Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quadratic Programming Feature Selection

Identifying a subset of features that preserves classification accuracy is a problem of growing importance, because of the increasing size and dimensionality of real-world data sets. We propose a new feature selection method, named Quadratic Programming Feature Selection (QPFS), that reduces the task to a quadratic optimization problem. In order to limit the computational complexity of solving the optimization problem, QPFS uses the Nystrom method for approximate matrix diagonalization. QPFS is thus capable of dealing with very large data sets, for which the use of other methods is computationally expensive. In experiments with small and medium data sets, the QPFS method leads to classification accuracy similar to that of other successful techniques. For large data sets, QPFS is superior in terms of computational efficiency.
Three essays in macroeconomics: capital reallocation, capital utilization and optimal policy with partial information

This thesis is composed of three chapters. In the first chapter, I show that capital reallocation is highly procyclical, in contrast to the prediction of existing businesscycle models with firm heterogeneity, where it is highly countercyclical. I argue that endogenizing the price of used capital relative to new solves this puzzle. First I show empirically that in several sectors the price of used investment goods relative to new is procyclical. Then I build a dynamic general equilibrium model with heterogeneous firms facing both aggregate and idiosyncratic productivity shocks. Used capital is an imperfect substitute for new capital because of firm-level capital specificity. In equilibrium both the price of used capital and the volume of reallocation become procyclical. The second chapter studies the link between investment irreversibility and capital utilization. I show that when it is costly to downsize, firms respond to negative transitory profitability shocks by underutilizing their capital stock. In a partial equilibrium setting I derive both analytical and numerical results on the links between the level of irreversibility, the size and persistence of the shocks and the optimal utilization decision. In an industry-equilibrium model with heterogeneous firms and aggregate shocks, I endogenize the resale price of capital as in the first chapter and show that when this price falls, the option value of idle capital rises and the aggregate utilization rate decreases. The third chapter, co-authored with Esther Hauk and Albert Marcet, studies optimal policy in a class of models of endogenous partial information. The economy is hit by multiple shocks and the policy-maker cannot observe their realizations, but only aggregate outcomes. In general the solution to this signal extraction problem cannot be separated from the solution to the problem of finding the optimal policy and we show how to solve them jointly. We apply the result to a model of optimal fiscal policy with incomplete markets and show that the endogeneity of the signal extraction may lead to highly non-linear optimal policies.
A comparison of the long-term effects of parental divorce on the possible selves of Greek and English young adults

Research suggests that parental divorce affects important aspects of offspring's later life, especially their own marital life/personal life. These effects may be mediated by a range of factors. Earlier research has suggested possible selves as such mediating factors in the selfreported problems of adolescent divorcees' offspring. The present study explores the long-term effects of parental divorce taking account of societal and gender differences, on the possible selves reported by UK and Greek young adults in relation to future family life, occupational life, friendships and leisure. Exploratory interviews were carried out with young adults, from divorced and intact families. Individuals from divorced families reported more negative possible selves than their counterparts from intact families. Gender differences were indicated in the majority of life domains especially family and leisure. Questionnaires concerning the divorce scenario and possible selves were devised from the information derived from the interviews and completed by a sample of 329 Greek and English young adults. A mediating role for social factors in the possible selves reported by individuals who experienced parental divorce is suggested. The study indicated that nationality rather than the status of parental family differentiated to a great extent individuals' possible selves. Greek and UK divorcees' offspring differed in the possible selves concerning relationships with friends and colleagues with the English being more oriented to friends and colleagues than individuals from intact families. The style of living and dominant representations of selves of Greek and English individuals led divorcees' offspring to focus on a particular reference group when they experienced negative divorce circumstances. This was friends and occupation for Greek and UK individuals respectively. The study indicated few gender differences. Education also appeared to be a mediating factor. The findings are considered in terms of cross-cultural differences in attitudes towards divorce and the implications for educational programmes.
Spray and Hop Distance Routing Protocol in Multiple-island DTN Scenarios

Especially in rural areas, a high-speed but high-cost data communication infrastructure is not always available. In such conditions, a store-carry-and-forward-based message relaying over existing vehicle networks is a promising approach to delivery of large data as delay and disruption tolerant networking (DTN). In this paper, reflecting a real example situation in Indonesia, we consider DTN message delivery scenarios over multiple islands where adjacent islands are connected only by ferry boat. The source and destination nodes of messages are stationary and located marginal islands. Messages are relayed by cars and buses in each island and by ferries between islands. We adapt our previously proposed routing protocol to the multiple-island scenarios with some modification and evaluate its effectiveness in two cases of delivery direction. In this newly proposed version, namely adaptive-spray and hop-distance protocol (A-SnHD), the binary-spray forwarding is repeatedly used when a message reaches each island, and the hop distance-based forwarding is strictly used to prevent unnecessary transmission to wrong islands. Simulation results show that A-SnHD outperforms Epidemic and PRoPHETV2 regarding the total size of delivered messages and the overhead ratio.
Are Drone Strikes Effective in Afghanistan and Pakistan? On the Dynamics of Violence between the United States and the Taliban

