Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electrically small metamaterial-based antennas — have we seen any real practical benefits?

Electrically small metamaterial-based antennas are discussed from the industrial point of view using mobile phones as the application example. It appears, that despite the interesting theoretical findings, the commercial acceptability of these antennas is low. Some of the issues possibly leading to this situation are addressed. Discussion topics range from challenging application environment, through the response of finite-size composite-material samples, all the way to the required constructive criticism and acknowledgement of prior art. Selected issues are discussed in more details, and proposals how to possibly improve the commercial acceptability of metamaterial-based antennas are made.
Earnings Quality and Price Synchronicity: Industry-Wide and Firm-Specific Information

We investigate the association between earnings quality and price synchronicity. Price synchronicity captures the extent to which a firm’s returns are explained by market and industry returns, implying that low price synchronicity could be a result of less industry-wide information impounded into prices. However, an increasing number of recent studies use low price synchronicity as an indication of more firm-specific information being impounded in stock prices. Due to the converse effects of industry-wide and firm-specific information on price synchronicity, the relation between earnings quality and price synchronicity should depend on whether industry-wide or firm-specific information dominates the variation of price. Findings in previous studies imply that high analyst coverage leads to a domination of industry-wide information. Accordingly, we find price synchronicity increases with earnings quality for firms with high analyst coverage; consistent with higher earnings quality leads to more industry-wide information. For firms with no or low analyst coverage, we find price synchronicity decreases with earnings quality; consistent with higher earnings quality leads to more firm-specific information. Our findings are robust with multiple measures of earnings quality, using future ERC approach and controlling for endogeneity.
Genomic and Functional Analyses of the 2-Aminophenol Catabolic Pathway and Partial Conversion of Its Substrate into Picolinic Acid in Burkholderia xenovorans LB400

2-aminophenol (2-AP) is a toxic nitrogen-containing aromatic pollutant. Burkholderia xenovorans LB400 possess an amn gene cluster that encodes the 2-AP catabolic pathway. In this report, the functionality of the 2-aminophenol pathway of B. xenovorans strain LB400 was analyzed. The amnRJBACDFEHG cluster located at chromosome 1 encodes the enzymes for the degradation of 2-aminophenol. The absence of habA and habB genes in LB400 genome correlates with its no growth on nitrobenzene. RT-PCR analyses in strain LB400 showed the co-expression of amnJB, amnBAC, amnACD, amnDFE and amnEHG genes, suggesting that the amn cluster is an operon. RT-qPCR showed that the amnB gene expression was highly induced by 2-AP, whereas a basal constitutive expression was observed in glucose, indicating that these amn genes are regulated. We propose that the predicted MarR-type transcriptional regulator encoded by the amnR gene acts as repressor of the amn gene cluster using a MarR-type regulatory binding sequence. This report showed that LB400 resting cells degrade completely 2-AP. The amn gene cluster from strain LB400 is highly identical to the amn gene cluster from P. knackmussi strain B13, which could not grow on 2-AP. However, we demonstrate that B. xenovorans LB400 is able to grow using 2-AP as sole nitrogen source and glucose as sole carbon source. An amnBA − mutant of strain LB400 was unable to grow with 2-AP as nitrogen source and glucose as carbon source and to degrade 2-AP. This study showed that during LB400 growth on 2-AP this substrate was partially converted into picolinic acid (PA), a well-known antibiotic. The addition of PA at lag or mid-exponential phase inhibited LB400 growth. The MIC of PA for strain LB400 is 2 mM. Overall, these results demonstrate that B. xenovorans strain LB400 posses a functional 2-AP catabolic central pathway, which could lead to the production of picolinic acid.
Directional selection has shaped the oral jaws of Lake Malawi cichlid fishes

East African cichlid fishes represent one of the most striking examples of rapid and convergent evolutionary radiation among vertebrates. Models of ecological speciation would suggest that functional divergence in feeding morphology has contributed to the origin and maintenance of cichlid species diversity. However, definitive evidence for the action of natural selection has been missing. Here we use quantitative genetics to identify regions of the cichlid genome responsible for functionally important shape differences in the oral jaw apparatus. The consistent direction of effects for individual quantitative trait loci suggest that cichlid jaws and teeth evolved in response to strong, divergent selection. Moreover, several chromosomal regions contain a disproportionate number of quantitative trait loci, indicating a prominent role for pleiotropy or genetic linkage in the divergence of this character complex. Of particular interest are genomic intervals with concerted effects on both the length and height of the lower jaw. Coordinated changes in this area of the oral jaw apparatus are predicted to have direct consequences for the speed and strength of jaw movement. Taken together, our results imply that the rapid and replicative nature of cichlid trophic evolution is the result of directional selection on chromosomal packages that encode functionally linked aspects of the craniofacial skeleton.
Video-based discomfort detection for infants using a Constrained Local Model

