Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Credit Supply During a Sovereign Debt Crisis

We study the effect of the increase in Italian sovereign debt risk on credit supply on a sample of 670,000 bank-firm relationships between December 2010 and December 2011, drawn from the Italian Central Credit Register. To identify a causal link, we exploit the lower impact of sovereign risk on foreign banks operating in Italy than on domestic banks. We study firms borrowing from at least two banks and include firm x period fixed effects in all regressions to controlling for unobserved firm heterogeneity. We find that Italian banks tightened credit supply: the lending of Italian banks grew by about 3 percentage points less than that of foreign banks, and their interest rates were 15-20 basis points higher, after the outbreak of the sovereign debt crisis. We test robustness by splitting foreign banks into branches and subsidiaries, and then examine whether selected bank characteristics may have amplified or mitigated the impact. We also study the extensive margin of credit, analyzing banks' propensity to terminate existing relationships and to grant new loan applications. Finally, we test whether firms were able to compensate for the reduction of credit from Italian banks by borrowing more from foreign banks. We find that this was not the case, so that the sovereign crisis had an aggregate impact on credit supply.
HEREDITARY AND ACQUIRED CARDIOMYOPATHIES IN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS: MECHANICAL, BIOCHEMICAL, AND STRUCTURAL FEATURES *

Evidence has been presented regarding alterations of contractile behavior muscle biochemistry, and ulstrastructure during the course of the hereditary hamster cardiomyopathy. Also, preliminary structural and mechanical data were presented on the acquired cardiomyopathy of diabetes mellitus in experimental animals. In the hamster model, contractile performance, measured as isometric tension and rate of tension development, was shown to be depressed throughout the course of the disease, whereas normalized force-velocity relationships returned to normal only during the compensated stages of hypertrophy. Force-frequency relationships were depressed in myopathic muscles, indicating the presence of alterations in the muscle activation system, namely, the biochemical and functional integrity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Analysis of the contractile proteins in myopathic muscle has revealed depressions of Ca2+ activity in purified myosin in addition to an independently increased neutral protease activity that results in the specific degradation of LC2 of myosin. Sympathetic time and norepinephrine turnover increase progressively during the course of the disease. These changes are accompanied by decreasing tissue levels of neorepinephrine and increasing levels of dopamine, indicating a shift in the rate-limiting step for norepinephrine synthesis. Alterations were also noted in nuclear protein composition and serotonin levels. Microscopically, the myolytic and calcification changes that characterize the hamster cardiomyopathy have been confirmed. In addition, contraction bands and lysosomal changes have been observed that may relate to cateholamine hypersensitivity. In the experimental model of diabetic cardiomyopathy, a significant alteration in relaxation process was demonstrated despite the fact that peak tension development and its rate of development were unaltered. Also, the length dependence of contractile behavior was altered when compared to that of age-matched controls, indicating a potential loss of contractility reserve. When animals with combined hypertension and diabetes were studied, bothe contraction and relaxation processes were affected to a greater degree.
Inhibition of phagolysosome fusion is localized to Chlamydia psittaci-laden vacuoles

Intracellular survival of Chlamydia psittaci is in part dependent on the ability of the organism to thwart phagolysosome formation. Circumvention of phagolysosome fusion could be either localized to chlamydia-laden vacuoles or generalized to all phagosomes in the host cell. To determine which of these modes is in operation the ability of chlamydia elementary and reticulate bodies to protect Saccharomyces cerevisiae from degradation in macrophage phagolysosomes was examined via acridine orange and Giemsa staining. No statistically significant difference was evident between the amount of fusion observed in coinfected macrophages and those infected with yeast cells alone. This was ot dependent on some unique interaction between the chlamydia and the yeast cells since viable count studies to determine the protection of a second organism, Escherichia coli, also failed to show significantly different amounts of inactivation of the bacteria by macrophages in the presence of C. psittaci. Therefore, the inhibition of phagolysosome fusion is localized to chlamydia-laden phagosomes.
A Compact Microstrip-Fed Patch Antenna With Enhanced Bandwidth and Harmonic Suppression

A single-layer microstrip-fed patch antenna with capabilities of both bandwidth enhancement and harmonic suppression is proposed. For this purpose, a pair of λ/4 microstrip-line resonators is introduced and coupled in proximity to a rectangular patch. The wideband property can be obtained by making effective use of the two resonances introduced by the radiating patch and nonradiating λ/4 resonators. Different from other reported dual-resonance patch antennas, the proposed antenna does not require the electrically thick substrate, so it has attractive low-profile property. Thanks to the good features of λ/4 resonators and capacitive feeding scheme, harmonic radiating modes of the patch antenna can be significantly suppressed as highly demanded in modern highly integrated communication systems. The working principle, equivalent circuit, and design procedure are extensively described. Finally, a prototype antenna operating at 4.9 GHz is designed and fabricated. The measured results show that its bandwidth is 2.7 times wider than that of the traditional insert-fed patch counterpart, and the harmful spurious radiation from other higher order radiating modes has been effectively suppressed.
Germline p53 gene mutations in subsets of glioma patients.