Strikes by unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, have been the primary weapon used by the United States to combat the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This paper examines the dynamics of violence involving drone strikes and the Taliban/Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan from January 2007 to December 2010. We find that drone strikes do not have any significant impact on terrorist violence in Afghanistan but that drone strikes do have a significant impact on Taliban/Al-Qaeda violence in Pakistan. We find that our results are robust to examining different time periods and lag structures. We also examine the impact of successful and unsuccessful drone strikes (which did or did not succeed in targeted killing of a militant leader) on terrorist attacks by the Taliban. We find strong negative impacts of unsuccessful drone strikes on Taliban violence in Pakistan, showing the deterrent effects are quite strong, while the incapacitation effects appear to be weak or non-existent.
Short-term and long-term outcomes of moxifloxacin compared to standard antibiotic treatment in acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To compare the effectiveness of oral moxifloxacin with standard antibiotic therapy in acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (AECB). DESIGN Multicenter, multinational, randomized, double-blind study of two parallel treatment arms. PATIENTS Outpatients >or= 45 years old with stable chronic bronchitis, smoking history of >or= 20 pack-years, two or more AECBs in the previous year, and FEV(1) < 85% of predicted value. Patients were enrolled when in a stable condition, and patients with exacerbations within 12 months of enrollment were randomized. INTERVENTIONS Randomization (stratified on steroid use) between moxifloxacin (400 mg qd for 5 days) and standard therapy (amoxicillin [500 mg tid for 7 days], clarithromycin [500 mg bid for 7 days], or cefuroxime-axetil [250 mg bid for 7 days]). MEASUREMENTS Assessment at enrollment, randomization (Anthonisen type 1 exacerbation), 7 to 10 days after treatment, and monthly until next AECB or up to 9 months. The primary efficacy variable was clinical success (sufficient improvement, no alternative antimicrobial therapy required) 7 to 10 days after therapy. Secondary predefined end points were clinical cure (return to pre-exacerbation status), further antimicrobial use, time to next AECB, and bacteriologic success. RESULTS Three hundred fifty-four patients received moxifloxacin, and 376 patients received standard therapy. At 7 to 10 days after therapy, clinical success rates were similar in intention-to-treat (ITT) patients (95% confidence interval [CI], - 0.7 to 9.5) and per-protocol (PP) patients (95% CI, - 3.0 to 8.5). Moxifloxacin showed superior clinical cure rates over standard therapy in both ITT patients (95% CI, 1.4 to 14.9) and PP patients (95% CI, 0.3 to 15.6), and higher bacteriologic success in microbiologically valid patients (95% CI, 0.4 to 22.1). Fewer ITT patients required antimicrobials after treatment with moxifloxacin than standard therapy (p < 0.01). Time to next exacerbation was longer with moxifloxacin; median and mean times to new AECBs in ITT patients who did not require any further antibiotics were 131.0 days and 132.8 days in moxifloxacin, and 103.5 days and 118.0 days in standard therapy, respectively (p = 0.03). The occurrence of failure, new exacerbation, or any further antibiotic was less frequent in moxifloxacin-treated patients for up to 5 months of follow-up (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Moxifloxacin was equivalent to standard therapy for clinical success and showed superiority over standard therapy in clinical cure, bacteriologic eradication, and long-term outcomes.
The Consumption Smoothing Benefits of Unemployment Insurance

Previous research on unemployment insurance (UI) has focused on the costs of the program, in terms of the distorting effects of generous UI benefits on worker and firm behavior. For assessing the optimal size of an unemployment insurance program, however, it is also important to gauge the benefits of increased UI generosity, in terms of smoothing consumption across periods of joblessness. I do so through a reduced form approach which directly measures the effect of legislated variations in UI benefits on consumption changes among individuals becoming unemployed. I use annual observations on food consumption expenditures for 1968-1987 from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, matched to information on the UI benefits for which unemployed persons were eligible in each state and year. I estimate that a 10 percentage point increase in the UI replacement rate leads to a consumption fall upon unemployment which is 2.7% smaller. Over this period, the average fall in consumption for the unemployed was 7%; my results imply that, in the absence of unemployment insurance, this fall would have been over three times as large. I also find that the positive effect of UI only extends for one period, smoothing consumption during initial job loss but having no permanent effect on consumption levels; that individuals who anticipate layoff see a smaller consumption smoothing effect; and that UI appears to somewhat crowd out other forms of public consumption insurance. Despite the substantial estimated consumption smoothing effect, however, my results imply that the optimal UI benefit level is within the range of current replacement rates only at fairly high levels of risk aversion.
Open and Endovascular Treatment of Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus II D Aortoiliac Occlusive Lesions: What Determines the Rate of Restenosis?