Automatic discomfort detection for infants is important in health care, since infants have no ability to express their discomfort. In this paper, we propose an automatic system for detecting and monitoring discomfort of infants based on video analysis. The system is based on supervised learning and classifies previously unseen infants from the testing set in a fully automated way. Our system consists of face detection and discomfort detection. For each frame, we first detect a face area by using a combination of a skin-color detector and a ViolaJones face detector, and then fit a face shape to the detected face area by using a Constrained Local Model (CLM). After that, we extract expression features by using Elongated Local Binary Pattern (ELBP) on a similarity-normalized appearance (SAPP), and classify expression features with a Support Vector Machine (SVM) for discomfort detection. The key contribution of our system is that it is infant independent and requires no prior knowledge about previously unseen infants. The face detector of the system has an accuracy of 81.5%. The system detects discomfort with an accuracy of 84.3%, a sensitivity of 82.4%, and specificity of 84.9% on the testing set containing videos of 11 infants.
Inferring sound changes using Bayesian MCMC

In this paper we analyze dialect phonetic data using Bayesian Monte Carlo Markov Chain inference (MCMC), in recent years one of the most powerful and the most successful methods in molecular phylogeny for inferring the relationships between species. This method enables us to infer the historic relationships between the language varieties, but also to explore historical accounts of the sound correspondences in the data set. The dialect divisions obtained by applying Bayesian MCMC inference are compared to the divisions described in traditional scholarship. In this experiment we also test three different models of vowel evolution and show which changes are most likely within the vowel space.
Relationships between Diversion Rates and Traffic Conditions on Expressways

Due to increasing interest in dispersion of traffic flows through providing traffic information, there has been much research of driver behavior and effectiveness of diversion. In this paper the authors intend to analyze how a diversion was determined and its effects through correlation analysis between diversion rates estimated by actual surveys and the traffic conditions. Through speed-flow analysis, the diversion mechanism was found. When travel speed decreased, detour volume increased. Then when the traffic volume was decreased through an increase of diversion and traffic conditions got better, the detour volume decreased again. In addition, the authors found negative correlation between the diversion rate and travel speed through correlation analysis. It shows that there were various relationships between diversion rates and traffic conditions according to congestion level and direction of traffic. Finally, it is suggested that the regression equation for calculating the diversion rate with the traffic flows, travel speed, and travel time as variables has a coefficient of determination of 38.5%. It means that traffic conditions on expressways take about 40% of driver's decision-making for diversion.
Timing the Stock Market: Does it Really Make No Sense?

Many private and institutional investors attempt to time the market and generate abnormal returns by periodically switching their portfolio allocations between the stock market and the cash market based on their return predictions. However, most academic studies emphasize that a successful market timing strategy requires a prediction accuracy that is usually not observable in reality. While prior studies evaluate the outcomes based on traditional return and risk measures, we adopt both expected and non-expected utility models to compare market timing with common benchmarks. Our analyses are based on a “simulated market timer” that does not require a specific forecast model. Bootstrap-based simulations show that even with low hit ratios, investors with non-expected utility preferences can consider market timing as highly desirable. The attractiveness of market timing is also partly attributable to short-termism in performance evaluation.
The effects of regulatory policy on the cost of equity capital and the value of equity in the electric utility industry.

In the study of electric utility regulation it is usually assumed that the cost of capital is determined exogenously. In this thesis the effects of a number of regulatory policies on the cost of equity capital and the value of equity in the electric utility industry are examined. The policies studied are: (1) fuel adjustment clauses, (2) allowed rates of return on equity, (3) the allowance of construction work in progress in the rate base, (4) regulatory lag, (5) interim rate relief, and (6) future test years. A theoretical model is developed to explain the effects of the regulatory policies on the cost of equity capital and the value of equity. The empirical work supports the hypotheses that the regulatory policies affect the cost of equity capital and the value of equity. The theoretical analysis and empirical results are used to address several of the implications of the endogeneity of the cost of equity capital for regulatory policy. The endogeneity of the cost of equity capital to regulatory policy implies that in order to equate the allowed rate of return on equity to the cost of equity capital regulators must consider the other regulatory policies they follow. The analysis also has implications for risk-sharing in the electric utility industry between consumers and investors and for the expected price of electricity. Finafly. the implications of the analysis for the effects of regulatory policy on incentives for investment in the industry are examined. Thesis Supervisor: Paul L. Joskow Title: Professor of Economics
An Asymptotic Analysis of an American Call Option with Small Volatility

