Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corporate social responsibility and firm performance of Ghanaian SMEs: The role of stakeholder engagement

Abstract This paper aims to examine the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on financial performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana by using stakeholder engagement as a mediating variable. Primary data were collected from 423 SMEs within the Accra Metropolis. Partial least squares estimation technique was used to analyze the data. The study documented evidence for a mechanism through which CSR results in financial performance of firms: SMEs with improved CSR practices are better positioned to engage more with their stakeholders, which translates into improved financial performance. It was recommended that for SMEs to improve upon their CSR practices, which will eventually result in enhanced financial performance, stakeholder engagement should be a major part of their operations. The paper contributes to our knowledge on how CSR practices lead to financial performance of SMEs in developing countries. In addition, this is the first of its kind to establish the relationship between CSR practices and financial performance of SMEs in Ghana by using stakeholder engagement as a mediating factor.
An ecohydrological modelling study of an Australian eucalyptus forest

ix CHAPTER 1: GENERAL OVERVIEW . 1 1.1 Background . 1 1.2 Ecohydrological models . 4 1.2.1 Modelling above-ground processes . 5 1.2.2 Modelling below-ground processes . 7 1.3 Previous Studies on Australian eucalyptus forests . 9 1.4 Motivation for choosing the MLCan model . 13 1.5 sensitivity analysis and model calibration . 15 1.6 Model initialisation . 16 1.7 Objectives of this research . 18 1.8 Thesis Outline . 19 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY . 20 2.1 Multilayer canopy-root-soil model (MLCan) . 20 2.2 study area . 24 2.3 Input data . 26 2.3.1 Canopy and root structure . 27 2.3.2 Climate data . 28 2.3. 3 Initial conditions . 29 2.4 Model Parameters . 30 2.4. 1 Sensitivity analysis of the parameters . 32 2.4. 2 Selected parameters . 33 Stomatal conductance parameters . 33 Soil respiration parameters . 34 Plant resistance to flow . 34 Root water uptake and Root conductivities . 34 2.4. 3 Parameter range and sampling . 36 2.4. 4 Model performance indicator. 37 2.5 Model calibration . 38 2.6 Model validation . 38 CHAPTER 3: EFFECTS OF THE MULTILAYER CANOPY AND HYDRAULIC REDISTRIBUTION ON THE MODEL’S RESULTS . 39 3.1 Effects of different numbers of canopy layers . 41 3.2 Root conductivity Parameters initial sensitivity analysis . 47 3.2.1 Effects of root conductivities on monthly latent heat fluxes . 48 3.2.2 Effects of root conductivities on soil moisture and water uptake . 50 3.2.3 Effects of the root conductivities and hydraulic redistribution on the latent heat fluxes and soil moisture . 51
Cloning and prokaryotic expression of ghrelin gene in crucian carp (Carassius auratus)

To make up the flaw that there is no available information about ghrelin gene in crucian carp. The ghrelin gene was amplified by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) using total RNA extracted from intestine of crucian carp. PCR product was cloned into the pMD®19-T vector to construct pMD®19-T-ghrlein for sequencing. Then the cDNA was subcloned into the prokaryotic expressing plasmid vector pET32a and was transformed into hostEscherichia coli strain Rosetta for expression. In this study, 490 bp fragment of ghrelinwas obtained by RT-PCR. In comparison with other fishes, the amino acid sequences ofghrelin in crucian carp showed a high similarity to that of goldfish (99%). The high expression of ghrelin gene was detected in the intestine and liver by real-time PCR. IPTG at concentrations of 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 mmol/L could efficiently induce the expression of pGh-32. The result showed that the optimal concentration of IPTG was 0.3 mmol/L by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The ghrelin gene expressed as early as 1 h after IPTG induction, and reached peak levels after 3 h. Successful expression of ghrelin fusion protein in prokaryotic cell could lay a basis for further study of industrial production. Key words: Crucian carp, ghrelin, cloning, prokaryotic expression.
Tracking Interannual Streamflow Variability with Drought Indices in the U.S. Pacific Northwest

