The Influence of Religion on Socially Responsible Investing

Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) is an alternative way to invest one’s assets. SRI, apart from financial returns, also considers the environmental, social or ethical aspects of an investment decision. Socially responsible investors are interested not only in maximizing their financial return in the long run, but also in taking into consideration other non-financial issues, that is, so-called ESG factors (Environment, Social and Governance). Most of the existing papers on SRI focus on financial performance. There is a need for more research on the conceptual and theoretical bases of such investing; in particular, the aspirations of SRI investors or motives that lead people to be socially responsible investors. The main goal of the current study was to explore the influence of religion on attitudes towards SRI. This study will first present existing theories about attitudes towards SRI, and discuss the influence of religion on investors’ behavior. Next the objectives, methodology and the results of a study conducted among investors in Poland will be presented. The final section will provide a discussion, including research implications and conclusions

Functional Renormalisation Group Equitions for Supersymmetric Field Theories

Die Dissertation beschäftigt sich mit der Anwendung der funktionalen Renormierungsgruppe (FRG) auf supersymmetrische Feldtheorien. Es werden Skalarfeldtheorien in verschiedenen Dimensionen untersucht und eine Formulierung der Flussgleichung demonstriert, die manifest supersymmetrisch ist. Dies führt auf Ebene der Komponenten zu einer engen Verflechtung von bosonischen und fermionischen Regulatoren und erzwingt eine Regulatorstruktur, welche von der abweicht, die in Theorien mit Yukawa-Wechselwirkungen ohne Supersymmetrie benutzt wird. Mit dieser Methode werden die supersymmetrische Quantenmechanik, das N=1 Wess-Zumino Modell in zwei und drei Dimensionen sowie das N=2 Wess-Zumino Modell in zwei Dimensionen untersucht. Anhand der supersymmetrischen Quantenmechanik wird demonstriert, dass die supersymmetrische Formulierung der Flussgleichung in der Lage ist, bekannte Ergebnisse korrekt zu reproduzieren. Desweiteren werden die Grenzen der betrachteten Näherungen aufgezeigt und diskutiert. Im Rahmen des N=1 Wess-Zumino Modells in zwei und drei Dimensionen, welches spontane Supersymmetriebrechung zeigt, wird das Phasendiagramm für die Supersymmetriebrechung berechnet sowie die Fixpunktstruktur des Renormierungsgruppenflusses untersucht. Hierbei ergibt sich eine neue Skalenrelation zwischen den kritischen Exponenten. Das dreidimensionale Modell wird ausserdem bei endlichen Temperaturen untersucht. Für das N=2 Wess-Zumino Modell in zwei Dimensionen, in dem Supersymmetrie nicht gebrochen werden kann, erlaubt die FRG eine sehr einfache Formulierung des Nichtrenormierungstheorems für das Superpotential. Da das Modell endlich ist, lässt sich die Renormierung der Masse des Skalarfeldes direkt mit Resultaten aus Monte-Carlo Simulationen auf dem Gitter vergleichen. Dies erlaubt eine Abschätzung der Genauigkeit der verwendeten Näherung

A AVALIAÇÃO INSTITUCIONAL COMO INSTRUMENTO DE GESTÃO E INOVAÇÃO

Nesse estudo objetivou-se analisar uma instituição de ensino superior brasileira, englobando sua dimensão organizacional, especialmente a avaliação acadêmica, como processo de superação de sua racionalidade funcional, tendo como eixo, a utilização de um processo de auto-avaliação estruturado em bases orientadas pela teoria da comunicação e, em ferramentas tecnológicas de informação e comunicação. Como um dos propósitos da avaliação é constituir-se em ferramenta para melhoria, foi possível nesse estudo não só diagnosticar a realidade institucional, mas, propor ações de superação para um dos fatores evidenciado no estudo, a saber, a metodologia do ensino do professor. Nesse sentido conclui-se o trabalho com a proposição de um programa de formação continuada de professores, lançado mão do programa M.A.T.I.C.E. como forma de superação da problemática constatada. Este projeto leva em consideração aspectos pedagógicos do trabalho do professor, tendo em vista a aprendizagem do aluno. Vale a pena ressaltar que essa proposta caracteriza uma nova forma de gestão participativa a ser desenvolvida entre a pró-reitoria acadêmica e os professores a fim de garantir melhoria continua em sua pratica pedagógica

Phases of supersymmetric O(N) theories

We perform a global renormalization group study of O(N) symmetric Wess-Zumino theories and their phases in three euclidean dimensions. At infinite N the theory is solved exactly. The phases and phase transitions are worked out for finite and infinite short-distance cutoffs. A distinctive new feature arises at strong coupling, where the effective superfield potential becomes multi-valued, signalled by divergences in the fermion-boson interaction. Our findings resolve the long-standing puzzle about the occurrence of degenerate O(N) symmetric phases. At finite N, we find a strongly-coupled fixed point in the local potential approximation and explain its impact on the phase transition. We also examine the possibility for a supersymmetric Bardeen-Moshe-Bander phenomenon, and relate our findings with the spontaneous breaking of supersymmetry in other models.Comment: 23 pages, 18 figure

