Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Analysts' Forecasts on Stock Market Returns: A Composite Multifactor Approach

Stock returns forecasting is one of the major objectives of financial analysts. Equity Analysts' forecasts, on the other side, are one of the major sources of information used by less informed investors in their asset allocation decisions. Therefore, analysing which major drivers affect time series of stock returns could allow to shed light over the price revelation process in capital markets. In this paper we propose a model aimed at predicting stock market by combining both macroeconomic and microeconomic factors. We first develop a standard APT approach with multiple macroeconomic factors as regressors. We then integrate the model by explicitly including a metric for intrinsic equity value, basing upon a proxy derived by the weighted average of Stock Market Consensus Forecasts by equity analysts. Third, we complete the model by imposing an ARMA specification for the error term, which allows identifying stock returns' stationarity moving over time. The resulting model shows both a strong fitting capability when tested in the in-sample period and a good predictive capability when applied to an out-of-sample period of monthly Italian stock market returns. In particular, we employed specific estimation procedures based upon recently developed statistics aimed at testing for both factors' equal predicting power and forecast encompassing. As a major empirical finding, our model suggests that the information conveyed by analysts' forecasts is indeed a factor in determining future stock prices, even if there is the possibility that the information transferred could be biased.
Bacterial profile and drug susceptibility pattern of urinary tract infection in pregnant women at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common complication of pregnancy. It may be symptomatic or asymptomatic. OBJECTIVES The aim of this cross sectional study was to identify bacterial agents and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern isolated from pregnant women with UTI attending antenatal clinic of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH). METHODS Four hundred and fourteen pregnant women with asymptomatic UTI (n = 369) and symptomatic UTI (n = 45) were investigated for urinary tract infection from January to March 2005. RESULTS The age range of both groups was 18 to 44 years. Bacteriological screening of mid-stream urine specimens revealed that 39/369 (10.6%) and 9/45 (20%) had significant bacteriuria in asymptomatic and symptomatic group, respectively (p = 0.10). The overall prevalence of urinary tract infection was 48/414 (11.6%). The bacterial pathogens isolated were predominantly E. coil (44%), followed by S. aureus (20%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (16%), and K. pneumoniae (8%). Others found in small in number included P. mirabilis, P. aeruginosa, Enterococcus spp. and non-Group A-beta hemolytic Streptococcus, this accounted 2% for each. The gram positive and negative bacteria accounted 40% and 60% respectively. The susceptibility pattern for gram-negative bacteria showed that most of the isolates (> 65% of the strains) were sensitive to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (70%), chloramphenicol (83.3%), gentamicin (93.3%), kanamycin (93.3%), nitrofurantoin (87.7%) and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (73.3%). Among the gram-positives, more than 60% of the isolates were sensitive to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (100%), cephalothin (95%), chloramphenicol (70%), erythromycin (80%), gentamicin (85%), methicillin (83.3%), nitrofurantoin (100%) and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (65%). Generally, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, nitrofurantoin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole were effective at least in 70% of the isolates. Multiple drug resistance (resistance two or more drugs) was observed in 74% of the isolates. CONCLUSION Significant bacteriuria was observed in both asymptomatic and symptomatic pregnant women. Periodic studies are recommended to confirm the findings of this study and also monitor any changes in the susceptibility patterns of uropathogens causing urinary tract infection in the pregnant women.
Analysis of Corporate Governance and Relative Efficiency of Public Companies Listed in Indonesian Stock Exchange

This research aims to investigate the relationship between corporate governance and company’s relative efficiency. The research sample is 34 public companies listed in Indonesian Stock Exchange. A modified Jones (1991) model is used to detect the earnings management practice as a proxy to corporate governance. In regard with the efficiency score, this research employs Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). This research find that the there is no significant relationship between corporate governance and its efficiency.
Carotid subclinical atherosclerosis is associated with disease activity but not vitamin D in Korean systemic lupus erythematosus

Atherosclerosis develops early in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and is an important cause of mortality. Vitamin D deficiency is found to be associated with cardiovascular disease and autoimmunity. We evaluated the extent of carotid subclinical atherosclerosis and analyzed its correlation with vitamin D in SLE. One hundred and two female patients with SLE and 52 normal controls (NCs) were recruited. The mean carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) of SLE patients was 0.41 ± 0.08 mm, which was higher than that of NCs (0.32 ± 0.08 mm, p = 0.012). In addition, carotid plaques were more frequent and the plaque index was higher in SLE patients than in NCs (0.68 ± 1.39 vs. 0.26 ± 0.87, p = 0.026). Carotid IMT was correlated with age, body mass index, SLE disease activity index, and aspirin use in SLE patients. The plaque index was correlated with renal involvement. Vitamin 25(OH)D3 level was not correlated with carotid IMT, plaque index or disease activity markers. In SLE, the risk of cardiovascular disease is higher than that in NCs, which may be derived from systemic inflammation. It may be not suitable to assess vitamin D as a marker of disease activity or subclinical atherosclerosis in SLE patients.
Physical characteristics of the chest and lungs and the work of breathing in different mammalian species

