Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Equity market neutral hedge funds and the stock market: an application of score-driven copula models

ABSTRACT In this article, we study the time-varying market neutrality of equity market neutral hedge funds. We use data from the Hedge Fund Research™ Equity Market Neutral Index (HFRX EH), which represents the performance of a portfolio of individual equity market neutral hedge funds. For each day, we measure different levels of association of the Standard and Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) index and the HFRX EH. We use non-linear dynamic conditional score models of location, scale and copula that, to the best of our knowledge, have not yet been applied in the body of literature on hedge funds. We study whether the neutrality of the HFRX EH that is evidenced in the body of literature for the period of April 1993–April 2003 also holds for the following decade, for the period of May 2003–December 2016. We estimate different average levels of association for the pre-, during- and post-periods of the US financial crisis of 2008. We find that the association of the S&P 500 and the HFRX EH, on average, is significantly positive for the pre- and post-periods of the financial crisis, and it is significantly negative for the period during the financial crisis.
Executive influence on invention and commercialization: The moderating role of innovation radicalness

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to expand the understanding of the “front end” of innovation by examining the influence of top executives, who allocate the resources and cultivate the culture in which inventions are born, on the innovation process. Design/methodology/approach - This paper suggests that the effect of executives on innovation can be better understood by explicitly separating innovation into the component processes of invention and commercialization. This allows us to consider how executive characteristics might have a different effect on technology development outcomes than they do on the subsequent transformation of those technologies into new products. The theory is tested on a sample of firms from the biomedical device industry. Findings - The findings indicate that top management team (TMT) age and tenure have no effect on the type of technologies a firm develops (radical vs incremental) but do significantly affect the efficiency with which new technologies are turned into new products in some contexts. TMT heterogeneity affects both the type of technologies developed in the firm and also their transformation to new products. Interestingly, the effect of executives on commercialization depends on the type of underlying technologies which the firm has developed. Originality/value - This paper contributes to the literatures on TMTs and innovation by offering a more granular explanation of how executives differentially impact the disaggregated stages of the innovation process, and thus also contributes to knowledge of the long-term innovation performance implications of executive leadership.
Trypanosoma brucei brucei crosses the blood–brain barrier while tight junction proteins are preserved in a rat chronic disease model

African trypanosomiasis, sleeping sickness in humans, is caused by the systemic infection of the host by the extracellular parasite, the African trypanosome. The pathogenetic mechanisms of the severe symptoms of central nervous system involvement are still not well understood. The present study examined the routes of haematogenous spread of Trypanosoma brucei brucei (Tbb) to the brain, in particular on the question whether parasites can cross the blood–brain barrier, as well as their effect on tight junction proteins. Rats were infected with Tbb and at various times post‐infection, the location of the parasite in the central nervous system was examined in relation to the brain vascular endothelium, visualized with an anti‐glucose transporter‐1 antibody. The tight junction‐specific proteins occludin and zonula occludens 1, and the possible activation of the endothelial cell adhesion molecules ICAM‐1 and VCAM‐1 were also studied. At 12 and 22 days post‐infection, the large majority of parasites were confined within blood vessels. At this stage, however, some parasites were also clearly observed in the brain parenchyma. This was accompanied by an upregulation of ICAM‐1/VCAM‐1. At later stages, 42, 45 and 55 days post‐infection, parasites could still be detected within or in association with blood vessels. In addition, the parasite was now frequently found in the brain parenchyma and the extravasation of parasites was more prominent in the white matter than the cerebral cortex. A marked penetration of parasites was seen in the septal nuclei. In spite of this, occludin and zonula occludens 1 staining of the vessels was preserved. The results indicate that the Tbb parasite is able to cross the blood–brain barrier in vivo, without a generalized loss of tight junction proteins.
A normal mode expansion for piezoelectric plates and certain of its applications

