Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fact, Fiction, and the Size Effect

In the earliest days of empirical work in academic finance, the size effect was the first market anomaly to challenge the standard asset pricing model and prompt debates about market efficiency. The notion that small stocks have higher average returns than large stocks, even after risk adjustment, was a path-breaking discovery, and for decades it has been taken as an unwavering fact of financial markets. In practice, the discovery of the size effect fueled a crowd of small-cap indexes and active funds to the point that the investment landscape is now segmented into large and small stock universes. However, despite its long and illustrious history in academia and its commonplace acceptance in practice, there is still confusion and debate about the size effect. We examine many claims about the size effect and aim to clarify some of the misunderstanding surrounding it by performing simple tests using publicly available data. For one, using 90+ years of U.S. data, there is no evidence of a pure size effect; moreover, it may not have existed in the first place, if not for data errors and insufficient adjustments for risk and liquidity.
The Impact of Face Inversion on Animacy Categorization

Face animacy perception is categorical: Gradual changes in the real/artificial appearance of a face lead to nonlinear behavioral responses. Neural markers of face processing are also sensitive to face animacy, further suggesting that these are meaningful perceptual categories. Artificial faces also appear to be an “out-group” relative to real faces such that behavioral markers of expert-level processing are less evident with artificial faces than real ones. In the current study, we examined how categorical processing of real versus doll faces was impacted by the face inversion effect, which is one of the most robust markers of expert face processing. We examined how explicit categorization of faces drawn from a real/doll morph continuum was affected by face inversion (Experiment 1) and also how the response properties of the N170 were impacted by face animacy and inversion. We found that inversion does not change the position or steepness of the category boundary measured behaviorally. Further, neural markers of face processing are equally impacted by inversion regardless of whether they are elicited by real faces or doll faces. On balance, our results indicate that inversion has a limited impact on the categorical perception of face animacy.
A simple two-tap statistical model for the power line channel

It has been reported that channel attenuation and Root-Mean-Square Delay Spread (RMS-DS) of in-home (IH) power line (PL) channels are (positively) correlated lognormal random variables. Exploiting this result, we here propose a simple statistical channel model where tap amplitudes and differential delay are correlated random variables. Although we focus here on the IH PL channel, we also report empirical results that indicate that the proposed approach may be valid for other communications channels as well. We conclude pointing out that those channel models that contain some sort of channel Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) normalization, an operation that naturally removes this correlation between channel attenuation and RMS-DS, should be used with caution.
Genetic and environmental influences on blood pressure variability: a study in twins

Objectives: Blood pressure variability (BPV) and its reduction in response to antihypertensive treatment are predictors of clinical outcomes; however, little is known about its heritability. In this study, we examined the relative influence of genetic and environmental sources of variance of BPV and the extent to which it may depend on race or sex in young twins. Methods: Twins were enrolled from two studies. One study included 703 white twins (308 pairs and 87 singletons) aged 18–34 years, whereas another study included 242 white twins (108 pairs and 26 singletons) and 188 black twins (79 pairs and 30 singletons) aged 12–30 years. BPV was calculated from 24-h ambulatory blood pressure recording. Results: Twin modeling showed similar results in the separate analysis in both twin studies and in the meta-analysis. Familial aggregation was identified for SBP variability (SBPV) and DBP variability (DBPV) with genetic factors and common environmental factors together accounting for 18–40% and 23–31% of the total variance of SBPV and DBPV, respectively. Unique environmental factors were the largest contributor explaining up to 82–77% of the total variance of SBPV and DBPV. No sex or race difference in BPV variance components was observed. The results remained the same after adjustment for 24-h blood pressure levels. Conclusions: The variance in BPV is predominantly determined by unique environment in youth and young adults, although familial aggregation due to additive genetic and/or common environment influences was also identified explaining about 25% of the variance in BPV.
Effectiveness of darbepoetin-alfa in combination with intravenous iron sucrose in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and refractory anaemia: a pilot study

Background The combination of intravenous iron and recombinant human erythropoietin has been proved to be effective in the treatment of refractory anaemia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Darbepoetin-alpha (DPO) has a three-fold longer terminal half-life than erythropoietin. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine whether darbepoetin-alpha is also effective for the treatment of refractory anaemia in IBD. Methods Twenty IBD patients (nine ulcerative colitis and 11 Crohn's disease) and refractory anaemia received intravenous iron sucrose (total iron dose 1.3±0.5 g, range 0.7–1.9) and darbepoetin-alfa at the single, weekly dose of 0.9 μg/kg subcutaneously for 4 weeks. Serum erythropoietin, ferritin, transferrin, soluble transferrin receptor, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 were measured at baseline and after treatment. Results Haematopoietic response (increase of haemoglobin ≥2.0 g/dl) was observed in 15 out of the 20 patients (75%). The mean haemoglobin concentrations increased from 9.48±0.82 g/dl at baseline to 12.71±1.12 g/dl after treatment (P<0.0001). Mean corpuscular volume and serum ferritin levels were also significantly increased whereas mean C-reactive protein levels and endogenous erythropoietin levels significantly decreased after treatment. Conclusions In IBD patients with refractory anaemia the administration of darbepoetin in combination with intravenous iron sucrose can raise haemoglobin levels.
Total Returns to Single Family Rentals

