Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A multilevel analysis of workplace job satisfaction in Britain : evidence from a linked employer-employee data

Job satisfaction has been a fascinating theme of re sea ch in economics owing to the link it is thought to have with such labour mar ket behaviour of workers as turnover and absenteeism; and their performance and /or productivity. What determines job satisfaction? This paper undertakes multilevel analysis of the determinants of job satisfaction in Britain using l inked employer-employee data from the 2004 British Workplace Employment Relation s Survey (WERS 2004). It departs from previous studies on several counts. Fir t, it employs multilevel modelling as opposed to the commonly used estimatio n technique in the literature. Second, it investigates the determinant s of up to eight different facets of job satisfaction, in addition to overall job sat i faction, thereby being able to establish what determines which aspects of job sati sfac ion. Third, unlike most previous studies it uses a whole host of correlates relating to employees and their workplaces. Not many studies have used linked emplo yer-employee data to study job satisfaction, and the few studies that do have not exploited the nested structure in such data. By using linked employer-em ployee data and by exploiting the clustering therein this study is abl e to avoid the risk of misleading ‘statistically significant’ effects. The study find s that 1) unmeasured heterogeneity is important for the most part. 2) Co ntrolling for such unmeasured effects, it finds that such factors as flexible wor k a rangement and better skills match, among others, are crucial determinants of em ployees’ overall and other facets of job satisfaction.
The Information Content of REIT Short Interest: Investment Focus and Heterogeneous Beliefs

This article examines real estate investment trusts (REITs) to determine the correspondence between short interest and subsequent prices. The theoretical basis for our tests comes from the overvaluation conditions created by a combination of costly short selling and heterogeneous beliefs. This article exploits the unique characteristics of REITS as they are similar with respect to high dividend payouts and differentiated by underlying real asset investments. An innovative aspect of the methodology involves partitioning firms based on investment focus as a proxy for transparency and as a determinant of heterogeneous beliefs regarding valuation. The findings (i) affirm the information content of REIT short interest and (ii) highlight the importance of investment focus in resolving the divergence in investor opinions of value. Overvaluation conditions exist among REITs with greater short interest and less transparency, whereas such valuation conditions do not appear among transparent REITs, regardless of the level of short selling.
The Stability of Islamic Finance: Creating a Resilient Financial Environment for a Secure Future

Foreword ix Acknowledgments xiii Glossary of Arabic Terms xv Introduction 1 CHAPTER 1 The Nature of Capital and the Rate of Return 11 CHAPTER 2 The Origins of Financial Panics and Recessions 23 CHAPTER 3 Monetary Policy and Financial Crises 37 CHAPTER 4 The Internationalization of Financial Crises 45 CHAPTER 5 The Role of the Credit Multiplier in Financial Crises 61 CHAPTER 6 The Inherent Stability of Islamic Finance 75 CHAPTER 7 A Theoretical Model of the Inherent Stability of Islamic Finance 83 CHAPTER 8 Asset Pricing and Risk in Islamic Finance 93 CHAPTER 9 Islamic Financial Intermediation and Markets 113 CHAPTER 10 Risk Profi le of Islamic Financial Intermediaries 131 CHAPTER 11 Financial Engineering, Derivatives and Financial Stability 141 CHAPTER 12 Corporate Governance and Financial Crises 163 CHAPTER 13 The Performance of Islamic Financial Intermediaries and Products 183 Conclusion 209 Bibliography 217 Index 225
Effective intrinsic linear properties of laminar piezoelectric composites and simple ferroelectric domain structures

The effective properties of piezoelectric laminates have been analyzed, based on the calculation of internal fields and making use of a simple matrix manipulation method. The results are expressed in a compact notation which is convenient for numerical implementation and at the same time suitable for further analytical treatments. A detailed analysis of fully compatible ferroelectric domain structures shows, that the results for arbitrary piezoelectric laminates can be further simplified and specific property relationships for rank-1 laminates of tetragonal and rhombohedral crystals are derived. The method is finally applied to the analysis of various hierarchical domain structures. Detailed orientation relationships between the particular domains in some important domain pattern are given to make these structures accessible for the presented method. Some numerical results for tetragonal barium titanate illustrate the effects of different domain arrangements on the effective properties.
Towards assessing the leadership style and quality of transformational leadership: The case of construction firms of Iran

