Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Study on Female Entrepreneurs' Behavior in Micro-Enterprises in Taiwan - An Application of Planned Behavior Theory

In this study, we constructed and validated a model of the behavior of female entrepreneurs in micro-enterprises based on Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Furthermore, we examined the effects of certain factors on their behavior. The subjects were members of the “Free & Young Student” program of the National Youth Commission of Executive Yuan. The study adopted a longitudinal design for the two-stage period, and the key factors that influenced the behavior of the female entrepreneurs came from an open-ended questionnaire. After half a year, the investigation of the actual behavior followed. For the data analysis, we used descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling. The results showed the following: (a) The students of the Free & Young program were getting younger. The major industry they ventured into was personal service. After six months of tracking, the survey showed that about 10% of female students were in the "entrepreneurs" and "set-start" phases, while 80% had no business plan. (b) The theoretical model built by TPB fit the empirically observed data well, and the results of the study supported the predictions made at the outset. (c) In the proposed model, positive attitude, negative attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control influenced behavioral intention, but only behavioral intention influenced the actual behavior. Based on the results, it is recommended that the government facilitate networking among female entrepreneurs running businesses of different sizes in various industries. Moreover, the government should provide further vocational training and entrepreneurship loans as well as establish support groups for female entrepreneurs.
On the design of a survey to measure effective communication in building

Although effective communication is identified as a key indicator of project performan ce, communication aspects on contractors’ evaluation are not yet included. This paper aims to review the most relevant contributions on the specific literature in order to design a survey to test for the parameters that affect effective communication among Construction Agents (CA), i.e. PM’s, builder, designer and other professionals participants, during the construction process of the project. The survey will be based on the experience and perceptions of the corresponding professionals in Spain. The availa bility of these par ameters is crucial and it represents basic information for developing procedures and tools for the evaluation and selection management of CAs.
Freshmen teachers and college major choice: Evidence from a random assignment in Chile

We exploit the exogenous characteristic of random freshmen course assignment in a large Chilean university to identify the causal effect of teachers and their qualitative characteristics over students’ major choice. Using administrative records, we establish what makes students from the “Commercial Engineering” career chose between an “Economics” major or a “Business” major. We find that firsteconomic-course teachers may account for 15-22% of the probability of choosing Economics as a major. We also identify which characteristics of these teachers make students more prone to choosing this particular major. These results are robust to the inclusion of different covariates and specifications. Placebo-type falsification tests are performed, confirming our findings.
Linking international trade and transport - what are the determining factors?

Historically there have been close relations between international trade and international transport. Development in trade is mirrored in the development in international transport. However, it is also well known that patterns of trade changes. The types of commodities that are traded today differ from the commodities that were traded ten years ago. Trade of services has increased and the trad-ing partners have changed. The opening of the European market towards Eastern Europe has changed the spatial pattern of where commodities are exported to and imported from. It is obviously not straightforward to tell how these changes influence the development in international transport. This paper investigates the impacts of some of the factors that play a role in the development of in-ternational freight transport. The included factors are trade of different commodities and countries, the weight of traded commodities, the model of transport and the weight of the conveyed goods. We do this using a decomposition method on Danish trade data over a period from 1988 to 2003 and a link from these data to data about international transports on heavy vehicles. We observe that the development in transport is composed of varying changes in the mentioned fac-tors of which some imply increasing transport and some imply declining transport. This finding in-dicates the importance of taking proper account of the various factors in modelling freight transport and the relation between freight and economic trade.
Synthesis of poly ( β-(1 → 4)-2-amino-2-deoxy-D- glucopyranose)/lead nanocomposite

