Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Algorithms and Walsh Functions: Part I, A Gentle Introduction

This paper investigates the application of Walsh functions to the analysis of genetic algorithms operating on different codingfunct ion combinations. Although these analysis tools have been in existence for some time, they have not been widely used. To promote their understanding and use, this paper introduces Bethke's Walshschema transform through the Walsh polynomials. This form of the method provides an intuitive basis for visualizing the nonlinearities being considered, thereby permitting the consideration of a number of useful extensions to the theory in Part II.
Program Trading and Intraday Volatility in the Stock Index Futures Market and Spot Market: The Case of Korea

ABSTRACT This study examines the effect of program trades on the price changes in the Korean stock index futures and spot markets employing intraday return and trading data. Program trades in the Korean stock market create an instant imbalance in market liquidity. However, their impact is very short-lived and limited in an economic sense. Moreover, there is little tendency for market returns to over-react to program trades. An increase in program trades results in higher spot market volatility but does not cause monotonically increasing futures market volatility. Overall, program trades do not destabilize the stock market in Korea despite some positive association between program trades and volatility.
A closer look at completion in higher education in New Zealand

New Zealand has one of the lowest reported higher education qualification completion rates in the OECD, significantly below Australia. Why do so many New Zealand students not complete their qualification? This paper looks behind some of the numbers in an attempt to understand better and assess New Zealand's performance compared with Australia and internationally. It looks, for example, at the impact of part-time and partial qualification study on completion rates. New Zealand has the highest reported level of part-time study in the OECD, and one in eight bachelor's degree students in New Zealand pass every subject they've enrolled in, yet have not completed their degree after five years. What does this tell us about intentions and about how we should gauge success? The paper takes another look at some international comparisons focusing on full-time students, and also looks at the impact of transfers, changing qualifications, and what happens to rates when a ten-year window is taken instead of a five-year window.
An Organizational Portfolio Theory of Board Composition

A new theory of organizational change and success has recently been proposed, organizational portfolio theory (Donaldson, 1999). One purpose of this theory is to provide a fresh perspective on the determinants and consequences of board composition. After outlining organizational portfolio theory, this paper suggests some implications of the new theory for understanding the dynamic relationship between board composition and firm performance.
The efficiency of cooperative banks: the impact of environmental economic conditions

This article analyses the cost and profit efficiencies of cooperative banks. Cooperative banks are small financial institutions providing financial services in several local geographical areas, and they play a fundamental role in various European banking systems. Even though these small financial institutions present a homogeneous business model, their performance is strongly influenced by the economic conditions of their local markets. The efficiency measurement has to account for the heterogeneity of the environmental conditions. By using a large sample of Italian cooperative banks (2683 year observations) collected between 2000 and 2005, we estimated the cost and profit efficiency using Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) and including various environmental variables accounting for disparities among Italian regions. We show that environmental conditions substantially influence efficiency estimates: banks in the Northeast of Italy are shown to be the more cost efficient, benefiting from a favourable environment, while banks in the South of Italy display a higher profit efficiency, probably due to lower competitive pressures. We show that the coefficients for branches and the concentration of cooperative banks with respect to other banks are important both on the cost side and the profit side.
Prediction of lipid-interacting amino acid residues from sequence features

Proteins and lipids are integral components of cell membranes, and play important roles in cell signalling. Alterations of normal protein-lipid recognition may cause various diseases. However, molecular mechanisms underlying protein-lipid recognition are still poorly understood. In this study, we have developed a support vector machine-based approach for predicting lipid-interacting residues from amino acid sequence features. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that applies machine learning to sequence-based prediction of lipid-interacting residues in proteins. Our study provides useful information for understanding protein-lipid interactions, and may lead to advances in drug discovery.
Slicing and dicing the gender/racial earnings differentials

Purpose - This paper aims to explore an extensive set of determinants of earnings and to offer recent empirical evidence of their effects on gender and racial earnings gaps. Design/methodology/approach - Most previous studies looked at gender and racial comparisons independently of each other. This study extends previous studies by considering the interaction between gender and race. Using administrative data from a large Canadian firm, this paper explores the determinants of earnings based on a standard human capital model, comparing the earnings of white females, minority males and minority females with their white male counterparts. Both the dummy variable approach and a decomposition analysis are employed. Findings - The results show that ranking in the organizational hierarchy accounts for most of the differences in gender and racial earnings, and ranking, together with human capital and job characteristics variables, explains over 90 percent of the earnings gap. Research limitations/implications - The analyses in the paper are based on data from a Canadian organization with nation-wide operations. The findings may not apply to small or medium sized enterprises in Canada and in other non-Western economies. Practical implications - To eliminate the earnings gap, equal pay programs need to be supplemented by effective employers' programs and policies targeted at equal advancement opportunity. Originality/value - The paper uses firm-level data, which provides natural controls for variations across firms and allows for more in-depth analysis of the impact of various factors on earnings differentials.
Estimating organic premiums in the US fluid milk market