BACKGROUND Heritable germline mutations of the p53 gene have been described in patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, occasionally in nonfamilial malignancies such as multifocal osteosarcoma, in a small subgroup of young patients with two or more primary malignancies, and in patients with sporadic breast carcinoma. We recently reported that multifocal gliomas are frequently associated with other primary malignancies, and we hypothesized that genetic alterations may account for this phenomenon. PURPOSE We examined the frequency of germline p53 gene mutations in patients with glioma and either multifocality of lesions, history of an additional primary (different) malignancy, or a family history of cancer. METHODS Lymphocytes from 51 glioma patients were analyzed for germline p53 gene mutations using RNA-polymerase chain reaction analysis, single-strand conformation polymorphism, and gene sequencing techniques. RESULTS Germline p53 gene mutations were detected in six of 19 patients with multifocal glioma, including two with family history of cancer, one with another primary malignancy, and two with all three risk factors; one of four patients with unifocal glioma, another primary malignancy, and a family history of cancer; and two of 15 patients with unifocal glioma and a family history of cancer but no second malignancies. No mutations were detected in the patient with unifocal glioma and another malignancy or in the 12 control patients with unifocal glioma and no second malignancies or family history of cancer. Patients having mutations were younger than other patients in the same group. CONCLUSIONS Germline p53 mutations are frequent in patients with multifocal glioma, glioma and another primary malignancy, and glioma associated with a family history of cancer, particularly if these factors are combined. IMPLICATIONS Relatives at high risk can be identified for genetic counseling, early cancer detection, and possible enrollment in chemoprevention trials.
Radiographic analysis of femoroacetabular impingement with Hip2norm—reliable and validated

The purpose of this study was to validate the accuracy, consistency, and reproducibility/reliability of a new method for correction of pelvic tilt and rotation of radiographic hip parameters for pincer type of femoroacetabular impingement on an anteroposterior pelvic radiograph. Thirty cadaver hips and 100 randomized, blinded AP pelvic radiographs were used for investigation. To detect the software accuracy, the calculated femoral head coverage and classic hip parameters determined with our software were compared to reference measurements based on CT scans or conventional radiographs in a neutral orientation as gold standard. To investigate software consistency, differences among the different parameters for each cadaver pelvis were calculated when reckoned back from a random to the neutral orientation. Intra‐ and interobserver comparisons were used to analyze the reliability and reproducibility of all parameters. All but two parameters showed a good‐to‐very good accuracy with the reference measurements. No relevant systematic errors were detected in the Bland–Altman analysis. Software consistency was good‐to‐very good for all parameters. A good‐to‐very good reliability and reproducibility was found for a substantial number of the evaluated radiographic acetabular parameters. The software appears to be an accurate, consistent, reliable, and reproducible method for analysis of acetabular pathomorphologies. © 2008 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 26:1199–1205, 2008
Bankers and the Performance of German Firms

We analyze the role of bankers on the boards of German non-financial companies for the period from 1994 to 2005. We find that banks that are represented on a firm’s board promote their own business as lenders and as M&A advisors. They also seem to act as financial experts who help firms to obtain funding, especially in difficult times. We find little evidence that bankers monitor management and suggest that bankers on the board cause a decline in the valuations of non-financial firms. Banks’ equity ownership declined sharply during our sample period and the German financial system lost some of its formerly distinctive features.
Indicators of corporate default : an EU based empirical study

The present paper contributes to the research on the indicators that provide a warning of company failure by employing micro and macro variables within a framework of survival analysis using a sample of 0.4 million companies from the European Union (EU). The sensitivity of the results is checked using two complementary event definitions - bankruptcy and negative equity. Our results imply that the baseline hazard of a default is a U-shaped function of the time the company has survived. High leverage and a low return on assets appear to be strong predictors of failure. Macroeconomic variables give mixed evidence for old and new member states as well as for the two default definitions
EFFECTS OF STRAW MULCHING ON MICROCLIMATE CHARACTERISTICS , EVAPOTRANSPIRATION AND YIELD OF DRIP IRRIGATED WINTER WHEAT IN NORTH CHINA PLAIN