Purpose – Clarifying leadership has been a complicated and difficult task largely because the nature of leadership itself is complicated. Meanwhile, the construction industry stands for one of the most dynamic and complex industrial environments although, not much works has been conducted on leadership in the industry. This paper aims to fill this gap.Design/methodology/approach – Based on a combination of literature review and questionnaire surveys, this paper explores the leadership style as well as transformational leadership quality of the leaders of construction companies in Iran. A quantitative research approach was adopted requiring the development and dissemination of a questionnaire survey. The research was conducted by sending 220 sets of questionnaires to the large construction companies. The analysis methods in this research were based on frequency and co‐relational study.Findings – The research exposes the level of leaders' orientation for people and task in their leadership style as well as .
Evaluation of Bioinformatic Programmes for the Analysis of Variants within Splice Site Consensus Regions

The increasing diagnostic use of gene sequencing has led to an expanding dataset of novel variants that lie within consensus splice junctions. The challenge for diagnostic laboratories is the evaluation of these variants in order to determine if they affect splicing or are merely benign. A common evaluation strategy is to use in silico analysis, and it is here that a number of programmes are available online; however, currently, there are no consensus guidelines on the selection of programmes or protocols to interpret the prediction results. Using a collection of 222 pathogenic mutations and 50 benign polymorphisms, we evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of four in silico programmes in predicting the effect of each variant on splicing. The programmes comprised Human Splice Finder (HSF), Max Entropy Scan (MES), NNSplice, and ASSP. The MES and ASSP programmes gave the highest performance based on Receiver Operator Curve analysis, with an optimal cut-off of score reduction of 10%. The study also showed that the sensitivity of prediction is affected by the level of conservation of individual positions, with in silico predictions for variants at positions −4 and +7 within consensus splice sites being largely uninformative.
Information Arrivals and Intraday Exchange Rate Volatility

This paper investigates the link between information arrivals and intraday DEM/$ volatility. Information arrivals are measured by the numbers of news items that appeared in the Reuters News Service. We separate news stories into different categories and find that total headline news counts have the most significant impact on DEM/$ volatility, following by US macroeconomic news. News related to the US Federal Reserve, German Bundesbank and German macroeconomic variables appears to have little impact during the sample period. The conclusions are obtained from ARCH models that incorporate intraday seasonal volatility terms.
Efficacy of Multimodal Pain Control Protocol in the Setting of Total Hip Arthroplasty

Background This study evaluated the benefits and safety of a multimodal pain control protocol, which included a periarticular injection of local anesthetics, in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. Methods Between March 2006 and March 2007, 60 patients undergoing unilateral total hip arthroplasty were randomized to undergo either a multimodal pain control protocol or a conventional pain control protocol. The following parameters were compared: the preoperative and postoperative visual analogue scales (VAS), hospital stay, operative time, postoperative rehabilitation, additional painkiller consumption, and complication rates. Results There was no difference between the groups in terms of diagnosis, age, gender, and BMI. Although both groups had similar VAS scores in the preoperative period and on the fifth postoperative day, there was a significant difference between the groups over the four-day period after surgery. There were no differences in the hospital stay, operative time, additional painkiller consumption, or complication rate between the groups. The average time for comfortable crutch ambulation was 2.8 days in the multimodal pain control protocol group and 5.3 days in the control group. Conclusions The multimodal pain control protocol can significantly reduce the level of postoperative pain and improve patients' satisfaction, with no apparent risks, after total hip arthroplasty.
Effects of cysteinyl-leukotriene receptor antagonist, thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist, and thromboxane A2 synthetase inhibitor on antigen-induced bronchoconstriction in patients with asthma.

