Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measuring the running top-quark mass

We present the first direct determination of the running top-quark mass based on the total cross section of top-quark pair production as measured at the Tevatron. Our theory prediction for the cross section includes various next-to-next-to-leading order QCD contributions, in particular, all logarithmically enhanced terms near threshold, the Coulomb corrections at two loops and all explicitly scale-dependent terms at next-to-next-to-leading order accuracy. The result allows for an exact and independent variation of the renormalization and factorization scales. For Tevatron and LHC we study its dependence on all scales, on the parton luminosity and on the top-quark mass using both the conventional pole mass definition as well as the running mass in the $\overline{\mathrm{MS}}$ scheme. We extract for the top quark an $\overline{\mathrm{MS}}$ mass of $m(\ensuremath{\mu}=m)={160.0}_{\ensuremath{-}3.2}^{+3.3}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$, which corresponds to a pole mass of ${m}_{t}={168.9}_{\ensuremath{-}3.4}^{+3.5}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$.
The Impact of Application's Micro-Imbalance on the Communication-Computation Overlap

Although the community sees overlapping communication and computation as a perspective avenue for advancing parallel execution, it remains unclear what type of applications, under which conditions, and to which extent could benefit from this technique. To tackle this issue, we designed a simulation environment that allowed us to profoundly study overlap. We found out that overlapping potential in an application is determined by the application's parallel behavior and the pattern by which each process locally produces/consumes data involved in communication. We identified two behaviors that directly influence the application's overlapping potential -- we name them microscopic imbalance of computation and microscopic imbalance of communication. In an application that expresses some of these two behaviors, a fine-grain overlapping technique can achieve a significant execution speedup, a speedup that can even be higher than 2. We believe that our findings can help a programmer estimate how much his application could benefit from overlap, and therefore decide whether implementing that technique is worth the effort.
T cell recognition of self-human histocompatibility leukocyte antigens (HLA)-DR peptides in context of syngeneic HLA-DR molecules

It has been suggested that self major histocompatibility complex (MHC) peptides bound to self MHC molecules may be involved in the intrathymic induction of self tolerance. We studied the antigenicity of synthetic peptides derived from the first domain of DR beta 1*0101 chain in a DR beta 1*0101 responder. We found that a peptide corresponding to residues 21-42 of the beta chain could elicit the proliferation of autoreactive T cells. A T cell line (TCL-SUN) and 7 of 9 T cell clones (TCC) derived from TCL-SUN specifically recognized peptide 21-42 in the presence of APCs carrying the DR beta 1*0101 allele. DR beta 1*0101 positive APCs stimulated the TCCs in the absence of peptide, although the magnitude of the response was much lower than in cultures with peptide. This suggests that self DR1 molecules are continuously processed into peptides that are presented by the DR1 molecules on the surface of the cells. The data indicate that some T cells whose TCR binds to self MHC peptides presented by self MHC molecules are not deleted, although their ligand is continuously present. TCCs specific for peptide 21-42 presented in the context of DR1 were also stimulated by cells heterozygous for DR beta 1*0301 and 1601, indicating that some DR peptide-specific autoreactive T cells participate in alloreactivity.
Application of the Z -Score Model with Consideration of Total Assets Volatility in Predicting Corporate Financial Failures from 2000-2010

This study re-examines the accuracy of the original Z-score model in predicting corporate failures in the U.S. from 2000-2010. It also explores whether asset volatility substantiates the Z-score in predicting bankruptcies. The results show that the original Z-score model is valuable in predicting corporate financial stress for both manufacturing and non-manufacturing firms. It also finds total asset volatility might be a missing variable from the original model when predicting financial distress of manufacturing firms. Other results imply that stakeholders would further benefit from observing a company’s financial status for a period longer than one or two years.
The shadow price of aircraft noise nuisance A new approach to the internalization of externalities

This paper has a twofold objective. First, we develop a new method to assess the monetary value for individuals of external effects. The method makes use of an ordinal index of life satisfaction as scored by individual respondents who are subjected in varying intensity to the external effect. Our second objective is to assess, with this method, to what extent noise nuisance effects around Amsterdam Airport Schiphol are internalized and what should be the monetary compensation for the nuisance. Such a compensation scheme depends on, among other things, the objective noise level, income and the presence of noise insulation. JEL codes: D62, D61, H23, L93, C25.
International Commodity Price Shocks, Democracy, and External Debt

We examine the effects that international commodity price shocks have on external debt using panel data for a world sample of 93 countries spanning the period 1970-2007. Our main finding is that positive commodity price shocks lead to a significant reduction in the level of external debt in democracies, but to no significant reduction in the level of external debt in autocracies. To explain this result, we show that positive commodity price shocks lead to a statistically significant and quantitatively large increase in total government expenditures in autocracies. In democracies on the other hand government expenditures did not increase significantly. We also document that following positive windfalls from international commodity price shocks the risk of default on external debt decreased in democracies, but increased significantly in autocracies.
Expropriation of Minority Interests and Corporate Diversification in Malaysia