Abstract Using actual retail purchases from the 2006 Nielsen Homescan panel data, we estimate a hedonic model on price premiums and discounts associated with household characteristics, market factors, and product attributes focusing on the organic attribute for fluid milk. The organic attribute carries a significant price premium, which is largest of all product attributes considered in this study. Further, additional price variations among organic milk are observed for differences in fat content, container size and branding. Specifically, the results suggest that organic price premiums for half-gallon milk range from $1.23 for whole private label organic milk (60–68% above conventional counterpart) to $1.86 for nonfat/skim-branded organic milk (89–109% above conventional counterpart). The study also found that milk sold in a discount store (i.e., supercenter or club warehouse) was price 13 cents per half gallon, or 7.4%, below milk sold through other venues, and that milk on sale was priced 26 cents per half gallon, or 14.3%, less than the regular average price. Although household characteristics exert little influence on price relative to product attributes and market factors, the study does find that unmarried households and those with children under six pay slightly higher prices for milk, possibly due to time constraints.
[Study on acting mechanism of anti-morphine conditioned place preference between aqueous extract of Corydalis yanhusuo and L-THP and comparison of their effects].

OBJECTIVE To study the acting mechanism of anti-morphine conditioned place preference (CPP) between aqueous extract of Corydalis yanhusuo and L-THP and compare their effects. METHOD The CPP model was established by injecting morphine in rats with a increasing dose for 10 days, with the initial dose of 10 g x kg(-1) and the final dose of 100 g x kg(-1), 10 mg x kg(-1) was increased each day, thus 100 mg x kg(-1) was injected by d 10. Having been treated with differential doses (2, 1 and 0.5 g x kg(-1)) of C. yanhusuo (containing L-THP: 0.153, 0.077 and 0.038 mg x kg(-1) respectively) and L-THP (3.76, 1.88 and 0.94 mg x kg(-1)) for six days, the CPP effect in rats was detected. Both colorimetry and immunohistochemistry methods were adopted to detect the content of glutamate neurotransmitter in each brain region and the expression of NR2B in VTA-NAc-PFC neuroanatomical circuit. RESULT Compared with the physiological saline treatment group, C. yanhusuo (2, 1 g x kg(-1)) and L-THP (3.76 and 1.88 mg x kg(-1)) groups showed a notably shorter retention period of rats in white boxes (morphine-accompanied boxes) (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) and remarkably lower glutamic acid content in VTA, NAc and PFC and NR2B expression. CONCLUSION Both C. yanhusuo and L-THP can substantially inhibit the effect of morphine CPP, reduce the increasing glutamic acid content in VTA-NAc-PFC neuroanatomical circuit and down-regulated NR2B expression, which may be one of mechanisms on reducing the effect of morphine CPP. C. yanhusuo preparations containing L-THP (1 x ) showed 24-fold effect of L-THP monomer of single application in terms of the behaviouristics of inhibitory effect on CPP as well as the similarity in terms of transmitter glutamic acid of in VTA-NAc-PFC neuroanatomical circuit and pharmacological mechanism of NR2B.
Neighborhood Government: The Local Foundations of Political Life

Chapter 1 Critical Introduction Chapter 2 Preface Chapter 3 The Historical Basis of the Neighborhood Chapter 4 The Imperial City Chapter 5 Theories of Neighborhood Organization Chapter 6 The Neighborhood Corporation Chapter 7 The Political Issues of Neighborhood Corporation Chapter 8 Local Territory and Political Environment Chapter 9 The Transfer of Authority Chapter 10 The Organization of Neighborhood Politics Chapter 11 Localism, Not Separatism Chapter 12 The Radical Politics of Local Control Chapter 13 Original Epilogue: A New Constitution 14 New Afterword
Clearance of complement by human vascular endothelial cells: effects of hypoxia/reoxygenation and IL‐1β activation

