Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
All good things come to an end : CEO life cycle and firm performance *

We provide evidence that CEO tenure exhibits an inverted U-shaped relation with firm value and M&A announcement returns, consistent with benefits (e.g., experience, learning, relations) and costs (e.g., CEO-firm mismatch, entrenchment, reluctance to change) arising over a CEO’s time in office. Depending on the dynamics of a firm’s economic environment which affect the cost-benefit relation of tenure, we find economically meaningful variation in the point in time at which costs start to outweigh benefits. The documented CEO life cycle is robust to a large set of robustness tests, including various alternative explanations, CEO-firm fixed effects, and nonparametric estimations, and is supported by an analysis of CEO sudden deaths. Economic recessions and regulatory changes in corporate governance as exogenous shocks to the cost-benefit relation of tenure further support our findings. JEL classification: G30, G34, J24
Gamified EFL Instruction : An Overview of the Most Recent Research Trends

This paper provides an overview of six gamified learning environments that were developed for teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). The tools were reported upon in publications that appeared in top scientific journals in 2017. The current survey describes the main features of the educational games that were employed in the conducted experiments and focuses on the key findings that are specifically related to the EFL learning outcomes. The results of the experimental shortterm studies reveal that students who played educational games obtained significantly better results than those who received conventional EFL instruction. Keywords—technology-enhanced, EFL, language learning, game-based learning, gamification
Investment option under CIR interest rates

We analyze extensively the characteristics of the solution to an irreversibleinvestment decision when the only source of uncertainty comes from interest rates.They are assumed to be driven by the popular Cox-Ingersoll-Ross (CIR) stochasticprocess. Particular attention is paid to the impact that both CIR parameters and riskaversion have on the threshold rate.
The Stock Performance of America's 100 Best Corporate Citizens

We consider the stock performance of America's 100 Best Corporate Citizens following the annual survey by Business Ethics. We examine both possible short-term announcement effects around the time of the survey's publication, and whether longer-term returns are higher for firms that are listed as good citizens. We find some evidence of a positive market reaction to a firm's presence in the Top 100 firms that are made public, and that holders of the stock of such firms earn small abnormal returns during an announcement window. Over the year following the announcement, companies in the Top 100 yield negative abnormal returns of around 3%. However, such companies tend to be large and with stocks exhibiting a growth style, which existing studies suggest will tend to perform poorly. Once we allow for these firm characteristics, the poor performance of the highly rated firms declines. We also find companies that are newly listed as good citizens and companies in the Top 100 but outside the S&P 500 can provide considerable positive abnormal returns to investors, even after allowing for their market capitalization, price-to-book ratios, and sectoral classification.
Effect of Bismuth and Silver on the Corrosion Behavior of Lead-free Solders in 3.5 wt% NaCl Solution

Electroanalytical tests were carried out to investigate the corrosion behavior of various lead-free solder alloys in 3.5 wt% NaCl bulk solution under room temperature. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) method was applied to investigate the corroded surface structure and corrosion depth using cross-sectional samples. Furthermore, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) method was also applied to identify the chemical elemental composition of the corrosion products of the solders. The results showed that the bismuth and silver bearing solders have lower corrosion resistance compared to other lead-free solders and to the widely used SAC305 as well. The different corrosion resistance was explained by the different silver and bismuth content and volume of the corrosion products, which can lead back to the differences of the original alloying components. This study is highlighted that the bismuth and silver content may pose a relative high corrosion risk related to lead-free solder alloys used in electronics.
Ictalurids in Iowa's Streams and Rivers: Status, Distribution, and Relationships with Biotic Integrity