This study provides evidence on ownership structures and corporate diversification by analysing 355 public listed companies (PLCs) in Malaysia. The majority of the companies in the sample have an ultimate controlling owner, particularly an individual or family. As controlling owners have on average, rights of control over a greater percentage of shares in any given company than their rights to participate in the cash flows from that company, controlling owners may have an incentive to expropriate minority interests through methods such as inefficient corporate diversification. The risk of such expropriation would be expected to be reflected in the value of highly diversified companies. The results of the research provide no evidence to support the argument that diversification reduces the value of companies. However, the finding is consistent with the argument that high control rights of controlling owner might encourage expropriation of minority interests through corporate diversification strategies. Thus, corporate diversification in Malaysia is perceived as a mixed blessing strategy.
High temperature decreases the PIC / POC ratio and increases phosphorus requirements in Coccolithus pelagicus (Haptophyta)

Rising ocean temperatures will likely increase stratification of the water column and reduce nutrient input into the photic zone. This will increase the likelihood of nutrient limitation in marine microalgae, leading to changes in the abundance and composition of phytoplankton communities , which in turn will affect global biogeochemical cycles. Calcifying algae, such as coccolithophores, influence the carbon cycle by fixing CO 2 into particulate organic carbon through photosynthesis (POC production) and into particulate inorganic carbon through calcification (PIC production). As calcification produces a net release of CO 2 , the ratio of PIC to POC production determines whether coccolithophores act as a source (high PIC / POC) or a sink (low PIC / POC) of atmospheric CO 2. We studied the effect of phosphorus (P-) limitation and high temperature on the physiology and the PIC / POC ratio of two subspecies of Coc-colithus pelagicus. This large and heavily calcified species is a major contributor to calcite export from the photic zone into deep-sea reservoirs. Phosphorus limitation did not influence exponential growth rates in either subspecies, but P-limited cells had significantly lower cellular P-content. One of the subspecies was subjected to a 5 • C temperature increase from 10 • C to 15 • C, which did not affect exponential growth rates either, but nearly doubled cellular P-content under both high and low phosphate availability. This temperature increase reduced the PIC / POC ratio by 40–60 %, whereas the PIC / POC ratio did not differ between P-limited and nutrient-replete cultures when the subspecies were grown near their respective isolation temperature. Both P-limitation and elevated temperature significantly increased coccolith malfor-mations. Our results suggest that a temperature increase may intensify P-limitation due to a higher P-requirement to maintain growth and POC production rates, possibly reducing abundances in a warmer ocean. Under such a scenario C. pelagicus may decrease its calcification rate relative to pho-tosynthesis, thus favouring CO 2 sequestration over release. It seems unlikely that P-limitation by itself causes changes in the PIC / POC ratio in this species.
N6-methyladenosine of HIV-1 RNA regulates viral infection and HIV-1 Gag protein expression

The internal N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation of eukaryotic nuclear RNA controls post-transcriptional gene expression, which is regulated by methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers), and m6A-binding proteins (readers) in cells. The YTH domain family proteins (YTHDF1–3) bind to m6A-modified cellular RNAs and affect RNA metabolism and processing. Here, we show that YTHDF1–3 proteins recognize m6A-modified HIV-1 RNA and inhibit HIV-1 infection in cell lines and primary CD4+ T-cells. We further mapped the YTHDF1–3 binding sites in HIV-1 RNA from infected cells. We found that the overexpression of YTHDF proteins in cells inhibited HIV-1 infection mainly by decreasing HIV-1 reverse transcription, while knockdown of YTHDF1–3 in cells had the opposite effects. Moreover, silencing the m6A writers decreased HIV-1 Gag protein expression in virus-producing cells, while silencing the m6A erasers increased Gag expression. Our findings suggest an important role of m6A modification of HIV-1 RNA in viral infection and HIV-1 protein synthesis. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.15528. 001
Encouraging Students to Become Critical Thinkers: Using Critical Literacy and Young Adult Novels in the Social Studies Classroom

