Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On Monotonic Capacity-Cost Functions

Motivated by recent results in optical communications, where the performance can degrade dramatically if the transmitted power is sufficiently increased, the channe l capacity is characterized for various kinds of memoryless v ector channels. It is proved that for all single-user channels, th e channel capacity is a nondecreasing function of power, unless the ch annel model depends on the source. More generally, the capacity– cost function is nondecreasing under the same condition. As a consequence, maximizing the mutual information over all so urce distributions with a certain cost is for such channels equivalent to maximizing it over the larger set of source distributionswith upperbounded cost. For multiuser channels, there are sever al scenarios. The primary channel capacity–cost function of a n interference channel is always nondecreasing if all interf erers transmit with identical distributions as the primary user, but not always if only some parameters of the interferers’ distributions depend on the primary user. Finally, if all source distributions in an interference channel are optimized jointly, then the achievable sum-rate capacity is again nondecreasing.
E-book reading among Spanish university students

Purpose – This paper aims to show data about Spanish higher-education students’ usage, habits and perceptions regarding reading on new digital media to show the potential future of electronic books (e-books) and reading mobile devices (e-readers, tablets, cell phones, etc) in academia. It explores whether demographics and academic factors might influence e-book reading habits and attitudes and university students’ opinions about e-books vs print books. REWIL 2.0, a purpose-built research tool, was applied to measure students’ opinions about digital reading in different media and formats, considering their academic context, at the confluence of analog and digital materials and learning. Likewise, REWIL 2.0 detects who are e-book readers (eBR) and who are not and produces a statistics indicator to identify five categories of eBRs by their frequency of e-book reading. This research gathered 745 online surveys between April and July 2010 in 15 degree programs at the University of Granada: Spanish philology, E.
A Patient With Bipolar Disorder and Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Antiphospholipidsyndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder which causes a hyper-coagulable state characterized by recurrent thrombosis. It has a diverse range of central nervous system manifestations. We describe a case of a 61 year old man with bipolar disorder and APS, and we compare this to a previously reported case. Additionally, we reviewed literature regarding APS-related markers and the relationship of APS to other psychiatric and neurologic illnesses. We discuss possible mechanisms for an association between APS and bipolar disorder. We encourage clinicians to be aware of this possible relationship and have proposed research strategies.
A single injection of kisspeptin‐54 temporarily increases luteinizing hormone pulsatility in healthy women

Kisspeptin is a novel hypothalamic peptide which stimulates endogenous gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion. A single subcutaneous bolus injection of kisspeptin‐54 increases circulating luteinizing hormone (LH) levels in women, but its acute effects on LH pulsatility are not known.
Boxed In Conflicts between U.S. Farm Policies and WTO Obligations

• • Farm subsidy programs have long been contentious both in domestic policy debate and in global policy forums. Now a recent World Trade Organization ruling against U.S. cotton subsidies has thrown a spotlight on an additional problem: the conflict between U.S. farm programs and the international obligations of the United States as a member of the WTO. That problem is not confined to cotton. The subsidies conferred on numerous other commodities besides cotton are vulnerable to WTO challenge as well. In addition, there is a strong argument that the United States has been and will be in violation of its WTO commitments regarding the overall level of trade-distorting subsidies. The cotton case has clarified the proper classification of U.S. farm subsidies into the “green” and “amber” boxes of the WTO Agriculture Agreement. The upshot of that clarification is that the United States has likely been exceeding the $19.1 billion cap on trade-distorting, amber-box subsidies that it agreed to abide by under the Agriculture Agreement. According to the calculations described in this paper, total U.S. amber-box subsidies to be included under the cap amounted to $29.1 billion in 2000 and $25.3 billion in 2001 and will likely total about $26.3 billion in 2006—all far in excess of the $19.1 billion limit. Furthermore, U.S. farm programs for a variety of commodities may be suppressing market prices in violation of the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures. Economic simulations based on a model developed here show that U.S. subsidies depress world corn prices by 9 to 10 percent, world wheat prices by 6 to 8 percent, and world rice prices by 4 to 6 percent.Those price effects, together with other data on subsidy rates and costs of production, are large enough to raise concerns about serious prejudice to the interests of other WTO members. U.S. farm programs are in need of a major overhaul to bring them into conformity with international obligations. Congress should therefore seize the opportunity to make real and durable improvements in agricultural policy when the current farm bill expires in 2007. Boxed In Conflicts between U.S. Farm Policies and WTO Obligations
Genetic Diversity of Norovirus and Sapovirus in Hospitalized Infants with Sporadic Cases of Acute Gastroenteritis in Chiang Mai, Thailand

