LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Advising Shareholders in Takeovers

This paper studies the advisory role of a target company board in takeovers. I show that coordination failures among target shareholders, such as free-riding, limit the boards ability to properly advise shareholders whether accepting a takeover o¤er is in their best interest based on its information. Even if there are no agency problems and the boards objective is to maximize shareholdersvalue, the board conceals information from shareholders in equilibrium, and shareholders might be better o¤ if they could commit to ignoring the boards advice. By contrast, when the board is biased and behaves opportunistically, it becomes possible for information to be fully revealed and, consequently, shareholderswelfare might increase. More broadly, the paper emphasizes the potential value of an experts bias when advising a group of agents whose collective actions must be coordinated. The paper discusses shareholder activism in takeovers and communication during debt restructuring as examples for possible applications. Keywords: Coordination, Tender O¤er, Takeover, Merger, Advice, Communication, Cheap-Talk, Free-riding, Externalities JEL Classication Numbers: D74, D82, D83, D62, G34, K22 The author is from Stanford University, Graduate School of Business. I am grateful to Anat Admati, Peter DeMarzo, Ilan Kremer, Bilge Yilmaz, Je¤rey Zwiebel, and seminar participants at Stanford GSB and Stanford Economics department for helpful comments. Address for correspondence: 518 Memorial Way, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford, CA, 94305. Email: dlevit@stanford.edu
Recurrence of esophageal intestinal metaplasia after endoscopic mucosal resection and radiofrequency ablation of Barrett's esophagus: results from a US Multicenter Consortium.

BACKGROUND & AIMS
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an established treatment for dysplastic Barrett's esophagus (BE). Although short-term end points of ablation have been ascertained, there have been concerns about recurrence of intestinal metaplasia (IM) after ablation. We aimed to estimate the incidence and identify factors that predicted the recurrence of IM after successful RFA.


METHODS
We analyzed data from 592 patients with BE treated with RFA from 2003 through 2011 at 3 tertiary referral centers. Complete remission of intestinal metaplasia (CRIM) was defined as eradication of IM (in esophageal and gastroesophageal junction biopsy specimens), documented by 2 consecutive endoscopies. Recurrence was defined as the presence of IM or dysplasia after CRIM in surveillance biopsies. Two experienced gastrointestinal pathologists confirmed pathology findings.


RESULTS
Based on histology analysis, before RFA, 71% of patients had high-grade dysplasia or esophageal adenocarcinoma, 15% had low-grade dysplasia, and 14% had nondysplastic BE. Of patients treated, 448 (76%) were assessed after RFA. Fifty-five percent of patients underwent endoscopic mucosal resection before RFA. The median time to CRIM was 22 months, with 56% of patients in CRIM by 24 months. Increasing age and length of BE segment were associated with longer times to CRIM. Twenty-four months after CRIM, the incidence of recurrence was 33%; 22% of all recurrences observed were dysplastic BE. There were no demographic or endoscopic factors associated with recurrence. Complications developed in 6.5% of subjects treated with RFA; strictures were the most common complication.


CONCLUSIONS
Of patients with BE treated by RFA, 56% were in complete remission after 24 months. However, 33% of these patients had disease recurrence within the next 2 years. Most recurrences were nondysplastic and endoscopically manageable, but continued surveillance after RFA is essential.
Improving accessibility to statistical graphs: the iGraph-Lite system

Information is often presented in graphical form. Unfortunately, current assistive technologies such as screen readers are not well-equipped to handle these representations. To provide accessibility to graphs published in ``The Daily" (Statistics Canada's main dissemination venue), we have developed iGraph-Lite, a system that provides short verbal descriptions of the information depicted in graphs and a way to also interact with this information.
Effect of Lamivudine Therapy on the Serum Covalently Closed-Circular (ccc) DNA of Chronic Hepatitis B Infection

OBJECTIVE:To determine the effect of 1-yr lamivudine treatment on serum covalently closed-circular DNA (cccDNA) level.PATIENTS AND METHOD:Serum total HBV DNA and cccDNA levels at baseline, week 24, and week 52 were measured in 82 lamivudine-treated patients, 17 of whom received 1-yr placebo and acted as controls.RESULTS:There was a significant reduction in the cccDNA levels from baseline (median 3.0 × 106 copies/ml) to week 24 (33,476 copies/ml) and week 52 (48,694 copies/ml) (p < 0.001 for both). The median reduction in cccDNA level at week 24 and 52 were 2.21 and 2.12 logs, respectively, which were significantly greater than those of controls (0.31 log, p < 0.001; 0.2 log, p < 0.001, respectively). Fifteen patients (18.3%) developed YMDD mutations by week 52. Compared to patients without YMDD mutations, patients with YMDD mutations had significantly less median reduction of total HBV DNA level (4.44 vs 3.65 logs, respectively, p = 0.02) and cccDNA level (2.27 vs 1.65 logs, respectively, p = 0.016) at week 24 and significantly less median reduction of cccDNA at week 52 (2.35 vs 0.8 logs respectively, p < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS:One-year lamivudine treatment decreased serum cccDNA level by 2 logs. The chance of YMDD mutations at week 52 was related to the magnitude of viral suppression at week 24.
Opioid dependence and addiction during opioid treatment of chronic pain

