Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Replica localization in East Asia: the case of the Asian hedge fund industry

ABSTRACT Hedge funds exemplify complex finance in the global economy and are appearing in diverse national settings. One question that follows is whether hedge funds in the Asian region have been localized and exhibit significant differences to their US/UK counterparts or whether there is predominantly one global model. The analysis here point to the importance of what is called replica localization, wherein local control has entailed little deviation from the practices of Anglo-American hedge funds. Evidence generated from databases and interviews confirms the largely equivalent structures and strategies found in the new Asian hedge fund sector. The significance is that a small but growing Asian financial space has been carved out that is funded by Asian capital and managed by Asian elites but matches external models. To further delineate globalized finance, comparative research is needed to determine when and why complex finance is either present or absent outside of Anglo-American economies.
Spillover effects of production of IT on use of IT

We analyze new data on the production and use of IT around the world to assess the impact of changes in IT production in the 1990's on economic development. We provide empirical evidence on a fundamental question: Besides the direct effect on GDP, does an emphasis on IT production have a spillover effect on the level of IT diffusion? We show that the results of our diffusion model indicates that the correlation between production of IT goods and use of goods is confined to specific scenarios and, in the case of developing economies, may have a substitution effect. Based on our analysis, we conclude that the experiences of developing economies with respect to production of IT may not include the same demand stimulation effect that has been enjoyed in developed economies. This has an impact on the computer development policies of developing economies.
Dynamic Control of Synchronous Activity in Networks of Spiking Neurons

Oscillatory brain activity is believed to play a central role in neural coding. Accumulating evidence shows that features of these oscillations are highly dynamic: power, frequency and phase fluctuate alongside changes in behavior and task demands. The role and mechanism supporting this variability is however poorly understood. We here analyze a network of recurrently connected spiking neurons with time delay displaying stable synchronous dynamics. Using mean-field and stability analyses, we investigate the influence of dynamic inputs on the frequency of firing rate oscillations. We show that afferent noise, mimicking inputs to the neurons, causes smoothing of the system’s response function, displacing equilibria and altering the stability of oscillatory states. Our analysis further shows that these noise-induced changes cause a shift of the peak frequency of synchronous oscillations that scales with input intensity, leading the network towards critical states. We lastly discuss the extension of these principles to periodic stimulation, in which externally applied driving signals can trigger analogous phenomena. Our results reveal one possible mechanism involved in shaping oscillatory activity in the brain and associated control principles.
Meta-Analyses of the Reliabilities of Measures of Forgiveness and Humility

Meta-analyses of 264 studies using one of nine measures of forgiveness and 85 studies using one of four measures of humility are reported. Measures of forgiveness have very good internal consistency, with three measures and four. Measures of humility have respectable internal consistency . Measures typically have been developed with early adult, university student samples, but internal consistency estimates are nearly as high with other adult samples. The limited available evidence supports the internal consistencies with adolescent samples. Additional comparisons by country and electronic versus paper-pencil administration are reported.
Distillers Grains for Beef Cattle

Distillers byproducts are excellent feed resources for feedlot cattle. Distillers byproducts are normally available for use in feedlot finishing diets in two forms, dried distillers and wet distillers byproducts (WDB). In general, there are two nutritional philosophies regarding their use in feedlot finishing diets. Distillers byproducts can be fed at 6 to 15% of the diet dry matter, serving primarily as a source of supplemental protein. When fed at higher levels (greater than 15% of the diet dry matter), the byproduct's primary role is a source of energy replacing corn grain. Other than dry matter content (wet distillers, 35-45%; dried distillers, 90-95%), the chemical composition of the two distillers byproducts is similar. Distillers byproducts contains 10-15% fat (oil), 40-45% neutral detergent fiber, 30-35% crude protein and 5% ash (NRC, 1996). Dried distillers byproduct is routinely fed as a supplemental protein source, however, the drying process appears to reduce the energy value of the distillers byproduct. Ham et al. (1994) demonstrated a 9% improvement in feed efficiency when dried distillers byproduct replaced 40% of the dry-rolled corn in finishing diets (Table 1). However, this improvement was only 50% of that observed when wet distillers byproduct replaced a similar amount of dry-rolled corn. Drying cost significantly increases the commodity price for the distillers byproduct. The dried distillers byproduct is routinely priced relative to other supplemental protein sources like soybean meal. Therefore, when priced on an energy basis (relative to corn), the expected improvement in animal performance is not large enough to offset the increased ration cost associated with higher inclusion levels. Wet distillers byproducts are commonly fed at higher levels in the diet to supply both protein and energy to the animal. There are numerous advantages to using wet distillers byproducts. For the dry-milling plant, the energy cost associated with drying the product can be significantly reduced or eliminated. This should allow for an overall increased energy yield for each bushel of corn processed. The major downside of using wet distillers byproducts is transportation costs associated with the movement of water. Experiments evaluating the use of wet distillers byproducts in ruminant diets are available In the experiments with finishing cattle, the replacement of corn grain with wet distillers byproduct consistently improved feed efficiency. Larson et al. (1993) replaced dry-rolled corn with 5.2, 12.6 or 40% (dry matter basis) wet distillers byproduct (Table 2). With the first two levels of byproduct (5.2 and …
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The Role of Microbial Community Composition in Controlling Soil Respiration Responses to Temperature

