Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electric field control of the skyrmion lattice in Cu2OSeO3

Small-angle neutron scattering has been employed to study the influence of applied electric (E-)fields on the skyrmion lattice in the chiral lattice magnetoelectric Cu2OSeO3. Using an experimental geometry with the E-field parallel to the [111] axis, and the magnetic field parallel to the [ 1 1 ̄ 0? > ] axis, we demonstrate that the effect of applying an E-field is to controllably rotate the skyrmion lattice around the magnetic field axis. Our results are an important first demonstration for a microscopic coupling between applied E-fields and the skyrmions in an insulator, and show that the general emergent properties of skyrmions may be tailored according to the properties of the host system.
COMPUTATIONAL SIMULATION OF ALTITUDE CHANGE-INDUCED INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE ALTERATION IN PATIENTS WITH INTRAVITREAL GAS BUBBLES

Purpose: To study the impact of altitude on the intraocular pressure (IOP) in an eye with an intravitreal gas bubble. Methods: A mathematical model was developed to simulate intravitreal gas bubble expansion caused by change in altitude. Mechanical deformation of the eye was simulated using a finite-element model. Intraocular pressure-driven changes in aqueous humor flow were also considered. Two cases were studied: 1) ascent from sea level to 3,000 ft followed by immediate return to sea level and 2) ascent to 3,000 ft followed by prolonged exposure to 3,000 ft. The effect of IOP-lowering medications was studied by changing the model parameters. Results: The IOP increase was directly related to the initial bubble size when ascent to 3,000 ft was simulated. When prolonged exposure to high altitude was modeled, loss of aqueous humor led to a less elevated value of IOP. In a typical simulated case, when the outflow facility was increased, the predicted IOP rise was reduced by 28%. Conclusion: Theoretical modeling of an eye with an intravitreal gas bubble can help an ophthalmologist evaluate the impact of altitude-induced IOP changes. Our model suggests that IOP-lowering drugs could help manage altitude-induced IOP changes in the presence of intravitreal gas bubbles.
When Does One Bad Apple Spoil the Barrel? An Evolutionary Analysis of Collective Action

This paper studies collective-action games in which the production of a public good requires teamwork. A leading example is a threshold game in which provision requires the voluntary participation of m out of n players. Quantal-response strategy revisions allow play to move between equilibria in which a team successfully provides, and an equilibrium in which the collective action fails. A full characterization of long-run play reveals the determinants of success; these include the correlation between players' costs of provision and their valuations for the good. The addition of an extra "bad apple" player can "spoil the barrel" by destabilizing successful teams and so offers a rationale for limiting the pool of possible contributors. Copyright 2008, Wiley-Blackwell.
The Impact of Information and Communication Technology on International Trade in Fruit and Vegetables in APEC

The global food marketing network is being constantly reshaped, providing opportunities and challenges for information and communication technology (ICT) to develop and improve international trade in food products. A gravity model of international trade is employed to see if ICT positively affects bilateral international trade in fruit and vegetables between member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies. We examine if the use of the Internet, mobile telephones, and fixed telephone lines determine the value of bilateral trade. Empirical results for the importance of ICT differ markedly between importing activities and exporting activities in the international value chain of fruit and vegetables in APEC countries. Changes in ICT levels in the import sector of the value chain have no effect on international trade in fruit and vegetables. However, in the export sector, growth in some ICT products has significant positive effects on trade in fruit and vegetables between APEC countries. Surprisingly, the strongest impact was discerned for the traditional form of ICT, fixed telephone lines, but this impact probably reflects the fact that fixed telephone lines are a proxy variable for the general level of infrastructure development. Of the two digital ICTs, mobile telephony and the Internet, only the Internet had a significant impact on trade levels. The further development of the Internet and its diffusion should make exporters in APEC countries more competitive in the fruit and vegetables value chain, and boost their trade values in these products.
Land tenure and the management of land and trees: the case of customary land tenure areas of Ghana

This study explores the effects of land tenure institutions on land use and management using household date from cocoa growing areas of Ghana. Various land tenure institutions with different land rights coexist in our sites, such as allocated family land, inherited land, appropriated village land, and land received as gift. While tree planting and the decision to leave land fallow may be affected by land tenure status, there are no significant differences in labor allocation and revenue of both cocoa and food crops among parcels under different land tenure institutions. These results support the hypothesis that management incentives of cocoa fields, but not food crop fields, tend to be equalized due to the incentive-enhancing effects of granting secure land rights after efforts to plant cocoa trees are expended.
Hypervitaminosis D associated with drinking milk.

