Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Firm-specific corporate governance and analysts’ earnings forecast characteristics

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of corporate governance on the capital market participants’ abilities to forecast future performance, as measured by the properties of analysts’ earnings forecasts in Asian stock markets. Design/methodology/approach This paper hypothesizes that higher corporate governance is associated with lower forecast errors, lower forecast dispersion and lower forecast revision volatility. Findings These predictions are supported with a sample of companies across eleven Asian economies over 2004-2012. The results of this paper suggest that corporate governance plays a significant role in the predictability of firm’s future performance and, therefore, improves the financial environment in Asian stock markets. Furthermore, the impact of corporate governance on analysts’ forecast properties is more pronounced in countries with strong investor protection. Research/limitations/implications The authors acknowledge the following limitations of this paper. First, the results of this paper may be subject to omitted-variable bias and endogeneity issue. The authors have used control variables in the regressions to reduce the omitted variable bias. The authors have run lead-lag regressions to address causality issue. Second, CLSA corporate governance scores are collected for largest companies in each jurisdiction. Therefore, the sample is biased towards the largest companies in those jurisdictions and may not be representative of the average firm in the Asia. Originality/value The results of this paper speak to the benefit of having strong corporate governance in terms of reducing the information asymmetry between investors and corporate management.
A robust image watermarking scheme based on discrete wavelet transforms

This paper presents a robust image watermarking method based on discrete wavelet transform. In this method, first, the watermark is coded with chaotic map and then embedded in the middle frequency band of the image to minimize the changes. This process improves the image continuity and robustness against different image processing attacks. Experimental results show that, the proposed method not only achieves the main objectives of watermarking successfully, but also has higher robustness against different attacks compared to the earlier works.
Economic Policy Uncertainty in the US: Does It Matter for Korea?

Using the indicators of economic policy uncertainty developed by Baker et al. (2016), this paper investigates the effects of the US economic policy uncertainty on the Korea economic uncertainty as well as Korea-US foreign exchange risk. The key findings are that: (i) the degree of spillovers of policy uncertainty from the US to Korea is considerable but not comparatively high; (ii) the US policy uncertainty plays a stronger and more consistent role in Korean currency risk than Korea policy uncertainty and other macro variables. It implies that the economic policy uncertainty in the US is an important contributor to Korea-US exchange rates.
Bevacizumab for recurrent malignant gliomas

Background: Bevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor, may have activity in recurrent malignant gliomas. At recurrence some patients appear to develop nonenhancing infiltrating disease rather than enhancing tumor. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 55 consecutive patients with recurrent malignant gliomas who received bevacizumab and chemotherapy to determine efficacy, toxicity, and patterns of recurrence. Using a blinded, standardized imaging review and quantitative volumetric analysis, the recurrence patterns of patients treated with bevacizumab were compared to recurrence patterns of 19 patients treated with chemotherapy alone. Results: A total of 2.3% of patients had a complete response, 31.8% partial response, 29.5% minimal response, and 29.5% had stable disease. Median time to radiographic progression was 19.3 weeks. Six-month progression-free survival (PFS) was 42% for patients with glioblastoma and 32% for patients with anaplastic glioma. In 23 patients who progressed on their initial therapy, bevacizumab was continued and the concurrent chemotherapy agent changed. In no case did the change produce a radiographic response, but two patients had prolonged PFS of 20 and 31 weeks. Recurrence pattern analysis identified a significant increase in the volume of infiltrative tumor relative to enhancing tumor in bevacizumab responders. Conclusions: Combination therapy with bevacizumab and chemotherapy is well-tolerated and active against recurrent malignant gliomas. At recurrence, continuing bevacizumab and changing the chemotherapy agent provided long-term disease control only in a small subset of patients. Bevacizumab may alter the recurrence pattern of malignant gliomas by suppressing enhancing tumor recurrence more effectively than it suppresses nonenhancing, infiltrative tumor growth.
Combined radiation and chemotherapy for invasive transitional-cell carcinoma of the bladder: a prospective study.

