Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association Between Exercise Participation and Quality of Sleep and Life Among University Students in Taiwan

This cross-sectional survey study examined exercise, sleep quality, and quality of life (QOL) in 1230 Taiwanese university students. Compared with women, men had higher body mass index (BMI) (22.3 ± 4.1 vs 20.7 ± 3.5 kg/m2), higher exercise frequency (2.6 ± 1.7 vs 2.0 ± 1.4 d/wk), better sleep quality (global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index 6.0 ± 2.8 vs 6.5 ± 2.7), better physical QOL (physical component summary 52.7 ± 6.2 vs 51.7 ± 6.6), and higher reporting of good self-perceived health (62.2% vs 43.3%) (P < .01). However, gender differences were nonsignificant after multivariable adjustment. Exercise frequency, sleep quality, and QOL were significantly intercorrelated. After multivariable adjustment, self-perceived health and satisfaction with exercise participation predicted quality of sleep and QOL (P < .01). Exercise frequency was positively correlated (P = .012), and exercise intensity was negatively associated (P < .001) with physical QOL. In conclusion, those who regularly exercised (at least 1 d/wk or 2.5 h/wk) had better QOL. Students with better self-perceived health or satisfaction with exercise participation also had better quality of sleep and better QOL.
Global Currencies for Tomorrow: A European Perspective

is likely to be more evenly distributed than ever before between the US, the euro area and China. This report assesses the implications for the international monetary system of this ongoing shift. It discusses what factors enable a currency to play an international role, and concludes that neither the euro nor the renminbi are likely soon to be in a position to challenge the dollar’s supremacy. However, they will play an increasingly meaningful international role. The euro area, provided that it implements governance reform, could benefit from a move away from today’s dollar-denominated system.
The problems of people in long-term psychiatric day care; An introduction to the Camberwell High Contact Survey

Synopsis The aims of the Camberwell High Contract Survey (CHCS) were to develop and test a systematic needs assessment procedure and use it to evaluate the services provided to long-term users of day centres and sheltered residential accommodation (excluding hospital wards). This paper describes the background to the study, the sample of 145 attenders and their characteristics, their clinical and social problems and the care provided for them.
Calibration and Computation of Household Portfolio Models

This paper discusses calibration and numerical solution of a wide range of household portfolio models. We illustrate the main conceptual, technical, and computational issues that arise in the context of household portfolio choice, and explore the implications of alternative modeling choices. We consider both small- and large-scale optimization models under finite and infinite horizons and under two types of earnings shocks, permanent and transitory. The role of alternative preference specifications, of borrowing constraints, and of predictability of excess returns on stocks is also discussed. In the process, we explore enduring portfolio puzzles and identify new ones to be resolved in future research. These include puzzles relating to participation in the stock market and to portfolio shares conditional on participation.
The Deterrent Effect of Antitrust Enforcement

In this paper we formulate and test a model of collusive pricing in the presence of antitrust enforcement. We show that a cartel's optimal price is likely to be neither the competitive price nor the price that the cartel would set in the absence of antitrust enforcement but rather an intermediate price that depends on the levels of antitrust enforcement efforts and penalties. Our empirical results reveal that increasing antitrust enforcement in the presence of a credible threat of large damage awards has the deterrent effect of reducing mark-ups in the bread industry.
Diversity and Function of Chloroflexus-Like Bacteria in a Hypersaline Microbial Mat: Phylogenetic Characterization and Impact on Aerobic Respiration

ABSTRACT We studied the diversity of Chloroflexus-like bacteria (CLB) in a hypersaline phototrophic microbial mat and assayed their near-infrared (NIR) light-dependent oxygen respiration rates. PCR with primers that were reported to specifically target the 16S rRNA gene from members of the phylum Chloroflexi resulted in the recovery of 49 sequences and 16 phylotypes (sequences of the same phylotype share more than 96% similarity), and 10 of the sequences (four phylotypes) appeared to be related to filamentous anoxygenic phototrophic members of the family Chloroflexaceae. Photopigment analysis revealed the presence of bacteriochlorophyll c (BChlc), BChld, and γ-carotene, pigments known to be produced by phototrophic CLB. Oxygen microsensor measurements for intact mats revealed a NIR (710 to 770 nm) light-dependent decrease in aerobic respiration, a phenomenon that we also observed in an axenic culture of Chloroflexus aurantiacus. The metabolic ability of phototrophic CLB to switch from anoxygenic photosynthesis under NIR illumination to aerobic respiration under non-NIR illumination was further used to estimate the contribution of these organisms to mat community respiration. Steady-state oxygen profiles under dark conditions and in the presence of visible (VIS) light (400 to 700 nm), NIR light (710 to 770 nm), and VIS light plus NIR light were compared. NIR light illumination led to a substantial increase in the oxygen concentration in the mat. The observed impact on oxygen dynamics shows that CLB play a significant role in the cycling of carbon in this hypersaline microbial mat ecosystem. This study further demonstrates that the method applied, a combination of microsensor techniques and VIS and NIR illumination, allows rapid establishment of the presence and significance of CLB in environmental samples.
Estimating and Validating a Firm-Year Specific Measure of Conservatism: Australian Evidence

