Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Private Earnings Guidance and its Implications for Disclosure Regulation

This study investigates three related questions: (1) Why did some firms provide private earnings guidance to analysts before Regulation Fair Disclosure? (2) How did the exogenous shock of Regulation Fair Disclosure affect these firms' disclosure policies? (3) What are the economic consequences of this disclosure regulation? To address these questions, I develop a new measure of private earnings guidance. Consistent with theory, I find that firms were more likely to provide private earnings guidance if they had higher proprietary information costs, and if their earnings were more predictive of other firms' earnings. Policymakers enacted Regulation Fair Disclosure to stop private earnings guidance, but they also intended for managers to replace private earnings guidance with public earnings guidance, thereby improving the information environment. However, I find that roughly half of the firms that I classify as relying more on private earnings guidance replace private earnings guidance with non‐disclosure i.
The Xva Challenge: Counterparty Credit Risk, Funding, Collateral and Capital

A detailed, expert-driven guide to today's major financial point of interest The xVA Challenge: Counterparty Credit Risk, Funding, Collateral, and Capital is a practical guide from one of the leading and most influential credit practitioners, Jon Gregory. Focusing on practical methods, this informative guide includes discussion around the latest regulatory requirements, market practice, and academic thinking. Beginning with a look at the emergence of counterparty risk during the recent global financial crisis, the discussion delves into the quantification of firm-wide credit exposure and risk mitigation methods, such as netting and collateral. It also discusses thoroughly the xVA terms, notably CVA, DVA, FVA, ColVA, and KVA and their interactions and overlaps. The discussion of other aspects such as wrong-way risks, hedging, stress testing, and xVA management within a financial institution are covered. The extensive coverage and detailed treatment of what has become an urgent topic makes this book an invaluable reference for any practitioner, policy maker, or student. Counterparty credit risk and related aspects such as funding, collateral, and capital have become key issues in recent years, now generally characterized by the term 'xVA'. This book provides practical, in-depth guidance toward all aspects of xVA management. Market practice around counterparty credit risk and credit and debit value adjustment (CVA and DVA) The latest regulatory developments including Basel III capital requirements, central clearing, and mandatory collateral requirements The impact of accounting requirements such as IFRS 13 Recent thinking on the applications of funding, collateral, and capital adjustments (FVA, ColVA and KVA) The sudden realization of extensive counterparty risks has severely compromised the health of global financial markets. It's now a major point of action for all financial institutions, which have realized the growing importance of consistent treatment of collateral, funding, and capital alongside counterparty risk. The xVA Challenge: Counterparty Credit Risk, Funding, Collateral, and Capital provides expert perspective and real-world guidance for today's institutions.
Americas Conference on Information Systems AMCIS 2008 Toronto National culture ’ s impact on B 2 B technology adoption in Thailand

Although Information Technology (IT) transfer from western countries to developing countries in Asia has been studied extensively in IS research, there has been little research investigating the fit between culture and B2B technology adoption. This study began to explore the fit between Thai’s culture and B2B technology and its implications on the utilization of the technology. The evidence via survey questionnaire with quantitative analysis on the impact of Thai’s culture for companies adopting B2B technology was provided. This study found that Thai culture does shape the appropriateness of B2B technology adoption and it seems to misfit for the way in which Thai businesses are operated. The cultural dimensions identified in this research are personal relationships, long term relationships, interorgnaisaitonal trust, ability to communicate in English language and materialism.
Difference in DRB1* gene polymorphisms between Han and Uyghur ulcerative colitis patients in China.