Rising global temperatures may increase the rates of soil organic matter decomposition by heterotrophic microorganisms, potentially accelerating climate change further by releasing additional carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. However, the possibility that microbial community responses to prolonged warming may modify the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration creates large uncertainty in the strength of this positive feedback. Both compensatory responses (decreasing temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in the long-term) and enhancing responses (increasing temperature sensitivity) have been reported, but the mechanisms underlying these responses are poorly understood. In this study, microbial biomass, community structure and the activities of dehydrogenase and β-glucosidase enzymes were determined for 18 soils that had previously demonstrated either no response or varying magnitude of enhancing or compensatory responses of temperature sensitivity of heterotrophic microbial respiration to prolonged cooling. The soil cooling approach, in contrast to warming experiments, discriminates between microbial community responses and the consequences of substrate depletion, by minimising changes in substrate availability. The initial microbial community composition, determined by molecular analysis of soils showing contrasting respiration responses to cooling, provided evidence that the magnitude of enhancing responses was partly related to microbial community composition. There was also evidence that higher relative abundance of saprophytic Basidiomycota may explain the compensatory response observed in one soil, but neither microbial biomass nor enzymatic capacity were significantly affected by cooling. Our findings emphasise the key importance of soil microbial community responses for feedbacks to global change, but also highlight important areas where our understanding remains limited.
Self-harm and risk of motor vehicle crashes among young drivers: findings from the DRIVE Study

Background: Some motor vehicle crashes, particularly single-vehicle crashes, may result from intentional self-harm. We conducted a prospective cohort study to assess the risk that intentional self-harm poses for motor vehicle crashes among young drivers. Methods: We prospectively linked survey data from newly licensed drivers aged 17–24 years to data on licensing attempts and police-reported motor vehicle crashes during the follow-up period. We investigated the role of recent engagement in self-harm on the risk of a crash. We took into account potential confounders, including number of hours of driving per week, psychological symptoms and substance abuse. Results: We included 18 871 drivers who participated in the DRIVE Study for whom data on self-harm and motor vehicle crashes were available. The mean follow-up was 2 years. Overall, 1495 drivers had 1 or more crashes during the follow-up period. A total of 871 drivers (4.6%) reported that they had engaged in self-harm in the year before the survey. These drivers were at significantly increased risk of a motor vehicle crash compared with drivers who reported no self-harm (relative risk [RR] 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15–1.76). The risk remained significant, even after adjustment for age, sex, average hours of driving per week, previous crash, psychological distress, duration of sleep, risky driving behaviour, substance use, remoteness of residence and socio-economic status (RR 1.37, 95% CI 1.09–1.72). Most of the drivers who reported self-harm and had a subsequent crash were involved in a multiple-vehicle crash (84.1% [74/88]). Interpretation: Engagement in self-harm behaviour was an independent risk factor for subsequent motor vehicle crash among young drivers, with most crashes involving multiple vehicles.
Validation of the futsal-specific intermittent shuttle protocol for the simulation of the physical demands of futsal match-play

