Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NBER WORKING PAPER SERIES THE IMPACT OF FOREIGN LIABILITIES ON SMALL FIRMS: FIRM-LEVEL EVIDENCE FROM THE KOREAN CRISIS

Using Korean firm-level data on publicly-listed and privately-held firms together with firm exit data, we find strong evidence of the balance-sheet effect for small firms at both the intensive and extensive margins. During the crisis, small firms with more short-term foreign debt are more likely to go bankrupt, and experience larger sales declines conditional on survival. The extensive margin accounts for a large fraction of small firms’ adjustment during the crisis. Consistent with many studies in the literature, large firms with larger exposure to foreign debt paradoxically have better performance during the crisis at both the intensive and extensive margin. Yun Jung Kim Department of Economics University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1220 yunjungk@umich.edu Linda Tesar Department of Economics University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1220 and NBER ltesar@umich.edu Jing Zhang Department of Economics University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1220 jzhang@umich.edu
Resting state brain networks and their implications in neurodegenerative disease

Neurons are the basic units of the brain, and form network by connecting via synapses. So far, there have been limited ways to measure the brain networks. Recently, various imaging modalities are widely used for this purpose. In this paper, brain network mapping using resting state fMRI will be introduced with several applications including neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration and Parkinson’s disease. The resting functional connectivity using intrinsic functional connectivity in mouse is useful since we can take advantage of perturbation or stimulation of certain nodes of the network. The study of brain connectivity will open a new era in understanding of brain and diseases thus will be an essential foundation for future research.
Jointly modeling time-varying offending profiles and criminal career trajectories in a sample of sexual offenders:A multivariate approach to modelling criminal careers

The study begins by summarising three key topics of research in criminal careers of sexual offenders: explaining the observed bimodality of the age-crime curve for sexual offenders; determining whether rapists and child molesters follow well-separated, or overlapping criminal career paths; and assessing whether non-contact sexual offending is associated with serious sexual crime, and if so, which serious sexual crimes it is associated with. It is argued that these and other salient questions in the study of criminal careers of sexual offenders cannot easily be answered using trajectory models that aggregate crimes across types, or profile models that account for mix of crimes but do not take account of criminal career dynamics. Using data on 824 male sexual offenders from the Massachusetts Treatment Center, the study investigates four methods for the joint analysis of sexual offender trajectories and profiles. The four methods are: optimal matching with non-probabilistic clustering; ``constrained'' multivariate group based trajectory models; ``unconstrained'' multivariate group based trajectory models; and a Poisson-log normal factor model with posterior trajectory analysis of the factor scores. Optimal matching is found to be a useful way to summarise and visualise complex sequences of events, with the advantage that clustering can be performed without aggregating the data. However, without the ability to make inferences from findings its usefulness is limited to an exploratory role. The constrained and unconstrained multivariate trajectory models are compared, and it is found that neither one dominates the other in all contexts, and that both correspond to interesting theoretical hypotheses. It is suggested that the unconstrained models should be a starting point for modeling, since they make fewer assumptions and allow the appropriateness of the constrained model to be tested. It is demonstrated that the factor model can produce parsimonious trajectories for different types of criminal activity that are close to independent at each time point, but which are nevertheless highly associated (positively or negatively) over the life course. In applying the model, it is shown that a three factor model distinguishes between trajectories characterised by general crime, rape and child molestation. With regards to the research questions, all of the methods lend evidence to indicate the existence of bimodal trajectories, and that these trajectories exist at the individual level and are not an artifact of aggregation. However, it is shown that it is not possible to answer questions relating to associations between the occurrences of certain types of crime, using a dataset in which certain combinations of occurrence and non-occurrence are structurally missing.
EXPLORING THE HR PROFESSIONALS’ EMPLOYEE ADVOCATE ROLE IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY: The case of Malawi

This study specifically explored the key factors that significantly influence the performance of the employee advocate role by HR professionals in a developing country context – Malawi. The study used a standardised questionnaire administered to a random sample of 305 respondents (95 HR professionals, 121 line managers, and 89 employees) drawn from public and private sector organizations in Malawi. The standard multiple regression results revealed that the perception that HR professionals perform the employee advocate role was mainly influenced by the HR professionals’ ability to motivate employees through organizing regular staff meetings. The main implication of the results of this study is that organization of regular staff meetings to listen to the views and concerns of employees is fundamental to the enhancement of the HR professionals’ employee advocate role. Such meetings provide an opportunity for the employees to have their views and concerns heard which is in line with the current wave of democratic dispensation and freedom of expression in many African countries.
New ALMA constraints on the star-forming interstellar medium at low metallicity: a 50 pc view of the blue compact dwarf galaxy SBS 0335−052

