Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Uniqueness of Company Size Distribution Function from Tent-shaped Growth Rate Distribution

We report the proof that the extension of Gibrat’s law in the middle scale region is unique and the probability distribution function (pdf) is also uniquely derived from the extended Gibrat’s law and the law of detailed balance. In the proof, two approximations are employed. The pdf of growth rate is described as tent-shaped exponential functions and the value of the origin of the growth rate distribution is constant. These approximations are confirmed in profits data of Japanese companies 2003 and 2004. The resultant profits pdf fits with the empirical data with high accuracy. This guarantees the validity of the approximations. PACS code : 04.60. Nc
Investigating the role of discrete emotions in silence versus speaking up

Silence in the workplace is a highly prevalent behaviour, but more is needed to understand the causes and consequences of such behaviour. In this article, we draw on theory and research to examine the role of discrete emotions in decisions to remain silent or to speak up. Three studies with full-time employees were carried out utilizing both qualitative and experimental methodologies. Study 1 (n = 110) demonstrated that there are many reasons for being silent and established fear as the main emotion associated with silence behaviour. Building on the results of Study 1 and using a quasi-experimental vignette design, Study 2 (n = 142) confirmed that different silence motives provoke different emotional experiences. Exploring the behavioural effects of emotions using a further experimental design, Study 3 (n = 80) showed that anger is an antecedent to speaking up about an observed transgression, whereas less intense anger was associated with staying silent. This pattern was not evident for fear. Taken together, these three studies provide empirical data regarding the relationship between silence, emotions, and actions. We contribute to theory and research at the intersection of silence, emotions, and behaviour and offer valuable insights into the dynamics of these concepts in the workplace. Practitioner points Our study demonstrates that employees are silent for many reasons and that managers need to be sensitive to the multiple motives driving silence behaviour Managers need to be aware that silence provokes specific emotions, with fear and anger being particularly common emotional consequences of silence. Employees are more likely to take action when emotions are intense and so managers need to incorporate a sensitivity to employee emotions in understanding worker silence and voice
Lipid Metabolism and Antioxidant Status in Sucrose vs. Potato-Fed Rats

Objective: Consumption of high levels of simple carbohydrates is associated with several metabolic disorders in humans and in laboratory animals, including symptoms of an early stage of metabolic syndrome (syndrome X). This disorder has several cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertriglyceridemia, and is associated with an increase in oxidative stress. In contrast to sucrose, potato, a source of complex carbohydrates and antioxidant micronutrients, was thought to improve lipid metabolism and antioxidant protection. Methods: We investigated the effects of diets containing i) complex dietary carbohydrates and antioxidant micronutrients (potato Solanum tuberosum L.), ii) complex carbohydrates (starch) and iii) a simple carbohydrate (sucrose) on lipid metabolism and antioxidant status in rats. Results: An increase in short chain fatty acid (SCFA) pools was observed in the cecum of rats fed a potato-based diet, resulting from an increase in all SCFAs, especially propionate (+360%, P < 0.0001). Feeding rats a potato-based diet for 3 weeks led to a decrease in cholesterol (−37%, potato vs. control and −32%, potato vs. sucrose) and triglycerides (−31%, potato vs. control and −43%, potato vs. sucrose) concentrations in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TGRLP) fractions. The antioxidant status was decreased by sucrose consumption and improved by potato consumption. Conclusions: Our present results suggest that consumption of complex carbohydrates (provided as cooked potatoes), in combination with different antioxidant micronutrients, may enhance the antioxidant defences and improve lipid metabolism, when compared with starch (complex carbohydrates) and to sucrose consumption (source of simple sugar). These effects limit oxidative stress and reduce the risk of developing the associated degenerative diseases, including cardiovascular disease, and could have potential in cardiovascular disease prevention.
The Cognitive and Behavioural Impact of Alcohol Promoting and Alcohol Warning Advertisements: An Experimental Study

Aims To assess the immediate effect of alcohol promoting and alcohol warning advertisements on implicit and explicit attitudes towards alcohol and on alcohol seeking behaviour. Methods We conducted a between-participants online experiment in which participants were randomly assigned to view one of three sets of advertisements: (a) alcohol promoting, (b) alcohol warning, or (c) unrelated to alcohol. A total of 373 participants (59.5% female) aged 18–40 (M = 28.03) living in the UK were recruited online through a research agency. Positive and negative implicit attitudes and explicit attitudes towards alcohol were assessed before and after advertisements were viewed. Alcohol seeking behaviour was measured by participants' choice of either an alcohol-related or non-alcohol-related voucher offered ostensibly as a reward for participation. Self-reported past week alcohol consumption was also recorded. Results There were no main effects on any of the outcome measures. In heavier drinkers, viewing alcohol promoting advertisements increased positive implicit attitudes (standardized beta = 0.15, P = 0.04) and decreased negative implicit attitudes (standardized beta = −0.17, P = 0.02). In heavier drinkers, viewing alcohol warning advertisements decreased negative implicit attitudes (standardized beta = −0.19, P = 0.01). Conclusions Viewing alcohol promoting advertisements has a cognitive impact on heavier drinkers, increasing positive and reducing negative implicit attitudes towards alcohol. Viewing alcohol warning advertisements reduces negative implicit attitudes towards alcohol in heavier drinkers, suggestive of a reactance effect.
Professor Forcing: A New Algorithm for Training Recurrent Networks

