Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Elliptical basis function networks and radial basis function networks for speaker verification: a comparative study

It is well known that radial basis function (RBF) networks require a large number of function centers if the data to be modeled contain clusters with complicated shape. This paper proposes to overcome this problem by incorporating full covariance matrices into the RBF structure and to use the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm to estimate the network parameters. The resulting networks, referred to as the elliptical basis function (EBF) networks, are applied to text-independent speaker verification. Experimental evaluations based on 258 speakers of the TIMIT corpus show that smaller size EBF networks with basis function parameters determined by the EM algorithm outperform the large RBF networks trained by the conventional approach.
Cerebrovascular events in 20 years of follow‐up after liver transplantation: an underestimated issue?

Cardio‐ and cerebrovascular diseases are the third leading cause of late death after liver transplantation (LT). A new score (PROCAM‐Stroke) has been established to estimate the 10‐year risk of cerebrovascular events (CBVE) in a German standard population. We evaluate the applicability of the PROCAM‐Stroke for long‐term follow‐up after LT.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Firms Performance - An Analysis on Italian Listed Companies

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is getting an increasingly important issue for economic agents all over the world, due to a new attention to all the aspects of firms activities and their relationships with stakeholders. Also in Italy, the number of firms that prepare voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports (e.g. sustainability reports, environmental reports, environmental and social reports or corporate social responsibility reports) is increasing. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the voluntary disclosure about Corporate Social Responsibility on firms stock prices of Italian listed companies in order to analyze if it can somehow contribute to increase the stock market prices. Our empirical analysis will test the relation, during a period of three years, between corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports and firms stock prices, considering a sample of Italian listed companies.
Methodological Advances in the Analysis of Bipartite Networks

Network-based research in the management field largely assumes one-mode (unipartite) networks, despite the widespread presence of two-mode (bipartite) networks. In empirical work, scholars usually project a bipartite network onto a unipartite network, ignoring issues related to the interdependence of ties and potential loss of information. Yet new advances in measures and methods related to bipartite networks in the fields of sociology, physics, and biology may make such tactics unnecessary. This article presents an overview of three research streams related to bipartite networks, namely, (a) refinements related to the projections of bipartite networks onto unipartite networks; (b) the extension of networks measures from unipartite networks to bipartite networks, with a focus on clustering coefficients; and (c) approaches unique to bipartite networks, such as nestedness. We apply these approaches and compare the findings of a traditional unipartite network analysis using both a simple example and a sample of 10,223 directors of 1,528 Indian firms in 2009.
The Effect of Audit Quality on Earnings Management: Evidence from Iran

More audit quality improves the accuracy of the information presented by the managers and reduces their opportunistic behaviours and allows investors to acquire more accurate estimate from the value of the company. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of service quality of independent auditors on earnings management of listed companies in Tehran Stock Exchange. For this purpose, a sample of 840 firm-years during the years 2006-2011 were studied and tested. In this study, the audit firm size is used as an indicator for audit quality and the absolute value of discretionary accruals is used as an indicator for earnings management. The results indicate that there is no significant relationship between audit quality and earnings management. Also, test results of the control variable showed that there is significant and positive relationship between variables of financial leverage and return on assets with earnings management. But it was not observed any significant relationship between the firm size and discretionary accruals.
Strengthening Customer Relationships

Building long-term, profitable, customer relationships has become a strategic mandate for service firms. In this research, the authors present a modeling framework for understanding the decision of a noncontractual customer to strengthen the relationship with the firm by migrating to a contractual relationship. Drawing upon expected utility theory, the customer migration decision is modeled as a function of expected gains (actual expectations of service usage) and losses (price of the noncontractual service). In addition, the authors investigate the direct and indirect effects of the age of the noncontractual relationship and propose a model to understand the process of expectations formation. The framework is tested empirically in a business-to-consumer context in mobile communications services. The findings provide strong support for the proposed model and they reveal that actual expected service usage and noncontractual price increase the probability of the customer migrating to a contract, and that relationship age has both direct (positive) and indirect (through expected service usage) effects on the studied behavior. The present study also provides new theoretical and empirical insights into the formation of actual customer usage expectations. Finally, the study findings have several important implications for service managers to strengthen their relationships with their current noncontractual customers. For example, they need to proactively manage customers’ actual expectations about future service usage in order to increase a customer’s probability to migrate to a contract.
Spatial and Temporal Variability in Atmospheric Nitrous Oxide Generation and Emission from Full‐Scale Biological Nitrogen Removal and Non‐BNR Processes