AIM To evaluate the association between HLA-DRB1 alleles and Han and Uyghur ulcerative colitis (UC) patients residing in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. METHODS In this study, 102 UC patients (53 Han including 22 men and 31 women, and 49 Uyghur patients including 25 men and 24 women; aged 48.07 ± 15.83 years) and 310 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the Department of Gastroenterology, Xinjiang People's Hospital of China from January 2010 to May 2011. UC was diagnosed based on the clinical, endoscopic and histological findings following Lennard-Jones criteria. Blood samples were collected and genomic DNA was extracted by routine laboratory methods, and both polymerase chain reaction and gene sequencing were used to identify HLA-DRB1 allele variants. The potential association between genetic variation and UC in Han and Uyghur patients was examined. There were no statistical differences in HLA-DRB1 allele frequencies in Han UC patients. RESULTS There was no significant difference in the sex ratio between the controls and UC patients (P = 0.740). In Han patients with UC (n = 53), HLA-DRB1 *03, *13 allele frequencies were lower than in healthy controls (n = 161), but not statistically significant, and HLA-DRB1*04*11*14 allele frequencies were higher than in healthy controls, but without statistical significance. Differences between Uyghur UC patients and the control group were observed for HLA-DRB1*04 and HLA-DRB1*13, both showed a greater frequency in UC patients (10.21% vs 2.69%, P = 0.043; 14.29% vs 4.03%, P = 0.019). HLA-DRB1*14 also showed a greater frequency in UC patients (14.29% vs 2.69%, P = 0.006). The frequencies of DRB1*04, *13*14 alleles were increased in Uyghur UC patients compared with normal controls. The frequency of DRB1 * 08 was decreased in Uyghur UC patients compared with normal controls. HLA-DRB1 alleles showed no association with UC in Han patients. There were no statistical differences in HLA-DRB1 allele frequencies in Han UC patients. The frequencies of DRB1*04, *13*14 alleles were increased in Uyghur UC patients compared with normal controls. The frequency of DRB1*08 was decreased in Uyghur UC patients compared with normal controls. Polymorphism of the HLA-DRB1 gene may contribute to the clinical heterogeneity of UC between Han and Uyghur UC patients in China. CONCLUSION HLA-DRB1*04*13*14 and DRB1*08 may contribute to the clinical heterogeneity of UC between Han and Uyghur UC patients.
The nature and descendants of Lyman-break galaxies in theCDM cosmology.

We predict the formation histories, properties and descendants of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) in theCDM cosmology. In our model, which incorporates a top-heavy IMF in star- bursts, we find that most LBGs are starbursts triggered by min or mergers of galaxies. The duration of the LBG phase is predicted to be quite short, � 20 60 Myr. We investigate the distributions of stellar and halo masses and morphologies for bright (LUV > L ∗ ) and faint (LUV > 0.1L ∗ ) LBGs at z = 3, z = 6 and z = 10 (where we classify LBGs according to their rest-frame UV luminosities relative the observed characteristic luminosity L ∗ at z � 3). Bright LBGs at z = 3 are predicted to have median stellar masses � 1 × 10 9 h −1 M⊙ and host halo masses � 3×10 11 h −1 M⊙, and to be typically mildly disk-dominated in stellar mass. On the other hand, faint LBGs at z = 10 are predicted to have median stellar masses of only � 1 × 10 7 h −1 M⊙ and host halo masses � 2 ×10 10 h −1 M⊙, and to be generally bulge- dominated. Bright LBGs at z = 3 evolve to present-day galaxies with median stellar mass � 5 × 10 10 h −1 M⊙ (comparable to the Milky Way), consisting of roughly equal numbers of disk- and bulge-dominated systems, and hosted by halos with median mass� 2×10 13 h −1 M⊙ (corresponding to medium-size galaxy groups). The model predicts that 40% of Milky Way mass galaxies at the present-day have a bright LBG progenitor in the redshift range 3 < z < 4, while 95% have a faint LBG progenitor in the same redshift range, and 7% have a faint LBG progenitor at 10 < z < 11. With our multiwavelength model, we also investigate the overlap between the LBG population and that of submillimetre selected galaxies (SMGs); at z = 3, only � 1% of bright LBGs are also predicted to also be bright SMGs (with an 850µm flux in excess of 5 mJy).
The pathogenesis of osteolysis in two different cementless hip replacements