AbstractDrought indices are often used for monitoring interannual variability in macroscale hydrology. However, the diversity of drought indices raises several issues: 1) which indices perform best and where; 2) does the incorporation of potential evapotranspiration (PET) in indices strengthen relationships, and how sensitive is the choice of PET methods to such results; 3) what additional value is added by using higher-spatial-resolution gridded climate layers; and 4) how have observed relationships changed through time. Standardized precipitation index, standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), Palmer drought severity index, and water balance runoff (WBR) model output were correlated to water-year runoff for 21 unregulated drainage basins in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. SPEI and WBR with time scales encompassing the primary precipitation season maximized the explained variance in water-year runoff in most basins. Slightly stronger correlations were found using PET estima.
Zero-axial-parameter (ZAP) medium sheet

Plane-wave reflection from and transmission through a slab of uniaxial anisotropic medium is studied and the concept of ZAP (Zero-Axial-Parameter) medium sheet is defined as the limiting case when the axial parameters and the thickness of the slab vanish simultaneously. It is shown that the ZAP sheet may act as a spatial filter for the incident waves with transmission in a narrow cone around normal direction. Such a sheet may find application in narrowing the radiation beam and reducing sidelobes of an antenna or as a computer privacy filter in optical frequencies.
DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF BRPY: A BIORECOGNITION SYSTEM (FACE DETECTION AND RECOGNITION, AGE ESTIMATION AND GENDER ESTIMATION) BASED ON THE FACE.

This document exposes the design and implementation of BRPY, an open source multi platform program oriented to the face detection and recognition, age and gender estimation based on the face, in real time, programmed in python and C++ over OpenBR and OpenCV. This document also focuses the hardware appliance involved in the execution of the core, being the ODroid U3 the targeted platform; and the design and implementation of the program interface.
Drivers of global carbon dioxide emissions: international evidence

Studies pertaining to the effects of economic growth on the environment generally focused on diverse relationships between carbon dioxide, economic growth and energy consumption. This paper contributes to the literature by determining the effects of the USA and China's emissions on several economies carbon dioxide discharges from 1960 to 2010. The analysis uses a cointegration procedure proposed by Saikkonen and Lutkepohl. The study further applies the Granger causality test to test for causal links. The results of the study demonstrate that the US Granger causes emissions of ten economies under investigation. Additionally, China Granger causes 14 economies carbon dioxide discharges. In essence, the USA and China are tasked with the duty of accelerating programs attempting to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions due to their influential standpoint.
Novel SNPs polymorphism of bovine CACNA2D1 gene and their association with somatic cell score

Mastitis is a major cause of economic loss in dairy cattle. In this study, the bovine CACNA2D1 gene was taken as a candidate gene for mastitis resistance. The objective of this study was to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the bovine CACNA2D1 gene and evaluate the association of these SNPs with mastitis in cattle. Through DNA sequencing and PCR-RFLP analysis, three mutations C367400T, A496561G and G519663A were detected in the cattle CACNA2D1 gene. Altogether 240 dairy cattle of three breeds (Holstein, Simmental, and Sanhe cattle) were genotyped and allele frequencies were determined. The effects of CACNA2D1 polymorphisms on somatic cell score (SCS) were analyzed and a significant association was found between G519663A and SCS. The mean of genotype GG was significantly lower than those of genotypes AG and AA. The results of this research will be useful in further studies to determine the role of the CACNA2D1 gene in mastitis resistance and further work will be necessary to investigate whether the CACNA2D1 gene play a role in defending the host from mastitis.
"As if" : an exploration of the relationship between clincians' theoretical orientations and their conceptualizations of patient-generated metaphors in psychotherapy