The most obvious difference in the patterns of breathing in different mammalian species is that small animals breathe faster than large ones. While this may be related to the greater metabolic rate of small animals (in terms of body size) this can be only part of the explanation; for the normal breathing rate of a mouse is greater than a man can maintain for any period of time. Although the factors determining alveolar ventilation rate have received considerable attention, the mechanisms which control the frequency and depth of breathing are less clear. Otis, Fenn & Rahn (1950) have shown that for any given alveolar ventilation rate there is an optimal frequency of breathing, and that if a frequency greater or less than this is adopted (with corresponding adjustments of the tidal volume to maintain the same alveolar ventilation) the work of moving the lungs is greater. Christie (1953) has shown that the 'optimal rate' is adopted in several physiological and pathological conditions, and Mcllroy, Marshall & Christie (1954) have suggested that the pulmonary stretch receptors (mediating the Hering-Breuer inflation reflex) are responsible. Mead (1960), on the other hand, has presented results for guinea-pigs and human beings indicating that breathing rate and depth are adjusted to keep the average force of the respiratory muscles minimal, rather than the work performed on the lungs. Whichever view is correct, information on the control of respiratory rate and depth needs to be extended, and the controlling mechanisms worked out. We have assessed the mechanical properties of the lungs in a number of different species of experimental mammals to see if the values are consistent with the interspecific differences in breathing pattern. Apart from applying the results to the optimal rate hypothesis, the results are values for commonly used experimental animals which may be worth recording.
Blood pressure variability in elderly persons with white-coat and masked hypertension compared to those with normotension and sustained hypertension.

BACKGROUND The relationship between blood pressure (BP) measured, its variability, and risk of cardiovascular events is well established; however, it is not well known whether there is a difference of variability between the four categories of BP status obtained by the comparison of office and home BP measurements: normotension and masked, white-coat, and sustained hypertension. Here, we assessed BP variability (BPV) according to BP status in the elderly. METHODS The study population consisted of 1,701 individuals aged ≥73 years drawn from the general population. Office and home BP measurements were obtained with the same device. At home, 18 measures were taken (3 in the morning, 3 in the evening, for 3 consecutive days). BP statuses were defined according to European Society of Hypertension recommendations. To assess BPV, seven indexes were defined (e.g., standard deviation of the 18 measures, day-to-day variability, triplet-to-triplet variability, and coefficient of variation). RESULTS Subjects with white-coat hypertension and normotension had similar BPV, and the variability among those with masked hypertension was very close to that in those with sustained hypertension. Overall, BPV was much higher in subjects with masked hypertension than in those with white-coat hypertension, in both treated and untreated groups. CONCLUSIONS In elderly individuals, the short-term variability of BP is similar in masked and sustained hypertension and higher than in normotension and white-coat hypertension. This result suggests the hypothesis that BPV among persons with masked hypertension may contribute to the elevated cardiovascular risk observed in this BP pattern.
A Dynamic Blocks Platform Based on Projective Augmented Reality and Tangible Interfaces for Educational Activities

This paper describes a dynamic blocks platform, called ARBlocks, which is based on projective augmented reality and tangible user interfaces aiming early childhood educational activities development. This tool was conceived specifically for children, applying design techniques to determinate the best shape, material and typography for young students. The content is displayed by projectors, which exhibit the required information only on the blocks surface using an automatic projector calibration technique. The blocks are tracked through a frame marker using the moving edges approach with multiple hypotheses to improve robustness. ARBlocks was evaluated from three different perspectives: computational, educational and user experience. Technical results show that the platform achieves a real time frame rate and an accurate projector calibration, as well as precisely display information over the blocks. Additionally, in the educational evaluation the teachers interviewed asserted that the ARBlocks have a great potential and can be a very useful tool to be used in classrooms. Regarding the user experience, both teachers and children were excited in use this system continuously.
The appropriation of the results of innovative activity

The aim of this paper is to analyse the five fundamental alternatives within reach of the innovator for achieving a better appropriation of the results of technological activity. These are patents, industrial secret, cost and time for imitation, continuous innovation and complementary resources. We seek to contrast which factors determine the firm's choice of one method or another. By applying a model and different working hypotheses to a sample of 152 Spanish innovative firms, we establish how and to what degree the Spanish firms protect their technology and which resources and innovative characteristics determine the firm's choice of method of appropriation of innovative results.
The Future of Environmental Compliance Incentives in U.S. Agriculture: The Role of Commodity, Conservation, and Crop Insurance Programs