ABSTRACT Stool specimens from hospitalized infants with sporadic gastroenteritis in Chiang Mai, Thailand, between July 2000 and July 2001 were examined for norovirus and sapovirus by reverse transcription-PCR and sequence analysis. These viruses were identified in 13 of 105 (12%) specimens. One strain was found to be a recombinant norovirus.
Characteristics of technological base, pace of technological development, and growth of young technology-based firms

Young technology ventures are strongly affected by technological environmental conditions. In the light of opportunity theory, this study focuses on the interaction of a young firm’s technological base and the pace of technological development in its field. It distinguishes three technological characteristics: radicalness, scope, and the degree of collaborative development. Empirical results support the hypothesis that young technology-based firms commercializing radical technologies grow faster in rapidly developing technology fields. By contrast, young firms commercializing technologies that are developed through research collaborations with established firms outperform others when the pace of technological progress is relatively slow. This study provides empirical evidence of a beneficial interplay between technological characteristics and technological environment and offers a modified patent-citation-based criterion for measuring the pace of technological development in different technology fields.
Financial Market Development and the Role of Foreign Bond Issuance: The Case of Australia

We examine the recent development of the foreign bond market - termed Kangaroo bonds - in Australia. Initially, a perspective is provided on the scale and scope of this market with particular attention paid to the characteristics of issuers. Overwhelmingly, this market is high credit quality and comprises sovereign, supranational, and major international financial institutions. Local institutional investors appear to have a preference for simple fixed-rate pricing structures; issuers then swap Australian dollar-denominated bond proceeds into the currency and coupon type of choice. There are two key features of this market which have facilitated its development: first, the highly liquid Australian foreign exchange and derivatives markets facilitate risk transformation; and second, enabling regulation has emphasized cooperation with market participants to maintain liquidity in benchmark issues and competitive pricing.
The Impact of Corporate Governance on Research and Development Voluntary Disclosure: UK Evidence

Research and development (R&D) activities are characterised by unique features and limited mandated accounting disclosure. Hence, R&D investment is one of the most confidential activities creating information asymmetry. Consequently, firms that are involved in R&D activities may try to introduce more voluntary disclosure in order to reduce the information asymmetry and enhance their transparency. Corporate disclosure has been examined in a large number of prior studies over the years. Recently, small numbers of studies have considered research and development voluntary disclosure in annual reports. The current study seeks to introduce helpful insights into the R&D disclosure practices in annual reports. Moreover, it examines the impact of corporate governance on R&D voluntary disclosure in the annual reports of the UK non-financial firms with intensive R&D investments. The sample consists of 505 firm-year observations of the UK non-financial listed firms, which are considered among the high spenders on R&D activities in the UK according to the R&D scoreboards, as published by the Department of Business Innovations and Skills (BIS). Using content analysis, the R&D disclosure score is measured by self-constructed disclosure index. The current study employs two techniques to examine the relationship between the R&D voluntary disclosure and the independent variables: Ordinary Least Square (OLS), and Censored Regression (Tobit). In terms of the level of R&D disclosure in annual reports, the findings reveal that, in average the UK firms introduce about 30% of the examined R&D disclosure index items. Moreover, the deviations in R&D disclosure score according to the industry type are significant. The results also show that, overall R&D disclosure is positively associated with board size and audit committee quality.
Aligning Firm Capabilities with Customer Needs: Unpacking Dynamic Managerial Capabilities

Organizations are complex systems that require mixtures of capabilities that interact in potentially quite complex ways both within and across points in time. This is particularly true of the dynamic managerial capability in sensing and seizing market opportunities. This study uses an experimental methodology to examine how managers make decisions that align necessary capabilities inside the firm with diverse customer types. Our results reveal that the resource allocation decisions made by managers vary in important ways. In highly commoditized markets managers rely on an intense utilization of discrete operational capabilities that are superior to the competition. In highly differentiated markets these same managers depend on interactions amongst complementary capabilities to enhance the service offering. These results imply that dynamic managerial capabilities can be ambidextrous, in the sense that managers rely on the same set of capabilities for dual purposes.
Fatigue and Quality of Life Among Chinese Patients With Hematologic Malignancy After Bone Marrow Transplantation

Fatigue is reported to be a major symptom for many patients with cancer. However, little is known about this symptom among Chinese people who have cancer. A cross-sectional design was used to examine the intensity of fatigue in patients who underwent bone marrow transplantation for a hematologic malignancy, and to determine whether fatigue affected the quality of life in a Chinese sample (N = 157). The Revised Piper Fatigue Scale-Chinese Version was used to measure fatigue, and the Chinese version of the SF-36 Health Survey was used to measure quality of life. Overall, the subjects perceived a moderate level of fatigue (mean total fatigue score, 4.7 ± 1.7). More than 15% reported experiencing a high level of fatigue. Subjects more likely to perceive a high level of fatigue were older, married, not employed, and on lower incomes. On post hoc tests, the group with a high level of fatigue scored significantly lower on quality-of-life domains than the other two groups (P < .05). The results may help nurses working with Chinese populations in identifying patients at risk for increased fatigue and in planning fatigue-relieving strategies.
Enforcement and its Impact on Cost of Equity and Liquidity of the Market

