Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Innovation, product development and market value: evidence from the biotechnology industryinnovation in biotechnology industry

The subject of the paper is financial valuation of firm's knowledge assets and returns to innovation in the biotechnology industry, where such assets appear to play key role in the commercial success of a product. The biotechnology industry is extremely research-intensive, and successful R&D drives profitability. Further, the pharmaceutical product development advances in a number of well-defined stages that allow relatively precise measurement of product development outcomes. The study reports recent biotechnology R&D statistics, and provides estimates of private returns to innovation and product development activity in the biotechnology industry. The conclusions indicate that the financial market recognizes the value of drugs in product development stage, as it expects the innovative knowledge embodied in drug development projects to become marketable products in the future.
Current Use of Computed Tomographic Urography: Survey of the Society of Uroradiology

Objective: To determine uroradiologists' opinions and practices regarding computed tomographic (CT) urography. Methods: A Web-based survey was sent via e-mail to all 259 members of the Society of Uroradiology. Of the 229 successfully delivered e-mails, 90 (39%) members responded. Results: Of 90 uroradiologists, 87% perform CT urography. Compared with intravenous (IV) urography, 69% of uroradiologists use CT urography more than 75% of the time urinary tract imaging is requested; 27% stated that CT urography has completely replaced IV urography. Most uroradiologists perform CT urography using multidetector-row CT alone (79%) and use a 3-phase technique (52%) using a single injection (76%) of contrast material at 3 mL/s (52%) without a compression device (81%) and with the patient in supine position (80%). Conclusions: Most uroradiologists use CT urography in their practice today; some no longer perform IV urography. Variability in multidetector-row CT technique suggests that more research is needed to determine the optimal protocol.
How Islamic are Islamic Countries?

In the post 9/11 era, there is growing interest in the complex relationship between religion, economics, finance, politics, law, and social behavior. This has brought with it a disagreement on how to investigate the impact of religiosity, whether religion affects the economic, political, and social outlook of countries or whether these factors affect religiosity? In other words, should religion be viewed as a dependent or an independent variable? In this paper we ask what we believe to be the precursor question to such linkages, namely, do self-declared Islamic countries, as attested by membership in the OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference), embrace policies that are founded on Islamic teachings? We believe that only once this question is addressed can one begin to estimate how Islam adherence to Islam may affect economic, political and social behavior. In the first part of the paper we present what we believe should be the characteristics and scaffolding of an Islamic" country. We base our depiction on the Quran, and the life, practices and sayings of the Prophet Mohammad -- the two principal channels that provide Muslims with the road map. In the second part, we develop an index to measure the Islamicity" of Islamic and non-Islamic countries. This IslamicityIndex (or I2) measures 208 countries adherence to Islamic principles using four sub-indices related to economics, legal and governance, human and political rights, and international relations.
The Dynamic Prediction of Company Failure

Across disciplines, and particularly in medicine, Cox's proportional hazards model is one of the most popular models for analyzing survival. We use a Cox model with dynamic variables to estimate survival probabilities and make dynamic financial distress predictions for a large sample of Australian listed companies. This is one of relatively few studies to apply dynamic variables in forecasting financial distress. It is the first study to provide forecasts of survival probabilities using the Cox model with dynamic variables. In contrast to most bankruptcy studies using static models, our model's predictive accuracy improves as the time horizon lengthens.
The Russian Heartland Revisited: An Assessment of Russia's Transformation

The concept of "Russian Heartland," elaborated previously by Hooson (1964) for the USSR on the basis of Mackinder's (1919) forecast of the emergence of a land-based global power controlling the center of the Eurasian landmass, is revisited by two British geographers in the new economic, demographic, and political context of post-Soviet Russia. Using many of the same indicators as Hooson some 40 years earlier, they attempt to identify areas of strength and weakness in Russia's contemporary geography, examining in particular the extent to which it is consolidating its "effective national territory. " The focus is on how present obstacles to this consolidation pose a security threat to Russia and neighboring states. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: F02, O10, P20, R11. 21 figures, 3 tables, 67 references.
Patterns of Profit-sharing in Professional Firms^

Examines the extent to which new forms of profit-sharing based on individual performance have been introduced in professional firms. Data on large law firms; Results showing that profit-sharing are limited in scope; Possible link with the more systematic control of the core of professional staff and more business-like methods of managing; Factors driving profit-sharing policies.
Board Size Effects in Closely Held Corporations

