Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Practice task design in team sports: Representativeness enhanced by increasing opportunities for action

Abstract This study investigated effects of manipulating the number of action possibilities in a futsal passing task to understand the representativeness of practice tasks designs. Eight male senior futsal players performed a passing task in which uncertainty on passing direction for the player in possession of the ball was increased in four conditions and compared with passing data from a competitive match. Performance during a passing task and competitive futsal performance was compared using ball speed and passing accuracy data. Ball speed data were analysed by approximate entropy (ApEn) to capture their regularity in each of the four conditions and during competitive performance. Significantly high levels of regularity were observed in predetermined passes in comparison with emergent passes (i.e., passes with high number of possibilities for action). Similar results for ball speed regularity were observed between practice tasks with a high number of possibilities for action (i.e., emergent passes) and competitive performance. Similar results were observed for passing accuracy in practice tasks with a high number of possibilities for action compared to competitive performance. Increases in the number of action possibilities during practice improved action fidelity of tasks in relation to competitive performance.
Trends of maximum temperature, minimum temperature and diurnal temperature range and their correlations with urbanisation in Xiamen, China

This study examines variations of maximum temperature, minimum temperature and diurnal temperature range (DTR) and their possible correlations to urbanisation in Xiamen, a coastal city in SE China. The underlying meteorological data used are the daily temperature time series from Xiamen Meteorological Station from 1954 to 2007. We selected four urbanisation indices, urban population, gross domestic product, built-up area and gross electricity consumption, to investigate correlations with temperature variables over the period 1981–2007. The results show that annual maximum temperature, minimum temperature and DTR increased from 1954 to 2007 at a rate of 0.33°C/10 years, 0.18°C/10 years and 0.15°C/10 years, respectively. Similarly, the seasonal maximum temperature, minimum temperature and DTR rose over the same period, with stronger increasing trends in winter and summer than in spring and autumn. The four selected urbanisation indices were all positively correlated with the three temperature variables, although more significantly with maximum and minimum temperatures than with DTR. The influence of urbanisation appears to be slightly stronger on maximum temperature than on minimum temperature in this area.
Cell-type-specific function of the C-type natriuretic peptide gene promoter in rat anterior pituitary-derived cultured cell lines

The promoter function of the human C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) gene in various cultured cells was examined by transient transfection assays. The CNP promoter functioned very effectively in GH3 cells, which originated from the growth hormone-producing tumor of the rat anterior pituitary and somatomammotroph phenotype, but functioned much less effectively in GH1 cells, another type of rat pituitary-derived cell with a somatotroph phenotype, and rat primary cardiocytes. The CNP promoter did not function at all in other cells, including AtT20 cells of murine pituitary corticotroph origin. Functional analyses of the deleted promoters with various 5' deletion breakpoints revealed the existence of at least two negative and one positive regulatory regions. Within the positive regulatory region (positions -54 to -19), which conferred 90% of the promoter activity in GH3 cells, two equipotent GC-rich cis elements (positions -49 to -45 and -40 to -35) were identified. Both sites shared half of the promoter activity and binding properties to the nuclear protein in GH3 cells. Rat anterior pituitary tissue contained the binding protein of the identified cis element, which was identical or similar to that of GH3 cells. With Southwestern (DNA-protein) analysis, a 70-kDa specific binding protein distinct from known factors such as SP-1, AP-2, and Pit-1 was identified in the nuclear extract of GH3 cells.
The Spurious Relation between Inflation Uncertainty and Stock Returns: Evidence from the U.S

The purpose of this paper is to reconsider the empirical evidence on the relation between inflation, inflation uncertainty, and stock returns. Two unprecedented proxies for inflation uncertainty are used. First, the power of inflation and inflation uncertainty to explain stock returns is compared. Both variables are separately negatively related to stock returns. However, when both are included together in the regressions, the inflation variable becomes redundant, meaning that its coefficient becomes statistically insignificantly different from zero. This means that inflation uncertainty dominates and supplants the effect of inflation. Second, this paper provides strong evidence that inflation uncertainty itself becomes redundant, and fails to explain stock returns, when two fundamental variables are included in the regressions. The two fundamental variables are the change in the cost of equity, and the growth rate of earnings. The first variable is roughly measured by the change in the baa and in the aaa corporate bond yields, while the second one is taken to be the rate of change of industrial production. The main conclusion of the paper is that both inflation and inflation uncertainty are not significantly related to stock returns when the two aforementioned fundamental variables are accounted for.
Woodland deforestation by charcoal supply to Dar es Salaam.

