances in one location can propagate between continents. This means that for companies to manage climate risks, it is important not just to assess risks in operation locations, but also throughout supply chains. In this paper, we analyse how 14 Swedish large export-oriented businesses view and address risks from physical climate impacts on their international supply chains. We find that climate change is not considered a priority risk and there is little evidence of risk management strategies implemented at the operational level. Businesses fail to see a clear causality between climate change as a global phenomenon and operational risks in the supply chain. Furthermore, the complicated structures of many supply chains make comprehensive risk assessment and management very resource-demanding. We conclude that there is a need for novel strategies to improve businesses’ capabilities to assess emerging risks from climate change.
Do demographic changes affect house prices?

Abstract The paper tests the idea that major demographic shifts can affect housing prices. We first build an overlapping generation model and analytically solve for the equilibrium price of the asset. The model predicts that economies with a higher fraction of old people in the overall population have lower house prices. We empirically test this hypothesis using data on house prices and demographic variables from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). We find that if population growth increases by one percentage point, house price growth increases by 1.4 percentage points.
Analysing urban policy discourses using textometry: An application to French urban transport plans (2000–2015)

This article supplements the array of methods in urban policy discourse analysis by applying textometry to a corpus of planning documents. Textometry is a systematic computer-assisted analysis of textual data. When applied to large corpora, the method can reveal contrasts that cannot readily be detected by non-instrumented human reading. It seems promising therefore to use textometry to analyse urban planning documents which, in France as in other countries, are known for being at first sight pretty indistinguishable from each other. By analysing dozens of documents at a time, this method increases the scale of analysis, enabling us to identify massive transitions in discourse over time or major contrasts among discourses emanating from specific groups of actors. When combined with classical methods (i.e. interviews, qualitative archival research), textometry seems to be effective at identifying new ways of understanding urban policy discourses. To exemplify the potential of such a method, the analysis developed here draws on a corpus of 36 French urban transport plans (plans de déplacements urbains) for the period 2000–2015. Our results display marked contrasts in discourses, mainly as a result of changes over time. Paradoxically, for most cities between 2000 and 2010, the discourses become increasingly abstract in their content while highlighting a proactive attitude and providing specific information on the document implementation process and a precise list of institutional partners.
HEDGING OPTIONS IN A DOUBLY MARKOV-MODULATED FINANCIAL MARKET VIA STOCHASTIC FLOWS

The hedging of a European-style contingent claim is studied in a continuous-time doubly Markov-modulated financial market, where the interest rate of a bond is modulated by an observable, continuous-time, finite-state, Markov chain and the appreciation rate of a risky share is modulated by a continuous-time, finite-state, hidden Markov chain. The first chain describes the evolution of credit ratings of the bond over time while the second chain models the evolution of the hidden state of an underlying economy over time. Stochastic flows of diffeomorphisms are used to derive some hedge quantities, or Greeks, for the claim. A mixed filter-based and regime-switching Black–Scholes partial differential equation is obtained governing the price of the claim. It will be shown that the delta hedge ratio process obtained from stochastic flows is a risk-minimizing, admissible mean-self-financing portfolio process. Both the first-order and second-order Greeks will be considered.
Creating connections: the role of universities in enhancing graduates’ social capital and challenging nepotism

ABSTRACT This thought piece attempts to explore the link between graduate employment and students’ social capital within the context of UK higher education. It addresses the importance of social capital and the problems faced by graduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds when applying to graduate roles. It takes a practical approach by looking at examples of initiatives within universities, including a case study from Middlesex University, that support students to make connections and grow their professional networks. It also suggests how universities can play a role in challenging the nepotism that exists within recruitment practices.
Speech Enhancement for Secure Communication Using Coupled Spectral Subtraction and Wiener Filter

The encryption process for secure voice communication may degrade the speech quality when it is applied to the speech signals before encoding them through a conventional communication system such as GSM or radio trunking. This is because the encryption process usually includes a randomization of the speech signals, and hence, when the speech is decrypted, it may perceptibly be distorted, so satisfactory speech quality for communication is not achieved. To deal with this, we could apply a speech enhancement method to improve the quality of decrypted speech. However, many speech enhancement methods work by assuming noise is present all the time, so the voice activity detector (VAD) is applied to detect the non-speech period to update the noise estimate. Unfortunately, this assumption is not valid for the decrypted speech. Since the encryption process is applied only when speech is detected, distortions from the secure communication system are characteristically different. They exist when speech is present. Therefore, a noise estimator that is able to update noise even when speech is present is needed. However, most noise estimator techniques only adapt to slow changes of noise to avoid over-estimation of noise, making them unsuitable for this task. In this paper, we propose a speech enhancement technique to improve the quality of speech from secure communication. We use a combination of the Wiener filter and spectral subtraction for the noise estimator, so our method is better at tracking fast changes of noise without over-estimating them. Our experimental results on various communication channels indicate that our method is better than other popular noise estimators and speech enhancement methods.
Essays on Endogenous Product Creation and Market (De)regulation