Chitosan (poly [β-(1→ 4)-2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose] β-PADG) is a natural polymer with abundant primary amino groups in its molecular structure. Due to its excellent properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, nontoxicity, and adsorption properties, it is a potential polysaccharide resource. The present investigation describes the preparation and characterization of novel biodegradable nanocomposite based on complexation of β-PADG with bivalent lead ion. The prepared nano-systems were stable in aqueous media at low pH. The particle size and the size of the complexes were identified by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-vis spectra measurements. It was found that the size of the complexes depended on the concentrations of β-PADG and lead ions. UV-vis spectra of the nanocomposites revealed the presence of metal nanoparticles. At low concentrations, nanosized particles were formed, however, at high concentrations, formation of large aggregates with a broad size distribution was promoted. The results from the XRD measurements showed that the high concentrations of chitosan and Pb2+ ions favored the growth of large complexes. The β-PADG nanocomposite composed of a biodegradable biomaterial with high flocculating and heavy metal binding activity may be useful for various water treatment applications. Key words: Chitosan, lead ions, nanoparticles, complexation.
High Carrier Mobility Polythiophene Thin Films: Structure Determination by Experiment and Theory†

The structure within crystalline thin films of a high-carrier-mobility polythiophene is studied with complementary characterization methods and first-principles theory. As shown in the figure, two important structural aspects are revealed: (1) a slip in the face-to-face pi-pi packing, which strongly influences carrier mobility, and (2) the interdigitation of highly trans side chains between vertically adjacent lamellae.
Assessment of Fruit and Vegetable Waste at Wholesale Markets in Nepal for Vermicomposting

An appraisal of the current post harvest practices and losses of horticultural produces in the major fruit and vegetable wholesale markets of Nepal was conducted to quantify the amount of fruits and vegetable wastage. This study was conducted with the view to generate useful information about the causes of loss of horticultural produce and also quantify the amount of fruit and vegetable wastage being accumulated in the market centers so that such organic wastes could be reused as resource for vermicomposting . Shelf life of different vegetable species and the nutrient content of the wastage samples of different species of vegetables were also evaluated. Survey of the three major market centers namely; Narayangadh, Pokhara, and Kalimati fruit and vegetable wholesale market and series of laboratory experiments were conducted.
Influência do processo de classificação dos ovos sobre índices de produtividade de um incubatório industrial

The present work has the objective of evaluating the viability of the process of transfer or not of the eggs in the farm on the effects in the artificial incubation. To evaluate this practice, the productivity indexes of 3,072 eggs were studied, divided into two categories: classified and unclassified eggs. Fertility, hatchability, embryonic mortality and contamination rates were determined. The hatchability and fertility indexes in relation to the total number of eggs were influenced in relation to the classification process (p<0.05). There was a significant statistical difference in the type of process for the embryonic mortality according to the incubation phase. Embryo mortality was lower for the eggs that underwent the classification process. There was no significant statistical difference for the contamination index. The results suggest that eggs that go through the classification process have better hatchability and embryonic mortality rates.
THE FERMI SURFACE IN A MAGNETIC METAL INSULATOR INTERFACE

Nickel (111) and the interface of hexagonal boron nitride on Ni(111) serve as model systems for an itinerant ferromagnet that is truncated with vacuum or a single layer insulator. These systems are investigated with angle-scanned He I and He II photoemission. Upon formation of the h-BN/Ni(111) interface the work function drops by 1.8 eV and the minority Ni Λ3d-band shifts by 0.13 eV to higher binding energy. This indicates that the Ni magnetic moment decreases in the interface. Spin-polarized band structure calculations from bulk nickel identify the observed minority and majority bands. The experimental Fermi surface maps show that h-BN distorts a minority d-band in a way which is consistent with the decreasing magnetic moment. It can be seen that h-BN affects the scattering of the electrons. Effects in the photoemission final and initial state are recognized.
Estimating Upward Bias of Japanese Consumer Price Index Using Engel's Law

