Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Python and HPC for High Energy Physics Data Analyses

High level abstractions in Python that can utilize computing hardware well seem to be an attractive option for writing data reduction and analysis tasks. In this paper, we explore the features available in Python which are useful and efficient for end user analysis in High Energy Physics (HEP). A typical vertical slice of an HEP data analysis is somewhat fragmented: the state of the reduction/analysis process must be saved at certain stages to allow for selective reprocessing of only parts of a generally time-consuming workflow. Also, algorithms tend to to be modular because of the heterogeneous nature of most detectors and the need to analyze different parts of the detector separately before combining the information. This fragmentation causes difficulties for interactive data analysis, and as data sets increase in size and complexity (O10 TiB for a "small" neutrino experiment to the O10 PiB currently held by the CMS experiment at the LHC), data analysis methods traditional to the field must evolve to make optimum use of emerging HPC technologies and platforms. Mainstream big data tools, while suggesting a direction in terms of what can be done if an entire data set can be available across a system and analysed with high-level programming abstractions, are not designed with either scientific computing generally, or modern HPC platform features in particular, such as data caching levels, in mind. Our example HPC use case is a search for a new elementary particle which might explain the phenomenon known as "Dark Matter". Using data from the CMS detector, we will use HDF5 as our input data format, and MPI with Python to implement our use case.
Stock Repurchase and Cash Acquisition - a Payout Policy Perspective

We examine a firm's repurchase and acquisition decision in a cash payout framework with a focus on the interaction between corporate finance and governance. A comparison of repurchase and acquisition gives us a unique perspective in a sense that they both deal with the question of how to expend cash in a hierarchy of spending priorities that involve decisions not only about payout policy but also on investment strategies. Ours is the first empirical study to investigate a possible pecking order among a set of cash spending options as recently documented in a field survey of financial executives. We find evidence that both repurchase and acquisition will not be considered until cash requirements of internal investment, dividend payout and debt reduction have been satisfied. Furthermore, repurchase is of secondary importance to acquisition in that the former is usually initiated only after substantial amount of cash are accumulated while the latter can be prompted when strong free cash flow starts to generate. This also points to the observation that repurchase firms are often bigger with more cash, better operating performance and low debt, signs of firms that are in later stages of the life cycle. Our results from the study of repurchase in conjunction with cash acquisitions prove to be particularly enlightening in the context of free cash flow hypothesis (Jensen 1986). We conjecture that managers are prone to wasting free cash on acquisitions when cash flow is strong and it is only when cash stock begins to pile up that they are thinking about paying back extra cash to shareholders. This is a strong version of free cash problem as originally pointed out by Jensen. To mitigate the agency problem as manifested by value destroying acquisitions and facilitate repurchase as a way of giving value back to shareholders, the classic theories that propose more management ownership and advocate greater role of institution monitoring seem to be supported in our empirical exercises. Our event study results buttress the assumption that repurchase is more value enhancing than acquisition in that it may alleviate the agency problem of free cash flow.
Explaining Economic Restructuring: An input-output analysis of organisational change in the European Union

This article investigates the extent to which the European economy (as a whole) has entered a period of restructuring from 1970 to the present, and assesses whether different theories of restructuring can explain the processes involved.Three political economy perspectives on restructuring are presented: flexible specialisation, neo-Schumpeterian/long wave, and Regulation. The extent of organisational restructuring is identified using an input-output methodology that separates supply-side and demand-side change. Supplyside output change indicates the importance of vertical externalisation, which all restructuring theories identify as important. This empirical methodology is applied using EU wide input-output tables for 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985 and 1991. Considerable restructuring is indicated as having occurred, particularly in European manufacturing industry. But this restructuring seems not to be consistent with any single perspective; rather all three are relevant in different circumstances. Finally, an attempt is made to sketch a theory of the firm consistent with the evidence presented.
Impact of a clinical pathway on treatment outcome in patients with acute pancreatitis.