Antibody‐mediated rejection is characterized by deposits of complement (C) C4 and C3 split products on endothelial cells (ECs). C3 split products are critical mechanistically and diagnostically because they are deposited in amplified quantities, bind covalently to ECs and act as ligands for leukocytes. This study was designed to determine whether cultured vascular human ECs could clear covalently bound C3 split products from their surface. An immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody against β2‐microglobulin of major histocompatibility complex class I antigens was used to activate C in human serum. Some cells were exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation and/or interleukin 1β (IL‐1β) prior to incubation with antibody. C3b/iC3b and C3d deposition on the cell surface was measured by flow cytometry. Incubation with antibody followed by human serum caused a dose‐dependent deposition of C3b/iC3b and C3d. Over half of deposited C3b/iC3b and one‐third of C3d were cleared from the cell surface during a 3–7‐h incubation period with human serum. Neither hypoxia/reoxygenation nor IL‐1β further increased the deposition of C3b/iC3b and C3d, and only slightly modulated their rates of clearance. In summary, human ECs rapidly clear iC3b and C3d from their surface. This finding may have important diagnostic and mechanistic implications to transplantation because C3d is used as a marker of antibody‐mediated rejection.
Housing Stock Transfer in Birmingham and Glasgow: The Contrasting Experiences of Two UK Cities

ABSTRACT Housing stock transfer is arguably one of the more controversial aspects of New Labour's housing policy. It was a policy originally pursued under the Conservative governments from the 1980s into the early 1990s and has gained pace under New Labour since 1997. Across Britain, the Westminster government, along with the devolved Scottish and Welsh administrations in Edinburgh and Cardiff, have all demonstrated a commitment of late to the use of stock transfer to reshape and reconfigure social housing provision. This paper considers some of the key aspects of stock transfer, not least the underlying national policy drivers of demunicipalization and use of private finance, and then explores the contrasting fortunes of stock transfer in the two largest local authority social housing authorities in Britain, that is Birmingham and Glasgow. In 2002 Birmingham tenants rejected stock transfer while in Glasgow, following a tenant vote for transfer, the city's entire council housing stock was transferred to a not-for-profit housing agency. The different experiences of the pursuance of stock transfer in these two cities together highlight some of the key questions and issues that are now being asked of this central component of New Labour's approach to social housing.
An Efficiency Determinant of Banking Industry in Indonesia

The Objective of this study is to estimate the factors influencing the level of technical efficiency of banks as measured by a non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). This study applies to panel data regression models with random effects approach to 110 conventional bank over 2006-2010. Based on estimation of the determinants of bank efficiency levels, it can be informed that bank size factors, types of banks, capital adequacy ratio, loans deposit ratio, operating expenses and net interest margin affect the level of technica lefficiency significantly. This study has implications both theoretically and managerially. Theoretical implications for this research provide an important contribution to the development of the theory of efficiency and financial performance. Finnaly the managerial implications of this research have the consequences of improving the especially for the domestic banks. Keywords: Technica lEfficiency, Data Envelopment Analysis, Panel data regression model
Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of A . cepa L . and A . × cornutum ( Clementi ex Visiani 1842 ) Methanolic Extracts

Here we report a comparative study of the pyhtochemical profile and a biological activity of the two onion extracts, namely A. cepa L. and A. × cornutum (Clementi ex Visiani 1842). Identification of flavonoids and anthocyanins and their individual quantities were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The potency of both extracts to scavenge free radicals was determined by DPPH (2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical-scavenging activity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) methods. DNA protective role was further tested by single-cell gel electrophoresis (COMET) assay and by Fenton’s reagent causing double strand brakes on pUC19 plasmid. In the presence of both extracts, a significant decrease in the DNA damage was observed, which indicates a protective role of A. cepa and A. × cornutum on the DNA strand brakes. Additionally, cytotoxicity was tested on glioblastoma and breast cancer cell lines. The results showed that both extracts had antiproliferative effect, but the most prominent decrease in cellular growth was observed with glioblastoma cells.
The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index Predicts Survival in Elderly Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients with Radiotherapy

The impact of nutritional status on survival among elderly esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients undergoing radiotherapy is unclear. In this study, we aimed at validating the performance of the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) in predicting overall survival time in elderly ESCC patients with radiotherapy. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 239 ESCC patients aged 60 and over admitted consecutively from January 2008 to November 2014 in the Department of Radiotherapy, Henan Tumor Hospital (Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Zhengzhou University), Zhengzhou, Henan, China. All patients were subjected to nutritional screening using GNRI, and were followed for the occurrence of lymphatic node metastasis, radiation complication and mortality. The Kaplan–Meier method with Log-rank test was used to estimate survival curves. Univariable Cox regression analysis was used to identify variables associated with overall survival time. Among the 239 patients, 184 patients (76.9%) took no nutritional risk, 32 patients (13.4%) took moderate risk of malnutrition, and 23 patients (9.7%) took a high risk of malnutrition. Univariable Cox regression showed that both high nutritional risk group and moderate nutritional risk group were significantly less likely to survive than no nutritional risk patients (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.688, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.019–2.798 for moderate risk group, and HR = 2.699, 95% CI = 1.512–4.819 for high risk group, respectively). The GNRI is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival time in elderly ESCC patients with radiotherapy. A GNRI ≤98 can be suggested as an indicator of surviving less.
Arm's Length Relationships

