Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are Revived Customers as Good as New?

Customers come and go, and some return. Is their behavior the same, better or worse when they return? To answer this we first define revived customers in a non-contractual setting. Next, we compare the purchasing behavior of revived customers before and after the period of inactivity. The Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) models in the targeting literature make the implicit assumption that the buying behavior of revived customers is the same as the buying behavior of active customers (Equality Assumption). The third objective of our study is to investigate whether this assumption holds or not. For our analyses, we use an extended Pareto/NBD model. We have three main findings from our study. First, we find that revived customers exist in non-contractual settings. Second, we show that higher past purchase frequency (strongly habitual) customers have greater consistency in purchasing behavior than lower past purchase frequency (weakly habitual) customers. The final key finding is that the equality assumption is not valid for, i.e., revived customers have different purchasing behavior than active customers.
Environmental Fluctuations and Their Consequences for the Evolution of Phenotypic Diversity

An essential aspect of the current theory of adaptive speciation is the maintenance of phenotypic variation and the evolution of stationary stable phenotypic diversity, a phenomenon known as evolutionary branching. Theoretical and empirical evidence suggest that phenotypic variation can be maintained by favoring rare phenotypes, for example, through frequency-dependent selection. However, even when phenotypic variation is provided, the conditions leading to evolutionary branching are not universal. In order to lead to stable diversification, current models of adaptive speciation, such as the Lotka-Volterra competition model, must resort to strong assumptions that range from using unrealistic shape parameters for the competition and carrying capacity functions, modeling separately the generation of discontinuities in niche space, to increasing the dimensionality of phenotypic traits. Here, we introduce a stochastic version of the Lotka-Volterra competition model. We demonstrate that environmental fluctuations suffice to lead consistently to phenotypic diversification and evolutionary branching. Our observations build upon previous findings identifying a role for stochastic fluctuations on the evolution of phenotypic diversity, emphasize the difference between strong versus weak assumptions in the stability of the LVC model, and suggest that the conditions for evolutionary branching are more relaxed than anticipated.
The Synthesis of Time Optimal Supervisors by Using Heaps-of-Pieces

In many practical applications, we need to compute a nonblocking supervisor that not only complies with pre-specified safety requirements but also achieves a certain time optimal performance such as maximum throughput. In this paper, we first present a minimum-makespan supervisor synthesis problem. Then we show that the problem can be solved by a terminable algorithm, where the execution time of each string is computable by the theory of heaps-of-pieces. We also provide a timed supervisory control map that can implement the synthesized minimum-makespan sublanguage.
Sarcolipin Inhibits Polymerization of Phospholamban to Induce Superinhibition of Sarco(endo)plasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPases (SERCAs)*

Sarcolipin (SLN), a regulator of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase of fast-twitch skeletal muscle (SERCA1a), is also expressed in cardiac and slow-twitch skeletal muscles where phospholamban (PLN) and SERCA2a are expressed. Co-expression in HEK-293 cells of SLN tagged N-terminally with a FLAG epitope (NF-SLN), PLN, and SERCAs followed by measurement of the Ca2+ dependence of Ca2+ transport activity in isolated microsomal fractions showed that NF-SLN can reduce the apparent Ca2+ affinity of both SERCA1a (ΔK Ca = −0.22 ± 0.01pCa units) and SERCA2a (ΔK Ca = −0.37 ± 0.04 pCa units). When SERCA1a or SERCA2a were co-expressed with both NF-SLN and PLN, inhibition was synergistic, reducing ΔK Ca by about −1.0 pCa units. Co-immunoprecipitation showed that NF-SLN increased the binding of PLN to SERCA, whereas PLN did not increase the binding of NF-SLN to SERCA. Elevated Ca2+ dissociates both PLN and NF-SLN from their complexes with both SERCA1a and SERCA2a, but NF-SLN induced resistance to Ca2+ dissociation of the PLN·SERCA complex. Co-immunoprecipitation of PLN and NF-SLN without SERCA showed that NF-SLN binds directly to PLN and that NF-SLN inhibits the formation of PLN pentamers. Thus the ability of NF-SLN to elevate the content of PLN monomers can account, at least in part, for the superinhibitory effects of NF-SLN in the presence of PLN.
Gill pathology in Scottish farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., associated with the microsporidian Desmozoon lepeophtherii Freeman et Sommerville, 2009.

