Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The failure of transparency as self-regulation

Purpose This paper aims to examine the existence of a transparency gap between voluntary external sustainability reporting and internal sustainability performance of an organisation arising from the operationalisation of transparency as an instrumental tool. Design/methodology/approach This study combined an analysis of a firm’s sustainability report (secondary data) with a qualitative case study data (primary data comprising interviews, meetings and internal documents) to understand how the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) sustainability reporting guidelines are applied in practice. Findings By comparing what is reported with a range of primary case study data, this study finds evidence of transparency gaps, particularly in terms of the quality of measurement of sustainability performance, the materiality of issues covered and the completeness of the report. This study posits that voluntary disclosures following the GRI guidelines (transparency technique) shape the external expression of acceptable corporate behaviour (transparency norm) that is nevertheless at odds with actual behaviour or performance. Practical implications The findings indicate the importance of mandatory sustainability reporting requirements that facilitate accountability to all key stakeholders and that are externally assured and enforced. Such requirements might take the form of standards that put boundaries on judgement and address material sustainable development impacts and that are accompanied by implementation guidance. Non-financial assurance practices must be developed to cover adherence to reporting principles and processes. Social implications Transparency gaps that result from voluntary disclosure guidelines or standards being used to imply a transparency norm may undermine accountability for the impacts of the organisation and hinder alignment of business models and corporate strategies with sustainable development. Originality/value The paper contributes to a theoretical understanding of transparency as a form of self-regulation and has implications for the further development of sustainability reporting standards.
On the evolution of the system of wind drift currents and Langmuir circulations in the ocean. Part 1. Theory and averaged current

A theory for the evolution of the wind drift current and of the Langmuir circulations in infinitely deep water of constant density is presented. The model improves and extends a recent quasi-steady theory of Craik & Leibovich which asserts that the Langmuir circulations arise from a nonlinear interaction between surface waves and the frictional wind drift current. In turn, the development of the wind drift should be strongly influenced by Langmuir circulations, when they are present, and the two current systems are therefore treated here as a single inseparable system driven by a prescribed wind stress and surface wave field. Mixing by the vertical motions in the Langmuir circulations is shown to yield solutions for the wind drift, obtained both analytically and numerically, which are consistent with experiments and with field observations. The model yields a streaky flow pattern with a mean motion much like a turbulent wall layer, although the model is deterministic. In particular, it is found that a ‘viscous sublayer’ joins surface water to a logarithmic ‘inertial sublayer’ below. The scaling rules that emerge from the theory allow the surface speed of the wind drift to reach nearly full development in a matter of minutes.
Transient dynamic distributed strain sensing using photonic crystal fibres

A technique to determine the strain field in one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystal (PC) involving high strain rate, high temperature around shock or ballistic impact is proposed. Transient strain sensing is important in aerospace and other structural health monitoring (SHM) applications. We consider a MEMS based smart sensor design with photonic crystal integrated on a silicon substrate for dynamic strain correlation. Deeply etched silicon rib waveguides with distributed Bragg reflectors are suitable candidates for miniaturization of sensing elements, replacing the conventional FBG. Main objective here is to investigate the effect of non-uniform strain localization on the sensor output. Computational analysis is done to determine the static and dynamic strain sensing characteristics of the 1D photonic crystal based sensor. The structure is designed and modeled using Finite Element Method. Dynamic localization of strain field is observed. The distributed strain field is used to calculated the PC waveguide response. The sensitivity of the proposed sensor is estimated to be 0.6 pm/με.
Statistical measures of structural anisotropy in MHD turbulence subjected to mean shear and frame rotation

We consider homogeneous turbulence in a conducting fluid that is exposed to a uniform external magnetic field while being sheared in fixed and rotating frames. We take both the frame-rotation axis and the applied magnetic field to be aligned in the direction normal to the plane of the mean shear. We find that a key parameter determining the structural morphology of the flow is the ratio of the time scale of the mean shear to the Joule time, τshear/τ m . When τshear ≪ τ m , we find that the turbulence structures tend to align preferentially with the streamwise direction irrespective of the magnetic Reynolds number, R m . When τshear ≫ τ m , we find that at low R m the turbulent eddies become elongated and aligned with the magnetic field, but at moderately high R m , there is partial streamwise alignment of the eddies. When τshear≈ τ m , we find that competing mechanisms tend to produce different structural anisotropies, and small variations in dimensionless parameters can have a strong effect on the structure of the evolving flow. For example, at R m ≪ 1, a preferential alignment of structures in the direction of the magnetic field emerges as the flow evolves, consistent with the predictions of the quasi-static approach. For R m ∼ 1, the structures are found to be equally aligned in the streamwise and spanwise direction at large times. However, when R m is moderately high (10 ≲ R m ≲ 50) this strong spanwise alignment is replaced by a preferential alignment of structures in the streamwise direction. Counter to intuition, we found evidence that strong rotation in combination with a spanwise magnetic field tends to promote a streamwise alignment of the eddies, at least when τshear≈ τ m .
The Framingham Study on Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Stress-Defenses: A Historical Review

