Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Price Effects of an Emerging Retail Market

This paper analyzes the effects of a changing market structure on the price dynamics of final goods in an emerging Czech retail market. We estimate the extent of up-and downstream market power and find that the changing market structure was responsible for an average yearly price decrease of retailed products by 0.8 percentage points during 2000-2005. At the same time, however, we anticipate that a period of mergers and acquisitions that has already started could cause yearly price increases of retailed products by 1.2 percentage points—approximately 0.5 percentage points in the consumer price index inflation—over the next ten years.
The Predictive Content of Earnings Forecasts and Dividends

This paper compares the properties of dividend announcements and management earnings forecasts as predictors of earnings and firm value. First, the two predictors are compared on the basis of their ability to predict earnings. Then the information they convey about firm value is assessed by comparison of the performance of investment strategies based on values of the two predictors. Finally, the effects of dividend announcements on stock prices are considered. DESPITE MUCH WORK ON the subject, the role of dividends in the theory of finance is not well understood. After deriving their dividend irrelevancy proposition, Miller and Modigliani [21] suggested that dividends may function as predictors of future earnings. According to this "information content of dividends hypothesis," managements of firms set dividend levels on the basis of their assessments of future earnings so that the declaration of dividends reveals those assessments. This rather loosely stated proposition has been presented more formally in the recently developed models of Bhattacharya [4, 5] and Heinkel [15] in which dividends function as ex ante signals of future earnings because of the assumed nature of the cost function associated with paying dividends. In these models the signal is just a primitive: any observable which satisfies certain conditions is capable of functioning as a signal. There is no reason a priori to expect dividends to be the means of signaling. Indeed, Ross [27] and Leland and Pyle [18] present structurally similar models in which other financial characteristics of firms function as signals. The question of which technology management will choose to communicate information is an empirical one. This paper compares the information content of dividends with that of management earnings forecasts. These forecasts, which are made voluntarily, are explicit statements of managements' assessments of future earnings and thus immediately suggest themselves as an alternative to dividend signals. In contrast to the conflicting evidence on the information content of dividends,' there is
Modelling of OpenFlow-based software-defined networks: the multiple node case

OpenFlow (OF) is one of the most widely used protocols for controller-to-switch communication in a software defined network (SDN). Performance analysis of OF-based SDN using analytical models is both highly desirable and challenging. There already exists a very elegant analytical model based on M/M/1 queues to estimate the packet sojourn time and probability of lost packets for the case in which a controller is responsible for only a single node in the data plane. However the literature falls short when it comes to the multiple node case, i.e. when there is more than one node in the data plane. In this work we propose a model to address this challenge by approximating the data plane as an open Jackson network with the controller also modeled as an M/M/1 queue. The model is then used to evaluate the system in the light of some of the metrics, such as; how much time a packet spends on average in an OF-based network and how much data we can pump into the network given the average delay requirements. Finally the PDF and the CDF of the time spent by the packet in an OF-based SDN for a given path is derived.
Automatic Hyperspectral Image Restoration Using Sparse and Low-Rank Modeling

Hyperspectral restoration is a preprocessing step for hyperspectral imagery. In this letter, we propose a parameter-free method for the restoration of hyperspectral images (HSIs) called HyRes. The restoration method is based on a sparse low-rank model that uses the $\ell _{1}$ penalized least squares for estimating the unknown signal. The Stein’s unbiased risk estimator is exploited to select all the parameters of the model yielding a fully automatic (parameter free) technique. Experimental results confirm that HyRes outperforms the state-of-the-art techniques in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, structural similarity index, and spectral angle distance for a simulated data set and in terms of noise-level estimation for the real data sets used in this letter. In the experiments, it was noted that HyRes is computationally less expensive compared with competitive techniques. Therefore, HyRes can be used as a reliable automatic preprocessing step for further analysis of HSIs.
Localised Production of Technology for Global Markets

Given the trends towards increasing globalization of markets and of production, the globalization of technology remains a subject of considerable interest to analysts and policymakers in the 1990s. The main conclusion of this paper is that there is no systematic evidence to suggest that widespread globalization of technological activities occurred in the 1980s. The evidence, based on the U.S. patenting activities of 569 of the world's largest firms (based in 13 countries, and covering 17 product groups), shows that for an overwhelming majority of them technology production remains close to the home base. The analysis also shows the dangers of generalizing on the basis of anecdotal evidence from a small sample of firms from a particular country or sector. (c) 1995 Academic Press, Inc. Copyright 1995 by Oxford University Press.
Developing a Teaching Portfolio: A Guide for Preservice and Practicing Teachers