Previous work on board size effects in closely held corporations has established a negative correlation between board size and firm performance. We argue that this work has been incomplete in analysing the causal relationship due to lack of ownership information and weak identification strategies in simultanous equation analysis. In the present paper we reexamine the causal relationship between board size and firm performance using a dataset of more than 5,000 small and medium sized closely held corporations with complete ownership information and detailed accounting data. We test the potential endogeneity of board size by using a new instrument given by the number of children of the founders of the firms. Our analysis shows that board size can be taken as exogenous in the performance equation. Furthermore, based on a flexible model specification we find that there is no empirical evidence of adverse board size effects in the typical range of three to six board members. Finally, we find a significantly negative board size effect in the minority of closely held firms which have comparatively large boards of seven or more members. ∗The authors are from Copenhagen Business School, University of Copenhagen and the Centre for Economic and Business Research (www.cebr.dk). We thank the Danish Social Science Research Foundation for support under the research project GOCOW. Kongsted and Nielsen are also affiliated with the Centre for Applied Microeconometrics (www.econ.ku.dk/cam). The activities of CAM are financed by a grant from the Danish National Research Foundation.
Material Weakness Remediation and Earnings Quality: A Detailed Examination by Type of Control Deficiency

SUMMARY: This paper investigates remediation of Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 material weaknesses (MWs). Prior research examines full remediation of all MWs or broad categories thereof. We build on these studies by investigating remediation of specific types of MW, thus measuring progress in improving controls made by companies that have not fully remediated all problems. Specifically, we investigate whether specific MW types differ in remediation likelihood and in the association of remediation with earnings quality. Results show that remediation rates of specific MW types vary, and that remediation of specific types is differentially associated with availability of company resources and corporate governance quality. We also find that remediation of some MW types is significantly associated with changes in abnormal accruals (e.g., entity-level problems in reconciliation and information technology, along with account-specific problems in revenue and tax). Finally, results show that problems remaining unremed.
Forecasting European GNP data through common factor models and other procedures

In this paper we present an extensive study of annual GNP data for five European countries. We look for intercountry dependence and analyse how the different economies interact, using several univariate ARIMA and unobserved components models and a multivariate model for the GNP incorporating all the common information among the variables. We use a dynamic factor model to take account of the common dynamic structure of the variables. This common dynamic structure can be non-stationary (i.e. common trends) or stationary (i.e. common cycles). Comparisons of the models are made in terms of the root mean square error (RMSE) for one-step-ahead forecasts. For this particular group of European countries, the factor model outperforms the remaining ones. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Homogeneity of Cigarette Smoking Within Peer Groups: Influence or Selection?

Many studies stress the relevance of peer group influence as a determinant of smoking behavior of adolescents. Recent research, however, concludes that homogeneity of behavior in friendships is also due to selection; youngsters choose new friends whose behavioral patterns are similar to their own. Data from a three-wave longitudinal study among students of secondary education (N = 1,063) was used to examine sources of peer similarities. The results demonstrated that both influence and selection processes contributed to peer group homogeneity, but the largest part of similarities in smoking status had to be attributed to selection. No support was found for friendships breaking down for reasons of dissimilarity in smoking status. Our findings underscore the complexity of processes and interactions with regard to the relationships of teenagers and offer new views on prevention programs.
News effects in a high-frequency model of the sterling-dollar exchange rate

This paper uses an extremely high frequency data set on the dollar-sterling exchange rate to investigate the impact of news events on the very short-term movements in exchange rates. The data set is a continuous record of the quoted price for the exchange rate on the Reuters screen. As such it records some 130,000 observations over an 8-week period. The paper investigates the time-series properties of the data using orthodox regression models, and then by making allowance for a time-varying conditional variance. The conclusions vary significantly in moving to this more sophisticated model. The exercises are repeated now incorporating news announcement effects, letting these affect the level of the exchange rate and then the conditional variance process. Again it is found that the conclusions are radically altered in moving to the increasingly sophisticated model. Coauthors are S. G. Hall, S. G. G. Henry, and B. Pesaran. Copyright 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis on Gold and US Dollar in Vietnam's Transitional Economy

This paper looks into economic insights offerred by considerations of two important financial markets in Vietnam, gold and USD. In general, the paper focuses on time series properties, mainly returns at different frequencies, and test the weak-form efficient market hypothesis. All the test rejects the efficiency of both gold and foreign exchange markets. All time series exhibit strong serial correlations. ARMA-GARCH specifications appear to have performed well with different time series. In all cases the changing volatility phenomenon is strongly supported through empirical data. An additional test is performed on the daily USD return to try to capture the impacts of Asian financial crisis and daily price limits applicable. No substantial impacts of the Asian crisis and the central bank-devised limits are found to influence the risk level of daily USD return.
Asynchronous optical sampling with GHz repetition rate femtosecond lasers for high precision terahertz spectroscopy

