Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Restructuring through spin‐off or sell‐off: transforming information asymmetries into financial gain

The authors examine how managers select between corporate restructuring implementation alternatives and how those decisions influence the profitability of the restructuring event. They argue that managers and owners have information asymmetries with respect to the assets in the restructuring and the restructured firms' diversification strategy, and that managers select between two popular implementation alternatives, spin-offs and sell-offs, to convert knowledge differences into financial gain. When the restructured assets reside in primary and related business lines or the firm has low and related diversification among its business lines, the restructuring is difficult for observers to assess and understand. Spin-offs most effectively and profitably reduce information asymmetries by transferring assets to the capital market and increasing the efficiency and transparency of the restructuring firm. Conversely, when the restructured assets reside in secondary and unrelated business lines or the firm has high diversification, sell-offs best mitigate asymmetries by using market forces to reallocate assets to their most productive uses while improving the strategy and performance of the restructuring firm. Tests of a sample of 204 restructuring events support the hypotheses. Overall, the findings suggest that the influence of corporate restructuring on financial performance is determined in part through how the restructuring is implemented. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Herbal Therapy for Burns and Burn Scars

Burn wound healing is a complex process including inflammation, epithelialization, granulation, neovascularization, and wound contraction. Modern therapies present a large number of options, while traditional therapies are promising effective choices. Plant-based products have been used in the treatment of wounds for centuries worldwide. Recently, the mechanisms behind many of these traditional therapies could be explained in detail. The most commonly found mechanisms behind the herbal source products supporting wound healing are mostly their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, cell proliferative, and angiogenic effects. However there is not much more studies demonstrated in patients except Aloe vera and Avena sp. , herbal treatment still show a lot of promise in the future. It is important not to ignore possible toxic and allergic effects of plants and phytochemical agents, but the studies mostly resulted with antitoxic effects. Several herbs show efficient results with therapies of wounds also in burn wounds, which may be considered as an option for treatment. On the other hand, herbal treatment in burn wounds still needs to have more clinical and pharmaceutical studies to place in modern therapies safely.
Carbon amendment stimulates benthic nitrogen cycling during the bioremediation of particulate aquaculture waste

Abstract. The treatment of organic wastes remains one of the key sustainability challenges facing the growing global aquaculture industry. Bioremediation systems based on coupled bioturbation–microbial processing offer a promising route for waste management. We present, for the first time, a combined biogeochemical–molecular analysis of the short-term performance of one such system that is designed to receive nitrogen-rich particulate aquaculture wastes. Using sea cucumbers (Holothuria scabra) as a model bioturbator we provide evidence that adjusting the waste C : N from 5 : 1 to 20 : 1 promoted a shift in nitrogen cycling pathways towards the dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), resulting in net NH4+ efflux from the sediment. The carbon amended treatment exhibited an overall net N2 uptake, whereas the control receiving only aquaculture waste exhibited net N2 production, suggesting that carbon supplementation enhanced nitrogen fixation. The higher NH4+ efflux and N2 uptake was further supported by meta-genome predictions that indicate that organic-carbon addition stimulated DNRA over denitrification. These findings indicate that carbon addition may potentially result in greater retention of nitrogen within the system; however, longer-term trials are necessary to determine whether this nitrogen retention is translated into improved sea cucumber biomass yields. Whether this truly constitutes a remediation process is open for debate as there remains the risk that any increased nitrogen retention may be temporary, with any subsequent release potentially raising the eutrophication risk. Longer and larger-scale trials are required before this approach may be validated with the complexities of the in-system nitrogen cycle being fully understood.
Modelling Objects Using Kernel Principal Component Analysis

Object detection is a technologically challenging and practically useful field of computer vision.The success of object detection relies on modelling of an object class. Statistical shape modelling is one of the popular method. Object modelling starts with asset of examples shapes (the training set), and learn from this the pattern of variability of the shape of the class of objects for which the training set can be considered a representative sample. Modelling can considered as the process of modelling the distribution of the training points in shape space. In this paper we present Kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) based active shape models (ASM) for learning the intra –class deformation modes of an object. KPCA is the non-linear dimensionality reduction method. The comparison on performance and space of KPCA and principal component analysis (PCA) are shown Keywords: Object model, KPCA, PCA, ASM. Cite as: Rajkumari Bidyalakshmi Devi, Romesh Laishram, Y.J. Singh, “Modelling Objects Using Kernel Principal Component Analysis” ADBU J.Engg. Tech.,2(1)(2015) 0021102(5pp)
TAGUCHI METHOD PREDICTION OF EDM DIE-SINKING PARAMETERS ON SURFACE INTEGRITY FOR ALUMINIUM COMPOSITE USING COPPER ELECTRODE