Contents Part I Foundations for Portfolio Development Chapter 1 The Teacher Assessment Movement The Teacher Assessment Movement Accountability Evolution of Teacher Assessment National Board for Professional Teaching Standards INTASC Standards Closing Thoughts Web Sites References Chapter 2 Portfolio Development What Is a Portfolio? What Is a Process Portfolio? What Is a Product Portfolio? What Is a Showcase Portfolio? What Are the Differences in the Three Portfolios? Different Types of Portfolios for Elementary Teachers What Is a Teaching Portfolio? Legal Issues in Portfolio Development General Considerations for Developing a Portfolio Closing Thoughts Web Sites References Chapter 3 Reflection What Is Reflection? Why Should Teachers Reflect? What Things Should Be Considered? How Do You Get Started? Do These Reflection Activities! What Are Some Things to Do to Get Started? What If This Seems Difficult? Where and When Can You Reflect? Closing Thoughts Web Sites References Part II Applications of Portfolio Development Chapter 4 The Preservice Teacher's Portfolio What Do These Goals and Standards Portfolios Look Like? Type 1: The Goal-Driven Product Portfolio Type 2: The Standards Portfolio Assessment Closing Thoughts Web Sites References Chapter 5 Getting a Job The Options Things to Include The Job Interview Closing Thoughts References Chapter 6 Portfolios for Continuing Licensure Portfolios for Novice Teachers Standards Coordinated Sets of Evidence Organization of Evidence Reflection Assessment State Performance-Based Assessment Systems Introductory Information to the Performance Product Portfolios for Alternative Forms of Evaluation or Licensure Renewal Options for Organization Professional Goals: Another Option for Orgnization Assessment of These Portfolios Rubrics Process for Using Scoring Evaluation Criteria Samples of Alternative Evaluation Portfolios Closing Thoughts Web Sites References Chapter 7 Portfolios for Master Teachers The Foundation Beliefs of the NBPTS The Standards Who Can Apply? Time Line National Board Assessment Center Exercises Assessment and Evaluation Getting Started: The Take One! Experience Other Relevant Information Tips and Good Information from Nationally Certified Teachers Reflections Closing Thoughts Web Site References Appendix A Reflection Analyses for Chapter 3 Appendix B Sample Portfolio Guides for Beginning Teachers to Obtain Licensure: North Carolina and Connecticut Appendix C Analysis of Student Work: Assessment Appendix D Council for Exceptional Children Standards Appendix E Canadian Curriculum Standards: Foundation Statements for Science Literacy Appendix F National Council for Teachers of Mathematics K-12 Standards Appendix G ISTE Standards Index
Dividend increases and future earnings

We examine the relation between dividend increases and unexpected changes in future earnings. This issue has been the subject of numerous empirical studies. However, the extant evidence on this issue is inconclusive. We allow for the fact that investor demand for dividend paying stocks is time-varying and the market pays a premium for such stocks when the demand is high. Moreover, when the dividend premium (DP) is high, dividend increases could be due to managers catering to high demand for dividends by investors. We find that when the DP is low, there is a significant positive relation between dividend increases and unexpected future earnings changes, consistent with the signaling theory of dividends. However, when the DP is high, the relation between dividend increases and unexpected future earnings changes is insignificant. This finding suggests that when the DP is high, managers increase dividends primarily to cater to investors’ demand for dividends rather than to signal an increase in the future profitability of the firm. Finally, as is the case with prior studies, we find an insignificant relation between dividend increases and unexpected changes in future earnings when we constraint the relation to be constant over time.
Different cadences and resistances in sub-maximal synchronous handcycling in able-bodied men: Effects on efficiency and force application