Properties of the cold interstellar medium of low-metallicity galaxies are not well known due to the faintness and extremely small scale on which emission is expected. We present deep ALMAband 6 (230 GHz) observations of the nearby, low-metallicity (12 + log(O/H) = 7.25) blue compact dwarf galaxy SBS 0335−052 at an unprecedented resolution of 0.2 arcsec (52 pc). The 12CO J = 2→1 line is not detected and we report a 3σ upper limit of LCO(2–1) = 3.6 × 104 K km s−1 pc2. Assuming that molecular gas is converted into stars with a given depletion time, ranging from 0.02 to 2 Gyr, we find lower limits on the CO-to-H2 conversion factor αCO in the range 102–104 M� pc−2 (K km s−1)−1. The continuum emission is detected and resolved over the two main super star clusters. Re-analysis of the IR–radio spectral energy distribution suggests that the mm-fluxes are not only free–free emission but are most likely also associated with a cold dust component coincident with the position of the brightest cluster.With standard dust properties, we estimate its mass to be as large as 105 M�. Both line and continuum results suggest the presence of a large cold gas reservoir unseen in CO even with ALMA.
An Empirical Study on Reverse Psychology Applied in Advertising Messages

Reverse psychology, also known as psychological reactance, is a social influence tactic that encourages people to act the opposite of what it is suggested. This technique has been applied by marketers in advertising in which a negative message or tagline (e.g., “you don’t buy the product) is used to motivate consumers to make purchase. Psychological reactance theory advocates that reactance occurs when people react to restore a freedom when it is eliminated or threatened to be eliminated. The expected response to an advertising message of not doing something is to do it. An experiment was designed to measure if 52 subjects were comfortable with negative advertising messages yet felt interested in them. Results showed that 49.7% of subjects were interested in these messages, although 76.6% of them were uncomfortable with the negative advertising messages. Results suggested that the application of reverse psychology tactic in advertising enable marketers to create awareness and raise interest of consumers. It is also interesting to find out that 40.8% of subjects were uncomfortable with the messages but showed interest in them. The practical way of using reverse psychology in advertising is discussed at the end of paper with an example for illustration.
PELLET COUNT INDICES COMPARED TO MARK–RECAPTURE ESTIMATES FOR EVALUATING SNOWSHOE HARE DENSITY

Abstract Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) undergo remarkable cycles and are the primary prey base of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), a carnivore recently listed as threatened in the contiguous United States. Efforts to evaluate hare densities using pellets have traditionally been based on regression equations developed in the Yukon, Canada. In western Montana, we evaluated whether or not local regression equations performed better than the most recent Yukon equation and assessed whether there was concordance between pellet-based predictions and mark–recapture density estimates of hares. We developed local Montana regression equations based on 224 data points consisting of mark-recapture estimates and pellet counts, derived from 38 sites in 2 different areas sampled for 1 to 5 years using 2 different pellet plot shapes. We evaluated concordance between estimated density and predicted density based on pellet counts coupled with regression equations at 436 site-area-season combinations different from those used to develop the regression equations. At densities below 0.3 hares/ha, predicted density based on pellets tended to be greater than for mark–recapture; the difference was usually <1 hare per ha on an absolute scale, but at low densities this translated to proportional differences of 1,000% or greater. At densities above 0.7 hares/ha, pellet regressions tended to predict lower density than mark–recapture. Because local regression equations did not outperform the Yukon equation, we see little merit in further development of local regression equations unless a study is to be conducted in a formal double-sampling framework. We recommend that widespread pellet sampling be used to identify areas with very low hare densities; subsequent surveys using mark–recapture methodology can then focus on higher density areas where density inferences are more reliable.
A Case of Non-Linearly Conditioned Contextual Allomorphy in Sco ish Gaelic ∗

An understanding of locality is crucial no maer what subeld of linguistics one works in. While each eld may be concerned with dierent notions of locality, everyone needs to worry about questions like ‘What is the right domain for a process to apply? ’ or ‘How close do two elements need to be in order to inuence each other? ’ Here we will be concerned with morphological locality by asking the later question through the lens of contextual allomorphy. Specically, we will ask the question in (1).
Structure and Functions of the Rodent Identifier Retroposon Located in the c-Ha-ras Oncogene Far Upstream Regulatory Region