This action research project looked at whether students could engage in critical talk utilizing young adult literature in the social studies classroom. Research indicated that students who were presented with multiple perspectives and documents in the social studies classroom did achieve critical talk. To examine this I utilized the four dimensions of critical literacy. I created my own lessons per each dimension. I analyzed the data based on the four dimensions framework for data analysis. It is evident that students who were exposed to critical literacy with a young adult novel in the social studies classroom did achieve and utilize critical literacy skills. Although each student in the study achieved critical literacy in different ways, I question if this was due to the difference in age and also their educational environment they are exposed to. Document Type Thesis Degree Name MS in Literacy Education Department Education Subject Categories Education This thesis is available at Fisher Digital Publications: http://fisherpub.sjfc. edu/education_ETD_masters/198 Encouraging Students to Become Critical Thinkers: Using Critical Literacy and Young Adult Novels in the Social Studies Classroom
Essays on Private Consumption Smoothing Mechanisms

Author(s): Herkenhoff, Kyle | Advisor(s): Ohanian, Lee E | Abstract: This dissertation studies the interaction between private consumption smoothing mechanisms and labor markets. Chapter 1 studies the growth in credit card access among the unemployed over the last 40 years and how this credit growth has impacted labor markets. I begin by developing a general equilibrium business cycle model with search in both the labor market and in the credit market. Calibrating to the observed path of credit between 1974 and 2012, I find that growth in credit card access can lead to deeper and longer recessions as well as moderately slower recoveries. Chapter 2, which is co-authored with Lee E. Ohanian, looks at the impact of foreclosure protection on unemployment during the 2007-2009 financial crisis. Through a purely positive lens, we study and document the growing trend of mortgagors who skip mortgage payments as an extra source of ``informal'' unemployment insurance during the 2007 recession and the subsequent recovery. In a dynamic model, we capture this behavior by treating both delinquency and foreclosure not as one period events, but rather as protracted and potentially reversible episodes that influence job search behavior and wage acceptance decisions. After calibrating, we find that the observed foreclosure delays increase the unemployment rate by an additional 1/3%-3/4%. And finally, Chapter 3, which is co-authored with Lee E. Ohanian, Kris Gerardi, and Paul Willen, looks at the empirical determinants of default and provides a new suggestive measure of strategic default. In sharp contrast to prior studies that proxy for individual unemployment status using regional unemployment rates, we find that individual unemployment is the strongest predictor of default. We also find that only 13.9% of defaulters have both negative equity and enough liquid or illiquid assets to make 1 month's mortgage payment. This suggests that ``ruthless,'' or ``strategic'' default during the 2007-2009 recession is relatively rare, and suggests that policies designed to promote employment, such as payroll tax cuts, are most likely to stem defaults in the long run rather than policies that temporarily modify mortgages.
Comparing Apples to Oranges: Productivity Convergence and Measurement across Industries and Countries

This paper examines the role of sectors in aggregate convergence for fourteen OECD countries during 1970-87. The major finding is that manufacturing shows little evidence of either labor productivity or multifactor productivity convergence, while other sectors, especially services, are driving the aggregate convergence result. To determine the robustness of the convergence results, the paper introduces a new measure of multifactor productivity which avoids many problems inherent to traditional measures of total factor productivity when comparing productivity levels. The lack of convergence in manufacturing is robust to the method of calculating multifactor productivity. Copyright 1996 by American Economic Association.
The Effects of UV Continuum and Lyman α Radiation on the Chemical Equilibrium of T Tauri Disks

We show in this Letter that the spectral details of the FUV radiation fields have a large impact on the chemistry of protoplanetary disks surrounding T Tauri stars. We show that the strength of a realistic stellar FUV field is significantly lower than typically assumed in chemical calculations and that the radiation field is dominated by strong line emission, most notably Lyman α radiation. The effects of the strong Lyman α emission on the chemical equilibrium in protoplanetary disks has previously been unrecognized. We discuss the impact of this radiation on molecular observations in the context of a radiative transfer model that includes both direct attenuation and scattering. In particular, Lyman α radiation will directly dissociate water vapor and may contribute to the observed enhancements of CN/HCN in disks. Subject headings: accretion, accretion disks, astrobiology, astrochemistry — circumstellar matter — stars: pre-main sequence — ultraviolet:stars
Caloric restriction decreases mitochondrial free radical generation at complex I and lowers oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA in the rat heart

The effect of caloric restriction (CR) (40%) on the rates of mitochondrial H2O2 production and oxygen consumption and oxidative damage to nuclear DNA (nDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was studied for short‐term (6‐wk) and long‐term (1‐year) periods in the heart of young and old rats. Short‐term CR did not change any of the parameters measured. However, long‐term CR significantly decreased the rate of mitochondrial H2O2 generation (by 45%) and significantly lowered oxidative damage to mtDNA (by 30%) without modifying damage to nDNA. The decrease in H2O2 production occurred exclusively at the complex I free radical generator of the respiratory chain. The mechanism allowing that decrease was not a simple decrease in mitochondrial oxygen consumption. Instead, the mitochondria of caloric‐restricted animals released fewer oxygen radicals per unit electron flow in the respiratory chain. This was due to a decrease in the degree of reduction of the complex I generator in caloric‐restricted mitochondria. The results are consistent with the concept that CR decreases the aging rate at least in part by decreasing the rate of mitochondrial oxygen radical generation and then the rate of attack on mtDNA.
Workplace Spiritual Climate and Its Influence on Nurses’ Provision of Spiritual Care in Multicultural Hospitals

