Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tests of the Fama and French model in India

This study empirically examines the Fama-French three-factor model of stock returns for India. We find evidence for pervasive market, size, and book-to-market factors in Indian stock returns. We find that cross-sectional mean returns are explained by exposures to these three factors, and not by the market factor alone. We find mixed evidence for parallel market, size and book-to-market factors in earnings; we do not find any reliable link between the common risk factors in earnings and those in stock returns. The empirical results, as a whole, are reasonably consistent with the Fama-French three-factor model.
Perceived organizational culture and engagement: the mediating role of authenticity

Purpose – The idea of being authentic at work is gaining traction in both academia and organizations. The purpose of this paper is to test whether four types of perceived organizational culture (hierarchical, clan, market, and adhocracy) influence employees’ authenticity and whether behaving more authentically at work influences the extent to which employees are engaged with their jobs. Design/methodology/approach – The sample includes 208 professionals working in a variety of industries in Brazil. Hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling. Findings – Results indicate that environments that are perceived to be more inclusive and participative, and that incentivize autonomy (i.e. clan and adhocracy cultures) neither nurture nor inhibit authenticity. On the other hand, cultures perceived to emphasize stability, order, and control (i.e. hierarchy and market cultures) are negatively related to authenticity. In addition, employees who behave more authentically at work are more engaged with their.
Object-oriented development in an industrial environment

Object-oriented programming is a promising approach to the industrialization of the software development process. However, it has not yet been incorporated in a development method for large systems. The approaches taken are merely extensions of well-known techniques when 'programming in the small' and do not stand on the firm experience of existing developments methods for large systems. One such technique called block design has been used within the telecommunication industry and relies on a similar paradigm as object-oriented programming. The two techniques together with a third technique, conceptual modeling used for requirement modeling of information systems, have been unified into a method for the development of large systems.
Cholera Toxin B Subunit Shows Transneuronal Tracing after Injection in an Injured Sciatic Nerve

Cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) has been extensively used in the past for monosynaptic mapping. For decades, it was thought to lack the ability of transneuronal tracing. In order to investigate whether biotin conjugates of CTB (b-CTB) would pass through transneurons in the rat spinal cord, it was injected into the crushed left sciatic nerve. For experimental control, the first order afferent neuronal projections were defined by retrograde transport of fluorogold (FG, a non-transneuronal labeling marker as an experimental control) injected into the crushed right sciatic nerve in the same rat. Neurons containing b-CTB or FG were observed in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) at the L4-L6 levels ipsilateral to the tracer injection. In the spinal cord, b-CTB labeled neurons were distributed in all laminae ipsilaterally between C7 and S1 segments, but labeling of neurons at the cervical segment was abolished when the T10 segment was transected completely. The interneurons, distributed in the intermediate gray matter and identified as gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic (GABAergic), were labeled by b-CTB. In contrast, FG labeling was confined to the ventral horn neurons at L4-L6 spinal segments ipsilateral to the injection. b-CTB immunoreactivity remained to be restricted to the soma of neurons and often appeared as irregular patches detected by light and electron microscopy. Detection of monosialoganglioside (GM1) in b-CTB labeled neurons suggests that GM1 ganglioside may specifically enhance the uptake and transneuronal passage of b-CTB, thus supporting the notion that it may be used as a novel transneuronal tracer.
Zipf's Law: A Microfoundation

Existing explanations of Zipf's law (Pareto exponent approximately equal to 1) in size distributions require strong assumptions on growth rates or the minimum size. I show that Zipf's law naturally arises in general equilibrium when individual units solve a homogeneous problem (e.g., homothetic preferences, constant-returns-to-scale technology), the units enter/exit the economy at a small constant rate, and at least one production factor is in limited supply. My model explains why Zipf's law is empirically observed in the size distributions of cities and firms, which consist of people, but not in other quantities such as wealth, income, or consumption, which all have Pareto exponents well above 1.
Phonological iconicity

