Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphing Compression Garments for Space Medicine and Extravehicular Activity Using Active Materials.

INTRODUCTION Compression garments tend to be difficult to don/doff, due to their intentional function of squeezing the wearer. This is especially true for compression garments used for space medicine and for extravehicular activity (EVA). We present an innovative solution to this problem by integrating shape changing materials-NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) coil actuators formed into modular, 3D-printed cartridges-into compression garments to produce garments capable of constricting on command. METHODS A parameterized, 2-spring analytic counterpressure model based on 12 garment and material inputs was developed to inform garment design. A methodology was developed for producing novel SMA cartridge systems to enable active compression garment construction. Five active compression sleeve prototypes were manufactured and tested: each sleeve was placed on a rigid cylindrical object and counterpressure was measured as a function of spatial location and time before, during, and after the application of a step voltage input. RESULTS Controllable active counterpressures were measured up to 34.3 kPa, exceeding the requirement for EVA life support (29.6 kPa). Prototypes which incorporated fabrics with linear properties closely matched analytic model predictions (4.1%/-10.5% error in passive/active pressure predictions); prototypes using nonlinear fabrics did not match model predictions (errors >100%). Pressure non-uniformities were observed due to friction and the rigid SMA cartridge structure. DISCUSSION To our knowledge this is the first demonstration of controllable compression technology incorporating active materials, a novel contribution to the field of compression garment design. This technology could lead to easy-to-don compression garments with widespread space and terrestrial applications.
Identifying technical debt cost factors in reflection activities of an agile projects

The technical debt metaphor has received wide attention by both practitioners and researchers alike. The metaphor has been proven useful to explain in economy's terms aspects which occur during the software development process. This work studies the applicability of the metaphor in reflection activities of agile projects. To achieve this, a qualitative research methodology has been carried out to study the records of a live agile development projects. Our results confirm the applicably of the proposal by the identification of terms related to the metaphor in this records. Moreover, our study has further validated the applicability of cost factors used in technical debt measurement reported in the literature.
Bank Capital Adequacy in Australia

The paper finds that, given Australia's conservative approach in implementing the Basel II framework, Australian banks' headline capital ratios underestimate their capital strengths. Given their high capital quality and the progress in their funding profiles since the global financial crisis, the Australian banks are making good progress toward meeting the Basel III requirements, including the new liquidity standards. Stress tests calibrated on the Irish crisis experience show that the banks could withstand sizable shocks to their exposure to residential mortgages. However, combining residential mortgage shocks with corporate losses expected at the peak of the global financial crisis would put more pressure on Australian banks' capital. Therefore, it would be useful to consider the merits of higher capital requirements for systemically important domestic banks.
Attitude of Couples and Marrigeable Singles in Establishing Joint Fashion Business

Entrepreneurship has been observed to work among couples who have mutual understanding and trust. It has also been observed to have more advantages in terms of the synergy that can bring about achieving more, onei¯s business been in safe hands and building marital fidelity. Nevertheless, it has also been conceived by some individuals that joint business among couples can lead to instability and arguments that arise from financial matters of the business. There are several studies in marriage and family business, effect of family on entrepreneurship, fashion marketing environment, fashion marketing strategies, fashion communication etc and none focuses on family fashion business in Nigerian socio-cultural and fashion marketing environment. Therefore, this study focuses on the attitudes of married couples and marriageable singles in establishing joint clothing and textile business. A total of 30 graduate students of Clothing and Textiles were purposefully selected for the study because they are trained to acquire vocational and entrepreneurial skills to be job creators (not job seekers), employers of labour and maintaining balance family life. Result shows that the respondents have favorable attitude to entrepreneurial skills, business management, home management, financial issues, risk management, cultural values and personality with mean scores of 3.48, 3.21, 3.13, 3.09, 3.53, 3.75 and 2.60 respectively. The overall attitudinal score is 3.26 indicating a favorable response that couples and marriageable singles can establish joint fashion business. Therefore this study recommends that couples who intend to own joint businesses should have mutual understanding, trust and communicate more about financial matters before they own a joint business. They should discover an appropriate way of handling the business with maturity and proper organization so as to avoid conflicts.
Market Reaction to Announcements of Convertible Bonds Issue in the United Kingdom

