Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-Growth Firms and the Business Cycle: A study on how the fastest growing Norwegian firms are affected by the different phases of the business cycle

This paper investigates the behavior of high-growth firms throughout the different phases of the business cycle. The analysis is based on a large sample of accounting data from Norwegian firms, between 1999 and 2010. The research was performed on a detailed level, through analysis of inter-connected relationships between different firm characteristics. The relationships proved to be more complex than initially anticipated, and several surprising discoveries were made. The results show that there exists a division between “supergrowers”, and profitable high-growth firms, as previous profitability negatively influence growth and previous growth negatively influence profitability, throughout the beginning of the business cycle. However, firms that showed profitability, or experienced growth in revenues during the downturn of 2009, were very likely to both grow and experience profitability during the retrieval of 2010. Furthermore, differing influences from age and size were unexpected, and size seems to positively influence growth in a cyclical manner. Lastly, the effects from previous growth in revenues and growth in labor costs were splayed, and indicate growth in labor costs as a more robust measure of intrinsic growth.
Preparation of BiFeO 3 -graphene nanocomposites and their enhanced photocatalytic activities

BiFeO3 nanoparticles were prepared via a polyacrylamide gel route. BiFeO3-graphene nanocomposites were fabricated by mixing BiFeO3 nanoparticles and graphene into absolute ethanol solution followed by thermal drying. The TEM observation demonstrates that the BiFeO3 nanoparticles are well anchored onto graphene sheets. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared samples were evaluated by the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under simulated sunlight irradiation. Compared to bare BiFeO3 nanoparticles, BiFeO3-graphene nanocomposites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity. The outstanding photocatalytic performance is mainly ascribed to the efficient transfer of photogenerated electrons from BiFeO3 to graphene, thus leading to an increased availability of h+ for the photocatalytic reaction. In addition, hydroxyl (ċOH) radicals were detected by the photoluminescence technique using terephthalic acidas a probe molecule and are found to be produced on the irradiated BiFeO3 and BiFeO3-graphene nanocomposites; in particular, an enhanced yield is observed for the latter.
A Model of Monetary Exchange in Over-the-Counter Markets

We develop a model of monetary exchange in over-the-counter (OTC) markets and use it to study the effects of inflation on asset prices, as well as on standard measures of financial liquidity, such as the size of bid-ask spreads, trade volume, and the incentives of dealers to supply immediacy, both by choosing to participate in the market-making activity, and by holding asset inventories on their own account.
Adapt or die: The views of Unisa student teachers on teaching practice at schools

Abstract This study focuses on the views of Unisa distance education (DE) students enrolled for the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) who had completed their teaching practice. The research questions were: What are student teachers’ experiences of the way in which Unisa prepared them for teaching practice, the school context in which they practised teaching, the mentoring they received or did not receive and the way they were assessed? Socio-constructivist learning and situated learning theory were used as the theoretical framework. A maximum variation sampling technique was used to select 16 participants who had completed 10 weeks of teaching practice to participate in the study. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that, in preparing students for teaching practice, all role players need greater clarity on what is expected of students with regard to learning outcomes, assessment criteria and lesson plans. Students need to be placed at schools that will provide constructive learning environments, mentoring teachers should receive training and there should be greater clarity on the who, what and how of the assessment of students during teaching practice.
IA-TCP: IMPROVING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT MECHANISM OF TCP FOR BETTERPERFORMANCE IN MANET

A Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET) is a collection of terminals equipped with one or several wireless network interfaces. In this paper, we suggest an improvement of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), called Improvement of the Acknowledgement mechanism of TCP (IA-TCP), to better performance in MANET. IA-TCP delays the acknowledgements packets of TCP according to the number of nodes, their mobility and the communication distance between these nodes. We limited our studies on very important parameters in such networks which are throughput and end-to-end delay because they have great effects on the TCP performance in MANET. The results are satisfactory and showed that IA-TCP can outperform not only TCP standard, but also similar techniques that have been proposed in the literature like LDA and WCCP.
RISK MANAGEMENT OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES

Investment funds in diff erent types of fi nancial assets are motivated by investors’ expectation to realize a profi t. Since the expected return is not always certain, the investor is faced with a risk of his investment not giving results in accordance with the expectations. Therefore, the consideration of risk by which the concrete placement is hampered should not be neglected or le$ to int uition. An incorrect risk assessment can result in a lack of the expected return or a loss of a capital investment. The global fi nancial crisis has indicated on the possible absence consequences of the comprehensive risk management, in other words, the inadequate perceiving of all the risks and their interdependencies. In this paper, the system of managing risks including their early identifi cation, assessment, measuring and risk control is analyzed. At the same time, models providing an eff ective portfolio diversifi cation in the function of reducing an investment risk have been analyzed. It is indicated that risk management requires the process fl exibility without strongly relying only on mathematical models that failed to identify the growth of a systemic risk.
The effects of yttrium on the hydrogenation performance and surface properties of a ruthenium-supported catalyst