The present qualitative study explored the relationships between psychotherapists’ theoretical orientations, phenomenological understandings of their own clinical practice, and the metaphoric language used by patients in psychotherapy. This study is based upon interviews with 12 Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers who are presently practicing psychotherapy. This sample was selected using a quota method, whereby three distinct psychotherapy theoretical orientations were represented in the sample: psychodynamic, narrative, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. The findings suggest that psychotherapists actively consider the metaphors patients use in therapeutic dialogue, and that these clinicians regularly draw upon their theoretical knowledgebase in doing so. This study finds that patient-generated metaphors are frequently elaborated upon by the therapeutic dyad across sessions. However, the conceptualization and use of patients’ metaphors differs based on clinicians’ theoretical orientations.
Antibacterial Mechanism of Bacteriolyses of Bacterial Cell Walls by Zinc(II) Ion Induced Activations of PGN Autolysins, and DNA damages

Bacteriolyses and destructions of bacterial cell walls by zinc (Ⅱ) ion solutions were investigated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Bacteriolysis of S. aureus peptidoglycan (PGN) cell wall by zinc ion solution is due to the inhibition of PGN elongation by the activations of PGN autolysins of amidases. The other, bacteriolysis and destruction of E. coli cell wall are caused by the destruction of outer membrane structure due to degradative enzymes of lipoproteins at N- and C-terminals, and also inhibition of PGN elongation is dependent on the activities of PGN hydrolases and autolysins of amidase and carboxypeptidase-transpeptidase. Zinc ions induced ROS such as O2－, H2O2, ･OH, OH－producing in bacterial cell wall occur oxidative stress. DNA damages may be due to Zn ion complex formation by Zn2+ substitution into hydrogen bonds in DNA base pairs.
Antagonistic Activity and Biofilm Studies on Streptomyces Species towards Nigrospora Sp

Plants, in contrast with vertebrates, have no immune system. So they are affected by pathogens easily leading to remarkable yield loss altogether. Fungal phytopathogens pose serious problems worldwide in the agriculture sector, and harmful and costly chemical fungicides are nowhere a match to them. A detailed study was performed to screen the cooperative role of Streptomyces coelicolor and Streptomyces halstedii towards the fungal pathogen Nigrospora, a predominant pathogen of banana plantation. Many works were published stating the antagonistic activity of the Streptomyces species. For the first time we tried to study against the Nigrospora, which is a predominant pathogen of banana plant. Moreover we tried to find out the cooperative role of both the species towards the fungal pathogen. Biofilm formation studies were done using the ethanol method, and Chitinase activity was quantified using DNS method. Free radical scavenging activity was quantified using the standard DPPH method. The antioxidant profiles were screened using the TLC plate in mobile phase (5:4:3 (v/v/v) n-butanol/Methanol/16% aqueous ammonia). The antagonistic screening test done using the cup plate method proved the cooperative role of both the species. The activity of chitinase was observed for all the groups. Both the species showed chitinase activity, but when they are co cultured the activity was found to be enhanced. Even the co culture study also proved of the strong biofilm formation. Previous literature also showed of the exhibition of biofilm formation of the Streptomyces species. The increase or stability in the values proves of the possible cooperative role of both the species in the antagonistic activity against the Nigrospora species. A one way ANOVA was done to show the significance in the formation of biofilms. Peculiar results were obtained in the TLC. The Rf values obtained were compared with the standard antioxidant Rf values. The Rf values of 0.12 match with the catechin, and 0.4 match with the Quercetin, 06 match with Caffeic acid.
An Analysis on the Main Formulas of Z-Source Inverter

This paper proposes an analysis on the calculation of voltage and current ripples, voltage stresses, switching device power, and switching loss in Z-source inverter.In this paper, the formulas of the inductor current ripple, capacitor voltage ripple, voltage stress on the devices and capacitors, switching device power, and switching loss are presented. Actually, computing these formulas will help us a lot in the performance improvement of Z-source inverter. A detailed analysis on the main formulas of Z-source inverter is presented in this paper. Simulation results are also given to confirm the analysis
Generating Real Time Reflections by Ray Tracing Approximate Geometry