This study investigates the wealth effects of announcements of the intention to issue convertible bonds in the UK market over a period from January 1990 until July 2010. The study period also allows for an investigation on the market reaction to announcements of convertible bonds during the financial crisis that started in August 2007. Using the standard event study methodology, a negative abnormal return of 1.75% (significant at the 5% level) on the two-day event window is reported, confirming the findings of previous UK studies (Abyhankar and Dunning, 1999, and Wolf et al., 1999) which are also in line with studies performed using data from other countries such as US, Canada, Australia, and others. There are no significant differences between the results of the sub-samples before and during the financial crisis, suggesting that the economic conditions do not influence the market response. The results of the event study and the multivariate analysis are consistent with the ‘market timing hypothesis’ implying that managers in the UK announce their intention to issue convertible bonds after a period of good stock price performance.
Bridging the Knowledge Divide: Issues on the Feminisation of Marketing Practice

This paper discusses the gap in our knowledge concerning the influx of women into the marketing profession in recent years. It shows how the complexities that surround this feminisation are relevant to both marketing practice and discourse. In so doing the authors highlight the importance of feminisation as an issue not only for the women who fill our marketing programmes and do marketing work as practitioners, but also for the profession and the academy more generally.
Investor Diversification and the Pricing of Idiosyncratic Risk

Theories predict that, due to investor under-diversification, idiosyncratic risk is positively priced in expected stock returns. Empirical studies based on various methodologies yield mixed evidence. This study circumvents the debate on methodological issues and traces the pricing of idiosyncratic risk to its economic source – investor under-diversification. Assuming that institutional investors tend to hold more diversified portfolios and thus care little about idiosyncratic risk relative to individual investors, we find that the positive relation between idiosyncratic risk and stock returns is significantly stronger (weaker) in stocks that are held and traded more by individual (institutional) investors. In addition, the pricing of idiosyncratic risk becomes weaker over time as institutional investors become more dominant in the US equity market. JEL classification: G12
Investigation of Moisture Uptake in Low-$\kappa$  Dielectric Materials

The influence of moisture on the electrical properties of PECVD SiCOH and a PECVD porous ultralow- κ (pULK) material has been investigated in comparison with a thermal oxide and a PECVD oxide. Capacitance-time (C -t) measurements are performed on metal-insulator-metal structures during exposure to different humidity conditions (0% to 80% RH) to determine the effect on the relative permittivity. The results show a big difference in the amounts of moisture absorbance of the investigated materials. While the PECVD oxide and the thermal oxide show no effect on exposure to a humid atmosphere, the increase in the permittivity of SiCOH due to moisture uptake is 7%, and surprisingly, the change in the permittivity of the porous dielectric material is 1.75%. Within these experiments, the diffusion process of moisture into the dielectric materials could be observed in situ, and a diffusion model is created to extract diffusion constants and a value for the saturation concentration. Furthermore, the flatband voltage shift of SiCOH and the pULK material in metal-insulator-semiconductor structures at different ambient humidity levels has been studied. The findings suggest that moisture uptake causes a positive charge inside the dielectric materials, which is responsible for the observed flatband voltage shift.
A new quality optimization framework for dash streaming over wireless channels

Mobile devices are increasingly used as terminals for playback of multimedia content. However, maximizing the user's quality of experience is challenging due to the highly variable conditions of the wireless channels. A possibility to cope with such a variability is to dynamically adapt the source coding rate during the transmission, which is the underlying idea of the DASH standard. This work proposes a new framework to improve the quality of the DASH-based streaming experience by allowing to adjust the tradeoff between the quality of received content and the risk of playback freeze due to an empty buffer, which is a strong quality-disruptive event. The problem is analytically formulated and an efficient method to compute the playback freeze probability as a function of the representation choices over time is presented. Numerous simulation results using real download rate traces of 3G channels show the performance improvement compared to other bandwidth-adaptive algorithms as well as the robustness of the framework to variations of its most important parameters.
Ultraviolet radiation in the Arctic : the impact of potential ozone depletions and cloud effects

An atmospheric radiation model is used to study the combined effects of ozone depletions/redistributions and particulate clouds on atmospheric heating/photolysis rates and ultraviolet radiation reaching the biosphere. Four types of particulate clouds prevalent in the summertime Arctic are considered: stratospheric aerosols, tropospheric aerosols (Arctic haze), cirrus clouds, and stratus clouds. The effects of ozone depletion and vertical redistributions of ozone are also examined. The main findings are as follows: (1) stratus clouds provide significant protection from ultraviolet radiation exposure, but while stratospheric aerosols imply increased UVB exposure, Arctic haze results in a decrease; (2) a redistribution of ozone from the stratosphere to the troposphere tends to decrease UV exposure, but for low solar elevations an increase may occur; (3) a 20% ozone depletion leads to about 0.4 K/d cooling in the lower stratosphere, while redistribution of ozone from the stratosphere to the troposphere implies a warming of about 0.015 K/d in the upper troposphere; (4) stratus clouds may cause a large warming in the middle and upper stratosphere (0.8 K/d); (5) clouds have little effect on ozone ej hotolysis leading to O(lD) production at altitudes higher than 25 km; (6) for ozone photolysis leading to 0( P) production photolysis rates may increase by 50% or more throughout the atmosphere due to multiple scattering by stratus clouds.
Influence of Founding-Family Ownership and Managerial Regime on Firm Performance: Evidence from Companies on WSE