Abstract The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of a futsal-simulated match (SM) and futsal-specific intermittent shuttle protocol (FISP) on physical performance, and muscle damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress markers immediately and 24 h post protocols. Thirteen, male, U-20 futsal players performed the FISP and the SM on two different occasions. Heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were monitored during both protocols with countermovement jump (CMJ), perceived muscle soreness, and blood samples measured Pre, Post, and 24 h post protocols. Player’s HR was not significantly different between FISP and SM (p > .05) with RPE significantly higher during the FISP (p < .05). Player’s CMJ for FISP and SM (p < .05) decreased at Post and 24 h compared with Pre, without significant increases in perceived muscle soreness, interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-α, carbonylated proteins and advanced products of protein oxidation (AOPP) at 24 h (p > .05). Creatine kinase (CK) increased 24 h for SM (p < .05). The chances of FISP being different from SM were very likely for CK and AOPP 24 h and unclear for other variables. The results found demonstrated the FISP as a valid simulator of futsal match demands.
Fast and Robust Graph-based Transductive Learning via Minimum Tree Cut

In this paper, we propose an efficient and robust algorithm for graph-based transductive classification. After approximating a graph with a spanning tree, we develop a linear-time algorithm to label the tree such that the cut size of the tree is minimized. This significantly improves typical graph-based methods, which either have a cubic time complexity (for a dense graph) or $O(kn^2)$ (for a sparse graph with $k$ denoting the node degree). %In addition to its great scalability on large data, our proposed algorithm demonstrates high robustness and accuracy. In particular, on a graph with 400,000 nodes (in which 10,000 nodes are labeled) and 10,455,545 edges, our algorithm achieves the highest accuracy of $99.6\%$ but takes less than $10$ seconds to label all the unlabeled data. Furthermore, our method shows great robustness to the graph construction both theoretically and empirically, this overcomes another big problem of traditional graph-based methods. In addition to its good scalability and robustness, the proposed algorithm demonstrates high accuracy. In particular, on a graph with $400,000$ nodes (in which $10,000$ nodes are labeled) and $10,455,545$ edges, our algorithm achieves the highest accuracy of $99.6\%$ but takes less than $10$ seconds to label all the unlabeled data.
Neural correlates of noncanonical syntactic processing revealed by a picture‐sentence matching task

It remains controversial whether the left inferior frontal gyrus subserves syntactic processing or short‐term memory demands. Here we devised a novel picture‐sentence matching task involving Japanese sentences with different structures to clearly contrast syntactic reanalysis processes. Using event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), activations under three main conditions were directly compared: a canonical/subject‐initial active sentence (AS), a noncanonical/subject‐initial passive sentence (PS), and a noncanonical/object‐initial scrambled sentence (SS). We found that activation in the dorsal region of the left inferior frontal gyrus (dF3t) was enhanced more by the noncanonical processing under the PS and SS conditions than by the canonical processing under the AS condition, and this enhancement was independent of domain‐general factors, such as general memory demands and task difficulty. Moreover, the left posterior superior/middle temporal gyrus (pSTG/MTG) showed more enhanced responses to object‐initial sentences under the SS condition than to subject‐initial sentences under the AS and PS conditions, which were not significantly affected by task difficulty. Furthermore, activation in the left lateral premotor cortex (LPMC) increased under the AS, PS, and SS conditions, in that order. It is possible that task difficulty affects the left LPMC, but the three distinct activations patterns suggest that these frontal and temporal regions work in concert to process syntactic structures, with their respective contributions dynamically regulated by linguistic requirements. Hum Brain Mapp 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Improved Neighborhood-based Collaborative Filtering

Recommender systems based on collaborative filtering predi ct user preferences for products or services by learning past user- item relationships. A predominant approach to collaborative filte ring is neighborhood based (“k-nearest neighbors"), where a user-item preference rating is interpolated from ratings of similar items and/or users. In this work, we enhance the neighborhood-based approach leading to a substantial improvement of prediction accuracy, without a meaningful increase in running time. First, we remove certain so-called “global effects" from the data to make the different ratings more comparable, thereby improving interpolation accuracy. Second, we show how to simultaneously derive interpolation weights for all nearest neighbors. Unlike previous approaches where each interpolation weight is computed separately, simultaneous interpolation accounts for the many interactions between neighbors by globally solving a suitable optimization problem, also lea ding to improved accuracy. Our method is very fast in practice, generating a prediction in about 0.2 milliseconds. Importantly, it does not require training many parameters or a lengthy preprocessing, making it very practical for large scale applications. The meth od was evaluated on the Netflix dataset. We could process the 2.8 mil lion queries of the Qualifying set in 10 minutes yielding a RMSE of 0.9086. Moreover, when an extensive training is allowed, such as SVD-factorization at the preprocessing stage, our method can produce results with a RMSE of 0.8982.
The Association between Aortic Calcification and Fracture Risk in Postmenopausal Women in China: The Prospective Chongqing Osteoporosis Study