BACKGROUND Leukotriene (LT) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptor antagonists have been used in the treatment of asthma. OBJECTIVES We examined the effects of an LT receptor antagonist, TXA2 receptor antagonist, and TXA2 synthetase inhibitor on bronchoprovocation test (BPT) in patients with mild-to-moderate atopic asthma. METHODS BPT was performed four times in each of six asthmatics. Development of the immediate asthmatic reaction (IAR) and late asthmatic reaction (LAR) was confirmed on the first BPT (BPT1). After a 7-day washout period, an LT receptor antagonist (pranlukast, 450 mg/d), TXA2 receptor antagonist (seratrodast, 80 mg/d), or TXA2 synthetase inhibitor (ozagrel, 800 mg/d) was administered orally over 7 days at random using a cross-over method (BPT2-4). Blood levels of LTB4, LTC4, LTD4, 11-dehydrothromboxane B2, eosinophil cationic protein, and histamine were measured at reaction phases of pre-BPT, IAR, and LAR. RESULTS Administration of pranlukast suppressed IAR by 80.5% (p < 0.0001) and LAR by 54.6% (p = 0.0391). Ozagrel significantly suppressed IAR by 39.5% (p = 0.0413), but the fall in FEV1 was >20% (21.56+/-4.173%). Seratrodast did not suppress IAR or LAR. Blood levels of chemical mediators did not correlate with the suppressive effects of the tested drugs. CONCLUSIONS The LT receptor antagonist was considered to be the most effective. LT might play a more important role in the pathogenesis of asthma than TXA2. Our data showed that measurement of blood levels of chemical mediators is not useful in identifying the pathogenic mechanisms of asthma.
Evaluation of MR Spectroscopy and Diffusion-Weighted MRI in Postmenopausal Bone Strength

Aim: To prospectively investigate the role of MR spectroscopy (MRS) and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) in assessing vertebral marrow changes in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: Fifty postmenopausal women, who underwent dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry of the spine, were divided into three bone density groups (normal, osteopenia, and osteoporosis) based on T-score. Both MRS and DWI of the L3 vertebral body were performed to calculate the marrow fat content and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). The results were compared between three groups and correlated with BMD. Results: Vertebral marrow fat content was significantly increased in the osteoporotic group when compared with that of the osteopenic group and the normal bone density group. ADC values in the osteoporotic, osteopenic, and normal bone density groups were 338, 408 and 464, respectively, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.001). A statistically significant positive correlation between T-scores and ADC existed (r=0.694, p value <0.001). The vertebral marrow fat content was negatively correlated to the bone density (r=–0.455, p< 0.001) and to marrow ADC (r= -0.302, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The postmenopausal women with osteoporosis exhibited a corresponding increase in vertebral marrow fat content as the bone density decreased. Marrow fat content and ADC were related to the bone density. MRS and DWI are helpful in evaluating the bone marrow changes in postmenopausal women.
Latin America ’ s Pension Revolution : A Review of Approaches and Experience *

Latin America (LA) is in the midst of a pension revolution that has caught the attention of pension system experts and policy makers elsewhere. There is one common feature that makes the LA approach unique in providing old-age security: adoption of an important second pension pillar that is fully funded and based on contributions to individual accounts in pension funds that are invested in financial markets and managed by private companies. However most other reform features differ significantly across the eight country reform experiences implemented to date. This paper compares reform approaches, evaluates actual and potential reform effects, and points out issues of concern. Pension reform has been largely successful in helping to defuse the “ticking pension time bomb” of PAYG systems and to make pension arrangements less prone to political interference. Pension reform could also lead to sizable efficiency gains in factor markets, helping to raise social welfare and economic growth. However significant problems of design and implementation remain in LA’s 8 reformed pension systems. They represent a challenge for policy makers in both the latter countries and those that are considering future reform. * Prepared for the World Bank’s ABCDE Conference, April 28-30, 1999, Washington, DC. ** In preparing this paper I benefited from very useful discussions with Manny Jimenez, Miguel Navarro, Truman Packard, Robert Palacios, Anita Schwartz, Hermann von Gersdorff, and Juan Yermo, as well as from outstanding assistance provided by Montserrat Pallares-Miralles and Francisco Gallego. All errors and omissions are mine.
Intégration du lien consommateur-ressource dans l'étude de l'influence des activités humaines sur l'hivernage des bernaches cravant dans un écosystème littoral fortement anthropisé