AIM To determine the impact of a clinical pathway (CP) on acute pancreatitis (AP) treatment outcome. METHODS A retrospective analysis of medical records was performed. We compared the results of AP treatment outcome over two time periods in our centre, before (2006-2007) and after (2010-2012) the implementation of a CP. The CP comprised the following indicators of quality: performance of all laboratory tests on admission (including lipids and carbohydrate deficient transferrin), determination of AP aetiology, abdomen ultrasound (US) within the first 24 h after admission, contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen in all cases of suspected pancreatic necrosis, appropriately selected and sufficiently used antibiotic therapy (if necessary), pain control, adequate hydration, control of haemodynamic parameters and transfer to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (if necessary), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in biliary AP, surgical treatment (if necessary), and advice on outpatient follow-up after discharge. A comparison of the length of stay with that in other Slovenian hospitals was also performed. RESULTS There were 139 patients treated in the three-year period after the introduction of a CP, of which 81 (58.3%) were male and 58 (41.7%) female. The patients' mean age was 59.6 ± 17.3 years. The most common aetiologies were alcoholism and gallstones (38.8% each), followed by unexplained (11.5%), drug-induced, hypertriglyceridemia, post ERCP (2.9% each) and tumours (2.2%). Antibiotic therapy was prescribed in 72 (51.8%) patients. Abdominal US was performed in all patients within the first 24 h after admission. Thirty-two (23.0%) patients were treated in the ICU. Four patients died (2.9%). In comparison to 2006-2007, we found an increased number of alcoholic and biliary AP and an associated decrease in the number of unexplained aetiology cases. The use of antibiotics also significantly decreased after the implementation of a CP (from 70.3% to 51.8%; P = 0.003). There was no statistically significant difference in mortality (1.8% vs 2.9%). The length of stay was significantly shorter when compared to the Slovenian average (P = 0.018). CONCLUSION The introduction of a CP has improved the treatment of patients with AP, as assessed by all of the observed parameters.
Speed of adjustment to the long-run equilibrium: an application with US Stock Price and Dividend data

The speed of adjustment parameters of the long-run relationship between stock prices and dividends are estimated. By using a recent technique called 'persistence profiles', the short-run dynamics of the simple present discount value relationship for the US annual data between 1878 and 1987 is investigated. Estimates of the persistence profiles implied that system-wide shocks to the cointegrating relationship between stock prices and dividends take around 16 years to die out completely. The results obtained in this study can be interpreted with the existence of transaction costs in the financial markets or market inefficiencies.
The validation of a use innovativeness scale

Purpose – To validate a measure of use innovativeness, or how existing products are used in a novel and innovative manner. The measure has practical significance for innovation research as it consists of only nine items as opposed to the original 44. The use innovativeness measure derived from research predicts acceptance of new technology (in this case computer technology) and could be adapted to other fields of innovation research.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted and structural equation modelling techniques were used to analyse the data.Findings – Evidence for a unidimensional measure of use innovativeness is provided by structural equation modelling. The nine‐item measure has fewer items than the original 44‐item measure developed by Price and Ridgway (1983) Price and Ridgway and consists of the items of multiple use and creative reuse. The measure was found to be positively correlated with innovativeness and opinion leadership and the acceptance of new information technology. The c.
Applicability of Decision Support Systems for Integrated Coastal Zone Management

The use of Decision Support Systems (DSSs) in Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) has declined since the 1990s. In this article we investigate the opportunities for enhancing the applicability of ICZM-DSSs by considering the following research questions: (1) “What DSS functionalities are important for ICZM decision-making? ” and (2) “which of these functionalities are part of present-day ICZM-DSS tools? ” The first question has been answered by a literature survey. We identified knowledge- and process-related ICZM challenges and DSS functionalities that may help in meeting these challenges. For the second question, a selection of ICZM-DSS tools has been evaluated. The study shows none of the tools have all of the identified functionalities. The tools support either problem structuring/exploration or impact assessment while none of the tools manages to combine these functions. The implications for both DSS users (coastal managers) and DSS developers are discussed.
Branch Banking and Service Accessibility

Probably the single most meritorious feature associated with liberali zed branching is the potential for improved customer service. Custome r convenience resulting from an increased number of banking facilitie s is one element of this service. This article analyzes the impact of branching on service accessibility-measured as the number of bank ing offices per square mile. This measure is considered preferred bec ause it better incorporates the characteristics of convenience, i.e., spatial features. The findings consistently indicate that accessibil ity is improved when branching is allowed. In contrast to previous fi ndings, the results hold true for both metropolitan and rural areas. Copyright 1988 by Ohio State University Press.
Body mass index of patients with endometrial hyperplasia: comparison to patients with proliferative endometrium and abnormal bleeding.