Retrotransposition is developmentally programmed and such events regulate host genes creating a new trait. A ~120 bp identifier (ID) retroposon insertion was detected in the 161 bp rat c-Ha-ras oncogene far upstream regulatory element. The designed oligonucleotides was probed using gel electrophoresis mobility shift assay to assess transcription factors. The ID retroposon derived Avr1 oligonucleotide binds a nuclear protein complex present in all carcinoma cell lines tested, but not in nuclear extract from normal liver cells. However, Avr2 and Avr3 oligonucleotides (conserved Ha-ras repressor motifs) bind to protein factors found in both normal and carcinoma cells. Also, the Avr3 oligonucleotide binds a small protein in normal cells verses a large complex in carcinoma cells. Each oligonucelotide-protein binding is strong and specific. BLAST sequence analysis has demonstrated that the transposed ID sequence is conserved in too many genes. Avr1 sequence is also a part of the highly expressed HaSV and VL30-retroelements, suggesting that Avr1 factor acts as an activator of transcription. The differential expression of Avr1 trans-activator factor and ubiquitous nature of Avr1 sequence could be used as a marker in cancer diagnostics. This study supports the multiple functions of the smallest ID retroposon shaping the genomic evolution and could be studied further to understand the molecular mechanisms of transposition in cancer, stress and drug resistance.
Socioeconomic factors associated with tobacco smoking in Turkey: a cross-sectional, population-based study.

Background Gender and lower socioeconomic status are associated with smoking. Aims This study aimed to determine the association between socioeconomic factors and cigarette tobacco smoking in Balcova, Izmir, Turkey, with a focus on gender differences. Methods The study population was all men and women (36 187) aged over 30 years living in Balcova from October 2007 to May 2009. Data were collected in interviews and included smoking status (current, former, never), age, gender, marital status, educational level, occupational class/working status, health insurance and having a chronic disease. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between socioeconomic characteristics and smoking status. Results Of the 36 187 study subjects, 16 080 (44%) agreed to participate and 15 174 (42%) with complete data were evaluated. The majority were women (66.2%); mean ages of men and women were 53.1 (SD 13.1) and 51.3 (SD 13.2) respectively. Current smoking was higher in men (41.7% versus 31.2% of women), and more men were ex-smokers (33.1% versus 13.5% of women) but more women had never smoked (55.3% versus 25.2% of men). For women, being married and having low educational level were associated with current smoking and previous smoking (P < 0.05). Current smoking was also more frequent among working women (P < 0.05). For men, low educational level and occupational class were associated with being a current smoker and an ex-smoker (P < 0.05). Conclusions Socially disadvantaged groups, especially those with low education or unemployed men, were more likely to be current smokers and smoking cessation was lower in these groups. Smoking habits were different in men and women. Socioeconomic factors should always be considered when developing smoking cessation policies.
The Effects of Talent Management on Service Quality: A Study on Commercial Banks in Egypt

Background: Talent Management (TM), as a new managerial concept with regard to Human Resource Management (HRM), has increasingly gained concern and attention from the academic as well as business world, but there are many gaps left for further theoretical development and empirical study. On the other hand, Service Quality (SQ) has become a popular area of academic research. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between TM and SQ at the Egyptian Commercial Banks (ECB). Research Design/Methodology: Using Heinen & O'Neill (2004) of TM, the study develops a number of hypotheses and tests them. This research is an applied form in terms of its goals and is descriptive in terms of the method of data collection. Of the 382 questionnaires that were distributed, 300 usable questionnaires were returned, a response rate of 78%. Findings: The main findings are that for TM significantly and positively related to the SQ. In other words, TM are more effective in achieving SQ. High TM will be more likely to achieve high profit. Practical implications: The study suggests that the ECB can improve SQ by influencing its TM. The study provided that the necessity to pay more attention to the dimensions of TM as a key source for organizations to enhance the competitive advantage which is of prime significance for SQ. Originality/value: The study observes that there is a critical shortage of TM and that a greater understanding of the factors that influence the SQ is of great importance. Therefore, this study is to examine the relationship between TM and SQ at the ECB.
Dual self-image technique for beam collimation

We propose an accurate technique for obtaining highly collimated beams, which also allows testing the collimation degree of a beam. It is based on comparing the period of two different self-images produced by a single diffraction grating. In this way, variations in the period of the diffraction grating do not affect to the measuring procedure. Self-images are acquired by two CMOS cameras and their periods are determined by fitting the variogram function of the self-images to a cosine function with polynomial envelopes. This way, loss of accuracy caused by imperfections of the measured self-images is avoided. As usual, collimation is obtained by displacing the collimation element with respect to the source along the optical axis. When the period of both self-images coincides, collimation is achieved. With this method neither a strict control of the period of the diffraction grating nor a transverse displacement, required in other techniques, are necessary. As an example, a LED considering paraxial approximation and point source illumination is collimated resulting a resolution in the divergence of the beam of δ ϕ = ± 1.57 μ rad .
Radio observations of globulettes in the Carina nebula