In this paper we present an asymptotic analysis of an American call option where the diffusion term (volatility) is small compared to the drift terms (interest rate and continuous dividend yield). We show that in the limit where diffusion is negligible, relative to drift, then, at leading order, the American callâ€™s behaviour is the same as a perpetual American call option (except in a boundary layer about the optionâ€™s expiry date).
租税による所得政策(A Tax-Based Incomes Policy)

Our earlier suggestions for using the income tax mechanism to implement an anti-inflationary incomes policy have received some attention.1 This article aims: (1) to present a full statement of the approach, (2) to extend the economic analysis underlying it, (3) to assess some troublesome technical matters, and (4) to demonstrate the advantages of an incomes policy relying on market forces over those that do violence to the market. The facts of our intractable inflation need not be recited. Complicating the price rise has been an unduly high rate of unemployment. The twin goals of price level stability and full employment have so far eluded conventional monetary and fiscal techniques. New measures commend themselves to counter the new experience of 1969-70 in which prices and unemployment rose simultaneously in contrast to past business cycles when their paths diverged.2 It would be an error, however, to regard an incomes policy, such as we propose, as a substitute for monetary and fiscal policy. Instead, the proposal is conceived as a supplement to the familiar monetary-fiscal policies so that the economy might operate closer to full employment without the inflationary danger of excess demand and "overheating".
High-energy Particle Acceleration and Production of Ultra-high-energy Cosmic Rays in the Giant Lobes of Centaurus A

The nearby radio galaxy Centaurus A is poorly studied at high frequencies with conventional radio telescopes because of its very large angular size, but is one of a very few extragalactic objects to be detected and resolved by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). We have used the five-year WMAP data for Cen A to constrain the high-frequency radio spectra of the 10° giant lobes and to search for spectral changes as a function of position along the lobes. We show that the high-frequency radio spectra of the northern and southern giant lobes are significantly different: the spectrum of the southern lobe steepens monotonically (and is steeper further from the active nucleus) whereas the spectrum of the northern lobe remains consistent with a power law. The inferred differences in the northern and southern giant lobes may be the result of real differences in their high-energy particle acceleration histories, perhaps due to the influence of the northern middle lobe, an intermediate-scale feature which has no detectable southern counterpart. In light of these results, we discuss the prospects for Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detections of inverse-Compton emission from the giant lobes and the lobes' possible role in the production of the ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECR) detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory. We show that the possibility of a Fermi detection depends sensitively on the physical conditions in the giant lobes, with the northern lobe more likely to be detected, and that any emission observed by Fermi is likely to be dominated by photons at the soft end of the Fermi energy band. On the other hand, we argue that the estimated conditions in the giant lobes imply that UHECRs can be accelerated there, with a potentially detectable γ-ray signature at TeV energies.
Influence of Size Effect on the Electronic and Elastic Properties of Diamond Films with Nanometer Thickness

The atomic structure and physical properties of few-layered 〈111〉 oriented diamond nanocrystals (diamanes), covered by hydrogen atoms from both sides, are studied using electronic band structure calculations. It was shown that energy stability linearly increases upon increasing of the thickness of proposed structures. All 2D carbon films display direct dielectric band gaps with nonlinear quantum confinement response upon the thickness. Elastic properties of diamanes reveal complex dependence upon increasing of the number of 〈111〉 layers. All theoretical results were compared with available experimental data.
The education of diverse student populations : a global perspective

Research Evidence: Narrowing the Achievement Gaps. - Centralization, Devolution and Diversity: Changing Educational Policy and Practice in English Schools. - Education of Ethnic Minorities and Migrants in Austria. - Educating Ethnic Minority Children: The Case of Canada. - Meeting Challenges in US Education: Striving for Success in a Diverse Society. - Education Policy Reform in Postapartheid South Africa: Constraints and Possibilities. - Education at the Crossroads: The Ghanaian Dilemma and Puzzle. - How China Best Educates Its Ethnic Minority Children: Strategies, Experience and Challenges. - Managing Diversity: The Singapore Experience. - Ethnicities and Education in Malaysia: Difference, Inclusions and Exclusions. - Australian Multicultural Education: Revisiting and Resuscitating. - Searching for Equity and Social Justice: Diverse Learners in Aotearoa New Zealand. - Making a Bigger Difference for Diverse Learners: The Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis Programme in New Zealand.
Locked Mouths: Tooth Loss in a Women's Prison in Northeastern Brazil