Theory suggests that enforcement of securities laws is important. If securities laws are not enforced, outside investors will doubt whether they will get their money back with a fair return. So outside investors will not give their money to firms (this leads to low liquidity in capital markets) or, if they give money to firms, they will demand a higher return (this leads to a higher cost of equity). There is little literature documenting the importance of enforcing securities laws. On December 8, 2005, I was asked by the Task Force to Modernize Securities Legislation in Canada to survey the little literature that exists, and prepare a report titled "Enforcement and Its Impact on Cost of Equity and Liquidity of the Market". This paper is that report.
Loan repayment and its determinants under the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme in Imo State, Nigeria

The primary objective of this paper is to examine the loan repayment performance of farmers and identify the factors which influence loan repayment under the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGS) in Imo State, Nigeria. Data were collected from a random sample of 46 loan beneficiaries selected from all the six agricultural zones in the state for six months from October 1988 to March 1989, using structured questionnaires. Officials of agricultural credit institutions operating the scheme were also interviewed. The results showed that loan repayment performance was generally poor, with only 33.72% of the total value of loans repaid. The amount of loan received, the rate of interest charged on loans and household size, were the three most important determinants of loan repayment. Moderating the amount granted as loan so that projects can be effectively financed to maturity without misuse of funds and keeping interest rates low, may be appropriate measures for achieving improved loan repayment performance.
Biological Correlates of Learning and Attention: What Is Relevant to Learning Disability and Attention‐Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

Advances in the related fields of cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology offer intriguing reformulations of the clinical entities of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities (LD). The definition of such terms as attention and learning used in cognitive neuroscience differ from their use in clinical practice and emphasize such processes as intention, working memory, and executive function. Research suggests that neither attention nor long-term memory are the critical cognitive correlates of ADHD or LD. Rather, encoding processes, particularly working memory, are identified as deficiencies for children with these conditions. Furthermore, intention and inhibition appear to be particularly impaired in children with ADHD, who exhibit broader deficits in so-called executive function. Findings from cognitive neuroscience offer explanations of the neuroanatomical and neurophysiological underpinnings of learning problems and the frequent comorbidity of LD and ADHD.
Doing Well by Doing Good? The Self-interest of Buying Firms and Sustainable Supply Chain Management

This paper investigates how changes in sustainability-related conditions (SRCs) at a supplier influence buyers’ economic performance. Using a conceptual theory-building approach and drawing on instrumental stakeholder theory, this research identifies four mediating effects through which suppliers’ SRCs affect buyers’ economic performance. The four mediating factors are purchasing costs, supply chain sustainability risk costs, cooperation benefits, and benefits stemming from spillovers of a supplier's self-promotion. Purchasing costs exert a negative influence on buyers’ performance, whereas the other three factors contribute positively to performance. The study also suggests that the anticipation of performance effects which are salient to the buyer triggers efforts to improve the supplier's SRCs. This research makes several contributions. First, the study identifies and analyzes the causal pathways through which a supplier's SRCs influence buyers’ performance, thus contributing to the development of sustainable supply chain management theory. Second, the study helps buyers make better decisions about their suppliers. Finally, the study provides a conceptual platform for improved dialogue between stakeholders and buyers.
What Determines Stock Market Behavior in Russia and Other Emerging Countries?

We empirically test the dependence of the Russian stock market on the world stock market and world oil prices in the period 1997:10-2012:02. We also consider three Eastern European stock markets (Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary), as well as two markets outside Europe (Turkey and South Africa). We apply a rolling regression to identify periods when oil prices or stock indices in the US and Japan were important. Surprisingly, oil prices are not significant for the Russian stock market after 2006. A TGARCH-BEKK model is employed to assess the degree of correlation between markets, taking into account the global market stochastic trend. We find that correlation between markets increased between 2000 and 2012. Growth was especially high in Eastern European markets during 2004-2006, which is likely connected with the EU accession of these countries in 2004. Key words: Russian stock market, oil, financial market integration, stock market returns, news, emerging markets, transition economies. JEL: G10, G14, G15, C5.
Breastfeeding and Its Relation to Maternal Sensitivity and Infant Attachment

