Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do liquidity constraints matter in explaining firm size and growth? Some evidence from the Italian manufacturing industry

The article investigates whether liquidity constraints affect firm size and growth dynamics of Italian manufacturing firms. Panel-data regressions and distribution analyses show that (i) liquidity constraints engender a negative effect on growth once one controls for size; (ii) smaller firms grow more after controlling for liquidity constraints; and (iii) the stronger liquidity constraints, the more size negatively affects firm growth. Furthermore, we find that financial constraints help in better explaining the relationship between firm growth and age, conditional on size. Finally, our data indicate that size distributions depart from log-normality, and growth rates are well approximated by Laplace densities. Copyright 2006, Oxford University Press.
Transmitter Optimization for the Multi-Antenna Downlink With Per-Antenna Power Constraints

This paper considers the transmitter optimization problem for a multiuser downlink channel with multiple transmit antennas at the base-station. In contrast to the conventional sum-power constraint on the transmit antennas, this paper adopts a more realistic per-antenna power constraint, because in practical implementations each antenna is equipped with its own power amplifier and is limited individually by the linearity of the amplifier. Assuming perfect channel knowledge at the transmitter, this paper investigates two different transmission schemes under the per-antenna power constraint: a minimum-power beamforming design for downlink channels with a single antenna at each remote user and a capacity-achieving transmitter design for downlink channels with multiple antennas at each remote user. It is shown that in both cases, the per-antenna downlink transmitter optimization problem may be transformed into a dual uplink problem with an uncertain noise. This generalizes previous uplink-downlink duality results and transforms the per-antenna transmitter optimization problem into an equivalent minimax optimization problem. Further, it is shown that various notions of uplink-downlink duality may be unified under a Lagrangian duality framework. This new interpretation of duality gives rise to efficient numerical optimization techniques for solving the downlink per-antenna transmitter optimization problem
Inducible Human Endothelin-1 Overexpression in Endothelium Raises Blood Pressure via Endothelin Type A Receptors

The mechanisms of blood pressure regulation by endothelin-1 produced by endothelial cells are complex and still unclear. Transgenic mice with endothelium-restricted human endothelin-1 (EDN1) overexpression presented vascular damage but no significant change in blood pressure, which could be because of adaptation to life-long exposure to elevated endothelin-1 levels. We now generated a tamoxifen-inducible endothelium-restricted EDN1 overexpressing transgenic mouse (ieET-1) using Cre/loxP technology. Sixteen days after tamoxifen treatment, ieET-1 mice presented ≥10-fold increase in plasma endothelin-1 (P<0.01) and ≥20 mm Hg elevation in systolic blood pressure (P<0.01), which could be reversed by atrasentan (P<0.05). Endothelin-1 overexpression did not cause vascular or kidney injury or changes in kidney perfusion or function. However, endothelin type A and B receptor expression was differentially regulated in the mesenteric arteries and the kidney. Our results demonstrate using this ieET-1 mouse model that 21 days of induction of endothelin-1 overexpression caused endothelin-1–dependent elevated blood pressure mediated by endothelin type A receptors.
Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket? Diversification and Specialization in Lending

Should lenders diversify, as suggested by the financial intermediation literature, or specialize, as suggested by the corporate finance literature? I model a financial institution's ("bank's") choice between these two strategies in a setting where bank failure is costly and loan monitoring adds value. All else equal, diversification across loan sectors helps most when loans have moderate exposure to sector downturns ("downside") and the bank's monitoring incentives are weak; when loans have low downside, diversification has little benefit, and when loans have sufficiently high downside, diversification may actually increase the bank's chance of failure. Also, it is likely that the bank's monitoring effectiveness is lower in new sectors; in this case, diversification lowers average returns on monitored loans, is less likely to improve monitoring incentives, and is more likely to increase the bank's chance of failure. Diversified banks may sometimes need more equity capital than specialized banks, and increased competition can make diversification either more or less attractive. These results motivate actual institutions' behavior and performance in a number of cases. Key implications for regulators are that an institution's credit risk depends on its monitoring incentives as much as on its diversification, and that diversification per se is no guarantee of reduced risk of failure.
Vulnerability to Chronic Energy Deficiency: An Empirical Analysis of Women in Uttar Pradesh, India