The arbitrariness of the linguistic sign is a fundamental assumption in modern linguistic theory. In recent years, however, a growing amount of research has investigated the nature of non-arbitrary relations between linguistic sounds and semantics. This review aims at illustrating the amount of findings obtained so far and to organize and evaluate different lines of research dedicated to the issue of phonological iconicity. In particular, we summarize findings on the processing of onomatopoetic expressions, ideophones, and phonaesthemes, relations between syntactic classes and phonology, as well as sound-shape and sound-affect correspondences at the level of phonemic contrasts. Many of these findings have been obtained across a range of different languages suggesting an internal relation between sublexical units and attributes as a potentially universal pattern.
Effects of adjusting for censoring on meta-analyses of time-to-event outcomes.

BACKGROUND Systematic reviews of published time-to-event outcomes commonly rely on calculating odds ratios (OR) at fixed points in time and where actual numbers at risk are not presented. These estimates are usually based on the total numbers included in the published analysis and take no account of censoring. We have assessed the impact of adjusting for censoring on weighting, estimates and statistical heterogeneity of meta-analyses in cancer. METHODS Meta-analyses of survival data for five meta-analyses of published trials in cancer were conducted. The OR and associated statistics were calculated based on unadjusted total numbers of participants and events. These were compared with calculations that first adjusted the numbers at risk for censoring using a simple model. RESULTS Pooled OR were changed in 17/24 cases. On average, there was a 2.6% difference between the adjusted and unadjusted OR. Confidence intervals were frequently wider for the adjusted OR. Adjusting also reduced weighting of individual trials with immature follow-up. In 18/24 cases, adjusting reduced statistical heterogeneity and affected the associated P-values. CONCLUSIONS Reviewers conducting meta-analyses of published time-to-event data where actual numbers at risk are not available should adjust the numbers at risk, estimated from total numbers analysed, to account for immature data and censoring.
The Effects of Functional Communication Training on the Emission of Independent Mands and Reduction of Problem Behaviors in Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ii Dedication . iii Acknowledgments. iv Vita . v List of Figures . ix Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 Children with ASD . 3 ASD and Problem Behaviors . 4 ASD and Communication Impairments . 5 Fucntional Communication Training with Children with ASD . 6 Chapter 2: Methods . 14 Participants and Setting. 14 Experimenters . 17 Materials . 17 Definition and Measurement of Dependent Variables . 18
Coexisting protist-bacterial community accelerates protein transformation in microcosm experiments

Proteins constitute the major portion of labile substances in the marine environment and are an important source of organic matter supporting marine ecosystems. However, previous studies have revealed that specific bacterial membrane proteins are refractory in the oceans. We here show by kinetic analyses of protease degradation activity using inactivated Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) cells as a proteinaceous substrate that bacterial proteases are insufficient to completely hydrolyze proteins, which may partially cause the protein accumulation in seawater. Protease activity was monitored simultaneously in 8 microcosms subjected to differing conditions. Some Pa proteins were retained for 30 days in the presence of bacteria without protists, whereas the Pa proteins were completely disappeared in the presence of both, indicating that these proteins were substantially incorporated into protist biomass. Our result suggests that protists play an important role in the transformation of bacterial proteins in seawater. Our experiments also imply that the functional/taxonomic diversity should be taken into account when considering decomposition activity in marine environments.
Resistance of a Rodent Malaria Parasite to a Thymidylate Synthase Inhibitor Induces an Apoptotic Parasite Death and Imposes a Huge Cost of Fitness