The Framingham Heart Study (FHS) began in 1949 with the goal of defining the epidemiology of hypertensive or arteriosclerotic heart disease in the population of Framingham, Massachusetts, a primarily Caucasian suburb west of Boston with a population of approximately 28,000. The participants were without previous symptoms of heart disease and were followed for the occurrence of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). The study documented a comprehensive medical history that included current symptoms, family history, past cardiac history, social history, and medications. The medical exam included diagnostic studies of chest X-ray, electrocardiogram (EKG), complete blood count (CBC), uric acid level, blood glucose, urinalysis, and venereal disease research laboratory test; Syphilis (VDRL). Serum lipids, recognized at the time to be associated with cardiovascular disease, were also measured. These included cholesterol, total phospholipids, and the Gofman’s Sf 10–20 fraction. Study participants underwent four examinations at 6-month intervals to document any clinical manifestation of CVD. The present understanding of the epidemiologic factors that influence cardiovascular disease risk (CVD-R) is based on the first report of study results at a 6-year median follow-up and numerous subsequent analyses of long-term follow-up data from the original Framingham cohort as well as their offspring. In this paper, we review the Framingham cohort study with regards to the risk factors of peripheral vascular disease.
Electric potential probes - new directions in the remote sensing of the human body

In this paper we describe a new approach to the detection of human body electrical activity which has been made possible by recent advances in ultra-low-noise, ultra-high-input-impedance probes. As we demonstrate, these probes, which do not require a real current conducting path in order to operate, can be used non-invasively both on and off body. We present remarkable new data showing the application of these probes to the remote, off-body, sensing of the electrical activity of the heart at distances of up to 1 m from the body and to high-resolution electrocardiograms. We suggest that in the future such probes may form the basis of a radically new technology for measuring the dynamics of the human body as well as in non-contact, imaging systems for pre-emptive and diagnostic medicine.
Fracture Risk in Men and Women With Vertebral Fractures Identified Opportunistically on Routine Computed Tomography Scans and Not Treated for Osteoporosis: An Observational Cohort Study

Vertebral fractures (VFs) have been associated with future fractures, yet few studies have evaluated whether this pertains to VFs available for identification on routine radiological imaging. We sought to evaluate the risk of subsequent fractures in subjects with VF identified opportunistically on computed tomography (CT) scans performed as part of routine clinical practice. From the radiology database of Holbæk Hospital we identified the first CT scan including the thorax and/or abdomen of 2000 consecutive men and women aged 50 years or older, performed from January 1, 2010 onward. The scans were assessed in a blinded approach to identify chest and lumbar VF, and these data linked to national Danish registers. Subjects were excluded if treated with an osteoporosis medication (OM) in the year prior to baseline (date of CT), and the remaining subjects with VF matched on age and sex in 1:2 ratio against subjects with no VF. We found that the risk of major osteoporotic fractures (hip, non‐cervical vertebral, humerus, and distal forearm fractures) was higher for subjects with VF than without VF: incidence rates (IRs) were 32.88 and 19.59 fractures per 1000 subject‐years, respectively, and the adjusted hazard ratio (HRadj) was 1.72 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–2.86). Subsequent hip fracture IRs were 16.75 and 6.60; HRadj 3.02 (95% CI, 1.39–6.55). There were no significant differences in other fracture outcomes (including a pooled estimate of any subsequent fracture, except face, skull, and fingers: IRs 41.52 and 31.38; HRadj 1.31 [95% CI, 0.85–2.03]). Our findings suggest that subjects undergoing routine CT scans including the chest and/or abdomen are a high risk population in terms of fracture risk. Even within this group, subjects with VF are at higher risk of future major osteoporotic fracture (MOF), in particular hip fracture. Hence, systematic opportunistic screening for VF and subsequent fracture risk management is important to reduce the risk of new fractures. © 2023 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
The Associations of Birthweight for Gestational Age Status with Its Differential 0–2 Year Growth Trajectory and Blood Pressure at Two Years of Age in Chinese Boys and Girls

