Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Three-Stage Model of Industrial Trade Show Performance

Trade shows are an important but under-researched component of the promotion mix for most industrial products. In this paper, we develop a three-stage model of trade show performance, relying on different indices of performance at each stage: attraction, contact, and conversion efficiency. We model the impact of preshow promotion, booth space, use of attention-getting techniques, competition, number and training of booth salespeople on the extent of attraction, contact, and conversion. The results from an empirical application using data from 85 firms that participated in a major trade show in 1991 suggest significant and different impact of these variables. In addition, we illustrate how the model can be used to evaluate trade-offs among different decision variables. Finally, we develop some general results implied by our model concerning the optimal allocation of trade show resources.
Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of tuberculosis DNA vaccines encoding putative phosphate transport receptors.

Using culture filtrate Ag-specific mAbs generated from mycobacteria-infected H-2b haplotype mice, we have previously identified three genes in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome, encoding proteins homologous to the periplasmic ATP-binding cassette phosphate-binding receptor PstS of the phosphate-specific transport system of E. coli. To define the potential vaccinal properties of these phosphate-binding proteins, female C57BL/6 mice were injected i.m. with plasmid DNA encoding PstS-1, PstS-2, or PstS-3 proteins from M. tuberculosis and immunogenicity and protective efficacy against i.v. challenge with M. tuberculosis H37Rv was analyzed. Significant levels of highly Ag-specific Abs and Th1-type cytokines IL-2 and IFN-gamma could be detected following vaccination with each of the three genes. However, only mice vaccinated with PstS-3 DNA demonstrated significant and sustained reduction in bacterial CFU numbers in spleen and lungs for 3 mo after M. tuberculosis challenge, as compared with CFU counts in mice vaccinated with control DNA. Vaccination with PstS-2 DNA induced a modest reduction in CFU counts in spleen only, whereas vaccination with PstS-1 DNA was completely ineffective in reducing bacterial multiplication. In conclusion, our results indicate that DNA vaccination is a powerful and easy method for comparative screening of potentially protective Ags from M. tuberculosis and that the PstS-3 protein is a promising new subunit vaccine candidate.
Single-trait and antagonistic index selection for litter size and body weight in mice.

INDIVIDUAL SELECTION BASED ON FEMALE PERFORMANCE ONLY WAS CONDUCTED IN FOUR LINES OF MICE: L(+) for increased litter size, W(+) for increased 6-week body weight, L(-)W(+) for a selection index aimed at decreasing litter size and increasing 6-week body weight and L(+)W(-) for a selection index aimed at increasing litter size and decreasing 6-week body weight. A fifth line (K) served as an unselected control. All litters were standardized to eight mice at one day of age. Expected heritability was based on twice the regression of offspring on dam (h(2) (d)), which contains additive genetic variance due to direct (sigma(2) (A(o) )) and maternal (sigma(2) (A(m) )) effects and their covariance (sigma(A(o)A(m) )). Responses and correlated responses were measured either deviated (method 1) or not deviated (method 2) from the control line. Realized heritabilities (h(2) (R)) for litter size were 0.19 +/- 0.04 (1) and 0.16 +/- 0.03 (2), which were similar to h( 2) (d) of 0.17 +/- 0.04. The h(2) ( R) for 6-week body weight of 0.55 +/- 0.07 (1) and 0.44 +/- 0.07 (2) agreed with h(2) (d) of 0.42 +/- 0.02. Realized genetic correlations (r*(G(R) )) between litter size and 6-week body weight calculated from the double-selection experiment were 0.52 +/- 0.10 (1) and 0.52 +/- 0.13 (2), which were not significantly different from the base population estimate of r*( G(d) ) = 0.63 +/- 0.14. Divergence (L(-)W( +) minus L(+)W(-)) in the antagonistic index selection lines was 0.21 +/- 0.01 index units (I = 0.305 P(W) - 0.436 P(L), where P( W) and P(L) are the phenotypic values for 6-week body weight and litter size, respectively. ). The h(2) ( R) of index units of 0.14 +/- 0.02 calculated from divergence agreed with h(2) (d) of 0.14 +/- 0.04. Divergences in litter size (-0.19 +/- 0.07) and 6-week body weight (0.46 +/- 0.10) were in the expected direction. Antagonistic index selection yielded about one-half the expected divergence in litter size, while divergence in 6-week body weight was only slightly less than expected. Realized genetic correlations indicated that litter size, 6-week body weight and index units each showed positive pleiotropy with 3-week body weight, postweaning gain and weight at vaginal introitus and negative pleiotropy with age at vaginal introitus. Sex ratio and several components of fitness (days from joining to parturition, percent fertile matings and percent perinatal survival) did not change significantly in the selected lines.
What Motivates Political Preferences? Self‐Interest, Ideology, and Fairness in a Laboratory Democracy