This paper investigates the link between the founding family ownership and firm performance. We also study the influence of family management on financial performance of the public firms. We test our hypotheses using half-year database of 272 companies from Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) covering the period 1996-2004. The results indicate that family firms, CEOs and board chairmen are related insignificantly to the financial performance of the companies.Additional analysis reveals how independent variables such as size, growth, leverage and liquidity influence the financial measures of the sub-samples of firms.
Chaos and Order are not Enemies, only Opposites: A Case Study of PICIC Bank

PICIC was formed as a development financial institution in Pakistan by Local and foreign investors with the help of World Bank to improve industrial infrastructure in Pakistan. The main directions of its activity were long-term project financing in private sector. With its unwavering commitment since 1957, PICIC was most popular brand with a network of 45 branches to meet the requirements of its assets / liabilities of a full range of financial products and services under one roof. In this article we will discuss various aspects of control and chaos in the context of the organization as leaders generate the necessary strategic changes to organizational development. Organizational development is done in two ways: either manager, using their power to affect the various activities and gain control over situations or even think they allow their employees to take their own ingenuity in solving various issues.
STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL CAPITAL OF SMALL AND AVERAGE SIZE COMPANIES AND MANAGEMENT OF THE CUSTOMERSKNOWLEDG E

Received 18, January, 2014 Received in revised form 27, January, 2014 Accepted 15, February, 2014 Published online 28, February, 2014 Customers’ knowledge is a source of innovation. What is considered by the customers and is embedded in their mind is a type of hidden knowledge. If the small size businesses want to use it and change it to a suitable idea, they have to install the proper mechanisms and this issue will be followed by the ongoing process of interaction between the customer and the firm. The main issue is how the small and average size businesses could have access to relevant and proper information of their customers and form the management of the customers’ knowledge. This study originates from descriptive studies regarding social capital and its impact on management of the customers’ knowledge and it has been tried to show the importance, the different reasons and methods of its impact on the management of the customers’ knowledge by presentation of the concept and definitions of social capital.
Improving Services Through Adoption of Cloud Computing at PT XYZ in Indonesia (SCOPUS)

PT. XYZ as Indonesian institution is responsible for managing social insurance programs of civil servants. With branch offices and business partners who are geographically dispersed throughout Indonesia, information technology is very important to support the business processes. Cloud computing is a model of information technology services that could potentially increase the effectiveness and efficiency of PT. XYZ information system. This study examines the phenomenon exists at PT. XYZ in order to adopt cloud computing in the information system, by using the framework of Technology-Organization-Environment, Diffusion of Innovation theory, and Partial Least Square method. Organizational factor is the most dominant for PT. XYZ to adopt cloud computing. Referring to these findings, then performed a SWOT analysis and TOWS matrix, which in this study recommends the implementation of a strategy model of cloud computing services that are private and gradually in process.
Effective quality assurance in the personal investment industry: part 1 ‐ an impossible task?

This paper is a response to a consultative document by the Personal Investment Authority (PIA), the UK financial services industry regulator. The PIA exists, not because the industry is a monopoly or concerned with health or safety, but because of the unsatisfactory quality it has provided to its customers. The approach of the paper is to examine if the quality management principles developed in manufacturing during past years could be useful in addressing this problem. The paper appears in two parts; the second part proposes a different type of regulatory system.
Implementing e‐value strategies in UK retailing

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the current strategic landscape of UK “bricks and clicks” retailers. The main focus of this work is to consider how e-commerce may provide competitive advantage via an insight into the current strategies employed by UK retailers. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses both secondary and primary data analysis to explore its research questions. The paper begins with an overview of the e-strategy literature and then goes on to examine the key areas of e-value creation for bricks and clicks companies. Next an analysis of the results of a survey of the UK's top 500 retailers tests the existing literature and provides new evidence of emerging e-strategies. Findings – The data analysis in this research reveals significant gaps between theory and practice and leads to the development of a new model of business “e-value-added”. Research limitations/implications – It is difficult to generalise the findings from this survey, given the small number of respondents. Further in-depth qualitative research is needed to enable us to understand better the organisational issues around e-commerce development and implementation. Practical implications – It is suggested that, in order to exploit the internet to its full potential, legacy retailers need to analyse a variety of situational antecedents in order to identify e-value creation opportunities. In addition, they must consider whether integration or separation with bricks and clicks operations will deliver the best solution in each value-adding interface. Originality/value – This research offers a new insight into current e-tail strategies for bricks and clicks businesses, and as such is likely to be of interest to academics and practitioners alike.
Introduction to the Special Issue: Communication Processes for Virtual Organizations