Background. Prisoners, in general, exhibit unsatisfactory oral conditions, especially with regard to the large number of missing teeth and with untreated caries. The aim of this study was to assess tooth loss, use of and need for prosthetic rehabilitation, and use of dental services among inmates. A cross-sectional study involving 65 inmates was developed at the Regional Women's Prison of Campina Grande, Brazil. Data regarding sociodemographic and sentencing profile, use of dental services, dental morbidity, and self-perceived oral health impacts were investigated. Chi-square, Pearson, and Kruskal-Wallis (P < 0.05) statistical tests were used. The mean tooth loss was 11.3 teeth. Significant association between tooth loss and oral health satisfaction (P = 0.049), self-perceived need for dental prosthesis (P < 0.001), uncomfortable teeth brushing (P = 0.005), difficult speaking (P = 0.002), and difficulty in performing routine tasks (P = 0.025) was observed. It was observed that 29.2% of inmates were using some type of prosthesis, all deemed unsuitable for use, and 78.5% of inmates needed prosthetic rehabilitation. The oral health condition of the population studied was found to be poor, and prisoners showed significant tooth loss and need for dentures, with the aggravation of having tooth extraction as the major reason for seeking dental care.
Selective Immigration Policies and Wages Inequality

We quantify the overall impact of immigration on native wages in France from 1990 to 2010. Our short-run simulations indicate that immigration has decreased native wages by 0.6%. We find on average no impact of immigration on wages in the long run. However, we show that the long-run effects of immigration on wages are detrimental to high-skilled native workers and benefits to low-skilled native workers. Our structural estimation allows us to evaluate the impact of “selective” migration policies. In particular, we find that selective immigration policies toward highly educated workers reduce the wage dispersion of French native workers.
Reciprocity and the Political Economy of Harmonization and Mutual Recognition of Regulatory Measures

This Paper discusses the issue of regulatory protectionism and its implication for reciprocity and international bargaining on regulation. In a simple two way trade model a la Brander and Spencer, we take into account the three following features of regulatory measures: a) a regulation raises the cost not only of foreign producers but also of domestic producers; b) a regulation also creates a fixed cost which is entirely supported by foreign exporters; c) a regulation may provide a welfare gain valued per se by individuals or to correct some market failure. In this context, we investigate the political economy forces for unilateral regulatory protectionism and the effectiveness of various intra-sectorial bargaining schemes (negotiated reciprocal regulation setting, harmonization or mutual recognition agreements) to ensure reciprocal market access.
A Simple Model of Keynesian Unemployment

Constructing a general equilibrium model which compactly incorporates the markets for outputs, labor, money, and equities, we examine equilibrium unemployment. While a mechanism of an efficiency wage brings about nominal wage rigidity, unemployment occurring in our model definitely has Keynesian features. For instance, a reduction in wages rather enhances unemployment through a decrease in consumption. In addition, our paper shows a possibility of Pareto improvement through an increase in unemployment benefits.
The Role of Personal Innovativeness and Self-Efficacy in Information Technology Acceptance: An Extension of TAM with Notions of Risk

Several research efforts over the last decade have attempted to augment the basic technology acceptance model (TAM) by identifying and testing determinants of the two key predictor beliefs of the model—perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use—and by identifying other extraneous variables that moderate various model relationships. This research is an attempt in the same direction. It addresses some key gaps and inconsistent findings in the TAM literature to further contribute to the refinement of TAM. In this endeavor, this research draws from social cognitive theory (SCT), computer self-efficacy (CSE), technology acceptance model (TAM), and the risk management literature to develop an extended TAM that includes new relationships between the model constructs and personal innovativeness and general and specific computer self-efficacy. The research will be conducted as a survey in the context of the personal digital assistant (PDA) technology.
Industrial evolution in developing countries : micro patterns of turnover, productivity, and market structure

This book presents the results of a project designed to link changes in trade policy with patterns of producer entry, exit, and adjustment characterizing developing country producers, using plant-level data, which reveals micro aspects of the relation between commercial policy and industrial sector performance. The researchers used data gathered from the manufacturing sector of five countries, Chile, Colombia, Morocco, Turkey, and Mexico to pursue the question of how industrial sectors in developing countries evolve. The country studies are collected in part 2, with an overview provided in chapter 8 of the same part. Part 1 draws together evidence on a single issue from a number of countries, focusing on the employment shifts that result from the entry, growth, and exit of manufacturing plants; addressing the cross-firm differences in productivity at the micro level; and quantifying how the turnover process sorts out efficient and inefficient producers. Other chapters address the sources of heterogeneity across producers, with emphasis on the role of economies of scale and foreign direct investment. Chapter 1 summarizes the main lessons, particularly, that the degree of producer turnover in the manufacturing sectors of semi-industrialized countries is on average GREATER than that found in industrialized countries, so the competitive pressures are at least as great. Furthermore, the countries relatively open to trade examined in this research show no evidence that imports contribute additional pressure at the margin. Rather, dying plants become progressively less productive in their final years while new plants that survive improve rapidly. Since a large fraction of the manufacturing sector turns over within five to ten years, policies that inhibit this replacement process probably have substantial medium- and long-term detrimental effects on productivity.