Inventories and sales uncertainty

We investigate the empirical linkages between sales uncertainty and firms´ inventory investment behavior while controlling for firms´ financial strength. Using large panels of manufacturing firms from several European countries we find that higher sales uncertainty leads to larger stocks of inventories. We also identify an indirect effect of sales uncertainty on inventory accumulation through the financial strength of firms. Our results provide evidence that financial strength mitigates the adverse effects of uncertainty

Inventories and sales uncertainty

We investigate the empirical linkages between sales uncertainty and firms´ inventory investment behavior while controlling for firms´ financial strength. Using large panels of manufacturing firms from several European countries we find that higher sales uncertainty leads to larger stocks of inventories. We also identify an indirect effect of sales uncertainty on inventory accumulation through the financial strength of firms. Our results provide evidence that financial strength mitigates the adverse effects of uncertainty

Inventories and sales uncertainty

We investigate the empirical linkages between sales uncertainty and firms' inventory investment behavior while controlling for firms' financial strength. Using large panels of manufacturing firms from several European countries we find that higher sales uncertainty leads to larger stocks of inventories. We also identify an indirect effect of sales uncertainty on inventory accumulation through the financial strength of firms. Our results provide evidence that financial strength mitigates the adverse effects of uncertainty.inventory investment, uncertainty, financial constraints

Inventories and sales uncertainty

We investigate the empirical linkages between sales uncertainty and firms’ inventory investment behavior while controlling for firms’ financial strength. Using large panels of manufacturing firms from several European countries we find that higher sales uncertainty leads to larger stocks of inventories. We also identify an indirect effect of sales uncertainty on inventory accumulation through the financial strength of .rms. Our results provide evidence that financial strength mitigates the adverse effects of uncertainty.inventory investment, uncertainty, financial constraints.

“Iraqi Freedom”: Counterhegemonic Narrations of the Occupation of Iraq from Blogs to Books

The terrorist attacks of 9/11 made people look at the Web as a source of news and live accounts in an unprecedented way. It was during the subsequent  war on Iraq, however, when most professional journalists were embedded, that the internet finally became an established source of news in terms of news websites and, especially, of a new media merging journalism and life-narrative: blogs.  Several ‘warblogs’ were written by Iraqis in English, providing a view of the war and occupation “from within”, as well as a less prejudiced representation of Iraqis in particular and Muslim communities in general. Some of these ‘authentic’ voices were later absorbed into the mainstream when their war accounts were turned into books and packaged for new audiences. This paper focuses on two female blogs from Iraq, Baghdad Burning by Riverbend and IraqiGirl by HNK, discussing the way new media allow these women to articulate their voices and convey their identities in a way that also challenges dominant narrations of the war and occupation, as well as of Muslim women as passive and victims. While their blog narratives challenge the stereotypical notion of the Arab woman and a specific ‘exoticist’ imaginary, however, in becoming books their blogs are inevitably absorbed into hegemonic representations of Arab women as a consequence of the marketing practices surrounding the book as a consumer good, which are paradoxically promoted by Western ‘liberals’ trying to disseminate a specific counterhegemonic discourse of the war

Stomach data from pelagic research survey bring new information in cod feeding pattern in the South-Western Baltic sea

Pelagic and demersal cod (Gadus Morhua) specimens were collected respectively during a pelagic and a demersal survey in the Eastern Baltic sea in the fourth quarter of the years 2015-2017. Stomach contents were analysed and compared for the purpose of evaluating differences in the diet among pelagic and demersal specimens. Furthermore, generalized additive models (GAMs) were employed to investigate the daily fluctuations of stomach content weights of this predator. My results showed significant differences in the diet composition of demersal and pelagic cod mainly attributable to the higher weight share of sprat in the pelagic stomachs. Moreover, a remarkable diel variation in the stomach contents weights was present, indicating morning and evening peaks. The present study furnished novel insights into cod feeding pattern in the South-Western Baltic Sea. The implications of these findings for stock assessment multispecies models are also briefly discussed

Deep learning regression for inverse quantum scattering

In this work we study the inverse quantum scattering via deep learning regression, which is implemented via a Multilayer Perceptron. A step-by-step method is provided in order to obtain the potential parameters. A circular boundary-wall potential was chosen to exemplify the method. Detailed discussion about the training is provided. A investigation with noisy data is presented and it is observed that the neural network is useful to predict the potential parameters

Shining a spotlight on small rural businesses: How does their performance compare with urban?

Rural enterprises play an important economic role, contributing to national prosperity and wellbeing but are often a blind spot within rural development and wider economic policies and evidence. This paper presents an urban-rural analysis of a large scale survey of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). It applies Propensity Score Matching to allow for an assessment of the effects of rurality on business performance. Results show that England's rural firms have similar levels of turnover to their urban counterparts, but are more likely to report a profit. The analysis also reveals rural firms to be significantly stronger exporters of goods and services and to have goods or services suitable for exporting. However, there are some weaknesses and obstacles to business success that concern significantly more rural than urban firms, that vary with the rurality of local districts, and which require the attention of policy makers and support providers seeking to achieve spatially-balanced and more equitable economic development

E-government and digital inclusion

LEFIS organized a meeting in July 2007 in Jaca (Spain) to discuss the status and the perspectives of e-Government especially applied to the legal aspects of society. As it is known the potential benefits of e-Government are numerous and they include greater efficiency, improved public services, enhanced engagement with citizens. Yet progress has been relatively slow, particularly when compared with other sectors such as e-Commerce. From the presentations of some experiences focused in particular on digital divide, e-Participation, form of government, role of citizens, planning methodology in proposing solutions for citizens, the book highlights some problems and solutions to help overcome barriers

Intense slow beams of bosonic potassium isotopes

We report on an experimental realization of a two-dimensional magneto-optical trap (2D-MOT) that allows the generation of cold atomic beams of 39K and 41K bosonic potassium isotopes. The high measured fluxes up to 1.0x10^11 atoms/s and low atomic velocities around 33 m/s are well suited for a fast and reliable 3D-MOT loading, a basilar feature for new generation experiments on Bose-Einstein condensation of dilute atomic samples. We also present a simple multilevel theoretical model for the calculation of the light-induced force acting on an atom moving in a MOT. The model gives a good agreement between predicted and measured flux and velocity values for our 2D-MOT.Comment: Updated references, 1 figure added, 10 pages, 9 figure