Biological nitrogen removal (BNR) strategies can contribute to atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O). In the future, as BNR is implemented at more wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) around the globe, the emission and release of these gases to the atmosphere is expected to increase. This study focused on the quantification of N2O emissions rates and inventory at several WWTPs using a newly developed, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Washington, D.C.) (U.S. EPA)‐reviewed protocol. Application of the protocol revealed nitrous oxide emissions from aerated zones therein, hitherto not considered in the current U.S. EPA approach to quantifying N2O fluxes from WWTPs. A high degree of diurnal variability in N2O fluxes was measured, which correlated well with diurnal total Kjeldahl nitrogen loadings. In combination, these results point to the diminishing utility of a single emission factor approach to estimate the N2O emissions from WWTPs, which has been followed to date.
Application of virtual three-dimensional surgery planning in management of open bite with idiopathic condylar resorption

This case report describes the successful treatment of an adult patient with idiopathic condylar resorption and Class II skeletal open bite malocclusion and temporomandibular joint disorder. A segmental Le Fort I bilateral osteotomy, ramus increasing length inverted L–osteotomy, and genioplasty combined with orthodontic treatment were performed. The treatment plan and surgery was aided by three-dimensional medical modeling, and we managed to resolve functional, esthetic, and pain concerns to a satisfactory level.
Corporate governance research applied at a private university

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence regarding the link between accounting education and the industry, with particular emphasis on the links between accounting education and firm performance. In particular, the paper investigates corporate governance education and its relation to firms’ performance, to improve the content of business‐related programs at Frederick University.Design/methodology approach – Survey analysis, action research and literature review are used in order to apply the findings of corporate governance research on course programmes at the university.Findings – The main recommendation of the research is that new modules have to be introduced for both the accounting and finance and business administration degrees so as to meet the increasing need for corporate governance education. This is reflected in the interviews of managers, the student questionnaires, the faculty interviews and the literature review on the subject. These new modules will serve the increasing .
Information system innovations and supply chain management: Channel relationships and firm performance

This study explores how innovations surrounding supply chain communication systems (SCCS) affect channel relationships and market performance. Drawing on the resource-based view of the firm, the study hypothesizes that certain SCCS innovations can be viewed as firm resources that enhance channel capabilities, which in turn affect a firm’s market performance. The empirical research is based on 184 responses from a survey with U.S. supply chain and logistics managers using structural equation modeling as the analytic method. The results suggest that the effect of applied technological SCCS innovations on channel capabilities is mediated by interfirm systems integration. In contrast, administrative SCCS innovations enhance information exchange and coordination activities directly. Furthermore, the influence of applied technological innovations for SCCS is not strong enough to affect either responsiveness of the partnership or firm performance, whereas administrative innovations for SCCS affect both.
Slower is not always better: Response-time evidence clarifies the limited role of miserly information processing in the Cognitive Reflection Test

We report a study examining the role of ‘cognitive miserliness’ as a determinant of poor performance on the standard three-item Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT). The cognitive miserliness hypothesis proposes that people often respond incorrectly on CRT items because of an unwillingness to go beyond default, heuristic processing and invest time and effort in analytic, reflective processing. Our analysis (N = 391) focused on people’s response times to CRT items to determine whether predicted associations are evident between miserly thinking and the generation of incorrect, intuitive answers. Evidence indicated only a weak correlation between CRT response times and accuracy. Item-level analyses also failed to demonstrate predicted response-time differences between correct analytic and incorrect intuitive answers for two of the three CRT items. We question whether participants who give incorrect intuitive answers on the CRT can legitimately be termed cognitive misers and whether the three CRT items measure the same general construct.
Managerial Incentives Explanation of Equity Carve-Outs Initial Returns

This paper studies the first day return of 227 carve-outs during 1996-2013. I find that the first day return of newly issued subsidiary stocks is explained by the reporting distortions in the pre IPO period, conditioned on whether the executives and directors of the subsidiary received stock options with an exercise price equal to the IPO offer price. In absence of IPO options, accruals in the year before the issue are negative predictors in the cross-sectional variation of the first day returns. In presence of IPO options this relationship is reversed and becomes positive: this is especially pronounced in cases where non-employee directors received such compensation packages. The predictive power of the accruals on future returns and its direction differ depending on the executive compensation packages, suggesting that management intentionally manipulate earnings.
Renal duplex parameters, blood pressure, and renal function in elderly people.