Objective: To examine the association of breastfeeding with maternal sensitive responsiveness and infant-mother attachment security and disorganization. Methods: We included 675 participants of a prospective cohort study. Questionnaires about breastfeeding practices were administered at 2 and 6 months postpartum. At 14 months, maternal sensitive responsiveness was assessed in a 13-minute laboratory procedure using Ainsworth's sensitivity scales, and attachment quality was assessed with the Strange Situation Procedure. Mothers were genotyped for oxytocin receptor genes OXTR rs53576 and OXTR rs2254298. Linear regressions and analyses of covariance adjusted for various background variables were conducted. We tested for mediation and moderation by maternal sensitive responsiveness and maternal oxytocin receptor genotype. Results: Continuous analyses showed that longer duration of breastfeeding was associated with more maternal sensitive responsiveness (B = 0.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.02; 0.20, p < .05), more attachment security (B = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.02; 0.46, p < .05), and less attachment disorganization (B = −0.20, 95% CI −0.36; −0.03, p < .05). Duration of breastfeeding was not related to the risk of insecure-avoidant or insecure-resistant versus secure attachment classification, but longer duration of breastfeeding predicted a lower risk of disorganized versus secure attachment classification (n = 151; odds ratio [OR] = 0.81, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.99, p = .04). Maternal sensitive responsiveness did not mediate the associations, and maternal oxytocin receptor genotype was not a significant moderator. Conclusions: Although duration of breastfeeding was not associated with differences in infant-mother attachment classifications, we found subtle positive associations between duration of breastfeeding and sensitive responsiveness, attachment security, and disorganization.
An application of Internet of things with motion sensing on smart house

The smart house is an important issue in the orange technology. In this paper, we proposes a work which applies the Internet of things (IOT) and motion sensing on smart house, denoted by Smart House Monitor & Manager (SHMM), to improve the convenience, safety, and power-saving of the house. It is based on the Zigbee sensor connected all sensors and actuators. And we have implemented the SHMM with a smart house to demonstrate the availability.
CIB1 Is Essential for Mouse Spermatogenesis

ABSTRACT CIB1 is a 22-kDa calcium binding, regulatory protein with ∼50% homology to calmodulin and calcineurin B. CIB1 is widely expressed and binds to a number of effectors, such as integrin αIIb, PAK1, and polo-like kinases, in different tissues. However, the in vivo functions of CIB1 are not well understood. To elucidate the function of CIB1 in whole animals, we used homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells to generate Cib1−/− mice. Although Cib1−/− mice grow normally, the males are sterile due to disruption of the haploid phase of spermatogenesis. This is associated with reduced testis size and numbers of germ cells in seminiferous tubules, increased germ cell apoptosis, and the loss of elongated spermatids and sperm. Cib1−/− testes also show increased mRNA and protein expression of the cell cycle regulator Cdc2/Cdk1. In addition, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from Cib1−/− mice exhibit a much slower growth rate compared to Cib1+/+ MEFs, suggesting that CIB1 regulates the cell cycle, differentiation of spermatogenic germ cells, and/or differentiation of supporting Sertoli cells.
RhoA/Rho-kinase activation promotes lung fibrosis in an animal model of systemic sclerosis

ABSTRACT Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective-tissue disease characterized by vascular injury, immune-system disorders, and excessive fibrosis of the skin and multiple internal organs. Recent reports found that RhoA/Rho-kinase (ROCK) pathway is implicated in various fibrogenic diseases. Intradermal injection of hypochlorous acid (HOCl)-generating solution induced inflammation, autoimmune activation, and fibrosis, mimicking the cutaneous diffuse form of SSc in humans. Our study aimed firstly to describe pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis induced by HOCl in mice, and secondly to determine whether fasudil, a selective inhibitor of ROCK, could prevent lung and skin fibroses in HOCl-injected mice. Methods: Female C57BL/6 mice received daily intradermal injection of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) for 6 weeks to induce SSc, with and without daily treatment with fasudil (30 mg·kg−1·day−1) by oral gavage. Results: HOCl intoxication induced significant lung inflammation (macrophages and neutrophils infiltration), and fibrosis. These modifications were prevented by fasudil treatment. Simultaneously, HOCl enhanced ROCK activity in lung and skin tissues. Inhibition of ROCK reduced skin fibrosis, expression of α-smooth-muscle actin and 3-nitrotyrosine, as well as the activity of ROCK in the fibrotic skin of HOCl-treated mice, through inhibition of phosphorylation of Smad2/3 and ERK1/2. Fasudil significantly decreased the serum levels of anti-DNA-topoisomerase-1 antibodies in mice with HOCl-induced SSc. Conclusions: Our findings confirm HOCl-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in mice, and provide further evidence for a key role of RhoA/ROCK pathway in several pathological processes of experimental SSc. Fasudil could be a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of SSc.