Prevalence rate of chronic energy deficiency (CED) is used as a measure of (adult) nutrition and health status for any region or country. That these rates in India have been rather high particularly for women is a matter of concern. As Floud (1992) and Fogel (1997) have shown, among several anthropometric measures weight-for-height or Body Mass Index (BMI) is an effective predictor of morbidity and mortality rates. BMI is shown to indicate the current nutritional status thereby reflecting the difference between food intake and the demand for these intakes. The present study uses this indicator as a measure of health status. Due to limited information base on BMI very few studies in India have analysed the determinants of CED (which is the current health status) and even far fewer studies estimating the persons vulnerable to it (that is future health status). This paper attempts to do so based on a sample of ever-married women in the age group of 15-49 years in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) for the year 1998-99. The results indicate that education, social infrastructure and quality of diet influence those who are likely to be CED in future, with significant rural urban differences. Apart from these well-known indicators, presence of drinking water source within the residence (whether piped or otherwise), women in the age group of 15-19 years, and education status of the husband seems important. More importantly, the results clearly highlight that the CED rates and vulnerability rates can be very different across two sub-groups of population. Hence, the results from this study would be more useful in targeting policy most effectively as the emphasis would now be on ‘potential’ deficient persons rather than on current ones, which is the convention in policy intervention.
A Novel Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Subtype in Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Neurons with High Sensitivity to Amyloid Peptides

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) containing α7 subunits are thought to assemble as homomers. α7-nAChR function has been implicated in learning and memory, and alterations of α7-nAChR have been found in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we report findings consistent with a novel, naturally occurring nAChR subtype in rodent, basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. In these cells, α7 subunits are coexpressed, colocalize, and coassemble with β2 subunit(s). Compared with homomeric α7-nAChRs from ventral tegmental area neurons, functional, presumably heteromeric α7β2-nAChRs on cholinergic neurons freshly dissociated from medial septum/diagonal band (MS/DB) exhibit relatively slow kinetics of whole-cell current responses to nicotinic agonists and are more sensitive to the β2 subunit-containing nAChR-selective antagonist, dihydro-β-erythroidine (DHβE). Interestingly, presumed, heteromeric α7β2-nAChRs are highly sensitive to functional inhibition by pathologically relevant concentrations of oligomeric, but not monomeric or fibrillar, forms of amyloid β1–42 (Aβ1–42). Slow whole-cell current kinetics, sensitivity to DHβE, and specific antagonism by oligomeric Aβ1–42 also are characteristics of heteromeric α7β2-nAChRs, but not of homomeric α7-nAChRs, heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Moreover, choline-induced currents have faster kinetics and less sensitivity to Aβ when elicited from MS/DB neurons derived from nAChR β2 subunit knock-out mice rather than from wild-type mice. The presence of novel, functional, heteromeric α7β2-nAChRs on basal forebrain cholinergic neurons and their high sensitivity to blockade by low concentrations of oligomeric Aβ1–42 suggests possible mechanisms for deficits in cholinergic signaling that could occur early in the etiopathogenesis of AD and might be targeted by disease therapies.
Hyperspectral images lossless compression by a novel three-dimensional wavelet coding

In this paper, we present a 3D hyperspectral images lossless compression algorithm, which is based on the asymmetric 3D quincunx structured wavelet transform (A3D-QWT) and the adaptive classification coding. A3D-QWT is a simpler 3D transform compared to the classical asymmetric 3D pyramidal wavelet structure (A3D-DWT) with nearly equal entropy; furthermore the spectral correlation after this quincunx structured transform is higher, which is useful to the adaptive classification coding. The adaptive classification coding can make full use of not only the spatial correlation but also the spectral correlation characteristics of hyperspectral images. Experiments show that our method is capable of providing a higher compression performance for hyperspectral images.
Event-based output-feedback control

Event-based control aims at reducing the information exchange over the communication network in control systems. This paper extends an event-based state-feedback approach published recently towards event-based output feedback. The measurable output is affected by measurement noise. The analysis shows that by incorporating a state observer in the event generator, a stable behavior of the event-based control loop can be guaranteed. Moreover, it will be shown that the maximum communication frequency within the control loop is bounded.
The Effect of Hypnotic Training Programs on the Academic Performance of Students

Abstract The main objective of the present study was to empirically verify the effect of hypnotic training programs on the academic performance of students. A pre and posttest design was used. Two experimental and two control groups (total sample N=119) of volunteer second year psychology students at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa comprised the sample. One of the experimental groups was exposed to active alert hypnosis and the other to relaxation hypnosis. One control group was exposed to progressive relaxation, while the other did not receive any intervention. The participants' April grades were used as a pretest, while their June grades served as a posttest. The two hypnotic training programs had a significant effect on the academic achievement of the participants, which was not found in the control groups. Regarding the efficacy of the two programs, however, no significant difference was found.
Money, morals and motives: An exploratory study into why bank managers and employees commit fraud at work