This paper investigates the performance of copper electrode on the surface integrity of aluminium alloy LM6 (Al-Sil2) in the electrical discharge machine (EDM) die sinking.The relationship between the machining parameters which is pulse-on time, pulse-off time, peak current and voltage on surface integrity has been investigated. Copper tool of diameter 10mm was chosen as an electrode. Scanning electrone microscope (SEM) was used to observe the microstructure of LM6 after machining process and the average of recast layer (RL). It was found that the current and pulse on time significantly affected the recast layer, while the pulse off time and voltage are the less significant factor that affected the responses. Result shows that increasing the pulse on time, increases the recast layer. Thus, it shows that copper have the capability to cut aluminium alloy LM6 using EDM die sinking.
Does the Entrepreneurial Human Capital is Important for Organizational Performance

The study investigates the relationship between entrepreneurial human capital and performance of organizations in Pakistan. It adopts quantitative methodological framework which collected data from annual reports of selected organizations registered in Lahore Stock Exchange (LSE) of Pakistan. This study used both Regression analysis and correlation techniques to find the relationship and degree of relationship between entrepreneurial human capital and organizational performance. The findings show that entrepreneurial human capital (Education, Experience and skills) are positively associated with the performance of organizations. Organizations are encouraged to adopt good entrepreneurial human capital practices to improve their performance and also to protect the interest of the shareholders.
An approach to magnetically actuated miniaturized compliant locomotion systems

This paper describes two biologically inspired locomotion systems. The first system implements the main advantages of amoeboid movement and is able to move in the plane. The second one is an advanced version of the first system. It uses a magneto-sensitive-elastomeric structure in combination with a periodic magnetic actuation and is vibration driven. Furthermore, an asymmetric configuration of the body is used to generate planar locomotion. The working principle of this system is discussed with the help of modal, transient dynamic and magneto static analyses. Based on the numerical simulations, a prototype was developed, built and verified with experimental tests. Also further results of magneto static analyses and investigations on the first system are presented.
Influence of Immersion Lithography on Wafer Edge Defectivity

In semiconductor manufacturing, the control of defects at the edge of the wafer is a key factor to keep the number of yielding die as high as possible per wafer. Using dry lithography, this control is typically done by an edge bead removal (EBR) process, which is understood well. The recent production introduction of immersion lithography however changes this situation significantly. During immersion exposure, the wafer edge is locally in contact with water from the immersion hood, and particles can then be transported back and forth from the wafer edge area to the scanner wafer stage. Material in the EBR region can also potentially be damaged by the dynamic force of the immersion hood movement. In this chapter, we have investigated the impact of immersion lithography on wafer edge defectivity. In the past, such work has been limited to the inspection of the flat top part of the wafer edge, due to the inspection challenges at the curved wafer edge and lack of a comprehensive defect inspection solution. The development of edge inspection & metrology tools now allows us to probe this area of the wafer. This study used KLA-Tencor's VisEdge CV300-R, an automated edge inspection system that provides full wafer edge inspection (top, side, and bottom) using laser-illumination and multi-sensor detection, and where defects can be classified with Automated Defect Classification (ADC) software. In addition to defectivity capture, the tool performs simultaneous, multi-layer, film edge and EBR metrology, indicating the distance from the wafer edge or wafer top depending on the location of the film/EBR edge. It also can review defects using an integrated, hi-resolution microscope. In this paper the impact from immersion lithography towards wafer edge defectivity is investigated. The work revealed several key factors related to wafer edge related defectivity control: choice of resist, optimization of EBR recipes, scanner and immersion-fluid contamination, wafer handling and device processing procedures. Understanding the mechanisms of wafer edge related immersion defects is believed to be critical to the successful integration of the immersion process into semiconductor manufacturing.
Soil dehydrogenase activity of natural macro aggregates in a toposequence of forest soil

The main objective of this study was to determine changes in soil dehydrogenase activity in natural macro aggregates development along a slope in forest soils. This study was carried out in Kocadag, Samsun, Turkey. Four landscape positions i.e. , summit, shoulder backslope and footslope, were selected. For each landseape position, soil macro aggregates were separated into six aggregate size classes using a dry sieving method and then dehydrogenase activity was analyzed. In this research, topography influenced the macroaggregate size and dehydrogenase activity within the aggregates. At all landscape positions, the contents of macro aggregates (especially > 6.3 mm and 2.00–4.75 mm) in all soil samples were higher than other macro aggregate contents. In footslope position, the soils had generally the higher dehydrogenase activity than the other positions at all landscape positions. In all positions, except for shoulder, dehydrogenase activity was greater macro aggregates of <1 mm than in the other macro aggregate size.
Long term behaviour of the resistivity of concrete

