Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal Forest Rotation within SituPreferences

Abstract This study develops a utility maximization, infinite horizon forest rotation model that includesin situvalues and the forest owner's consumption–savings decision making. The value of forest land becomes owner-specific and depends on property rights related toin situbenefits. The length of the rotation period depends, e.g., on the wealth of the forest owner and may evolve in time. A forest owner with accumulating nonforest assets never continues harvesting forever. In contrast, with decreasing nonforest assets the rotation period converges toward the Faustmann solution. In a multiple-stand version of the model, the harvesting decisions regarding different stands are linked together via the budget constraint and the dependence of an individual stand'sin situvalue on the age structure of the whole forest. Numerical simulation with two stands suggests that, within the class of concavein situvaluation functions, the optimal solution yields convergence toward forests with increasing heterogeneity of age structures.
Web-Based Non-Financial Disclosure and Cost of Finance

We study the association of Web-based non-financial disclosure and a firm's cost of finance within an international context (North America and Continental Europe). We examine voluntary Web placement of non-financial disclosures using an information index covering a firm's value creation process. We find a negative association between the level of Web-based non-financial disclosure and the implied cost of equity capital in North America and in Continental Europe. Continental European firms with higher levels of Web-based non-financial disclosure also tend to benefit from a lower information asymmetry and from a lower cost of debt capital, whereas North American firms do not.
Building dynamic strategic capabilities: a human capital perspective

Based upon the dynamic perspective of RBV, we incorporated SHRM and organizational change literature to examine the processes of developing a firm's dynamic strategic capabilities through strategic human capital leveraging coupled with human-capital-oriented restructuring to cope with rapidly changing environments. Findings from 154 firms show that a total mediation model identifies that strategic human capital leveraging not only catches the benefits of complementary human capital process (deployment and inimitability) fitted to a firm's strategic need but also needs the co-specialized human-capital-oriented restructuring to facilitate a firm's flexible capabilities. Maintaining dynamic strategic capabilities requires firms to leverage their human capital for not only achieving maximum productivity but also contributing to core competence so that they will become distinctive and constantly be reconfigured and adapted in the process of organizational restructuring in correspondence with the dynamic environment.
Temporal Coherence-Based Deblurring Using Non-Uniform Motion Optimization

Non-uniform motion blur due to object movement or camera jitter is a common phenomenon in videos. However, the state-of-the-art video deblurring methods used to deal with this problem can introduce artifacts, and may sometimes fail to handle motion blur due to the movements of the object or the camera. In this paper, we propose a non-uniform motion model to deblur video frames. The proposed method is based on superpixel matching in the video sequence to reconstruct sharp frames from blurry ones. To identify a suitable sharp superpixel to replace a blurry one, we enrich the search space with a non-uniform motion blur kernel, and use a generalized PatchMatch algorithm to handle rotation, scale, and blur differences in the matching step. Instead of using pixel-based or regular patch-based representation, we adopt a superpixel-based representation, and use color and motion to gather similar pixels. Our non-uniform motion blur kernels are estimated from the motion field of these superpixels, and our spatially varying motion model considers spatial and temporal coherence to find sharp superpixels. Experimental results showed that the proposed method can reconstruct sharp video frames from blurred frames caused by complex object and camera movements, and performs better than the state-of-the-art methods.
An Analysis of the Determinants of Geographic Labor Mobility in the United States

HE objective of this study is to estimate T the magnitudes in which each of several factors influenced interstate migration over the period 1955-1960. Several variables were chosen which might reasonably be expected to explain the movements which occurred, and multiple regression analysis was used on the data. The most unique explanatory variable employed is the "migrant stock," i.e., the number of persons born in state i (the origin state) and living in state j (the destination state). ' It is shown that the failure to include the migrant stock variable in the estimated relationship causes the true direct effect of most other variables to be obscured.
Commonalities in Reengineered Business Processes: Models and Issues

Process reengineering advocates making radical changes in how processing systems are structured, such as moving away from systems that use the principles of division of labor and division of management. Using formal system models from queueing theory, this paper explores the conditions under which such radical changes in system structure are likely to be appropriate. In general, a fairly high degree of variability in task times seems to be necessary.
Tissue remodeling gene expression in a murine model of chronic rhinosinusitis

The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) families regulate tissue remodeling in many normal and pathophysiologic processes. We hypothesize that induction of chronic sinonasal inflammation will be associated with changes in regulation of these tissue remodeling cytokines.
INCENTIVE VERSUS COST-PLUS CONTRACTS IN DEFENSE PROCUREMENT*