The effects of yttrium on the hydrogenation performance and surface properties of a Ru/sepiolite catalyst were studied. With CO2 methanation and CS2 poisoning as the testing reactons, TPR, TPD, XRD and CO chemisorption as the characterizations, the results showed that the presence of yttrium can increase the hydrogenation activity and anti-poisoning capacity of the Ru/sepiolite catalyst, which is due to a change of surface properties of the Ru/sepiolite. In the process of the catalytic reaction, the adjusting behavior of yttrium for the Ru/sepiolite catalyst aids in increasing the catalytic activity and anti-poisoning capacity of the catalyst.
Evaluation of the essential oil composition and antioxidant activity of Achillea eriophora as a medicinal plant

Background & Aim: Achillea (Fam. Asteraceae) is a medicinal plant and different species of it have several uses in the folk medicine all around the world. Achillea species are used for feverish conditions, common cold, digestive complaints, slow healing wounds and skin inflammations. This study aims to investigate the essential oil composition and antioxidant activities from the aerial parts of Achillea eriophora collected from Khash city in Sistan and Baluchestan province. Experimental: Chemical composition of the essential oils was obtained by hydro-distillation method using a Clevenger type apparatus and analyzed by GC/MS. Results and Discussion: In the essential oil of Achillea eriophora 33 compounds representing 100%, were identified in which Camphor (21.55 %), Artemesia ketone (13.84%), Alpha-Thujone (11.85%), Borneole (8.94%), Yomogi alcohol (7.74%), 1,8-cineole (5.19%), Terpinene-4-ol (4.23%) and Myrtenol (3.10%) were the major constituents. In addition, the antioxidant activity of ethyl acetate and ethanolic extracts of Achillea eriophora was analyzed using the 1, 1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging. According to antioxidant activity outcomes, the amount of IC50 of ethyl acetate and ethanolic extracts of the aerial parts of Achillea eriophora and also butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT) as a standard was 245.20 ppm, 89.25 ppm and 45.58 ppm, respectively. Ultimately, it was highlighted that the antioxidant activity of ethyl acetate extract was weaker than ethanolic extract. The antioxidant activity of both of them were also weaker than BHT as a synthetic antioxidant. Some compounds like 1, 8cineole and terpinen-4-ol can be responsible for antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, while Camphor and borneol have not been proven to be strong antioxidant agents as emphasized elsewhere. Recommended applications/ industries: The results of the present study showed that Achillea eriophora from Sistan and Baluchestan may be considered as source of natural antioxidant to be used in medicinal and food products to promote human health and prevent diseases.
Phonétique, sociolinguistique, sociophonétique : histoires parallèles et croisements

Est-il possible de definir de facon univoque et de circonscrire la sociophonetique, qui connait un essor important ces dernieres annees ? Partant de cette question, cet article introductif retrace les contributions respectives de la phonetique et de la sociolinguistique et le role de leurs interactions dans la genese et le developpement du domaine sociophonetique. Les directions de recherche encore peu explorees sont egalement mises en evidence. Une attention particuliere est accordee aux etudes de la dimension phonique du francais qui, bien qu'elles ne se soient que rarement definies comme sociophonetiques, ont peu a peu participe a l'elaboration d'une description socialement informee de la variabilite des unites sonores de cette langue, tant en ce qui concerne leur production que leur perception ou la construction de leur signification sociale.
Workforce Policy and Care Quality in English Long-term Elder Care

Abstract In this article, we explore workforce policy and its potential to improve care quality in English long-term elder care. Using large, secondary sector datasets, we analyze relationships between care quality and the skill development practices prescribed by workforce policy, care quality, and a wider set of employment practices. We demonstrate that the latter is more likely to improve care quality than skill development alone. We further demonstrate that both skill development/care quality and employment practice/care quality relationships are stronger in the statutory than the independent sector. Our findings challenge the effectiveness of workforce policy in two ways. First, it may be too narrowly focused on skill development at the expense of wider employment practice. Second, it may not be effective in improving care quality when outsourcing care ostensibly to improve it leads, particularly in the independent sector, to cost-based commissioning that mitigates against robust employment practice.
Equivariant functions for the M\"{o}bius subgroups and applications

The aim of this paper is to give a generalization of the theory equivariant functions, initiated in [17, 4], to arbitrary subgroups of PSL2(R). We show that there is a deep relation between the geometry of these groups and some analytic and algebraic properties of these functions. As an application, we give a new proof of the classification of automorphic forms for non discrete groups. Also, we prove the following automorphy condition: If $f$ is an automorphic form for a Fuchsian group of the first kind $\Gamma$, then $f$ has infinitely many non $\Gamma$-equivalent critical points.
Some issues in modelling of ground support using the three-dimensional distinct element method

