Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Price-Based Return Comovement

Similarly priced stocks move together. Stocks that undergo splits experience an increase in comovement with low-priced stocks and a decrease in their comovement with high-priced stocks. Price-based comovement is not explained by economic fundamentals, firm size, or changes in liquidity or information diffusion. The shift in comovement following splits is greater for large stocks, high-priced stocks, and when investor sentiment is high. In the full cross-section, price-based portfolios explain variation in stock-level returns after controlling for movements in the market and industry portfolios as well as portfolios based on size, book-to-market, transaction costs, and return momentum. The results suggest that investors categorize stocks based on price.
Can climate change trigger massive diversity cascades in terrestrial ecosystems

We summarize research on diversity and trophic interactions under a trophic cascades model that is reframed and expanded from the traditional biomass- or abundance- based indirect effects and discuss the response of such “diversity cascades” to climate change and other global change parameters. The studies we summarize encompass dynamic processes in which species richness or evenness in one trophic level indirectly affects or is affected by changes in a non-adjacent level. The diversity cascade concept explicitly links trophic cascades models to the debates about biodiversity loss, exotic species gain, ecosystem services and biological control. First, we summarize the idea that the trophic cascades model includes different currencies and alternative processes. Second, we question the paradigm that trophic cascades weaken as the complexity of the community increases. Third, we illustrate the mechanisms by which diversity cascades may follow indirect bottom-up and top-down pathways. Fourth, we show how this diversity cascades model has been applied successfully to frame questions in conservation, agriculture and infectious disease. Finally, we examine the implications of diversity cascades for our understanding of how climate change affects biodiversity and call for an increase in the scope of experiments and focused hypotheses on indirect trophic effects and how these processes may lead to very large changes in biodiversity.
Quantification of Unmethylated Alu (QUAlu): a tool to assess global hypomethylation in routine clinical samples

Hypomethylation of DNA is a hallmark of cancer and its analysis as tumor biomarker has been proposed, but its determination in clinical settings is hampered by lack of standardized methodologies. Here, we present QUAlu (Quantification of Unmethylated Alu), a new technique to estimate the Percentage of UnMethylated Alu (PUMA) as a surrogate for global hypomethylation. QUAlu consists in the measurement by qPCR of Alu repeats after digestion of genomic DNA with isoschizomers with differential sensitivity to DNA methylation. QUAlu performance has been evaluated for reproducibility, trueness and specificity, and validated by deep sequencing. As a proof of use, QUAlu has been applied to a broad variety of pathological examination specimens covering five cancer types. Major findings of the preliminary application of QUAlu to clinical samples include: (1) all normal tissues displayed similar PUMA; (2) tumors showed variable PUMA with the highest levels in lung and colon and the lowest in thyroid cancer; (3) stools from colon cancer patients presented higher PUMA than those from control individuals; (4) lung squamous cell carcinomas showed higher PUMA than lung adenocarcinomas, and an increasing hypomethylation trend associated with smoking habits. In conclusion, QUAlu is a simple and robust method to determine Alu hypomethylation in human biospecimens and may be easily implemented in research and clinical settings.
Effects of Cutting Intensity on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in a Mixed Natural Forest in Southeastern China

The mixed Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook. ), Masson’s pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.), and hardwood forest is a major forest type in China and of national and international importance in terms of its provision of both timber and ecosystem services. However, over-harvesting has threatened its long-term productivity and sustainability. We examined the impacts of timber harvesting intensity on soil physical and chemical properties 10 and 15 years after cutting using the research plots established with a randomized block design. We considered five treatments, including clear cutting and low (13.0% removal of growing stock volume), medium (29.1%), high (45.8%), and extra-high (67.1) intensities of selective cutting with non-cutting as the control. The impact on overall soil properties derived from principal component analysis showed increasing with a rise in cutting intensity, and the most critical impact was on soil nutrients, P and K in particular. Soil nutrient loss associated with timber harvesting even at a low cutting intensity could lead to nutrient deficits in this forest although most of the soil physical properties could be recovered under the low and medium intensities of cutting. These results indicate that clear cutting and the selective cutting of extra-high and high intensities should be avoided in this type of forest in the region.
Static analysis support for measurement-based WCET analysis

Guaranteeing that the worst-case scenario has been covered for each basic block individually is a major challenge in measurement-based WCET analysis. On the static analysis side the accuracy of hardware models used are also subject to doubt as they are based on available documentation provided by vendors which may be not detailed enough nor correct or both. Even for verified models the question remains whether subsequent chips adhere to the same specification. We introduce a new approach to enhance measurementbased WCET analysis by deploying static analysis to ensure test coverage on basic block level and reduce pessimism. In particular, our work focuses on the questions how detailed does the hardware specification have to be to make the measurements trustworthy.
Austerity and the lives of people with learning disabilities. A thematic synthesis of current literature