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look in more depth at what motivates bank managers and bank employees to commit fraudulent offences at work. Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory study adopts both quantitative and qualitative methods to better comprehend what motivates bank managers and employees to commit fraud at work. Evidence is taken from a sample of 64 cases of fraud from the UK financial sector. The sample cases were then subdivided in relation to the occupational status of the offender and classified based on the motives of the offender. Findings – The research findings from this study indicate that, as with other sorts of white-collar crimes, financial pressures play a hugely significant role in motivating bank employees and managers to commit fraudulent offences at work. However, the nature of these financial pressures appears to differ significantly depending on what role the offender occupies within the bank. Thus, for cashiers and those in lower positions, personal pressure.
The SIESTA Trial: A Randomized Study Investigating the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Acupressure versus Sham Therapy for Improving Sleep Quality in Patients with End-Stage Kidney Disease on Hemodialysis

Objectives. To compare the effectiveness of real acupressure versus sham acupressure therapy in improving sleep quality in patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) or hemodiafiltration (HDF). Methods. A multicenter, single-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted in two Australian dialysis units located in Princess Alexandra Hospital and Logan Hospital, respectively. Forty-two subjects with self-reported poor sleep quality were randomly assigned to real (n = 21) or sham (n = 21) acupressure therapy delivered thrice weekly for four consecutive weeks during routine dialysis sessions. The primary outcome was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score measured at week four adjusted for baseline PSQI measurements. Secondary outcomes were quality of life (QOL) (SF-8), adverse events, and patient acceptability (treatment acceptability questionnaire, TAQ). Results. The two groups were comparable on global PSQI scores (difference 0.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] −1.32 to 1.70) and on the subscale scores. Similar results were observed for QOL both in the mental (difference −3.88, 95% CI −8.63 to 0.87) and the physical scores (difference 2.45, 95% CI −1.69 to 6.58). There were no treatment-related adverse events and acupressure was perceived favorably by participants. Conclusion. Acupressure is a safe, well-tolerated, and highly acceptable therapy in adult hemodialysis patients in a Western healthcare setting with uncertain implications for therapeutic efficacy.
The Herbig Ae Star HD 163296 in X-Rays

Chandra X-ray imaging spectroscopy of the nearby Herbig Ae star HD 163296 at 100 AU angular resolution is reported. A pointlike, soft (kT ~ 0.5 keV), emission-line source is detected at the location of the star with an X-ray luminosity of 4 × 1029 ergs s-1 (log LX/Lbol = -5.48). In addition, faint emission along the direction of a previously detected Lyα-emitting jet and Herbig-Haro outflow may be present. The relatively low luminosity, lack of a hard spectral component, and absence of strong X-ray variability in HD 163296 can be explained as originating from optically thin shock-heated gas accreting onto the stellar surface along magnetic field lines. This would require a (dipole) magnetic field strength at the surface of HD 163296 of at least ~100 G and perhaps as high as several kG. HD 163296 joins the T Tauri star TW Hya in being the only examples known to date of pre-main-sequence stars whose quiescent X-ray emission appears to be completely dominated by accretion.
The Successes and Failures of Whistleblower Laws

Contents: Preface 1. Successes and Failures 2. Question Authority 3. Nonviolence and Civil Disobedience 4. Whistleblower Stories and Emerging Narratives 5. Watergate and Whistleblower Protection 6. The Civil Service Reform Act and Whistleblower Protection 7. Retrospective and Forecast 8. Incentives 9. Private-sector Laws 10. Institutional Failure 11. Interpretation 12. National Security 13. Global Whistleblower Laws 14. Civil Society 15. Perspectives 16. Old Issues - New Controversies Index
Mutual Mate Choice for Colorful Traits in King Penguins

