Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Characterization of the Daily and Intraday Behavior of Returns on Options

The daily and intraday behavior of returns on Chicago Board Options Exchange options is examined. Option returns contain systematic patterns even after adjusting for patterns in the means and variances of the underlying assets. This is consistent with the hypothesis that informed trading in options can make the order flow in the options market informative about the value of the underlying asset, making options nonredundant. The intraday patterns in adjusted option return variances are further consistent with a model of strategic trading by informed and discretionary liquidity traders. Copyright 1994 by American Finance Association.
A chloroplast-resident DNA methyltransferase is responsible for hypermethylation of chloroplast genes in Chlamydomonas maternal gametes

Chloroplast DNA of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is maternally inherited. Methylation mapping directly revealed that, before mating, chloroplast DNA of maternal (mating type plus; mt+) gametes is heavily methylated whereas that of paternal (mating type minus; mt−) gametes is not. Indirect immunofluorescence analyses with anti-5-methylcytosine mAbs visually showed methylation to occur exclusively in chloroplast DNA of mt+ gametes, and not in mt− gametes or nuclear DNA of either mt. To clarify the relationship between methylation and maternal inheritance of chloroplast DNA, we have isolated and characterized a cDNA encoding a DNA methyltransferase. The deduced protein, CrMET1, consists of 1,344 aa and contains a conserved catalytic domain at the C terminal and a nonconserved N-terminal region. The predicted N-terminal region has an arginine-rich domain, suggesting CrMET1 is transferred to chloroplasts. This finding could be directly shown by green fluorescent protein epifluorescence microscopy analyses. CrMET1 transcripts were found to be absent in both mt+ and mt− vegetative cells. Upon gametogenesis, however, transcript levels clearly increased in mt+ but not mt− cells. These experiments suggest that the CrMET1 protein is located in chloroplasts and that it specifically methylates cytosine residues of chloroplast DNA in mt+ gametes. This conclusion was further strengthened by the observation that, during gametogenesis, CrMET1 is expressed in a mt− mutant, mat-1, whose chloroplast DNA is heavily methylated in gametes and paternally inherited. The results provide evidence that cytosine methylation plays a critical role in maternal inheritance of chloroplast genes in C. reinhardtii.
“Mean-Shift” filtering to reduce speckle noise in SAR images

Speckle noise is an undesired effect in SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) images which degrades their quality. In this paper a filtering technique based on the algorithm “Mean Shift” is applied to reduce the speckle noise in SAR images, preserving their quality by maintaining textures, sharp edges and shapes. A image of the North-East coast of Spain is used for analyzing the influence of the parameters of the “Mean Shift” method. The quality of the filtered images is evaluated by inspection and using other objective parameters. The results are compared to those obtained using the Lee filter, which is usually considered as a standard reference for evaluating speckle filters. The proposed technique provides a greater speckle noise reduction, edges and image texture, characteristics that are very important for detecting and classifying tasks.
Real Options and the Cross-Section of Expected Stock Returns

This paper surveys the theoretical literature investigating the effect of firms’ investment flexibility on the cross-section of expected stock returns. Real options analysis derives firms’ value-maximizing investment policies as functions of exogenous fundamental drivers of profitability and calculates firms’ market values as functions of the same variables. These functions yield the relationship between expected stock returns and firm fundamentals. Several plausible explanations for the value premium – the high average stock returns earned by firms with high book-to-market ratios – emerge from this literature.
Theories of the Multinational Firm: A Multidimensional Creature in the Global Economy

Contents: Preface 1. The Multinational Firm - A Beauty or a Beast? 2. The Dominating Multinational - A Tale of Market Power 3. The Multinational Firm - A Tale of Cost Efficiency 4. The Knowing Multinational - A Tale of Value Creation 5. The Designing Multinational - A Tale of Strategic Fit 6. The Networking Multinational - A Tale of Business Relationships 7. The Politicizing Multinational - A Tale of Legitimacy and Power 8. The Multidimensional Multinational - Concluding Remarks References Index
RURAL ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM IN NORTH DAKOTA (SUMMARY)

