Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Finite-Difference Time-Domain Modeling of Space–Time-Modulated Metasurfaces

A finite-difference time-domain modeling of finite-size zero thickness space–time-modulated Huygens’ metasurfaces based on generalized sheet transition conditions is proposed and numerically demonstrated. A typical all-dielectric Huygens’ unit cell is taken as an example and its material permittivity is modulated in both space and time, to emulate a traveling-type spatio-temporal perturbation on the metasurface. By mapping the permittivity variation onto the parameters of the equivalent Lorentzian electric and magnetic susceptibility densities, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\chi _{\text {ee}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\chi _{\text {mm}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, the problem is formulated into a set of second-order differential equations in time with nonconstant coefficients. The resulting field solutions are then conveniently solved using an explicit finite-difference technique and integrated with a Yee-cell-based propagation region to visualize the scattered fields taking into account the various diffractive effects from the metasurface of finite size. Several examples are shown for both linear and space–time varying metasurfaces which are excited with normally incident plane and Gaussian beams, showing detailed scattering field solutions. While the time-modulated metasurface leads to the generation of new collinearly propagating temporal harmonics, these harmonics are angularly separated in space, when an additional space modulation is introduced in the metasurface.
Innovation, Human Capital, and Creativity

Innovation has long been understood as a fundamental factor in economic growth. Economists, geographers, and other social scientists have examined the effects of innovation on economic growth, the factors associated with the production of innovations, and the geographic distribution of innovations. Jane Jacobs notes that the capacity to innovate is a product of a local environment or milieu that attracts talented people and is open and creative. Following Jacobs, this paper argues that innovation is a joint product of human capital and creativity. The capacity to innovate is seen to be a function of a region’s ability to attract human capital and to provide low barriers to entry for talented and creative people of all backgrounds. Multivariate models are used to test the joint effects of research and development expenditure, human capital, creativity/diversity, and industry mix on regional innovation. New measures of creativity (the bohemian index) and diversity (the gay index) are introduced. The findings suggest that innovation at the regional level is positively and significantly associated with both human capital and creativity.
Sources Of Happiness In Indonesia

Using the Indonesian Family Life Survey, this paper elucidates the factors related to happiness in Indonesia. Some factors yield results consistent with those in the literature, but other factors such as unemployment and the female gender turn out not to be robust. Some attempts are made to purge endogeneity for past income mobility, social trust, and political environment. Also, measures with a more immediate impact on happiness are exploited for social trust and political environment. The sign of the coefficient on past income mobility is reversed once the variable has been purged of endogeneity. In addition, social trust and political environment are found to have little relationship with happiness.
Effects From a Randomized Control Trial Comparing Researcher and School-Implemented Treatments With Fourth Graders With Significant Reading Difficulties

ABSTRACT This study examined the effectiveness of a researcher-provided intervention with fourth graders with significant reading difficulties. The intervention emphasized multisyllable word reading, fluent reading of high-frequency words and phrases, vocabulary, and comprehension. To identify the participants, 1,695 fourth-grade students were screened using the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test, and those whose standard scores were 85 or lower were included in the study (N = 483). Participants were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive either researcher-provided intervention (n = 323) or intervention provided by school personnel (business as usual, BAU) (n = 161). Findings revealed no statistically significant differences between students in the researcher-provided intervention and BAU groups. Using effect sizes as an indicator of impact, students in the researcher-implemented treatment generally outperformed students in the school-implemented treatment (BAU). Examining growth in standard scores, both groups made significant gains in reading outcomes with standard score growth from pretest to posttest of 3 standard score points on decoding, 5 on fluency, and 2.0 to 7 standard score points on reading comprehension measures.
The New Zealand market's relationship with Australia and Pacific-Basin share markets: is New Zealand converging with Australia?

Using 33 years of data this article considers linkages between New Zealand, Australia and various other Pacific-Basin equity markets. Using time-varying parameter modelling techniques we show that the New Zealand stock market returns have become increasingly sensitive to perturbations in the Australian market relative to those in other Pacific-Basin markets. This has implications for a stock market merger between these two countries as well as a possible monetary union.
Optimization of Project Time-Cost Trade-Off Problem with Discounted Cash Flows