We show that lowering the cost of acquisition of information that a principal obtains about the performance of an agent may make it more difficult for the principal to commit to threats. Hence it will weaken incentives and can therefore be counterproductive. This phenomenon is explored in a framework where improving the quality of information makes a commitment not to renegotiate less credible. Applications to the theory of the firm are briefly explored.
Diversity and Interactions of Wood-Inhabiting Fungi and Beetles after Deadwood Enrichment

Freshly cut beech deadwood was enriched in the canopy and on the ground in three cultural landscapes in Germany (Swabian Alb, Hainich-Dün, Schorfheide-Chorin) in order to analyse the diversity, distribution and interaction of wood-inhabiting fungi and beetles. After two years of wood decay 83 MOTUs (Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units) from 28 wood samples were identified. Flight Interception Traps (FITs) installed adjacent to the deadwood enrichments captured 29.465 beetles which were sorted to 566 species. Geographical ‘region’ was the main factor determining both beetle and fungal assemblages. The proportions of species occurring in all regions were low. Statistic models suggest that assemblages of both taxa differed between stratum and management praxis but their strength varied among regions. Fungal assemblages in Hainich-Dün, for which the data was most comprehensive, discriminated unmanaged from extensively managed and age-class forests (even-aged timber management) while canopy communities differed not from those near the ground. In contrast, the beetle assemblages at the same sites showed the opposite pattern. We pursued an approach in the search for fungus-beetle associations by computing cross correlations and visualize significant links in a network graph. These correlations can be used to formulate hypotheses on mutualistic relationships for example in respect to beetles acting as vectors of fungal spores.
Regional Wage Differentials in Poland by

The study provides a comprehensive examination of regional wage differentials in Poland over 1994-2007 by utilizing both microand macro-data. Our analysis reveals that significant wage disparities between the Polish voivodships remain even after controlling for a number of observed socio-demographic characteristics of workers. The estimated relative regional wage differentials (both nominal and real) are in line with the hypotheses drawn from NEG models: they are correlated with historical patterns of agglomeration, market access, regional amenities as well as internal and external migration. Noticeable and persistent wage differences imply that Poland’s regional policy was ineffective in reducing regional disparities. However, whether regional inequalities can be and should be eliminated remains an issue for debate.
Firm-Specific Assets and the Link between Exchange Rates and Japanese Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: A Re-Examination

Blonigen has studied the Japanese foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States using panel count models and data for 1975-92. He reports the overall finding that appreciation of Japanese yen had a positive impact on Japanese FDI in the U.S.A. This paper reexamines the robustness of this conclusion using Blonigen's data and a family of econometric models, finite mixture panel count models, that are more flexible and also appear to provide an improved fit to the Blonigen data. Although our results broadly support his conclusions regarding the link between the exchange rate and Japanese FDI in the U.S.A. our approach also highlights the considerable diversity in the response of FDI to exchange rate variations.
On the substitution effect of the minimum wage increase: new evidence

The impact of the minimum wage increase on the part-time/full-time employment ratio (PTFT) is re-examined. Contrary to some previous findings, strong evidence is found of the substitution effect that if the relative wage (the ratio of the minimum wage to the average hourly earning in the private sector) rises, PTFT decreases. The linear and logarithmic forms can be rejected. The partial adjustment process describes the lag response better. Real GDP growth is found to be insignificant and may be proxied by the unemployment rate for experienced workers.
Key Factors of Recent Chinese Provincial Economic Growth

The aim of this paper is to analyse the factors that affected Chinese provincial economic growth after the reforms of the early 1980s, through a panel analysis (period 1986–2001). The production function approach focuses on human capital, ‘space-serving’ infrastructure, sectoral allocation of labour and institutional changes. Indices relevant for the analysis are elaborated and provincial capital stocks are estimated. The empirical results indicate the positive role of capital stock, human capital and physical infrastructure and underline that sectoral allocation of labour and institutional changes affected the level of aggregate output. A redistribution policy in favour of the inland provinces needs to be implemented so that human capital and infrastructure can be enhanced, bottlenecks can be overcome and investment can be attracted.
The Effects of Health Events on the Economic Status of Married Couples

This paper uses measures of exogenous health “shocks” to identify the different channels through which changes in health conditions affect income, wealth, and consumption behavior. The results indicate that serious health conditions have strong effects on household wealth, but that the effects for women are larger and more significant than the effects for men. The source of the asymmetry arises from the fact that general living expenses increase when wives become seriously ill, while for husbands, health shocks do not affect these expenditures.