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), enacted in 1985, provides conservation benefits and agricultural supply control through voluntary, long-term retirement of crop land. Large-scale, long-term land retirement programs produce, in varying degrees, negative effects on those businesses and economic sectors that provide agricultural inputs and services. While the effects of the CRP on agriculture are well understood, economic assessments of the market-value of conservation benefits from the program accruing to rural economies remains largely undocumented. One of the conservation benefits of the program is wildlife habitat, which has bolstered upland bird, waterfowl, and big game populations. Growing wildlife populations have contributed to increased consumptive and non-consumptive wildlife-based recreation. This study addressed the net economic effects of decreased agricultural activity and increased recreational activity associated with the CRP in six rural areas of North Dakota from 1996 through 2000. The negative effects of the CRP on agricultural revenues were based on the level of economic activity that would have occurred in the absence of the program. The net change in revenues from CRP land returning to agricultural production in the six study areas was estimated at $76 million or about $56 per CRP-acre. However, returning CRP lands to agricultural production was estimated to lower commodity prices and reduce agricultural revenues on non-CRP lands by $25.9 million. The combined effect was estimated at $50.2 million annually or $37 per CRP-acre in the study areas. The CRP affects many types of outdoor recreation; however, hunting was identified as the most influenced type of recreation in North Dakota. Recreational impacts were determined by comparing pheasant, waterfowl, and deer hunter numbers before and after the CRP, assigning the relative role the CRP has played in the change in hunter numbers, allocating a percentage of the change in hunter numbers to each study area, and applying seasonal hunter expenditure patterns to the change in hunter numbers. Average annual CRP-related hunter expenditures in the six study areas were estimated at $12.8 million or $9.45 per CRP-acre. Overall, recreational revenues averaged 26 percent of the agricultural losses. The degree to which CRP-based hunting revenues in rural areas offset agricultural losses varied throughout the state. In several cases, hunting expenditures offset a substantial portion of the agricultural losses, while in other areas, the net economic loss from the program remains high. The net economic effects of the program in western and central North Dakota were the most favorable, whereas the effects were least favorable in eastern areas of the state. In North Dakota, the net economic effect of losses in agricultural revenues and gains in hunting-based recreational expenditures indicated that several areas of the state are not as economically burdened by the CRP as previous research has suggested.
From Minds to Markets

The resource-based view suggests that firms’ heterogeneous resource endowments are important for explaining interfirm performance differences. To date, however, the literature provides little insight on the factors that shape the identification of markets in which firm resources, as embodied in a product or service, can create value for end customers. Building on entrepreneurship research and Penrose’s early resource-based work, the authors examine how four main types of pre-entry human capital endowments (i.e., the characteristics that the founders bring to the founding process) shape the identification of market opportunities for emerging technology firms. They find that prior entrepreneurial and management experience endowments enhance, while marketing and technological experience endowments constrain, the number of market opportunities identified. In addition, the authors find that the number of market opportunities identified depends on the combinations of generalized and specialized endowments in the founding team.
Strategic Segmentation: An Empirical Analysis of Tourist Expenditure in Turkey

This article presents a methodology to aid strategic planners in analyzing segment attractiveness. The methodology involves using country of origin as the primary segmenting variable and a number of demographic and behavioral characteristics as secondary segmenting variables. The methodology is quite flexible and quantitatively robust. The methodology is illustrated through an application to country-of-origin-based tourist expenditure in Turkey, and target segments for promotional strategies are identified.
Unilateral computerised tomography guided coeliac plexus block: a technique for pain relief

Twelve patients have undergone unilateral coeliac plexus block using needle localisation by computed tomography and the technique is described. Computed tomography has the advantage that the needle route to the coeliac axis can be accurately planned, avoiding damage to other organs. In this study nine out of twelve patients had significant pain relief. Most success was achieved in patients with carcinoma of the pancreas.
Corporate Governance and Institutional Ownership: Evidence from Jordan

This paper is one of the first papers to investigate the relationship between ownership structure and corporate governance, namely the factors that determine institutional investors' investment decisions in emerging markets using Jordanian data. A panel data analysis is applied to the dataset which includes non-financial Jordanian firms. The results show that the Jordanian institutional investors conceder firms capital structure, profitability, business risk, asset structure, asset liquidity, growth rates, and firm size when they take their investment decisions. In addition, institutional investors in Jordan prefer to invest in services firms rather than manufacturing firms. Furthermore, the study cannot find any significant relationship between firms' dividend policy and institutional investors. Finally, this paper investigated the factors that affect the probability that institutional investors will control the firm.
An Empirical Operationalization of Countries’ Destination Competitiveness Using Partial Least Squares Modeling