Abstract The Financial Crisis of 2008 resulted in many western economies implementing cuts in health and social care. This systematic review provides a holistic picture of the impact of austerity policy on the lives of people with learning disabilities (LD) and the collateral effects on the people who support them. Our review suggests that in the current climate of economic austerity, available funding to support people with LD is no longer aligned to their care needs. Cuts in disability services have adversely affected the well-being both of people with LD and their informal carers. Individuals with LD have lost social support and are experiencing increased social isolation. Heightened demands on family carers’ time have negatively influenced their wider roles, including parental functioning, and labour market participation. Our review provides the foundations for further discourse and research on the effects of austerity on people with LD and their family carers.
A light bending model for the X-ray temporal and spectral properties of accreting black holes

Some of the X-ray temporal and spectral properties of accreting black holes represent a challenge for current theoretical models. In particular, uncorrelated variability between direct continuum and reflection components (including the iron line, if present) has been reported in many cases. Here, we explore a light bending model in which we assume a primary source of X-rays located close to a central, maximally rotating Kerr black hole and illuminating both the observer at infinity and the accretion disc. We show that, due to strong light bending, the observed flux can vary by more than one order of magnitude as the height of the primary source above the accretion disc varies, even if its intrinsic luminosity is constant. We identify three different regimes in which the reflection-dominated component (and the iron line) is correlated, anticorrelated or almost independent with respect to the direct continuum. These regimes correspond to low, high and intermediate flux states of the X-ray source. As a general rule, the reflection component varies with much smaller amplitude than the continuum. X-ray observations of the Seyfert galaxy MCG-6-30-15 and of the Galactic black hole candidate XTE Jl 650-500 reveal that a series of predictions of our model is actually observed; the consistent behaviour of the iron line flux and equivalent width with respect to the direct continuum, as well as the increase of the relative strength of disc reflection as the flux drops, all match very well our predictions. The iron line profile is predicted to be narrower in high flux states and broader in (reflection-dominated) low flux states, in fairly good agreement with observations of the best-studied case of MCG-6-30-15. Observations of some other narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (e.g. NGC 4051) also seem to support our model, which may explain what are otherwise puzzling characteristics of some sources. We also show that beaming along the equatorial plane can enhance the re-emission of narrow reflection features from distant material during low flux states providing a possible contribution to the observed X-ray Baldwin effect.
Isolated diastolic dysfunction of right ventricle: stress-induced pulmonary hypertension

To the Editors: We read with great interest the article of Huez et al. 1. Their results, which were mostly noninvasive, suggest that isolated longitudinal diastolic dysfunction of the right ventricle may be a sign of stress-induced (or latent) pulmonary hypertension. The aim of our letter is to confirm this observation with the help of our results based on invasive measurements. In total, 58 patients (mean age 54±8 yrs, 48 female) were examined. These comprised 15 healthy subjects who had no signs or symptoms of heart disease and 43 consecutive patients suffering from connective tissue disease (CTD), of whom 38 had systemic sclerosis, two had systemic lupus erythematosus, two had mixed CTD and one had polymyositis. Patients in the latter group were referred to the University of Pecs (Pecs, Hungary) on suspicion of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). Patients with atrial fibrillation and severe mitral or tricuspid insufficiency were excluded from the study. The local ethics committee approved the study. All subjects had given written …
Developing Students’ Worksheet Based on Higher Order Thinking Skills for Economics Learning in Senior High School

Indonesia,  menikkurnia@gmail.com Abstract Higher order thinking skills test is formulated for improving student critical thinking abilities. This study is conducted by using research and development approach. The aim of this study is to develop student worksheet based on higher order thinking skills for economics learning in senior high school and will be carried out for 2 years. This study uses the Plomp (1982) model. The development procedures of the Plomp model consists of five steps, namely; (1) initial investigation, (2) design, (3) construction, (4) test, evaluation and revision, (5) implementation. The result of this research is a set of students’ worksheet based of higher order thinking skills for economics learning in
Parallel Image Processing Based on CUDA

CUDA (compute unified device architecture) is a novel technology of general-purpose computing on the GPU, which makes users develop general GPU (graphics processing unit) programs easily. This paper analyzes the distinct features of CUDA GPU, summarizes the general program mode of CUDA. Furthermore, we implement several classical image processing algorithms by CUDA, such as histogram equalization, removing clouds, edge detection and DCT encode and decode etc., especially introduce the first two algorithms. If we donpsilat take the data transfer time in experiment between host memory and device memory into account, as the image size increase, histogram computation can get a more than 40x speedup, removing clouds can get an about 79x speedup, DCT can gain around 8x and edge detection more than 200x.
Changes in some Soil properties, Growth and Yield of Tomato as Affected by the Application of Poultry Dropping and NPK Fertilizer on a Humid Alfisol in Southwestern Nigeria