Anthropogenic alterations to Iowa's landscape have greatly altered lotic systems with consequent effects on the biodiversity of freshwater fauna. Ictalurids are a diverse group of fi shes and play an important ecological role in aquatic ecosystems. How- ever, little is known about their distribution and status in lotic systems throughout Iowa. The purpose of this study was to describe the distribution of ictalurids in Iowa and examine their relationship with ecological integrity of streams and rivers. Historical data (i.e., 1884-2002) compiled for the Iowa Aquatic Gap Analysis Project (IAGAP) were used to detect declines in the distribution of ictalurids in Iowa streams and rivers at stream segment and watershed scales. Eight variables characterizing ictalurid assemblages were used to evaluate relation- ships with index of biotic integrity (IBI) ratings. Comparisons of recent and historic data from the IAGAP database indicated that 9 of Iowa's 10 ictalurid species experienced dis- tribution declines at one or more spatial scales. Analysis of variance indicated that ictalurid assemblages differed among samples with different IBI ratings. Specifi cally, total ictalurid, sensitive ictalurid, and Noturus spp. richness increased as IBI ratings increased. Results in- dicate declining ictalurid species distributions and biotic integrity are related, and manage- ment strategies aimed to improve habitat and increase biotic integrity will benefi t ictalurid species.
Minimizing Sensitivity to Model Misspecification

We propose a framework for estimation and inference when the model may be misspecified. We rely on a local asymptotic approach where the degree of misspecification is indexed by the sample size. We construct estimators whose mean squared error is minimax in a neighborhood of the reference model, based on one‐step adjustments. In addition, we provide confidence intervals that contain the true parameter under local misspecification. As a tool to interpret the degree of misspecification, we map it to the local power of a specification test of the reference model. Our approach allows for systematic sensitivity analysis when the parameter of interest may be partially or irregularly identified. As illustrations, we study three applications: an empirical analysis of the impact of conditional cash transfers in Mexico where misspecification stems from the presence of stigma effects of the program, a cross‐sectional binary choice model where the error distribution is misspecified, and a dynamic panel data binary choice model where the number of time periods is small and the distribution of individual effects is misspecified.
Effective or Efficient? Effects of Beijing's Vehicle Lottery System on Fleet Composition and Environment

To control vehicle growth and air pollution, Beijing’s municipal government imposed a vehicle lottery system in 2011, which randomly allocated a quota of licenses to potential buyers. This paper investigates the effect of this policy on fleet composition, fuel consumption, air pollution, and social welfare. Using car registration data, we estimate a random coefficient discrete choice model and conduct counterfactual analysis based on the estimated parameters. We find that the lottery reduced new passenger vehicle *We gratefully acknowledge the kind help and constructive comments of Professors Andrew Cassey, Ana Espinola-Arredondo, Benjamin Cowan, Gregmar Galinato, Dong Lu, Jill McCluskey, Mark Gibson, Shanjun Li, Jia Yan, Dan Yang and seminar participants at Washington State University. Financial support from the China National Science Fund (grant #71620107005) is acknowledged. †Corresponding author. Email: yziying1988@gmail.com (Z. Yang), fmunoz@wsu.edu (F. Muñoz-García), tangmp.sicau@gmail.com (M. Tang). sales by 50.15%, fuel consumption by 48.69%, and pollutant emissions by 48.69% in 2012. Also, such lottery shifted new auto purchases towards high-end but less fuel efficient vehicles. In our counterfactual analysis, we show that a progressive tax scheme works better than the lottery system at decreasing fuel consumption and air pollution, and leads to a higher fleet fuel efficiency and less welfare loss.
The norite belt in theMesoarchaean Maniitsoq structure, southern West Greenland: conduit-type Ni-Cu mineralisation inimpact-triggered, mantle-derived intrusions?