OBJECTIVE Endometrial hyperplasia is a known risk factor for the development of endometrial cancer, particularly atypical hyperplasia, with a subsequent risk of up to 30%. Of the known risk factors for endometrial hyperplasia, obesity is the most preventable, but there is a paucity of data addressing the association. We tested the hypothesis that patients with endometrial hyperplasia have a higher body mass index (BMI) than patients with abnormal bleeding who are found to have proliferative endometrium. STUDY DESIGN This was an Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective study using University Hospital Department of Pathology records. All patients who had endometrial sampling performed between January 1, 2001, and July 30, 2008, were included. The experimental group consisted of patients with endometrial hyperplasia including simple, complex and atypical hyperplasia. The control group consisted of patients who underwent endometrial sampling for abnormal bleeding during the same time period and were diagnosed with proliferative endometrium. BMI was calculated based on documented height and weight within 30 days of endometrial sampling. RESULTS Forty-two patients with hyperplasia and 103 patients with proliferative endometrium met inclusion criteria, including documented height and weight and nonexposure to hormones. The median BMI in the hyperplasia group was 38 kg/m2 (95% CI 34.8-42.4) and 30 kg/m2 (95% CI 29.9-33.3) in the proliferative group (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION These data suggest that higher BMI is associated with endometrial hyperplasia as compared to women with lower BMIs and abnormal bleeding.
Contracting Outsourced Information Technology Services in Brazil

Abstract IT outsourcing is widely adopted aiming to increase IT systems' and IT services' efficiency and efficacy in companies. However, this is not accomplished without risks, and companies are perfecting their IT outsourcing contracting and management practices seeking to reduce these risks and developing new strategies for dealing with them. This paper proposes an exploratory model for analysis of information technology (IT) services outsourcing, considering the relationships between organizational characteristics, the importance assigned to IT, outsourced services and contractual arrangements for their outsourcing. The model was tested with a sample comprising 267 outsourced services present in 71 medium or large organizations operating in Brazil. Data were analyzed through partial least squares (PLS) regression. Five possible causal relationships were identified between organization size, importance of IT, outsourcing culture, importance of outsourcing, services outsourced and contractual arrangement employed.
The Influence of Type of High School Attended on University Performance

It is widely reported that the main determinant of success at university is the score on university entrance exams. Recent studies have argued that the outcomes at university also differ according to the type of high school attended. This paper examines the impact of attending a non-Government school on the marks of first-year university students. Non-Government school students are found to have lower marks at university than Government school students, with the mark differential being slightly larger for those who do not perform well at tertiary study. The main factors influencing the size of the gap between the university marks of students from Government and non-Government schools are university entrance exam results and attendance at same-sex high schools.
The Economic and Environmental Impacts of Constructing Hydro Power Plants in Turkey: A Dynamic CGE Analysis (2004-2020)

Since Turkey’s economy and population is rapidly growing, Turkey mostly meets its energy demand from imported fossil sources due to the very limited indigenous oil and natural gas resources. However, Turkey has abundant renewable resources especially, hydro power potential to be used for generation of electricity. But only one-third of this significant economical potential could be used. This usage seems insufficient when compared with that of European countries. In order to analyze the potential long term impacts of the hydro power expanding shock on some macroeconomic variables of interest such as GDP, real consumption, real investment, exports, imports, trade balance, and carbon emissions, we developed TurGEM-D, a dynamic multisectoral general equilibrium model of the Turkish economy. Using TurGEM-D, we analyzed the impact of hydro power shock under policy scenario doubling hydro power generation. The simulation results show that doubling hydro power have slightly positive effects on macro indicators and carbon emissions for Turkish economy.
Regional Knowledge, Organizational Capabilities and the Emergence of the West German Laser Systems Industry, 1975–2005

Buenstorf G. , Fritsch M. and Medrano L. F. Regional knowledge, organizational capabilities and the emergence of the West German laser systems industry, 1975–2005, Regional Studies. This paper analyses how the regional distribution of knowledge and pre-existing organizational capabilities shaped the spatial distribution of a new innovative industry, using the German laser systems industry as an empirical example. It is found that regional knowledge in the related field of laser source production and the presence of laser-relevant universities and public research organizations were conducive to the first emergence of laser systems producers. Upstream laser source producers influenced entry into the downstream laser systems industry primarily through their own diversification moves. Public research was less important in the submarket of materials processing laser systems, which is less directly science based than other parts of the laser systems industry.
Labor and Corporate Governance: International Evidence from Restructuring Decisions

Our results highlight the importance of interaction among management, labor, and investors in shaping corporate governance. We find that strong union laws protect not only workers but also underperforming managers. Weak investor protection combined with strong union laws are conducive to worker-management alliances, wherein poorly performing firms sell assets to prevent large-scale layoffs, garnering worker support to retain management. Asset sales in weak investor protection countries lead to further deteriorating performance, whereas in strong investor protection countries they improve performance and lead to more layoffs. Strong union laws are less effective in preventing layoffs when financial leverage is high. Copyright (c) 2009 The American Finance Association.
Mentoring functions and turnover intention: the mediating role of perceived organizational support