Classification of Terrestrial Laser Scanner Point Clouds: A Comparison of Methods for Landslide Monitoring from Mathematical Surface Approximation

Terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) are contact-free measuring sensors that record dense point clouds of objects or scenes by acquiring coordinates and an intensity value for each point. The point clouds are scattered and noisy. Performing a mathematical surface approximation instead of working directly on the point cloud is an efficient way to reduce the data storage and structure the point clouds by transforming “data” to “information”. Applications include rigorous statistical testing for deformation analysis within the context of landslide monitoring. In order to reach an optimal approximation, classification and segmentation algorithms can identify and remove inhomogeneous structures, such as trees or bushes, to obtain a smooth and accurate mathematical surface of the ground. In this contribution, we compare methods to perform the classification of TLS point clouds with the aim of guiding the reader through the existing algorithms. Besides the traditional point cloud filtering methods, we will analyze machine learning classification algorithms based on the manual extraction of point cloud features, and a deep learning approach with automatic extraction of features called PointNet++. We have intentionally chosen strategies easy to implement and understand so that our results are reproducible for similar point clouds. We show that each method has advantages and drawbacks, depending on user criteria, such as the computational time, the classification accuracy needed, whether manual extraction is performed or not, and if prior information is required. We highlight that filtering methods are advantageous for the application at hand and perform a mathematical surface approximation as an illustration. Accordingly, we have chosen locally refined B-splines, which were shown to provide an optimal and computationally manageable approximation of TLS point clouds

Test świadomego myślenia – heurystyki, religia, płeć

The aim of the article is to describe the phenomena of the cognitive reflection test which is a unique predictor and actual measure of rational thought. The CRT is designed to measure the tendency to override a prepotent response alternative that is incorrect and to engage in further reflection that leads to correct response. The author describes also the correlation between CRT and heuristics and the influence of religion and sex on CRT results.Artykuł wprowadza w tematykę automatycznych i kontrolowanych procesów myślenia. Autorka opisuje test świadomego myślenia (Cognitive Reflection Test – CRT), który – jak pokazuje literatura z zakresu finansów behawioralnych – jest świetnym narzędziem sprawdzającym zdolność jednostek do myślenia racjonalnego. W opracowaniu przedstawiono również badania opisujące zależność pomiędzy wynikami z testu CRT a skłonnością do ulegania heurystykom oraz wpływ myślenia intuicyjnego na religię i płeć

The exploration of disposition effect among business undergraduates in Poland

In this article the author attempts to explore the phenomena of disposition effect among Polish undergraduate students. The study shows that under experimental conditions participants do show disposition “to sell winners too early and ride losers too long”. Such disposition stands in opposition to rationale behavior which induces to hold stocks during the whole period of experiment. The research provides important insights into the field of behavioral finance and in particular into the global analysis of disposition effect.</p

Deutsch als Brückensprache beim Erlernen der niederländischen Aussprache durch polnische Muttersprachler – Beispielfall prädorsale gerundete Vokale

Der Beitrag untersucht die Anwendungsmöglichkeiten des Deutschen als Brückensprache beim Erwerb des Niederländischen (als L3). Als Beispiel dienen die prädorsalen gerundeten Vokale. Zielgruppe sind polnische Muttersprachler, die Niederländisch im Erwachsenenalter lernen. Der Schwerpunkt liegt auf der Erörterung der theoretischen Probleme (unterschiedliche Methoden des Sprachvergleichs und der Vergleich von prädorsalen gerundeten Vokalen im Polnischen, Deutschen und Niederländischen nach den Prinzipien der polykonfrontativen Methode). Verwiesen wird jedoch auch auf die Anwendungsmöglichkeiten der Untersuchungsergebnisse im Fremdsprachenunterricht. &nbsp;The article explores the possibility of using German as a cross-language in learning of front rounded vowels in Dutch (as L3). The focus group consists of Polish native speakers who are willing to learn Dutch as adults. The main aim of the article is to discuss the theoretical issues (different methods of languages comparison and comparison of the chosen group of vowels in Polish, German and Dutch according to principles of the polyconfrontative method), but the didactical issues (practical use of prior knowledge of German front rounded vowels in the articulation training of Dutch front rounded vowels) are also going to be examined.W tekście omówione zostają możliwości zastosowania niemieckiego jako języka przejściowego w nauce języka niderlandzkiego (jako L3) na przykładzie samogłosek przednich zaokrąglonych. Grupą docelową są rodzimi użytkownicy języka polskiego, którzy uczą się języka niderlandzkiego w wieku dorosłym. Główny nacisk zostaje położony na omówienie problemów teoretycznych (różne metody opisu porównawczego języków oraz porównanie samogłosek przednich zaokrąglonych w języku polskim, niemieckim i niderlandzkim wg założeń metody polikonfrontatywnej), ale zasygnalizowana zostaje również możliwość wykorzystania wyników porównania teoretycznego w dydaktyce. &nbsp

Architektura danych

Celem rozdziału jest zapoznanie czytelnika z problemem dotyczącym zarządzania danymi, znaczeniem tego zagadnienia dla funkcjonowania i rozwoju organizacji oraz ogólnymi założeniami projektowania architektury danych i architektury korporacyjnej