Les activites humaines peuvent entrainer des modifications de comportement et de distribution spatiale chez les animaux susceptibles d’avoir un impact non negligeable au niveau de leur population. Pour des especes migratrices, elles peuvent rendre un site d’hivernage inutilisable en raison d’un derangement trop important, obligeant les individus a utiliser d’autres sites. Dans ces sites de report, le niveau d’interference risque d’etre plus eleve ce qui peut entrainer une diminution de l’efficacite alimentaire de tout ou partie des individus. Cependant, l’influence des activites humaines ne peut etre evaluee correctement sans tenir compte, dans ce cas precis, des ressources alimentaires de l’espece etudiee. Le travail de cette these a ete d’integrer le lien consommateur-ressource dans l’etude de l’influence des activites humaines. Le sujet a porte plus precisement sur l’hivernage de la bernache cravant « Branta bernicla » dans le golfe du Morbihan (Bretagne Sud), ou elle s’alimente essentiellement de phanerogames marines des zosteres, dont la zostere naine « Zostera noltii ». Nous avons caracterise la relation bernaches-Z. Noltii, en termes de distribution essentiellement, a trois echelles spatiales et temporelles imbriquees. De l’evolution en trente ans de la distribution sur l’ensemble du golfe a la position par rapport a la lame d’eau lors d’un cycle tidal, nous avons montre que les ressources alimentaires conditionnaient largement la distribution des bernaches, ainsi que leur comportement a l’echelle du groupe. Nous avons egalement montre que les activites humaines sont susceptibles de modifier cette relation. En effet, selon leur type, leur position et la taille du groupe de bernaches, le cout energetique potentiel qu’elles entrainent pourrait conduire certains individus a eviter certains herbiers, ce cout etant trop eleve pour etre compense par un temps d’alimentation plus long. Ce travail a donc contribue a une categorisation plus generale et robuste des activites humaines en terme de cout potentiel sur les oiseaux hivernant. Si ce travail a permis de mieux comprendre le role majeur des ressources dans la distribution des bernaches en hivernage, ainsi que la facon dont les activites humaines peuvent influer sur cette relation, il s’est aussi inscrit dans une demarche de definition d’indicateur d’etat des herbiers de zosteres. Et nos resultats suggerent que le comportement et la distribution des bernaches sont de bons indicateurs de l’etat de ces herbiers a l’echelle locale mais egalement regionale.
Loss Aversion and Reference Points in Contracts

Loss aversion has become the dominant alternative to expected utility theory for modeling choice under uncertainty. The setting of the base payment in contracts provides an interesting application of referenced based decision theory. The impact of loss aversion on contract structure depends critically on whether reservation opportunities (outside options) are evaluated with respect to the reference point implied in the contract. We show that when reservation opportunities are independent of the reference point, reward contracts are optimal. However, when reservation opportunities are evaluated against the reference point, then penalty contracts are more efficient.
Improved Sensitivity to Cerebral White Matter Abnormalities in Alzheimer’s Disease with Spherical Deconvolution Based Tractography