PURPOSE To improve the results obtained by cystectomy alone and to determine the possibilities of conservative treatment in invasive bladder cancer, we designed a prospective study using a combination of fluorouracil (5-FU) plus cisplatin and concomitant radiation therapy, followed by either cystectomy or additional chemoradiotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty-four patients with stage T2 to T4 operable untreated invasive bladder cancer were entered onto the study. Treatment was begun in all patients by transurethral resection (TUR) and followed by the 5-FU-cisplatin combination with concomitant bifractionated split-course radiation therapy. A control cystoscopy was performed 6 weeks after completion of the neoadjuvant program. Patients with persistent tumor underwent cystectomy. Complete responders were treated by either additional chemoradiotherapy (group A) or cystectomy (group B). RESULTS At control cystoscopy, 40 of 54 patients (74%) had a histologically documented complete response. Four responders developed recurrent pelvic disease after a mean follow-up time of 27 +/- 12 months (three in group A and one in group B). Metastatic disease, which developed in 16 patients, occurred more frequently in the nonresponders (71%) than in responders (15%). The disease-free survival rate at 3 years was 62%; it was significantly better in responders (77%) than in nonresponders (23%). There was no difference in survival between groups A and B. CONCLUSION This neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combination, easy to implement and well tolerated even in elderly patients, provides a high complete response rate. It may prove to be effective in inoperable patients and may be proposed as conservative treatment in patients with a complete response to the initial course of chemoradiation.
Opportunistic Spectrum Sharing With Limited Feedback in Poisson Cognitive Radio Networks

In this paper, we propose two limited feedback based underlay spectrum sharing schemes in Poisson cognitive radio networks without and with primary exclusive regions, respectively. Both primary and secondary transmitters are Poisson distributed nodes with limited feedback of channel quality information from their local receivers. The primary transmitters are active if their local primary channels are above a certain threshold. In the opportunistic spectrum sharing scheme without primary exclusive region, the secondary transmitters are elected to transmit if their local channels are above the required threshold. In the opportunistic spectrum sharing scheme with a primary exclusive region, the secondary transmitters transmit if their local channels are above the threshold and they are outside the exclusive regions of the active primary receivers. For both schemes, the optimal secondary node density is analytically derived by maximizing the secondary area spectral efficiency subject to the secondary outage constraint and the primary efficiency loss constraint. Numerical results show that, for a tight secondary outage constraint, it is more beneficial to use the scheme with no primary exclusive region. For relatively loose secondary outage constraint, the scheme with primary exclusive regions is recommended.
Real-Time Pricing Decision Based on Leader-Follower Game in Smart Grid

Abstract The real-time pricing plays an important role in demand-side management for smart grid. In this paper, we study real-time pricing strategy of electricity retailers by means of game theory in smart grid. The retailers are in the game situation where there is one leader with multi-followers. We propose a real-time electricity demand function and analyze the interactions between the retailers, then obtain its equilibrium solution. The analysis and simulation results of the equilibrium solution show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Market-Based Consequences of Adverse Corporate Events: Evidence From Restatement Announcements

I analyze the informational value of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures in the presence of bad news (i.e., financial restatements). I do so by examining the link between CSR and (a) restatement likelihood and the (b) market-based consequences of restatement announcements. I find that restatements are lower (higher) for firms that are more (less) CSR responsible, consistent with the view that CSR-conscious firms adhere to a corporate culture that promotes ethical practices. In analyzing the market effects of restatements, I find that investors respond less (more) negatively to restatements by firms that exhibit strong (weak) CSR performance. This is consistent with the notion that investors perceive positive CSR performance to be in line with managers’ incentives to promote corporate ethical values than with their incentives to cover up corporate misconduct. In addition, I find that restating firms that are less CSR conscious are more likely to be named as defendants in class actions following restatements. Although I do not find that the likelihood of litigation dismissal is associated with CSR performance, I find that among the cases settled, the amount of settlements is inversely associated with better CSR performance. Collectively, the evidence suggests that firms can effectively use CSR to hedge against potential risk stemming from adverse corporate events.
Socio-demographic inequalities and teeth extraction in the last 12 months in Italy.

AIMS Teeth loss represents a major concern for the global oral health status of a population. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of teeth extraction among the Italian adult population, analyzing the association between teeth extraction in the last 12 months and socio-demographic characteristics. METHODS This cross-sectional study is based on the national survey 'Health Conditions and Healthcare Services Use', carried out by the Italian National Centre of Statistics (ISTAT) in 2005. A univariate analysis was performed to investigate the association between the dependent and the independent variables (teeth extraction Vs socio-demographic characteristics). Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the influence on the outcome (teeth extraction Yes/No). RESULTS The present study highlights the relationship between teeth extraction and socio-demographic factors. Out of 128,040 individuals, the sampled population consisted of 124,677 subjects, representing 56,400,323 individuals in the Italian population. The prevalence of teeth extraction in the last 12 months was 8.2%. Subjects who underwent teeth extraction in the last 12 months were prevalent female (8.6%), smokers (10.4%), with a primary education (9.2%), married (9.2%), in poor health conditions (9.3%), age category of 55-64 years (11.1%), from Northeast of Italy (8.5%), with scarce household income (8.4%). The multivariate analysis confirmed most of the results of the univariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS Inequalities in health among groups of various socioeconomic status constitute one of the main challenges for public health; these inequalities might be reduced by improving educational opportunities, income distribution, health-related behaviour, or accessibility to health care.
Investigation of the steady-state and dynamic characteristics of a buck converter with nonlinear output capacitor current programming