Throughout the long history of opioid drug use by humans, it has been known that opioids are powerful analgesics, but they can cause addiction. It has also been observed, and is now substantiated by multiple reports and studies, that during opioid treatment of severe and short-term pain, addiction arises only rarely. However, when opioids are extended to patients with chronic pain, and therapeutic opioid use is not confined to patients with severe and short-lived pain, compulsive opioid seeking and addiction arising directly from opioid treatment of pain become more visible. Although the epidemiological evidence base currently available is rudimentary, it appears that problematic opioid use arises in some fraction of opioid-treated chronic pain patients, and that problematic behaviors and addiction are problems that need to be addressed. Since the potentially devastating effects of addiction can substantially offset the benefits of opioid pain relief, it seems timely to reexamine addiction mechanisms and their relevance to the practice of long-term opioid treatment for pain. This article reviews the neurobiological and genetic basis of addiction, its terminology and diagnosis, the evidence on addiction rates during opioid treatment of chronic pain and the implications of biological mechanisms in formulating rational opioid treatment regimes.
Hierarchical Character-Word Models for Language Identification

Social media messages’ brevity and unconventional spelling pose a challenge to language identification. We introduce a hierarchical model that learns character and contextualized word-level representations for language identification. Our method performs well against strong baselines, and can also reveal code-switching.
Application with a XY-plotter controlled by PLC used in student laboratory works

In many specific laboratories the students use only a PLC simulator software, because the hardware equipment is expensive. This paper presents a solution that allows students to study both the hardware and software parts, in the laboratory works. The hardware part of solution consists in an old plotter, an adapter board, a PLC and a HMI. The software part of this solution is represented by the projects of the students, in which they developed applications for programming the PLC and the HMI. This equipment can be made very easy and can be used in university labs by students, so that they design and test their applications, from low to high complexity [1], [2].
A review of executive functions in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

OBJECTIVES
To provide an update on recent research concerning obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and executive functions.


METHODS
A systematic review was carried out on reports drawn from MEDLINE and PSYCHLIT (January 1990-December 2005) and identified from lists of references in these reports. The selection criteria were met by 40 articles.


RESULTS
The sample sizes in the reviewed studies varied widely and consisted mostly of selected groups. Most patient samples were heterogeneous in terms of the severity of OSAS. Executive functions were generally assessed with standardized test methods. Half of the studies assessed executive functions using only one or two tests. The most defected domains of executive functions were working memory, phonological fluency, cognitive flexibility, and planning. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment improved performance times, cognitive flexibility, and planning. Deficits in working memory and phonological fluency persisted.


CONCLUSIONS
Executive functions are the most defected cognitive domain in OSAS. Previous studies are affected by the heterogeneity of patient samples and the definitions of the domains of executive functions. Executive functions in OSAS should be assessed with a standardized neuropsychological test battery including assessments of different domains of executive functions. More research is needed on the efficiency of CPAP treatment on executive dysfunctions.
The relationship between force and focal complex development

To adhere and migrate, cells must be capable of applying cytoskeletal force to the extracellular matrix (ECM) through integrin receptors. However, it is unclear if connections between integrins and the ECM are immediately capable of transducing cytoskeletal contraction into migration force, or whether engagement of force transmission requires maturation of the adhesion. Here, we show that initial integrin-ECM adhesions become capable of exerting migration force with the recruitment of vinculin, a marker for focal complexes, which are precursors of focal adhesions. We are able to induce the development of focal complexes by the application of mechanical force to fibronectin receptors from inside or outside the cell, and we are able to extend focal complex formation to vitronectin receptors by the removal of c-Src. These results indicate that cells use mechanical force as a signal to strengthen initial integrin-ECM adhesions into focal complexes and regulate the amount of migration force applied to individual adhesions at localized regions of the advancing lamella.
MultiUN: A Multilingual Corpus from United Nation Documents

This paper describes the acquisition, preparation and properties of a corpus extracted from the official documents of the United Nations (UN). This corpus is available in all 6 official languages of the UN, consisting of around 300 million words per language. We describe the methods we used for crawling, document formatting, and sentence alignment. This corpus also includes a common test set for machine translation. We present the results of a French-Chinese machine translation experiment performed on this corpus.
Determinants of Nutritional Status of School Children - A Cross Sectional Study in the Western Region of Nepal