Numerical models are an integral part of the rock engineering arsenal that are applied to a wide range of practical problems. The choice for a particular numerical code is based on the capacity of a code to represent the boundary conditions, adequately capture the material behaviour and capture the pertinent failure mechanisms. It follows that there could be more than one code suitable for a particular problem. In this respect, the choice for a code will be dictated by a series of technical and practical trade-offs. This paper addresses issues associated with the explicit simulation of jointed rock mass and ground support in numerical models. Although various types of ground support elements have been implemented in most numerical analysis software packages, their practicality and applicability for realistic simulation of ground support have not received a high level of technical scrutiny. This paper focuses on explicit simulation of a jointed rock mass and ground support using the three-dimensional distinct element code (3DEC), which is based on the distinct element method (DEM). The calibration of the numerical model was conducted with reference to the results obtained from instrumented trials at the George Fisher mine, Queensland, reported by the Australian Centre for Geomechanics. In particular, the investigation considers the response of the ground support system, consisting of both reinforcement and surface support elements to the excavation of nearby stopes. It was demonstrated that the DEM model was capable of realistically simulating the ground deformation and the support behaviour monitored at different stages of mining cycles.
KESZEY, T. (2014)*: How trust affects the use of information obtained through intra- and extraorganizational relationships? In: Bigné, E. (szerk.):

We have limited knowledge on the potential pattern similarities/differences of trust’s role that may exist in information use obtained through intraand extra-organizational relationships. This study addresses this question b y investigating how trust leads to information use. Data from 338 intra-organizational and a sub-ample of 158 interorganizational dyadic information exchange-relationships showed that trust is an important driver of the utilization of market infor mation in both cases. Trust has no direct relationship to information use, instead has a strong indirect effect through a mediator, perceived quality of information. The efects of trust on the use of information obtained through interand extra-organizational dyadic relationships proved to be similar.
Mécanismes physiques de la voix

La parole est produite lorsqu’un locuteur génère un champ sonore au sein de son appareil vocal. Le champ sonore se propage ensuite à travers le conduit vocal qui est constitué de l’ensemble des cavités comprises entre le larynx, les lèvres et les narines. Sa forme exacte dépend de la position des articulateurs que sont les lèvres, les dents, la mâchoire, la langue et le voile du palais. Des formes distinctes du conduit vocal modifient le champ sonore qui s’y propage, produisant ainsi les différents sons de parole.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND ORGANIC CARBON CONTENT OF A RHODIC KANDIUDOX... 1323

The impact of pig slurry and poultry litter fertilization on soils depends on the conditions of use and the amounts applied. This study evaluated the effect of organic fertilizers after different application periods in different areas on the physical properties and organic carbon contents of a Rhodic Kandiudox, in Concordia, Santa Catarina, in Southern Brazil. The treatments consisted of different land uses and periods of pig and poultry litter fertilization: silage maize (M7 years), silage maize (M20 years), annual ryegrass pasture (P3 years), annual ryegrass pasture (P15 years), perennial pasture (PP20 years), yerba mate tea (Mt20 years), native forest (NF), and native pasture without manure application (P0). The 0-5, 5-10 and 10-20 cm soil layers were sampled and analyzed for total organic carbon, total nitrogen and soil physical properties such as density, porosity, aggregation, degree of flocculation, and penetration resistance. The organic carbon levels in the cultivated areas treated with organic fertilizer were even lower than in native forest soil. The organic fertilizers and studied management systems reduced the flocculation degree of the clay particles, and low macroporosity was observed in some areas. Despite these changes, a good soil physical structure was maintained, e.g., soil density and resistance to penetration were below the critical limits, whereas aggregate stability was high, which is important to reduce water erosion in these areas with rugged terrain in western Santa Catarina, used for pig and poultry farming.
Causes of Delay in Building Construction Projects in Egypt

Delay in construction projects is considered one of the most common problems causing a multitude of negative effects on the project and its participating parties. This paper aims to identify the main causes of delay in construction projects in Egypt from the point of view of contractors, consultants, and owners. A literature review was conducted to compile a list of delay causes that was purged based on appropriateness to Egypt in seven semistructured interviews. The resulting list of delay causes was subjected to a questionnaire survey for quantitative confirmation and identification of the most important causes of delay. The overall results indicated that the most important causes are: financing by contractor during construction, delays in contractor's payment by owner, design changes by owner or his agent during construction, partial payments during construction, and nonutilization of professional construction/contractual management. The contractor and owner were found to have opposing views, mostly blaming one another for delays, while the consultant was seen as having a more intermediate view. Results' analyses suggest that in order to significantly reduce delay a joint effort based on teamwork is required. Furthermore, causes of project delay were discussed based on the type and size of the project.
A practical guide to assuring the system resilience to operational errors