Against the background of immense costs of repair or replacement of concrete structures degraded by reinforcement corrosion, a strong interest in industry and research can nowadays be found in the underlying processes and in possibilities to influence them. As a part of the reinforcement corrosion circuit, the resistivity of concrete is a decisive material parameter with regard to corrosion propagation, which itself is a time-dependent process of many years of length. For this reason, a picture of the long term behaviour of the resistivity of concrete could be of great value. This paper presents resistivity data of concrete specimens up to an age of 17 year. An investigation was carried out of their development throughout the years in dependence of all main aspects influencing the magnitude and the development of the resistivity (climate, cement type, water/cement-ratio).
LPDT2 La Plissure du Texte 2

This paper will discuss the artistic processes involved in the creation of the three dimensional, virtual art installation La Plissure du Texte 2, which is the sequel to Roy Ascott’s ground breaking telematically networked art work La Plissure du Texte, created in 1983 and shown in Paris at the Musee de l’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris during that same year. While the underlying concepts of the original art work, as well as its capability of regenerating itself as an entirely novel manifestation based upon the concepts of distributed authorship, textual mobility, emergent semiosis, multiple identity, and participatory poesis will be underlined, the main focus of the text will be upon the creative strategies as well as the technological means through which the architecture was brought about in the contemporary creative environment of the metaverse. This paper will discuss the artistic processes involved in the creation of the three dimensional, virtual art installation La Plissure du Texte 2, which is the sequel to Roy Ascott’s La Plissure du Texte. While the underlying concepts of the original art work, as well as its capability of regenerating itself as a novel manifestation will be underlined, the main focus of the text will be upon the creative strategies of LPDT2.
Trends in Rainfall and Peak Flows for some River Basins in India

The aim of the present study is to examine the trends in magnitude and intensity of precipitation and peak floods of different magnitudes for seven major river basins in India. Data pertaining to daily flows for about 30-odd years and precipitation for 61 years (from 1951 to 2012) were analysed. Linear trends were calculated for the number of rainy days, rainfall intensity and occurrence of flood peaks for all basins. Using the Sen’s slope estimator, it was found that annual peak rainfall increases for most of the basins in India. From the Mann–Kendall test and Sen’s slope, it was found that the Cauvery and Brahamani and Baitarani basins show a rising trend in the number of rainy days, but the trend was falling for five other basins. When the basins were classified as mountains and plains, it was found that the number of daily rainfall events of different magnitudes was more in the mountains compared to the plains. The rivers which flow from west to east direction have more rainy days compared to those which flow towards the west. It was observed that in general the number of rainy days was falling while the number of intense events was increasing. The number of flood peaks of smaller magnitude in different decades showed slight falling trend. It was also found that there was falling or no trend for severe floods. Anthropogenic activities (construction of storage reservoirs, diversions, urbanization, land-use change, and soil and water conservation measures, etc.) have probably affected the generation of peak floods in the rivers of India. River regulation through storage reservoirs in the past 50 years has resulted in the reduction of peak flows. Hence with the same rainfall, the flood peaks would have increased under virgin conditions.
Impacts of riparian vegetation on hydrological processes

The main impacts of riparian vegetation on hydrological processes are briefly reviewed in order to highlight needs and perspectives for research and management goals. This review is based upon three distinct influences of riparian vegetation on hydrological processes: (i) the control of runoff, i.e. the physical impact of living and dead plants on hydraulics, (ii) the impact of plant physiology on water uptake, storage and return to the atmosphere, and (iii) the impact of riparian vegetation functioning on water quality. Riparian vegetation influences runoff through complex hydraulic interactions during baseflows as well as overbank flows. The contribution of fine vegetational structures to landscape hydrological roughness needs to be considered in relation to the spatial complexity (patchiness, vertical stratification, rhizosphere) and temporal variability (phenology, succession) of plant communities. With the exception of some woody species, the uptake, storage and return of water to the atmosphere is poorly known for riparian communities, and therefore the assessment of the regional hydrological importance of the riparian corridor remains difficult to estimate. Although better understood than the above two influences of riparian vegetation on hydrological processes, there are still a number of unresolved issues concerning the role of riparian vegetation in controlling water quality. In particular, little is known about the coupling of microbial and vegetational functions in nutrient cycling and the dynamics of carbon release from coarse and fine plant debris. The influence of vegetation complexity and plant diversity on both qualitative and quantitative aspects of water cycling remains an important area for future research. Fundamental and management issues are identified in relation to the use of riparian vegetation as a model and as a tool.
Efficacy of botanical extracts and entomopathogens on control of Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura

Interest in biological control of insect-pests of economically important plants has been stimulated in recent years by trends in agriculture towards greater sustainability and public concern about the use of hazardous pesticides. Botanicals and microorganisms have the capability to synthesize biologically active secondary metabolites such as antibiotics, herbicides and pesticides. In this investigation, washings of herbal vermicompost (called biowash; viz. Annona, Chrysanthemum, Datura, Jatropha, Neem, Parthenium, Pongamia, Tridax and Vitax) and plant growth promoting (PGP) bacteria [viz. Bacillus subtilis (BCB-19), Bacillus megaterium (SB-9), Serratia mercescens (HIB-28) and Pseudomonas spp. (SB-21)] and fungus (Metarhizium anisopliae) were evaluated for their efficacy against Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura. When the feed was treated with crude biowash for healthy larvae (4-day old), 42 and 86% mortality and 32 and 71% weight reduction over control was reported for H. armigera, while in the case of S. litura, it was between 46 and 74% larval mortality and 47 and 77% weight reduction over control.When healthy larvae were treated with PGP bacteria and fungus, the mortality rate varied between 59 and 73%, with 55 and 92% weight reduction over control on H. armigera, while for S. litura, 54 and 72% larval mortality and 44 and 79% weight reduction over control was reported. The results of the compatibility studies (entomopathogenic potential biowash of the botanicals with PGP bacteria and fungus) indicate that there was no definite sign of suppression of any of the botanicals on the PGP bacteria and fungus, except Datura with B. subtilis BCB-19, whereas, there was definite sign of enhanced growth of B. megaterium SB-9 with all the botanicals. Compatibility studies between PGP bacteria and fungus showed that all bacteria are compatible with each other except M. anisopliae. Crude biowash of the promising botanicals (Annona, Datura, Jatropha, Neem, Parthenium and Pongamia) were further fractionated on C18 solid phase extraction cartridge (SPE) and the resultant adsorbed and non-adsorbed fractions were tested against H. armigera. Results indicate that both adsorbed as well as non-adsorbed fractions showed significant mortality on H. armigera. Adsorbed fractions of all the six biowash showed mortality between 81 and 93% (64 and 73% for non-adsorbed fraction) over control and the weight reduction of the larvae was found between 73 and 91% (80 and 97% for non-adsorbed fraction) over control. It was therefore concluded that the aforementioned six botanicals and five entomopathogens has great potential in the management of H. armigera and S. litura. Key words: Botanicals, entomopathogens, biowash, secondary metabolites,Helicoverpa armigera, Spodoptera litura. ta-lactamases, urinary tract infections,Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Evaluation of Two Biosorbents in the Removal of Metal Ions in Aqueous Using a Pilot Scale Fixed-bed System

The aim of the present work was to investigate the adsorption of toxic metal ions copper, nickel and zinc from aqueous solutions using low cost natural biomass (sugar cane bagasse and green coconut fiber) in pilot scale fixed-bed system. The Hydraulic retention time (HRT) was 229 minutes and the lowest adsorbent usage rate (AUR) found was 0.10 g.L -1 for copper using green coconut fibers. The highest values of adsorption capacities founded were 1.417 and 2.772 mg.g -1 of Cu(II) ions for sugarcane bagasse and green coconut fibers, respectively. The results showed that both sugarcane bagasse and green coconut fiber presented potential in the removal of metal ions copper, nickel and zinc ions from aqueous solution and the possible use in wastewater treatment station.
The Relationship Between the Output Gap and Excess Liquidity: Evidence From Czech Republic, Estonia and Kosovo

Aim/Purpose – Banks in European Transition Economies are proportionally lending less than their counterparts in the eurozone in the face of seemingly profitable loan opportunities, whilst apparently continuously holding excess liquidity. The question that arises is whether banks in European Transition Economies are holding excess liquidity that widens the output gap? Design/methodology/approach – Given its endogenous nature, the relationship be-tween the output gap and excess liquidity is estimated using Seemingly Unrelated Re-gressions method. The research sample covers three European Transition Economies for the period 2004Q1 – 2013Q4. Findings – The results indicate that rather than being in a causal relationship, excess liquidity and the output gap are found to be correlated via common observed and un-observed determinants. Research implications/limitations – The most important policy implication of this research is that since the relationship between output gap and excess liquidity is not causal, reducing excess liquidity will not necessarily lead to a smaller (negative) output gap. There seems to be no straightforward policy framework informed by a clear trans-mission mechanism from excess liquidity to output gap. Originality/value/contribution – This study is novel in two respects. Firstly, assuming endogeneity, a new conceptual relationship between output gap and excess liquidity is presented. Secondly, empirical evidence is presented using the system equation method Seemingly Unrelated Regression, not previously used in this context.