The effect of integrating poultry droppings and NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer on soil fertility and tomato yield were studied to investigate the effect of organic and inorganic fertilizer on soil properties, growth and yield of tomato. The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four treatments and three replicates. The experiment was conducted at the teaching and research farm of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Nigeria between June to September in 2016 and August to November 2016. A 12m × 15m plot was demarcated for the experiment. The plot was partitioned into three blocks of 4m×15m. Each 4m×15m block was further divided into four smaller plots of 3m x 3m separated by buffer of 1.0m wide. The treatments were: Control; NPK -15-15-15 at 250kg ha -1 ; Poultry droppings (PD) at 5.0 t ha -1 ; and NPK 15-15-15 (125 kg) + PD (2.5 t) ha -1 . At four and six weeks after transplanting (WAT), height, diameter and biomass of the tomato plant were determined. At maturity (six weeks after transplanting) the weight of tomato fruit was determined. The combined NPK + PD treatment recorded the highest values for the height, diameter and biomass (fresh and dry) of the plant. The yield of tomato was also highest in the plot treated with NPK + PD. Soil properties were significantly improved by applying the treatments. In conclusion, integrating poultry droppings and NPK 15-15-15 has more benefits over NPK or poultry droppings alone.
Increasing Prevalence of Medically Complex Children in US Hospitals

OBJECTIVE: In this study we used national data to determine changes in the prevalence of hospital admissions for medically complex children over a 15-year period. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a component of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, was analyzed in 3-year increments from 1991 to 2005 to determine national trends in rates of hospitalization of children aged 8 days to 4 years with chronic conditions. Discharge diagnoses from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample were grouped into 9 categories of complex chronic conditions (CCCs). Hospitalization rates for each of the 9 CCC categories were studied both individually and in combination. Trends of children hospitalized with 2 specific disorders, cerebral palsy (CP) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, with additional diagnoses in more than 1 CCC category were also examined. RESULTS: Hospitalization rates of children with diagnoses in more than 1 CCC category increased from 83.7 per 100 000 (1991–1993) to 166 per 100 000 (2003–2005) (P[r] < .001). The hospitalization rate of children with CP plus more than 1 CCC diagnosis increased from 7.1 to 10.4 per 100 000 (P = .002), whereas the hospitalization rates of children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia plus more than 1 CCC diagnosis increased from 9.8 to 23.9 per 100 000 (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Consistent increases in hospitalization rates were noted among children with diagnoses in multiple CCC categories, whereas hospitalization rates of children with CP alone have remained stable. The relative medical complexity of hospitalized pediatric patients has increased over the past 15 years.
EU Enlargement and Endogeneity of some OCA Criteria: Evidence from the CEECs

There are two opposite points of view on the link between economic integration and business cycle synchronization. De Grauwe (1997) classifies these competing views as 'The European Commission View' and 'The Krugman View'. According to the European Commission (1990), closer integration leads to less frequent asymmetric shocks and to more synchronized business cycles between countries. On the other hand, for Krugman (1993) closer integration implies higher specialization and, thus, higher risks of idiosyncratic shocks. Drawing on the evidence from a group of transition countries which have experienced a notable increase in trade openness and economic integration with the European Union during the past decade, this paper tries to determine whose argument is supported by the data. This is done by confronting estimated time-varying coefficients of supply and demand shock asymmetry with indicators of trade intensity and exchange rates. We find that (i) an increase in trade intensity leads to higher symmetry of demand shocks; the effect of integration on supply shock asymmetry varies from country to country; (ii) a decrease in exchange rate volatility has a positive effect on demand shock convergence. The results for demand shocks can be interpreted in favor of 'The European Commission View', also known as the endogeneity argument by Frankel and Rose (1998) in the OCA criteria discussion, according to which trade links reduce asymmetries between countries. Overall, our results support Kenen's (2001) argument that the impact of trade integration on shock asymmetry depends on the type of shock.
A computational pipeline to discover highly phylogenetically informative genes in sequenced genomes: application to Saccharomyces cerevisiae natural strains

The quest for genes representing genetic relationships of strains or individuals within populations and their evolutionary history is acquiring a novel dimension of complexity with the advancement of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. In fact, sequencing an entire genome uncovers genetic variation in coding and non-coding regions and offers the possibility of studying Saccharomyces cerevisiae populations at the strain level. Nevertheless, the disadvantageous cost-benefit ratio (the amount of details disclosed by NGS against the time-expensive and expertise-demanding data assembly process) still precludes the application of these techniques to the routinely assignment of yeast strains, making the selection of the most reliable molecular markers greatly desirable. In this work we propose an original computational approach to discover genes that can be used as a descriptor of the population structure. We found 13 genes whose variability can be used to recapitulate the phylogeny obtained from genome-wide sequences. The same approach that we prove to be successful in yeasts can be generalized to any other population of individuals given the availability of high-quality genomic sequences and of a clear population structure to be targeted.
Are leaf functional traits ‘invariant’ with plant size and what is ‘invariance’ anyway?

