Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Cross-border and Domestic M&A Deals in Technology Sector in India and China

Abstract This paper contrasts and compares the M&A activities involving Indian and Chinese firms in the technology sector. The empirical analysis covered more than 2400 M&A transactions that involved Indian and Chinese companies (i.e., either the acquirer or target is Indian or Chinese) that have taken place in past 11 years. Chi-Square tests are applied on the deal type to see how the deals vary between cross-border and domestic deals. It is found that the proportions of deal volume in inbound, outbound and domestic space do vary significantly between these two countries. It is also found that deal types of M&A transactions vary for inbound and domestic space but for the outbound deals, the acquirers from both the countries follow similar pattern. The results provide some unexplored insights to the fundamental patterns in the growing volume M&A transactions taking place in these two countries.
Sum-rate maximizing cell association via dual-connectivity

This paper proposes a dual-connectivity (DC) profile allocation algorithm, in which a central macro base station (MBS) is underlaid with randomly scattered small base stations (SBSs), operating on different carrier frequencies. We introduce two dual-connectivity profiles and the differences among them. We utilize the characteristics of dual-connectivity and their scenarios to reduce the feasible combination set to consider. Algorithm analysis and numerical results verify that our proposed algorithm achieves the near-optimal algorithm;s performance within 5% gap with low complexity up to 10-6 times.
Open-Label, Randomized Study of Transition From Tacrolimus to Sirolimus Immunosuppression in Renal Allograft Recipients

Background Calcineurin inhibitor–associated nephrotoxicity and other adverse events have prompted efforts to minimize/eliminate calcineurin inhibitor use in kidney transplant recipients. Methods This open-label, randomized, multinational study evaluated the effect of planned transition from tacrolimus to sirolimus on kidney function in renal allograft recipients. Patients received tacrolimus-based immunosuppression and then were randomized 3 to 5 months posttransplantation to transition to sirolimus or continue tacrolimus. The primary end point was percentage of patients with 5 mL/min per 1.73 m2 or greater improvement in estimated glomerular filtration rate from randomization to month 24. Results The on-therapy population included 195 patients (sirolimus, 86; tacrolimus, 109). No between-group difference was noted in percentage of patients with 5 mL/min per 1.73 m2 or greater estimated glomerular filtration rate improvement (sirolimus, 34%; tacrolimus, 42%; P = 0.239) at month 24. Sirolimus patients had higher rates of biopsy-confirmed acute rejection (8% vs 2%; P = 0.02), treatment discontinuation attributed to adverse events (21% vs 3%; P < 0.001), and lower rates of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (0% vs 5%; P = 0.012). Conclusions Our findings suggest that renal function improvement at 24 months is similar for patients with early conversion to sirolimus after kidney transplantation versus those remaining on tacrolimus.
Is precarious employment associated with women remaining childless until age 35 years? Results from an Australian birth cohort study.

STUDY QUESTION Does time in casual employment (while not studying full time) affect the likelihood of a woman having a child by age 35? SUMMARY ANSWER Duration of time spent in casual employment is associated with an increased likelihood of childlessness at age 35 years, irrespective of socio-economic background as indicated by educational level. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Precarious employment conditions have become increasingly prevalent in recent decades in Western countries. The relationship between precarious employment conditions and age at first childbirth has been examined in several European countries with varying results. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A retrospective cross-sectional component (n = 663) was added to an existing study based on a cohort of women born during 1973-1975. An event history calendar instrument was used to obtain data regarding a range of life domains over a 20-year period. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Using data from the Life Journeys of Young Women Project carried out in Adelaide, South Australia, Cox proportional hazards models were applied to investigate the research questions. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The likelihood of childbirth by around age 35 was reduced for every year spent in casual employment, irrespective of socioeconomic status, partner's education and parents' birthplace. The likelihood was reduced by 8, 23 and 35% for 1, 3 and 5 years spent in casual employment, respectively. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Women with longer employment histories (and greater age at first birth) had more opportunities for errors in recall, but it is unlikely that such errors were systematic and led to bias in the results. While we included variables reflecting partner's education and length of time with a live-in partner, partner's employment histories were not taken into account. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Duration of time spent in casual employment is associated with an increased likelihood of childlessness at age 35 years, and this association is present across the spectrum of socioeconomic status. We suggest that upstream labour market reforms could be considered in order to reduce barriers to childbearing.
Efficient Social Welfare Function and Optimal Income Distribution