Gill disorders have emerged in recent years as a significant problem in the production of marine-stage Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. The multi-aetiological condition 'proliferative gill inflammation' (PGI) has been reported to cause heavy losses in western Norway, yet reports of Scottish cases of the disease have remained anecdotal. In the present study, histopathological material from a marine production site in the Scottish Highlands experiencing mortalities due to a seasonal gill disease with proliferative-type pathology was examined using light microscopy, special staining techniques and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The microsporidian Desmozoon lepeophtherii Freeman et Sommerville, 2009 (syn. Paranucleospora theridion) was identified by staining using a Gram Twort method and TEM associated with distinctive proliferative and necrotic pathology confined to the interlamellar Malpighian cell areas of the primary filaments. Epitheliocystis was not a feature of the gill pathology observed. It is believed this is the first report of D. lepeophtherii being identified associated with pathology in a Scottish gill disease case, and supports anecdotal reports that a disease at least partly synonymous with PGI as described by Norwegian researchers is present in Scottish aquaculture.
Managing Telework: Strategies for Managing the Virtual Workforce

Concepts of Teleworking. Selecting Teleworkers. Site Location. Telework and Technology. How Do You KNOW They're Working? Rules and Regulations. Measuring Results. Issues for Home-Based Teleworkers. Training. Getting It Together. Organization Design Impacts. Marketing Telework Centers. Telework Around the Globe: A Peek into the Future. Appendices. Index.
Relationship of Vitamin D Monitoring and Status to Bladder Cancer Survival in Veterans

Objectives Veterans of the armed forces, like most population groups, have a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, which may be associated with adverse outcomes in several types of cancer. Ultraviolet irradiation is inversely linked with the risk of bladder cancer, presumably through enhanced vitamin D synthesis. We hypothesized that variations in vitamin D status and monitoring predict adverse outcomes in bladder cancer among veterans. Methods A retrospective analysis of data in the Veterans Integrated Service Network-9 (southeastern United States) was performed for patients diagnosed between October 1, 1999 and February 29, 2008. Age, tobacco exposure, body mass index, and latitude and seasonality of sampling were included as variables in addition to serum vitamin 25(OH)D levels. Results Monitoring of vitamin D and vitamin D levels and status were closely linked to survival in bladder cancer. Both the chances of survival and longevity improved with enhanced vitamin D status and monitoring. Veterans with bladder cancer had better outcomes if the initial vitamin D level was higher and had more monitoring of the vitamin. Initial vitamin D levels were more strongly related to outcomes than follow-up levels. The link between vitamin D and outcomes remained after adjusting for background variables such as age, body mass index, latitude, seasonality, and tobacco exposure. Conclusions Findings suggest that adequate vitamin D levels early in the course of the disease provide the best opportunity to improve outcomes. Ensuring that veterans with bladder cancer have adequate vitamin D reserves with appropriate monitoring may play a role in improving outcomes in bladder cancer.
VOLATILITY AND DISPERSION IN BUSINESS GROWTH RATES: PUBLICLY TRADED VERSUS PRIVATELY HELD FIRMS

We study the variability of business growth rates in the U.S. private sector from 1976 onwards. To carry out our study, we exploit the recently developed Longitudinal Business Database (LBD), which contains annual observations on employment and payroll for all U.S. businesses. Our central finding is a large secular decline in the cross sectional dispersion of firm growth rates and in the average magnitude of firm level volatility. Measured the same way as in other recent research, the employment-weighted mean volatility of firm growth rates has declined by more than 40% since 1982. This result stands in sharp contrast to previous findings of rising volatility for publicly traded firms in COMPUSTAT data. We confirm the rise in volatility among publicly traded firms using the LBD, but we show that its impact is overwhelmed by declining volatility among privately held firms. This pattern holds in every major industry group. Employment shifts toward older businesses account for 27 percent or more of the volatility decline among privately held firms. Simple cohort effects that capture higher volatility among more recently listed firms account for most of the volatility rise among publicly traded firms.
Older people’s perception of and coping with falling, and their motivation for fall-prevention programmes