Traditional time-cost trade-off (TCTO) analysis assumes constant value of activities' cost along the project time span. However, the value of money decreases with time and, therefore, discounted cash flows should be considered when solving TCTO optimization problem. Optimization problems in project management have been traditionally solved by two distinctive approaches: heuristic methods and optimization techniques. Although heuristic methods can handle large-size projects, they do not guarantee optimal solutions. A nonlinear mathematical optimization model for project TCTO problem is developed, which minimizes project direct cost and takes into account discounted cash flows. Costs of activities are assumed to be incurred at their finish times. The model guarantees the optimal solution, in which precise discrete activity time-cost function is used. The model input includes precedence relationship between project activities, discrete utility data for project activities, and discount rate. Details of model formulation are illustrated by an example project. The results show that selected activities' durations and costs and consequently optimal project duration differ from traditional analysis if discounted cash flow is considered. The new approach provides project practitioners with a way for considering net present value in time-cost decisions so that the best option can be identified.
Is Japan Different? Evidence on Momentum and Market Dynamics

Recent evidence for the US indicates that momentum profits are conditional on market dynamics. This paper documents that the following finding holds for the Japanese market as well: momentum returns are significantly higher when the market stays in the same condition than when it transitions to the other state. This evidence is consistent with the behavioral model of Daniel et al. ([Daniel, K., 1998], Journal of Finance 53(6), 1839–1885. ). Furthermore, market transitions occurred more frequently in Japan compared to the US. These results explain why average momentum returns have historically been low in Japan, a fact generally referred to as an empirical failure of momentum. Overall, my findings indicate that different market dynamics, and not different momentum, cause the overall low momentum returns in Japan.
Does Foreign Direct Investment Promote Economic Growth in Vietnam?

This study examines the effects of the foreign direct investment (FDI) on economic growth in Vietnam by using the panel data model across Vietnam’s sixty-one provinces in 1995–2006. The study shows that there is a strong and positive effect of FDI on economic growth in Vietnam as a channel of increasing the stock of capital. Human capital and trade in Vietnam are not yet the channels that give access to advance technology and knowledge transfers from FDI inflows to increase Vietnam’s economic growth.
Adapting labour law and social security to the needs of the 'new self-employed' — comparing the UK, Germany and the Netherlands

The emergence of the category of 'new self-employment' presents a challenge for political actors in European countries. The new self-employed are exposed to the same social risks as dependent employees, but they generally enjoy fewer social and labour rights. How are social policymakers reacting to this situation? Our response to this question is structured as follows. First, comparing the situation in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands, we briefly describe the factors which have contributed to the increase in self-employment and the structure of `new self-employment'. Second, we outline the initiatives to adjust legislation in these countries so as to accommodate new self-employment and those types of work that are found on the borderline between dependent employment and self-employment. We then describe the ways in which these types of work are considered under national labour legislation and the extent to which they are taken into account by the respective statutory social security systems. The main finding that emerges is that despite the similar challenges faced by the three countries, path-dependency has led national legislators to adopt very different strategies to adjust social security and labour law regulations.
Juvenile Offences Among Hospitalized Adolescent Inhalant Users in Istanbul: A Comparison Regarding Place of Residence

Abstract In this research, juvenile offenses and associated behaviors among adolescent inhalant users in Istanbul were investigated and inhalant users living in the street were compared to inhalant users living with their families. An interview questionnaire developed by the researchers was administered to 200 male adolescent inhalant users who were hospitalized during 2002–2003. More than half of the sample had committed juvenile offenses at least once in their lifetime, 16.3% had entered a house of corrections, 91.5% had friends who committed juvenile offenses, and the majority had been taken to a police station at least once in their lifetime. The rates for juvenile offenses, being taken to the police station, committing crimes to obtain money to buy drugs, and obtaining income through illegal activities were higher among adolescents living in the street than adolescents living with their families. Although the juvenile offense rate was higher among adolescents living in the street, it can be suggested that both groups live in subcultures that have a tendency towards crime, and inhalant use is part of these subcultures. Juvenile offense interventions can be useful for all inhalant users.
Constructing diffeomorphic representations for the groupwise analysis of nonrigid registrations of medical images

Groupwise nonrigid registrations of medical images define dense correspondences across a set of images, defined by a continuous deformation field that relates each target image in the group to some reference image. These registrations can be automatic, or based on the interpolation of a set of user-defined landmarks, but in both cases, quantifying the normal and abnormal structural variation across the group of imaged structures implies analysis of the set of deformation fields. We contend that the choice of representation of the deformation fields is an integral part of this analysis. This paper presents methods for constructing a general class of multi-dimensional diffeomorphic representations of deformations. We demonstrate, for the particular case of the polyharmonic clamped-plate splines, that these representations are suitable for the description of deformations of medical images in both two and three dimensions, using a set of two-dimensional annotated MRI brain slices and a set of three-dimensional segmented hippocampi with optimized correspondences. The class of diffeomorphic representations also defines a non-Euclidean metric on the space of patterns, and, for the case of compactly supported deformations, on the corresponding diffeomorphism group. In an experimental study, we show that this non-Euclidean metric is superior to the usual ad hoc Euclidean metrics in that it enables more accurate classification of legal and illegal variations.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Auditing in Local Municipalities Using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP): A General Model and the Israeli Example