This thesis examines fiscal policy in a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model and the effects of market (de)regulation. Chapter 1 summarizes the thesis. Chapters 2 and 3 investigate different aspects of fiscal policy in a DSGE model with endogenous producer entry and labour market frictions. Chapters 2 studies optimum product diversity and optimal fiscal policy. I find that marginal cost pricing is optimal when market regulation is absent. However, in the presence of regulation, there are efficiency trade-offs from using fiscal instruments to eliminate one or more distortions which exist in the competitive equilibrium. Chapter 3 investigates the macroeconomic effects of fiscal shocks in economies with high and low regulation, respectively. I find that an expansion in government spending reduces product creation and is recessionary. In addition, a positive shock to labour and capital income tax rates, respectively, also generates recessionary effects due to the dynamics of entry, investment and labour market conditions. Chapter 4 examines the macroeconomic and welfare effects of market deregulation in the context of optimized unemployment benefits. Results show that benefit optimization does not generate significant overall welfare gains following deregulation. However, following labour market deregulation, an optimized path of unemployment benefits generates positive short run welfare in contrast to the non-optimized status quo. Chapter 5 empirically examines the macroeconomic effects of deregulation and interactions between regulation and reform. Results show that reducing entry barriers and employment protection, respectively, negatively affects consumption in the short run. Evidence also suggests that product market deregulation leads to a larger rise in unemployment in the short run when unemployment benefits are high.
Improving drinking water safety in recreational parks through policy changes and regulatory support in the Hunter New England region, NSW, Australia

ABSTRACT Recreational parks in the Hunter New England region of New South Wales, Australia, are very popular. Ensuring drinking water safety in the parks requires the application of a considered risk management approach. The study evaluated the compliance of public recreational parks with the NSW Public Health Act 2010 and NSW Public Health Regulation 2012 requirements to implement Quality Assurance Programs. Between March and August 2016, drinking water supplies in 54 national and three state recreational sites in regional Hunter New England were surveyed to evaluate whether the recommendations from the initial survey of 2010–2011 were implemented. The results were compared to the first survey results. All recreational sites developed and implemented drinking water quality assurance programs, compared to four during the first survey. Fifty two of 57 (91%) sites had warning signs at water outlets compared to 34 (60%) during the first survey. There were statistically significant improvements in the provision of water quality warning signs and implementation of water quality assurance programs (p < 0.0001 McNemar Chi2 Test) between the first and second surveys demonstrating a good example of beneficial policy change, with regulatory support. Further research is required to understand the ongoing challenges of drinking water management in recreational parks.
Factors impacting on student aspirations and expectations in regional Australia

This report: provides a better understanding of the aspirations and expectations of students in regional, remote and rural areas of Australia; identifies the underlying factors that drive those aspirations and expectations; identifies barriers that might hinder the students’ pursuit of their aspirations; and identifies strategies that have been effective in enhancing and sustaining the aspirations and expectations of students in regional areas.
Multiple environmentalities and post-politicization in a Canadian Mountain Park

This research explores the centrality of multiple environmentalities at multiple scales in the post-politicization of conservation governance in Jasper National Park, Canada. Austerity politics in Canada contributed to the post-politicization of conservation as the interests of Parks Canada and private developers were brought into alignment in terms of increasing visitation and the revenue imperative. The Parks Canada Agency, under structural pressure, employed several post-political strategies to suture the space for dissensus and debate and orchestrate the appearance of consent for the private development and management of park services. Central to these strategies were multiple (sovereign, disciplinary, and neoliberal) environmentalities constructed at multiple scales by multiple actors (the federal government, the local parks department, and private sector interests) aimed at producing environmental subjects who understand and acquiesce to the idea that ‘there is no alternative’ to a privatized conservation practice. In response, opponents attempted to mobilize an alternative environmentality, combining a social democratic critique of neoliberalism with a Romantic vision of wilderness conservation. Although opponents enrolled a sizeable number of allies, they fell short of stabilizing a liberation environmentality as several underlying points of ‘agreement’ contributed to the stabilization of post-political discourse and practice, foreclosing alternative political economies of conservation.
Current-Limiting Soft Starting Method for a High-Voltage and High-Power Motor

Focusing on the starting problems of a high-voltage and high-power motor, such as large starting current, low power factor, waste of resources, and lack of harmonic control, this paper proposes a current-limiting soft starting method for a high-voltage and high-power motor. The method integrates functions like autotransformer voltage reduction–current limiting starting, magnetron voltage regulation–current limiting starting, and reactive power compensation during starting, and then the power filtering subsystem is turned on to filter out harmonics in power system as the starting process terminates. According to the current-limiting starting characteristic curve, the topological structure of the integrated device is established and then the functional logic switching strategy is put forward. Afterwards, the mechanisms of current-limiting starting, reactive compensation and dynamic harmonic filtering are analyzed, and the simulation and experimental evaluation are completed. In particular, the direct starting and the current-limiting are performed by developing a simulation system. In addition, a 10 kV/19,000 kW fan-loaded motor of a steel plant is chosen as the subject to verify the performance of the current-limiting soft starting method. As shown by the experimental results, the motor’s starting current is about 2 times that of its rated current, the power factor is raised to over 0.9 after the reactive power compensation, and the harmonic filter can effectively eliminate current harmonics and reduce the total harmonic distortion (THD) of supply currents.
3-D Relative Localization of Mobile Systems Using Distance-Only Measurements via Semidefinite Optimization