Context. The Carina nebula hosts a large number of globulettes. An optical study of these tiny molecular clouds shows that the majority are of planetary mass, but there are also those with masses of several tens up to a few hundred Jupiter masses. Aims: We seek to search for, and hopefully detect, molecular line emission from some of the more massive objects; in case of successful detection we aim to map their motion in the Carina nebula complex and derive certain physical properties. Methods: We carried out radio observations of molecular line emission in 12CO and 13CO (2-1) and (3-2) of 12 globulettes in addition to positions in adjacent shell structures using APEX. Results: All selected objects were detected with radial velocities shifted relative to the emission from related shell structures and background molecular clouds. Globulettes along the western part of an extended dust shell show a small spread in velocity with small velocity shifts relative to the shell. This system of globulettes and shell structures in the foreground of the bright nebulosity surrounding the cluster Trumpler 14 is expanding with a few km s-1 relative to the cluster. A couple of isolated globulettes in the area move at similar speed. Compared to similar studies of the molecular line emission from globulettes in the Rosette nebula, we find that the integrated line intensity ratios and line widths are very different. The results show that the Carina objects have a different density/temperature structure than those in the Rosette nebula. In comparison the apparent size of the Carina globulettes is smaller, owing to the larger distance, and the corresponding beam filling factors are small. For this reason we were unable to carry out a more detailed modelling of the structure of the Carina objects in the way as performed for the Rosette objects. Conclusions: The Carina globulettes observed are compact and denser than objects of similar mass in the Rosette nebula. The distribution and velocities of these globulettes suggest that they have originated from eroding shells and elephant trunks. Some globulettes in the Trumpler 14 region are quite isolated and located far from any shell structures. These objects move at a similar speed as the globulettes along the shell, suggesting that they once formed from cloud fragments related to the same foreground shell.
Repetition reduction in Papuan Malay prosody

It has frequently been shown that speakers prosodically reduce repeated words in discourse. This phenomenon has been claimed to facilitate speech recognition and to be language universal. However, virtually all evidence for repetition reduction comes from English. The current study investigates to what extent repetition reduction in prosody is found in Papuan Malay. The prosody of Papuan Malay is under-researched and not yet well understood. In the current study, we hypothesize that Papuan Malay speakers show prosodic reduction of repeated words. In order to investigate this, an acoustic analysis is carried out on repeated words in short stories produced by native Papuan Malay speakers. The results show that for repeated mentions duration is reduced and mean pitch is higher. It is concluded that these findings are partially compatible with current theories on repetition and prominence.
Re-employment probabilities of unemployment benefit recipients

This article studies transitions out of unemployment for benefit recipients in Spain. We analyse the duration of unemployment, distinguishing between spells that end in recall (workers returning to the previous employer) and spells that end in exit to a new job. This distinction allows us to find that the recall hazard rate increases around the time of exhaustion of benefits. However, this happens only for workers receiving Unemployment Insurance (UI). Because we are unable to replicate this result for workers receiving Unemployment Assistance (UA), we believe the finding lends support to the hypothesis that in Spain firms and workers make a strategic use of UI.
Comparative Analysis of Protein Content in Selected Meat Samples ( Cow , Rabbit , and Chicken ) Obtained Within Damaturu Metropolis

Protein content and palatability of meat from different sources differed, people preferred cheap and quality meat sources for their domestic use. Comparative analysis of protein content in selected meat samples were was carried out using Kjeldahl method. The result of the analysis shows that cow has the highest percentage crude protein of 23.47%, chicken has 18.66% and rabbit the least percentage crude protein of 15.00%. With the result obtained, it is, therefore, recommended that further research should be carry on out complete proximate nutritional analysis on meat samples. In conclusion, cow meat should be consumed for quality protein than the other two samples: chicken and rabbit, because cow does not cause any discomfort after a long period of consumption, unlike the chicken and rabbit.
CeO2 nanoparticles synthesized by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method: evolution from nanospheres to nanorods

Ceria (CeO2) plays a vital role in emerging technologies for environmental and energy-related applications. The catalytic efficiency of ceria nanoparticles depends on its morphology. In this study, CeO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method under different synthesis temperatures. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Raman scattering spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and by the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method. The X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering results indicated that all the synthesized samples had a pure cubic CeO2 structure. Rietveld analysis and Raman scattering also revealed the presence of structural defects due to an associated reduction in the valence of the Ce4+ ions to Ce3+ ions caused by an increasing molar fraction of oxygen vacancies. The morphology of the samples was controlled by varying the synthesis temperature. The TEM images show that samples synthesized at 80 °C consisted of spherical particles of about 5 nm, while those synthesized at 120 °C presented a mix of spherical and rod-like nanoparticles and the sample synthesized at 160 °C consisted of nanorods with 10 nm average diameter and 70 nm length. The microwave-assisted method proved to be highly efficient for the synthesis of CeO2 nanoparticles with different morphologies.