Few topics have received more attention in the management literature of recent years than that of virtual organizations. Articles abound on the possibilities of virtual meetings, work teams, offices, factories, firms, and alliances. Given the burgeoning interest in this emerging phenomenon, it is surprising that very little empirical research exists on virtual organizations. Especially lacking are studies of communication processes within virtual organization settings. To help remedy this situation, this special issue provides an early window into several important communication processes that occur in virtual contexts. We are pleased to provide readers with a compendium of six articles that, collectively, advance current knowledge of communication processes for virtual organizations. Both single and multifirm studies are included here, with analyses covering such diverse topics as communication content, communication structure and effectiveness, tradeoffs in electronic and face-to-face relationships, and the use of communication in formation of organizational identity. All of the studies include rigorous analysis and careful measurement of communication, and all take place within naturally occurring organizational contexts, not laboratory settings.
Combining RP and SP data while accounting for large choice sets and travel mode – an application to forest recreation

This paper analyses the use of forests for recreational purposes in Lorraine, France, a region with many forests and easy access for recreational users. This implies that residents in Lorraine can choose between a large set of forests if they decide to visit a forest. The abundance of forests in Lorraine makes identification of the visited forests difficult. To facilitate identification of forests actually visited, we have incorporated an interactive map in a Web-based survey intended to include both revealed and stated preference data. We compare different sampling schemes to define the choice set used for site selection modelling when the actual choice set considered is potentially large and unknown to the analyst. Easy access to forests also implies that around half of the visitors walk or bike to the forest. We apply an error-component mixed-logit model to simultaneously model the travel mode decision and the site selection decision and to combine revealed and stated preference data. Finally, the effect on the willingness-to-pay of changes in forest quality and access is evaluated based on alternative choice set specifications, model specifications and data sources (revealed and stated preference data).
Sleep and academic performance in later adolescence: results from a large population‐based study

The aim of the current study was to assess the association between sleep duration and sleep patterns and academic performance in 16–19 year‐old adolescents using registry‐based academic grades. A large population‐based study from Norway conducted in 2012, the youth@hordaland‐survey, surveyed 7798 adolescents aged 16–19 years (53.5% girls). The survey was linked with objective outcome data on school performance. Self‐reported sleep measures provided information on sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep deficit and bedtime differences between weekday and weekend. School performance [grade point average (GPA)] was obtained from official administrative registries. Most sleep parameters were associated with increased risk for poor school performance. After adjusting for sociodemographic information, short sleep duration and sleep deficit were the sleep measures with the highest odds of poor GPA (lowest quartile). Weekday bedtime was associated significantly with GPA, with adolescents going to bed between 22:00 and 23:00 hours having the best GPA. Also, delayed sleep schedule during weekends was associated with poor academic performance. The associations were somewhat reduced after additional adjustment for non‐attendance at school, but remained significant in the fully adjusted models. In conclusion, the demonstrated relationship between sleep problems and poor academic performance suggests that careful assessment of sleep is warranted when adolescents are underperforming at school. Future studies are needed on the association between impaired sleep in adolescence and later functioning in adulthood.
ERK signalling as a regulator of cell motility

Cell motility is regulated by multiple processes, including cell protrusion, cell retraction, cell-matrix adhesion, polarized exocytosis and polarized vesicle trafficking, each of which is spatiotemporally controlled by various intracellular signalling pathways. Dysregulation of cell motility leads to pathological conditions, such as tumour invasion and metastasis. Accumulating evidence has revealed that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signalling is one of the critical regulators of cell motility, although it is classically known as an important regulator of cell proliferation, differentiation and survival through regulation of gene expression. ERK and its downstream kinase, p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK), dynamically regulate cell motility mainly through direct phosphorylation of various molecules that are not necessarily involved in the regulation of gene transcription and translation. In this review, we summarize how ERK signalling regulates cell motility by focusing on the components of the cell motility machinery that are directly regulated by ERK or RSK.