Abstract A dynamic model of deforestation around Dar es Salaam is constructed, linking marginal production cost and demand for charcoal. The exploited area forms a wedge, which expands inland as net price of charcoal increases. Wood is primarily harvested at the edge of the wedge. Simulations show that under reasonable assumptions charcoal price increases from 1800 to 1958 Tsh/bag in 10 years, supply area from 3416 to 6886 km2, and harvest from 2.05 to 2.66 mill m3/year. Increment of woody biomass within the wedge will supply little charcoal for many years because woodland density does not affect production costs. Therefore, reduced demand for charcoal and shift to other forms of energy are the factors controlling deforestation.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS IN THE FRESHWATER FAMILY HYDRODICTYACEAE (SPHAEROPLEALES, CHLOROPHYCEAE), WITH AN EMPHASIS ON PEDIASTRUM DUPLEX 1

The freshwater green algal family Hydrodictyaceae (Sphaeropleales, Chlorophyta) has traditionally consisted of four coenobial genera, Pediastrum Meyen 1829, Hydrodictyon Roth 1797, Sorastrum Kützing 1845, and Euastropsis Lagerheim1894. Two recent molecular phylogenetic studies demonstrated the need for reevaluation of the generic and species boundaries in this morphology‐rich family. This study expands the previous work to include phylogenetic analyses of 103 ingroup isolates representing North America, Europe, and Australia, with an emphasis on the common and geographically widespread species Pediastrum duplex. Nucleotide sequence data were collected from the nuclear LSU (26S rDNA) and the chloroplast RUBISCO LSU (rbcL) genes, totaling >3,000 aligned characters. The 26S and rbcL data sets were analyzed using maximum‐likelihood (ML) and Bayesian phylogenetic methods. In addition, SEM was used to examine the wall morphology of a majority of the isolates. The results supported previous indications that the P. duplex Meyen 1829 morphotype is nonmonophyletic and resolved some previously ambiguous relationships recovered in earlier phylogenetic estimations using fewer isolates. These new data allowed testing of the recent taxonomic revisions of the family that split Pediastrum into five genera. Some of the previous revisions by Buchheim et al. (2005) were well supported (erection of Stauridium and Monactinus), while others were not (Pediastrum, Pseudopediastrum, Parapediastrum).
Path Dependency in EU Enlargement: Macedonia’s Candidate Status from a Historical Institutionalist Perspective

This article argues that EU enlargement policy and actions within that field are guided by the logic of path dependency. By studying the decision to confer candidate status on Macedonia in 2005, which was granted despite important shortcomings regarding democracy and rule of law, we can reveal key aspects of the decision–making process regarding the enlargement policy. The Macedonian crisis in 2001 was instrumental in shaping EU enlargement policy as a foreign policy tool to promote peace and stability in the Western Balkans. The peace agreement that ended the conflict, in turn, became an important reference for measuring reform progress in Macedonia. The enlargement policy thus became locked in a path–dependent pattern, where the implementation of the peace agreement from 2001 has become very important. The strong commitments by the EU towards Macedonia are identified as a particularly strong mechanism influencing the path dependent pattern. Where other influential theories cannot explain contradictions between EU Member State voting and preferences, or ignorance of democratic shortcomings, historical institutionalism offers tools to make such theoretical inconsistencies intelligible.
Resource Allocation Decisions in Audit Engagements

We examine the empirical relationship between auditor's resource allocations and selected engagement characteristics. Our measure of resources is hours of grades of labor (partner, manager, etc.) "charged" to audit activities (planning, internal control evaluation, etc.). Engagement characteristics examined are client size, industry affiliation, client complexity, risk, auditor provision of management advisory services to the auditee, and degree of control reliance. The data were obtained from publicly available sources and a survey developed and administered by an international public accounting firm. We find the cross-sectional variation in the labor charged to various audit activities can be explained by engagement characteristics found to be important in prior studies on audit fees, total labor inputs, and the mix of labor inputs. Measures of client size, industry, complexity, risk, and services provided are associated with changes in the allocation of labor among audit activities. We find no substitution of internal control review/testing for substantive testing on reliance audits. Task assignments vary by rank. Measures of client size, complexity, risk, and services provided are associated with activity-specific changes in the labor mix.
Educational Research in Educational Practice: Predictors of Use

This study investigates the predictors of school practitioners’ (N = 2,425) use of educational research. The suggested model explained significantly but modestly the infrequent use of educational research by practitioners. Of the four factors in the study, “opinions about research” had the most explanatory power. The results are discussed in connection with existing knowledge about school practitioners’ use of educational research and implications for further research and practice.
The Balanced Scorecard as a Strategy-Evaluation Tool: The Effects of Implementation Involvement and a Causal-Chain Focus