Growth in tourism has resulted in escalating competition among destinations. Understanding destination competitiveness and its determinant factors is thus critical to tourism researchers and policy makers. Using partial least squares path modeling (PLSPM) on a cross-sectional sample of 154 countries, this study examines relationships among destination competitiveness and its predictors, including the economy, natural environment, and infrastructure. Results indicate that the economy has a positive, indirect impact on tourism competitiveness mediated through the infrastructure and the environment; moreover, infrastructure and environment have a direct, positive impact on tourism competitiveness. PLSPM was also used to compute composite scores for overall destination competitiveness, thus assigning rankings to the 154 countries assessed. This study contributes to extant theories on destination competitiveness, presenting important implications for policymakers on how to strengthen destination competitiveness, and providing an empirically based tool to help benchmark a country’s competitiveness in relation to other destinations.
E-government: new concept, big challenge, success stories

Good governance is a concept that has recently come into regular use in political science and public administration and appears to be a member of a wider group of terms such as democracy, civil society, human rights, social development. In addition, it is only recently that government policy makers have started looking at the potential of applying the tools and techniques of e-commerce to the tasks of the government. Similar to the dramatic changes in e-commerce and e-business, the e-government revolution offers the potential to reform the public sector and improve the relationship between citizens and the government. This paper aims to highlight the importance of the emergence of e-government. It gives insights to the scope of developments in this emerging field, discusses key issues and implications and reviews specific case studies and success stories in order to illustrate various modes of practice. From this paper, it becomes clear that e-government needs to and will be part of our life in the near future.
An in vitro Evaluation of Fracture Resistance of endodontically treated Teeth with Different Restorative Materials.

AIMS The aim of the present study is to compare and assess the fracture resistance of root canal treated teeth with different restorative materials. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present in vitro study was carried out on seventy-five freshly extracted, noncarious, single-canal human lower-first premolars with similar anatomic characteristics. Teeth were randomly assigned to five groups with 15 teeth being present in each group. Group I is control group (no alteration done), group II is restored with silver amalgam after endodontic therapy, group III is restored with posterior composite after end-odontic therapy, group IV is restored with posterior glass ionomer cement (GIC) after endodontic therapy, and group V is restored with miracle mix after endodontic therapy. Universal testing machine was used to assess the fracture strength. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test followed by Tukey's post hoc test were used to determine the significant difference between each group. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS The mean fracture resistance of control group showed highest fracture resistance with a mean Newton of 1083.33 ± 136.78. Among the restorative material, the highest fracture resistance was shown by teeth restored by composite (845.46 ± 47.36), followed by silver amalgam (845.46 ± 47.36). There was statistically significant difference among all the restorative materials compared with the control group (p < 0.05). However, among the teeth restored with silver amalgam and miracle mix, there was no statistical significance (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION The present study concludes that composites are found to be having more fracture resistance followed by silver amalgam on endodontically treated premolar teeth. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Restoring nonvital teeth represents a major challenge for clinicians as they are extensively damaged due to caries and endodontic access preparations. With various restorative materials in the market, it becomes difficult for the clinician to choose the better restorative material for postendodontic restoration.
Fiscal Sustainability in African Hipc Countries: A Policy Dilemma?

This paper looks at the link between fiscal policy and debt sustainability in a number of African countries participating in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. The paper finds that, on the basis of current fiscal policies, debt levels will remain unsustainable even after these countries graduate from the HIPC Initiative. This finding has important policy implications. By the very requirements of the HIPC Initiative, these countries are expected to increase significantly their poverty-reducing expenditure - possibly resulting in weaker fiscal primary balances and worsening debt sustainability outlook. As offsetting fiscal tightening may not be viable, ensuring debt sustainability may thus require increased availability of (nondebt-creating) grants. Otherwise, debt sustainability in HIPC countries may prove elusive in the long term.
Trend and Characteristics of 2,636 Maxillofacial Fracture Cases over 32 Years in Suburban City of Japan

Trend and characteristics of maxillofacial fractures in 2,636 patients over 32 years were analyzed retrospectively. Patients comprised 1,764 males and 872 females with ages ranging from 0 to 99 years. Patients younger than 30 years consisted of 60% maxillofacial fractures in the early period but decreased to 40% in the late period. In contrast, patients older than 60 years gradually increased to 30%. In terms of cause, traffic accidents consisted of more than 50%, predominantly motorcycle accidents, but gradually decreased to 40%. In contrast, falls markedly increased from less than 10 to 30%. Fractures occurred in the midface in 938 patients, in the mandible in 1,490, and in both in 208. In the midface, zygoma fractures consisted of 50% throughout the period. In the mandible, condyle fractures were observed in 40%, followed by fractures of the symphysis and angle. The ratio of condylar fractures slightly increased. Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) were performed in 782 patients, followed by observation in 716, maxillomandibular fixation (MMF) in 605, intramaxillary splinting (IMS) in 294, transcutaneous reduction (TCR) in 126, and others in 113. MMF markedly decreased from more than 30 to less than 5% and observation increased from 20 to 40%.
Repeat breast‐conserving surgery for in‐breast local breast carcinoma recurrence