While studies of mate choice based on male color pattern are ubiquitous, studies of mate choice based on ornamental color traits in sexually monomorphic species are less common. We conducted manipulative field experiments on two color ornaments of king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), the size of auricular patches of orange feathers and degree of UV reflectance from beak spots, to determine how the degree of ornamentation influenced pairing rate. In a reduction of auricular patch size, females paired significantly more quickly than males in both control and experimental samples. When this bias was taken into account statistically, pairing of individuals with reduced auricular patches was significantly delayed. We also reduced, but did not eliminate, UV reflectance from beak spots by applying a UV filter; no sex difference in pairing rate was evident in this experiment. Treated birds paired significantly more slowly than untreated control individuals, taking more than a week longer to pair on average than their unmanipulated counterparts, a result that was significant for males and approached significance for females. Our results may indicate mutual mate choice via UV reflectance of the beak spot. Given that this is a species where breeding is extremely slow and considerable investment by both males and females is required for successful reproduction, our results support the hypothesis that in such species, sexual selection might act on the same ornament in both sexes.
A liberal preoperative fasting regimen improves patient comfort and satisfaction with anesthesia care in day-stay minor surgery.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a single preoperative limited oral intake of a carbohydrate drink could improve perioperative patient comfort and satisfaction with anesthesia care in elective day-stay ophthalmologic surgery. METHODS A single-center, prospective, randomized clinical trial was conducted in a university hospital. The study included ASA I-III patients undergoing ophthalmologic surgery. Patients undergoing both general anesthesia and local anesthesia were included in the study. The control group fasted in accordance to nil per os after midnight, while patients in the experimental group received 200 mL of a carbohydrate drink 2 h before the operation. Both groups were allowed to drink and eat until midnight ad libitum. Patient characteristics, subjective perceptions, taste of the drink, and satisfaction with anesthesia care were ascertained using a questionnaire administered three times: after the anesthesiologist's visit, before surgery and before discharge from the ward to assess patient comfort. An analysis of variance and the Mann-Whitney U-test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS A total of 123 patients were included and 109 patients were randomly assigned to one of two preoperative fasting regimens. Patients drinking 200 mL 2 h before surgery were not as hungry (P<0.05), not as thirsty preoperatively (P<0.001) and not as thirsty after surgery (P<0.05), resulting in increased postoperative satisfaction with anesthesia care (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Standardized limited oral preoperative fluid intake increases patient comfort and satisfaction with anesthesia care and should be a part of modern day-stay ophthalmologic surgery.
Nordic Approaches to Peace Operations: A New Model in the Making

Figures and Tables Preface 1. Introduction 2. The Old Nordic Model: Peacekeeping During The Cold War (1947-1987) 3. Peace Operations After The Cold War: The Need For A New Model 4. The Danish Approach To Peace Operations After The Cold War 5. The Finnish Approach To Peace Operations After The Cold War 6. The Norwegian Approach To Peace Operations After The Cold War 7. The Swedish Approach To Peace Operations After The Cold War 8. A New Nordic Model In The Making?
Measuring bank profit efficiency

To date, work concerned with the potential determinants of credit institutions’ profit inefficiency levels has addressed this issue in either a single-step or multi-step process. In the former, inefficiency scores are conditioned by region and bank-specific indicators, while in the latter, generated inefficiency scores are subsequently regressed on a set of potential correlates. The approach proposed here allows these issues to be explored jointly in a statistically consistent manner. The model is applied to a sample of banks from Ireland, the UK, Canada and Australia.
Broad-Band Spectrum of the Black Hole Candidate IGR J17497$-$2821 Studied with Suzaku

The broad-band 1–300 keV Suzaku spectrum of IGR J17497 2821, the X-ray transient discovered by INTEGRAL in 2006 September, is presented. Suzaku observed IGR J17497 2821 on September 25, eight days after its discovery, for a net exposure of about 53 ks. During the Suzaku observation, IGR J17497 2821 is very bright, 2 10 erg s 1 at 8 kpc in the 1–300 keV range, and shows a hard spectrum, typical of black hole candidates in the low-hard state. Despite the multi-mission X-ray monitoring of the source, only with Suzaku is it possible to obtain a broad-band spectrum in the 1–300 keV range with a very high signal to noise ratio. A sum of a multi-color disc and a thermal Comptonization component with mild reflection is a good representation of our IGR J17497 2821 Suzaku spectrum. The spectral properties of the accretion disc as well as the cut-off energy in the spectrum at about 150 keV are clearly detected and constrained. We discuss the implications on the physical model used to interpret the data and the comparison with previous results.
The Effect of Customers' Emotion on Service Recovery Strategy in IT Service Failures

IT service support staff that deals with customer service inquiries online plays a key role in ensuring customer satisfaction and shaping customer experience. In reaction to service failures customers may exhibit some emotions that may influence service support staff’s response. Without a face-to-face interaction with customers, service support cannot detect the emotional signals sent out from customers. Instead service providers must rely on the content of email or online form received to detect any emotional cues. Using data from an issues tracking system, we will empirically test (i) the effect of customer’s emotion encoded in text content on service support staff’s response and (ii) the effect of service recovery strategy on customer’s sentiment on service quality when the service is recovered. Thus, the study will enrich our knowledge in the relationship between customer emotion and service recovery strategy in the context of IT service support.