Background With the introduction of an add-on handcycle, a crank system that can be placed in front of a wheelchair, handcycling was made widely available for daily life. With it, people go into town more easily, e.g. to do groceries; meet up with friends, etc. They have more independency and can be socially active. Our aim is to explore some settings of the handcycle, so that it can be optimally used as a transportation device. Therefore, the effects of cadence and added resistance on gross mechanical efficiency and force application during sub-maximal synchronous handcycling were investigated. We hypothesized that a cadence of 52 rpm with a higher resistance (35 W) would lead to a higher gross mechanical efficiency and a more tangential force application than a higher cadence of 70 rpm and no extra resistance (15 W). Methods Twelve able-bodied men rode in an instrumented add-on handcycle on a motorized level treadmill at 1.94 m/s. They performed three sessions of three four-minute blocks of steady state exercise. Gear (70, 60 and 52 rpm) was changed in-between the blocks and resistance (rolling resistance +0 W, +10 W, +20 W) was changed across sessions, both in a counterbalanced order. 3D force production, oxygen uptake and heart rate were measured continuously. Gross mechanical efficiency (ME) and fraction of effective force (FEF) were calculated as main outcomes. The effects of cadence and resistance were analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA (P<0.05) with Bonferroni-corrected post-hoc pairwise comparisons. Results With a decrease in cadence a slight increase in ME (70 rpm: 5.5 (0.2)%, 60 rpm: 5.7 (0.2)%, 52 rpm: 5.8 (0.2)%, P = 0.008, η2p = 0.38), while an increase in FEF (70 rpm: 58.0 (3.2)%, 60 rpm: 66.0 (2.8)%, 52 rpm: 71.3 (2.3)%, P<0.001, η2p = 0.79) is seen simultaneously. Also with an increase in resistance an increase in ME (+0 W: 4.0 (0.2)%, +10 W: 6.0 (0.3)%, +20 W: 7.0 (0.2)%, P<0.001, η2p = 0.92) and FEF (+0 W: 59.0 (2.9)%, +10 W: 66.1 (3.4)%, +20 W: 70.2 (2.4)%, P<0.001, η2p = 0.56) was found. Interpretation A cadence of 52 rpm against a higher resistance of about 35 W leads to a more optimal direction of forces and is more mechanically efficient than propelling at a higher cadence or lower resistance. Therefore, changing gears on a handcycle is important, and it is advised to keep the linear hand velocity relatively low for locomotion purposes.
The European Landscape Convention, Wind Power, and the Limits of the Local: Notes from Italy and Sweden

Abstract The European Landscape Convention is the first international agreement to deal with all aspects of landscape planning, protection, and management. It emphasizes transparency, democracy, and good governance as integral parts of ‘landscape’. The ELC may inspire member states of the Council of Europe to develop better tools for planning land use and the environment; however its utility in practice is still largely untested. This article considers the relevance of the ELC to a major land use conflict in Europe today: the development of wind power. Two countries are used as case studies of this conflict. Italy and Sweden both contain iconic European landscapes, and both have become important sites of large-scale wind power development over the last decade. But the two countries also have divergent political, economic, and institutional traditions. The debate around wind power and landscape has therefore unfolded differently in the two countries. The article consists of three parts. The first part gives an overview of the growth in wind power, and the forms that opposition to wind power have taken, in Italy over the past decade. It is argued that implementation of the ELC's clauses on democratic, locally-based landscape planning process will encounter in Italy a major impediment in the form of political and economic corruption. The second part summarizes the development of wind power as part of the Swedish national energy strategy. Using a case study of a wind power planning process guided by the ELC, it is argued that what appear to be common landscape values in local communities often conceal fundamental conflicts among individuals, groups, and institutions. On the basis of these two cases, the third and concluding part sketches both the potential of the ELC to transform the planning process for wind power, and the real challenges it will face, as a non-binding, ‘global’ agreement, in ‘local’ places with their own histories, traditions, and social actors.
Gonadotrophins: The future

The role of the IVF clinician is to make the ART treatment safe, patient-friendly, cost effective and at the same time offer good and high quality treatment. IVF protocols are a burden for women and are one of the potential reasons why women don’t return for subsequent cycles. Frequent injections may increase stress and also result in high error rates. Simple short treatment regimen with optimal recovery of good quality oocytes results in development of good quality embryos followed by SET in treatment and cryopreservation cycles are a less burden and result in related lesser discontinuation, side effects, treatment cycles in time and are more cost-effective. Development of FSH analogues with longer terminal t1/2 and slower absorption to peak serum levels will increase the efficiency, decrease the side effects and also is easy to administer. This makes it convenient for the patients increasing the compliance. A certain minimum LH concentration is necessary for adequate thecal cell function and subsequent oestradiol synthesis in the granulosa cells. Adjuvant r-HLH gives clinician's precise control over the dose of LH bioactivity administered to target the therapeutic window. New parenteral, transdermal, inhaled and oral fertility drugs and regimens are currently under research and development with the objective to further simplify treatment for ART.
Mental Health First aid Training: Review of Evaluation Studies

Objective: To review studies evaluating mental health first aid (MHFA) training. Method: Review of three published trials: one uncontrolled with members of the public in a city, one randomized controlled efficacy trial in a workplace setting and one cluster randomized effectiveness trial with the public in a rural area. Results: Most mental health first aiders tend to be middle-aged women whose work involves people contact. All trials found the following statistically significant benefits 5– 6months post-training: improved concordance with health professionals about treatments, improved helping behaviour, greater confidence in providing help to others and decreased social distance from people with mental disorders. Only one trial evaluated the mental health benefits to participants and this found positive effects. Conclusions: Although MHFA training has been found to change knowledge, attitudes and helping behaviours, and even benefit the mental health of participants, there has not yet been an evaluation of the effects on those who are the recipients of the first aid.
Direct Stereo Visual Odometry based on Lines

We propose a novel stereo visual odometry approach, which is especially suited for poorly textured environments. We introduce a novel, fast line segment detector and matcher, which detects vertical lines supported by an IMU. The patches around lines are then used to directly estimate the pose of consecutive cameras by minimizing the photometric error. Our algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art approaches in challenging environments. Our implementation runs in real-time and is therefore well suited for various robotics and augmented reality applications.
Comparison of logdose and bracket protocols for determination of epinephrine arrhythmia thresholds in dogs anesthetized with thiopental-halothane.