With the recent discovery of the giant, deeply eroded, 3 Ga Maniitsoq impact structure in southern West Greenland (Garde 2010), an enigmatic, c. 75 by 15 km large, curvilinear belt of undeformed norite intrusions with Ni-Cu mineralisation was re-interpreted as representing crustally contaminated melts derived from the mantle in the wake of the impact (Fig. 1; Garde et al. 2012). The norite belt (Nielsen 1976; Secher 1983) was discovered in the early 1960s by the mining and exploration company Kryolitselskabet Oresund A/S, and more than one hundred shallow exploration holes were drilled by the company in the period 1965–1971. The mineralisation has subsequently been investigated by Cominco Ltd., Falconbridge Ltd. and NunaMinerals A/S. In 2011, the re-interpretation of the norite belt, and recent availability of improved airborne geophysical exploration tools, prompted the Canadian company North American Nickel Inc. (NAN) to resume exploration.
Impact of CYGNSS Ocean Surface Wind Speeds on Numerical Simulations of a Hurricane in Observing System Simulation Experiments

AbstractThe NASA Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) was launched in late 2016. It will make available frequent ocean surface wind speed observations throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. In this study, the impact of CYGNSS ocean surface winds on numerical simulations of a hurricane case is assessed with a research version of the Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting Model and a Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation analysis system in a regional observing system simulation experiment framework. Two different methods for reducing the CYGNSS data volume were tested: one in which the winds were thinned and one in which the winds were superobbed.The results suggest that assimilation of the CYGNSS winds has great potential to improve hurricane track and intensity simulations through improved representations of the surface wind fields, hurricane inner-core structures, and surface fluxes. The assimilation of the superobbed CYGNSS data seems to be more effective in improv.
Perennial grasses for recovery of the aggregation capacity of a reconstructed soil in a coal mining area in southern Brazil

The construction of a soil after surface coal mining involves heavy machinery traffic during the topographic regeneration of the area, resulting in compaction of the relocated soil layers. This leads to problems with water infiltration and redistribution along the new profile, causing water erosion and consequently hampering the revegetation of the reconstructed soil. The planting of species useful in the process of soil decompaction is a promising strategy for the recovery of the soil structural quality. This study investigated the influence of different perennial grasses on the recovery of reconstructed soil aggregation in a coal mining area of the Companhia Riograndense de Mineracao, located in Candiota-RS, which were planted in September/October 2007. The treatments consisted of planting: T1- Cynodon dactylon cv vaquero; T2 - Urochloa brizantha; T3 - Panicum maximun; T4 - Urochloa humidicola; T5 - Hemarthria altissima; T6 - Cynodon dactylon cv tifton 85. Bare reconstructed soil, adjacent to the experimental area, was used as control treatment (T7) and natural soil adjacent to the mining area covered with native vegetation was used as reference area (T8). Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected in October/2009 (layers 0.00-0.05 and 0.10-0.15 m) to determine the percentage of macro- and microaggregates, mean weight diameter (MWD) of aggregates, organic matter content, bulk density, and macro- and microporosity. The lower values of macroaggregates and MWD in the surface than in the subsurface layer of the reconstructed soil resulted from the high degree of compaction caused by the traffic of heavy machinery on the clay material. After 24 months, all experimental grass treatments showed improvements in soil aggregation compared to the bare reconstructed soil (control), mainly in the 0.00-0.05 m layer, particularly in the two Urochloa treatments (T2 and T4) and Hemarthria altissima (T5). However, the great differences between the treatments with grasses and natural soil (reference) indicate that the recovery of the pre-mining soil structure could take decades.
Performance of Basalt Fiber in Concrete

The research work was carried out on experimental investigation of basalt concrete. Properties of concrete were checked by testing cubes, cylinder & beams. The specimens were casted using M40 Grade concrete with locally available material. The object of present work was to study effect of different proportion of fibers in the mix design and find out optimum percentage of fibers with maximum strength criteria. The specimens like cubes, cylinder and beam tested for compressive strength, split tensile strength and flexural strength. The experimental results showed that the addition of basalt fiber in concrete enhance the properties of concrete.
The influence of Gujarati on the VOT of English stops