BACKGROUND Vitamin D has been added to milk in the United States since the 1930s to prevent rickets. We report the unusual occurrence of eight cases of vitamin D intoxication that appear to have been caused by excessive vitamin D fortification of dairy milk. METHODS Medical records were reviewed and a dietary questionnaire was sent to eight patients who had unexplained hypervitaminosis D. Vitamin D analyses with high-performance liquid chromatography were performed on samples of the patients' serum, the dairy milk they drank, and the vitamin D concentrate added to the milk. RESULTS All eight patients drank milk produced by a local dairy in amounts ranging from 1/2 to 3 cups (118 to 710 ml) daily. All had elevated serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations (mean [+/- SD], 731 +/- 434 nmol per liter [293 +/- 174 ng per milliliter]). Six of the eight patients had elevated serum vitamin D3 concentrations. Of the eight patients, seven had hypercalcemia and one had hypercalciuria but normocalcemia (mean serum calcium, 3.14 +/- 0.51 mmol per liter [12.6 +/- 2.1 mg per deciliter]). Analysis of the dairy's vitamin D-fortified milk revealed concentrations of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) that ranged from undetectable to as high as 232,565 IU per quart (245,840 IU per liter). An analysis of the concentrate that was used to fortify the milk, labeled as containing vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), revealed that it contained vitamin D3. CONCLUSIONS Hypervitaminosis D may result from drinking milk that is incorrectly and excessively fortified with vitamin D. Milk that is fortified with vitamin D must be carefully monitored.
Modelling Tourism Flows from Europe to Australia

The period since 1980 has seen unprecedented interest in Australia by Europeans, particularly from the UK, Germany and Italy. The importance of these nations, as well as of Europe as a whole, in terms of providing tourists to Australia, is the focus of this paper. More specifically, our aim is to generate demand models which seek to explain what determines tourism flows to Australia from Europe. To this end we build models of tourism demand which take into consideration the factors influencing tourism suggested by the literature. Our aim is to model total tourism flows from all European countries, as well as from the three largest providers of European visitors to Australia. Furthermore, we break down ‘total visits' into those visits for ‘holiday reasons' and ‘visiting relatives’; this gives us 12 different models to consider. Our analysis leads us to conclude that, in the case of all visits, whereas there is little difference between the all-Europe model and the UK model, there are important differences between these two models and the Germany and Italy models. A different pattern of results emerges when models of ‘holiday visits' and ‘visiting relatives' are regression tested for the all-Europe and country-specific models. The all-Europe models are then used for forecasting purposes and achieve mixed success.
To What Extent do Sectors “Socialize” Innovation Differently? Mapping Cooperative Linkages in Knowledge‐Intensive Industries in the Ottawa Region

This paper investigates the relative significance of local vs. distant forms of cooperation and knowledge sourcing in different knowledge‐intensive sectors of the Ottawa region. Based on a recently completed survey of 172 firms, we address specifically the respective contribution of local, national and international cooperation in supplying firms with ideas, information and knowledge. Explanations for different collaborative patterns between high‐ and medium‐tech manufacturing firms and knowledge‐intensive business services are drawn out.
Do better governed firms enjoy a lower cost of equity capital?: Evidence from Spanish firms

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between corporate governance and cost of equity capital for a set of Spanish firms.Design/methodology/approach – The paper focuses on five board characteristics that have received widespread attention in corporate governance literature (board independence, board size, existence of both audit and nomination/remuneration committees, CEO duality, and independence of board committees) in order to construct a summary corporate governance measure for each firm. Then, by using regression analysis, it examines whether higher governance quality is associated with a lower cost of equity capital.Findings – The results show that stronger governance firms have a lower cost of equity capital with respect to firms with weaker governance, even after controlling for differences in Fama and French's risk factors (i.e. beta, size and market‐to‐book). Research limitations/implications – The dependent variable, i.e. the cost of equity capital, is an unobser.
Pengaruh Manajemen Laba Terhadap Biaya Modal Ekuitas (Studi pada Perusahaan Publik Sektor Manufaktur)

The objectives of the research is to find out empirical evidence of the influence of earnings management on cost of equity capital.The population of this study was listed companies in the manufacturing sector at the Jakarta Stock Exchange, and the sample was determined based on the following criteria: (a) the annual report ended 31 December, and (b) book value of equity is positive. There were 92 companies meeting the criteria. Data analysis was carried out in terms of pool cross-section covering annual financial report during 2001–2002. Earnings management were measured by ratio of working capital accruals with sales, and cost of equity capital was estimated by Ohlson model. The research hypotheses were tested using multi regression with beta risk and size as control variables. The results of this research show that (1) earnings management had positive significant influence on cost of equity capital, and (2) sensitivity analysis of earnings management proxy show that ratio of working capital accruals with sales is the best proxy compared with Healy model, modified Jones model and Jones Model.
Microbial exposures in infancy predict levels of the immunoregulatory cytokine interleukin‐4 in filipino young adults