Under-nutrition continues to be a primary cause of ill health and mortality among children in developing countries. Besides poverty, there are other factors that directly or indirectly affect the nutritional status of children. In the present study, an attempt was made to find the prevalence of under-nutrition among school children in 4 – 14 year age group and the role of socio-demographic characteristics of mother on child nutrition. Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in schools of Kaski district of Western Nepal from January 2007 to June 2007. A total of 786 students were randomly selected from six schools in the study area and nutritional status of the children was assessed by anthropometric measurements. Results: Among 786 students, 26% of the students were found to be undernourished and 13% stunted, 12% wasted and only 1% both stunted and wasted. The present study shows highly significant association (p<0.005) of maternal factors like literacy, occupation, diet knowledge and monthly per-capita income respectively with child nutrition. Conclusion: Maternal education status, socio-economic status, occupation and dietary knowledge are important determinants of nutritional status of school children.
Calculating the flow level performance of balanced fairness in tree networks

We consider a tree network whose resources are shared by a dynamically varying number of elastic flows. We present an efficient method for calculating performance metrics such as flow throughputs when the resource allocation is balanced fair. The method is based on a recursive algorithm for computing the normalization constant of the stationary distribution. Several examples are worked out. A proof is given for the Pareto efficiency of balanced fairness in tree networks.
Технологии интернет-манипуляции в сетевом пространстве политики

The author examines the technologies of network manipulation, which are used to influence public opinion in the Internet social network «Vkontakte». The article gives comparative analysis of propaganda activities of the groups, that loyal to the regime and antigovernment communities, and provides examples of methods of manipulative influence used in social networks.
A survey on trust management for Internet of Things

Internet of Things (IoT) is going to create a world where physical objects are seamlessly integrated into information networks in order to provide advanced and intelligent services for human-beings. Trust management plays an important role in IoT for reliable data fusion and mining, qualified services with context-awareness, and enhanced user privacy and information security. It helps people overcome perceptions of uncertainty and risk and engages in user acceptance and consumption on IoT services and applications. However, current literature still lacks a comprehensive study on trust management in IoT. In this paper, we investigate the properties of trust, propose objectives of IoT trust management, and provide a survey on the current literature advances towards trustworthy IoT. Furthermore, we discuss unsolved issues, specify research challenges and indicate future research trends by proposing a research model for holistic trust management in IoT. Key words—Internet of things, trust management, security, privacy, trust, secure multi-party computation
Electric-bicycle-related injury: a rising traffic injury burden in China.

OBJECTIVE
To examine the rising casualty rate related to electric bicycle usage.


DESIGN
Analysis of the Hangzhou Police Bureau's data on electric-bicycle-related injuries and deaths.


SETTING
Hangzhou, China, 2004-2008. PATIENTS OR SUBJECTS: Electric-bicycle riders.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Electric-bicycle-related casualty rates in Hangzhou from 2004 to 2008.


RESULTS
There was a significant average annual increase in electric-bicycle-related casualty rates of 2.7 per 100,000 population (95% CI 1.5 to 3.9, p=0.005). At the same time, overall road traffic and manual-bicycle-related deaths and injuries decreased.


CONCLUSION
As it is difficult to ban the use of electric bicycles in China, laws, rules and regulations need to be reinforced and strengthened. New regulations should be created for the safety of electric bicycle riders and others on the road, and mandatory helmet use should be considered.
Business model dynamics and innovation: (re)establishing the missing linkages

Purpose – This paper aims to discuss the need to dynamize the existing conceptualization of business model, and proposes a new typology to distinguish different types of business model change. Design/methodology/approach – The paper integrates basic insights of innovation, business process and routine research into the concept of business model. The main focus of the paper is on strategic and terminological issues. Findings – The paper offers a new, process-based conceptualization of business model, which recognizes and integrates the role of individual agency. Based on this, it distinguishes and specifies four different types of business model change: business model creation, extension, revision, and termination. Each type of business model change is associated with specific challenges. Practical implications – The proposed typology can serve as a basis for developing a management tool to evaluate the impact of specific changes to a firm’s business model. Such a tool would be particularly useful in identifying path dependencies and resistance at the process level, and would therefore allow a firm’s management to take focused action on this in advance. Originality/value – The paper makes two main contributions: first, it offers a new, process-based conceptualization of business models; second, it is the first paper to establish a direct link between business model change and the degree of innovation (such as “incremental” vs “radical”), and which distinguishes and specifies different types of business model change.
Significance of serum magnesium as an independent correlative factor on the parathyroid hormone level in uremic patients.