ABSTRACT: Using an experiment, I examine whether involvement in scorecard implementation can mitigate the effects of motivated reasoning that occur when the scorecard is framed as a causal chain rather than merely as a balanced set of measures. Psychological research on motivated reasoning suggests that managers will evaluate and interpret data in ways consistent with preferences, increasing their tendency to arrive at conclusions that are consistent with their desired conclusions (Kunda 1990). Consistent with that research, results of my study show that managers who are involved in selecting strategic initiatives perceive those initiatives as having been more successful than managers who are not involved in the initiative-selection process (holding constant actual scorecard performance). Results suggest further that simply framing the scorecard as a causal chain is not sufficient to mitigate these effects. However, framing the scorecard as a causal chain, in conjunction with involving managers in the sel.
Preconditioning Technique in the Interpolative Decomposition Multilevel Fast Multipole Algorithm

The potential of the interpolative decomposition multilevel fast multipole algorithm (ID-MLFMA) on developing an effective preconditioning technique for multiscale, dynamic electromagnetic problems are analyzed. The preconditioner based on multilevel inverse-based ILU is developed for ID-MLFMA. The proposed preconditioning technique is investigated by numerical experiments on complex targets.
Mortgage valuation: a quasi-closed-form solution

ISSN: 1469-7688 (Print) 1469-7696 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline. com/loi/rquf20 Mortgage valuation: a quasi-closed-form solution Cristina Viegas & José Azevedo-Pereira To cite this article: Cristina Viegas & José Azevedo-Pereira (2012) Mortgage valuation: a quasiclosed-form solution, Quantitative Finance, 12:7, 993-1001, DOI: 10.1080/14697688.2010. 492234 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/14697688.2010. 492234
Firm Size and the Use of Intellectual Property Rights

Innovation markets are often characterised by market failure because inventions typically incur high fixed costs relative to marginal costs and their intellectual capital is non-excludable. Intellectual property (IP) rights may attenuate this problem by providing legal recourse for firms to stop imitation by rivals. As IP rights are costly to acquire and enforce, it is often argued that SMEs are disadvantaged in their ability to utilise IP rights. This paper examines the intensity of IP usage by firm size and finds that SMEs actually have higher rates of patent, trade mark and design usage once industry effects are controlled for.
Differentiation of Monocytes to Macrophages Primes Cells for Lipopolysaccharide Stimulation via Accumulation of Cytoplasmic Nuclear Factor κB

ABSTRACT During infection, circulating blood monocytes migrate from the vasculature to the extravascular compartments where they mature into tissue macrophages. The maturation process prepares the cell to actively participate in the inflammatory and the immune responses, and many transcription factors have been found to be involved. Here we report on a novel role for nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) in this process. Its accumulation in the cytoplasm of differentiated macrophages is responsible for the enhanced ability of the cell to respond to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, as determined by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) secretion. Differentiation of the human monocytic cell line THP-1 into macrophage-like cells was induced by exposure of the cells to phorbol myristate acetate. DNA-bindable NF-κB was not detected in the cytoplasm of undifferentiated THP-1 cells but accumulated in the cytoplasm of the cells following differentiation. No TNF-α was detected in the media of resting differentiated and nondifferentiated THP-1 cells. Stimulation with LPS of differentiated cells induced the production of higher levels of TNF-α than stimulation of nondifferentiated cells. This hyperresponsiveness to LPS was found in the mRNA and secreted TNF-α levels. Furthermore, stimulation with LPS induced the translocation of NF-κB from the cytoplasm into the nucleus. This translocation process was more rapid in the differentiated cells than in the nondifferentiated cells, and the resultant accumulated levels of NF-κB in the nucleus were higher. The DNA-bindable NF-κB was identified as a heterodimer of p65 and p50. The results suggest that NF-κB accumulation in the cytoplasm during maturation of monocytes to macrophages primes the cells for enhanced responsiveness to LPS and results in the rapid secretion of inflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α, by mature macrophages following LPS challenge.
Improving the productivity and income of Ghanaian cocoa farmers while maintaining environmental services: what role for certification?

Ghana, as the second largest global producer of cocoa, is strategically positioned on the world market. Consumer concerns over ethical and environmental issues associated with cocoa production are a potential threat to its position. These concerns have given rise to certification. Certification dictates the way cocoa can be produced and consequently affects producers’ incomes and environmental services. The expected profitability, yield, and environmental impact of Rainforest Alliance certified shade-grown cocoa production (RA-Cocoa) is estimated and compared to an extensive shaded production system (Ext-Cocoa) and an intensified full sun production system (High-Tech). Ext-Cocoa represents most cocoa production systems in Ghana, while High-Tech is promoted by the government as a tool for attaining its target output of 1 million tons. Under the baseline assumptions High-Tech was the most profitable; RA-Cocoa generated positive returns, while Ext-cocoa was a break even proposition. Simulation of different policy scenarios did not affect the rank order of the baseline outcome. The Ext-Cocoa yield was 28% of the RA-Cocoa yield, which was 78% of the High-Tech yield. The environmental services maintained at the plot level of RA-Cocoa production system are greater than those of the High-Tech production system. However, the 228,000 ha of additional forest land required to produce 1 million tons with RA-Cocoa questions which system would impact environmental services the least.
Poor Glycemic Control is Associated with Abnormal Changes in 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

