Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financing and Takeovers

This paper analyzes the interaction between financial leverage and takeover activity. We develop a dynamic model of takeovers in which the financing strategies of bidding firms and the timing and terms of takeovers are jointly determined. In the paper, capital structure plays the role of a commitment device, and determines the outcome of the acquisition contest. We demonstrate that there exists an asymmetric equilibrium in financing policies with endogenous leverage, bankruptcy, and takeover terms, in which the bidder with the lowest leverage wins the takeover contest. Based on the resulting equilibrium, the model generates a number of new predictions. In particular, the model predicts that the leverage of the winning bidder is below the industry average and that acquirers should lever up after the takeover consummation. The model also relates the dispersion in leverage ratios to various industry characteristics, such as cash flow volatility or bankruptcy costs.
Optimal Investment, Growth Options, and Security Returns

As a consequence of optimal investment choices, firms' assets and growth options change in predictable ways. Using a dynamic model, we show that this imparts predictability to changes in a firm's systematic risk, and its expected return. Simulations show that the model simultaneously reproduces: (i) the time series relation between the book-to-market ratio and asset returns, (ii) the cross-sectional relation between book to market, market value and return, (iii) contrarian effects at short horizons, (iv) momentum effects at longer horizons, and (v) the inverse relation between interest rates and the market risk premium.
Filamins Regulate Cell Spreading and Initiation of Cell Migration

Mammalian filamins (FLNs) are a family of three large actin-binding proteins. FLNa, the founding member of the family, was implicated in migration by cell biological analyses and the identification of FLNA mutations in the neuronal migration disorder periventricular heterotopia. However, recent knockout studies have questioned the relevance of FLNa to cell migration. Here we have used shRNA-mediated knockdown of FLNa, FLNb or FLNa and FLNb, or, alternatively, acute proteasomal degradation of all three FLNs, to generate FLN-deficient cells and assess their ability to migrate. We report that loss of FLNa or FLNb has little effect on migration but that knockdown of FLNa and FLNb, or proteolysis of all three FLNs, impairs migration. The observed defect is primarily a deficiency in initiation of motility rather than a problem with maintenance of locomotion speed. FLN-deficient cells are also impaired in spreading. Re-expression of full length FLNa, but not re-expression of a mutated FLNa lacking immunoglobulin domains 19 to 21, reverts both the spreading and the inhibition of initiation of migration. Our results establish a role for FLNs in cell migration and spreading and suggest that compensation by other FLNs may mask phenotypes in single knockout or knockdown cells. We propose that interactions between FLNs and transmembrane or signalling proteins, mediated at least in part by immunoglobulin domains 19 to 21 are important for both cell spreading and initiation of migration.
Adapting a Developmental Screening Measure: Exploring the Effects of Language and Culture on a Parent-Completed Social–Emotional Screening Test

Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social–Emotional (ASQ:SE) is a widely used screening instrument for detecting social–emotional difficulties in infants and young children. To use a screening instrument across cultures and countries, it is necessary to identify potential item-level biases and ensure item equivalence. This study investigated the cultural equity of the 60-month interval of the ASQ:SE by examining whether the items functioned differently in the original English version compared with 5 adapted translated versions (i.e., Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese), as well as exploring cultural considerations resulting from identified differences. The research team analyzed differential item functioning (DIF) in a total of 25,042 sixty-month ASQ:SE questionnaires drawn from extant data sets of 6 different language versions. Results indicated that a large portion of items were identified with DIF, suggesting that when participating parents/caregivers rated the social–emotional competence of their children, diverse cultural values, beliefs, and expectations affected their responses. This study provides implications for professionals and developers when using translated/adapted instruments in diverse cultures.
Discovery of an Edge-on Dust Disk around the [WC10] Central Star CPD –56°8032

We present Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet and optical Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph spectroscopy of the [WCL] planetary nebula central star CPD -56°8032, obtained during its latest light-curve minimum. The UV spectrum shows the central star's continuum light distribution to be split into two bright peaks separated by 0. ″10. We interpret this finding as due to an edge-on disk or torus structure that obscures direct light from the star, which is seen primarily via its light scattered from the disk's rims or lobes. CPD -56°8032 is an archetype of dual dust chemistry [WCL] planetary nebulae, which exhibit strong infrared emission features from both carbon-rich and oxygen-rich materials, and for which the presence of a disk harboring the O-rich grains had been suggested. Our direct observation of an edge-on occulting dust structure around CPD -56°8032 provides strong support for such a model and for binary interactions being responsible for the correlation between the dual dust chemistry phenomenon in planetary nebulae and the presence of a hydrogen-deficient [WCL] Wolf-Rayet central star.
Emotional voice conversion using deep neural networks with MCC and F0 features