Aims: This study aims to investigate older people’s perceptions of and coping with falls, and what motivates them to join such programmes. Method: We used semi-structured interviews to collect data on 14 individuals (65 years +) who contacted an emergency department because they had fallen. Data were analyzed using a phenomenographic approach that traces older people’s perception of the phenomenon of ‘‘falling’’. Results: Five categories and 15 subcategories emerged from the interviews. The five main categories were: emotional perceptions of falling; falling has consequences; coping with the situation; support from the social network; motivation and demotivation. To fall was shameful and embarrassing and could be explained by old age. To some, ‘‘fear of falling’’ was the dominant feeling. These people did not see falls as a risk factor they ought to care about. Instead, to prevent future falls, they restricted their activities or stopped certain activities altogether. If demands exceeded their resources, they asked their relatives or their general practitioner for help. Elderly people were motivated by autonomy, competence, and relatedness and preferred activities that spread happiness and joy, preferably in a social atmosphere, but they encountered elements in their surroundings that curbed their motivation. Conclusions: Future fall-prevention programmes must target older people’s needs and acknowledge that there are many ways of perceiving falling. Moreover, elderly individuals’ coping strategies are not necessarily productive. Social networks and general practitioners can actively encourage older people to participate in fall-prevention programmes. Such programmes must support older people’s need for autonomy, competence and social relations.
Pengaruh Upah, Motivasi Kerja, dan Kepuasan Kerja terhadap Kinerja Pekerja pada Industri Manufaktur di Kota Makassar

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to analyze and assess (1) the influence wages to the employee’s work motivation; (2) the influence wages to the employee’s job satisfaction; (3) the influence work motivation to the employee’s performance; (4) the influence job satisfaction to the employee’s performance; (5) the influence wages to the employee’s performance; (6) the influence job satisfaction to the employee’s work motivation in manufacturing industry in Makassar Industrial Area. The populations in this study are all operational employees (executive level) of 20 manufacturing industries in Makassar Industrial Area. The sample was taken from 300 workers by random sampling. The model data analysis in this study used SEM (Structural Equation Modeling). The result of this study indicates that wages, work motivation, and employee’s job satisfaction significantly influenced by the employee’s performance at manufacturing industries in Makassar Industrial Area. It also indicates that job satisfaction affects employee’s work motivation, positively. Keywords: wages, work motivation, job satisfaction, and performance
Reputasi Penjamin Emisi, Return Awal, Return 15 Hari Sesudah IPO, dan Kinerja Perusahaan Satu Tahun Sesudah IPO di BEJ

The objectives of this study are threefold. First, this study empirically examines whether the underwriter reputation, auditor reputation, percentage in offering, company age, company size, offering value, and standard deviation of returns are associated with initial returns, 15 day returns after IPO, and company performance one year after IPO. Second, this study evaluates whether the ranking of underwriters’ and auditors’ reputation by measure of Johnson-Miller (JM) is different from those by the measure of Carter-Manaster (CM) in the context of initial returns, 15 day returns after IPO, and company performance one year after IPO. Finally, this study evaluates the consistency between the findings of this study and those of previous studies. The empirical results show that underwriters’ reputation ranked by JM is positively associated with initial returns at the day of offering. This is partly consistent with hypothesis 1. However, when returns were measured for 15 days after the IPO, both JM and CM measures result in statistically significant positive association between reputation and returns. The percentage of stock offering and the value of offering also provide statistically significant negative association with returns. For returns measured one year after IPO, underwriters’ reputation ranked by CM is positively associated with one year performance. When all variables are included in the model, only reputation ranked under CM is statistically significant. The value of stock offering is also statistically significant with a negative sign. for company performance one year after IPO. From various proxies in ranking the reputation of emission guarantor in the three hypotheses above, CM measure shows the best result to control the reputation of underwriter, especially in the context of 15 day return after IPO and performance one year after IPO.
Release of moving silicon microstructures embedded in a bonded multi-wafer stack using DRIE

