Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental and numerical study on a novel bamboo joint for furniture considering effect of loading type on mechanical parameters used in finite element method

The effect of loading type (tension, compression and bolt-bearing) on mechanical properties (elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio and ultimate strength) of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla var. pubescens) in longitudinal direction was evaluated in this study. In addition, experimental and numerical tests were conducted to evaluate withdrawal force capacity and bending moment resistances of a novel demountable bamboo-bolt joint considering effect of loading type on mechanical parameters used in finite element method. The results showed that loading type had significant effect on mechanical properties of Moso bamboo, especially, for ultimate strength; the values of mechanical properties evaluated in this study measured in tension were all much higher than those measured in bolt-bearing state and followed by compression accordingly; in tension, the tensile elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio measured at outer surface were bigger than those at inner surface, respectively; finite element method got more accurate results using the mechanical parameters measured in compression than those in tension and bolt-bearing states; the bamboo-bolt joint proposed in this study can be used in lightweight bamboo structures through improving the embedding strength of beech wood in bamboo culm. In conclusion, one should consider the loading type used to obtain the mechanical para meters inputted in finite element method. In addition, further studies will focus on effect of size and geometry of samples used to determine mechanical properties used in finite element method, and the method of improving embedding strength of beech wood in bamboo culm to increase withdrawal force capacity and bending moment resistances of the demountable bamboo-bolt joint proposed in this study.
Software Piracy Determinants Among University Students: An Empirical Analysis

Software piracy is widespread in many parts of the world. Websites such as Kazaa and more recently BitTorrent based websites have made it easier to access pirated software, which has resulted in increased emphasis on the issue of software piracy in both the software industry and research community. Earlier empirical studies have looked at software piracy as an intentional behaviour. This study explores the demographic, ethical and socio-economical factors that can represent software piracy as an unintentional behaviour among a developing country’s university students. The authors have conducted a comparative analysis of university students from Pakistan and Canada, two countries that differ economically and culturally. The results of the study indicate that software piracy behaviour is different in both groups of students, but that there are also some similarities.
HiGrad: Uncertainty Quantification for Online Learning and Stochastic Approximation

Stochastic gradient descent (SGD) is an immensely popular approach for online learning in settings where data arrives in a stream or data sizes are very large. However, despite an ever-increasing volume of work on SGD, much less is known about the statistical inferential properties of SGD-based predictions. Taking a fully inferential viewpoint, this paper introduces a novel procedure termed HiGrad to conduct statistical inference for online learning, without incurring additional computational cost compared with SGD. The HiGrad procedure begins by performing SGD updates for a while and then splits the single thread into several threads, and this procedure hierarchically operates in this fashion along each thread. With predictions provided by multiple threads in place, a t-based confidence interval is constructed by decorrelating predictions using covariance structures given by a Donsker-style extension of the Ruppert–Polyak averaging scheme, which is a technical contribution of independent interest. Under certain regularity conditions, the HiGrad confidence interval is shown to attain asymptotically exact coverage probability. Finally, the performance of HiGrad is evaluated through extensive simulation studies and a real data example. An R package higrad has been developed to implement the method.
Tribological properties of copper (II) oxide nanoparticle-enriched sandbox bio-lubricant

The demand for bio-lubricant is constantly on the increase due to rapid depletion of world fossil fuel reserves, technological advancement, concern for environmental pollution and its potential to address the energy and environmental problems. This research evaluated the tribological properties of copper (II) oxide nanoparticle-enriched bio-lubricant developed from sandbox (Hura crepitans) seed oil. Copper (II) oxide nanoparticle was added to improve the tribological properties of the bio-lubricant. The experimental parameters were set up according to central composite design of response surface methodology to minimize the numbers of experiments. The bio-lubricants containing varying proportions of copper (II) oxide nanoparticle additive were prepared and their tribological properties were evaluated using ball-on-disc tribometer. The values of parameters used to assess the tribological behaviours were: load (2 N, 5 N, 8 N), speed (150 rpm, 200 rpm, 250 rpm) and nanoparticle concentration (0 wt%, 0.75 wt%, 1.50 wt%). The effects of these parameters on wear rate, friction coefficient and flash temperature parameter were evaluated. The lowest value of coefficient of friction (0.048) was obtained at a speed of 250 rpm and concentration of 0.75 % with load of 5 N. The lowest value of wear rate (0.012) was obtained with load of 5 N, speed of 200 rpm and concentration of 0.75 %. The highest value of flash temperature parameter (0.035) was obtained with load of 5 N, speed of 250 rpm and concentration of 0.75 %. The obtained values complied with the standard specified by American Standards and Testing Materials (ASTM) and compare favourably with conventional lubricant SAE 40 and other biolubricants. The results of the analysis were used for optimizing the parameters to obtain the best lubricant effects. The optimal combination of parameters for minimum coefficient of friction and wear rate as well as maximum flash temperature were found to be: 5.0909 N load, 217.6768 rpm speed and 1.1061 wt% concentration. The overall results revealed that enrichment of sandbox oil with copper (II) oxide nanoparticle improved the tribological behavior of the oil.
Possible amelioration of oxidative stress damage via cyclo-oxygenase pathway by aqueous extract of Terminalia catappa leaves in alloxan induced diabetic rats