We provide new evidence on the asymmetric timeliness with which economic gains and losses are recognized in Australian financial reporting (i.e. conservatism), as well as some of the factors associated with variation in conservatism. We first derive, and then estimate and subsequently validate, a firm-year-specific measure of conservatism (C_Score) in the manner suggested by Khan and Watts (2007). Our results indicate that conservatism is a pervasive feature of the Australian financial reporting environment. Conservatism is positively associated with stock return volatility, investment cycle length and prior period conservatism, and it is negatively associated with firm age, firm size and leverage. The results are an encouraging start for research into the causes and consequences of conservatism in Australian financial reporting.
How Do Preparers Perceive Costs and Benefits of IFRS for SMEs? Empirical Evidence from the Netherlands

This paper examines how preparers perceive the association between costs and benefits of International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium-sized Entities (IFRS for SMEs). Extant research on costs and benefits associated with IFRS for SMEs is inconclusive. Our results suggest that preparers consider costs and benefits of IFRS for SMEs separately, not concurrently, and evaluate them in relative terms. Taken together, the results indicate that a voluntary adoption decision depends on the preparers' context for the cost–benefit analysis, which appears to be a nonlinear process. Specifically, our findings could contribute to the discussion by the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group on taking the effects of accounting standards into account whilst developing standards.
The purchasing power parity in Australia: evidence from unit root test with structural break

The unit root test with structural break developed by Perron and Rodriguez are used to study the purchasing power parity (PPP) in the spirit of Balassa–Samuelson in Australia for the period January 1977 to April 2004. The results indicate that there is a break in February 1985 which coincides with the exchange rate crisis in 1985, occurring after the establishment of the dirty flexible exchange rate system. We also show that there is no tendency to the PPP in Australia to hold in the long-run during this period.
Environmental Latecomer's Effects in Developing Countries: The Case of SO2 and CO2 Emissions

Using the analytical framework of the environmental Kuznets curve, this study examines whether developing countries in the world enjoy the latecomer's advantage or suffer the latecomer's disadvantage in the area of environmental management and technology, with a focus on representative environmental indices of sulfur emissions and carbon emissions. The study's two main findings represent clear contrasts in panel estimation results between sulfur emissions and carbon emissions First, sulfur emissions follow the expected inverted U-shape pattern of the environmental Kuznets curve, while carbon emissions show monotonous increasing trends with per capita income in the observed range. Second, sulfur emissions represent the dominance of the latecomer's advantage while carbon emissions reveal that of the latecomer's disadvantage. The contrast in the emission-income patterns appears to come from the difference in the origin of emissions: sulfur emissions mainly from production (emissions from production are easily regulated on the local level), and carbon emissions from both production and consumption (emissions from consumption are easily externalized). In addition, the contrast in the latecomer's effects seems to be related to the degree of maturity in the know-how and technology to abate emissions: prevailing desulfurization and unrestricted "carbon leakage. "
Are Hedge Funds Uncorrelated With Financial Markets? An Empirical Assessment

In this paper, we examine the correlations between hedge fund strategy indices and asset classes. Based on the Dynamic Conditional Correlation (DCC) GARCH Model, we estimate the correlations between hedge fund, stock, and bond indices during bull and bear markets. The results reveal that there are significant correlations between hedge funds and the stock market, especially during the recent financial crisis that took place from 2007 to 2009.
An experimental study of sequential bargaining

In a study of alternating offer bargaining with discounting, perfect equilibrium was found to have little predictive power under the conventional assumption that bargainers' utility is measured by their monetary payoffs. Instead, the authors' data exhibit a first mover advantage, independent of the equilibrium prediction. However the pattern of rejected offers and counterproposals shows bargainers' utility was not measured by their monetary payoffs. The authors also reanalyze data from earlier experiments, finding a similar pattern of rejections and counterproposals. This suggests that uncontrolled nonmonetary components of utility may have played a role in those experiments also, offering a possible explanation for the mutually inconsistent conclusions reached. Copyright 1989 by American Economic Association.
Document Title: Gendered Violence and Safety: A Contextual Approach to Improving Security in Women's Facilities

iv Executive Summary v Acknowledgements xii Chapter One Introduction 1 Chapter Two Literature Review 5 Chapter Three Gendered Violence in Women’s Prisons and Jails 37 Chapter Four Policy Implication and Recommendations 61 References 73 TABLE OF CONTENTS iii This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Importance of Regional Factors in the Determination of Earnings: The Case of Austria