We present a method to release temporarily anchored, moving microstructures, embedded in a bonded multiple-wafer stack, using standard DRIE for the removal of sacrificial silicon support beams. This technique enables the batch fabrication of complex MEMS structures that include several levels of gears, bearing structures, and other moving parts. Such designs have broad applications in microrobotics, medical devices, and power harvesting. The described method is applied to create a functional rotary silicon micro-ball bearing with integrated dual-row ball cage.
Effective Advertising: Understanding When, How, and Why Advertising Works

1. EVALUATING ADVERTISI NG IMPORTANCE OF ADVERTISING IN MODERN ECONOMICS 2. SWEET, SECRET WORKINGS OF ADVERTISING MYTHS ABOUT ADVERTISING EFFECTIVENESS TRUTH ABOUT ADVERTISING 3. A GENERAL THEORY OF FIRMS' ADVERTISING WHY FIRMS ADVERTISE: THEORY OF ADVERTISING DEMAND WHY BIG SUCCESSES ARE RARE: THEORY OF ADVERTISING EFFECTIVENESS WHY FIRMS PERSIST WITH INEFFECTIVE ADVERTISING: THEORY OF ADVERTISING SUPPLY 4. MEASURES OF ADVERTISING'S EFFECTIVENESS DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION OF ADVERTISING VARIABLES MODELS OF THE HIERARCHY OF EFFECTS 5. RESEARCH DESIGNS TO ASSESS ADVERTISING EFFECTIVENESS LABORATORY EXPERIMENT FIELD APPROACH HYBRID APPROACHES 6. MARKET EFFECTS OF ADVERTISING INTENSITY CLASSIFICATION OF STUDIES FINDINGS ABOUT ADVERTISING WEIGHT FINDINGS ABOUT ADVERTISING ELASTICITY FINDINGS ABOUT AD FREQUENCY 7. ADVERTISING'S DYNAMIC AND CONTENT EFFECTS FINDINGS FROM MARKET STUDIES ABOUT ADVERTISING CARRYOVER FINDINGS ABOUT ADVERTISING WEARIN AND WEAROUT FINDINGS ABOUT AD CONTENT 8. ADVERTISING AS PERSUASION ROUTES OF PERSUASION LOW INVOLVEMENT OR PASSIVE PROCESSING REPETITION IN PERSUASION 9. ARGUMENT IN ADVERTISING HOW ARGUMENT PERSUADES AGRUMENT STRATEGY 10. EMOTION IN ADVERTISING HOW DO EMOTIONS WORK? WHEN DO EMOTIONS WORK? METHODS OF AROUSING EMOTIONS ROLE OF SPECIFIC EMOTIONS 11. ENDORESEMENT IN ADVERTISING TYPES OF ENDORSERS WHY ENDORSEMENTS WORK WHEN TO USE ENDORSERS STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS COLLECTION OF SINGLE SOURCE DATA
Energy-momentum tensors in linearized Einstein's theory and massive gravity: The question of uniqueness