This thesis is an acoustic study of three generations of women from the Gujarati-English community in Batley, West Yorkshire (United Kingdom). The literature pertaining to Gujarati is very limited, hence this thesis aims to solve some unanswered queries regarding our understanding of the influence of Gujarati on English stop productions. Research was gathered from three generations of women to judge whether there is an influence of Gujarati on English speech. The first generation was born in India and migrated to the UK during their childhood, whereas the second and third generation were born in the UK. In order to assess this influence, the acoustic attribute of voice onset time (VOT) was studied for all stops /p b t d k g/ at word-initial level. Participants were recorded reading out pre-arranged flashcards, generating eight hundred and forty-four tokens of data, all of which were later analysed in Praat. A further objective of this research was to examine whether there are variances of VOT at different positions of an utterance. Previous studies in the acoustic literature have studied VOT interference in bilinguals of various languages, which have yielded mixed results, including L1 influence, L2 influence, as well as no interference whatsoever. The primary results demonstrated that there is an influence of Gujarati (the L1) on English speech (the L2) in the first generation, which reduces for the second and third generation. Furthermore, a second significant finding was that there appears to be a high usage of Gujarati-like negative VOT at utterance-initial position for all three generations. Several explanations are proposed to explain the two aforementioned findings. The main argument put forth is that the participants’ VOT values mirrored the values of their dominant language. Secondly, there is perhaps a sociolinguistic change occurring in the Batley community in which negative VOT has ethnic connotations and is being used by the British-born generations as a marker of identity.
A NEW SPECIES OF EUSCORPIUS FROM TINOS ISLAND, GREECE (SCORPIONES: EUSCORPIIDAE)

The scorpion genus Euscorpius has been insufficiently studied on the Aegean Islands of Greece. We describe a new species from the Western Cyclades, E. kritscheri sp. n. , from Tinos Island. The species-level status of this form is confirmed by a phylogenetic study based on multiple DNA markers. In addition, a population from nearby Andros Island is characterized as E. cf. kritscheri, which could be potentially a separate species
THE HYDRATION OF AN ION-LEACHABLE GLASS USED IN GLASS-IONOMER CEMENTS

A study is reported in which the interaction between a typical ionomer glass and water was evaluation in order to evaluate the importance of hydration in the setting of glass-ionomer cements. Glass G338 was mixed with water and the slurries were allowed to harden in metal moulds to create cylindrical specimens 6 mm high × 4 mm diameter. Samples of these specimens were found to disintegrate when placed in water. Following hardening at 37°C for 1 hour in the moulds, one series of specimens was stored at 95 % RH for 23 h, 1 week and 4 weeks, and the other stored for the same lengths of time, but sealed in the moulds. Raman spectra were recorded for glass G338 and glass-water blends stored for 24 hours and 4 weeks. The cylindrical specimens were found to have a degree of structural integrity, but proved to be extremely weak in compression (all specimens of whatever age up to 4 weeks having strengths of less that 1 MPa). Specimens lost mass on storage at 95 % RH. Raman spectra showed no additional bands due to glass-water interactions compared with the dry glass itself, and changes in intensity were difficult to interpret, due to Fermi resonance in the regions of interest. It is concluded that binding in these specimens is due to hydrogen bonding between layers of water adsorbed onto glass powder surfaces.
Forensic Community Programs: Recommendations for the Management of NCRMD Patients in the Community

ABSTRACT Recent trends towards community support and rehabilitation for individuals found Not Criminally Responsible due to a Mental Disorder (NCRMD) has led to the development of forensic community programs (FCP). The authors of the present paper were contacted by professionals involved with an FCP established at a hospital in Nova Scotia, Canada. The professionals involved with this FCP were interested in improving the overall functioning (in terms of client management and treatment, and risk reduction) of the program. The current article will discuss the eight main considerations and recommendations that were provided by the authors after an extensive review of the literature as well as a consideration of the current structure of the Nova Scotia FCP. These recommendations are generalizable to most community treatment programs available for NCRMD individuals.
Personality characteristics and vulnerability to depression: A cross-sectional and longitudinal perspective