The Teacher Forcing algorithm trains recurrent networks by supplying observed sequence values as inputs during training and using the network’s own one-step-ahead predictions to do multi-step sampling. We introduce the Professor Forcing algorithm, which uses adversarial domain adaptation to encourage the dynamics of the recurrent network to be the same when training the network and when sampling from the network over multiple time steps. We apply Professor Forcing to language modeling, vocal synthesis on raw waveforms, handwriting generation, and image generation. Empirically we find that Professor Forcing acts as a regularizer, improving test likelihood on character level Penn Treebank and sequential MNIST. We also find that the model qualitatively improves samples, especially when sampling for a large number of time steps. This is supported by human evaluation of sample quality. Trade-offs between Professor Forcing and Scheduled Sampling are discussed. We produce T-SNEs showing that Professor Forcing successfully makes the dynamics of the network during training and sampling more similar.
Putting self-determination theory into practice: application of adaptive motivational principles in the exercise domain

Abstract Grounded in self-determination theory (SDT), and in the group exercise context, this qualitative study explored: (1) instructors’ experiences of operationalising motivational strategies following participation in an SDT-based training programme, (2) exercisers’ views on instructors use of motivational strategies and any impact on exercisers’ basic psychological needs and motivation and (3) the challenges and facilitators reported by instructors when implementing motivation strategies in practice. Thirteen indoor group cycling instructors and 15 exercisers, who had been regularly attending a group cycling class taught by one of the instructors, participated in semi-structured interviews. Ten instructors also completed self-reflective diaries detailing their experiences of implementing the need-supportive strategies. Data were analysed using the Framework Method and coding was performed using an abductive reasoning approach. Analysis revealed specific examples of ‘how to’ operationalise motivation strategies within group exercise settings. Challenges to implementation included: the structured nature of the group exercise class, initiating meaningful one-to-one conversations, phrasing instructions in a need-supportive way, and breaking old habits. Facilitators to implementation included establishing a connection with exercisers and understanding SDT. Findings are discussed in relation to the theoretical, practical and research implications. The findings of the present study could potentially be used to improve the design and training content of SDT-based training programmes in group exercise contexts and other similar group activity settings within sport and healthcare settings.
Lymphoid reconstitution of the human fetal thymus in SCID mice with CD34+ precursor cells

The search for human hematopoietic stem cells has been hampered by the lack of appropriate assay systems. Demonstration of the ability of precursor cell candidates to give rise to T cells is of significant difficulty since dissociated in vitro cultured thymus stroma cells lose their ability to sustain thymocyte maturation. To define further the differentiative capacities of the rare human fetal liver and bone marrow cells that express the CD34 surface antigen and exhibit in vitro myeloid and pre-B cell activities, we have microinjected them into HLA- mismatched fetal thymus fragments, partially depleted of hematopoietic cells by low temperature culture. In vitro colonized thymuses have then been allowed to develop upon engraftment into immunodeficient SCID mice. Using this modification of the SCID-hu system, we show that low numbers of fetal CD34+ progenitor cells can repopulate the lymphoid compartment in the human thymus.
A SiC 8 Bit DAC at 400°C

This paper presents the first operational digital to analog converter at 400°C. The 8 bit R-2R ladder DAC was designed in the Raytheon 1.2 μm CMOS HiTSiC process. The data converter is also the first of its kind in SiC. It has been tested with a supply voltage between 12 V and 15 V, and reference voltages of 5 V to 8 V. At 400°C, the maximum measured differential non linearity (DNL) is 2 LSB (least significant bit) and the integral non linearity is 4.4 LSB.
Transition to literacy: the cognitive challenges underlying emergent reading in children at familial risk for dyslexia

• A submitted manuscript is the version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.
Articulatory overlap in English syllables with postvocalic / ɹ /