Rendering reflections in real time is important for realistic modern games. A common way to provide reflections is by using environment mapping. This method is not an accurate way to calculate reflections and it consumes a lot of memory space. We propose a method of ray tracing approximate geometry in real time. By using approximate geometry it can be kept simple and the size of the bounding volume hierarchy will have a lower memory impact. The ray tracing is performed on the GPU and the bounding volumes are pre built on the CPU using surface area heuristics. The triangle intersection data is pre calculated in order to keep the run time costs low. The method is implemented and tested on the Frostbite game engine.
A PARTIAL ORDER SCALOGRAM ANALYSIS OF COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOR IN CRISIS NEGOTIATION WITH THE PREDICTION OF OUTCOME

This paper examines whether patterns in communication behavior over time can predict the outcome of crisis negotiations. A sample of 189 interaction episodes was transcribed from 9 resolved negotiations and coded according to differences in the degree and type of behavior. Partial order scalogram analysis (POSAC) was used to produce a graphical representation of the similarities and differences among episodes while simultaneously uncovering the role of each behavior in shaping the negotiation process. Results showed that episodes could be represented along a partially ordered scale of competitiveness, which was structured by the occurrence of two types of behavior: Distributive‐Expressive and Integrative‐Instrumental. The likelihood of negotiation success reduced with movement up the competitive scale, and negotiations involving episodes that passed a threshold of extreme competition on the scale inevitably ended unsuccessfully regardless of future developments. As negotiations developed over time, behavior alternated between periods of increasing cooperation and periods of increasing competition, with unsuccessful negotiations associated with a concluding trend of increasing competitive behavior.
A Low-Profile Circularly Polarized Metasurface Antenna With Wide Axial-Ratio Beamwidth

This letter proposes a low-profile circularly polarized metasurface antenna with a wide axial-ratio beamwidth (ARBW). The proposed antenna consists of an array of square metallic metasurface cells that are excited by a microstrip line through four cross slots. The feeding structure can be seen as a symmetrical multiple-feed structure. Thus, <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${E_\varphi }$</tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${E_\theta }$</tex-math></inline-formula> can be nearly equal in amplitude with a phase difference of 90° over a wide angle range. A wide ARBW is obtained. With a size of 0.93<italic>λ<sub>L</sub></italic> × 0.93 <italic>λ<sub>L</sub></italic> × 0.024 <italic>λ<sub>L</sub></italic> (<italic>λ<sub>L</sub></italic> is the wavelength in free space at the lowest operating frequency), the proposed antenna achieves an impedance bandwidth of 17% and an AR bandwidth of 14.5%. Moreover, the ARBW is more than 205°.
The Eﬀect of Previous Co-Worker Experience on the Survival of Knowledge Intensive Start-Ups

The aim of the paper is to investigate the effect of previous co-worker experience on the survival of knowledge intensive start-ups. For the empirical analysis I use the Danish Integrated Database of Labor Market Research (IDA). This longitudinal employer-employee database allows me to identify co-worker experience among all members of the firm. In addition, I will make a distinction between ordinary start-ups and entrepreneurial spinoffs. The results show that previous co-worker experience has a positive effect on new firm survival. This effect appears to be valid predominantly for ordinary start-ups than for entrepreneurial spin-offs.
The effectiveness of psychologically/psychodynamically-oriented, pharmacological and combination treatment in a routine psychiatric outpatient setting