By showing that increases in the sum of aggregate income and aggregate Marshallian consumer surplus represent potential Pareto improvement, this paper builds a theoretical ground for using aggregate Marshallian consumer surplus as a social welfare indicator. The optimal income distribution that potentially Pareto dominates any other income distribution is studied. It is shown that the income distribution is optimal if and only if the marginal aggregate Marshallian consumer surplus of income is equalized across all consumers. An index that measures income distribution non-optimality rather than inequality is then developed. It is found that the social cost of income distribution non-optimality in a perfect competitive market could be surprisingly high. Finally, a new approach of social welfare function is developed and it is shown that a social welfare function can be expressed by the sum of aggregate income and aggregate Marshallian consumer surplus if and only if the marginal social welfare of a good is equal to its market price.
PRICE EFFECTS OF ROAD AND OTHER IMPACT FEES ON URBAN LAND

Urban land prices rise rather than fall in response to imposition of development impact fees due to one of two reasons. First, impact fees imply a contract for development that is worth more as a package than no fees and uncertain development. Impact fees are actually the final stage of a policy process that anticipates development pressures through a land use and facility planning scheme. In return for paying fees, developers are assured of adequate facilities. Impact fees thus enable the urban land market to internalize otherwise unpriced development externalities such as greater certainty in approval, extension of needed facilities, and reduced political opposition because developers are paying their own way. Second, if impact fee policy is part and parcel of an overall growth restriction effort, development production will fall in the near term because of higher construction costs represented by the fees. In the near term, developers either find ways to reduce development costs, perhaps through greater land use intensity or lower quality, or they take fewer profits. To avoid lower profits in the longer term, developers leave the market only to return when the post-fee profit margins equal pre-fee levels. Those levels are attained when prices rise just enough to offset the fees. Land owners in the urban land market respond to higher development prices by raising land prices if the land-to-development price ratios remain substantially unchanged. The central hypothesis--that urban land prices will rise in response to imposition of development impact fees--was applied to evaluations of the urban land markets in Loveland, Colorado, and Sarasota County, Florida. Evidence was found that supports the hypothesis, but the reasons are not yet clear. Although additional study is needed, the findings break new ground in an understanding of how urban land markets respond to development impact fees.
Faith as social capital: Connecting or dividing?

The UK government has identified Faith communities as important sources of 'social capital' in community development and regeneration. But religion is also associated with conflict and division. How far is this faith in 'Faith' justified? And how far should Faith communities comply? This report assesses the debate and the evidence and: summarises the controversies surrounding the idea of 'social capital' and the place of 'Faith' in community policy; assesses the contribution of Faith communities to social capital that extends beyond bonding to build bridges and links with others in civil society; and identifies policy and practice implications for secular and Faith organisations and networks. The research in the report encompasses five major Faith traditions across four English regions. It explores the nature and the quality of social capital stemming from Faith buildings, association; engagement with governance, and participation in the wider public domain. This exploration of Faith communities and social capital is important for all who work to achieve well-connected communities. It will interest policy makers and researchers, those working in community development, regeneration and related fields, national and local Faith leaders and their communities, and all in the voluntary and community sectors.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY : PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES IN SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED FIRMS

Strategic alignment or "fit" is a notion that is deemed crucial to understand how organizations can translate their deployment of information technology into actual increases in performance. While previous theoretical and methodological works have provided foundations for identifying the dimensions and performance impacts of the strategic alignment between information technology, strategy, and structure, few attempts have been made to empirically test proposed theory and operationalize fit systemically. Based upon Henderson and Venkatraman's theoretical framework and a covariation perspective of fit, an operational model of strategic alignment is proposed and empirically validated through a mail survey of 110 small Canadian firms. Using structural equation modeling to analyze the sample data, it was found that the coalignment of business strategy, organizational structure, IT strategy, and IT structure is positively related to business performance. (Strategic Orientation; Organizational Structure, IT Strategy; IT Structure; Alignment; Business Performance)
Analysis of chromosomal replicons in early embryos of Drosophila melanogaster by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