Substantial prior literature has established that subjects in laboratory experiments are typically willing to sacrifice their own well being to make financial allocations more equal among participants. We test the applicability of this result in an environment that contains some of the key contextual issues that are usually excluded from more abstract games, but which might be important in situations involving income redistribution. Our general finding is that votes for a redistributive tax are almost entirely in accordance with self‐interest: above‐average earners vote for low tax rates and below‐average earners vote for high tax rates. A measure of subjects' preferences for fairness or equality, their self‐reported economic ideology, is not directly related to their voting behavior in this experiment. Because the ideology measure should be correlated with any intrinsic preferences regarding inequality aversion, we conclude that any preferences for fairness or inequality that our subjects possess are not strong enough to overcome self‐interest in this context. We do, however, find evidence for a possible indirect effect of ideology on choice behavior in that more conservative subjects tend to be more responsive to their self‐interest than the more liberal subjects.
On two types of result: Resultatives revisited*

Until recently the accepted view in the linguistic tradition at large has been that lexical verbs uniquely determine the properties of the structures they project in syntax, and that this property of verbs can be captured, modulo framework, as subcategorization frames, argument frames or verb valence. Recent work in the interface of conceptual structure into syntax has suggested a view whereby formmeaning pairs above the level of the word (i.e. sign within the de Saussurean tradition) are an integral part of the design of language (cf. Goldberg 1995, Fillmore & Kay 1999, Jackendoff 1997, Croft 2001, among others). From a theoretical perspective this line of research can be captured as the continuum view of the lexicon upon which the generation component of language stores both lexical information and information about the grammar repertoire (cf. Jackendoff 2002 for the notion of lexical item, Croft 2001, Davis & Koenig’s 1999 hierarchical lexicon and Hellan & Dimitrova-Vulchanova 2000). Such a view is aligned with recent connectionist views of the lexicon (Bates & Goodman 1997, 1999, Elman 1998, 1999) where lexicon and grammar are seen as interdependent. In this paper I will discuss an elaboration of the continuum stance. I will claim that even though grammar and lexicon can be seen as part of the same distributed representation, languages make a distinction between processes/generation based on lexically encoded information (in the sense of Koenig et al. 2001, forthcoming) and consrtuctionally based generation (cf. Hellan 2000). Support for this distinction can be found in LA (cf. Bates et al, in press). Further evidence can be found in neurolinguistic studies of language processing (cf. Urban 2002 for and ERP experiment with German particle verbs).
A Comparative Analysis of EO-1 Hyperion, Quickbird and Landsat TM Imagery for Fuel Type Mapping of a Typical Mediterranean Landscape

Forest fires constitute a natural disturbance factor and an agent of environmental change with local to global impacts on Earth’s processes and functions. Accurate knowledge of forest fuel extent and properties can be an effective component for assessing the impacts of possible future wildfires on ecosystem services. Our study aims to evaluate and compare the spectral and spatial information inherent in the EO-1 Hyperion, Quickbird and Landsat TM imagery. The analysis was based on a support vector machine classification approach in order to discriminate and map Mediterranean fuel types. The fuel classification scheme followed a site-specific fuel model within the study area, which is suitable for fire behavior prediction and spatial simulation. The overall accuracy of the Quickbird-based fuel type mapping was higher than 74% with a quantity disagreement of 9% and an allocation disagreement of 17%. Both classifications from the Hyperion and Landsat TM fuel type maps presented approximately 70% overall accuracy and 16% allocation disagreement. The McNemar’s test indicated that the overall accuracy differences between the three produced fuel type maps were not significant (p < 0.05). Based on both overall and individual higher accuracies obtained with the use of the Quickbird image, this study suggests that the high spatial resolution might be more decisive than the high spectral resolution in Mediterranean fuel type mapping.
Role of astroglia in estrogen regulation of synaptic plasticity and brain repair.