​ *Corresponding author's address: Linguistics, University of Southern California, 3601 Watt Way, GFS 301, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1693, rwalker@usc.edu In General American English (GAE), only two full vowels [ɑ, ɔ] occur in syllables ending in [ɹ] plus a non-coronal consonant, e.g. <harp>, <pork>. An articulatory study of rhotic production by three speakers of GAE was conducted using real-time structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rtMRI) (Narayanan et al. 2004). Subjects produced /ɹ/ in simple and complex syllable codas in a range of vocalic environments. Results show that the tongue dorsum shows the least movement in [-ɑɹ-] and [-ɔɹ-] sequences. This dorsal stability sheds light on why [ɑ] and [ɔ] are the only full vowels occurring before codas with /ɹ/ and a non-coronal consonant. English syllable rimes have been analyzed as maximally three timing units in length (Hammond 1999). Long vowels occupy two units, and most coda consonants occupy one unit, rendering rimes with long [ɑ]/[ɔ] followed by [ɹp] or [ɹk] problematic. We hypothesize that the high degree of overlap in the dorsal posture in [ɑɹ] and [ɔɹ] sequences allows their gestures to be partially blended and function like a diphthong that occupies two units in the rime. This study supports a view of maximal constituency in rimes with [ɹ] that takes articulatory overlap into account.
Does Bullying Affect Work-to-Private-Life Interference? Testing the Mediating Role of Resilience

ABSTRACT Objectives. The present study, using the conservation of resources theory as a theoretical framework, aims to establish whether work-related bullying is associated with the development of two different types of work-to-private-life interference, i.e., time based and strain based. The study also aims to test whether these relationships are mediated by resilience. Method. In total, 333 nurses filled out a self-report questionnaire. Data analyses were performed by using structural equation model. Results. Results confirmed the hypothesized model: work-related bullying is associated with both strain-based and time-based work-to-private-life interferences. The bootstrap test indicated the presence of an indirect effect of bullying on both types of work-to-private-life interference via resilience. Originality/Value. The present study contributes to improve the understanding on the mechanisms linking work-related bullying and worker well-being, by providing evidence for the mediating role of resilience between bullying and both time-based and strain-based work–life interferences. Practical implications. The present study suggests that the intervention programs, in order to be effectiveness in sustaining work–life balance among nurses, should take into great account the social climate in the organizational context, e.g., the quality of the social climate with particular reference to the bullying prevention.
The corals survey I: new estimates of the number density and gas content of damped lyman alpha systems free from dust bias

We present the first results from the Complete Optical and Radio Absorption Line System (CORALS) survey. We have compiled a homogeneous sample of radio-selected QSOs from the Parkes Catalogue and searched for damped Lyman alpha systems (DLAs) towards every target, irrespective of its optical magnitude. This approach circumvents selection effects -particularly from intervening dust -which have long been suspected to affect DLA surveys in optically-selected, magnitude-limited QSO samples. The CORALS data set consists of 66 Z_(em) ≥ 2.2 QSOs in which 22 DLAs with absorption redshifts 1.8 ≤ Z-(abs) ≤ Z_(em) have been identified over a total redshift interval Δz = 55.46. Three of the DLAs are classified as "associated" systems with Z_(abs) ~ Z_(em); of the 19 intervening DLAs, 17 are new discoveries. In this first paper of the CORALS series we describe the sample, present intermediate resolution spectroscopy and determine the population statistics of DLAs. We deduce a value of the neutral gas mass density traced by DLAs (expressed as a fraction of the closure density) logΩ_(DLA)h = -2.59^(+0.17)_(-0.24), and a number density of DLAs per unit redshift n(z) = 0.31^(+0.09)_(-0.08), both at a mean redshift (z). Both values are only marginally higher than those measured in optically selected samples of QSOs. Taking into account the errors, we conclude that dust-induced bias in previous surveys may have led to an underestimate of these quantities by at most a factor of two. While n(z) is greater in fainter (B 〉20) QSOs, the effect is only at the ~1σ level and we have not uncovered a previously unrecognised population of high column density (N(HI) 〉10^(21) (cm^(-2)) DLAs in front of faint QSOs. These conclusions are tentative because of the limited size of our data set; in particular the distribution of column densities is poorly sampled at the high end where a much larger survey of radio-selected QSOs is required the improve the statistics.
Efectos del calentamiento en el rendimiento físico y en la percepción psicológica en jugadores semi profesionales de fútbol. [Warm-up effects on physical performance and psychological perception in semi professional soccer players].