Previous studies in dogs of anesthetic-epinephrine arrhythmias have used logdose or bracketed epinephrine infusion protocols to determine the arrhythmic dose of epinephrine (ADE) or plasma level of epinephrine at arrhythmias (PCE). Reported logdose ADE values for halothane preceded by thiopental induction (thiopental-halothane) are twice those with the bracket protocol. There are no reported PCE data for the bracket protocol, and neither protocol has been directly compared in the same dogs. Therefore, direct comparisons were made of thiopental-halothane ADE and PCE in seven dogs (group 1). Dogs were induced with thiopental (20 mg/kg), followed by halothane inhalation at end-tidal concentrations equivalent to MAC 1.25. Epinephrine infusion protocols were compared on two weekly test occasions, with the sequence and order of protocol testing randomized. Logdose ADE for four or more ventricular beats within 15 s was 3.92 +/- 0.60 micrograms/kg (mean +/- standard error), higher than the bracket ADE (2.54 +/- 0.34 micrograms/ml) (P less than 0.05). PCE at ADE were similar for both protocols, but six separate infusions of epinephrine were required to establish ADE with the logdose compared to four with the bracket protocol (P less than 0.05). These findings suggested enhanced epinephrine clearance with the logdose protocol. Therefore, five additional but similarly anesthetized dogs (group 2) were tested to determine if physiologic or hemodynamic conditions prior to epinephrine infusions ("initial conditions") were equivalent for both protocols. Protocols were modified to avoid provocation of ventricular arrhythmias. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The ambulant treatment of spinal tuberculosis

WHEN, in the early I ~ ~ o ’ s , University College Hospital, Ibadan, got under way in its old premises at Adeoyo, an ever increasing number of patients with spinal tuberculosis were attracted to it. The number of beds was totally inadequate to provide orthodox treatment for these as, indeed, for those suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis. The need for a rational mass treatment on the cheapest and simplest lines became obvious. At about the same time our medical colleague, J. R. Lauckner, launched a clinic for pulmonary tuberculosis with the emphasis on home treatment and drugs. The question arose whether this was applicable to the management of spinal tuberculosis, and we were gratified to find that it was. The concept of treating this condition with anti-tuberculous drugs while not restricting the patient’s activities is at variance with that advanced in recent publications on this subject, where the treatment advocated depended on the free availability of hospital beds and operating time. These facilities do not exist at Ibadan, or, presumably, in other under-developed countries of the world. I t is hoped that workers in these places facing the problem of spinal tuberculosis and inadequate hospital facilities may find the answer to the problem in this method of treatment. Surgeons in places where this problem has been overcome may find the Nigerian manifestation of the disease and its response to the simplest treatment worth comparing with their own experience of this condition.
Backtesting Value-at-Risk Based on Tail Losses

Extreme losses caused by leverage and financial derivatives highlight the need to backtest Value-at-Risk (VaR) based on the sizes of tail losses, because the risk measure currently used disregards losses beyond the VaR boundary. While Basel II backtests VaR by counting the number of exceptions, this paper proposes to use the saddlepoint technique by summing the sizes of tail losses. Monte Carlo simulations show that the technique is extremely accurate and powerful, even for small samples. Empirical applications for the proposed backtest find substantial downside tail risks in S&P 500, and demonstrate that risk models which account for jumps, skewed and fat-tailed distributions failed to capture the tail risk during the 1987 stock market crash. Finally, the saddlepoint technique is used to derive a multiplication factor for any risk capital requirement that is responsive to the sizes of tail losses.
Spatial pattern of hotel distribution in China

This paper aims to investigate the spatial pattern of hotel distribution in Chinese cities and shed light on the factors shaping this pattern. Several spatial data analysis methods are applied to examine the number of star-rated hotels in 342 Chinese cities from 2001 to 2010 as well as the number of budget hotels in 2008. Three significant hot-spot areas for star-rated hotels have been identified in 2010, namely, the Yangtze River Delta cluster, the Pearl River Delta cluster, and the Beijing–Tianjin cluster. Furthermore, based on the results from bivariate local Moran statistics, the star-rated hotel hot-spots are found to be spatially associated with local economic condition, foreign investment dependence, and the level of tourism development.