A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years (2013-2015) to study the effects of straw mulching on microclimate characteristics, energy flux, soil evaporation, evapotranspiration, yield and water productivity (WP) of winter wheat (Triticumaestivum L.) under drip irrigation in the North China Plain (NCP). The results revealed that straw mulching affected air temperature and dew point temperature near the soil surface, but had little effect on relative humidity when compared with non-mulched fields. Mulching increased the turbulent exchange coefficient to some extent, and the transfer coefficient (K) within the canopy was higher than that above the canopy. The mulching had little effect on the soil heat flux (G) and latent heat flux distributions, but obviously increased the sensible (H) distribution during May through June, the H was negative much of the time, and part of the energy needed for evapotranspiration was provided by transfer from the warmer air aloft. There was a linear functional relationship between Hand air temperature differences within canopy and above canopy (Tcd-Tcu). The straw mulch decreased the soil evaporation (Es), but enhanced the crop transpiration (T). There were no significant differences (P<0.05 )in cumulative crop evapotranspiration, crop yield, and WP between mulched (TM) and non-mulched (TN) treatments under adequate drip irrigation.
Inferring sensitive information from seemingly innocuous smartphone data

Smartphones have become ubiquitous and provide considerable benefits for users. Personal data considered both sensitive and non-sensitive is commonly stored on smartphones. It has been established that the use of smartphones can lead to users enjoying less privacy when a data leak occurs. In this thesis, we aim to determine if smartphone stored non-sensitive data can be analyzed to derive sensitive information. We also aim to develop methods for protecting smartphone users from privacy attacks. While privacy research is an active area, more work is needed to determine the types of inferences that can be made about a person and how accurate a profile is derivable from smartphone data. We demonstrate how straightforward it is for third party app developers to embed code in inconspicuous apps to capture and mine data. Our studies show that there are a large number of apps found in popular app stores commonly requesting special app permissions in order to gain access to sensitive data. In most cases, we could not find any functional benefits in exchange for accessing the sensitive data. Additional data not local to the device but rather stored on a social networking service can also be extracted and unnoticed via mobile apps provided the user has social networking apps installed. Current research shows that users do not easily comprehend the implications of granting apps access to sensitive permissions. Apps can transfer captured data to cloud services easily via high-speed wireless networks. This is difficult for users to detect since mobile platforms do not provide alerts for when this occurs. With access to sensitive mobile data, we developed and performed a number of case studies to learn details about an individual. Modern smartphones are capable of sending continuous location updates to services providing a near real-time proxy of where a user is located. We were able to determine where a user was traveling simply by analyzing the point of interest results from continuous location queries sent to a location-based service without referencing user location data. With continuous location data, we were able to determine
Comparative of HLS and HDL implementations of a grid synchronization algorithm

Control in power electronics develop new algorithms that increase computational complexity and sampling frequency. This fact means that traditional software implementations on DSPs does not satisfy the control constrains anymore moving those implementation to FPGAs, what everyone knows that is not a trivial task. This paper will show that HLS tools such Vivado HLS are mature enough to start considering it the first approach to the required hardware implementation of the proposed algorithm. For a comparative purpose, a grid synchronization algorithm developed in HDL previously has been redesigned using the HLS tools.
The end of antibiotic treatment in adults with acute sinusitis-like complaints in general practice? A placebo-controlled double-blind randomized doxycycline trial.

BACKGROUND Acute sinusitis-like complaints are very common and are usually treated with antibiotics in spite of the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy and the increasing number of resistant strains. AIM To assess the effectiveness of doxycycline in adults with acute sinusitis-like complaints in general practice. METHOD The effects of doxycycline in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial were assessed in adults consulting their general practitioner (GP) with complaints after a common cold or influenza, pain in the head when bending forward, purulent nasal discharge, predominantly unilateral maxillary pain, toothache, or pain when chewing. Primary outcome events were the resolution of facial pain and the resumption of daily activities. Treatment differences were assessed by means of Kaplan-Meier curves and hazard ratios. The follow-up period was 42 days. RESULTS No significant difference was found in time to recover between the doxycycline-treated group and the placebo-treated group. However, the adjusted hazard ratio for the group receiving doxycycline was 1.17 (95% CI = 0.87-1.57) for the resolution of pain and 1.31 (95% CI = 0.96-1.78) for the resumption of daily activities. After 10 days, 85% of all patients reported improvement and 60% were completely cured. Side effects were reported by 17% of the doxycycline-treated group, with two patients withdrawing because of side effects. CONCLUSIONS Data from this study indicate that doxycycline does not add to the effectiveness of decongestive nose drops and steam inhalation in treating acute sinusitis-like complaints in general practice adults.
EFFICIENCY OF THE ISM CODE IN FINNISH SHIPPING COMPANIES