The equations of motion of an arbitrary piezoelectric plate are represented by a set of second-order differential equations involving only the transverse spatial coordinates. This is achieved by expanding the thickness dependence in a set of basis functions derived from the solutions to the plate problem at cutoff. Techniques are presented for constructing approximate plate equations using only chosen mode amplitudes; such equations predict the true cutoff frequencies and give dispersion curves which are rigorously correct up to terms of order k/sup 2/. The coefficients in these equations can be computed analytically, and techniques for doing this are presented. Comparisons with dispersion curves calculated by partial wave analysis are given both for quartz and for lithium niobate. The theory provides a quite general basis for modeling devices such as trapped energy resonators. <<ETX>>
A smoothness priors time-varying AR coefficient modeling of nonstationary covariance time series

A smoothness priors time varying AR coefficient model approach for the modeling of nonstationary in the covariance time series is shown. Smoothness priors in the form of a difference equation constraint excited by an independent white noise are imposed on each AR coefficient. The unknown white noise variances are hyperparameters of the AR coefficient distribution. The critical computation is of the likelihood of the hyperparameters of the Bayesian model. This computation is facilitated by a state-space representation Kalman filter implementation. The best difference equation order-best AR model order-best hyperparameter model locally in time is selected using the minimum AIC method. Also, an instantaneous spectral density is defined in terms of the instantaneous AR model coefficients and a smoothed estimate of the instantaneous time series variance. An earthquake record is analyzed. The changing spectral analysis of the original data and of simulations from a time varying AR coefficient model of that data are shown.
Progressive Automatic Detection of OFDM System Parameters for Universal Mobile DTV Receiver

Various terrestrial digital television broadcasting standards have been developed in the last two decades for both fixed residential and mobile receivers. Since personal mobile terminal integrated with multiple functionalities is becoming more popular, it is highly desirable to come up with a universal platform for mobile TV reception which can detect the system parameters of DTV signals automatically and adjust its receiving mechanism correspondingly. In this paper, we propose a progressive automatic method for parameter extraction of OFDM-based mobile broadcasting signals. Classification of ATSC and OFDM based DTV signals can be easily achieved with the unique pilot of ATSC signals. Based on a combination of cyclostationarity test and conventional correlation, the proposed algorithm can estimate system parameters of the received OFDM signal, including the sampling rate, the number of subcarriers and the CP length (CP ratio), without any prior information.
Constitutive Activation of Photoreceptor Guanylate Cyclase by Y99C Mutant of GCAP-1

Photoreceptor membrane guanylate cyclases (RetGC) are regulated by calcium-binding proteins, GCAP-1 and GCAP-2. At Ca2+ concentrations below 100 nm, characteristic of light-adapted photoreceptors, guanylate cyclase-activating protein (GCAPs) activate RetGC, and at free Ca2+ concentrations above 500 nm, characteristic of dark-adapted photoreceptors, GCAPs inhibit RetGC. A mutation, Y99C, in human GCAP-1 was recently found to be linked to autosomal dominant cone dystrophy in a British family (Payne, A. M., Downes, S. M., Bessant, D. A. R., Taylor, R., Holder, G. E., Warren, M. J., Bird, A. C., and Bhattachraya, S. S. (1998) Hum. Mol. Genet. 7, 273–277). We produced recombinant Y99C GCAP-1 mutant and tested its ability to activate RetGC in vitro at various free Ca2+ concentrations. The Y99C mutation does not decrease the ability of GCAP-1 to activate RetGC. However, RetGC stimulated by the Y99C GCAP-1 remains active even at Ca2+ concentration above 1 μm. Hence, the cyclase becomes constitutively active within the whole physiologically relevant range of free Ca2+ concentrations. We have also found that the Y99C GCAP-1 can activate RetGC even in the presence of Ca2+-loaded nonmutant GCAPs. This is consistent with the fact that cone degeneration was dominant in human patients who carried such mutation (Payne, A. M., Downes, S. M., Bessant, D. A. R., Taylor, R., Holder, G. E., Warren, M. J., Bird, A. C., and Bhattachraya, S. S. (1998) Hum. Mol. Genet. 7, 273–277). A similar mutation, Y104C, in GCAP-2 results in a different phenotype. This mutation apparently does not affect Ca2+ sensitivity of GCAP-2. Instead, the Y104C GCAP-2 stimulates RetGC less efficiently than the wild-type GCAP-2. Our data indicate that cone degeneration associated with the Y99C mutation in GCAP-1 can be a result of constitutive activation of cGMP synthesis.
Receiving Advice About Child Mental Health From a Primary Care Provider: African American and Hispanic Parent Attitudes