Background:Open surgery is the preferred approach for the treatment of type D lesions according to the Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) II guideline, but endovascular solutions also appear to be a valid option in selected patients. The study aimed to identify the risk factors of restenosis after open and endovascular reconstruction of symptomatic TASC II D aortoiliac occlusive lesions (AIOLs). Methods:Fifty-six patients (82 limbs) who underwent open repair and endovascular treatment (ET) for symptomatic TASC &Igr;&Igr; D AIOLs between March 2005 and December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Baseline characteristics, preoperative and postoperative imaging, and operation procedure reports were reviewed and analyzed. Restenosis after revascularization was assessed by duplex ultrasound or computed tomography angiogram. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, Log-rank test, and multivariate Cox regression were used to evaluate the relevance between risk factors and patency. Results:The mean duration of follow-up was 42.8 ± 23.5 months (ranging from 3 to 90 months). Primary patency rates at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year were 93.6%, 89.3%, 87.0%, and 70.3%, respectively. Restenosis after revascularization occurred in 11 limbs. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and the Log-rank test revealed that diabetes, Rutherford classification ≥5th and concurrent femoropopliteal TASC II type C/D lesions were significantly related to the duration of primary patency. According to the result of Cox regression, diabetes and femoropopliteal TASC &Igr;&Igr; type C/D lesions were identified as the risk factors for restenosis after revascularization. Conclusion:This study demonstrated that diabetes and femoropopliteal TASC &Igr;&Igr; type C/D lesions are risk factors associated with restenosis after open and ET of TASC II D AIOLs.
Economic Momentum and Currency Returns

Past trends in fundamentals linked to economic activity and inflation predict currency returns. We find that a trading strategy that goes long currencies with strong economic momentum and short currencies with weak economic momentum exhibits an annualized Sharpe ratio of 0.70 and yields a significant alpha when controlling for standard carry, momentum, and value strategies. The economic momentum strategy subsumes the alpha of carry trades, suggesting that differences in past economic trends capture cross-country differences in carry.
Maximum Entropy Model for Melodic Patterns

We introduce a model for music generation where melodies are seen as a network of interacting notes. Starting from the principle of maximum entropy we assign to this network a probability distribution, which is learned from an existing musical corpus. We use this model to generate novel musical sequences that mimic the style of the corpus. Our main result is that this model can reproduce high-order patterns despite having a polynomial sample complexity. This is in contrast with the more traditionally used Markov models that have an exponential sample complexity.
Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Bolivia, 1990- 1998

This paper employs ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation to examine the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) and the effect of FDI on per capita GDP growth in Bolivia over the period 1990:1-1998:4. The regression results find that the real effective multilateral exchange rate, the ratio of external debt to GDP, and a dummy representing capitalization inflows significantly impact FDI, while FDI, along with the terms-of-trade, the ratio of private sector credit to GDP, and the ratio of government spending to GDP are shown to have a statistically significant impact on per capita GDP growth. The exclusion of capitalization inflows from total FDI in the FDI determinants model has very little impact on the overall results.
Diabetic Stroke Severity: Epigenetic Remodeling and Neuronal, Glial, and Vascular Dysfunction

We determined the mechanism of severity during type 1 diabetic (T1D) stroke (ischemia-reperfusion [IR] injury) that affects potential markers associated with epigenetics, neuronal, glial, and vascular components of the brain with regard to nondiabetic stroke. The study used male genetic T1D Ins2+/− Akita and wild-type (C57BL/6J) mice. The experimental mice groups were 1) sham, 2) IR, 3) shamAkita, and 4) IRAkita. Mice were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion for 40 min, followed by reperfusion for 24 h. Brain tissues were analyzed for inflammation, neuro-glio-vascular impairments, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 expression, and epigenetic alterations (DNA methyltransferase-3a [DNMT-3a]; DNA methyltransferase-1 [DNMT-1]; 5-methylcytosine [5-mC]; and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine [5-hmC]). Intracarotid fluorescein isothiocyanate-BSA infusion was used to determine pial-venular permeability. IRAkita mice showed more infarct volume, edema, inflammation, and vascular MMP-9 expression compared with IR and sham groups. ShamAkita mice showed the highest DNMT-1 and DNMT-3a levels compared with the other groups. Reduced tight and adherent junction expressions and severe venular leakage exemplified intense cerebrovascular impairment in IRAkita mice compared with the other groups. Interestingly, we found differential regulations (downregulated expression) of epigenetic (5-mC, DNMTs), vascular (endothelial nitric oxide synthase), glial (connexin-43, glial fibrillary acidic protein, CD11b), and neuronal (neuron-specific enolase, neuronal nitric oxide synthase) markers in IRAkita compared with the IR group. These findings suggest that IR injury in T1D is more severe because it intensifies differential epigenetic markers and neuro-glio-vascular changes compared with nondiabetic mice.
Effects of Supply Chain Integration and Market Orientation on Firm Performance: Evidence from China