We report a terahertz time-domain spectrometer with 6 THz spectral coverage and 1 GHz resolution which is based on high-speed asynchronous optical sampling. High-speed asynchronous optical sampling is based on two femtosecond lasers with approximately 1 GHz repetition rate. The two lasers are stabilized in their repetition rate to an off-set frequency of approximately 2 kHz. The time delay between a pump pulse exciting a photoconductive THz emitter and the probe pulses is hence scanned at 2 kHz scan rate without employing a mechanical delay stage. The timing jitter between the pump and the probe pulses is reduced to 40 fs over the full scan range giving a high time-resolution. We demonstrate the capabilities of this system for gas spectroscopy and the characterization of frequency selective surfaces with characteristic frequencies in the THz range.
Mechanisms of cellulases and xylanases: a detailed kinetic study of the exo-beta-1,4-glycanase from Cellulomonas fimi.

The exoglucanase/xylanase from Cellulomonas fimi (Cex) has been subjected to a detailed kinetic investigation with a range of aryl beta-D-glycoside substrates. This enzyme hydrolyzes its substrates with net retention of anomeric configuration, and thus it presumably follows a double-displacement mechanism. Values of kcat are found to be invariant with pH whereas kcat/Km is dependent upon two ionizations of pKa = 4.1 and 7.7. The substrate preference of the enzyme increases in the order glucosides < cellobiosides < xylobiosides, and kinetic studies with a range of aryl glucosides and cellobiosides have allowed construction of Broensted relationships for these substrate types. A strong dependence of both kcat (beta 1g = -1) and kcat/Km (beta 1g = -1) upon leaving group ability is observed for the glucosides, indicating that formation of the intermediate is rate-limiting. For the cellobiosides a biphasic, concave downward plot is seenj for kcat, indicating a change in rate-determining step across the series. Pre-steady-state kinetic experiments allowed construction of linear Broensted plots of log k2 and log (k2/Kd) for the cellobiosides of modest (beta 1g = -0.3) slope. These results are consistent with a double-displacement mechanism in which a glycosyl-enzyme intermediate is formed and hydrolyzed via oxocarbonium ion-like transition states. Secondary deuterium kinetic isotope effects and inactivation experiments provide further insight into transition-state structures and, in concert with beta 1g values, reveal that the presence of the distal sugar moiety in cellobiosides results in a less highly charged transition state. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
RGB-D classification using feature selection on the combination of different features

To improve the classification performance in object recognition, many different features have been created from various techniques. However, these features may be redundant or irrelevant to implement the classification model. So, feature selection is considered one of the important tools that can be employed to select a subset of relevant features for specific model. In this paper, we applied feature selection method to form a new subset of features obtained from different feature extraction algorithms so that we can improve the object's classification performance. In the experiments, we demonstrated the use of filter method and wrapper methods for RGB-D object dataset and the results were promising.
Insiders' Activity and Inside Information: A Multivariate Analysis

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the New York Stock Exchange are concerned with the full disclosure of information insiders normally would be expected to possess about their company, including any facts that would materially affect the market's valuation of the firm's worth if they were publicly known. At present, the regulatory agencies have limited their activities to the collection and dissemination of historical information and facts. The motives of insiders, based in large part, presumably, on their knowledge regarding future operating results are hidden from the public eye. The SEC in compiling the Official Summary of Stock Transactions does not require insider to reveal his motivation for trading.
Decoding Internally and Externally Driven Movement Plans