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) based fiber tractography (FT) is the most popular approach for investigating white matter tracts in vivo, despite its inability to reconstruct fiber pathways in regions with “crossing fibers. ” Recently, constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD) has been developed to mitigate the adverse effects of “crossing fibers” on DTI based FT. Notwithstanding the methodological benefit, the clinical relevance of CSD based FT for the assessment of white matter abnormalities remains unclear. In this work, we evaluated the applicability of a hybrid framework, in which CSD based FT is combined with conventional DTI metrics to assess white matter abnormalities in 25 patients with early Alzheimer’s disease. Both CSD and DTI based FT were used to reconstruct two white matter tracts: one with regions of “crossing fibers,” i.e., the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and one which contains only one fiber orientation, i.e. the midsagittal section of the corpus callosum (CC). The DTI metrics, fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), obtained from these tracts were related to memory function. Our results show that in the tract with “crossing fibers” the relation between FA/MD and memory was stronger with CSD than with DTI based FT. By contrast, in the fiber bundle where one fiber population predominates, the relation between FA/MD and memory was comparable between both tractography methods. Importantly, these associations were most pronounced after adjustment for the planar diffusion coefficient, a measure reflecting the degree of fiber organization complexity. These findings indicate that compared to conventionally applied DTI based FT, CSD based FT combined with DTI metrics can increase the sensitivity to detect functionally significant white matter abnormalities in tracts with complex white matter architecture.
Outlier detection via sampling ensemble

Outlier detection is a key technique in data ming and machine learning fields. The deviating characters of outliers make huge detrimental effects on the learning tasks. A lot of algorithms are therefore proposed to handle outliers from different perspectives, such as distance, density, angle and so on. Among these approaches, the density-based methods achieve better performance, but also suffer from huge time complexity. Recently, in order to accelerate the speed and improve the performance, the subsampling ensemble method attracts much attention, which has a reasonable theoretical interpretation and high performance. However, existing work only gives the partial picture of outlier detection via row-sampling, the effective portfolio of bi-sampling is still void. In light of this, we propose the general outlier detection framework via bi-sampling, Bi-Sampling Outlier Detection (BSOD) and provide the effective portfolios of the row and column-sampling ratios in a theoretical way. In addition, the benefits of BSOD are fully illustrated in terms of ensemble diversity and divide-and-conquer. Further we employ LOF within BSOD as BI-LOF to conduct extensive experiments. In general, on 30 synthetic and 17 real-world data sets we thoroughly explore the characteristics of BI-LOF with different numbers of instances, features, nearest neighbors, validate the theoretical analysis of BSOD condition on synthetic data sets, and show obvious advantages over other state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of low and high dimensional real-world data sets. And finally we use BI-LOF to conduct image outlier detection and show high quality and stableness of BI-LOF.
Nucleolar asymmetry and the importance of septin integrity upon cell cycle arrest

Cell cycle arrest can be imposed by inactivating the anaphase promoting complex (APC). In S. cerevisiae this arrest has been reported to stabilize a metaphase-like intermediate in which the nuclear envelope spans the bud neck, while chromatin repeatedly translocates between the mother and bud domains. The present investigation was undertaken to learn how other features of nuclear organization are affected upon depletion of the APC activator, Cdc20. We observe that the spindle pole bodies and the spindle repeatedly translocate across the narrow orifice at the level of the neck. Nevertheless, we find that the nucleolus (organized around rDNA repeats on the long right arm of chromosome XII) remains in the mother domain, marking the polarity of the nucleus. Accordingly, chromosome XII is polarized: TelXIIR remains in the mother domain and its centromere is predominantly located in the bud domain. In order to learn why the nucleolus remains in the mother domain, we studied the impact of inhibiting rRNA synthesis in arrested cells. We observed that this fragments the nucleolus and that these fragments entered the bud domain. Taken together with earlier observations, the restriction of the nucleolus to the mother domain therefore can be attributed to its massive structure. We also observed that inactivation of septins allowed arrested cells to complete the cell cycle, that the alternative APC activator, Cdh1, was required for completion of the cell cycle and that induction of Cdh1 itself caused arrested cells to progress to the end of the cell cycle.
World Consumption Economics

This book extends research in consumption economics by identifying similarities and differences in consumption patterns in a large number of countries, both developed and less developed. Its approach is to carefully analyze a large body of data from a highly diverse group of countries to determine the extent to which a simple economic framework can be used to understand and explain consumer behavior. It uses data from more than 40 countries which range from the most affluent to the poorest in the world. The book pays particular attention to the consumption of food and to new simulation techniques applied to systems of demand equations.