Abstract Wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene has been incriminated in the osteolysis associated with aseptic loosening of hip implants. A variety of different factors can contribute to accelerated patterns of polyethylene wear and subsequent osteolysis. This paper examines the incidence of osteolysis observed in two different well-matched cohorts of cementless total hip arthro-plasties. The patterns of osteolysis observed, which are ascribed to the generation of polyethylene debris, are interpreted with reference to the design of the individual prostheses.
DISTRESS RISK, INSTITUTIONAL TRADING AND THE CROSS SECTION OF STOCK RETURNS

This paper provides an alternative explanation for the distress risk puzzle documented in previous studies (e.g. Griffin and Lemmon 2002, Campbell et al. 2008) that firms with high default probability earn low returns by investigating the impact of institutional holding and trading on stock returns. We hypothesize that institutional investors are reluctant to hold stocks of firms with high distress risk and that a decline in their holding or trading lowers distress stocks’ prices and causes the returns of these stocks to decrease. Our empirical evidences support these hypotheses. We further find that although both institutional holding and trading can capture the distress risk puzzle, institutional trading seems to be superior. In addition, we document that the holding or trading by either independent or short term institutional investors plays a significant role in explaining this puzzle while the holding or trading by dependent or long term institutional investors does not. Finally, our results suggest an important role of institutional investors in equity markets.
Measuring and identifying large-study metrics for circadian rhythm disruption in female flight attendants.

OBJECTIVES Flight attendants can experience circadian rhythm disruption due to travel through multiple time zones. The objectives of this study were to determine whether flight attendants are more likely than teachers (comparison group) to experience circadian disruption, as measured by melatonin production, and to identify metrics of circadian disruption for epidemiologic studies of reproductive health in which biomonitoring is infeasible. METHODS Each day, for one menstrual cycle, 45 flight attendants and 26 teachers kept a daily diary, collected and measured their overnight urine, and wore an activity monitor to assess sleep displacement. The relation between melatonin production and flight attendant and teacher status was analyzed with linear and multiple logistic regression. The relation between sleep displacement, melatonin, and flight-history-derived variables (including time zones crossed) were examined with exploratory factor analyses. RESULTS Flight attendants experience increased circadian disruption, as measured by a higher adjusted melatonin rate variance, than teachers [2.8 x 10(5) versus 1.0 x 10(5) (ng/hour)2, respectively: P=0.04] and are more likely to be in the highest quartile of melatonin variance (odds ratio 2.3; 95% confidence interval 0.6-9.1). In the factor analysis, the number of time zones crossed was related to both melatonin desynchronization and sleep displacement. CONCLUSIONS Flight attendants experience increased circadian disruption, as measured by more variable melatonin rates, than a minimally flying comparison group. For epidemiologic studies of flight crews in which melatonin measurement is infeasible, the number of time zones crossed is a useful indicator of both sleep displacement and melatonin desynchronization.
Learning and Teaching in Small Groups: Characteristics, Benefits, Problems and Approaches

Small group learning may be defined as a group of learners demonstrating three common characteristics; active participation, a specific task and reflection. This article provides an overview of small group learning and teaching, describes the characteristics of this form of small group work, benefits, problems, potential causes of less than optimal sessions, and summarises specific approaches. These include tutorials, free-discussion groups, brainstorming, snowballing, buzz groups, paired (or one-to-one) discussion, clinical teaching, simulations, seminars, plenary sessions, problem-based learning, team-based learning, role plays, games and IT approaches. The article concludes with an emphasis on the importance of the teacher and a check list for use when planning, teaching and evaluating a small group session.
Effects of spring soil nitrogen application on nitrogen remobilization, uptake, and partitioning for new growth in almond nursery plants