Studies about the sources of critical accidents in operating human‐made systems indicate that most of them are commonly attributed to errors made by the human operators. These findings motivated the development of a guide for designing and developing systems which are resilient to operational errors. This article reports on the development of such a guide by the Gordon Center for System Engineering at the Technion. Assuming the Human Factors variant of Murphy's Law, the guide applies the STAMP paradigm of self‐control in scenario‐based design, relying on a model of resilient operation. The guide suggests designing three firewalls, for preventing latent threats, preventing escalation and learning from incidents. The effectiveness of the guide was evaluated collaboratively in a special INCOSE_IL working group, by examination of its applicability to case studies. The guide was validated by scoring the guidelines applicability to failure modes observed in a special database of 67 mishaps.
Loss-Leader Pricing and Upgrades

A new theory of loss-leader pricing is provided in which firms advertise low (below cost) prices for certain goods to signal that their other unadvertised (substitute) goods are not priced too high. The theory is applied to the pricing of upgrades. The results contrast with most existing loss-leader theories in that firms make a loss on some consumers (who buy the basic version of the good) and a profit on others (who buy the upgrade).
Evaluating the Forecasting Performance of a DSGE-VAR Model for Romania Raluca -

Within the inflation targeting monetary policy regime, forecasts of central macro variables, inflation in particular, play an important part. Because inflation reacts to monetary measures with a considerable lag, the central bank’s policy has to be forward-looking. This paper applies the DSGE-VAR methodology for a small open economy with an explicit inflation target – Romania, the aim being to assess the model’s performance in terms of forecasting accuracy as opposed to a standard unrestricted VAR model. The results suggest that imposing information coming from a simple New Keynesian open economy model calibrated for Romanian economy as a prior in the estimation of a VAR helps improve the model’s forecasting performance, especially in the medium term, for all the four variables considered in the VAR specification (real GDP, real exchange rate, inflation and nominal interest rate). Moreover, in contrast to the unrestricted VAR model, the DSGE-VAR model is informative about the structure of the economy and can help the “story-telling” in the central banks.
Lee waves associated with a commercial jetliner accident at Denver International Airport

AbstractAt 1818 mountain standard time 20 December 2008, a Boeing 737 jetliner encountered significant crosswinds while accelerating for takeoff at the Denver International Airport (DIA), ran off the side of the runway, and burst into flames. Passengers and crew were able to evacuate quickly, and, although there were injuries, there were no fatalities. Winds around the time of the accident were predominantly from the west, with substantial spatial and temporal speed variability across the airport property. Embedded in this mostly westerly flow were intermittent gusts that created strong crosswinds for the north–south runways. According to the report from the National Transportation Safety Board, it was one of these strong gusts that initiated the events that led to the runway excursion and subsequent crash of the aircraft. Numerous aircraft reported significant mountain-wave activity and turbulence over Colorado on the day of the accident. To determine whether wave activity may have contributed to the str.
A rational approach to the treatment of osteoporosis

Abstract Osteoporosis is a common, costly and serious disease. The life-time risk of an osteoporotic fracture in Caucasian women approximates 50%. Epidemiologic fracture data in South Africa are limited, but the incidence of osteoporosis appears to be similar in white, Indian and mixed ancestry (Coloured) females.
Occurrence of Salmonellas in Poultry Feeds in Jordan

A study was conducted to determine the presence of Salmonellae in chicken feeds in Jordan. A total of 1546 samples collected randomly from north, middle and south regions in Jordan. The suspected samples were identified and then it was confirmed by using biochemical and serological tests. The results showed the presence of 36 (2.33%) Salmonella isolates of the total tested samples. Numbers and percentages of Salmonellae in feed were 14 (2.55%), 15 (2.38%) and 7 (1.91%) for north, middle and south regions. The rate of contamination of starter layer feed and fish meal was 2.9% and 3.5%. Out of 36 Salmonella isolates ten serotypes were found. The serotypes isolated were S. enteritidis ( 22.22% ), S. typhimurium (11.11% ), S. group C2 (8.33% ), S. group B (11.11% ), S. infentis (13.88% ), S. gallinarum (8.33% ), S. Arizona (5.55% ), S. group A (8.33% ), S. rough strain (2.77% ), other Salmonella ( 8.33 % ). Salmonella enteritidis(22.22%) was the serotype most often isolated from poultry feeds. The widespread occurrence of Salmonellae in poultry feeds reinforces the need for the implementation of effective control measures. The significance of these findings, the first to be reported in Jordan are discussed in the light of Salmonellae as an important feed borne to chickens.