Chromosomal DNA replication units in early embryos of D.melanogaster were studied using two-dimensional gel replicon mapping techniques. DNA was prepared from nuclei encapsulated into agarose beads. This method substantially improved preservation of replication intermediates more than standard DNA preparation methods, and allowed us to detect replication intermediates for even single-copy chromosomal regions without their selective enrichment. Analysis with tandem repeats of histone genes indicated that DNA replication initiates at multiple locations on the repeating unit. The initiation sites were not localized to a defined site, but rather distributed throughout the repeating unit. DNA replication on a single-copy chromosomal region was also suggested to initiate at numerous sites, probably with little regard for the specific DNA sequences.
Street Stops and Broken Windows: Terry, Race and Disorder in New York City

Patterns of "stop and frisk" activity by police across New York City neighborhoods reflect competing theories of aggressive policing. "Broken Windows" theory suggests that neighborhoods with greater concentrations of physical and social disorder should evidence higher stop and frisk activity, especially for "quality of life" crimes. However, while disorder theory informs quality of life policing strategies, observed patterns of stop and frisk activity suggest that neighborhood characteristics such as racial composition, poverty levels and the extent of social disorganization are stronger predictors of race- and crime-specific police stops than is the presence of "broken windows. " Furthermore, stops of minority citizens more often failed to meet Terry standards of reasonable suspicion, suggesting the conflation of race with the strategic design of "order maintenance policing. " Our empirical evidence suggests that policing is not about disorderly places, nor about improving the quality of life, but about policing poor people in poor places. This strategy contradicts the policy rationale derived from Broken Windows theory, and deviates from its original emphasis on community conditions by instead focusing disproportionately on minority citizens. Racially disparate policing reinforces perceptions by citizens in minority neighborhoods that they are under non-particularized suspicion and are therefore targeted for aggressive stop and frisk policing. Such broad targeting raises concerns about the legitimacy of law, threatens to weaken citizen participation in the co-production of security, and undercuts the broader social norms goals of contemporary policing.
Tacit knowledge sharing, self-efficacy theory, and application to the Open Source community

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to apply the self‐efficacy model to compare knowledge‐sharing activities in the Open Source community versus those in a traditional organization.Design/methodology/approach – Current literature on tacit knowledge sharing and information about the Open Source community is synthesized in the study with research concerning self‐efficacy formation. The knowledge‐sharing literature is applied in the paper to the self‐efficacy model.Findings – Through a synthesis of different streams of literature, the paper concludes that the self‐efficacy model serves as a useful framework for better understanding the effects of context on tacit knowledge sharing. Furthermore, it is concluded that the Open Source community may provide an ideal set of subjects to whom the model can be applied.Research limitations/implications – Only propositions are offered, and the conclusions are suggestions for future research. The self‐efficacy model has been successfully applied to other areas of res.
Exploring the Dual Role of Communicators in Relationship Management in the Context of Charitable Organizations

Relationship management is a key topic in public relations, and it is also an essential factor for the success of charitable organizations. This study explored interpersonal communication strategies in relationship management when communicators played dual roles in the context of charitable organizations in the Greater Houston Area. The investigator interviewed 13 professionals currently working in nonprofits, analyzed interview transcripts, and illustrated many interesting findings, such as contextual factors of relationship management in this study, antecedent factors of organizational citizenship behaviors, convergence of internal and external communication strategies, and the role conversion of key publics. Major interpersonal strategies were useful for nonprofits in relationship management with key publics, because they were emphasized by many professionals in nonprofits. This study not only filled many research gaps but also resulted in many important theoretical and practical implications for relationship management in nonprofits.
Improved Analysis of GW150914 Using a Fully Spin-Precessing Waveform Model

This paper presents updated estimates of source parameters for GW150914, a binary black-hole coalescence event detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) in 2015 [Abbott et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 061102 (2016). ]. Abbott et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 241102 (2016). ] presented parameter estimation of the source using a 13-dimensional, phenomenological precessing-spin model (precessing IMRPhenom) and an 11-dimensional nonprecessing effective-one-body (EOB) model calibrated to numerical-relativity simulations, which forces spin alignment (nonprecessing EOBNR). Here, we present new results that include a 15-dimensional precessing-spin waveform model (precessing EOBNR) developed within the EOB formalism. We find good agreement with the parameters estimated previously [Abbott et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 241102 (2016). ], and we quote updated component masses of 35^(+5)_(−3) M⊙ and 30^(+3)_(−4) M⊙ (where errors correspond to 90% symmetric credible intervals). We also present slightly tighter constraints on the dimensionless spin magnitudes of the two black holes, with a primary spin estimate <0.65 and a secondary spin estimate <0.75 at 90% probability. Abbott et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 241102 (2016). ] estimated the systematic parameter-extraction errors due to waveform-model uncertainty by combining the posterior probability densities of precessing IMRPhenom and nonprecessing EOBNR. Here, we find that the two precessing-spin models are in closer agreement, suggesting that these systematic errors are smaller than previously quoted.
Decentralized allocation of tasks with delayed commencement