The papers of the thesis are not available in Munin: 1. Halvorsen, M. , Wang, C.E. , Richter, J., Myrland, I. , Pedersen, S.K. , Eisemann, M. , & Waterloo, K. (2009): 'Early maladaptive schemas, temperament and character traits in clinically depressed and previously depressed subjects', Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, Volume 16 Issue 5, 394-407 (Wiley - publisher's restrictions). Available at http://dx.doi. org/10.1002/cpp.618 2. Wang, C.E. A. , Halvorsen, M. , Eisemann, M. , & Waterloo, K. : 'Stability of Dysfunctional Attitudes and Early Maladaptive Schemas: A 9-Year Follow-up Study of Clinically Depressed Individuals' (manuscript). Later published: Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry 41 (2010) 389-396, available at http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.jbtep. 2010.04. 002 3. Halvorsen, M. , Wang, C.E. , Eisemann, M. , & Waterloo, K. (2009): 'Dysfunctional Attitudes and Early Maladaptive Schemas as Predictors of Depression: A 9-Year Follow-up Study', Cognitive Therapy and Research (2010) 34:368–379. (Springer - publisher's restrictions). Available at http://dx.doi. org/10.1007/s10608-009-9259-5
Chapter 3 Amygdala and Jaw Movements : A Hodological Review

The organization of emotional motor behavior including jaw movements is governed by neural circuits of the limbic system, such as the amygdala and hypothalamus. GABAergic neurons in the central amygdaloid nucleus (CeA) exert an inhibitory influence on premotor neurons for the trigeminal motor nucleus (Vm) in the parvicellular reticular formation (RFp) of the medulla oblongata. The CeA also influences glutamatergic posterior lateral hypothalamic neurons and non-dopaminergic neurons in the retrorubral field of the midbrain, both of which send their axons to Vm-premotor neurons in the RFp. In addition, the CeA may modulate the activity of Vm motoneurons via projections to the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus whose neurons convey inputs from the masticatory muscle spindles and periodontal ligament receptors to jaw-closing motoneurons in the Vm. These pathways from the amygdala to the trigeminal motor system in the lower brainstem may underlie the regulation of emotional jaw movement.
Rheology of a long lava flow at Pavonis Mons, Mars

[1] Dimensions of lava flows can be used to unravel the relative roles of viscosity changes and concurrent formation of levees, stationary margins, and stagnant zones. This approach is applied to data derived from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) experiment for a long lava flow on the plains north of Pavonis Mons, Mars. We obtain a formula for the relative change in viscosity on the basis of a steady state Newtonian flow rate. Our approach features a new length scale that describes the transfer of lava from the active advancing component to passive components. This length scale can be determined from planetary image and topographic data by estimating the volume fraction of lava contained in flow margins relative to the total flow volume. We find only modest changes in viscosity over the distal 175 km of the Pavonis flow. Allowing the flow to also lose volume through degassing (resulting in a density increase) does little to affect the overall viscosity change. Thickening and widening of the flow with distance are as expected for a single coherent, isothermal, viscous flow. This dynamic regime features a balance between the formation of an outer skin and shedding of lava into stationary zones. Requirements for attaining such a regime include a thick flow, shallow slopes over extended distances, and preexisting surface roughness that is small compared to flow thickness. This style of emplacement may explain why many of the long, thick sheet-like flows on the plains of Mars often exhibit an unexpected lack of thickening with distance.
EFFECT OF LACOMIT FILMS ON COLD-CATHODE HOT-ELECTRON EMISSION

The effect of lacomit dielectric films on the emission properties of microemitters has been studied . It is observed that such films enhance field electron emission from metal-insulator-vacuum (M-I-V) microstructures. It is found that this cathode switcheson at low applied fields and acquires a subsequent reversible I-V characteristics and reasonably stable emission currents. Energy distribution measurements performed with a retarding potential energy analyser and with a high resolution electrostatic deflection electron energy analyser show that the distribution is broadened and shifted significantly to lower energy. These characteristics have been qualitatively explained in terms of a hot-electron emission mechanism.