The Japanese Consumer Price Index (CPI) is considered to be upwardly biased. This paper estimated the Engel curve based on National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure data to measure the bias. The estimated bias for the period 1989 to 2004 was 0.53 percentage points per annum. Correcting the bias led to a lower inflation rate of 0.14 percent per year, against the official inflation rate of 0.65 percent during the period. A demographic analysis showed that a household with a non-working spouse faced a larger bias suggesting that the opportunity cost of shopping determines the size of the bias.
TOXICITY OF TWO ORGANOPHOSPHOROUS PESTICIDES ON BIGHEAD CARP ( ARISTICHTHYS NOBILIS RICHARDSON , 1845 ) LIVER

In the present work two different pesticides, a herbicide and a fungicide were used in order to study their toxic effects on bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis Rich.). We investigated the fish liver as a main detoxification organ and observed its morphological structure. In addition, we also measured the hepatic enzymatic activity of LDH, ALAT and ASAT. The histological lesions were degenerative and necrotic changes, as well as changes in the circulatory system. The degenerative changes included granular, balloon, fatty and hyaline degeneration. The necrotic changes included necrobiosis and necrosis, and the changes in the circulatory system – hyperemia and lymphocyte proliferation, respectively. The levels of LDH, ALAT and ASAT were altered compared to the control. Thus, we can conclude that both selected pesticides have a negative impact on the fish liver function. However, the fungicide exposure led to more pronounced histological alterations.
ROVER MOBILITY PERFORMANCE EVALUATION TOOL ( RMPET ) : A SYSTEMATIC TOOL FOR ROVER CHASSIS EVALUATION VIA APPLICATION OF BEKKER THEORY

With the current focus set on detailed investigation of the scientific hot spots on the surface of Mars, it has been noticed that the current range of autonomous robotic explorers are facing a grave problem in the form of highly hostile terrain. It has been the inefficiency of the mobility system that led the past Mars mission rovers Sojourner (Mars Pathfinder 1997) and MERs (2003-4) to traverse distance much less than their anticipated daily travel. This calls for a systematic investigation into the mobility/suspension systems for the Mars robotic rovers. In the view of investigating this problem, we have developed a software tool for evaluating the performance of a variety of rover chassis/mobility systems currently under investigation all over the world. The primary focus is on developing a tool called RCET (Rover Chassis Evaluation Tool), for ESA. The tool employs Bekker Theory into a solver engine to compute various mobility performance parameters, which in turn are governed by the choice of the vehicle geometry, nature of the mobility system and the type of terrain for navigation. Currently, there exists a choice of mobility systems available for the investigation within the scope of the tool namely, wheeled system, tracked system and legged system. Major emphasis is on incorporating the 3D design and simulation softwares in the shell of the solver engine, since different softwares are required for simulating wheeled, tracked and legged locomotion systems. This will allow an accurate performance analyses of the impact of different soils and surfaces, either terrestrial or extra-terrestrial on the performance of wheeled, tracked or legged robot.
AnSBBR applied to biomethane production for vinasse treatment: effects of organic loading, feed strategy and temperature

This study assessed the feasibility of an anaerobic sequencing batch and fed-batch biofilm reactor (AnSBBR) with mechanical stirring for vinasse treatment and biomethane production. The amount of liquid medium used was 3 L, and the treated volume was 1 L per cycle. The cycle time was 8 h, with feeding times of 10 min (batch mode) and 240 min (fed-batch mode). Methane productivity increased with the increase in organic load from 1.0 to 10.0 gCOD.L1. d-1. The maximum molar productivity and yield of methane were 123.4 molCH4.m -3.d-1 and 13.8 mmolCH4.gCOD -1 (88% of the theoretical), respectively. These parameters were lower in fed-batch mode than in batch mode and were lower at 45°C than at 30°C due to biomass adaptation. In general, the values of the kinetic parameters increased with organic load and were similar for the batch and fed-batch modes. Therefore, the increase in organic load positively influenced the process by increased COD removal and lower volatile acids accumulation as the load increased. The batch mode performed better than did the fed-batch mode and 30°C was more suitable than 45°C to produce methane under the studied conditions.
Occurrence Of meteOrOlOgical summer dry spells and dry days in nOrthern eurOpe during the 20 th century rapOrtteJa rappOrter repOrts