The first 1000 days of life represents a critical period for lifelong metabolic health. This study prospectively examined the contrasts between the growth trajectories of large, small, and appropriate sizes for gestational age (LGA, SGA, and AGA) term-born infants in their first two years, and their blood pressure at two years. In 2012–2013, 806 Chinese mother-newborn dyads were enrolled in the Shanghai Obesity and Allergy Birth Cohort Study. Repeated anthropometric measures were obtained at age 42 days, and at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) were measured at two years of age. Linear random effect models were employed to evaluate growth trajectory differences between LGA, SGA, and AGA infants. Of the study infants, 12.4% were LGA and 4.0% SGA. Length, weight, and weight-for-length z-score (ZWFL) were all consistently higher in LGA infants and lower in SGA infants than AGA infants. SGA infants had a higher ZWFL (0.11 unit/month; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.19) and a higher BMI (0.19; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.28 kg/m2 per month) growth velocity at age 0–6 months, relative to AGA infants. SGA was associated with 6.4 (0.4–12.4) mmHg higher SBP, and LGA was associated with 2.9 (95% CI −5.2, −0.5) mmHg lower DBP at two years of age in boys, however, not in girls. In conclusion, in this prospective birth cohort with repeated anthropometric measures and BP at two years of age, LGA, SGA, and AGA term-born infants manifested differential patterns of weight growth trajectory and BP, providing new insight into developmental origins of cardiometabolic health.
A satellite radiance‐bias correction scheme for data assimilation

Recently, much progress has been made in the direct assimilation of satellite radiance measurements in numerical weather‐prediction systems. In order to use radiances from the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS), biases between the observed radiances and those simulated from the model first guess must be corrected. The original scheme for TOVS radiance‐bias correction at the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts utilized a global scan correction, and a linear air‐mass correction, with the observed radiances from the Microwave Sounding Unit channels 2, 3 and 4 as predictors. The new scheme differs in two fundamental ways. Analysis of radiance data shows a significant residual scan bias which depends strongly on latitude for some channels. The new scheme applies a latitudinally dependent scan correction to take this into account. The air‐mass predictors are now computed from the background field, since the background field contains a more consistent representation of the air mass and surface characteristics than the observed microwave radiances. Four new predictors are used, 1000–300 hPa thickness, 200–50 hPa thickness, model surface skin temperature and total precipitable water. In particular, the skin‐temperature predictor is able to differentiate between ocean and sea‐ice, performing much better than the old scheme in the winter hemisphere. The use of model predictors is a change in philosophy away from correction of the observations to correction of the computed forward radiances. This leads to a natural extension where the gradient of the bias correction can be taken into account in variational retrieval schemes.
Difference in acceleration of electrons, protons and deuterons in a laser beam

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to find in a numerical way the main differences in the trajectories and kinetic energies of electrons, protons and deuterons accelerated in the laser or maser beams propagating in a vacuum, with an additionally applied external static co-axial magnetic field. The accelerated particles to the well defined energies are of interest in many applications, among others in medicine or in processing of different materials. Design/methodology/approach: Due to differences in masses the comparison between the acceleration processes of electrons, protons and deuterons is possible to perform after appropriate parameters of radiation of a laser, maser and a static magnetic field have been designed. Findings: The quantitative illustrations of the calculation results in a graphical form enable to discuss the main differences in the acceleration process of electrons, protons and deuterons. It was found that the rate at which a particle gains the energy depends not only on the particle’s mass but also on the stage of the process. Due to the mass differences, in order to keep a particle inside the radiation beam, significantly different static magnetic fields should be used to each kind of a particle. The authors have found an answer to the question why the rate at which particles energy increases in time, is different for different particles and why the difference depends on a stage of the acceleration process. Research limitations/implications: Limits in the energy of accelerated particles are caused by the limits of laser or maser beam energy or power available at present and the static magnetic fields. Originality/value: The authors show, in an exact numerical way, the values of the acceleration equipment parameters which should be selected to obtain the desired energy of the accelerated particles. It is explained why the rate at which a particle gains the energy depends on the stage of the process and on the particle’s mass.
Identifiability of mixtures