This paper suggests a method for evaluating the effectiveness of auditing, and more specifically, develops measurement tools for evaluating the effectiveness of auditing in local municipalities. Auditing effectiveness is defined basically as the number and scope of deficiencies corrected following the auditing process. Given the relatively scant literature about the measurement of auditing effectiveness in the public sector, this study attempts to bring the issue to the forefront and provide systematic tools for such a measurement. The method suggested in this paper is based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology, which is usually used for grading multi-criteria alternatives where a subjective (expert) comparison between alternatives is required. In our context, this methodology helps rank the relative importance of each deficiency in the auditing report by assigning weights to each deficiency. Applying this method to auditing in local municipalities, the paper develops measurement tools for evaluating their effectiveness based on questionnaires distributed among experts and illustrates their applicability in three local municipalities in Israel.
The importance of conversations-for-action for effective strategic management

As we witness a changing landscape of business and world affairs, it becomes increasingly more important to maintain a systemic understanding of developments, as a guide for improved strategic management. Organizations that embarked on implementing new approaches (TQM, reengineering, learning organizations, etc) for significant performance improvements have experienced limited or no success. In periods of rapid change, the paramount challenges in strategic management are related to the effective execution of current plans and the adaptation needed to cope with change. Two significant causes for disappointing results have been the lack of framing problems in systemic terms and the poor coordination resulting from inefficient communication patterns. In this sense, any solution to a problem contains the seeds of the next set of problems. An effective approach for handling these deficiencies highlights the conversations-for-action needed for effective coordination in both strategic and operational planning. The need to develop and implement viable strategies for sustainable high performance requires that, in addition to materials and information flows within a system, we must explore ways to accommodate this third kind of flow of human communications within and between organizations.
The Role of Market Orientation in Advertising Spending during Economic Collapse: The Case of Turkey in 2001

The authors investigate the role of market orientation in advertising spending during economic contraction. They use the 2001 economic collapse in Turkey as the empirical context in which to test hypotheses regarding why some firms increase their advertising spending in a contraction period while the majority of firms cut back. Analyzing market orientation at the level of its intelligence and responsiveness facets, they find the responsiveness facet to be positively associated with increases in advertising spending but observe the intelligence facet to be negatively associated with advertising spending. Importantly, positive shifts in advertising spending during the economic contraction predict better subsequent business performance. The opposing roles of the intelligence and responsiveness facets disappear in a subsequent economic expansion period. These findings have managerial and theoretical implications. Firms that nurture the responsiveness facet of market orientation during economic contractions go against the tide to increase their advertising spending and experience the performance benefits that such countercyclical actions can amass.
Identification of a Distinctive Mutation Spectrum Associated with High Levels of Transcription in Yeast

ABSTRACT High levels of transcription are associated with increased mutation rates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a phenomenon termed transcription-associated mutation (TAM). To obtain insight into the mechanism of TAM, we obtained LYS2 forward mutation spectra under low- versus high-transcription conditions in which LYS2 was expressed from either the low-level pLYS2 promoter or the strong pGAL1-10 promoter, respectively. Because of the large size of the LYS2 locus, forward mutations first were mapped to specific LYS2 subregions, and then those mutations that occurred within a defined 736-bp target region were sequenced. In the low-transcription strain base substitutions comprised the majority (64%) of mutations, whereas short insertion-deletion mutations predominated (56%) in the high-transcription strain. Most notably, deletions of 2 nucleotides (nt) comprised 21% of the mutations in the high-transcription strain, and these events occurred predominantly at 5′-(G/C)AAA-3′ sites. No −2 events were present in the low-transcription spectrum, thus identifying 2-nt deletions as a unique mutational signature for TAM.
Phase I clinical study of RG7356, an anti-CD44 humanized antibody, in patients with acute myeloid leukemia