In recent years, direct payments—a type of farm commodity program payment—have made up a large share of Federal agriculture assistance that could be withheld from farmers who fail to comply with highly erodible land conservation (conservation compliance and sodbuster) or wetland conservation (swampbuster) provisions, known collectively as environmental compliance requirements. If direct payments are sharply reduced or eliminated to help reduce the Federal budget defi cit, compliance incentives would be reduced on many farms, potentially increasing environmental quality problems. Some farmers will still be subject to compliance through existing Federal agricultural programs(e.g., conservation or disaster programs) or programs that may succeed direct payments. Making federally subsidized crop insurance subject to compliance could also make up some of the lost incentive to farmers.
CONSUMER ONLINE SHOPPING ATTITUDES ANDBEHAVIOR: AN ASSESSMENT OF RESEARCH

The current status of studies of online shopping attitudes and behavior is investigated through an analysis of 35 empirical articles found in nine primary Information Systems (IS) journals and three major IS conference proceedings. A taxonomy is developed based on our analysis. A conceptual model of online shopping is presented and discussed in light of existing empirical studies. Areas for further research are discussed.
Cultivating export market oriented behavior in halal marketing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the development of global halal marketing by assessing its current status, challenges and issues within and measures taken to improve it. Strategic marketing conception from the perspective of export market orientation behaviors is offered to help foster industrial innovation to create a halal economy.Design/methodology/approach – The development of a global halal market is first assessed and its current status is highlighted. The issues and challenges within are identified and explored, followed by a consideration of measures already taken to rectify and improve the situation. Strategic export market orientation behaviors perspective is offered to encourage industrial innovation within the complex global halal market, to ultimately establish a halal economy. This is done by going through the relevant scholarly discussions in various international conferences and available published literatures.Findings – The paper identifies three major issues and chall.
The Impact of Legislation, Enforcement, and Sanctions on Safety Belt Use

This report summarizes the effectiveness of mandatory approaches to increase safety belt usage. The report will be of particular interest to safety practitioners with responsibility for developing and implementing safety belt usage programs. It focuses on the impact of legislation, enforcement, and sanctions in increasing safety belt usage. It finds strong and consistent evidence of past and current legislative and enforcement efforts, as well as consistent evidence suggesting the importance of sanctions.
Deciding Which Queue to Join: Some Counterexamples

Consider a queueing system with two or more servers, each with its own queue with infinite capacity. Customers arrive according to some stochastic process e.g., a Poisson process and immediately upon arrival must join one of the queues, thereafter to be served on a first-come first-served basis, with no jockeying or defections allowed. The service times are independent and identically distributed with a known distribution. Moreover, the service times are independent of the arrival process and the customer decisions. The only information about the history of the system available for deciding which queue to join is the number of customers currently waiting and being served at each server. Joining the shortest queue is known to minimize each customer's individual expected delay and the long-run average delay per customer when the service-time distribution is exponential or has nondecreasing failure rate. We show that there are service-time distributions for which it is not optimal to always join the shortest queue. We also show that if, in addition, the elapsed service times of customers in service are known, the long-run average delay is not always minimized by customers joining the queue that minimizes their individual expected delays.
Reconstitution of Runx2/Cbfa1‐null cells identifies a requirement for BMP2 signaling through a Runx2 functional domain during osteoblast differentiation

The Runx2/Cbfa1 transcription factor is a scaffolding protein that promotes osteoblast differentiation; however, the specific Runx2‐functional domains required for induction of the osteogenic lineage remain to be identified. We approached this question using a TERT‐immortalized cell line derived from calvaria of Runx2‐null mice by reconstituting the osteogenic activity with wild‐type and deletion mutants of Runx2. The presence or absence of osteogenic media (β‐glycerol phosphate and ascorbic acid) and/or with BMP2 did not stimulate osteoblastic gene expression in the Runx2‐null cells. However, cells infected with wild‐type Runx2 adenovirus showed a robust temporal increase in the expression of osteoblast marker genes and were competent to respond to BMP2. Early markers (i.e., collagen type‐1, alkaline phosphatase) were induced (four‐ to eightfold) at Days 4 and 8 of culture. Genes representing mature osteoblasts (e.g., Runx2, osteopontin, bone sialoprotein, osteocalcin) were temporally expressed and induced from 18‐ to 36‐fold at Days 8 and 12. Interestingly, TGFβ and Vitamin D‐mediated transcription of osteoblast genes (except for osteopontin) required the presence of Runx2. Runx2 lacking the C‐terminal 96 amino acids (Runx2 Δ432) showed a pattern of gene expression similar to wild‐type protein, demonstrating the Groucho interaction and part of the activation domain are dispensable for Runx2 osteogenic activity. Upon further deletion of the Runx2 C‐terminus containing the nuclear matrix targeting signal and Smad‐interacting domain (Δ391), we find none of the osteoblast markers are expressed. Therefore, the Runx2 391‐432 domain is essential for execution of the BMP2 osteogenic signal. J. Cell. Biochem. 100: 434–449, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hidden on the line: labour contracting in the Korean automobile industry