Background The greatest impediment to effective malaria control is drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum, and thus understanding how resistance impacts on the parasite's fitness and pathogenicity may aid in malaria control strategy. Methodology/Principal Findings To generate resistance, P. berghei NK65 was subjected to 5-fluoroorotate (FOA, an inhibitor of thymidylate synthase, TS) pressure in mice. After 15 generations of drug pressure, the 2% DT (the delay time for proliferation of parasites to 2% parasitaemia, relative to untreated wild-type controls) reduced from 8 days to 4, equalling the controls. Drug sensitivity studies confirmed that FOA-resistance was stable. During serial passaging in the absence of drug, resistant parasite maintained low growth rates (parasitaemia, 15.5%±2.9, 7 dpi) relative to the wild-type (45.6%±8.4), translating into resistance cost of fitness of 66.0%. The resistant parasite showed an apoptosis-like death, as confirmed by light and transmission electron microscopy and corroborated by oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Conclusions/Significance The resistant parasite was less fit than the wild-type, which implies that in the absence of drug pressure in the field, the wild-type alleles may expand and allow drugs withdrawn due to resistance to be reintroduced. FOA resistance led to depleted dTTP pools, causing thymineless parasite death via apoptosis. This supports the tenet that unicellular eukaryotes, like metazoans, also undergo apoptosis. This is the first report where resistance to a chemical stimulus and not the stimulus itself is shown to induce apoptosis in a unicellular parasite. This finding is relevant in cancer therapy, since thymineless cell death induced by resistance to TS-inhibitors can further be optimized via inhibition of pyrimidine salvage enzymes, thus providing a synergistic impact. We conclude that since apoptosis is a process that can be pharmacologically modulated, the parasite's apoptotic machinery may be exploited as a novel drug target in malaria and other protozoan diseases of medical importance.
Characterization of Bioactive Recombinant Human Lysozyme Expressed in Milk of Cloned Transgenic Cattle

Background There is great potential for using transgenic technology to improve the quality of cow milk and to produce biopharmaceuticals within the mammary gland. Lysozyme, a bactericidal protein that protects human infants from microbial infections, is highly expressed in human milk but is found in only trace amounts in cow milk. Methodology/Principal Findings We have produced 17 healthy cloned cattle expressing recombinant human lysozyme using somatic cell nuclear transfer. In this study, we just focus on four transgenic cattle which were natural lactation. The expression level of the recombinant lysozyme was up to 25.96 mg/L, as measured by radioimmunoassay. Purified recombinant human lysozyme showed the same physicochemical properties, such as molecular mass and bacterial lysis, as its natural counterpart. Moreover, both recombinant and natural lysozyme had similar conditions for reactivity as well as for pH and temperature stability during in vitro simulations. The gross composition of transgenic and non-transgenic milk, including levels of lactose, total protein, total fat, and total solids were not found significant differences. Conclusions/Significance Thus, our study not only describes transgenic cattle whose milk offers the similar nutritional benefits as human milk but also reports techniques that could be further refined for production of active human lysozyme on a large scale.
The Nature of Relationships Between Young Children and Their Secondary Caregiver In a Childcare Center Classroom

In a Childcare Center Classroom Chapter 1 Picture two toddlers around the age of 13 months entering the same daycare classroom for the first time. Both children show some signs of distress and apprehension at being in a new environment with many other children and several unfamiliar adults. Though they share many of the same child characteristics (e.g., age), responses to the caregivers and how each deals with stress take divergent paths over the next days and weeks. The first child, Aaron, seeks out one particular childcare teacher for comfort, assistance, and reassurance often and consistently. The second child Bethany, though having similar experiences as Aaron, for example getting hurt and crying, feeling tired and cranky, and missing mom, however does not go to any caregiver, but seems to ‘recover’ on her own. These examples (though composites) of actual children’s relational styles to their non-primary caregiver as seen in childcare centers have obvious differences. The purpose of my study was to understand and describe the varied and multiple relationships between children (approximate ages 12 to 24 months) and their childcare teacher in a center context. The negotiations involved in relationship formation can be as challenging for the young child as it is for adults. “Should I talk to her? Is this person approachable? What if he rejects me? ” These internal self-messages begin in infancy at a neonate’s first cry, and, not surprisingly, develop into a pattern of relating that manifests itself in a lifetime of relationship building and continuity. This relationship “dance” is it simple? Complex? Paradoxically both? How do we learn the steps?
Obesity Blunts Microvascular Recruitment in Human Forearm Muscle After a Mixed Meal