Purpose Fractures are associated with cardiovascular diseases in the elderly. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between aortic calcification (AC) and the risk of vertebral fractures in postmenopausal Chinese women. Methods A prospective study with 5 years of follow-up in 1724 postmenopausal women (aged 50 years old and older) was conducted from July 2005 to June 2010. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was utilized to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD). Aortic calcification score (ACS) was determined by a semi-quantitative method and was further categorized into four groups. Cox proportional hazards models were established to assess the association between AC and the risk of vertebral fractures. Results For subjects with AC, the incidence of vertebral fractures was higher than that of those without AC (p<0.01). After adjustment for age and other potential confounders, it was found that severe AC (G4, ACS>6; G3, ACS = 3–6) was associated with vertebral fractures. Severe AC (G4) was associated with non-vertebral fractures. There were higher risk for the vertebral fractures in two groups and higher risk for non-vertebral fractures in one group. Conclusions The results of the current study indicate that severe AC is associated with a significantly increased risk of vertebral fractures and non-vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women in China.
Statins Induce the Accumulation of Regulatory T Cells in the Atherosclerotic Plaque Running title : Statins Induce Regulatory T Cells

Atherosclerotic Plaque Running title: Statins Induce Regulatory T Cells By: Xiao Meng, Kai Zhang, Jingjing Li, Mei Dong, Jianmin Yang, Guipeng An, Weidong Qin, Fei Gao, Cheng Zhang, Yun Zhang. From: The key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Public Health, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China School of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
Analysis of sliding of a soft fingertip embedded with a novel micro force/moment sensor: Simulation, experiment, and application

We have investigated the deformation of a soft fingertip when it slides. This process was first simulated using the non-linear Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method. Based on the results of this simulation, we designed experiments to observe the sliding and object grasping of a soft fingertip, in which a 3-DOF (degree of freedom) micro force/moment sensor was embedded. With this sensor, forces and moments acting in the fingertip are measured based on the piezoresistive effect. These measurements provide information on the status of contact and sliding of a soft fingertip on a surface. Based on these results, incipient slip, which has an important role in object gripping by a robot manipulator, can be realized. Textile's texture recognition experiments were also conducted to assess potentials of the fingertip in tactile and texture perception.
Incarcerate one to calm the others? Spillover effects of incarceration among criminal groups: Job Market Paper

This paper documents the effect of peers’ incarceration on an individual’s criminal activity within small criminal groups. Using established criminal groups, I built a 48-month panel that records the criminal status, Individual imprisonment status and imprisonment status of group members. Panel regressions with individual fixed effects allows me to document five facts. First, the incarceration of a peer is associated with a 5 per cent decrease in the arrest rate among groups composed of two persons. No effect is observed among bigger groups. Second, this effect is present even for incarceration following lone crimes, ruling out an explanation based on common shocks. Third, the probability of committing a group crime strongly decreases, and there is no shift to crime with other peers or lone crimes. Four, this general effect hides significant within-group heterogeneity. The results are consistent with the idea that ‘leaders’ are not affected by the incarceration of ‘followers’. Five, the effect seems to be driven by lower risky behaviour among offenders who remain free, and not by ‘criminal capital’ loss or deterrence.
Periodicities of Foreign Exchange Markets and the Directional Change Power Law

This paper utilizes advanced methods from Fourier analysis in order to describe periodicities in financial ultrahigh frequency foreign exchange data. The Lomb�Scargle Fourier transform is used to take into account the irregularity in spacing in the time domain. It provides a natural framework for the power spectra of different inhomogeneous time-series processes to be easily and quickly estimated. Furthermore, an event-based approach in intrinsic time based on a power-law relationship is employed using different event thresholds to filter the foreign exchange tick-data. The calculated spectral density demonstrates that the price process in intrinsic time contains different periodic components for directional changes, especially in the medium�long term, implying the existence of stylized facts of ultrahigh frequency data in the frequency domain. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.