During movement planning, brain activity within parietofrontal networks encodes information about upcoming actions that can be driven either externally (e.g., by a sensory cue) or internally (i.e., by a choice/decision). Here we used multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) of fMRI data to distinguish between areas that represent (1) abstract movement plans that generalize across the way in which these were driven, (2) internally driven movement plans, or (3) externally driven movement plans. In a delayed-movement paradigm, human volunteers were asked to plan and execute three types of nonvisually guided right-handed reaching movements toward a central target object: using a precision grip, a power grip, or touching the object without hand preshaping. On separate blocks of trials, movements were either instructed via color cues (Instructed condition), or chosen by the participant (Free-Choice condition). Using ROI-based and whole-brain searchlight-based MVPA, we found abstract representations of planned movements that generalize across the way these movements are selected (internally vs externally driven) in parietal cortex, dorsal premotor cortex, and primary motor cortex contralateral to the acting hand. In addition, we revealed representations specific for internally driven movement plans in contralateral ventral premotor cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, supramarginal gyrus, and in ipsilateral posterior parietotemporal regions, suggesting that these regions are recruited during movement selection. Finally, we observed representations of externally driven movement plans in bilateral supplementary motor cortex and a similar trend in presupplementary motor cortex, suggesting a role in stimulus–response mapping. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The way the human brain prepares the body for action constitutes an essential part of our ability to interact with our environment. Previous studies demonstrated that patterns of neuronal activity encode upcoming movements. Here we used multivariate pattern analysis of human fMRI data to distinguish between brain regions containing movement plans for instructed (externally driven) movements, areas involved in movement selection (internally driven), and areas containing abstract movement plans that are invariant to the way these were generated (i.e., that generalize across externally and internally driven movement plans). Our findings extend our understanding of the neural basis of movement planning and have the potential to contribute to the development of brain-controlled neural prosthetic devices.
INTERNAL CONSISTENCY OF CHOICE

Internal consistency of choice has been a central concept in economics, decision theory, and social choice. This idea is essentially confused. We cannot determine whether a choice function is consistent without referring to something external to choice (e.g., objectives, values). The standard results have to be reexamined in this light. Kenneth J. Arrow's general possibility theorem is extended in this paper without demanding any internal consistency of social choice or any notion of 'social rationality. ' Copyright 1993 by The Econometric Society.
Exploration and Long-Run Organizational Performance

This study considers how cross-sectional differences and intertemporal variations in interdependencies between productive activities at the industry level moderate the contribution of exploration to long-run organizational performance. We use patent data to measure interdependencies between productive activities at the industry level and computer-assisted content analysis to derive firms’ orientation toward exploration. We also introduce statistical techniques to control bias in estimates induced by potential sources of endogeneity. Our analysis shows that exploration largely contributes positively to long-run organizational performance. This positive effect is stronger in industries with more extensive levels of interdependency or that exhibit more changes in such interdependencies. This study shows the unique and contingent ways in which exploration affects long-run performance. We hope our ideas will influence several areas of future research, not the least of which involves exploration and interdependencies in developing our understanding of organizational success.
Ryanodine receptor gene expression thymomas

Ryanodine receptor (RyR) antibodies are present in sera of myasthenics with thymoma, and their titer correlates with morbidity and mortality. We investigated whether skeletal muscle RyR expression in thymic tissues could be the source of immune sensitization to the RyR. Skeletal muscle RyR gene expression was investigated using reverse transcription followed by semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction. Hyperplastic and normal thymuses expressed significant levels of RyR, but RyR gene transcripts was statistically less likely in thymomas than in hyperplastic and normal thymus (P < 0.05). The presence of RyR transcripts in thymomas did not correlate with myasthenic manifestations, thymic pathology, or serum RyR antibodies. We conclude that the skeletal muscle RyR in thymoma is not the inciting antigen for immune sensitization to RyR epitopes in thymoma‐associated myasthenia gravis. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 21:1299–1303, 1998.
Changes in Adrenoceptors and G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 in L-NAME-Induced Hypertension Compared to Spontaneous Hypertension in Rats

This work compares the expression of adrenoceptors (ARs) and G-protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) 2 (RT-PCR and immunoblotting) and functional responses in conductance (aorta) and resistance vessels (mesenteric resistance arteries; MRA) in two different models of rat hypertension: hypertension induced by chronic treatment with L-NAME (NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl-ester) (L-NAME-treated rats; LNHR), and genetically induced hypertension (spontaneously hypertensive rats; SHR). Changes found in the aorta, but not in the MRA, were: (1) a loss of contractile capacity, more evidently in α1-AR-mediated contraction, and an impairment of endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, with both changes occurring independently of the hypertensive model; (2) a diminished sensitivity to α1-AR-induced vasoconstriction along with increased β2-AR-mediated vasodilation in LNHR, and (3) a lower expression of ARs and GRK2 in LNHR. The two latter changes are the opposite of those previously found in aortas of SHR. In the MRA of LNHR, a diminished sensitivity to isoprenaline, in parallel with a reduced expression of β1-AR, was observed without changes in GRK2 expression. In the MRA of SHR, the increased GRK2 expression was not accompanied by significant changes in either β-AR expression or the vasorelaxant potency of isoprenaline. The present results highlight that changes in AR function differ not only between vessels but also between hypertensive models. Moreover, they suggest that changes in GRK2 expression could contribute to regulating β2-AR function in conductance vessels but not β1-AR function in resistance vessels.