Background:Primary care providers (PCPs) play a critical role in the identification and treatment of child and adolescent mental health problems but few studies have examined parents’ attitudes on receiving advice about child mental health from a PCP and whether attitudes are associated with race or ethnicity. Objective:To determine if race and ethnicity were associated with parents’ attitudes on receiving advice about child mental health from a PCP. Subjects:Data were collected during 773 visits to 54 PCPs in 13 diverse clinics. Families were 56.5% white, 33.3% African American, and 10.1% Hispanic. Measures:The parent reported attitudes associated with receiving advice about child mental health from the PCP. The parent completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to report youth mental health. PCPs completed measures of psychosocial orientation, confidence in mental health treatment skills, and the accessibility of mental health specialists. Results:Hispanics were more likely than Non-Hispanics to agree that PCPs should treat child mental health and were more willing to allow their child to receive medications or visit a therapist for a mental health problem if recommended by the PCP. African Americans were significantly less willing than whites and Hispanics to allow their child to receive medication for mental health but did not differ in their willingness to visit a therapist. Conclusions:Race and ethnicity were associated with parents’ attitudes on receiving advice about child mental health from a PCP. Primary care may be a good point of intervention for Hispanic youth with mental health needs.
Does a rural location matter for innovative small firms? How rural and urban environmental contexts shape strategies of agri-business innovative small firms

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present qualitative evidence on strategies undertaken by 34 innovative small firms. Design/methodology/approach The sample of innovative firms is solely recruited from the agri-business sector that are located in contrasting environments varying from rural areas with low urban influence to areas with high urban influence and “main” urban or city areas. The authors discuss strategies in the light of a theoretical approach that incorporates a resource-based view, dynamic capabilities (DCs) and social network theory. Findings Although there is diversity in strategies across the 34 innovative small firms, irrespective of their “rural” or “urban” environment, qualitative evidence sheds light on differences in the way that strategies are pursued. Research limitations/implications The study indicates that small firms in rural environments can be just as innovative as their counterparts in urban environments; however, the authors demonstrate that they adopt different strategies, which have been shaped by their environment, to achieve innovation. The authors use the qualitative evidence to develop the theory of DCs and classify the sample into four clusters which marries the environmental context and innovative DCs. Originality/value The paper makes a contribution to a research gap on the way that the environment can shape management strategies in innovative small firms. It contributes to a limited literature in this area.
Variations in chicken breast meat quality: implications of struggle and muscle glycogen content at death