Purpose – The present paper aims to investigate the impact of two different dimensions of supply chain integration on two aspects of firm performance in the emerging economy of China. In addition, the moderating effects of market orientation on the relationship between supply chain integration and firm performance are explored.Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained from a survey administered to 246 firms in the manufacturing and services industry in China. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.Findings – Operational coordination is positively associated with operational performance and business performance. Information sharing affects only operational performance; it has no impact on business performance. Furthermore, the results provide empirical support for the moderating effects of market orientation on the association of supply chain integration and firm performance.Originality/value – The current paper contributes knowledge on the value‐realizing mechanism of supp.
Evidence for an anomalous anticipatory effect in the autonomic nervous system

Previous studies investigating autonomic arousal levels prior to randomly selected calm vs. emotional stimuli found that the baseline levels depended on future conditions. Two double-blind experiments involving a total of 98 participants re-examined this anomalous anticipatory effect, dubbed “presentiment. ” Participants with the most consistent responses to calm stimuli were predicted to show the presentiment effect, and they did (p = 0.04). In addition, it was shown that physiological arousal levels prior to the stimuli were positively correlated with independently assessed emotionality ratings (p = 0.008). To ensure that the anomaly was not due to subliminal cues, stimulus pictures were randomly selected after the pre-stimulus recording period. To ensure that the effect was not due to statistical anticipation, the picture categories of calm and emotional were randomly selected with replacement. No significant autocorrelations were found in the stimulus sequences, and both pseudorandom and hardware-based truly random number generators were used to generate the stimulus sequences, with similar results. Other potential design artifacts and anticipatory strategies that might have generated the observed results were considered in detail and rejected.
Does the Use of Foreign Currency Derivatives Affect Colombian Firms’ Market Value?

Classic financial theory relies on the absolute perfection of capital markets, which results in one of the milestones of theoretical corporate finance: the firm´s value is invariant to the choice of capital structure. As an extension to the aforementioned proposition by Modigliani and Miller (1958), corporate risk management is also futile. Nevertheless, it is clear that capital markets do not work with absolute perfection. There exist frictions which make risk management decisions essential for the firm´s value. Moreover, derivatives´ market vast importance is a good proxy of the relevance of hedging decisions for corporate finance. There is a remarkable volume of literature which tests the effects of risk management and hedging decisions for the value of the firm, mainly for the US corporate market. However, there is little effort on this subject for markets which work even farther from absolute perfection. This document undertakes such task for the Colombian market. Focused on non-financial firms and the local´s most liquid derivatives market, we find that for a panel of eight large Colombian corporations, the growth rate of Tobin´s Q depends significantly on firm´s size and hedging. Our results suggests that, after controlling for relevant financial variables such as firm´s profitability and leverage, and other variables such as firm´s age, an increase in hedging leads to a higher growth in the firm´s value.
Trade and Value Developments in the Danish Second-Home Sector: Implications for Tourism Policies

The 220,000 second homes in Denmark are very important tourism and leisure resources. This study documents the development in property values and the trade in second homes during the period 1994–2008 and links property values to socio-economic characteristics, events in the lives of the owners and geography. The study finds that ownership of second homes is still fairly well distributed socially, but that there is a clear trend towards the exclusion of those with lower incomes and of families with children. The average age of owners is rising. Second homes play a subtle role not only as holiday resources, but also in the combined housing economy and investment of Danish families. Indirectly, the developments in the trade and value of second homes have implications for future tourism policies. The continuous availability of privately owned second homes on the rental market is of immense importance for the attractiveness of the Danish tourism product in general, and for specific destinations in particular. Rising property prices in the years up to 2008 and a lack of incentives to upgrade the standard of these houses may compromise mainstream Danish tourism policies.