A detailed steady-state and dynamic analysis of a buck converter with nonlinear output capacitor current programming is presented. The advantages of the proposed method are its constant switching frequency operation, simplicity in implementing the switching functions and designing the control parameters, good steady-state and dynamic responses, and high audio susceptibility rejection. The principle of operation and all possible operating cases will be described and discussed. With the inclusion of the effects of the equivalent series resistance (ESR) of the output capacitor, the steady-state output characteristics and small-signal models for studying the system stability will be derived. An experimental prototype of a 25W, 12V/5V buck converter has been built and evaluated.
The Improved Retrieval of Coastal Sea Surface Heights by Retracking Modified Radar Altimetry Waveforms

Measuring sea surface height (SSH) using satellite altimetry in coastal ( from coasts) and shallow water region has long been a challenge since the radar altimeter waveforms are often contaminated by complex coastal topography and do not conform to theoretical Brown waveform shapes. The land contamination or surface variation due to ocean dynamics induce spurious peaks in altimeter waveforms that deviate from Brown's theoretical model as the altimeter footprint approaches or leaves the shoreline. These spurious peaks should be mitigated to minimize the error in the determination of the leading edge and associated track offset in the waveform retracking process. Here, we introduce a novel algorithm to modify coastal waveforms (0.5-7 km from coasts, using 20 Hz altimetry data), thus improving coastal data coverage and accuracy. We apply our processing algorithm and use various retrackers to compare retrieved coastal SSHs in four study regions in North America, using both Envisat and Jason-2 altimetry. The retrieved altimetry data in the 1-7 km coastal zone indicate that the 20% Threshold retracker with modified waveform has a RMSE of 21 cm as compared with in situ tide gauge data, which corresponds to a 63% improvement in accuracy compared to the use of the original deep-ocean waveform retracker.
Immune response of Anopheles gambiae to the early sporogonic stages of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

Deciphering molecular interactions between the malaria parasite and its mosquito vector is an emerging area of research that will be greatly facilitated by the recent sequencing of the genomes of Anopheles gambiae mosquito and of various Plasmodium species. So far, most such studies have focused on Plasmodium berghei, a parasite species that infects rodents and is more amenable to studies. Here, we analysed the expression pattern of nine An.gambiae genes involved in immune surveillance during development of the human malaria parasite P.falciparum in mosquitoes fed on parasite‐containing blood from patients in Cameroon. We found that P.falciparum ingestion triggers a midgut‐associated, as well as a systemic, response in the mosquito, with three genes, NOS, defensin and GNBP, being regulated by ingestion of gametocytes, the infectious stage of the parasite. Surprisingly, we found a different pattern of expression of these genes in the An.gambiae–P.berghei model. Therefore, differences in mosquito reaction against various Plasmodium species may exist, which stresses the need to validate the main conclusions suggested by the P.berghei–An.gambiae model in the P.falciparum–An.gambiae system.
The effect of roasted soybeans in the diet of feedlot steers and Synovex-S ear implants on carcass characteristics and estimated composition.

Beef steer carcasses from three 2 x 2 factorial feeding experiments (Exp. 1, 20 carcasses; Exp. 2 and 3, 19 carcasses each) were evaluated to study the influence of supplementing with roasted soybeans (RSB; 127 degrees C for 10 min) vs soybean meal (SBM) and implanting with the estrogenic growth promoter Synovex-S (SYN, 20 mg estradiol benzoate and 200 mg progesterone) on carcass merit, composition of dissected 9-10-11th rib section, estimated edible carcass composition, and cooking characteristics of strip loin steaks. In all experiments, steers were fed diets consisting of 15% corn silage, 15% orchardgrass silage, and 70% corn-based concentrate. There were no treatment interactions found in this study. Final BW averaged 480.4, 498.5, and 500.7 kg for Exp. 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and hot carcass weights averaged 288.4, 296.4, and 309.1 kg. Across experiments, hot carcass weight was 8.3 kg less (P < .03) for RSB steers than for SBM steers. Fat weight (P < .01) and percentage of fat (P < .01) were less and percentage of bone (P < .04) was greater in the 9-10-11th rib section of RSB steers than of SBM steers. Estimated percentage of fat (P < .02) was less and percentage of bone (P < .04) was greater in edible carcass of RSB steers than in that of SBM steers. Total 9-10-11th rib section weight tended to be less for RSB steers (P < .08) than for SBM steers. Carcass merit measurements were not affected (P > .10) by supplement, but numerically the percentage of kidney, pelvic, and heart fat was 11% greater for RSB steers than for SBM steers in Exp. 2 and 3. Final BW and carcass weight were 38.7 and 22.6 kg greater (P < .01), respectively, for SYN-implanted steers than for steers not implanted. Longissimus muscle area was greater (P < .01), percentage of kidney, pelvic, and heart fat (P < .02) was less, USDA quality grade tended to be less (P < .09), and shear force of strip loin was greater (P < .01) for SYN-implanted steers than for steers not implanted. The 9-10-11th rib section and estimated carcass compositions were not different (P > .10) between SYN-implanted steers and steers not implanted but reflected a somewhat leaner carcass. The authors conclude from this study that in feedlot steers, either implanted or not implanted, there is no benefit from supplementing with RSB in place of SBM, and that the use of RSB in place of SBM in feedlot diets may reduce the amount of edible carcass.
Least-cost Distribution Network Tariff Design in Theory and Practice