Due to increasing waterborne transportation in the Gulf of Finland, the risk of a hazardous accident increases and therefore manifold preventive actions are needed. As a main legislative authority in the maritime community, The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set down plenary laws and recommendations which are e.g., utilised in the safe operations in ships and pollution prevention. One of these compulsory requirements, the ISM Code, requires proactive attitude both from the top management and operational workers in the shipping companies. In this study, a crosssectional approach was taken to analyse whether the ISM Code has actively enhanced maritime safety in the Gulf of Finland. The analysis included; 1) performance of the ISM Code in Finnish shipping companies, 2) statistical measurements of maritime safety, 3) influence of corporate top management to the safety culture and 4) comparing safety management practices in shipping companies and port operations of Finnish maritime and port authorities. The main results found were that maritime safety culture has developed in the right direction after the launch of the ISM Code in the 1990 s. However, this study does not exclusively prove that the improvements are the consequence of the ISM Code. Accident prone ships can be recognized due to their behaviour and there is a lesson to learn from the safety culture of some high standard safety disciplines such as, air traffic. In addition, the reporting of accidents and nearmisses should be more widely used in shipping industry. In conclusion, there is still much to be improved in the maritime safety culture of the Finnish Shipping industry, e.g., a “no blame culture” needs to be adopted.
Competing values and mediating effects of knowledge chain on organisational performance: A study of service firms in Iran / Amir Hossein Dastaviz

This thesis aims at examining the impact of competing values on management activities, organizational activities, and organizational performance using the knowledge chain model. Using a random sample set of 302 Iranian service sector firms and a knowledge chain framework, which was adapted and expanded based on structural equation modelling, this thesis examined seven hypotheses on the influence of competing values, and management and organizational activities on organizational performance, including the mediating effects of management activities and organizational activities, on organizational performance. Iran was chosen because of a lack of such research on the developing countries, but especially on countries engulfed by political instability and economic uncertainty. The results produced important analytical conclusions. Firstly, the results show that, adhocracy value enjoyed a direct impact on management activities. Secondly, the results support a significant relationship between competing values and organisational activities of the knowledge chain. Thirdly, despite the presence of a significant relationship between adhocracy and hierarchy values, and organisational performance, a similar relationship did not exist between clan and market values, and organisational performance. Nevertheless, the results show a strong influence of competing values on organisational performance. These results are consistent with past findings. Although the results confirm a significant relationship between management activities and organisational performance, it was not enough to support the effect of organisational activities on organisational performance. Also the contradictory findings on the relationship between adhocracy and knowledge management suggests that it depends on the organisation. Overall, the results show that the knowledge chain model is an influential factor on organisational performance. In addition, the results also show that management III activities have a mediating effect on the relationship between competing values and organisational performance, and the mediating effect of knowledge chain model on the relationship between competing values and organisational performance. In addition, the results show that management activities have a positive impact on the relationship between organizational activities and organizational performance, and on the relationship between organisational activity and knowledge chain model suggesting that organizational performance can be improved by strengthening management activities. Finally, the results also showed the positive effect of the knowledge chain model on the relationship between competing values and organisational performance.
SKELETAL MUSCLE RESTING METABOLISM IN COLD‐ACCLIMATED RATS: EFFECT OF AGE, NORADRENALINE AND HYPEROSMOLARITY

1. A myothermic technique has been used to measure the resting metabolism of small bundles of a fast twitch muscle, extensor digitorum longus (EDL), and a slow twitch muscle, soleus (SOL), in 7‐week‐old rats. At 27°C, mean (± SEM) resting heat rates were 2.33 ± 0.41 and 2.09 ± 0.37 mW/g in EDL and SOL, respectively (n= 16).
From Vergangenheitsbewältigung to Violence: Unravelling the Paradoxes of the German Extreme-Right

This paper seeks to understand the reasons for the German extreme-right’s successes and failures, particularly examining the inter-relations between political parties and underground movements. It also places a particular focus on German reunification, especially the wave of East German anti-immigrant and asylum seeker violence that emerged from 1991 to 1993. Furthermore, it argues that economic factors are not enough to understand this and other subsequent German extreme-right violence, and that structural factors, such as police and intelligence inadequacies, as well as psychological factors are vital. The first section explores why xenophobic and anti-Semitic sentiments remained high in Germany despite extensive denazification, and the reasons for extreme-right party failures to exploit this. The second section examines why this sentiment has often been violently expressed. The third section looks at the relations between violent underground groups and political parties, concluding that these connections have ultimately weakened the German far-right.