An artificial neural network is one of the most important models for training features in a voice conversion task. Typically, Neural Networks (NNs) are not effective in processing low-dimensional F0 features, thus this causes that the performance of those methods based on neural networks for training Mel Cepstral Coefficients (MCC) are not outstanding. However, F0 can robustly represent various prosody signals (e.g., emotional prosody). In this study, we propose an effective method based on the NNs to train the normalized-segment-F0 features (NSF0) for emotional prosody conversion. Meanwhile, the proposed method adopts deep belief networks (DBNs) to train spectrum features for voice conversion. By using these approaches, the proposed method can change the spectrum and the prosody for the emotional voice at the same time. Moreover, the experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms other state-of-the-art methods for voice emotional conversion.
An Explanation for the Bimodal Duration Distribution of Gamma-Ray Bursts: Millisecond Pulsars from Accretion-induced Collapse

Cosmological gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) could be driven by dissipation of pure electromagnetic energy (Poynting flux) extracted from rapidly rotating compact objects with strong magnetic fields. One such possibility is a young millisecond pulsar (MSP) formed from the accretion-induced collapse (AIC) of a white dwarf. The combination of an efficient magnetic dynamo, likely operating during the first seconds of the initially hot and turbulent MSP interior, and the subsequent modest beaming of gamma ray-emitting outflows, would easily account for energy constraints. But the remarkable feature of such models is that they may naturally explain the puzzling bimodal distribution in GRB time durations. The two burst classes could correspond to MSPs that form spinning above and below, respectively, a gravitationally unstable limit. In the former case, the spin-down timescale is caused by gravitational radiation emission (<1 s), while the spin-down timescale of the latter is caused by electromagnetic dipole emission (≫1 s). These two timescales account for the short and long GRB durations, i.e., the observed bimodal GRB duration distribution. A natural prediction is that the short-duration GRBs would be accompanied by strong gravitational radiation emission, which is absent from the longer class. Both would show millisecond variabilities.
The motivation and maintenance of physical activity in women

I examined the psychosocial factors motivating Australian women's physical activity. Generally, a focus on appearance enhancement failed to maintain physical activity over time and was associated with negative psychological indicators such as disordered eating, stress, anxiety and depression. Activity maintenance was best achieved by women with more diverse motivations regardless of their choice of activity type.
In-Memory Distance Threshold Searches on Moving Object Trajectories

Processing moving object trajectories arises in many applications. To gain insight into target domains, historical continuous trajectory similarity searches find those trajectories that have similar attributes in common. In this work, we focus on a trajectory similarity search, the distance threshold search, which finds all trajectories within a given distance of a query trajectory over a time interval. We investigate novel approaches for the efficient processing of these searches over in-memory databases on the CPU and on the GPU. On the CPU, we use an in-memory R-tree index to store trajectory data and evaluate its performance on a range of trajectory datasets. The R-tree is a well-studied out-of-core indexing scheme. However, in the context of in-memory searches, we find that the traditional notion of considering good trajectory splits by minimizing the volume of MBBs so as to reduce index overlap is not well-suited to improve the performance of in-memory distance threshold searches. Another finding is that computing good trajectory splits to achieve a trade-off between the time to search the index-tree and the time to process the candidate set of trajectory segments may not be beneficial when considering large datasets. The GPU is an attractive technology for distance threshold searches because of the inherent data parallelism involved in calculating moving distances between pairs of polylines; however, challenges arise from the SIMD programming model and limited GPU memory. We study the processing of distance threshold searches using GPU implementations that avoid the use of index-trees. We focus on two scenarios for which we propose GPU-friendly indexing schemes for trajectory data. In the first scenario the database fits in GPU memory but the entire query set does not, thereby requiring back-and-forth communication between the host and the GPU. We find that our indexing scheme yields significant speedup over a multithreaded CPU implementation. We gain insight into our GPU algorithms via a performance model that proves accurate across a range of experimental scenarios. In the second scenario, we study the case where both the query set
Patents, R&D and lag effects: evidence from flexible methods for count panel data on manufacturing firms

This paper investigates the relationship between patents and research and development expenditures using new longitudinal patent data at the firm level for the U.S. manufacturing sector from 1982 to 1992. The paper also develops a new class of count panel data models based on series expansion of the distribution of individual effects. Estimation results from various distributed lag and dynamic multiplicative panel count data models show that the contemporaneous relationship between patenting and R&D expenditures continues to be strong, accounting for over 60% of the total R&D elasticity. The lag effects are higher than have previously been found for the 1970s data.
Promoting Election-Related Policy Practice Among Social Work Students