Cellular damage due to oxidative stress had been implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases including diabetes mellitus. This study was to investigate possible amelioration of oxidative stress in diabetes mellitus by aqueous leaf extract of Terminalia catappa. Wistar rats weighing 200 -250g was divided into nine groups with 6 rats per group. The main test group has 5 groups while the group for assessing possible mechanism had 4 groups. Group 1 (control) and group 2(non-diabetic) received orally per kg body weight; 0.5ml distilled water and 130mg of Terminalia catappa respectively. Group 3 (diabetic), group 4 (diabetic + extract) and group 5 (diabetic + insulin) also respectively received 0.5ml distilled water, 130mg Terminalia. catappa extract and 0.75UI insulin subcutaneously. Groups 6, 7, 8 and 9 administered orally with aspirin; 30mg/kg, meloxicam; 2mg/kg and combination of extract with aspirin and meloxicam respectively. The experiment lasted for 14 days and glucose level ≥ 200mg/dl was considered diabetic following intraperitoneal injection of 150mg/kg body weight of alloxan. Results showed significant (p<0.05) increase in serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), malondialdehyde (MDA) and a significant (p<0.05) decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) in diabetic group compared with control. The LDL and MDA were significantly (p<0.05) reduced while SOD increased significantly (p<0.05) when compared with diabetic group and the control following administration of Terminalia catappa, aspirin, meloxicam and insulin. The leaf extract of Terminalia catappa possess possible ameliorating potential on oxidative stress induced damages by impeding lipid peroxidation but improved on antioxidant enzyme in diabetic condition.
Activation of Vitamin D Receptor Pathway Enhances Differentiating Capacity in Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Mutations

Simple Summary Around 15% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients harbor mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenases (IDH), which lead to the production of the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). Inhibitors of mutant IDH enzymes and their 2-HG production have been approved by the FDA to be used in patients. However, 60% of IDH mutant AML patients do not respond to these inhibitors or develop mechanisms of resistance, leading to relapse. Among these mechanisms, some produce a 2-HG rebound. Alternative therapies exploiting the 2-HG-dependent molecular effects could therefore be of clinical interest. In this study, we demonstrate that 2-HG specifically activates vitamin D receptor (VDR) in IDH mutant AML cells leading to increased sensitivity to the combination of vitamin D (or VDR agonist) and all-trans retinoic acid and revealing a new therapeutic approach that can be readily applied to AML patients in this subgroup. Abstract Relapses and resistance to therapeutic agents are major barriers in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. These unfavorable outcomes emphasize the need for new strategies targeting drug-resistant cells. As IDH mutations are present in the preleukemic stem cells and systematically conserved at relapse, targeting IDH mutant cells could be essential to achieve a long-term remission in the IDH mutant AML subgroup. Here, using a panel of human AML cell lines and primary AML patient specimens harboring IDH mutations, we showed that the production of an oncometabolite (R)-2-HG by IDH mutant enzymes induces vitamin D receptor-related transcriptional changes, priming these AML cells to differentiate with pharmacological doses of ATRA and/or VD. This activation occurs in a CEBPα-dependent manner. Accordingly, our findings illuminate potent and cooperative effects of IDH mutations and the vitamin D receptor pathway on differentiation in AML, revealing a novel therapeutic approach easily transferable/immediately applicable to this subgroup of AML patients.
Optimization of fractional crystallization on crude biodiesel purification via response surface methodology

ABSTRACT In order to improve separation and purification efficiency of biodiesel, an alternative method has been explored which is fractional crystallization. In this study, glycerol that has a higher melting point was formed as a solid phase while the pure biodiesel was remained in liquid phase during the crystallization process. Response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD) were employed to search for the optimum operating conditions. The best responses were 0.117 and 46.734% for effective partition constant (K) and concentration efficiency (Eff), respectively, while the optimum operating conditions were coolant temperature at −9.5°C and stirring rate at 362 rpm.
Fitting the reproduction number from UK coronavirus case data and why it is close to 1