1. Pectoralis major (P. major) muscle pH and meat quality traits were studied in relation to bird response to ante-mortem stress in three chicken lines: a fast-growing standard line (FGL), a slow-growing French ‘Label Rouge’ line (SGL) and a heavy line (HL). Ninety-nine birds of the three genetic types were slaughtered at their usual marketing age (6, 12 and 6 weeks for FGL, SGL and HL birds, respectively) on the same day. The birds of each line were divided into three different ante-mortem treatment groups: minimum stress (shackling for 10 s) (C), shackling for 2 min (SH) and acute heat plus shackling stress (exposure to 35°C for 3·5 h and shackling for 2 min before stunning) (H + SH). 2. Regardless of chicken line, wing flapping duration (WFD) between hanging and stunning was strongly negatively related to P. major muscle pH at 15 min post-mortem. It was also moderately negatively related to P. major muscle glycolytic potential (GP), which represents glycogen level at death. Increasing WFD induced an increased ultimate pH (pHu) only in HL. The consequences of increased WFD for breast meat traits were dependent on the chicken line: it induced lower L* and b* and higher a* and drip loss in SGL while it only increased breast a* in HL birds. By contrast, WFD variations did not alter breast meat quality traits of FGL birds. Regardless of the chicken line, increased GP was associated with lower pHu and higher L* and drip loss. In SGL, it also increased b* and decreased curing–cooking yield of breast meat. 3. Struggling activity on the shackle line and muscle glycogen content at death could partly explain line and pre-slaughter variations in breast meat pH and quality traits. The water holding capacity of the raw and cooked meat was impaired by long shackling in the case of SGL birds while it was barely affected by ante-mortem conditions in the two standard lines. In conditions which minimised bird struggling (C), SGL and FGL birds had meat with a better water holding ability than that of broilers from the heavy line. However, when broilers were subjected to SH or H + SH conditions, the breast meat water holding capacity of SGL birds was lowered to the same level as that of the heavy line birds.
Early definitive treatment rate as a quality indicator of care in acute gallstone pancreatitis

Early definitive treatment (cholecystectomy or endoscopic sphincterotomy in the same admission or within 2 weeks after discharge) of gallstone disease after a biliary attack of acute pancreatitis is standard of care. This study investigated whether compliance with early definitive treatment for acute gallstone pancreatitis can be used as a care quality indicator for the condition.
Optimum power allocation in parallel Poisson optical channel

In this paper we investigate the Shannon capacity of single and parallel Poisson channels in different scenarios. At first, by examining the capacity equation of the single Poisson channel, the minimum average power that maximizes the capacity is found. Then, applying the method of Lagrange multipliers on the capacity expression of the parallel Poisson channel, we obtain the optimum power allocation maximizing the parallel Poisson channel capacity.
Neuroprotection of taurine through inhibition of 12/15 lipoxygenase pathway in cerebral ischemia of rats

Abstract Background: Cerebral ischemia exhibits a multiplicity of pathophysiological mechanisms. Taurine (Tau), an endogenous substance, possesses a number of cytoprotective properties. The aim of the present study was to examine the neuroprotective effect of Tau, through affecting 12/15 lipoxygenase (12/15-LOX) signal pathway in an acute permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of rats. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 10), namely the sham-operated group, MCAO group and Tau group. Tau was intraperitoneally administrated immediately after cerebral ischemia. At 24 h after MCAO, neurological function score, brain water content and infarct volume were assessed. The expression of 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LOX), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), and cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) was measured by Western blot. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to evaluate the inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in serum. Results: Compared with MCAO group, taurine significantly improved neurological function and significantly reduced brain water content (p < 0.05) and infarct volume (p < 0.05). Consistent with these indices, the overexpressions of 12/15-LOX, p38 MAPK, cPLA2, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were significantly decreased in Tau group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Taurine protected the brain from damage caused by MCAO; this effect may be through down-regulation of 12/15-LOX, p38 MAPK, and cPLA2.
Social Studies Teachers’ Views of ICT Integration

The role of teachers is significant for information and communication technology (ICT) integration, because t he use of ICT in the classroom depends on teachers’ attitudes towards the concept. In other words, for successful ICT integration, teachers are required to have a positive attitude. Providing well-organized ICT teacher training is essential in encouraging teachers to view ICT positively. However, to develop such training, teachers’ opinions, concerns, and needs regarding ICT integration should first be identified. In order to provide better support for social studies teachers using ICT, this article reports social studies teachers’ views, experiences, and attitudes towards ICT integration via individual face -to-face interviews with 23 social studies teachers in Colorado, USA. The results of this study found that the majority of the participating teachers had positive attitudes towards ICT as an instructional tool and wanted to learn more about ICT for effective use in their classrooms. However, they identified the low availability of ICT as a major barrier that limited their use of ICT in the classroom.
Governing Health Care through Free Choice: Neoliberal Reforms in Denmark and the United States.