Not only is there an increase in the use of contract workers in some of today’s workplaces, but a qualitative shift has also taken place in the nature of labour contracting, as the operation of labour intermediaries has expanded from peripheral services to the main production activities of companies. This new phenomenon implies the greater integration of labour contracting into the production process, together with changes in employment practices and the rights of workers. This thesis aims to better understand how the changing nature of labour contracting affects employment relationships by undertaking an empirical investigation of in-house contracting arrangements in the South Korean automobile industry. In so doing, it examines roles and relationships between workplace actors involved in labour contracting; namely, user firm management, contractors, labour organisations, user firm employees, contract workers and the state. This analysis sheds light on the process of change in labour contracting and the consequences of increased labour contracting in the workplace. The thesis argues that the coordination of workplace changes brought about by increased flexibility attained through the use of contract workers is fraught with tension, which influences the ways in which employment relationships are shaped in the context of any particular firm. The essence of such tension lies in the pursuit of organisational flexibility and quality control in the production process, both of which are considered to be necessary to ensuring the performance of firms. Contradictions arise from the attempts of user firms to avoid employment-related responsibility for the labour force, while at the same time exerting managerial control over contract workers. Such tensions and paradoxes are associated with conflicts of interest, and compromise between and within workplace actors. A case study of the Korean automobile industry is provided that explores the contradictory nature of the labour contracting system, as contract workers with fewer employment entitlements are brought into core production processes; and investigates the manner in which inherent tensions play out in shaping employment relationships and the orientation of labour contracting practices. The findings of this thesis could help in the further understanding of the implications of change in labour contracting practices, and contribute to overcoming the current limits of thinking with regard to labour flexibility and employment relationships in the context of in-house contracting.
Database for Policy Actions on Housing Markets

A new database for policy actions on housing markets covers 60 economies worldwide from January 1990 (or earliest date available) to June 2012. Policy actions are summarised by type, region, timing and direction. We suggest how the database might help policymakers and researchers to review what types of policy action were taken in other economies and to assess their effectiveness.
Audit Quality, Auditor Compensation and IPO Underpricing

By examining a sample of Australian firms going public over the period 1996 to 2003, we jointly study the impact of audit quality on auditor compensation and IPO underpricing. We find that quality (Big 4) audit firms earn significantly higher fees than Non-Big 4 auditors, and audit quality is positively associated with IPO underpricing. The positive relation between audit quality and underpricing is more pronounced for small issues, IPOs underwritten by non-prestigious underwriters, and those that are not backed by venture capitalists. Taken together, our results suggest that quality auditors serve as a signaling device that enhances post-issue market value of equity.
Sucrose‐derived exopolysaccharides of Streptococcus mutans V403 contribute to infectivity in endocarditis

We used an isogenic mutant of Streptococcus mutans V403, which differs from the wild‐type V403 in genes involved in glucan and fructan production, to examine the importance of these exopolysaccharides as factors affecting infectivity in endocarditis. Rats inoculated with V403 developed endocarditis more frequently than animals inoculated with the mutant strain which produced neither glucan nor fructan (58% versus 12%, P<0.01). In phagocytosis assays, both strains were found to be associated with the human granulocytes but a greater number of live V403 than of mutant organisms could be recovered. Colony counts recovered from fibrin plates incubated with the mutant were lower than those incubated with V403. These experiments indicate that exopolysaccharides produced by Streptococcus mutans contribute to its infectivity in endocarditis.
Operational and Financial Hedging: Friend or Foe?Evidence from the U.S. Airline Industry

This paper analyzes three operational hedges that are at the disposal of an airline to determine if operational and financial hedges are complements or substitutes. The operational hedges studied are: fleet composition, fleet fuel efficiency, and whether the fleet is leased. We find that with respect to fleet composition airlines are more likely to use financial derivatives. However, we do not find a statistically significant relation between fleet fuel efficiency or leased fleet and financial hedging. Consistent with prior research, we find the use of financial derivatives increases firm value. However, surprisingly, the use of operational hedges actually decreases the value of the firm.