The market value of US Single Family Rental assets is $2.3 trillion, yet we believe that we provide the first systematic analysis of total returns to Single Family Rentals over a long time period, in a broad and granular cross section. Analogous to the dividend yields and capital gains that constitute total equity returns, total returns to single family rentals have two components: rental yields and house price appreciation. It is crucial to account for both total return inputs, both because they contribute approximately equally to returns at the national level, and because they are negatively correlated in the cross section of US cities. While the aggregate US Single Family Rental portfolio has historically benefitted equally from each of the two return components, high price tier cities accrued more capital gains, while low price tier cities had higher net rental yields. As a result, measures of returns that focus on either component individually will be systematically biased in the cross section. Within cities, we show that lower price tier zip codes have higher total returns as a result of both higher yields and higher house price appreciation.
The Effect of Atorvastatin on Serum Lipids, Lipoprotein(a) and Plasma Fibrinogen Levels in Primary Dyslipidaemia – A Pilot Study Involving Serial Sampling

Summary We conducted an open-label study to test the effects of atorvastatin on serum lipids, lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and plasma fibrinogen levels. A total of 90 dyslipidaemic, nonsmoking patients (45 patients with primary hypercholesterolaemia and 45 patients with primary mixed hyperlipidaemia) aged 48 ± 11 years were studied. The patients were treated with 20 mg of atorvastatin for 24 weeks, in a single nocturnal dose. At baseline and every eight weeks, the fasting lipid profile, together with serum Lp(a) and plasma fibrinogen levels (Clauss method), were measured. Atorvastatin was highly effective in normalising the serum lipid profile. No significant change in median serum Lp(a) levels was observed in the whole group of patients (0.14 g/l before, vs. 0.16 g/l after, treatment) as well as in patients with raised (> 0.30 g/l) baseline levels (n = 32). A small non-significant increase of plasma fibrinogen was found (3.04 g/l vs. 3.14 g/l) after 24 weeks of atorvastatin administration. The effects of atorvastatin on both these variables did not differ in patients with hypercholesterolaemia or mixed hyperlipidaemia. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the effect of atorvastatin on plasma fibrinogen levels in dyslipidaemic patients without evident vascular disease is not clinically relevant. Furthermore, any rise in fibrinogen levels that may occur is likely to be transient in nature. Further studies are necessary to clarify this issue. There was no evidence that atorvastatin influences serum Lp(a) levels.
ONLINE HATE DISCOURSE: A STUDY ON HATRED SPEECH DIRECTED AGAINST SYRIAN REFUGEES ON YOUTUBE

Hate speech existed even before the world gained a digital dimension. But unlike the past, with the widespread use of the Internet this language that carries violent, racist, sexist and hostile notes acquired a plane that enables it to spread much faster over these networks. Extant literature shows us that groups that are exposed o this speech the most are women, LGBT individuals, racial and religious minorities, foreigners, immigrants and refugees. It is a wellknown fact that the regions that experience that most immigrant mobility are South Sudan, Afghanistan and Syria. This study focuses on online hate speech directed at Syrian immigrants. The objective is to reveal the hate speech generated by users on Syrian immigrants and circulated on YouTube and to show through which speech practices this takes place. As a result of this study, it was observed that Syrians were stigmatized with negatives labels such as “traitors, a potential threat, overstepping, the sources of financial difficulties. ”
Social comparison of cost behaviour and financial analysts

We investigate whether social comparison of a firm’s reported selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses affects financial analysts’ information uncertainty (and their behaviour). Based on a sample of US firms, we examine whether similarity of a firm’s SG&A to an industry-specific peer-based benchmark (or social benchmark) is associated with analyst forecast dispersion, forecast error and coverage. For external observers, the SG&A relative to sales (SG&A ratio) is a key diagnostic of a firm’s cost behaviour, but interpretational ambiguity of the SG&A signal is likely to incentivise search for information-relevant external cues to set expectations about and assess a firm’s SG&A ratio. Higher similarity to the social benchmark is expected to attenuate information asymmetry between analysts and firms regarding firms’ ability to effectively control overheads, decreasing analyst information uncertainty about cost behaviour and performance. In line with a varying weights model for social comparison, we observe a negative association between SG&A similarity and both forecast dispersion and error of one-year-ahead earnings for firms with a prior SG&A ratio exceeding the social benchmark. Our findings also show a negative relationship between SG&A similarity and analyst coverage, especially for firms with a prior SG&A ratio exceeding the social benchmark.
Anticoagulants in pediatric cerebral sinovenous thrombosis: A safety and outcome study