Background: This was an outcome study in a routine psychiatric outpatient unit in Sweden where the treatment the patients received was determined by normal routines at the unit and performed by members of the staff. The aim of the present study was to study the effectiveness of psychologically/psychodynamically-oriented-, pharmacological treatment and its combination. Method: Newly admitted patients were diagnosed according to the ICD-10 and completed questionnaires regarding symptoms and interpersonal problems at the beginning and termination of their treatment (n = 76). Follow-up assessments were conducted 18 months after treatment began. An ANCOVA was used to calculate differences between groups. Effect sizes and clinical significance were also calculated.Results: The results showed that there was a significant treatment effect for all treatment conditions in many outcome variables. Further, all three treatment groups showed equal effectiveness. However, the combination treatment used significantly more treatment sessions than the other two groups. The results also showed that many of the patients had considerable problems after the treatment.Conclusion: The results indicate that the patients were offered treatment, and achieved what they required in order to reach a positive outcome. It appears that the treatment was determined by responsiveness and regulatory processes of both the staff and patients, and that the patients acquired what they needed to accomplish with a sufficient outcome.
Enhanced RDX Detection Studies on Various Types of Substrates via Tunable Quantum Cascade Laser Spectrometer Coupled with Grazing Angle Probe

Owing to scientific advances in the field of materials sciences and engineering, researchers have developed new energy sources used for spectroscopic applications and measurements of properties resulting from the interaction of matter and electromagnetic radiation in the mid-infrared (MIR) region. MIR lasers, such as quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), used for spectroscopy have quickly found numerous applications in a wide cadre of IR techniques. This provides the opportunity to study properties of highly energetic materials (HEM), among many other applications. MIR laser spectroscopy based detection experiments of HEMs were carried out using a QCL optically coupled to compact grazing angle probe mount (QCL-GAP) enabling reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) measurements of thin films of HEMs. A saturated solution of RDX in acetone was prepared, and aliquots of subsequent dilutions of the stock solutions were transferred to test surfaces for QCL-GAP back-reflectance measurements. RDX reflectance signals were monitored as function as the decreasing surface concentration until the signal/noise was ∼ 3. Stainless steel (SS) plates were used as reflective substrates, and anodized aluminum (AN-Al), cardboard, and Teflon were used as non-reflective (matte) substrates. Using generated calibration curves a low limit of detection (LOD) of 1.7 ng/cm2 for RDX/SS and 95 μg/cm2 for RDX/AN-Al were found. Based on the area of laser spot (0.3 cm2) we conclude the minimum masses detected were 490 pg (RDX/SS) and 28 μg (RDX/AN-Al).
The Role Of Automatic Mood On Risk Appetite

Numerous studies over the past few decades have indicated links between subtle psychological influences and decision-making. It is often thought that individuals make conscious choices based on their preferences regardless of whether those preferences are optimal or not. However, it has been shown that most of our behaviors, judgements, and decisions are often a product of unconscious influences. These influences are significant in both simple and complex life situations, including the realm of financial decision making. In this experiment, participants primed with positive evaluative stimuli reported a more positive mood while those primed with negative evaluative stimuli reported a more negative mood. Further, a positive mood significantly increased risk appetite in a tower game, while a negative mood decreased risk appetite, although insignificantly. Lastly, although there were links between unconscious evaluation and mood, and between mood and risk appetite, the unconscious evaluation did not seem to affect risk appetite.
Dissolved oxygen within Glacier Bay: sources, deep basin values and comparison to other glacial fjords

An examination of the dissolved oxygen values within Glacier Bay, Alaska suggests deep water renewal is occurring by light water from outside the bay. No heavy water is able to enter the bay due to the 25 meter sill at the entrance to the bay. Dissolved oxygen values, which range from 268 μmol/kg to 330 μmol/kg in the bay, are also a ected by high, seasonal, fresh water inputs which lower dissolved oxygen values, and by high biological productivity which increase dissolved oxygen values. Both of these in uences occur primarily in the surface waters, however mixing and seasonal strati cation also in uence deeper water. The impacts of other possibly in uences such as the exchange of air with sea water at the surface and the thermodynamic e ects of melting glaciers were not examined but may also be a ecting the dissolved oxygen values in the bay. Other examined silled fjords reveal no pattern to their deep water renewal that suggests any common characteristic.