Summary 1. Studies of size-related plant traits have established a suite of mathematical functions describing whole plant investment and allocation. In parallel, studies of plant ‘economic spectra’ have measured the scaling and variance composition of traits related to the major dimensions of both structure and function. Here, we explore the intersection of these two broad areas by exploring the notion that many leaf economic traits are invariant with species differences in adult plant size. Invariant traits are those that do not change with plant size and are invoked as a key simplifying assumption of prominent models that purport to explain the scaling of plant size and metabolism. Unfortunately, leaf trait invariance is neither well defined nor understood and has never been critically evaluated. 2. Using a global plant trait data set, we evaluated whether nine key traits can be considered as effectively invariant as a function of the maximum height of plant species, within and across plant growth forms and within and across broad taxonomic groups. We also examine the influence of habitat, biome and global spatial scales on the size-relative variance in plant functional traits. 3. We suggest that while invariance is an intuitive concept, an objective statistical definition is elusive. Expanding on ideas drawn from the study of life-history invariants, we propose five criteria to identify traits that are effectively invariant, depending on the research question. 4. We show that all studied ‘leaf economic spectrum’ (LES) traits approach invariance within and between herbaceous and woody plant groups, angiosperms and gymnosperms, and within most biome and habitat types. Individual leaf area, however, shows a modest increase with plant size, and there are significant shifts in the average LES trait values at a given plant maximum height, among the plant growth forms and taxonomic groups. 5. Our results demonstrate that generally, LES traits show little interspecific variation with maximum plant height, which provides some support for attempts to model plants with ‘average’ leaf properties. Our work also highlights the need for a better understanding of the drivers of leaf size variation within and across individuals, functional groups, clades, biomes and habitats.
Implicit image tagging via facial information

Implicit Tagging is the technique to annotate multimedia data based on user's spontaneous nonverbal reactions. In this paper, a study is conducted to test whether user's facial expression can be used to predict the correctness of tags of images. The basic assumption behind this study is that users are likely to display certain kind of emotion due to the correctness of tags. The dataset used in this paper is users' frontal face video collected during an implicit tagging experiment, in which participants were presented with tagged images and their facial reactions when viewing these images were recorded. Based on this dataset, facial points in video sequences are tracked by a facial point tracker. Geometric features are calculated from the positions of facial points to represent each video as a sequence of feature vectors, and Hidden Markov Models (HMM) are used to classify this information in terms of behavior typical for viewing a correctly or an incorrectly tagged image. Experimental results show that user's facial expression can be used to help judge the correctness of tags. The proposed is effective in case of 16 out of 27 participants, the highest prediction accuracy for a single participant being 72.1%, and the highest overall accuracy being 77.98%.
Socio-Cultural Barriers Influencing Utilization of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Information and Services among Adolescents and Youth 10 - 24 Years in Pastoral Communities in Kenya

Background: As in other developing countries, sexual and reproductive ill-health continues to mostly affect adolescents and youths. Samburu and Turkana counties in Kenya have some of the highest levels of total fertility rates (TFR) at 6.3 and 6.9 respectively placing them well above the national TFR of 3.9. Establishing factors that influence utilization of SRH services among adolescent and youth aged 10 - 24 years is critical in developing an effective program. Method: We used primary data from qualitative and purposeful study design. Data collection used Focus group discussions (FGD), In-depth interviews (IDIs) and Key informant interviews (IDIs). The target groups were adolescents and youth aged 10 - 24 years, health care providers, community health volunteers (CHVs), chemist assistants, parents of adolescents and youth, teachers, spiritual leaders and traditional activists. Findings and Conclusion: Socio-cultural factors were found to influence utilization of SRH services and information. Early marriage, being youth, male only decisions on sexuality matters and fear of family contribute to unprotected sex while myths and misconceptions on contraceptives affected utilization. The findings revealed that youth needs to know sources, how contraceptives work and how to use them. The findings suggest capacity building of health care providers, CHVs, teachers, parents and community leaders on adolescence, sexuality needs of adolescents and disadvantages of female genital mutilation (FGM) including early marriage.