Mastectomy is the current standard of care for in‐breast local recurrence of breast carcinoma. The objective of the current study was to critically review the rationale for and the theoretic and actual risks and benefits of repeat breast‐conserving surgery followed by partial breast irradiation (PBI) for in‐breast local recurrence of breast carcinoma. The main outcomes of interest were local control and survival after in‐breast local recurrence and side effects, complications, and cosmesis after reirradiation of the breast. The risk of local recurrence was not found to be eliminated with mastectomy; approximately 2–32% of patients treated with mastectomy develop a chest wall recurrence. The interpretation of local control rates in evaluating repeat breast‐conserving surgery studies is difficult because of the lack of information regarding preoperative diagnostic mammography to rule out concurrent multicentric disease and microscopic margin status after surgery. Rates of subsequent local recurrence in these studies appeared to be between 19–50%, similar to reported rates of in‐breast local recurrence in patients with a first diagnosis of breast carcinoma who were treated with conservative surgery without irradiation. Early follow‐up studies of breast reirradiation suggest that catheter‐based interstitial brachytherapy and standard external beam radiation therapy can be delivered to the breast more than once without significant side effects in most patients and with acceptable cosmesis in some patients. Mastectomy may not be necessary in all patients with an in‐breast local recurrence of breast carcinoma. Recent advances in conformal radiation delivery and single‐center published reports concerning repeat breast‐conserving therapy support well designed prospective trials to formally test this hypothesis. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
When did England overtake Italy? Medieval and early modern divergence in prices and wages

According to Allen, between 1500 and 1750, a 'great divergence' among countries in the level of wages occurred in Europe. Italian real wages were already among the lowest in the late medieval and early modern age. Their relative level diminished even more from the seventeenth century. An analysis of prices and wages in Italy and England does not support this view. Actually, until the beginning of the eighteenth century, Italian real wages were either higher than in England (fourteenth and fifteenth centuries) or more or less equal (sixteenth and seventeenth). It was not until the eighteenth century that England began to overtake Italy. However, the disparity in wages before 1800 was modest. It increased fast from then onwards. Copyright , Oxford University Press.
SAD-2 is required for meiotic silencing by unpaired DNA and perinuclear localization of SAD-1 RNA-directed RNA polymerase

A gene unpaired during the meiotic homolog pairing stage in Neurospora generates a sequence-specific signal that silences the expression of all copies of that gene. This process is called Meiotic Silencing by Unpaired DNA (MSUD). Previously, we have shown that SAD-1, an RNA-directed RNA polymerase (RdRP), is required for MSUD. We isolated a second gene involved in this process, sad-2. Mutated Sad-2 RIP alleles, like those of Sad-1, are dominant and suppress MSUD. Crosses homozygous for Sad-2 are blocked at meiotic prophase. SAD-2 colocalizes with SAD-1 in the perinuclear region, where small interfering RNAs have been shown to reside in mammalian cells. A functional sad-2+ gene is necessary for SAD-1 localization, but the converse is not true. The data suggest that SAD-2 may function to recruit SAD-1 to the perinuclear region, and that the proper localization of SAD-1 is important for its activity.
Do Expert Informational Intermediaries Add Value? Evidence from Auditors in Microcap Initial Public Offerings

Do expert informational intermediaries add value? We address this question by examining the informativeness of the audit report contained in the prospectus associated with a firm's initial public offering (IPO). At the time of the IPO, there is a relative lack of information to facilitate the establishment of equity values, suggesting that the information provided by outside "experts" (e.g., auditors, underwriters) is particularly important. In this article we study small, non-venture-backed IPOs, a segment of the market with the poorest long-run performance and where the prestigious audit firm is often the sole (if any) expert present. We find that the pre-IPO opinions of larger auditors are more predictive of post-IPO negative stock delistings. Of particular note, the opinions of the national-tiered firms are comparably predictive to those of the Big 6, though this finding emerges only after we consider the selectivity-based differences in the clients that hire these national firms. Our findings also indicate that, for larger auditors the presence of a pre-IPO going-concern opinion is more strongly associated with first-year stock returns and that larger auditors are more likely to give such opinions to their distressed clients. Overall, we address a deficiency in the literature relating to "the paucity of evidence on the value of auditor opinions to investors" (Healy and Palepu [ 2001 p. 415]). Copyright University of Chicago on behalf of the Institute of Professional Accounting, 2003.