Nelis Boucke, Danny Weyns, Tom Holvoet, Koenraad Mertens AgentWise, Distrinet, K.U. Leuven, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium {nelis.boucke,danny.weyns,tom.holvoet,koenraad.mertens}cs.kuleuven. ac.be Abstract In this paper we propose an approach for flexible and decentralized task allocation based on a negotiation protocol and applicable in case of delayed commencement of tasks. Delayed task commencement arises when an agent has to make some effort in order to start the task, e.g. a robot first has to move towards the starting position of its task of moving a packet before the task can be performed. Essentially, our approach consists of a continuous negotiation protocol where the situation and the allocation of tasks is continuously reconsidered until the task is actually started. The approach is described within the context of an industrial automatic guided vehicle system to demonstrate the immediate industrial applicability.
Novel myokine: irisin may be an independent predictor for subclinic atherosclerosis in Behçet's disease

Behçet's disease (BD) is a vasculitic and inflammatory disease causing endothelial dysfunction. Irisin is a metabolic hormone related to insulin resistance and endothelial functions. In this study, we investigated the relationship between irisin and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), which is a marker of atherosclerosis in patients with BD. 48 patients with BD and 50 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. Disease severity was evaluated by BD current activity form. Irisin, glucose, insulin, C reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and lipid panel were examined in all patients. Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) was used to calculate insulin resistance. A simple and inexpensive cIMT test was used as indicator of atherosclerosis. cIMT was 0.62 (0.45–1.05) mm in the patients, while it was 0.38 (0.25–0.65) mm in the control group (p<0.001). Irisin value was found to be 197.3 (24.8–834.2) ng/mL in the control group, while it was 85.4 (4.7–471.1) ng/mL in the patient group (p=0.007). There was a negative correlation between irisin level and cIMT (r=−0.511, p<0.001) and HOMA-IR (r=−0.371, p=0.009). Decreased irisin levels (OR 0.996, 95% CI 0.992 to 1.000, p=0.041), male gender (OR 7.634, 95% CI 1.415 to 41.191, p=0.018), and HOMA-IR (OR 2.596, 95% CI 1.451 to 4.643, p=0.001) are independent risk factors for cIMT in patients with BD. We detected a very strong relationship between cIMT, which is an indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis, and decreased irisin levels in patients with BD. BD is characterized by chronic inflammation, and low serum irisin levels in BD may be related to atherosclerosis.
Letting Down the Team? Evidence of Social Effects of Team Incentives

This paper estimates social effects of incentivizing people in teams. In two field experiments featuring exogenous team formation and opportunities for repeated social interactions, we find large team effects that operate through social channels. The team compensation system induced agents to choose effort as if they valued a marginal dollar of compensation for their teammate from two-thirds as much (in one study) to twice as much as they valued a dollar of their own compensation (in the other study). We conclude that social effects of monetary team incentives exist and can induce effort at lower cost than through direct individual payment.
Miniopen Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion with Unilateral Fixation: A Comparison between Ipsilateral and Contralateral Reherniation

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors between ipsilateral and contralateral reherniation and to compare the effectiveness of miniopen transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) with unilateral fixation for each group. From November 2007 to December 2014, clinical and radiographic data of each group (ipsilateral or contralateral reherniation) were collected and compared. Functional assessment (Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA)) and radiographic evaluation (fusion status, disc height, lumbar lordosis (LL), and functional spine unit (FSU) angle) were applied to compare surgical effect for each group preoperatively and at final followup. MacNab questionnaire was applied to further evaluate the satisfactory rate after the discectomy and fusion. No difference except pain-free interval was found between ipsilateral and contralateral groups. There was a significant difference in operative time between two groups. No differences were found in clinical and radiographic data for assessment of surgical effect between two groups. The satisfactory rate was decreasing in both groups with time passing after discectomy. Difference in pain-free interval may be a distinction for ipsilateral and contralateral reherniation. Miniopen TLIF with unilateral pedicle screw fixation can be a recommendable way for single level reherniation regardless of ipsilateral or contralateral reherniation.