BACKGROUND Changes in renal artery and renal parenchyma perfusion are believed to correlate with severity of hypertension and worsened renal function, but population-based studies of these associations are not available. This study examines relationships between parameters derived from renal duplex sonography (RDS), blood pressure (BP), and excretory renal function in a population-based cohort of elderly Americans. METHODS Through an ancillary study to the Cardiovascular Health Study, 758 participants (37% men; mean age, 77 years) underwent RDS in which flow velocities and frequency shifts were determined from spectral analysis of Doppler-shifted signals obtained from the renal artery and parenchyma. Associations of these duplex parameters with BP and inverse serum creatinine were examined by using multivariate regression techniques. RESULTS Main renal artery peak systolic flow velocity (PSV) showed independent associations with BP, with an SD increase in PSV (0.53 m/s) associated with a 3.3-mm Hg increase in systolic BP (SBP) and a 2.4-mm Hg decrease in diastolic BP (DBP). An SD decrease in end-diastolic frequency shift (EDF; 131 kHz) was associated with a 6.0-mm Hg increase in SBP, a 4.2-mm Hg decrease in DBP, and a significant 3.7% decrease in inverse serum creatinine. CONCLUSION Increases in renal artery PSV and decreases in parenchymal EDF are associated with increased SBP and decreased DBP. Moreover, decreased parenchymal EDF showed significant associations with impaired excretory renal function. These results suggest that renal duplex parameters are associated with renal parenchymal changes caused by hypertension and progressive renal dysfunction in elderly people.
Uniform bounds for diffeomorphisms of the torus and a conjecture of Boyland

We consider C1+ϵ diffeomorphisms of the torus, denoted by f, homotopic to the identity and whose rotation sets have non‐empty interior. We give some uniform bounds on the displacement of points in the plane under iterates of a lift of f, relative to vectors in the boundary of the rotation set and we use these estimates in order to prove that if such a diffeomorphism f preserves area, then the rotation vector of the area measure is an interior point of the rotation set. This settles a strong version of a conjecture proposed by Philip Boyland. We also present some new results on the realization of extremal points of the rotation set by compact f ‐invariant subsets of the torus.
The Value of Information in Markets with Heterogeneously Informed Traders - a Simulation and an Experimental Approach

Everybody is talking about the 'information society' we live in, but rarely does anybody ask how valuable information actually is. Especially in financial markets, information is often seen as the only ingredient to success. With a simulation study and an experimental market, we explore how valuable information in a (virtual) market context is. While earlier work in this field covered this question with only two levels of information, we use ten different levels to control carefully for the influence of additional information on performance in a financial market. We find that additional information is mostly useless and sometimes even harmful for low and medium informed investors, while very good investors can profit from their information. The second focus of the paper is to explore the usefulness of different trading strategies in this market. We compare active information processing (fundamental analysis) with a random strategy. Here we find that different information levels should use differing strategies, in particular the less informed should trade randomly, while the better informed should make use of their information. The logical consequence is that there is no single optimal strategy.
The Internet as Hyperbole: A Critical Examination of Adoption Rates

It seems to be a generally accepted belief that the adoption rate of the Internet has exceeded that of earlier mass communication technologies by several magnitudes. This article reviews the historic data related to some of these technologies, draws on actor-network theory as a framework for interpreting such data, traces the transformations and translation of this data throughout the public, political, and scientific discourse, and discusses the use of "facts" in modern society.
Carer psychoeducation in first-episode psychosis: Evaluation outcomes from a structured group programme

Background: Carers play an important role in supporting client adjustment and relapse prevention following a first psychotic episode. The caring experience however is a stressful and demanding one, and carers require support to develop coping strategies and sustain themselves in their role. Aims: To evaluate a psychoeducation programme provided within a public adult mental health service, designed for the families of clients experiencing first-episode psychosis. Methods: A pre- and post-test questionnaire was administered to quantitatively measure the participants’ changes in perceptions of their knowledge and understanding regarding mental illness and its treatment through attending the group. Qualitative items were included to ascertain other knowledge gained or benefits perceived and any critical feedback. Results: The programme significantly improved carers’ perceptions of their understanding of psychosis, recovery and relapse prevention. Additional feedback replicated previous findings that participants value support and feel less isolated through group attendance, gaining a sense of collective experience and the opportunity to share experiences and feel heard by peers. Conclusions: The evaluation demonstrates the efficacy of such a group and the importance of public mental health services in providing family interventions in first-episode psychosis care.
Combining information within and between pedigrees for mapping complex traits.