Despite an increasing number of studies investigating the effects of mentoring on employee work outcomes, limited attention has been placed on the relationship between mentoring functions and turnover intentions. In this study, we examined the relationship between mentoring functions and turnover intentions, and the mediating role of perceived organizational support (POS) on this relationship. Using data collected from 176 employees in three Chinese banks, we found that POS partially mediated the relationship between mentoring functions and employees' turnover intentions.
During Replication Stress, Non-Smc Element 5 (Nse5) Is Required for Smc5/6 Protein Complex Functionality at Stalled Forks*

Background: The Smc5/6 complex has six non-SMC elements, including Nse5. Results: Utilizing two mutants of NSE5, we separated Smc5 sumoylation from Smc5/6 complex function. Conclusion: Nse5 integrity is important for Smc5/6 complex stability, which in turn is essential for localization of the complex to stalled forks. Significance: Our results provide the first in vivo characterization of Nse5 for Smc5/6 complex function. The Smc5/6 complex belongs to the SMC (structural maintenance of chromosomes) family, which also includes cohesin and condensin. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Smc5/6 complex contains six essential non-Smc elements, Nse1–6. Very little is known about how these additional elements contribute to complex function except for Nse2/Mms21, which is an E3 small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) ligase important for Smc5 sumoylation. Characterization of two temperature-sensitive mutants, nse5-ts1 and nse5-ts2, demonstrated the importance of Nse5 within the Smc5/6 complex for its stability and functionality at forks during hydroxyurea-induced replication stress. Both NSE5 alleles showed a marked reduction in Smc5 sumoylation to levels lower than those observed with mms21-11, a mutant of Mms21 that is deficient in SUMO ligase activity. However, a phenotypic comparison of nse5-ts1 and nse5-ts2 revealed a separation of importance between Smc5 sumoylation and the function of the Smc5/6 complex during replication. Only cells carrying the nse5-ts1 allele exhibited defects such as dissociation of the replisome from stalled forks, formation of fork-associated homologous recombination intermediates, and hydroxyurea sensitivity that is additive with mms21-11. These defects are attributed to a failure in Smc5/6 localization to forks in nse5-ts1 cells. Overall, these data support the premise that Nse5 is important for vital interactions between components within the Smc5/6 complex, and for its functionality during replication stress.
Proceedings: Functions of the menisci. A preliminary study.

There are reasons to believe that one of the most important functions is load-bearing, and this paper presents experimental evidence to demonstrate this and to quantitate the fraction carried by the menisci of the load acting on the joint. Experiments were carried out on young cadaveric knees, at full extension. First the knee was compressed in a universal Instron machine, and the approximation of the condyles, on both sides, was measured. For this two displacement transducers were employed, one on each side of the knee. The armature of the transducer was attached to the femur and the cam to the tibia. Two x y plotters were used to record the load displacement curves on both sides. The load that was applied on the knee was slowly increased by 2 kg. to 100 hg. The menisci were then made redundant by dividing their anterior attachments to the tibiaand the experimentwas repeated. Oncomparing the load displacement curves before and after dividing the meniscal attachments, it was possible to determine the load carried by the menisci. The results showed that they carry a considerable share, the lateral meniscus 70 per cent and the medial meniscus 50 per cent of the load acting on the respective sides of the joint. As a result, the stresses occurring in the knee are low and comparable with those occurring in the hip under the similar conditions of loading. The fact that the menisci have a load-bearing function has other implications. The congruity they add to the joint increases the time of approach of the condylar surfaces to 30 to 60 times its value, based on the assumption that they do not carry load. Previous work has shown this value to be 90 seconds. This means that the bearing surfaces of the joint will not come into contact after long periods ofstandstill. This is a desirable situation as it is known that wear in lubricated bearings takes place during the starting phase, when the surfaces are in contact, and ceases during the running phase, in which the surfaces are separated by a lubricant film. Discussion DR. A. J. PALFREY (London) In my experience there is a good deal of variation in the area of the lateral meniscus. Have you related this to the load transmitted through the meniscus in the individual specimen? Secondly, would you agree that the menisci are virtually inextensible along their length? Thirdly, the surface of the meniscus in a histological preparation is much less smooth than the surface of articular cartilage: is this partly responsible for the long squeeze-ffilm time?