In this paper a game-theoretical model with self-interest pursuing consumers is introduced in order to assess how to design a least-cost distribution tariff under two constraints that regulators typically face. The first constraint is related to difficulties regarding the implementation of cost-reflective tariffs. In practice, so-called cost-reflective tariffs are only a proxy for the actual cost driver(s) in distribution grids. The second constraint has to do with fairness. There is a fear that active consumers investing in distributed energy resources (DER) might benefit at the expense of passive consumers. We find that both constraints have a significant impact on the least-cost network tariff design, and the results depend on the state of the grid. If most of the grid investments still have to be made, passive and active consumers can both benefit from cost-reflective tariffs, while this is not the case for passive consumers if the costs are mostly sunk.
Intercycle variabilities of basal antral follicle count and ovarian volume in subfertile women and their relationship to reproductive aging: A prospective study

Background. Reproducibility is an important issue when using tests for estimating ovarian reserve and counseling patients. However, little is known about the intercycle variabilities of basal antral follicle count and ovarian volume. In this prospective study, we analysed the intercycle variabilities of the antral follicle count and ovarian volume, and compared them with those of other basal ovarian reserve tests in subfertile patients. Method. Fifty-two ovulatory and infertile women were followed for two consecutive spontaneous cycles. The antral follicle count, ovarian volume, serum follicle stimulating hormone and estradiol levels were determined on day 3 of both cycles. Limits of agreement between two measurements were determined. Results. Limits of agreement were – 6.9 and 6.5 for the antral follicle count, and – 8.3 and 8.6 for the ovarian volume. These degrees of variation corresponded to a range of 1.30 and 1.45 times their means for the ovarian volume and antral follicle count, respectively. The variability in the antral follicle count was greater in women who were younger than 24.5 years than in those who were older. Conclusions. Intercycle variabilities of the antral follicle count and ovarian volume were clinically significant. More variation was observed in the antral follicle count of young infertile patients. Therefore, a low antral follicle count in young, infertile, but ovulatory women should be cautiously interpreted. This may not reflect a low ovarian reserve, and these women may have a high antral follicle count in the next cycle.
Investing with Fast Thinking

Using data from a major online peer-to-peer lending platform, we document that, due to time pressure, investors appear to focus on interest rates and only partially account for credit ratings in their decisions. The effect is stronger for mobile-based investors than for PC-based ones. Our evidence suggests that this variation is caused by the difference in information content on the interfaces rather than differences in the devices’ physical attributes per se. Investors improve their decisions by slowing down and paying more attention to credit ratings after experiencing a loan default firsthand, but not after observing others experiencing defaults.
Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) to Enhance Berberine Absorption: An In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Study

In the present study results related to the in vivo administration of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES)-solubilized berberine are reported for the first time. NADES are mixtures of small natural compounds having a melting point significantly lower than that of any individual component. Such solvents have gained much attention of the scientific community in the green chemistry area, being considered useful alternatives to common organic solvents. NADES can be used also as administration vehicles, and this can be attractive for nutraceutical products when eutectics are formed with food grade ingredients. In this work, different NADES were prepared using mainly food grade constituents and were tested as solvents for the alkaloid berberine. Three selected NADES/berberine solutions and an aqueous suspension were orally administered to mice with in dose of 50 mg/Kg. Blood levels of berberine were measured by a LC-MS/MS method. The pharmacokinetic analysis revealed a 2–20 fold increase in blood concentration of NADES/berberine with significant changes in pharmacokinetic profile. Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents may thus be considered attractive solubilizing agents and may also play a role in the increase of absorption of poorly bioavailable natural products such as berberine.