The question of the uniqueness of energy-momentum tensors in the linearized general relativity and in the linear massive gravity is analyzed without using variational techniques. We start from a natural ansatz for the form of the tensor (for example, that it is a linear combination of the terms quadratic in the first derivatives), and require it to be conserved as a consequence of field equations. In the case of the linear gravity in a general gauge we find a four-parametric system of conserved second-rank tensors which contains a unique symmetric tensor. This turns out to be the linearized Landau-Lifshitz pseudotensor employed often in full general relativity. We elucidate the relation of the four-parametric system to the expression proposed recently by Butcher et al. “on physical grounds” in harmonic gauge, and we show that the results coincide in the case of high-frequency waves invacuum after a suitable averaging. In the massive gravity we show how one can arrive at the expression which coincides with the “generalized linear symmetric Landau-Lifshitz” tensor. However, there exists another uniquely given simpler symmetric tensor which can be obtained by adding the divergence of a suitable superpotential to the canonical energymomentum tensor following from the Fierz-Pauli action. In contrast to the symmetric tensor derived by the Belinfante procedure which involves the second derivatives of the field variables, this expression contains only the field and its first derivatives. It is simpler than the generalized Landau-Lifshitz tensor but both yield the same total quantities since they differ by the divergence of a superpotential. We also discuss the role of the gauge conditions in the proofs of the uniqueness. In the Appendix, the symbolic tensor manipulation software CADABRA is briefly described. It is very effective in obtaining various results which would otherwise require lengthy calculations.
Real Estate Asset Allocations and International Real Estate Markets

In this paper we examine the institutional real estate ownership patterns of life insurance companies for 10 countries over the period 1986-96. The countries included are ustralia, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We find that most institutional investors worldwide have shifted out of real estate assets and into stocks and bonds over the last decade. We then investigate whether this behavior is the result of changing investor perceptions or a shift in stock market apitalization. To test this hypothesis, the paper derives measures of ex ante real estate returns following previous empirical work in finance. The results indicate that only a small proportion of what is driving institutional investors' real estate portfolio decisions is actually explained by changing investor perceptions and lagged unexpected excess returns.
Voluntary Standards and International Trade: A Heterogeneous Firms Approach

A model of export participation and adoption of a voluntary standard in the heterogeneous firms and trade framework is presented in this paper. Firms produce credence goods, the quality of which can be signaled by adopting a costly voluntary standard. Firms must simultaneously choose whether or not to adopt the standard and whether or not to enter export markets. Heterogeneity in firm behavior is driven by differences in productivity, which indexes the effective cost of each strategy. Comparative statics are derived relating participation in the voluntary standard to changes in key trade policy variables.
Caching in Flat Mobile Networks: Design and Experimental Analysis

Mobile network operators are aiming at strategies to accommodate the expected huge traffic growth with limited impact on the core network load. Enhancing the mobile architecture, along with deploying content delivery networks, represent promising areas where operators are putting their efforts to reduce costs while meeting the service guarantees. In this article we present a novel mobile architecture for 5G networks which benefits from the joint design of distributed mobility management and mobile video content delivery networks. We first discuss the architectural aspects of this combination and then present our validation and performance results from a real Linux-based prototype implementation.
Dollarization of the Banking System: Good or Bad?

This paper assesses the benefits and risks associated with dollarization of the banking system. We provide novel empirical evidence on the determinants of dollarization, its role in promoting financial development, and on whether dollarization is associated with financial instability. We find that: (a) the credibility of macroeconomic policy and the quality of institutions are both key determinants of cross-country variations in dollarization; (b) dollarization is likely to promote financial deepening only in a high inflation environment; and (c) financial instability is likely higher in dollarized economies. The implications of these findings for financial sector and monetary policies are discussed.
Is there a difference in treatment between solicited and unsolicited bank ratings and, if so, why?

This paper analyses the effect of soliciting a rating on the rating outcome of banks. This type of analysis sheds light on an important policy question, namely whether there is a difference in treatment between banks which request a rating and those which do not. Using a sample of Asian banks rated by Fitch Ratings, I find evidence that unsolicited ratings tend to be lower than solicited ones after accounting for differences in financial and non-financial characteristics between banks. This downward bias does not seem to be explained by the self-selection hypothesis, which states that banks with more favourable private information self-select into the solicited group because they can obtain higher ratings by doing so. Rather, unsolicited ratings appear to be lower because they are only based on public information and, as a result, they tend to be more conservative than solicited ones. This is shown by testing the public disclosure hypothesis, which states that the difference in treatment between solicited and unsolicited ratings disappears when banks with an unsolicited rating release enough public information to compensate for the absence of private information. Overall, the findings of this study have important policy implications for the reform of the credit rating industry and for the Third Pillar of the New Basel Accord.