Infancy represents a window of development during which long‐term immunological functioning can be influenced. In this study, we evaluate proxies of microbial exposures in infancy as predictors of interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) in young adulthood. IL‐4 is an immunoregulatory cytokine that plays a role in the pathogenesis of atopic and allergic diseases.
Differing motivations for terrorism

Analysis of terrorism often means an analysis of terror organizations. In contrast, this analysis investigates individual agents' motivations to support terrorism. These motivations do not only include the aim of terrorism, but also motivations which are exclusively inherent to the individual agent's sphere. The latter can, of course, not be identified in a framework focusing on the organizational sphere of terrorism. Therefore, our approach gives new hints for the combat of terrorism. We allow for different forms of terrorism.
The Role of Internal Auditors in Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures: An International Study

This paper presents the results of a survey-based study into the role played by internal auditors in Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures (M, A & D). The research, funded by the IIA- Research Foundation, was carried out during the years 2000 and 2001 and involved interviews in 22 organisations spanning 6 countries. The findings indicate that internal auditor's involvement in M, A and D can only be described as moderate. However, the study also shows that internal auditors see themselves capable of playing a larger role, a view supported by senior executives in other functions in these organisations. The study sets out the pre-requisites for internal auditors expanded role and discusses the means of achieving this.
Household Debt and Labour Market Fluctuations

The co-movements of labor productivity with output, total hours, vacancies and unemployment have changed since the mid 1980s. This paper offers an explanation for the sharp break in the fl uctuations of labor market variables based on endogenous labor supply decisions following the mortgage market deregulation. Our exercise shows that the dynamic pattern of the labor market variables might have been substantially affected by the increase in household leverage in the US in the last twenty years. We set up a search model with effi cient bargaining and fi nancial frictions, in which impatient borrowers can take an amount of credit that cannot exceed a proportion of the expected value of their real estate holdings. When borrowers’ equity requirements are low, the impact of a positive technology shock on the marginal utility of consumption is strengthened, which in turn results in lower hours per worker and higher wages in the bargaining process. This shift in labor supply discourages fi rms from opening vacancies, reducing the impact of the shock on employment.
Benchmarking: destination attractiveness and small hospitality business performance

Examines the role of benchmarking within the small hospitality sector. Argues that there is considerable potential for improving service quality by this means, not only in the small businesses themselves, but also in tourist destinations, which often depend heavily on this sector. While benchmarking activity is growing in large organizations, there has been limited application among small hospitality businesses. Examines the reasons for this, and discusses how benchmarking, linked to external awards and grades, can offer advantages and bring about improvements in competitiveness for both small hospitality businesses and destinations. Consumers also benefit through clearer indication of the service likely to be offered, so that their service expectations are more likely to correspond with performance, and their satisfaction with the destination to be increased. Argues that external benchmarking needs to be directed by local authorities, so that it matches the destination’s planned strategic development.
Consumers' Views on Food Quality. A Qualitative Interview Study

The study investigated the themes consumers discuss when describing their everyday considerations about food quality. Twenty Copenhagen families with young children were interviewed open-endedly concerning daily food-related practices and thoughts, making particular use of narrative descriptions of specific meals. Respondents expressed both positive and negative opinions about a broad variety of processed and unprocessed foods. Positive opinions about food quality related mainly to personal criteria such as taste or convenience. Negative comments mainly related to how foods were processed or distributed. The study suggests that concerns about food safety are integrated in everyday concepts of food quality, and that consumers individually develop strategies to deal with this. However, feelings of uncertainty, helplessness and self reproach were frequently reported. The results suggest that choices of foods often reflect compromises in everyday life rather than the consumers' preferences.
Price and Liquidity Effects of Switching Exchange Listings

By examining the price and liquidity effects around announcements of switching exchanges by firms within structurally similar markets in Taiwan, the authors uncover that while switching firms experience only a trivial effect around the application announcement days, there is a pronounced price rise during the prelisting period. Subsequently, they find only a partial reversal of this prelisting increase over the listing days and the postlisting period. However, they observe that stock liquidity improves following the application announcements, peaks around the listing days, and remains at high levels after listing. Further results suggest that firms' announcements that they are switching exchanges are not followed by improved earnings relative to performance-matched control firms. Collectively, these results reveal that transfer stocks in Taiwan convey information about permanent improvements in liquidity rather than better earnings prospects, which is consistent with the stock marketability implications of managerial exchange-switching decisions.
Criteria for sourcing from developing countries