We compare free choice reforms in Denmark and the United States to understand what ideas and political forces could generate such similar policy reforms in radically different political contexts. We analyze the two cases using our own interpretation of neoliberalism as having "two faces. " The first face seeks to expand private markets and shrink the public sector; the second face seeks to strengthen the public sector's capacity to govern through incentives and competition. First, we show why these two most-different cases offer a useful comparison to understand similar policy tools. Second, we develop our theoretical framework of the two faces of neoliberalism. Third, we examine Denmark's introduction of a free choice of hospitals in 2002, a policy that for the first time allowed some patients to receive care either in a public hospital outside their local area or in a private hospital. Fourth, we examine the introduction of free choice among private managed care plans into the US Medicare program in 1997. We show how policy makers in both countries used neoliberal reform as a mechanism to make their public health care sectors governable. Fifth, on the basis of our analysis, we draw five lessons about neoliberal policy reforms.
MIC of Delamanid (OPC-67683) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Clinical Isolates and a Proposed Critical Concentration

ABSTRACT The increasing global burden of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) requires reliable drug susceptibility testing that accurately characterizes susceptibility and resistance of pathogenic bacteria to effectively treat patients with this deadly disease. Delamanid is an anti-TB agent first approved in the European Union in 2014 for the treatment of pulmonary MDR-TB in adults. Using the agar proportion method, delamanid MIC was determined for 460 isolates: 316 from patients enrolled in a phase 2 global clinical trial, 76 from two phase 2 early bactericidal activity trials conducted in South Africa, and 68 isolates obtained outside clinical trials (45 from Japanese patients and 23 from South African patients). With the exception of two isolates, MICs ranged from 0.001 to 0.05 μg/ml, resulting in an MIC50 of 0.004 μg/ml and an MIC90 of 0.012 μg/ml. Various degrees of resistance to other anti-TB drugs did not affect the distribution of MICs, nor did origin of isolates from regions/countries other than South Africa. A critical concentration/breakpoint of 0.2 μg/ml can be used to define susceptible and resistant isolates based on the distribution of MICs and available pharmacokinetic data. Thus, clinical isolates from delamanid-naive patients with tuberculosis have a very low MIC for delamanid and baseline resistance is rare, demonstrating the potential potency of delamanid and supporting its use in an optimized background treatment regimen for MDR-TB.
Genotype associations of factor VII gene with plasma factor VII coagulant activity and antigen levels in healthy Chinese

A raised plasma factor VII (FVII) level is one of the risk factors for coronary artery disease. The R353Q polymorphism at codon 353 and the 10 base pair (bp) insertion (0/10 bp) polymorphism of the FVII gene have been reported to be associated with plasma FVII levels in several populations. We investigated these two polymorphisms in 209 male and 214 female healthy Chinese. The allele frequencies of 10 bp and Q were 0.036 and 0.045, respectively. Strong linkage disequilibrium was observed between these two sites (Δ = 0.85, P < 0.001). There were significant genotype associations of these two loci with FVII coagulant activity (FVIIc) and antigen (FVIIAg) levels. Heterozygous individuals had lower FVIIc and FVIIAg levels than those homozygous for the common alleles. When analyzed separately by gender, the 0/10 bp polymorphism was strongly associated with FVIIAg levels in males and females. However, both polymorphisms were significantly associated with FVIIc levels only in the females. The effect of 0/10 bp polymorphism predominated over that of the R353Q polymorphism in a two-way analysis of variance procedure. In the Chinese, the 10 bp insertion may reduce transcription of the FVII gene, leading to the decreased synthesis of FVII protein and thus FVIIc.