IN I966 Robert McNamara claimed that the introduction of incentives in defense contracts, especially with respect to cost variables, caused roughly a io% reduction in total weapons procurement costs relative to comparable outcomes using cost-plus contracts.1 This claim provoked considerable debate over the realism of such savings.2 The arguments that a cost incentive contract will lead to lower procurement costs boil down to the following. First, if there is a cost overrun under an incentive contract, the government will be obliged to pay only part of it. Second, since the firm will have to pay a portion of any cost overrun, it will undertake cost efficiencies to avoid a reduction in profit level. It is argued that the firm would not otherwise undertake to realize such efficiencies since there are no market pressures of competition to force it to do so. Third, it is an empirical fact, noted by many observers, that cost performance relative to target costs has improved as stronger incentive measures have been introduced.3 The validity of the theoretical and empirical claims of the proponents of incentive contracting have been attacked by the following counterargument. Although it is possible that production efficiency has increased, it does not follow automatically that the total cost to the government has been reduced relative to what it would have been under a simple cost-plus contract. There are three basic reasons for this. First, while it is true that costs have improved relative to target costs (under incentive contracts), it is possible that the target costs themselves have been inflated relative to what they would have been under a cost-plus contract.4 Second, incentive contracts offer higher 'going-in' profit rates (i.e. negotiated target profits) as well as higher 'comingout' profit rates (i.e. final profits). 5 Thus, production efficiencies under the
Economic Freedom and Labor Market Conditions: Evidence from the States

Using 1981–2009 data for the 50 states, this article examines the relationship between economic freedom and the unemployment rate, the labor force participation rate, and the employment‐population ratio. After controlling for a variety of state‐level characteristics, the results from most specifications indicate that economic freedom is associated with lower unemployment and with higher labor force participation and employment‐population ratios.
A Lattice Framework for Pricing Display Ad Options with the Stochastic Volatility Underlying Model

Ad options are a recent development in online advertising which provide advertisers with greater flexibility related to buying their guaranteed deliveries in the future. In short, an ad option is a contract in which an online publisher (or search engine) grants an advertiser the right but not obligation to enter into transactions to purchase impressions or clicks from a specific online ad slot at a pre-specified price on a specific delivery date. Previous studies on the ad option pricing models are mostly restricted to the situation where the underlying price follows a geometric Brownian motion (GBM). However, it has been shown that GBM only happens in less than 20% of the stochastic movements of ad auction prices. In this paper, we address this issue by employing a stochastic volatility (SV) model to describe the evolution of the underlying price which does not rely on the assumption of GBM. The computational tractability is solved by approximating the SV model with a proposed censored binomial lattice. Our developments are validated by experiments with the real advertising data. We find that the SV model has a better fitness to the real adverting data; with the real data, we demonstrate that advertisers are able flexibly to manage their guaranteed deliveries by using the proposed options. We also demonstrate that publishers will have increased revenue when some of their inventories are sold via ad options.
Firm‐specific determinants of intangibles reporting: evidence from the Portuguese stock market

Purpose – This paper seeks to identify factors that influence the voluntary disclosure of intangibles information in annual reports of Portuguese listed companies.Design/methodology/approach – An index of the voluntary disclosure of intangibles is constructed based on analysis of the Management Report and Chairman's Letter of all 56 companies listed on Euronext Lisbon at 31 December 2003. Several hypotheses about associations between that index and eight firm‐specific variables are tested.Findings – The voluntary reporting of intangibles is found to be influenced significantly by size, ownership concentration, type of auditor, industry and listing status in univariate analysis; and by size, industry, type of auditor, and ownership concentration (and listing status to a lesser extent) in multivariate analyses.Research limitations/implications – This study focuses on annual reports only, and is cross‐sectional. The use of content analysis and the subjective judgment involved in constructing the index cannot.
Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated with Endoscopic Severity in Patients with Crohn's Disease

Background and Aims Vitamin D deficiency is common in patients with Crohn's disease and is associated with disease activity. Relationship between vitamin D and endoscopic disease activity is unknown. The aim of the study is to determine the association between vitamin D status and endoscopic disease activity in CD patients. Methods Consecutive hospitalized CD patients from 2014 to 2016 who received vitamin D assessment and colonoscopy were retrospectively evaluated. Clinical disease activity was assessed by Crohn's disease activity index and C-reactive protein. Endoscopic activity was calculated using simple endoscopic score for Crohn's disease. Results Median serum 25OHD level of 131 patients was lower than healthy controls [21.1 nmol/L (11.8–32.3) versus 49.9 nmol/L (44.9–57.4), P = 0.007]. 125 (95%) patients had vitamin D deficiency and the rest (5%) had vitamin D insufficiency. Serum 25OHD was inversely correlated with CRP (r = −0.308, P < 0.001), CDAI (r = −0.582, P < 0.001), SES-CD (r = −0.294, P = 0.001), and endoscopic severity stratified by SES-CD (P = 0.001). Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency was prevalent among hospitalized CD patients. Vitamin D levels were inversely correlated with endoscopic disease activity. Vitamin D status could be a biomarker in assessing disease activity among hospitalized CD patients in addition to CDAI and CRP.
Dual peer mentoring program for undergraduate medical students: exploring the perceptions of mentors and mentees