RG7356, a recombinant anti-CD44 immunoglobulin G1 humanized monoclonal antibody, inhibits cell adhesion and has been associated with macrophage activation in preclinical models. We report results of a phase I dose-escalation study of RG7356 in relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Eligible patients with refractory AML, relapsed AML after induction chemotherapy, or previously untreated AML not eligible for intensive chemotherapy were enrolled and received intravenous RG7356 at dosages ≤ 2400 mg every other week or ≤ 1200 mg weekly or twice weekly; dose escalation started at 300 mg. Forty-four patients (median age, 69 years) were enrolled. One dose-limiting toxicity occurred (grade 3 hemolysis exacerbation) after one 1200 mg dose (twice-weekly cohort). The majority of adverse events were mild/moderate. Infusion-related reactions occurred in 64% of patients mainly during cycle 1. Two patients experienced grade 3 drug-induced aseptic meningitis. Pharmacokinetics increased supraproportionally, suggesting a target-mediated drug disposition (TMDD) at ≥ 1200 mg. Two patients achieved complete response with incomplete platelet recovery or partial response, respectively. One patient had stable disease with hematologic improvement. RG7356 was generally safe and well tolerated. Maximum tolerated dose was not reached, but saturation of TMDD was achieved. The recommended dose for future AML evaluations is 2400 mg every other week.
Top Management Team Search and New Knowledge Creation

This article probes the vital role a top management team (TMT) plays in the coupling of knowledge elements assembled through local and nonlocal search into radically new, exploratory innovations and incrementally new, exploitative innovations. It theorizes that the materialization of exploratory and exploitative innovations from a firm's recombinatory stock of knowledge elements is contingent on the interplay between a TMT's experience diversity and its shared vision. Multigroup structural equation modeling of data from a large cross-section of firms in the Netherlands supports the theoretical model. We find that although greater variation in TMT experiences fosters exploratory innovations, lesser variation promotes exploitative innovations. A shared TMT vision moderates these relationships. We discuss the implications for research and practice.
Influence of activated sewage sludge amendment on PAH removal efficiency from a naturally contaminated soil: application of the landfarming treatment

ABSTRACT The removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from a naturally co-contaminated soil by PAHs and heavy metals with an initial concentration of 620 mg of total PAHs kg−1 dry soil was investigated. The efficiency of landfarming in removing phenanthrene, pyrene, benzo(a)pyrene and the group of total 16 US EPA PAHs was evaluated. The process was biostimulated by adding centrifuged activated sewage sludge (SS) as an organic amendment. The tested ratios of contaminated soil to SS were 1:2, 1:1, 1:0.5 and 1:0 as wet weight basis. The process performance was monitored through chemical, microbiological and ecotoxicological analyses during 105 days of incubation. The results of analyses demonstrated that the treatment without centrifuged SS achieved a significantly higher total 16 US EPA PAH removal efficiency (i.e. 32%) compared to treatments with amendment. In the same treatment, the removal efficiency of the PAH bioavailable fraction was 100% for phenanthrene, benzo(a)pyrene and the group of total 16 US EPA PAHs, whereas 76% for pyrene. Ecotoxicity test performed with bioluminescent bacteria Vibrio fischeri confirmed the effectiveness of landfarming. Finally, the results showed that indigenous microorganisms under certain and controlled operating conditions have greater potential for PAH biodegradation compared to allochthonous microorganisms.
Advantages of percutaneous hollow needle technique for iliac bone harvest in alveolar cleft grafting.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the percutaneous hollow needle technique for bone harvest to determine if morbidity from the bone donor site can be reduced significantly. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed evaluating all patients undergoing alveolar bone grafting at our institution from January 1992 through December 1996. Patients who underwent additional major procedures were excluded. Group I consisted of 12 patients in whom the percutaneous technique was utilized. The patients had an average age of 11.1 years (range: 8 to 15 years). Six were male and six were female. One had a bilateral cleft. Group II consisted of 15 patients in whom the conventional open technique for iliac crest bone harvest was used. They had an average age of 13.1 years (range: 7 to 31 years). Six were male and nine were female. Two had bilateral clefts. Minimum follow-up was 6 months. We evaluated intraoperative blood loss, total postoperative analgesia requirement, and length of hospital stay based on a retrospective hospital chart review. RESULTS A significant difference was found between the two groups regarding intraoperative blood loss (group I: 83.3 cm3, group II: 208 cm3; p = .0015), postoperative total analgesia requirement (group I: 0.04 mg/kg, range: 0 to 0.17 mg/kg; group II: 0.34 mg/kg, range: 0.03 to 0.74 mg/kg; p = .0002), and length of hospital stay (group I: 1.0 days, group II: 2.13 days; p = .0001). There was no significant change in these results when bilateral clefts were excluded. CONCLUSION Iliac bone graft harvest using the percutaneous hollow needle technique results in less blood loss, decreased postoperative pain, and shorter hospital stays compared with the open technique.