Astroglia are targets for estrogen and testosterone and are apparently involved in the action of sex steroids on the brain. Sex hormones induce changes in the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein, the growth of astrocytic processes, and the degree of apposition of astroglial processes to neuronal membranes in the rat hypothalamus. These changes are linked to modifications in the number of synaptic inputs to hypothalamic neurons. These findings suggest that astrocytes may participate in the genesis of androgen-induced sex differences in synaptic connectivity and in estrogen-induced synaptic plasticity in the adult brain. Astrocytes and tanycytes may also participate in the cellular effects of sex steroids by releasing neuroactive substances and by regulating the local accumulation of specific growth factors, such as insulin-like growth factor-I, that are involved in estrogen-induced synaptic plasticity and estrogen-mediated neuroendocrine control. Astroglia may also be involved in regenerative and neuroprotective effects of sex steroids, since astroglia formation after brain injury or after peripheral nerve axotomy is regulated by sex hormones. Furthermore, the expression of aromatase, the enzyme that produces estrogen, is induced de novo in astrocytes in lesioned brain areas of adult male and female rodents. Since astroglia do not express aromatase under normal circumstances, the induction of this enzyme may be part of the program of glial activation to cope with the new conditions of the neural tissue after injury. Given the neuroprotective and growth-promoting effects of estrogen after injury, the local production of this steroid may be a relevant component of the reparative process.
Influence of BAK-Preserved Prostaglandin Analog Treatment on the Ocular Surface Health in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

Purpose. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), a chronic, degenerative optic neuropathy, requires persistent decrease of intraocular pressure so as to prevent visual impairment and blindness. However, long-term use of topical ocular medications may affect ocular surface health. Purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of BAK-preserved prostaglandin analog treatment on the ocular surface health in patients with newly diagnosed POAG. Methods. 40 newly diagnosed POAG patients were included in this prospective study. Intraocular pressure (IOP), tear break-up time (TBUT), and ocular surface disease index (OSDI) were assessed at baseline and 3-month after starting treatment with BAK-preserved travoprost 0.004%. Results. IOP decreased in all patients from baseline to 3-month final visit (23.80 ± 1.73 mmHg versus 16.78 ± 1.27 mmHg; P < 0.001). Mean TBUT decreased from 11.70 ± 1.86 seconds at baseline to 8.30 ± 1.29 seconds at 3-month final visit (<0.001). Mean OSDI score increased from 31.63 ± 18.48 to 44.41 ± 16.48 (P < 0.001). Conclusions. This study showed that BAK-preserved travoprost 0.004% is an effective medication in newly diagnosed POAG patients, but its long-term use may negatively influence ocular surface health by disrupting the tear film stability. Further studies are needed to better understand the clinical effects of different preservative types and concentrations on the ocular surface.
Carathéodory–Julia type conditions and symmetries of boundary asymptotics for analytic functions on the unit disk

It is shown that the following conditions are equivalent for the generalized Schur class functions at a boundary point t0 ∈ 𝕋: 1) Carathéodory–Julia type condition of order n; 2) agreeing of asymptotics of the original function from inside and of its continuation by reflection from outside of the unit disk 𝔻 up to order 2n + 1; 3) t0‐isometry of the coefficients ofthe boundary asymptotics; 4) a certain structured matrix ℙ constructed from these coefficients being Hermitian. It is also shown that for an arbitrary analytic function, properties 2), 3), 4) are still equivalent to each other and imply 1) (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Target Tracking for Visual Servoing Systems Based on an Adaptive Kalman Filter