El objetivo principal de este estudio fue analizar los efectos de un protocolo de calentamiento de 25 minutos en el rendimiento fisico y en la percepcion de estar preparados para afrontar un partido en jugadores de futbol. 15 jugadores de futbol realizaron su calentamiento estandar pre-partido de 25 minutos y antes (pretest) y despues (postest) del mismo realizaban una bateria de test fisicos. Tambien se registro la percepcion del sueno, del estres, de la fatiga y del dolor muscular inicial del jugador. Los resultados muestran que los jugadores se sienten mas preparados para afrontar el partido despues de realizar el calentamiento. Sin embargo, empeoran su rendimiento en la capacidad de aceleracion (sprint 10 m, p
Amplify-and-forward secondary spectrum access in multicarrier cognitive radio systems

Innovative spectrum sharing policies, possibly leveraged by cognitive radio (CR) technologies, are expected to play a significant role in forthcoming 5G systems, employing multicarrier techniques for modulation and multiple-access. In this paper, we propose an opportunistic amplify-and-forward relaying scheme for a multicarrier CR network, where a secondary user (SU) is allowed to share communication resources with a primary user (PU) transmitting with orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) technology. Instead of minimizing the interference to the PU, the SU transmitter relays the received PU signal on the different OFDM subcarriers by using a precoding matrix depending on the symbols that must be delivered to the SU receiver. The information-theoretic capacity of the proposed protocol is assessed, showing that, under mild conditions, the SU can gain a significant data-rate performance, while not degrading (but even improving) the PU performance.
Genetic and Plasma Markers of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with High Grade Glioma

Purpose: Deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolism (DVT/PE) is a frequent complication in the course of cancer, particularly in brain tumors. We investigated genetic and plasma factors possibly associated with risk of DVT/PE in patients with high-grade glioma. Experimental Design: In a case-control study, we studied polymorphisms of the genes coding for factor II (G20210A), factor V (G1691A), methylenetetrahydrofolate-reductase (C677T), tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA; insertion/deletion), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1; 4G/5G), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; C936T). We also measured plasma levels of d-dimer, lipoprotein (lp) (a), homocysteine, VEGF, tPA, and PAI-1, comparing healthy control patients with patients with glioma or with patients with neurological nonneoplastic disease (multiple sclerosis). Results: Genotype frequencies of polymorphisms analyzed were similar in patients with glioma and in healthy matched population. d-dimer, lp (a), homocysteine, VEGF, tPA, and PAI-1 plasma levels were significantly higher in patients with glioma than in healthy controls, whereas patients having neurological nonneoplastic disease had plasma values of these molecules not significantly different from healthy controls. VEGF, tPA, and PAI-1 were also found at high-plasma levels in patients carrying genotypes that, in healthy controls, were associated with “low-producing” phenotypes. Conclusions: Genetic risk factors alone did not explain the high incidence of DVT/PE observed in patients with glioma. Higher plasma levels of molecules influencing the coagulation pathways indicate that the tumor itself might confer an increased risk of DVT/PE; thus, d-dimer, homocysteine, lp (a), VEGF, tPA, and PAI-1 look like good candidates to be evaluated as DVT/PE prognostic factors.
Learning Stable Nonlinear Dynamical Systems With Gaussian Mixture Models

This paper presents a method to learn discrete robot motions from a set of demonstrations. We model a motion as a nonlinear autonomous (i.e., time-invariant) dynamical system (DS) and define sufficient conditions to ensure global asymptotic stability at the target. We propose a learning method, which is called Stable Estimator of Dynamical Systems (SEDS), to learn the parameters of the DS to ensure that all motions closely follow the demonstrations while ultimately reaching and stopping at the target. Time-invariance and global asymptotic stability at the target ensures that the system can respond immediately and appropriately to perturbations that are encountered during the motion. The method is evaluated through a set of robot experiments and on a library of human handwriting motions.
Switching cloud cover and dynamical regimes from open to closed Benard cells in response to the suppression of precipitation by aerosols

The dynamic structure of the weakly sheared atmospheric marine boundary layer (MBL) supports three distinct states of cloud cover, which are associated with the concentrations of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) aerosols in the MBL: (i) CCN rich MBL with closed Benard cellular convection that forms nearly full cloud cover; (ii) CCN depleted MBL with open cellular convection that forms <40% cloud cover; and, (iii) CCN starved MBL where clouds cannot form due to insufficient CCN, with near zero cloud cover. Here we propose a mechanism for the transition between these three states that involves the aerosol impacts on precipitation and the feedbacks on the dynamics of the clouds and on the aerosols deposition. By suppressing precipitation aerosols can reverse the direction of the airflow, converting the cloud structure from open to closed cells and more than doubling the cloud cover. The three states possess positive feedbacks for self maintenance, so that small changes of the conditions can lead to bifurcation of the MBL cloud regime. The transition between the closed and open cells occur at near pristine background level of aerosols, creating a large sensitivity of cloud radiative forcing to very small changes in aerosols at the MBL. The third state of super clean air can occur as the more efficient precipitation in cleaner air deposits the aerosols ever faster in a runaway positive feedback process. The proposed mechanism suggests that very small changes in the aerosols input to the MBL can have large impacts on the oceanic cloud cover and likely in turn on the global temperature, in ways that are not yet accounted for in the climate models.