Clinical trials are lacking in pediatric cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT). Neonates and children increasingly receive anticoagulant therapy (ACT) based on adult studies. Safety data for ACT in pediatric CSVT are scant and urgently needed. The objective was to assess the safety and outcome of ACT in pediatric CSVT.
Blood pressure and metabolic efficacy of fixed-dose combination of perindopril and indapamide in everyday practice

Abstract The aim of the PICASSO study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fixed-dose perindopril 10 mg/indapamide 2.5 mg in everyday medical practice. In this 3-month, open-label, observational study, outpatients with primary hypertension who did not reach the blood pressure goal (< 140/90 mmHg) with antihypertensive treatment were enrolled if their treating physician had planned, as part of their ongoing therapy, to switch them to fixed-dose perindopril 10 mg/indapamide 2.5 mg. Blood pressure, heart rate, and metabolic parameters and – optionally – ambulatory blood pressure were measured. Data from 9257 patients were evaluated. Over the course of 3 months, mean blood pressure decreased from 159/93 mmHg to 132/80 mmHg (p < 0.001) and heart rate decreased from 79 to 73 beats/min (p < 0.001). The target blood pressure was reached by 72.7% of patients. Reductions in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), triglycerides, fasting glucose and uric acid levels were clinically significant. Blood levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), sodium and potassium remained unchanged. Beneficial changes in metabolic parameters were primarily attributed to the reduction in therapy with drugs with unfavourable metabolic profiles (thiazides and beta-blockers). Perindopril/indapamide is an effective and safe antihypertensive treatment in everyday medical practice.
Regional differences in technical efficiency and technological gap of Norwegian dairy farms: a stochastic meta-frontier model

ABSTRACT This paper compares technical efficiencies (TEs) and technological gap ratios (TGRs) for dairy farms in regions of Norway, accounting for differences in working environments. We used the state-of-the-art stochastic meta-frontier approach to estimate TEs and TGRs to account for regional heterogeneity, and the ‘true’ random-effect model to account for farm effects. The dataset used was farm-level balanced panel data for 24 years (1992–2014), with 5442 observations from 731 dairy farms. The results of the analysis provide empirical evidence of small regional differences in TEs, TGRs, and input use. Furthermore, the results may provide support for the more regionally specific agricultural policy, in terms of support schemes and structural regulations.
Ethnic-based motives and experiences at former slave sites

ABSTRACT This paper examines the relationship between motivation, experience, and post-purchase intentions of five ethnic tourist segments at Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade attractions. Multi-group invariance test on 783 tourists revealed that relaxation motivation influenced the emotional experience of all ethnicities except Blacks in the diaspora whose emotional experience was influenced by social motives. Educational motivation influenced the educational experience of all segments except Black Africans though it impacted their aesthetic experience. Emotional experience influenced the behavioural intention of Blacks in the diaspora, Caucasian Americans, and Europeans while educational experience influenced that of Black Europeans and Africans. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Expression of netrin‐1, slit‐1 and slit‐3 but not of slit‐2 after cerebellar and spinal cord lesions

To determine whether members of the Netrin‐1 and Slit families and their receptors are expressed after central nervous system (CNS) injury, we performed in situ hybridization for netrin‐1, slit‐1, 2 and 3, and their receptors (dcc, unc5h‐1, 2 and 3, robo‐1, 2 and 3) 8 days, 2–3 months and 12–18 months after traumatic lesions of rat cerebellum. The expression pattern of these molecules was unchanged in axotomized Purkinje cells, whereas unc5h3 expression was upregulated in deafferented granule cells. Cells expressing slit‐2 or dcc were never detected at the lesion site. By contrast, cells expressing netrin‐1, slit‐1 and slit‐3, unc5h‐1, 2 and 3, and robo‐1, 2 and 3 (rig‐1) could be detected at the cerebellar lesion site as soon as 8 days after injury. Expression of unc5h‐2, robo‐1, robo‐2, slit‐1 and slit‐3 at the lesion site was maintained until 3 months, and up to 12–18 months for unc5h‐1 and 3 and robo‐3. Likewise, in the mouse spinal cord, netrin‐1, slit‐1 and slit‐3 were also expressed at the lesion site 8 days after injury. Most of the cells expressing these mRNAs were located at the centre of the lesions, suggesting that they are macrophages/activated microglial cells (macrophagic cells) or meningeal fibroblastic cells. The macrophagic nature of most Netrin‐1‐positive cells and the macrophagic or fibroblastic nature of Robo‐1‐positive cells were corroborated by double staining. Thus, Netrin‐1, Slits and their receptors may contribute to the regenerative failure of axons in the adult CNS by inhibiting axon outgrowth or by participating in the formation of the CNS scar.
Risk of musculoskeletal injury among cleaners during vacuuming