Abstract Let F(x, θ) be a family of distribution functions indexed by θ ∈ Ω. If G(θ) is a distribution function on Ω H(x) = ƒohm; F(x, θ) dG(θ) is a mixture with respect to G. If there is a unique G yielding H, the mixtures is said to be identifiable.This paper summarises some known results related to identifiability of special types of mixtures and then discusses the general problem of identifiability in terms of mappings. Some new results follow for mappings with special features.
Periodic Structure in the Brownian Motion of Stock Prices

The internal structure of stock prices is examined by comparison with simple random walks of basic step 1/8, in which the individual price changes ΔP are the step length, and the volume measures the rate at which the steps are taken. It is found that there is definite evidence of periodic in time structure corresponding to intervals of a day, week, quarter, and year, these being simply the cycles of human attention span. The evidence is not in the periodicity of the price sequences P(t), rather in the distribution of the first and second differences of P(t), especially the second moment of ΔP (or variance), and in the rate at which the steps are taken. It is also shown that there is a periodic “space structure” in the price coordinate P, corresponding to the Brownian motion in the presence of equally spaced sites of preferred occupancy and reflection barriers, at the whole numbers. There is also marked evidence of “clustered” activity, the data being analyzed by methods appropriate to cosmic ray bursts, o.
Population structure and diversity of the needle pathogen Dothistroma pini suggests human-mediated movement in Europe

Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) is an important disease of Pinus species that can be caused by one of two distinct but closely related pathogens; Dothistroma septosporum and Dothistroma pini. Dothistroma septosporum has a wide geographic distribution and is relatively well-known. In contrast, D. pini is known only from the United States and Europe, and there is a distinct lack of knowledge regarding its population structure and genetic diversity. The recent development of 16 microsatellite markers for D. pini provided an opportunity to investigate the diversity, structure, and mode of reproduction for populations collected over a period of 12 years, on eight different hosts in Europe. In total, 345 isolates from Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Romania, Western Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and Ukraine were screened using microsatellite and species-specific mating type markers. A total of 109 unique multilocus haplotypes were identified and structure analyses suggested that the populations are influenced by location rather than host species. Populations from France and Spain displayed the highest levels of genetic diversity followed by the population in Ukraine. Both mating types were detected in most countries, with the exception of Hungary, Russia and Slovenia. Evidence for sexual recombination was supported only in the population from Spain. The observed population structure and several shared haplotypes between non-bordering countries provides good evidence that the movement of D. pini in Europe has been strongly influenced by human activity in Europe.
A Single-Layer Wideband Differential-Fed Filtering Antenna With High Selectivity

In this communication, a single-layer, wideband, differential-fed filtering antenna with high selectivity is proposed. The developed filtering antenna possesses a simple structure and consists of a square patch, a square substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity, a pair of symbiotic stepped impedance resonators (SSIRs), and a pair of complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs). The SIW cavity formed with sparse metalized posts is embedded in the square patch, and the impedance bandwidth can be broadened by merging the TM10 mode of the square patch, excited by the electromagnetic energy escaping from the sparse posts, with the TE210 mode in the SIW cavity through differential excitation. The SSIRs are connected with both radiating edges of the square patch. And two extra in-band resonances together with an upper-edge radiation null are simultaneously generated, so the impedance bandwidth and the frequency selectivity at the higher stopband can be significantly improved. The CSRRs, surrounding the differential excitation ports, are etched into the bottom surface of the SIW cavity, and a lower-edge radiation null is produced to further sharpen the roll-off rate. By adjusting the geometrical parameters of the SSIRs and CSRRs, the positions of the two radiation nulls can be independently controlled. For verifying the design method, a prototype of the developed single-layer filtering antenna has been fabricated and tested. The measurement results are well consistent with the simulated values, indicating good performance with a large −10 dB fractional impedance bandwidth of 21.2%, a peak realized gain of 9.3 dBi, two out-of-band rejection levels of more than 26 dB, and very high selectivity.
Speed and Rotor Position Identification for PMSM Based on Improved Nonsingular Terminal Sliding-Mode

In this paper, an Improved Nonsingular Terminal Sliding-mode (INTSM) observer is proposed to estimate the speed of the permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). The Nonsingular Terminal Sliding-mode (NTSM) not only inherits the good performance to track the state error, but also has the characteristic of limited time convergence. However, the conventional NTSM control law is too complex to apply in practice. The INTSM takes the thoughts of the fast Terminal Sliding-mode and uses a new nonlinear term to replace the conventional term. As a result, the new observer owns the characteristics of global fast convergence and simple control law. At last, the proposed method proves to be effective through the theoretical analysis and simulation test.