Visual servoing has been around for decades, but time delay is still one of the most troublesome problems to achieve target tracking. To circumvent the problem, in this paper, the Kalman filter is employed to estimate the future position of the object. In order to introduce the Kalman filter, accurate time delays, which include the processing lag and the motion lag, need to be obtained. Thus, the delays of the visual control servoing systems are discussed and a generic timing model for the system is provided. Then, we present a current statistical model for a moving target. A fuzzy adaptive Kalman filter, which is evolved from the Kalman filter, is introduced based on the current statistical model. Finally, a two DOF visual controller based variable structure control law for micro-manipulation is presented. The results show that the proposed adaptive Kalman filter can improve the ability to track moving targets.
The Anatomy of Fluctuations in Book / Market Ratios

The Anatomy of Fluctuations in Book/Market Ratios We analyze trading activity accompanying equities' year-to-year switches from " growth " (low book-to-market ratios) to " value " (high book-to-market ratios), and vice versa. We find that a large book/market ratio increase, i.e., a shift from growth to value, is accompanied by a strongly negative small-trade order imbalance. Large-trade imbalance exhibits weaker patterns across stocks that experience large changes in book/market. The evidence indicates that growth-to-value shifts are more strongly related to small traders than large ones. The interaction of book/market ratios with order flows plays a crucial role in return predictability. Specifically, the predictive ability of book/market ratios for future returns is significantly enhanced for those stocks that have experienced book/market increases as well as high levels of net selling by way of small orders. 2 1 Introduction The notion that the cross-section of stock returns can be driven by behavioral considerations has taken increased impetus in recent years. While early empirical studies by Black, Jensen, and Scholes (1972) and Fama and MacBeth (1973) suggest a significant positive cross-sectional relation between security betas and expected returns, supporting the capital asset pricing model find that the relation between return and market beta is insignificant. 1 This calls into question the empirical importance of rational links between risk and expected returns. On the importance of characteristics other than those directly related to risk-return models, the evidence is much more compelling. The landmark study by Fama and French (1992) finds that size and the book/market ratio strongly predict future returns (returns are negatively related to size and positively to book/market). Fama and French (1993) provide evidence that a three-factor model based on factors formed on the size and book-market characteristics explains average returns, and argue that the characteristics compensate for " distress risk. " But Daniel and Titman (1997) argue that, after controlling for size and book/market ratios, returns are not strongly related to betas calculated based on the Fama and French (1993) factors (see, however, 1 Internationally, Rouwenhorst (1999) finds no significant relation between average return and beta with respect to the local market index. Tests of the consumption-based capital asset pricing model (Breeden (1979)) have also led to inconclusive results; see, for example, Hansen and Singleton (1983). Jagannathan and Wang (1996) find a modest positive relation between conditional beta and expected returns when the market is expanded to include human capital. 3 …
Distinct Ionotropic GABA Receptors Mediate Presynaptic and Postsynaptic Inhibition in Retinal Bipolar Cells

Ionotropic GABA receptors can mediate presynaptic and postsynaptic inhibition. We assessed the contributions of GABAA and GABAC receptors to inhibition at the dendrites and axon terminals of ferret retinal bipolar cells by recording currents evoked by focal application of GABA in the retinal slice. Currents elicited at the dendrites were mediated predominantly by GABAA receptors, whereas responses evoked at the terminals had GABAA and GABAC components. The ratio of GABAC to GABAA(GABAC:GABAA) was highest in rod bipolar cell terminals and variable among cone bipolars, but generally was lower in OFF than in ON classes. Our results also suggest that the GABAC:GABAA could influence the time course of responses. Currents evoked at the terminals decayed slowly in cell types for which the GABAC:GABAA was high, but decayed relatively rapidly in cells for which this ratio was low. Immunohistochemical studies corroborated our physiological results. GABAA β2/3 subunit immunoreactivity was intense in the outer and inner plexiform layers (OPL and IPL, respectively). GABAC ρ subunit labeling was weak in the OPL but strong in the IPL in which puncta colocalized with terminals of rod bipolars immunoreactive for protein kinase C and of cone bipolars immunoreactive for calbindin or recoverin. These data demonstrate that GABAA receptors mediate GABAergic inhibition on bipolar cell dendrites in the OPL, that GABAA and GABACreceptors mediate inhibition on axon terminals in the IPL, and that the GABAC:GABAA on the terminals may tune the response characteristics of the bipolar cell.
Exploring Psychological Well-Being and Positive Emotions in School Children Using a Narrative Approach