OBJECTIVE Ingestion of a mixed meal recruits flow to muscle capillaries and increases total forearm blood flow in healthy young lean people. We examined whether these vascular responses are blunted by obesity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We fed eight middle-aged lean and eight obese overnight-fasted volunteers a liquid mixed meal (480 kcal). Plasma glucose and insulin were measured every 30 min, and brachial artery flow and muscle microvascular recruitment (contrast ultrasound) were assessed every 60 min over 2 h after the meal. RESULTS By 30 min, plasma glucose rose in both the lean (5.1 ± 0.1 vs. 6.7 ± 0.4 mmol/l, P < 0.05) and the obese groups (5.4 ± 0.2 vs. 6.7 ± 0.4 mmol/l, P < 0.05). Plasma insulin rose (28 ± 4 vs. 241 ± 30 pmol/l, P < 0.05) by 30 min in the lean group and remained elevated for 2 h. The obese group had higher fasting plasma insulin levels (65 ± 8 pmol/l, P < 0.001) and a greater postmeal area under the insulin-time curve (P < 0.05). Brachial artery flow was increased at 120 min after the meal in the lean group (38 ± 6 vs. 83 ± 16 ml/min, P < 0.05) but not in the obese group. Muscle microvascular blood volume rose by 120 min in the lean group (14.4 ± 2.2 vs. 24.4 ± 4.2 units, P < 0.05) but not in the obese group. CONCLUSIONS A mixed meal recruits muscle microvasculature in lean subjects, and this effect is blunted by obesity. This impaired vascular recruitment lessens the endothelial surface available and may thereby impair postprandial glucose disposal.
Quantifying Proportional Variability

Real quantities can undergo such a wide variety of dynamics that the mean is often a meaningless reference point for measuring variability. Despite their widespread application, techniques like the Coefficient of Variation are not truly proportional and exhibit pathological properties. The non-parametric measure Proportional Variability (PV) [1] resolves these issues and provides a robust way to summarize and compare variation in quantities exhibiting diverse dynamical behaviour. Instead of being based on deviation from an average value, variation is simply quantified by comparing the numbers to each other, requiring no assumptions about central tendency or underlying statistical distributions. While PV has been introduced before and has already been applied in various contexts to population dynamics, here we present a deeper analysis of this new measure, derive analytical expressions for the PV of several general distributions and present new comparisons with the Coefficient of Variation, demonstrating cases in which PV is the more favorable measure. We show that PV provides an easily interpretable approach for measuring and comparing variation that can be generally applied throughout the sciences, from contexts ranging from stock market stability to climate variation.
Brownian motion in the quadrant with oblique repulsion from the sides

We consider the problem of strong existence and uniqueness of a Brownian motion forced to stay in the quadrant by an electrostatic repulsion from the sides that works obliquely. The results are reminiscent of the study of a Brownian motion with oblique reflection in a wedge. Actually, the same skew symmetry condition is involved when looking for a stationary distribution in product form. the terms of the product are now gamma distributions in place of exponential ones. An associate purely deterministic problem is also considered.
Geographical structure, narrow species ranges, and Cenozoic diversification in a pantropical clade of epiphyllous leafy liverworts