This paper investigates interregional differences in earnings functions in Austria, in particular, the neoclassical hypothesis that regional earnings differentials can be eliminated by correcting for productivity-related characteristics. The results lead to a rejection of this hypothesis and show that earnings differentials are brought about by structural differences in the earnings functions rather than simple scale effects. The interregional earnings differences are mainly due to a different lifetime pattern of earnings and a different relationship between occupational status and earnings. As compared to other explanatory variables, the region contributes least to the explanation of earnings, although the effect is highly significant.
A Formal Verification Methodology for DDD Mode Pacemaker Control Programs

Pacemakers are safety-critical devices whose faulty behaviors can cause harm or even death. Often these faulty behaviors are caused due to bugs in programs used for digital control of pacemakers. We present a formal verification methodology that can be used to check the correctness of object code programs that implement the safety-critical control functions of DDD mode pacemakers. Our methodology is based on the theory of Well-Founded Equivalence Bisimulation (WEB) refinement, where both formal specifications and implementation are treated as transition systems. We develop a simple and general formal specification for DDD mode pacemakers. We also develop correctness proof obligations that can be applied to validate object code programs used for pacemaker control. Using our methodology, we were able to verify a control program with millions of transitions against the simple specification with only 10 transitions. Our method also found several bugs during the verification process.
Efficience et prise de risque dans les banques en France.

Résumé Cet article présente des estimations des inefficiences-X et des inefficiences d'échelle dans les banques et caisses d'épargne en France durant la période 1988-1992. Utilisant la méthode d'estimation « à distribution libre », on montre que l'efficience-X moyenne est de l'ordre de 70 à 80 %. Les résultats montrent aussi l'existence d'économies d'échelle dans l'industrie bancaire française. Ces résultats sont en conformité avec l'hypothèse de surcapacité dans l'industrie ban­caire en France. Enfin, une relation positive est démontrée entre inefficiences-X et prise de risque.
Variation in Plasma Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 and Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3: Genetic Factors

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) play key roles in cell proliferation and apoptosis. Whereas relatively stable within individuals, IGFs vary substantially between individuals, and a large component of this variation may be determined by genetic factors. Several polymorphisms in IGF genes have been identified, although their functional significance is not clear. We evaluated the association of polymorphisms in IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 and circulating levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in 323 population-based control subjects enrolled in a case-control study of colorectal cancer from September 1999 through February 2002. Total IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels were measured using ELISA assays, and all subjects were genotyped for a microsatellite polymorphism in IGF-1 and a single nucleotide polymorphism in IGFBP-3. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the association of genotype with circulating IGFs. IGF-1 levels were unrelated to either polymorphism. IGFBP-3 was significantly associated with IGFBP-3 genotype, with IGFBP-3 levels increasing from CC (1,895 ng/mL) → GC (2,029 ng/mL) → GG (2,182 ng/mL), (p-trend < 0.001). Having an IGF-1 genotype other than homozygous for the 19-repeat allele was associated with higher IGFBP-3 levels (1,945 versus 2,052 ng/mL). Furthermore, both IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 genotypes modified the relationship between postmenopausal hormone use and IGFs. This analysis provides evidence that common variation in IGF genes may contribute to the variation in circulating levels observed between individuals.
Novel Binding Sites for Regulatory Factors in the Human Papillomavirus Type 18 Enhancer and Promoter Identified by In Vivo Footprinting

ABSTRACT The E6 and E7 genes of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) associated with anogenital cancers are largely responsible for the oncogenic activity of these viruses, and regulation of these genes has been intensively studied. Transcription of the E6 and E7 genes is controlled by the viral upstream regulatory region (URR). We have used in vivo footprinting to examine the occupancy by regulatory factors of the HPV type 18 (HPV18) URR enhancer and promoter in the cervical carcinoma cell lines HeLa and C4-II. While corroborating occupancy in vivo of all of the elements previously implicated in the transcriptional control of the HPV18 E6 and E7 genes by in vitro DNase I footprinting, gel retardation assays, and transfection studies, we also detect occupancy in vivo of several enhancer and promoter sequences which have not been previously identified as HPV18 URR regulatory elements. Our data suggest that the HPV18 enhancer and promoter are more densely occupied by DNA-binding proteins than previously thought and raise the possibility that additional, possibly novel factors contribute to transcription of the HPV18 early genes.
Breaches in the Boardroom: Organizational Identity and Conflicts of Commitment in a Nonprofit Organization