ABSTRACT Political involvement is an integral component of the social work profession, yet there is no explicit reference to social work participation in election-related activities in either the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics or the Council on Social Work Education Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards. Social work education may offer an opportune time to shape crucial patterns of future electoral participation among social workers. This study examines BSW, MSW, and PhD student electoral involvement during the 2012 presidential election and ways social work program administrators across the country encouraged students to acquire skills and experience in election-related policy practice during the election season. Findings indicate that the extent of opportunities offered to students varied widely across programs as well as across types of electoral activities.
Adaptive stabilization of Model-Based Networked Control Systems

In this paper Model Based Networked Control Systems (MB-NCS) are considered and on-line identification of system parameters in state space representation is used to upgrade the model and the controller of the system. The updated model is used to control the real system when feedback information is unavailable. The Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) is analyzed in the context of parameter identification and implemented in the MB-NCS framework. Emphasis is placed on global asymptotic estimators for the case when sensors provide noiseless measurements of the state of a linear system; it can be shown that the identification of parameters in this case is a linear problem, in contrast to the nonlinear combined state- parameter estimation problem. We propose new estimation models that offer better convergence properties than the EKF in this case. This estimation strategy is also applied to the MB- NCS framework resulting in a better usage of the network by allowing longer intervals without need for a measurement update.
Effects of bright light treatment on psychomotor speed in athletes

Purpose: A recent study suggests that transcranial brain targeted light treatment via ear canals may have physiological effects on brain function studied by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques in humans. We tested the hypothesis that bright light treatment could improve psychomotor speed in professional ice hockey players. Methods: Psychomotor speed tests with audio and visual warning signals were administered to a Finnish National Ice Hockey League team before and after 24 days of transcranial bright light or sham treatment. The treatments were given during seasonal darkness in the Oulu region (latitude 65 degrees north) when the strain on the players was also very high (10 matches during 24 days). A daily 12-min dose of bright light or sham (n = 11 for both) treatment was given every morning between 8 and 12 am at home with a transcranial bright light device. Mean reaction time and motor time were analyzed separately for both psychomotor tests. Analysis of variance for repeated measures adjusted for age was performed. Results: Time × group interaction for motor time with a visual warning signal was p = 0.024 after adjustment for age. In Bonferroni post-hoc analysis, motor time with a visual warning signal decreased in the bright light treatment group from 127 ± 43 to 94 ± 26 ms (p = 0.024) but did not change significantly in the sham group 121 ± 23 vs. 110 ± 32 ms (p = 0.308). Reaction time with a visual signal did not change in either group. Reaction or motor time with an audio warning signal did not change in either the treatment or sham group. Conclusion: Psychomotor speed, particularly motor time with a visual warning signal, improves after transcranial bright light treatment in professional ice-hockey players during the competition season in the dark time of the year.
Quantum Mechanics of Measurement

An analysis of quantum measurement is presented that relies on an information-theoretic description of quantum entanglement. In a consistent quantum information theory of entanglement, entropies (uncertainties) conditional on measurement outcomes can be negative, implying that measurement can be described via unitary, entropy-conserving, interactions, while still producing randomness in a measurement device. In such a framework, quantum measurement is not accompanied by a wave-function collapse, or a quantum jump. The theory is applied to the measurement of incompatible variables, giving rise to a stronger entropic uncertainty relation than heretofore known. It is also applied to standard quantum measurement situations such as the Stern-Gerlach and double-slit experiments to illustrate how randomness, inherent in the conventional quantum probabilities, arises in a unitary framework. Finally, the present view clarifies the relationship between classical and quantum concepts.
The Alleged Instability of Nominal Income Targeting

Recently it has been argued that a monetary policy of nominal income targeting would result in dynamically unstable processes for output and inflation. That result holds in a theoretical model that includes backward-looking IS and Phillips curve relations, but these are rather special and theoretically unattractive. The present paper demonstrates that replacement of the special Phillips curve with one of several more plausible specifications overturns the instability result, whether or not the IS equation is replaced with a forward-looking version. Thus the instability result is quite fragile and therefore provides almost no basis for a negative judgment regarding nominal income targeting.
Occupational disruption: A scoping review