Purpose – Increasingly, sourcing decisions are routinely including contract manufacturers and suppliers in developing countries. While many studies have researched and identified the criteria for selecting suppliers in general terms, there has been a dearth of studies on the criteria for choosing amongst suppliers in developing countries including suppliers in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the criteria for choosing amongst suppliers in different developing countries.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology consists of a series of case studies involving six firms some of which are sourcing from developing countries and some that are based in developing countries and supply lead firms in developed countries.Findings – Cost, physical and cultural proximity, political factors and reliability are found to be the primary criteria for sourcing decisions that include suppliers in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. Further, the paper identifies why these criteria a.
A Simulation of a Coronal Mass Ejection Propagation and Shock Evolution in the Lower Solar Corona

We present a detailed simulation of the evolution of a moderately slow coronal mass ejection (CME; 800 km s−1 at 5 R☉, where R☉ is solar radii) in the lower solar corona (2-5 R☉). The configuration of the Sun’s magnetic field is based on the MDI data for the solar surface during Carrington rotation 1922. The pre-CME background solar wind is generated using the Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) model. To initiate a CME, we inserted a modified Titov-Demoulin flux rope in an active region near the solar equator using the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF). After the initiation stage (within 2.5 R☉), the CME evolves at a nearly constant and slow acceleration of the order of 100 m s−2, which corresponds to an intermediate-acceleration CME. Detailed analysis of the pressures shows that the thermal pressure accounts for most of the acceleration of the CME. The magnetic pressure contributes to the acceleration early in the evolution and becomes negligible when the CME moves beyond ~3 R☉. We also present the evolution of the shock geometry near the nose of the CME, which shows that the shock is quasi parallel most of the time.
Sarcoidosis, asthma, and asthma-like symptoms among occupants of a historically water-damaged office building.

UNLABELLED Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease of unknown etiology with evidence of association with exposure to microbial agents. In June 2006, we investigated a sarcoidosis cluster among office workers in a water-damaged building. In the course of the investigation, we became aware of a high rate of respiratory complaints including asthma and asthma-like symptoms. We conducted case finding for physician-diagnosed sarcoidosis and asthma and administered a health questionnaire survey and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) to consenting occupants. We compared prevalence ratios (PRs) to the Environmental Protection Agency's Building Assessment Survey and Evaluation study (BASE) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We identified six sarcoidosis cases. The current building prevalence is 2206 cases/100,000 population, elevated, compared with the US population range of <1-40 cases/100,000. Of current occupants, 77% (105) participated in the health questionnaire survey and 64% (87) in PFTs. Physician-diagnosed asthma was elevated, compared with the US adult population. Adult asthma incidence was 3.3/1000 person-years during the period before building occupancy and 11.5/1000 person-years during the period after building occupancy. Comparisons with US office workers (BASE) yielded elevated PRs for shortness of breath [PR, 9.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 6.1-15.2], wheeze (PR, 9.1; 95% CI 5.6-14.6), and chest tightness (PR, 5.1; 95% CI 2.8-9.0). PFT results supported reports of respiratory symptoms and diagnoses. Based on our findings building occupants were relocated. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS The remission of occupational asthma caused by certain known antigens improves with early diagnosis and removal from exposure. As a suspected antigen-mediated disease, sarcoidosis might also benefit if affected persons are isolated from continued exposure. Our investigation identified a high prevalence of new-onset sarcoidosis, and asthma among workers of a water damaged building with a history of indoor environmental quality complaints. Removal of all individuals from such environments until completion of building diagnostics, environmental sampling and complete remediation is a prudent measure when feasible.
Can you hear me yet? An intracranial investigation of speech and non-speech audiovisual interactions in human cortex

ABSTRACT In everyday conversation, viewing a talker's face can provide information about the timing and content of an upcoming speech signal, resulting in improved intelligibility. Using electrocorticography, we tested whether human auditory cortex in Heschl's gyrus (HG) and on superior temporal gyrus (STG) and motor cortex on precentral gyrus (PreC) were responsive to visual/gestural information prior to the onset of sound and whether early stages of auditory processing were sensitive to the visual content (speech syllable versus non-speech motion). Event-related band power (ERBP) in the high gamma band was content-specific prior to acoustic onset on STG and PreC, and ERBP in the beta band differed in all three areas. Following sound onset, we found no evidence for content-specificity in HG, evidence for visual specificity in PreC, and specificity for both modalities in STG. These results support models of audiovisual processing in which sensory information is integrated in non-primary cortical areas.
The Effects of Pay Incentives on Teacher Absenteeism

This study examines the effects of pay incentives on teacher absence in one New York district. Paired sample t-tests of 292 teachers revealed that teacher absence declined significantly and perfect attendance rose from 8 percent to 34 percent during the first year of an attendance incentive plan. The study also revealed that the significant reduction in sick leave was accompanied by a significant increase in the use of personal days. The implications of these findings for practice and future research are discussed.