INTRODUCTION Twenty-four hour ambulatory blood pressure (ABPM) is emerging as a valuable tool to assess blood pressure (BP) changes in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1). Hypertension (HTN) is an important risk factor for, and may be an important indicator of diabetic nephropathy. Early accurate identification of HTN in DM1 may improve outcomes. AIM To evaluate BP in adolescents with DM1 using 24-hour ABPM, and to identify risk factors associated with abnormal blood pressure. METHOD The ABPM of 105 children with DM1 was reviewed. Mean systolic BP (sBP) percentile was determined from the National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP) tables. The patients with abnormal sBP were compared to those with normal sBP with respect to age, race, sex, body mass index (BMI) percentile, duration of DM1, average hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) over the preceding year, and family history of hypertension. RESULTS Mean sBP was normal in 71%, whereas 23% had pre-hypertension, and 6% had stage 1 hypertension. Those who had abnormal sBP (pre-hypertension and stage 1 hypertension) had higher HbA1c (p = 0.023) and were more likely to be male (p = 0.03) than those with normal sBP. CONCLUSION Stage 1 hypertension is present in 6%, and pre-hypertension in 23% of adolescents with DM1. Poor diabetes control and male gender appear to be risk factors for abnormal sBP as measured by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.
CONDITIONAL CONSERVATISM AND THE COST OF DEBT: EVIDENCE FROM CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

This study attempts to link the cost of debt to observed levels of accounting conservatism. Namely, conservative earnings reflect bad news more quickly than good news. Therefore, conservatism causes more timely recognition of losses than gains and improves quality of accounting information in context of corporate governance and loan agreements. Timely loss recognition increases efficiency of debt contracting and provides useful information to creditors. Further, conservative accounting limits the likelihood of inappropriate dividend payments and enables debt holders to use their control rights more quickly. Accordingly, lenders should reward companies that choose more conservative accounting with lower cost of debt. Level of conservatism is measured by asymmetric persistence of positive and negative earnings changes. Empirical evidence of the relation between conditional conservatism and debt cost is provided through the sample of listed companies from 17 Central and Eastern European countries in succession from 2003 to 2010, using panel data analysis.
The Impact of Different Classification Criteria Sets on the Estimated Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Diastolic Dysfunction in Rheumatoid Arthritis

This study compared the estimated prevalence and potential determinants of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction upon applying different classification criteria in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). LV diastolic function was assessed echocardiographically by pulsed Doppler (E/A), tissue Doppler (E/e′, lateral and septal e′), and left atrial volume index in 176 RA patients. Relationships of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and RA characteristics with LV diastolic function and dysfunction according to previous and current criteria were determined in multivariate regression models. Waist-hip ratio was associated with E/A (standardised β (SE) = −0.28 ± 0.09, p = 0.0002) and lateral e′ (standardised β (SE) = 0.26 ± 0.09, p = 0.01); low diastolic blood pressure was related to E/e′ (standardised β (SE) = −0.16 ± 0.08, p = 0.04). Diastolic dysfunction prevalence differed upon applying previous (59%) compared to current (22%) criteria (p < 0.0001). One SD increase in waist-hip ratio was associated with diastolic dysfunction when applying current criteria (OR = 2.61 (95% CI = 1.51–4.52), p = 0.0006), whereas one SD increase in diastolic blood pressure was inversely related to diastolic dysfunction upon using previous criteria (OR = 0.57 (95% CI = 0.40–0.81), p = 0.002). In conclusion, application of current and previous diastolic dysfunction criteria markedly alters the prevalence and risk factors associated with diastolic dysfunction in RA.
Customer knowledge processing and key account performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the dimensions of customer knowledge processing (CKP) in the context of key account management (KAM), and to examine its relationship with the supplier's key account performance.Design/methodology/approach – The findings of the paper are based on empirical survey data collected among large industrial firms in Finland.Findings – The findings of the research show that CKP is a three‐dimensional construct made up of acquisition, dissemination, and utilization. The degree of acquisition and utilization are found to be significantly associated with the supplier's key account performance.Practical implications – In order to improve key account, performance managers need to recognize customer interaction as a source of customer knowledge. In addition to acquiring knowledge about their customers, they also need to learn to utilize the knowledge residing in them in their customer‐value‐creation processes.Originality/value – CKP is represented in this paper as a co.