ABSTRACT Introduction: The term occupational disruption is used increasingly throughout the occupational science and therapy literature. Despite frequent mentions, a clear understanding of the concept and its use is lacking. Aim: The purpose of this scoping review was to conceptualise occupational disruption by explaining how the term is described and understood. Methods: Levac, Colquhoun, and O’Brien’s (2010) refinements to Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) scoping review methodology were used to map the research literature around occupational disruption. Results: Occupational disruption is present in the literature in a number of contexts, with discussions relating to impact on identity, management strategies, and engagement in social relationships and valued occupations. However, the term was used inconsistently throughout the literature. Conclusions: An enhanced conceptualization of occupational disruption will promote understanding of its effects and implications, allowing researchers to apply the concept to diverse populations.
Inference in High-Dimensional Panel Models With an Application to Gun Control

We consider estimation and inference in panel data models with additive unobserved individual specific heterogeneity in a high-dimensional setting. The setting allows the number of time-varying regressors to be larger than the sample size. To make informative estimation and inference feasible, we require that the overall contribution of the time-varying variables after eliminating the individual specific heterogeneity can be captured by a relatively small number of the available variables whose identities are unknown. This restriction allows the problem of estimation to proceed as a variable selection problem. Importantly, we treat the individual specific heterogeneity as fixed effects which allows this heterogeneity to be related to the observed time-varying variables in an unspecified way and allows that this heterogeneity may differ for all individuals. Within this framework, we provide procedures that give uniformly valid inference over a fixed subset of parameters in the canonical linear fixed effects model and over coefficients on a fixed vector of endogenous variables in panel data instrumental variable models with fixed effects and many instruments. We present simulation results in support of the theoretical developments and illustrate the use of the methods in an application aimed at estimating the effect of gun prevalence on crime rates.
Cross–cultural difference in academic motivation, academic self–esteem, and upward social mobility within a student cohort

The relationship between academic motivation, support structures, self–esteem, and social mobility was assessed between three culturally distinct Higher Education student cohorts. Two–undred–and–sixty–seven students took part in the study: 64 American undergraduates; 100 British undergraduates; and 103 Ugandan undergraduates. Using a number of appropriate, validated questionnaires, intergenerational upward social mobility was found to be academically motivating, both intrinsically and extrinsically. Intergenerational upward mobility was significantly positively correlated with academic self–esteem. Cultural differences were found primarily in intrinsic, extrinsic and intergenerational upward mobility scores, with Ugandan students endorsing these variables significantly more than the American students, and American students endorsing them significantly more than the British students. These findings are discussed in relation to the potential impact on student social mobility both here and abroad.
Factors affecting length of stay in teaching hospitals of a middle-income country

Introduction The length of stay (LOS) in hospitals is a widely used and important criteria for evaluating hospital performance. The aim of this study was to determine factors affecting LOS in teaching hospitals of Qazvin Providence. Methods In this cross-sectional study, patients’ health records were randomly selected from archives in teaching hospitals of Qazvin in 2013. Data were collected through a data entry form and were analyzed using Kolmogorov–Smirnov, Kruskal–Wallis, and Mann–Whitney U tests at the significant level of 0.05. Results The mean of hospital LOS was 5.45 ± 6.14 days. Age, employment, marital status, history of previous admission, patient condition at discharge, method of payment, and type of treatment had an impact on LOS (p<0.05). Other factors, including gender, place of residence, and type of admission, did not affect LOS. Conclusion Because hospitals consume a perceptible part of resources in a health system, controlled and optimized use of its resources help to save a lot. Therefore, this study showed many clinical and nonclinical factors affect LOS in evaluating these factors, which may reduce inappropriate hospital stays and decrease costs.
The structure of elliptical galaxies in the Virgo cluster. Results from the INT Wide Field Survey

We report on a complete CCD imaging survey of 226 elliptical galaxies in the North-East quadrant of the Virgo cluster, representative of the properties of giant and dwarf elliptical galaxies in this cluster. We fit their radial light profiles with the Sersic r1/n model of light distribution. We confirm the result of Graham & Guzman (2003, AJ, 125, 2936) that the apparent dichotomy between E and dE galaxies in the luminosity- $\langle \mu\rangle_{\rm e}$ plane no longer appears when other structural parameters are considered and can be entirely attributed to the onset of "core" galaxies at $B_T \sim -20.5$ mag. When "core" galaxies are not considered, E and dE form a unique family with n linearly increasing with the luminosity. For 90 galaxies we analyze the B-I color indices, both in the nuclear and in the outer regions. Both indices are bluer toward fainter luminosities. We find also that the outer color gradients do not show any significant correlation with the luminosity. The scatter in all color indicators increases significantly toward lower luminosities, e.g. galaxies fainter than $B_T \sim -15$ have a B-I spread > 0.5 mag.