This study aimed to examine the risk of work-related upper-limb musculoskeletal disorders in cleaning workers during the work task of vacuuming. In total, 24 cleaning workers were observed while they performed vacuum cleaning tasks in the normal course of their employment in government schools, hospitality and commercial office space sectors. Risk of upper-limb musculoskeletal disorders were rated using three observational assessment tools: Manual Task Risk Assessment (ManTRA); Quick Exposure Check (QEC); the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Mean results (e.g. ManTRA wrist/hand cumulative wrist score 18.67 ± 1.27, QEC neck score 13 ± 1.77, RULA score 6.54 ± 0.509) demonstrated that cleaning workers who perform the task of vacuum cleaning are at risk of work-related upper-limb musculoskeletal injury, regardless of whether they use a back-pack or canister machine. Government school cleaners experienced greater risk of work-related upper-limb musculoskeletal disorders than workers in either the hospitality or commercial office space sectors. Practitioner Summary: Cleaning workers in Australia are mostly female, ageing and of non-English-speaking backgrounds and involved in repetitive manual tasks. Their occupation is low status. This research confirms that vacuuming tasks are a risk for cleaning workers and highlights the need for further research to improve conditions for these workers.
Notch receptor expression in adult human liver: A possible role in bile duct formation and hepatic neovascularization

Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism, used to regulate cell fate decisions. Four Notch receptors have been identified in man (Notch‐1 to ‐4). In this study, semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and immunohistochemistry were used to examine the expression pattern of Notch receptor genes in whole adult human liver and isolated liver cell preparations. All 4 receptors were expressed in the adult liver, with no significant differences in the levels of Notch‐1, ‐2, and ‐4 messenger RNA (mRNA) between normal and diseased liver. However, Notch‐3 expression appeared to be increased in diseased tissue. The distribution of Notch‐1 and ‐4 in normal tissue was similar, with Notch‐1 also detectable at low levels in the sinusoidal endothelium. Notch‐2 expression was more widely distributed, and detectable in hepatocytes, medium‐sized bile ducts, and the sinusoidal endothelium. Notch‐3 expression was seen on hepatocytes, with weaker expression detectable in portal veins, hepatic arteries, and the sinusoids. In normal liver tissue Notch‐1, ‐2, and ‐3 were found to be coexpressed on bile duct epithelium; however, with the exception of Notch‐3 in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) livers, expression was absent on proliferating ductules in all disease states examined. Interestingly, the expression of Notch‐2 and ‐3 was associated with numerous small vessels within the portal tract septa of diseased tissue. The absence of Notch receptor expression on proliferating bile ductules and its presence on neovessels suggests that Notch signaling may be important for normal bile duct formation and the aberrant neovascularization seen in diseased liver tissue.
Active site specificity of plasmepsin II

Members of the aspartic proteinase family of enzymes have very similar three‐dimensional structures and catalytic mechanisms. Each, however, has unique substrate specificity. These distinctions arise from variations in amino acid residues that line the active site subsites and interact with the side chains of the amino acids of the peptides that bind to the active site. To understand the unique binding preferences of plasmepsin II, an enzyme of the aspartic proteinase class from the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, chromogenic octapeptides having systematic substitutions at various positions in the sequence were analyzed. This enabled the design of new, improved substrates for this enzyme (Lys‐Pro‐Ile‐Leu‐Phe*Nph‐Ala/Glu‐Leu‐Lys, where * indicates the cleavage point). Additionally, the crystal structure of plasmepsin II was analyzed to explain the binding characteristics. Specific amino acids (Met13, Ser77, and Ile287) that were suspected of contributing to active site binding and specificity were chosen for site‐directed mutagenesis experiments. The Met13Glu and Ile287Glu single mutants and the Met13Glu/Ile287Glu double mutant gain the ability to cleave substrates containing Lys residues.
Globally Optimal Path Planning with Anisotropic Running Costs

Abstract : There are many diverse numerical methods that can be applied to solving path planning problems, however, most of these are either not valid or impractical for solving anisotropic (direction-dependent) path planning problems. Ordered Upwind Methods (OUM) are a family of numerical methods for approximating the viscosity solution of static Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equations, and have been tailored to solve anisotropic optimal control problems. There is little information in the literature regarding the implementation of OUM, and a wide range of computational techniques and meticulous algorithmic considerations are required to successfully implement OUM. A comprehensive, generic implementation of OUM is documented in this report, with the intention of minimizing the technical barriers to employing OUM in real-world applications.