Abstract While a large body of research has provided quantitative data on children’s levels of happiness, positive emotions and life satisfaction, the literature reflects a dearth of studies that analyze these dimensions from a narrative and qualitative point of view. Folk and fairy tales may serve as ideal tools for this purpose, since they are concerned with several concepts scientifically investigated by research in the field of positive psychology, such as resilience, self-realization, personal growth and meaning in life. The aim of the present study was to explore children’s well-being and positive emotions using an innovative narrative approach, which involved interviews and group discussions, as well as the analysis of fairy tales written and discussed in a group context. The sample included 95 school children who were asked to report and discuss in a group setting situations or experiences which triggered positive emotions and happiness in them. Guided by their teachers and a school psychologist, they were then asked to write their own original fairy tale drawing on the positive emotions that had previously emerged. Positive emotions were found to be triggered mainly by interpersonal relationships with peers as well as with family members. Hobbies and leisure time were also strongly associated with happiness and hedonic well-being, while personal fulfilment, self-esteem and goal achievement emerged as highly significant for children. In sum, the findings suggest that this school psycho-educative intervention based on narrative strategies provided useful information on children’s well-being and yielded positive feedback, the implications and possible further applications of which are discussed.
A Comprehensive Study of Binary Compact Objects as Gravitational Wave Sources: Evolutionary Channels, Rates, and Physical Properties

A new generation of ground-based interferometric detectors for gravitational waves is currently under construction or has entered the commissioning phase (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory [LIGO], VIRGO, GEO600, TAMA300). The purpose of these detectors is to observe gravitational waves from astrophysical sources and help improve our understanding of the source origin and physical properties. In this paper we study the most promising candidate sources for these detectors: inspiraling double compact objects. We use population synthesis methods to calculate the properties and coalescence rates of compact object binaries: double neutron stars, black hole-neutron star systems, and double black holes. We also examine the formation channels available to double compact object binaries. We explicitly account for the evolution of low-mass helium stars and investigate the possibility of common-envelope evolution involving helium stars as well as two evolved stars. As a result we identify a significant number of new formation channels for double neutron stars, in particular, leading to populations with very distinct properties. We discuss the theoretical and observational implications of such populations, but we also note the need for hydrodynamical calculations to settle the question of whether such common-envelope evolution is possible. We also present and discuss the physical properties of compact object binaries and identify a number of robust, qualitative features as well as their origin. Using the calculated coalescence rates we compare our results to earlier studies and derive expected detection rates for LIGO. We find that our most optimistic estimate for the first LIGO detectors reach a couple of events per year and our most pessimistic estimate for advanced LIGO detectors exceed ≃10 events per year.
The WTO as an International Organization.

In this volume, some of the world's foremost authorities analyze the many challenges and opportunities confronting the WTO, addressing issues such as national policies, labor standards, and the environment. Presuming no technical background in economics, this is a comprehensive introduction to the WTO's place in the global economy and will appeal to anyone interested in world trade. "[T]his book is a tour de force, with consistently fine papers by leading experts, and it is worthy of any bookshelf. " —Joel P. Trachtman, American Journal of International Law "This latest conference volume from the National Bureau of Economic Research is likely to be the definitive reference work on the WTO for years to come. Specialists and non-specialists alike will gain a great deal from a careful reading of this impressive volume. " —John Ravenhill, Australian Journal of Political Science "For anyone who is interested in the further development of the rule system for the world economy, this book is a must. " —Horst Siebert, Review of World Economics