Summary One year old ‘Nonpareil’ almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill) D. A. Webb) trees on ‘Lovell’ rootstocks were used to evaluate the effects of soil nitrogen (N) availability in the spring on N remobilization, uptake, partitioning, and tree growth. After being transplanted to an N-free medium, the trees received a modified Hoagland solution, with or without N from 15N-depleted NH4NO3, twice a week for 12 weeks. During the first four weeks, the N used for new shoot and leaf growth mainly came from the nitrogen that had accumulated in storage tissues. No significant differences were seen in the amount and duration of N remobilization between N-fertilized trees and those that received no N. However, trees that were fertilized in the spring had significantly more new shoot and leaf growth. Uptake of 15N by the roots began two weeks after transplanting. Nitrogen was rapidly taken up from the soil during the period of greatest shoot and leaf growth; leaves were the major sink for N from both root uptake and storage. Six weeks after transplanting, the whole-tree N content was significantly higher in fertilized trees than in the controls. We conclude that the remobilization of N for spring new growth takes place irrespective of the current-year external N supply. However, the new growth in young almond trees is highly dependent on soil N availability, which demonstrates the importance of spring N fertilizer applications following transplantation.
River Boundaries and Species Range Size in Amazonian Primates

Although the high species diversity of lowland rain forests is commonly attributed to the presence of Pleistocene refugia (e.g., Prance 1982), an alternative (or additional) possibility is that lowland rain forests typically contain a high density of river tributaries that may act as effective barriers to species' dispersal, generating a high density of allopatric species and subspecies (Sick 1967; Capparella 1987). However, while it has been commonly suggested that the ranges of rain forest animals are constrained by rivers (Wallace 1876; Napier 1976; Hershkovitz 1977; Ayres 1986), there have been few attempts to test this hypothesis or to investigate the effects of different categories of rivers on different categories of animals. One important exception is provided by Capparella's studies of the distributions ofunderstory birds in Amazonia (Capparella 1987, 1988, in press), which have demonstrated both that species' ranges commonly coincide with river boundaries and that, within species, populations on the opposite banks of rivers commonly show marked differences in gene frequencies (Capparella 1987). In this article, we investigate the role of rivers in delineating the ranges of Amazonian primate species. In particular, we investigate the extent to which differences in river size affect he chance that rivers will coincide with primate species' boundaries and the extent o which differences in the body size of primates influence the chance that they will occur on both sides of different rivers. Throughout our analysis, we have used Hershkovitz's classification of South American primates (table 1; see Hershkovitz 1977, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987a, 1987b, 1988). This recognizes more species than traditional classifications, and our conclusions consequently apply to Hershkovitz's taxa whether these are regarded as races, subspecies, or species. We show Pearson product-moment correlations (r) for associations between variables that are normally distributed and Spearman rank-correlation coefficients (rs) for those that are not. Among the arboreal primates found in the rain forests of the Amazon basin, the size of species' ranges varies by nearly three orders of magnitude from under 12,000 km2 (in Callicebus oenanthe) to around 11,500,000 km2 (in Cebus appella; table 1). Since the precise boundaries of the ranges of most Amazonian species are poorly defined, there may be considerable rror in these estimates of absolute range size, but the magnitude of differences between species suggests that this is unlikely to have an important influence on the results of our analyses. If rivers act as effective barriers to primate dispersal, the similarity of primate faunas on opposite banks would be expected to decline with increasing size and rate of flow of the river. To test this hypothesis, we calculated, for 14 rivers, an
Effects of Moringa oleifera Leaf on Laying Rate, Egg Quality and Blood Parameters

Protein sources diversification and antibiotic growth promoter ban have led to the use of plants. Through production improving, leaves such as Moringa oleifera leaves were often used to ameliorate broilers and layers growth. Attempt to improve egg production led us to undertake this study with 600 day-old ISA Brown chicks (layer-type) divided into three groups (M0, M1 and M2) of 200 birds each. They were reared up to 40 weeks. Daily egg and feed intake were collected to determine laying rate and conversion ratio. Weekly, 30 eggs per group were weighed and broken to determine egg components ratio. At 20 and 40 weeks, 40 birds per group were slaughtered to collect blood, ovarian grape and oviduct. So, total protein, glucose and triglycerides concentrations, ovarian grape weight, oviduct weight and follicles number were determined. Data collected showed higher egg production, heavier eggs and higher triglycerides concentration in M1 compared to M2. High level of triglycerides can be linked to oestrogens synthesis from sterols contained in Moringa oleifera leaves in M1 while high intake of oestrogen substances by hens of M2 reduces their production although antinutritive substances effect on them cannot be excluded.
NsrR targets in the Escherichia coli genome: new insights into DNA sequence requirements for binding and a role for NsrR in the regulation of motility