Background: Spiritual care is a growing field of interest in the healthcare industry in Saudi Arabia, one that is largely defined by the religious and cultural context of the country that has a rich and strong backdrop. Workplace spiritual climate may have a significant impact on nurses’ ability and willingness to provide spiritual care. This study aims to examine the influence of workplace spiritual climate on nurses’ provision of spiritual care. Methods: A convenience sample of 918 nurses employed in seven public hospitals in Saudi Arabia was surveyed in this cross-sectional study using the Spiritual Climate Scale (SCS) and the Spiritual Care Intervention-Provision Scale (SCIPS). Results: The overall mean in the SCS was 64.58 (SD = 24.60), whereas the overall mean in the SCIPS was 56.83 (SD = 9.46). Nurses with Saudi nationality, with Islamic faith, with administrative functions, and with higher years of experience as a nurse reported better perceptions of workplace spirituality. Hospital, position, years of experience in the present hospital, and the hospital’s spiritual climate were identified as significant predictors of the nurses’ spiritual care interventions provision. Conclusions: The results of the study support the importance of having good workplace spiritual climate as it impacts the nurses’ provision of spiritual care interventions.
Modeling the Influence of Information Technology (IT) Adoption Factors on the Electronic Voting (E-Voting) Technology Using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) Methods

Although there are many factors influencing the organizational adoption of information technology innovations, the lack of knowledge as to those that affect the adoption decision of Electronic Voting technology in the organizational context, especially from the perspectives and perceptions of developing countries remains fundamental and of necessity if such adoption decision is to succeed. This paper discusses the theoretical and empirical model that identifies the relevant determinants factors within the context of an electoral management organization that might influence Electronic Voting technology adoption in Nigeria. Six theoretical constructs derived from diffusion of innovations; technology-organization-environment; Iacovou et al. theories and other relevant literatures on organizational adoption of technology were identify and consider. The research instrument were validated in a survey of managerial and operational staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigerian and tested against the model using Partial Least squares Structural Equation Modeling-PLS-SEM method of data analysis. The predictive tendency of the factors is quiet substantial (84%) and represents higher variance in the adoption of Electronic Voting technology with good model fit. The study produced useful insights into the factors that influence organizational adoption of Electronic Voting technology and provided new ideas in the understanding of information technology innovation adoption in the organizational context.
Encoding of Natural Scene Movies by Tonic and Burst Spikes in the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

The role of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the thalamus in visual encoding remains an open question. Here, we characterize the function of tonic and burst spikes in cat LGN X-cells in signaling features of natural stimuli. A significant increase in bursting was observed during natural stimulation (relative to white noise stimulation) and was linked to the strong correlation structure of the natural scene movies. Burst responses were triggered by specific stimulus events consisting of a prolonged inhibitory stimulus, followed by an excitatory stimulus, such as the movement of an object into the receptive field. LGN responses to natural scene movies were predicted using an integrate-and-fire (IF) framework and compared with experimentally observed responses. The standard IF model successfully predicted LGN responses to natural scene movies during tonic firing, indicating a linear relationship between stimulus and response. However, the IF model typically underpredicted the LGN response during periods of bursting, indicating a nonlinear amplification of the stimulus in the actual response. The addition of a burst mechanism to the IF model was necessary to accurately predict the entire LGN response. These results suggest that LGN bursts are an important part of the neural code, providing a nonlinear amplification of stimulus features that are typical of the natural environment.
Clear box evaluation of vision algorithms application to the design of a new color region growing segmentation for robotics

We propose a Clear Box Evaluation Methodology. Its goal is to create new region segmentations from the principles of well known ones. We illustrated this by an example of creation of a new color segmentation for robotic vision applications. First, we present the evaluation criteria used for these specic applications. For this purpose, four well known algorithms are evaluated. The results of this evaluation are the outlines of the new created segmentation. Then, the new created method is detailed and evaluated. The quality of the obtained segmentation is widely sufcient for robotic applications and its implementation satisfy the real time constraint (i.e. the video rate).
The Origin of a Metric

In the context of earlier work, we investigate the emergence of a "distance" in the physical world. For this we consider a Cantor ternary like process, but much more general: properties like perfectness and disconnectedness are not invoked, but instead we deal with Borel sets. An interesting case from a physical point of view is considered: when the process is truncated.