CONTEXT
PTH is a critical factor in mineral homeostasis, and chronic kidney disease mineral and bone metabolism disorder is a very important problem in patients with renal failure. Abnormal levels of PTH, serum phosphate, and calcium influence chronic kidney disease mineral and bone metabolism disorder, but there is little information about the influence of magnesium (Mg) on PTH.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to elucidate the correlation between magnesium and PTH levels in uremic patients just prior to beginning hemodialysis (HD) for the first time.


PATIENTS
We enrolled 1231 patients in nine Japanese facilities who had begun HD for end-stage renal disease. We investigated their serum Mg levels and the correlation between intact PTH (iPTH) and the serum Mg levels and other clinical parameters and medications.


RESULTS
The mean serum Mg was 2.2 ± 0.5 mg/dL, and hypermagnesemia was found in 663 patients (53.9%). Divided into two groups according to median iPTH level, the serum Mg levels were significantly higher in patients with low iPTH (2.3 ± 0.5 vs 2.1 ± 0.5, P < .01). Furthermore, divided into two groups according to the Mg level, iPTH levels were lower in patients with high Mg than in patients with normal serum Mg levels (277.9 ± 195.9 pg/mL vs 321.9 ± 203.7 pg/mL, P < .01). In the multiple regression analysis according to the effect of iPTH level, the serum Mg level was an independent variable after adjustment for other factors.


CONCLUSIONS
A high serum level of Mg is frequent in uremic patients with end-stage renal disease just prior to beginning HD. In the present set of patients, there was a significant correlation between the serum Mg and iPTH levels. Furthermore, the serum Mg level was an independent factor apart from the other factors regulating iPTH. These results suggest that serum Mg may be one of the factors regulating the serum PTH level in uremic patients.
A pilot study testing the feasibility of skin temperature monitoring to reduce recurrent foot ulcers in patients with diabetes – a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND
Although monitoring foot skin temperatures has been associated with diabetic foot ulcer recurrence, no studies have been carried out to test the feasibility among European Caucasians. Moreover, the educational and/or motivational models that promote cognitive or psychosocial processes in these studies are lacking. Thus, we conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial to test the feasibility of monitoring foot skin temperatures in combination with theory-based counselling to standard foot care to reduce diabetic foot ulcer recurrence.


METHODS
In a single-blinded nurse-led 1-year controlled trial, conducted at a hospital setting in Norway, 41 patients with diabetic neuropathy and previous foot ulcer were randomized to the intervention (n = 21) or control groups (n = 20). All participants were instructed in foot care and recording observations daily. Additionally, the intervention group was taught how to monitor and record skin temperature at baseline, and received counselling every third month supporting them to use the new treatment. Subjects observing temperature differences > 2.0 °C between corresponding sites on the left and right foot on two consecutive days were asked to contact the study nurse and reduce physical activity. Fisher exact test was used to evaluate the effect of the intervention on the proportion of subjects with a foot ulcer. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to compare the two groups in regard to the time to development of a foot ulcer.


RESULTS
In the intervention group, 67 % (n = 14/21) monitored and recorded skin temperatures ≥ 80 % of the time while 70 % (n = 14/20) of the controls recorded foot inspections. Foot ulcer incidence was 39 % (7/21) vs. 50 % (10/20) in the intervention and control groups, respectively (ns).


CONCLUSIONS
This feasibility study showed that the addition of counselling to promote self-monitoring of skin temperature to standard care to prevent recurrence of foot ulcer is feasible in patients with diabetes in Norway. Home skin temperature monitoring was performed as frequently by the intervention group as usual foot observations in the controls despite the extra effort required. We did not detect a difference in foot ulcer recurrence between groups, but our study may inform future full scale studies.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01269502.
clSpMV: A Cross-Platform OpenCL SpMV Framework on GPUs

Sparse matrix vector multiplication (SpMV) kernel is a key computation in linear algebra. Most iterative methods are composed of SpMV operations with BLAS1 updates. Therefore, researchers make extensive efforts to optimize the SpMV kernel in sparse linear algebra. With the appearance of OpenCL, a programming language that standardizes parallel programming across a wide variety of heterogeneous platforms, we are able to optimize the SpMV kernel on many different platforms. In this paper, we propose a new sparse matrix format, the Cocktail Format, to take advantage of the strengths of many different sparse matrix formats. Based on the Cocktail Format, we develop the clSpMV framework that is able to analyze all kinds of sparse matrices at runtime, and recommend the best representations of the given sparse matrices on different platforms. Although solutions that are portable across diverse platforms generally provide lower performance when compared to solutions that are specialized to particular platforms, our experimental results show that clSpMV can find the best representations of the input sparse matrices on both Nvidia and AMD platforms, and deliver 83% higher performance compared to the vendor optimized CUDA implementation of the proposed hybrid sparse format in [3], and 63.6% higher performance compared to the CUDA implementations of all sparse formats in [3].