In spite of the relatively humid climate of Northern Europe, prolonged meteorological dry spells do occasionally cause problems for the water supply in different sectors of society. During recent decades, total annual precipitation has increased in the region, especially during winter. A linear change in total precipitation does not necessarily indicate a change in the occurrence of meteorological drought across different time scales. In this study, temporal changes of meteorological summer (May-August) dry spells (MDS) and dry days (MDD) are analysed using measured precipitation observations from 12 weather stations located around Northern Europe. The statistics studied are the number of MDDs (<1.0 and <0.1 mm) per selected periods, plus the lengths of the longest MDSs during which the total accumulated precipitation remains under certain thresholds, namely 10 and 100 mm. The results suggest that, in general, the lengths of the longest MDSs and the numbers of MDDs do not differ remarkably between the stations, median value being 26/80 days (<10/<100 mm rain) and 87/70 days (<1.0/<0.1 mm/day), respectively. A distinct exception is Bergen, in Norway, where the lengths of the longest MDSs are shorter (19 and 41 days, on average) and the numbers of MDDs lower (ca. 64 and 50 days) than at the other stations. During the period of homogeneous instrumental precipitation observations, the occurrence of summer MDSs and MDD have remained the same at most of the stations. Only a few statistically significant increasing temporal trends appear in the time series of MDDs in the southern parts of the region. In the north, one statistically significant decreasing trend has been detected. Publishing unit Weather and climate Classification (UDK)
Stabilization of neutral systems with saturating actuators

A method is proposed for stabilization, using static state feedback, of systems subject to time-varying delays in both the states and their derivatives (i.e., neutral systems), in the presence of saturating actuators. Delay-dependent conditions are given to determine stabilizing state-feedback controllers with large domain of attraction, expressed as linear matrix inequalities, readily implementable using available numerical tools and with tuning parameters that make possible to select the most adequate solution. These conditions are derived by using a Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional on the vertices of the polytopic description of the actuator saturations. Numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique.
Self-reported physical activity in perceived neighborhood in Czech adults – national study

Background: International studies associate physical activity (PA) to other factors such as the environment, culture, and policy. External influences on lifestyle and PA, such as the effect of the physical and built environment, are discussed. Neighborhood environments seem to be one of the important aspects in prevention of unhealthy lifestyle and physical inactivity research. Objective: The main objective is to analyze the relationship between PA and neighborhood environment of the adult population of the Czech Republic. The study tries to define the basic correlates of PA in relation to environmental and other socio-demographic factors. Methods: Nationwide data collection of adult PA was done regionally in the Czech Republic between the years 2005-2009 using the IPAQ (long) and ANEWS questionnaires. Results: The results show that males realize significantly more vigorous PA than females while females realize more moderate PA and walking than males. PA of residents of smaller communities is higher than those living in large cities. The level of weekly PA does not significantly affect the neighborhood walkability [H(3, 8708) = 19.60; p < . 001; η2 = . 002]. Conclusions: The results clearly indicate the need to connect multiple sectors that affect the lifestyle of the general population. Possible solution is an interdisciplinary approach to the evaluation of the fundamental environmental factors influencing the level of PA (walkability; SES; participation in organized and voluntary PA; neighborhood safety; type of transportation; size of the community).
Quantitative linear and nonlinear resonant inspection techniques for characterizing thermal damage in concrete