This paper is concerned with efficient strategies for gene mapping using pedigrees containing small numbers of affecteds and identity-by-descent data from closely spaced markers throughout the genome. Particular attention is paid to additive traits involving phenocopies and/or locus heterogeneity. For a sample of pedigrees containing a particular configuration of affecteds, e.g., pairs of siblings together with a first cousin, we use a likelihood analysis to find 1-df statistics that are very efficient over a broad range of penetrances and allele frequencies. We identify configurations of affecteds that are particularly powerful for detecting linkage, and we show how pedigrees containing different numbers and configurations of affecteds can be efficiently combined in an overall test statistic.
Maltose metabolism of Pseudomonas fluorescens

Pseudomonas fluorescens W uses maltose exclusively by hydrolyzing it to glucose via an inducible alpha-glucosidase (alpha-D-glucoside glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.20). No evidence for phosphorolytic cleavage or oxidation to maltobionic acid was found in this organism. The alpha-glucosidase was totally intracellular and was most active at pH of 7.0. Induction occurred when cells were incubated with maltotriose or maltose. Induction was rapid and easily detectable within the first 5 min after the addition of the inducer. Glucose and its derivatives did not repress induction. Cells growing on DL-alanine or succinate plus maltose exhibited lower levels of alpha-glucosidase than those grown on maltose alone or maltose plus glucose. Induction required both messenger ribonucleic acid and protein synthesis.
R&D Narrative Disclosure, Corporate Governance And Market Value: Evidence From France

We investigate the impact of R&D narrative disclosure on the market value of equity for a sample of French companies during the period 2000–2004. Using 3SLS estimation on a panel data of 98 French firms, we find, ceteris paribus, positive (but insignificant) association between R&D voluntary disclosure and the market value of equity. Both R&D intensity and R&D capitalization lead French firms to disclose more R&D narrative information. However, they impact differently the relationship between R&D-related disclosure and market value. Indeed, a positive and significant association is found when we control for R&D capitalization. In contrast, when controlling for R&D intensity, we find a negative association. We also find that equity-based compensation and audit committee independence are the most important drivers for R&D narrative disclosure.
Super PETT I: A Positron Emission Tomograph Utilizing Photon Time-of-Flight Information

The physical characteristics and some imaging capabilities of Super PETT I, a positron emission tomograph utilizing time-of-flight (TOF) in its image reconstruction process were assessed experimentally by means of measurements carried out in phantoms and clinical imaging studies. The performance characteristics assessed included sensitivity, spatial resolution, image improvements resulting from time-of-flight information utilization, system dead time, and linearity. The clinical examples included imaging of the brain, the heart, the liver, and a demonstration of Super PETT I's capability of achieving cardiac gating.
A NuSTAR observation of the fast symbiotic nova V745 Sco in outburst

The fast recurrent nova V745 Sco was observed in the 3–79 keV X-rays band with NuSTAR 10 d after the optical discovery. The measured X-ray emission is consistent with a collisionally ionized optically thin plasma at temperature of about 2.7 keV. A prominent iron line observed at 6.7 keV does not require enhanced iron in the ejecta. We attribute the X-ray flux to shocked circumstellar material. No X-ray emission was observed at energies above 20 keV, and the flux in the 3–20 keV range was about 1.6 × 10^(−11) erg cm^(−2) s^(−1). The emission measure indicates an average electron density of the order of 10^7 cm^(−2). The X-ray flux in the 0.3–10 keV band almost simultaneously measured with Swift was about 40 times larger, mainly due to the luminous central supersoft source emitting at energy below 1 keV. The fact that the NuSTAR spectrum cannot be fitted with a power law, and the lack of hard X-ray emission, allow us to rule out Comptonized gamma-rays, and to place an upper limit of the order of 10^(−11) erg cm^(−2) s^(−1) on the gamma-ray flux of the nova on the tenth day of the outburst.
The Impact Of Portfolio Strategy On The â€˜Styleâ€™ Performance Of U.K. Property Companies

This study applied a constrained multiple regression model to the examination of property portfolio exposure. An asset class factor model namely return-based style analysis (RBSA) was developed by Sharpe (1988, 1992) to measure the exposures of each component of a mutual fundâ€™s portfolio to movements in their returns. Total returns from ten public-listed property companies (PLPCs), based on their share price movements, were used to estimate the style exposures of three commercial property types - retail, office and industrial. The study examined the relationship of the return for three commercial property types to each portfolio of PLPC. The effective portfolio allocations that are derived by RBSA are then compared with the actual average portfolio allocation of the property companies. RBSA is seen to be a particularly effective tool in the explanation of the returns of PLPCs pursuing growth or income strategies. This study also found that other aspects of portfolio allocation determinants such as gearing, the features of the property portfolio and the property market cycle were worthy of consideration. Keywords â€“ Commercial property, Portfolio allocation, Portfolio strategy, Portfolio Performance, Return-based style analysis