The Escherichia coli NsrR protein is a nitric oxide‐sensitive repressor of transcription. The NsrR‐binding site is predicted to comprise two copies of an 11 bp motif arranged as an inverted repeat with 1 bp spacing. By mutagenesis we confirmed that both 11 bp motifs are required for maximal NsrR repression of the ytfE promoter. We used chromatin immunoprecipitation and microarray analysis (ChIP‐chip) to show that NsrR binds to 62 sites close to the 5′ ends of genes. Analysis of the ChIP‐chip data suggested that a single 11 bp motif (with the consensus sequence AANATGCATTT) can function as an NsrR‐binding site in vivo. NsrR binds to sites in the promoter regions of the fliAZY, fliLMNOPQR and mqsR‐ygiT transcription units, which encode proteins involved in motility and biofilm development. Reporter fusion assays confirmed that NsrR negatively regulates the fliA and fliL promoters. A mutation in the predicted 11 bp NsrR‐binding site in the fliA promoter impaired repression by NsrR and prevented detectable binding in vivo. Assays on soft‐agar confirmed that NsrR is a negative regulator of motility in E. coli K12 and in a uropathogenic strain; surface attachment assays revealed decreased levels of attached growth in the absence of NsrR.
Skin in the game: personal stock holdings and investors’ response to stock analysis on social media

Motivated by concerns that financial positions impair analyst objectivity, we examine investor perceptions of the financial positions of nonprofessional analysts (hereafter NPAs) writing on the social media outlet Seeking Alpha. We find that NPA positions contribute directly to short-window returns surrounding the article’s publication, holding constant the information in the article as well as contemporaneously issued news from professional analysts, managers, and the business press. Contrary to concerns that stock positions are associated with biased analysis, we find no evidence that NPA positions reduce investor responses to the tone of the article. In fact, our evidence suggests that holding a position magnifies investor responses to both positive and negative tone, although this effect is limited to tone that is contrary to the NPA’s stock position. Overall, our findings suggest that, contrary to regulators’ concerns, NPA stock positions do not decrease the credibility and informativeness of their analyses.
Protease-activated receptors (PAR)-1 and -3 drive epithelial-mesenchymal transition of alveolar epithelial cells – potential role in lung fibrosis

Summary Extravascular activation of the coagulation cascade in the lung is commonly observed in pulmonary fibrosis. Coagulation proteases may exert profibrotic cellular effects via protease-activated receptors (PARs)-1 and -2. Here, we investigated the potential role of two other members of the PAR family, namely PAR-3 and PAR-4, in the pathobiology of lung fibrosis. Elevated expression of PAR-3, but not PAR-4, was detected in the lungs of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients and in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice. Increased PAR-3 expression in fibrotic lungs was mainly attributable to alveolar type II (ATII) cells. Stimulation of primary mouse ATII, MLE15 and A549 cells with thrombin (FIIa) – that may activate PAR-1, PAR-3 and PAR-4 – induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process that has been suggested to be a possible mechanism underlying the expanded (myo)fibroblast pool in lung fibrosis. EMT was evidenced by morphological alterations, expression changes of epithelial and mesenchymal phenotype markers, and functional changes. Single knockdown of FIIa receptors, PAR-1, PAR-3, or PAR-4, had no major impact on FIIa-induced EMT. Simultaneous depletion of PAR-1 and PAR-3, however, almost completely inhibited this process, whereas only a partial effect on FIIa-mediated EMT was observed when PAR-1 and PAR-4, or PAR-3 and PAR-4 were knocked down. PAR-1 and PAR-3 co-localise within ATII cells with both being predominantely plasma membrane associated. In conclusion, our study indicates that PARs synergise to mediate FIIa-induced EMT and provides first evidence that PAR-3 via its ability to potentiate FIIa-triggered EMT could potentially contribute to the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis.