Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Value Relevance of Repetitive Information—Is the Expected Social and Environmental Disclosure Informational?

This paper analyzes the value relevance of firms’ social and environmental disclosure (SED) patterns expected by investors considering firms’ institutional contexts. Results show that the expected SED is value relevant for Chinese firms, not value relevant for Mexican and Canadian firms, and partial value relevant for Chilean, South African, and American firms. For Chinese firms, when the expected SED is isomorphic within the country, it is positively related to market value. However, the alternative expected SED is negatively related to market value. For Chilean firms, only the isomorphic social disclosure is (positively) valued by the stock market. Whereas for South African and American firms, only the alternative social disclosure is positively related to market value. Results suggest that institutions are essential to SED valuation as they determine whether and how stock markets value SED. Researchers in the discipline of accounting has taken an interest in social and environmental activities along with the rise of environmental protection regulations.
Sound localization in the median sagittal plane by hearing impaired listeners

Previously, it was reported that listeners with substantial high‐frequency hearing loss have difficulty localizing sounds in the median sagittal plane [Vander Velde et al., 1812(A) (1993)]. When asked to localize broadband noise, they performed near chance level on an elevation task and somewhat better, but far below normal, on a task that required that they distinguish between sources to the front, overhead, and rear. In the present study, these experiments were repeated with new subjects (n=16), and with the following variations, each introduced to encourage improved performance. (1) Low‐frequency components of the noise stimulus were filtered out to preclude the masking of more informative high‐frequency components. (2) The difficulty level of the elevation task was eased. (3) Subjects were tested while wearing their hearing aids. Each of these changes helped a few individuals, typically in small ways, but none produced statistically significant improvement for the group overall (p≳0.05). Together, the.
Narrowband HST images of M87: Evidence for a disk of ionized gas around a massive black hole

We present Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field/Planetary Camera-2 (HST WFPC2) narrowband H-alpha + (N II) images of M87 which show a small disk of ionized gas with apparent spiral structure surrounding the nucleus of M87. The jet projects approximately 19.5 deg from the minor axis of the disk, which suggests that the jet is approximately normal to the disk. In a companion Letter, Harms et al. measure the radial velocities at r = +/- 0.25 sec along a line perpendicular to the jet, showing that one side of the disk is approaching at 500 +/- 50 km/s and the other side of the disk is receding at 500 +/- 50 km/s. Absorption associated with the disk and the sense of rotation imply that the apparent spiral arms trail the rotation. The observed radial velocites corrected for a 42 deg inclination of the disk imply rotation at +/- 750 km/s. Analysis of velocity measurements at four positions near the nucleus gives a total mass of approximately 2.4 +/- 0.7 x 10(exp 9) solar mass within 18 pc of the nucleus, and a mass-to-light ratio (M/L)(sub I) = 170. We conclude that there is a disk of ionized gas feeding a massive black hole in the center of M87.
Semicontinuous Viscosity Solutions For Hamilton–Jacobi Equations With Convex Hamiltonians

Motivated by various Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equations arising in deteministic optimal control we will modify the concept of viscosity solution introduced by Crandall and Lions for convex (or concave) hamiltonians and semicontinuous solutions. We will see that we can dispense with the Crandall–Lions requirement that we touch the solution by test functions from both above and below and require only touching from one side, Which side depends on whether the solution is upper or lower semicontinuous and the hamiltonian is concave. The advantage of testing from only one side is that Semicontinuous solutions can only be touched from one side. It is shown that this is sufficient to characterize the solution.
Observations of Ammonia in External Galaxies I. NGC 253 and M 82

The ammonia $(J,K) = (1,1)$ , $(2,2)$ , $(3,3)$ , and $(4,4)$ transitions in the 23.7–24.1 GHz region were searched for in nearby galaxies, NGC 253 and M 82, to study the relation between the molecular abundances and physical conditions. The $(1,1)$ , $(2,2)$ , and $(3,3)$ emission lines were clearly detected in NGC 253, but no lines were found in M 82. In NGC 253 the shapes of the three emission lines were different from one another. The rotational temperatures obtained in NGC 253 were $\lesssim 17 \hbox{-} 50 \,{\rm K}$ , depending on the velocity components. There are two main results: (1) The ortho-to-para abundance ratio was obtained in NGC 253 and found to be different depending on the velocity components. The ratio was about 1 for the velocity component where the $(2,2)$ line is detected. On the other hand, the ratio was more than 6 for another velocity component where the $(2,2)$ line is barely detected. This high ratio corresponds to an equilibration temperature of less than 8 K between ortho and para. (2) The abundance of ${\rm NH}_3$ in NGC 253 was found to be about an order of magnitude larger than the upper limit in M 82. This result is an additional evidence for the different molecular abundances which were already reported between NGC 253 and M 82. In addition, the molecular abundances including ${\rm NH}_3$ in nearby galaxies with rich molecular gas were compared, and we found that the molecular abundance in M 82 is systematically peculiar concerning the formation mechanisms of molecules. We discussed factors which cause such a peculiarity in M 82.
A singularity theory analysis of bifurcation problems with octahedral symmetry

We analyse bifurcation problems with octahedral symmetry using results from singularity theory. For non-degenerate bifurcation problems equivariant with respect to the standard action of the octahedral group on we find three branches of symmetry-breaking bifurcation corresponding to the three maximal isotropy subgroups of the symmetry group with one-dimensional fixed-point subspaces. Locally, one of these branches is never asymptotically stable, but precisely one of the other branches is stable if and only if all three branches bifurcate supercritically. A singularity theory classification of these non-degenerate bifurcation problems yields two normal forms. One of these normal forms is of topological codimension one, and so a non-degenerate bifurcation problem need not be generic. Also, each normal form comprises a modal family. Hence the singularity theory classification is more delicate than a topological analysis. In particular, the modal parameters partition the space of non-degenerate bifurcation pr.
Electrostatic ion cyclotron velocity shear instability

An electrostatic ion cyclotron instability driven by sheared velocity flow perpendicular to a uniform magnetic field is investigated in the local approximation. The dispersion equation, which includes all kinetic effects and involves only one important parameter, is cast in the form of Gordeyev integrals and solved numerically. The instability occurs roughly at multiples of the ion cyclotron frequency (but modified by the shear) with the growth rate of the individual harmonics overlapping in wavenumber. At small values of the shear parameter, the instability exists in two branches, one at long wavelength, [kappa][rho][sub i] [approximately] 0.5, and one at short wavelength, [kappa][rho][sub i] > 1.5 ([kappa][rho][sub i] is the wavenumber normalized to the ion gyroradius). At larger values of the shear parameter only the longer wavelength branch persists. The growth rate of the long wavelength mode, maximized over wavenumber and frequency, increases monotonically with the shear parameter. Properties of the instability are compared to those of Ganguli et al. obtained in the nonlocal limit.
Simultaneous Determination of a Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxin and Dibenzo-p-Furan in Environmental Water by Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction (DLLME) and a Modified QuEChERS Procedure with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography – Diode Array Detection (HPLC-DAD)

Abstract Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) are persistent organic pollutants frequently detected in air, soil, and water. Thus, monitoring these compounds in environmental compartments is fundamental to identifying potential risks to human health. However, studies of analytical methods for PCDD/Fs extraction in water are still limited. Therefore, this study aimed to optimize and validate a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) and QuEChERS method combined with high-performance liquid chromatography – diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) to determine 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (2,3,7,8-TCDF) in water samples. The proposed methods were optimized to achieve higher recovery rates for PCDD/Fs extraction. DLLME and QuEChERS combined with HPLC-DAD were validated according to SANTE guidelines to ensure reliability and applicability. The recoveries of both methods ranged from 93.5 to 105.5%, and relative standard deviations were less than 12%. The analytical validation certified that the proposed methods were selective, precise, accurate, and linear, with limits of quantification ranging from 2.4 to 5.3 μg L−1. These results suggested the feasibility of DLLME and modified QuEChERS combined with HPLC-DAD as simple, inexpensive, and environmental-friendly approaches for monitoring PCDD/F in aqueous samples.
Spatial and temporal partitioning of the Western Mediterranean Sea by resident dolphin species

A classic issue in ecology is to understand how similar species coexist in a given area (i.e., sympatry). The situation of dolphins in the Western Mediterranean Sea may represent a special case of sympatry in that three similar species (the short-beaked common dolphin [Delphinus delphis], the striped dolphin [Stenella coeruleoalba], and the bottlenose dolphin [Tursiops truncatus) are under strong human impacts in the same area. From the viewpoint of ecology and conservation biology, it is challenging to determine how these three dolphin species live together and avoid competitive exclusion in the setting of such impacts. The Spanish Institute of Oceanography has a dataset of dolphin species opportunistic sightings. Using these data, we constructed three binary variables, comprising the sighting of one species versus the sighting of either of the other two species. We obtained three significant probability models after performing logistic regression of these binary variables on a set of spatio-temporal explanatory variables. We analysed these models from the perspective of fuzzy set theory by applying the favourability function to the probability models, fuzzy operations overlap, and entropy. The results show that common dolphins are differentially favoured in the eastern part of the study area and far away from main shipping routes. The striped dolphin was differentially favoured in the western part of the study area, above deep waters, near main shipping routes, and in summer and spring. Finally, bottlenose dolphins were differentially favoured in the mid-western part of the study area, in winter, and over shallow waters.
Salmonella Typhimurium Infection Reduces the Ascorbic Acid Uptake in the Intestine

Salmonella Typhimurium infection of the gastrointestinal tract leads to damage that compromises the integrity of the intestinal epithelium and results in enterocolitis and inflammation. Salmonella infection promotes the expression of inflammasome NLRP3, leading to activation and release of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, and the infected host often displays altered nutrient levels. To date, the effect of Salmonella infection and proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β on the intestinal uptake of ascorbic acid (AA) is unknown. Our results revealed a marked decrease in the rate of AA uptake in mouse jejunum infected with Salmonella wild type (WT). However, the nonpathogenic mutant (Δ invA Δ spiB) strain did not affect AA uptake. The decrease in AA uptake due to Salmonella WT infection is accompanied by significantly lower expression of mouse (m)SVCT1 protein, mRNA, and hnRNA levels. NLRP3 and IL-1β expression levels were markedly increased in Salmonella-infected mouse jejunum. IL-1β-exposed Caco-2 cells displayed marked inhibition in AA uptake and significantly decreased hSVCT1 expression at both protein and mRNA levels. Furthermore, the activity of the SLC23A1 promoter was significantly inhibited by IL-1β exposure. In addition, GRHPR (a known SVCT1 interactor) protein and mRNA expression levels were significantly reduced in Salmonella-infected mouse jejunum. These results indicate that Salmonella infection inhibits AA absorption in mouse jejunum and IL-1β-exposed Caco-2 cells. The observed inhibitory effect may partially be mediated through transcriptional mechanisms.
Kinder, gentler – and crisis-proof? Consensus democracy, inclusive institutions and COVID-19 pandemic performance

Abstract Which patterns of democracy perform best? Although a decades-long research tradition has fairly robustly suggested that consensual democracies outperform their Westminster-style majoritarian counterparts, the scope of previous studies has been limited to ‘normal times’. In this article, the endogenous context of the COVID-19 pandemic is leveraged to study whether the alleged superiority of consensualism also holds during crises. It is hypothesised that, in addition to consensus democracy, inclusive institutions – i.e. cabinet size and interest-group corporatism – enhance crisis-related performance. Drawing on new and original data, cross-sectional and hierarchical time-series regression analyses show that horizontal power-sharing and the number of ministers substantively reduced excess mortality, while the structure of the interest-group system had no effect. Although established consensus democracies can draw on their built-in institutional assets even during crises, our findings indicate that majoritarian systems may, as a compensatory performance-enhancing tool, flexibly gear up for crisis-induced necessities by adding more ministers to the cabinet.
THE DELAY TO PEDESTRIANS CROSSING A ROAD

independent. We assume, in other words, that vehicles arrive 'at random'. The assumption of randomness is not usually true in practice, but Adams (1936) has shown that the approximation is quite good under a fairly wide range of conditions. Pedestrians arrive at X at a rate n per unit time, also at random, and independently of the passage of vehicles. Each pedestrian starts to cross the road as soon as it can be seen that no vehicle will pass X during the next interval I, a time assumed for the moment not to vary from one pedestrian to another. In practice, pedestrians often arrive in twos and threes, these 'arrival groups' arriving sufficiently at random, and the theory will apply in this case to groups of pedestrians. However, some indication of how the theory can be applied to individuals rather than arrival groups is given. Each pedestrian will be delayed for a time T, varying from one pedestrian to another. Let P(T) be the probability of a delay greater than T, and let f(T), when it exists, be the frequency function of T, so dP(T) f(T)= dT We shall derive for the above hypothetical situation the function P(T) and the distributions of the sizes of groups of pedestrians crossing or waiting at certain times. Some of the results are extended to the cases when there are two streams of traffic, when the critical gap I is not constant, and when we are given the proportion of arrival-groups of different sizes. The theory has been applied to estimate the delays which would occur to pedestrians and vehicles if 'advance warning signs' were erected at pedestrian crossings. These are intended to give more guidance to road users as to who has the right of way. The results are not all new; the simplest formula for the mean delay to pedestrians was quoted by Adams (1936). Garwood (1940) considered a problem connected with traffic lights which was mathematically almost the same as this, and later applied the results to pedestrian delays for one and two traffic streams. Since this paper was submitted for publication, Raff (1951) has derived the mean delay by a consideration of 'blocks' of vehicles, as in ? 2 3 of the present paper. He also notes equation (7) of ? 2-2 1.
Oceanographic controls on Southern Ocean dimethyl sulfide distributions revealed by machine learning algorithms

We developed two machine learning models to map the Southern Ocean distribution of the climate‐active gas dimethyl sulfide (DMS) at 20 km resolution. Results obtained from ensembles of random forest regressions and artificial neural networks reproduce observed DMS distributions with significantly higher accuracy than traditional statistical techniques, and are less prone to biases and spatial distortions than existing interpolation‐based climatologies. Both models predict persistently low offshore DMS concentrations associated with the Antarctic circumpolar current, suggesting that wind‐driven overturning mixing is the dominant regional control on DMS distributions. In addition, 60% of the variance in DMS seasonality is explained by changes in mixed layer depth and sea surface temperature, with a significant correlation between DMS concentrations and sea‐ice cover in coastal waters. We further identify the tracer Si* (defined as SiOH4−NO3− ) as a potentially important predictor for regional DMS distributions in Southern Ocean waters. At finer scales, our models capture various oceanographic features, including eddies, hydrographic fronts and jets that appear to play a role in driving DMS variability. Our results yield an estimated Southern Ocean sea‐air DMS flux of 8.7 ± 2.1 Tg S integrated across the phytoplankton growing season (October to April), representing 30.8% of total global oceanic S emissions, and highlighting the region's importance to the marine sulfur cycle. Our work provides new insights into the drivers of spatial variability in Southern Ocean DMS concentrations and sea‐air fluxes, and their potential responses to future climate‐dependent changes.
A deep feature fusion and selection‐based retinal eye disease detection from OCT images

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is one of the principal imaging modalities for retinal eye disease detection and classification. Different retinal eye diseases are the leading cause of blindness that can be overcome by early detection. However, ophthalmologists are currently carrying out retinal eye disease detection manually with the help of OCT images that may be erroneous and subjective. Different methods have been presented to automate the manual retinal eye disease detection process that needs further improvement in detection accuracy. This research proposed an automatic method for retinal eye disease detection and classification from OCT images using fusion and selection techniques. First, the modified‐Alexnet and ResNet‐50 are utilized for deep feature vector extraction. In the next step, these vectors are fused serially and rectified by the proposed feature selection framework and passed as input to different machine learning classifiers for retinal disease diagnosis. For this purpose, a publicly available dataset of retinal eye diseases with four classes is utilized. The proposed retinal eye disease detection method achieved an overall average accuracy index of greater than 99.95%, higher than the top one in the literature, that is, 99.39%. Experimental results authenticated that the proposed retinal eye disease detection methodology can reliably be used for automatic eye disease detection from OCT images. Furthermore, the proposed deep feature and selection‐based retinal eye disease detection methodology achieved state‐of‐the‐art performance.
Similar Sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 Detection in Oropharyngeal/Nasopharyngeal and Saliva Samples on the Hologic Panther Platform

Background: Oropharyngeal (OP) and nasopharyngeal (NP) sampling has historically been considered the reference specimen type used for respiratory virus detection. Saliva could be a less invasive alternative for SARS-CoV-2 detection, but limited evidence is available. Methods: The technical and clinical performance of saliva was compared to OP/NP on the Hologic Panther platform with two Aptima assays, the End-Point Transcription-Mediated Amplification assay (EP-TMA) and Real-Time Transcription-Mediated Amplification assay (RT-TMA). The samples were collected at the Public Health Service Testing Site XL location in Schiphol Amsterdam Airport. At the site, the Regional Public Health Laboratory Kennemerland (RPHLK) has a fully equipped laboratory facility. Results: A total of 374 samples (187 OP/NP swabs and 187 saliva samples) were collected from 187 unique patients. The Real-Time Transcription-Mediated Amplification assay (RT-TMA) resulted in comparable sensitivities for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in both the OP/NP swabs (88.3%; 113/128) and saliva samples (87.5%; 112/128). The End-Point Transcription-Mediated Amplification assay (EP-TMA) analyses showed a similar sensitivity (86.7%; 111/128) in the OP/NP swabs but a lower sensitivity in the saliva samples (80.5%; 103/128). Within the discordant analyses, we found no associations in the symptoms, earlier SARS-CoV-2 infections and eating, smoking, drinking and tooth brushing habits within one hour before testing. Conclusions: The Hologic Panther platform Real-Time Transcription-Mediated Amplification assay (RT-TMA) yields a sensitivity for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva that is comparable to the OP/NP swabs derived from participants presenting themselves at a public health testing facility with minimal or mild symptoms.
Thermal Performance of Cooled Tips in a High-Pressure Turbine Cascade

The thermal performance of the three turbine tips was investigated. The results are presented in terms of heattransfer coefficient (h), cooling effectiveness (η), net heat-flux reduction (NHFR), and heat load. The calculations were performed using a cooled flat tip, a cooled cavity tip, and a cooled suction-side squealer tip in a cascade at a tip gap of 1.6%C. The results were validated using experimental data where possible. For an uncooled flat tip, the fluid dynamics are dominated by flow separation at the pressure-side edge. A significant benefit of ejecting coolant inside this separation bubble is shown. At the coolant mass-flow ratio M c = 0:52%, both the cooled flat tip and the cooled cavity tip are well-protected by the coolant. For the cooled suction-side squealer tip, the coolant lifts off from the tip floor and leads to not only low cooling effectiveness, but also to high heat-transfer coefficients. The effects of the coolant mass-flow ratio on the thermal performance of the tip were presented. The effects of end-wall motion on the thermal performance of the blade tip are found to be small in the current study.