Abstract The evolutionary history and classification of epiphyllous cryptogams are still poorly known. Leptolejeunea is a largely epiphyllous pantropical liverwort genus with about 25 species characterized by deeply bilobed underleaves, elliptic to narrowly obovate leaf lobes, the presence of ocelli, and vegetative reproduction by cladia. Sequences of three chloroplast regions (rbcL, trnL‐F, psbA) and the nuclear ribosomal ITS region were obtained for 66 accessions of Leptolejeunea and six outgroup species to explore the phylogeny, divergence times, and ancestral areas of this genus. The phylogeny was estimated using maximum‐likelihood and Bayesian inference approaches, and divergence times were estimated with a Bayesian relaxed clock method. Leptolejeunea likely originated in Asia or the Neotropics within a time interval from the Early Eocene to the Late Cretaceous (67.9 Ma, 95% highest posterior density [HPD]: 47.9–93.7). Diversification of the crown group initiated in the Eocene or early Oligocene (38.4 Ma, 95% HPD: 27.2–52.6). Most species clades were established in the Miocene. Leptolejeunea epiphylla and L. schiffneri originated in Asia and colonized African islands during the Plio‐Pleistocene. Accessions of supposedly pantropical species are placed in different main clades. Several monophyletic morphospecies exhibit considerable sequence variation related to a geographical pattern. The clear geographic structure of the Leptolejeunea crown group points to evolutionary processes including rare long‐distance dispersal and subsequent speciation. Leptolejeunea may have benefitted from the large‐scale distribution of humid tropical angiosperm forests in the Eocene.
Investigation of ICA Algorithms for Feature Extraction of EEG Signals in Discrimination of Alzheimer Disease

In this paper we present a quantitative comparisons of different independent component analysis (ICA) algorithms in order to investigate their potential use in preprocessing (such as noise reduction and feature extraction) the electroencephalogram (EEG) data for early detection of Alzhemier disease (AD) or discrimination between AD (or mild cognitive impairment, MCI) and age-match control subjects.
A Model of Investor Sentiment

Recent empirical research in finance has uncovered two families of pervasive regularities: underreaction of stock prices to news such as earnings announcements; and overreaction of stock prices to a series of good or bad news. In this paper, we present a parsimonious model of investor sentiment that is, of how investors form beliefs that is consistent with the empirical findings. The model is based on psychological evidence and produces both underreaction and overreaction for a wide range of parameter values.
Author ' s personal copy When and how aesthetics influences financial decisions

We observe the influence of aesthetic design on consumer behavior involving financial products—an area where financial decision-makers say they do not take aesthetics into account. In a series of three studies we find that the look of a document in hypothetical investment decisions impacts stock valuation and behavior in some but not all situations. Specifically, our results show that calling attention to the influence of design on behavior moderates the effect, including the paradoxical finding that the effect of design is attenuated when investments involve entities for which aesthetics is of intrinsic value. © 2010 Society for Consumer Psychology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
High Incidence of Myocardial Ischemia during Postpartum Hemorrhage

BackgroundPostpartum hemorrhage remains a major cause of global maternal morbidity and mortality, even in developed countries, despite the use of intensive care units. This study sought to (1) assess whether myocardial ischemia could be associated with and even aggravate hemorrhagic shock in young parturients admitted for postpartum hemorrhage, and (2) identify the independent risk factors for myocardial ischemia. MethodsOn their referral to the intensive care unit, a multidisciplinary team managed parturients with severe postpartum hemorrhage. Ventilation, transfusion, catecholamines, surgery, or angiography with uterine embolization were provided as clinically indicated. Plasma cardiac troponin I levels were used as a surrogate marker of acute myocardial injury and electrocardiograms of myocardial ischemia. ResultsA total of 55 parturients were referred with severe postpartum hemorrhage, all in hemorrhagic shock. Twenty-eight parturients (51%) had elevated serum levels of cardiac troponin I (9.4 &mgr;g/l [3.7–26.6 &mgr;g/l]), which were associated with electrocardiographic signs of ischemia and deteriorated myocardial contractility and correlated with the severity of hemorrhagic shock. Indeed, multivariate analysis identified low systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure (< 88 and < 50 mmHg, respectively) and increased heart rate (> 115 beats/min) as independent predictors of myocardial injury. In addition, all patients who were given catecholamines also had elevated cardiac troponin I levels. ConclusionsThese results suggest that treatment of postpartum hemorrhage-induced hemorrhagic shock should be coupled with concomitant prevention of myocardial ischemia, even in young parturients.