In recent years, agency theory has substantially influenced research on corporate governance. Organizational sociologists have critiqued the agency theory model of boards as limited and have studied how the functioning of boards is shaped by structural, political, and cognitive contexts. Building on their work, this paper empirically studies the cultural embeddedness of boards in a nonprofit organization called Medlay. It shows how organizational identity---the members' shared beliefs about the central, enduring, and distinctive characteristics of the organization---influences the construction and enactment of the director's role and shapes interactions among board members and managers. The findings demonstrate that the role of the director is shaped by Medlay's Janus-faced identity, as both a volunteer-driven organization and a family of friends; directors see themselves as vigilant monitors and as friendly, supportive colleagues. The findings also portray how some board members' scrutiny of the budget, including “lavish” travel expenditures, surfaces the contradictions in Medlay's identity, and creates conflicts for directors. Should board members take manager to task and thereby exercise vigilance and uphold the ideal of volunteer control, or should they safeguard the principle of friendship and avoid all conflict? An influential subset of directors and top managers resolved the budget issue and preserved Medlay's identity by using different “face-saving” strategies to make directors feel that they had been vigilant, and to affirm sentiments of cooperation. More generally, this study extends the literature on corporate governance by showing how organizational identity influences the construction and enactment of the director's role. It introduces the idea of “conflicts of commitment,” a form of intra-role conflict that arises when directors are besieged by conflicting aspects of the organization's identity. When actions occur that breach the expected role performance of board members, latent contradictions in the organizational identity emerge, and directors are faced with the conflict of upholding one dimension of identity while undermining the other. The study also contributes to research on organizational identity by proposing a model of how organizational and individual identities shape the board role through the processes of identification and action, and how a hybrid identity generates the potential for intra-role conflict.
Depreciation Need Not Be Arbitrary

Abstract Following Thomas (1969, 1974) the depreciation adjustment charged against accounting earnings is nowadays commonly presumed to be entirely arbitrary when it is viewed from a measurement perspective. This paper develops a statistical interpretation of accounting measurement to show that the depreciation calculation need not necessarily be viewed as incorrigible in Thomas's sense. A probability modelling approach is adopted to illustrate how the depreciation adjustment can be used to smooth accounting earnings over time. Depreciation is thus shown to have potentially useful estimation properties. The results have obvious policy implications regarding the objectives that depreciation and other accounting allocations might serve. They also have a bearing on fundamental questions regarding the nature of accounting measurement.
Topiramate Titration and Tolerability

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the tolerability and efficacy of two titration rates for topiramate initiated as adjunctive therapy in adults with partial-onset seizures, with or without secondary generalization, in a multicenter, double-blind trial. METHODS: After a two-week baseline phase, 188 patients were randomized to either a 50/50 titration schedule (initial dosage 50 mg/d increased in 50-mg/d increments at weekly intervals; n = 95) or to a 100/200 titration schedule (initial dosage 100 mg/d increased by 100–200 mg/d at weekly intervals; n = 93). The maximum dosage of 400 mg/d was therefore achieved in eight weeks or three weeks, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with the 100/200 titration rate, the 50/50 titration rate significantly reduced the cumulative incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) leading to changes in topiramate therapy (i.e., dosage reductions, interruptions or discontinuations of therapy) (p = 0.048) and significantly reduced treatment interruptions or withdrawals due to TEAEs (p = 0.040). Mild or moderate effects involving the central nervous system were the most frequent adverse events. At the final visit, therapeutic responses were comparable in the 50/50 and 100/200 titration groups: median percent seizure reduction was 42% vs. 33%, proportion of patients with ges; 50% seizure reduction was 42% vs. 38%, and proportion of patients with no seizures during double-blind treatment was 14% vs. 10%, respectively. Seizure frequency was substantially reduced from baseline during topiramate titration. At day 22, with the 50/50 titration group receiving 150 mg/d and the 100/200 titration group receiving 400 mg/d, the median percent seizure reduction was 51% and 54%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Gradual initiation of topiramate therapy can significantly enhance patient tolerability without delaying therapeutic response.
Technical, Allocative, and Economic Efficiency of Farms in Bangladesh: A Stochastic Frontier and DEA Approach

This paper assesses estimates of technical, allocative and economic efficiency of farms using farm-level survey data for rice farmers in Bangladesh. We apply the stochastic efficiency decomposition technique and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Inefficiency effects are modelled as a function of farm-specific human capital variables, irrigation infrastructure and environmental factors. The results from both the approaches show that there is substantial technical, allocative and economic inefficiency in production and that analysis of technical, allocative and economic inefficiency in terms of land fragmentation, irrigation infrastructure and environmental factor are robust. Policies leading to reduction of land fragmentation and improvement of irrigation infrastructure and environmental factors could promote technical, allocative and economic efficiency, reduce yield variability and enhance farm income and household welfare.