Background: Despite the advantages of dual peer mentoring, there are a few reports of implementing and evaluating such programs for medical students. This study aimed at exploring the perceptions of mentors and mentees about the dual peer mentoring program for the first year undergraduate medical students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted at the end of the first year of implementing the mentoring program. All mentees and mentors were invited to participate in focus group discussions. Data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis. Results: All mentors (n= 12) and a group of mentees (n= 21) participated in focus group discussion sessions. We provided a variety of supports for the mentees including academic and psychosocial support and positive relationship; as a result, some developments occurred to the mentors We also explored participants’ views on some unique aspects of the program such as student-authorized, dual mentoring, and role model sessions. Conclusion: Our participants found the mentoring program beneficial in various academic achievements and psychosocial supports for both the mentors and the mentees. Dual peer mentoring program can be an alternative to school administered programs.
Impact of congenital colour vision defects on occupation

Aims: To investigate whether there is an association between congenital colour vision defects (CVD) and occupational choice and employment history, in order to inform the debate about the value of universal childhood screening for these disorders. Methods: Participants were 6422 males and 6112 females from the 1958 British birth cohort, followed from birth to 33 years, whose colour vision was assessed (Ishihara test) at 11 years. Results: A total of 431 males (6.7%) had CVD. Men with CVD had pursued some careers for which normal colour vision is currently regarded as essential; for example, eight men (3.1%) with CVD were in the police, armed forces, or fire-fighting service at 33 years compared to 141 men (3.8%) with normal colour vision. They were, however, under-represented compared to those with normal colour vision, in other occupations; for example, no men with CVD were employed in electrical and electronic engineering at 33 years compared to 15 men (0.4%) with normal colour vision. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest there is little to be gained by continuing with existing school screening programmes for CVD, whose primary purpose is to advise affected children against certain careers. Other ways of informing young people about potential occupational difficulties and pathways for referral for specialist assessment are likely to be more useful.
Evaluation of phenotypic tests for the detection of metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a low prevalence country.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate four phenotypic tests for the detection of metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a low MBL prevalence setting. METHODS Sixty clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa resistant to imipenem and/or meropenem and seven MBL-positive control strains were examined by: (i) MBL Etest; (ii) combined imipenem discs supplemented with EDTA (IPM-EDTA); (iii) beta-lactam discs on dipicolinic acid plates (DF-DIPI); and (iv) the Cica-beta test. Spectrophotometric analysis of crude cell extracts for imipenem hydrolysis along with consensus PCRs for bla(VIM) and bla(IMP) was used as reference methods. RESULTS Two clinical isolates (3%) were MBL-positive. The MBL Etest and IPM-EDTA test scored positive for all MBL-positive isolates, but showed specificities of 86% and 91%, and positive predictive values (PPVs) of only 20% and 29%, respectively. Adding resistance to ceftazidime (MIC >8 mg/L) as a criterion for MBL testing would reduce the number of isolates to be screened by 50% and increase the PPVs of the MBL Etest and IMP-EDTA test to 29% and 40%, respectively. The Cica-beta test correctly identified all MBL-negative isolates, but misidentified one MBL-positive clinical isolate as an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producer and one as inconclusive (producing multiple beta-lactamases). No reliable breakpoints could be defined for the DF-DIPI test due to overlapping inhibition zone diameters for MBL-positive and -negative isolates. CONCLUSIONS None of the phenotypic tests were optimal due to low sensitivity or specificity, resulting in low PPVs. Including ceftazidime resistance to the MBL-screening criteria would significantly improve the performance of the MBL Etest and IPM-EDTA disc test.
Frequency and Case Identification of Dementia with Lewy Bodies Using the Revised Consensus Criteria

Objective: To find the proportion of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) in a referral cohort of patients with a first-time diagnosis of mild dementia. Background: The proportion of DLB among the dementia sufferers is not known and the clinical consensus criteria have low sensitivity. We employed the revised DLB criteria to study the proportion with DLB in a community sample of patients with mild dementia. Methods: From March 2005 to March 2007, we included 196 patients from referrals to all geriatric medicine, old age psychiatry and neurology outpatient clinics in Rogaland and Hordaland counties in Western Norway. Standardized clinical instruments and diagnostic criteria were employed. Results: 65% had Alzheimer dementia, 20% DLB (16% probable DLB), 5.6% vascular dementia, 5.6% Parkinson disease with dementia, 2.0% frontotemporal dementia and 1.5% alcoholic dementia. There were no significant differences in the proportion with DLB according to age bands and dementia severity groups. The revised criteria for a clinical diagnosis of DLB increased the proportion of probable DLB by 25% compared to the previous criteria. Conclusion: DLB is common in patients with mild dementia, and is the second most common type of dementia. The introduction of new clinical criteria for DLB leads to an increase in the proportion diagnosed with probable DLB.
Acute Appendicitis in the Pregnant Patient

Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical problem in pregnancy requiring emergent intervention. To establish a contemporary patient profile and formulate an effective management strategy, a retrospective review was conducted of 84 pregnant patients who underwent laparotomy with a preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Gestational stage at presentation included the first trimester in 27 patients (32%), the second trimester in 37 patients (44%), the third trimester in 13 patients (16%), and the puerperium in 7 patients (8%). Fifty-four patients (64%) had pathologically proven acute appendicitis; the incidence did not vary by trimester. Other intra-abdominal conditions were detected in 15 patients (18%). There were no significant differences between patients with positive and negative laparotomies (or among trimesters) regarding frequency of presenting symptoms and signs or laboratory results. Operation occurred within 24 hours of symptom onset in 19 of 54 (35%) instances of proven acute appendicitis. Perforation occurred in 23 of 54 patients (43%), all of whom had symptoms exceeding 24 hours (p less than 0.0005). Five instances of perinatal death and one case of extreme perinatal morbidity were associated with negative laparotomies; only one of these was attributed to operation itself. No adverse long-term maternal morbidity or mortality occurred. Wound infection developed in seven cases of acute appendicitis (six perforated) and two negative explorations. We conclude that (1) gestational physiologic changes obscure the accurate diagnosis of acute appendicitis; (2) the natural history of acute appendicitis is not affected by trimester of presentation; and (3) adverse sequelae of acute appendicitis are obviated by prompt operative exploration and prevention of appendiceal perforation.
Initiation and Maintenance of Fitness Center Utilization in an Incentive-Based Employer Wellness Program

Objective: To investigate the initiation and maintenance of participation in an employer-based wellness program that provides financial incentives for fitness center utilization. Methods: Using multivariate analysis, we investigated how employees’ demographics, health status, exercise-related factors, and lifestyle change preferences affect program participation. Results: Forty-two percent of eligible employees participated in the program, and 24% earned a $20 incentive at least once by utilizing a gym eight times or more in a month. On average, participants utilized fitness centers 7.0 months each year and earned credit 4.5 months. Participants’ utilization diminished after their first year in the program. Conclusions: Factors associated with initiation and maintenance of fitness center utilization were similar. Declining utilization over time raises concern about the long-run effectiveness of fitness-focused wellness programs. Employers may want to consider additional levers to positively reinforce participation.
Explaining party cohesion and discipline in democratic legislatures: purposiveness and contexts

Legislative party discipline and cohesion are important phenomena in the study of political systems. Unless assumptions are made that parties are cohesive and act as unified collectivities with reasonably well-defined goals, it is really difficult, if not impossible, to consider their electoral and legislative roles usefully. But levels of legislative party cohesiveness are also important because they provide us with crucial information about how legislatures/ parliaments function and how they interact with executives/governments. Without cohesive (or disciplined) parties,1 government survival in parliamentary systems is threatened because executive and legislative powers are fused while in separated systems presidents' bases of legislative support become less stable. How do we explain varying levels of legislative party cohesion? The first part of this article draws on the purposive literature to explore the benefits and costs to legislators in democratic legislatures of joining and acting collectively and individualistically within political parties. This leads on to a discussion of various conceptual and empirical problems encountered in analysing intra-party cohesion and discipline in democratic legislatures on plenary votes. Finally, the article reviews the extant empirical evidence on how a multiplicity of systemic, party-levels and situational factors supposedly impact cohesion/discipline levels. The article ends with a discussion of the possibilities and limitations of building comparative models of cohesion/discipline.
Heart rate: a prognostic factor and therapeutic target in chronic heart failure. The distinct roles of drugs with heart rate‐lowering properties

Heart rate not only predicts outcome but may also be a therapeutic target in patients with chronic heart failure. Several classes of pharmacological agents can be used to modulate heart rate, including beta‐blockers, ivabradine, digoxin, amiodarone, and verapamil. Choice of agent will depend on heart rhythm, co‐morbidities, and disease phenotype. Beneficial and harmful interactions may also exist. The aim of this paper is to summarize the current body of knowledge regarding the relevance of heart rate as a prognostic factor (risk marker) and particularly as a therapeutic target (risk factor) in patients with chronic heart failure, with a special focus on ivabradine, a novel agent that is currently the only available purely bradycardic agent.