In a network of cooperating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), individual UAVs usually need to localize themselves in a shared and generally global frame. This paper studies the localization problem for a group of UAVs navigating in three-dimensional space with limited shared information, viz., noisy distance measurements are the only type of interagent sensing that is available, and only one UAV knows its global coordinates, the others being GPS denied. Initially, for a two-agent problem, but easily generalized to some multiagent problems, this paper first establishes constraints on the minimum number of distance measurements required to achieve the localization. This paper then proposes a composite algorithm based on semidefinite programming (SDP) in a first step, followed by maximum likelihood estimation using gradient descent on a manifold initialized by the SDP calculation. The efficacy of the algorithm is verified with experimental noisy flight data.
Fragmented fields: Professionalisms and work settings in Italian management consultancy

Management consultancy has long been a contested terrain in the sociology of the professions. Although the professionalism of management consultants has always been emphasized by practitioners themselves, the lack of a strong community of peers has been an impediment to their professionalization. In this article, I argue that professionalism is not the outcome of a process of regulation and institutionalization but that it has to be conceived a discourse comprising norms, worldviews, and values that define what is appropriate for an individual to be considered a competent and recognized member of this community. Given the diversity characterizing the field, there are multiple discourses surrounding professionalism of management consultants, and these discourses are shaped by work settings. Work settings are a combination of the type of organization professional partnership or professional service firm and the employment status (employee or self-employed). Drawing on the empirical evidence from various work settings (professional service firms, professional partnership, and self-employment), I investigate four clusters of practitioners identified in 55 biographical and semi-structured interviews conducted with management consultants in Italy. Four types of professionalism emerge from the clusters. Organizing professionalism is the sole professionalism that appears in all work settings. Other discourses (corporate, commercialized, and hybrid professionalism) are context-dependent and more likely to be found in specific work settings.
The Effect of Corporate Governance Scores on Firms’ Financial Performance: Evidence on BIST100 Index

Bu calismada, firmalarin finansal performans olculeri olarak kullanilan Ozsermaye Karliligi Rasyosu (ROE), Aktif Karlilik Rasyosu (ROA), ve Fiyat Kazanc Orani (F/K), Turkiye'de kurumsal yonetim ve alt-kategori skorlarinin firmalarin finansal performanslari uzerindeki etkisini incelemek icin kullanilmistir. Veri seti dengeli olmayan bir veri seti olup 2007-2013 yillari arasinda BIST100 endeksinde yer alan ve kurumsal yonetim endekine dahil olan firmalari kapsamaktadir. Calisma sonuclari tum veri seti ve finansal olmayan firmalardan olusan veri seti olmak uzere iki bolum halinde analiz edilmistir. Her iki veri seti icin, kurumsal yonetim notlarinin endeksteki firmalarin finansal performans uzerinde istatistiksel anlamli bir etkisi tespit edilememistir. Yani, daha yuksek kurumsal yonetim notu daha yuksek finansal performans anlamina gelmemektedir. Paydas notlari ile firmalarin finansal performanslari arasindan istatistiksel anlamli ve pozitif bir iliski tespit edilmistir. Daha yuksek paydas notuna sahip olan firmalar diger firmalara kiyasala daha iyi finansal performans gostermektedirler.
Is Augmented Reality Advertising a Cure-all? An Empirical Investigation of the Impact of Innovation Resistance on Augmented Reality Advertising Effectiveness

This study employs an experimental design to investigate the conditions under which the use of AR may be particularly effective or rather ineffective in advertising contexts. We first discuss the inconsistent results regarding the effectiveness of AR on advertising message comprehension and argue that these inconsistencies can be at least partly explained by the moderating effect of an individual’s resistance to innovation (i
Eco-Speed Guidance for the Mixed Traffic of Electric Vehicles and Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles at an Isolated Signalized Intersection

Although electric vehicles (EVs) have been regarded as promising to reduce tailpipe emissions and energy consumption, a mixed traffic flow of EVs and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) makes the energy/emissions reduction objective more difficult because EVs and ICEVs have various general characteristics. This paper proposes a low-emission-oriented speed guidance model to address the energy/emission reduction issue under a mixed traffic flow at an isolated signalized intersection to achieve the objective of reducing emissions and total energy consumption while reducing vehicle delay and travel time. The total energy/emissions under different market penetration rates of EVs with various traffic volumes are analyzed and compared. Numerical examples demonstrate that the proposed speed guidance model has better performance than those without considering the impact of queues. For a certain traffic volume, the energy/emission reduction effects under speed guidance will increase with an increasing share of EVs. This paper also explores the impact of the time interval for guidance renewal on vehicle emissions in practice.