In the context of license renewal in the field of nuclear energy, maintaining in service and re-qualifying existing concrete structures for ten years is a great challenge. The integrity of concrete in the concrete pedestal and biological shield wall in nuclear plants remains unknown. These structures have been subjected to radiation and medium temperature for a long period of time. This paper aims at providing some quantitative information related to the degree of micro-cracking of concrete and cement based materials in the presence of thermal damage. We develop a methodology based on linear resonant ultrasound spectroscopy, numerical simulations and nonlinear resonant ultrasound spectroscopy to get quantitative values of nonlinearity. We show the high sensitivity of derived nonlinearity to thermal damage and its correlation with the evolution of concrete microstructure.
Use of Ti/WNx/Ti/Cu multilayer as thin metal system for copper-airbridged GaAs LN-PHEMTs

In this work, a new multilayer Ti/WNx/Ti/Cu thin metal system was used for the study of copper-airbridged GaAs devices. The attempt is to find a reliable diffusion barrier structure with good adhesion for copper metallization of GaAs devices in order to reduce the production cost of the GaAs devices and to provide better thermal and electrical performances. For airbridge fabrication, tungsten nitride was chosen as the diffusion barrier for copper-airbridged pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (PHEMT) due to its compatibility with the conventional airbridge process. In Ti/WNx/Ti/Cu structure, sputtered WNx was used as the diffusion barrier and Ti was used as the adhesion layer to avoid the peeling problem between Au/WNx and Cu/WNx. And silicon nitride film was deposited on the copper airbridges to prevent copper surface from oxidation. Then, the samples were annealed at high temperature to investigate the thermal stability of the copper metallized devices. We also developed the optimal selective etching processes for etching the thin metal system of Ti/WNx/Ti/Cu multilayer scheme in the copper airbridge fabrication. A gallium arsenate (GaAs) PHEMT with copper airbridge using of Ti/WNx/Ti/Cu multilayer as the thin metal system was successfully developed and the
A small survey of the magnetic fields of planet-host stars

Using spectropolarimetry, we investigate the large-scale magnetic topologies of stars hosting close-in exoplanets. A small survey of 10 stars has been done with the twin instruments Telescope Bernard Lyot /NARVAL and Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope/ESPaDOnS between 2006 and 2011. Each target consists of circular polarization observations covering 7-22 d. For each of the seven targets in which a magnetic field was detected, we reconstructed the magnetic field topology using Zeeman-Doppler imaging. Otherwise, a detection limit has been estimated. Three new epochs of observations of tau Boo are presented, which confirm magnetic polarity reversal. We estimate that the cycle period is 2 yr, but recall that a shorter period of 240 d cannot still be ruled out. The result of our survey is compared to the global picture of stellar magnetic field properties in the mass-rotation diagram. The comparison shows that these giant planet-host stars tend to have similar magnetic field topologies to stars without detected hot Jupiters. This needs to be confirmed with a larger sample of stars.
Effect of Chokeberry Juice Consumption on Antioxidant Capacity, Lipids Profile and Endothelial Function in Healthy People: a Pilot Study

Nowak D. , Grąbczewska Z. , Goślinski M. , Obonska K. , Dąbrowska A. , Kubica J. (2016): Effect of chokeberry juice consumption on antioxidant capacity, lipids profile and endothelial function in healthy people: a pilot study. Czech J. Food Sci., 34: 39–46. Many studies show that the consumption of juices rich in polyphenols may increase serum antioxidant capacity, improve blood lipid profile, and endothelial function. The relation between the consumption of chokeberry juice and changes in the antioxidant capacity, blood lipid profile, and endothelial function as important indicators in the assessment of cardiovascular risk were determined. The study was conducted on a group of 11 healthy volunteers, who consumed chokeberry juice for three weeks. The research included determination of serum antioxidant capac ity, blood lipid profile analysis, and measurements of endothelial function. The 3-week consumption of chokeberry juice significantly increased serum antioxidant capacity, and the best results were observed just after one week of the experiment. However, there was no significant change in the blood lipid profile, except for the persons with a higher level of triglycerides, in whom the consumption of chokeberry juice reduced these compounds to normal values. The endothelial function was normal in all patients and did not significantly change during the study.