We present a method for rapid calculation of coronavirus growth rates and R-numbers tailored to publicly available UK data. We assume that the case data comprise a smooth, underlying trend which is differentiable, plus systematic errors and a non-differentiable noise term, and use bespoke data processing to remove systematic errors and noise. The approach is designed to prioritize up-to-date estimates. Our method is validated against published consensus R-numbers from the UK government and is shown to produce comparable results two weeks earlier. The case-driven approach is combined with weight–shift–scale methods to monitor trends in the epidemic and for medium-term predictions. Using case-fatality ratios, we create a narrative for trends in the UK epidemic: increased infectiousness of the B1.117 (Alpha) variant, and the effectiveness of vaccination in reducing severity of infection. For longer-term future scenarios, we base future R(t) on insight from localized spread models, which show R(t) going asymptotically to 1 after a transient, regardless of how large the R transient is. This accords with short-lived peaks observed in case data. These cannot be explained by a well-mixed model and are suggestive of spread on a localized network. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Technical challenges of modelling real-life epidemics and examples of overcoming these’.
A Foot in the Door: Field-experiments on Entrepreneurs’ Network Activation Strategies for Investor Referrals

Research summary: We investigate entrepreneurial network activation – the processes by which entrepreneurs select specific contacts from their existing personal network and persuade the selected contacts to provide referrals to access targeted early-stage investors (venture capitalists or angel-investors). We differentiate between selection of entrepreneur-centric contacts versus investor-centric contacts. We also distinguish between persuasion tactics that induce contacts' cooperation through promises of reciprocity versus offers of monetary incentives. We conducted two field-experiments in India and one in Singapore. Our primary field-experiment involved 42 Singapore-based entrepreneurs seeking referrals from 684 network contacts to reach a panel of 4 investors. Our evidence suggests that selecting investor-centric contacts leads to greater referral success; in addition, persuasion by promising reciprocity also leads to greater referral success. Managerial summary: A vital first-step for resource-starved entrepreneurs seeking funding for their scalable business-idea is to obtain referrals to early-stage investors, since such investors pay more attention to referrals from trusted contacts. Using field-experiments, we examine how entrepreneurs’ choices in selecting network contacts and persuading them to provide referrals drive their access to investors. Results suggest that compared to the habitual pattern of requesting referrals from contacts proximate to themselves, entrepreneurs are about 6 times more likely to secure successful referrals when they select investor-centric contacts for referral requests. Further, actively persuading contacts by promising future reciprocity results in about 3 times higher likelihood of securing successful referrals. Our findings show how thoughtful activation of existing contacts can enable even modestly-connected entrepreneurs to gain investor access.
A decision-relevant hierarchical valuation instrument for freshwater restoration

Freshwater quality is multi-dimensional with many interrelated activities, indicators, and demand-relevant values. Managers of freshwater restoration funds have an obligation to invoke social values when deciding on specific interventions, and balance values with other important criteria. However, it is often difficult to apply non-market values to operational decisions because valuation attributes are either not decision-relevant, ecologically irrelevant, incomplete in scope, or not able to be aggregated or disaggregated to the required spatial scale. The purpose of this study is to develop a stated preference instrument strategically positioned to be relevant to freshwater restoration institutions in New Zealand. The study uses a hybrid approach with different measurement methods to enable the elicitation of not only total willingness to pay for crown restoration activities, but also to decompose values by restoration goal and distance. To solve the problem of the large number of relevant attributes, a novel hierarchical budget allocation approach is used in combination with the recently developed Multiple Discrete-Continuous Nested Extreme Value (MDCNEV) model. The lowest level of the hierarchy includes discrete choice questions to elicit quality and distance trade-offs.
Inward FDI, outward FDI, and firm-level performance in India

ABSTRACT In recent years, India has emerged as a leading foreign direct investment (FDI) player, featuring prominently as both an origin and a destination of FDI. This study takes a firm-level perspective to empirically address the relationship between inward FDI, outward FDI, and firm-level performance in India. Using the Orbis database, our estimates reveal that Indian firms that have at least one foreign shareholder and/or one foreign subsidiary outperform those that do not. Controlling for endogeneity through propensity score matching and difference-in-difference techniques, we show that the deeper the FDI involvement, the larger the performance differentials. Moreover, compared with investing abroad, receiving foreign capital can contribute more toward enhancing the performance of Indian firms.
Clear, Consistent and Engaging: ECB Monetary Policy Communication in a Changing World

This paper examines the importance of central bank communication in ensuring the effectiveness of monetary policy and in underpinning the credibility, accountability and legitimacy of independent central banks. It documents how communication has become a monetary policy tool in itself; one example of this being forward guidance, given its impact on inflation expectations, economic behaviour and inflation. The paper explains why and how consistent, clear and effective communication to expert and non-expert audiences is essential in an environment of an ever-increasing need by central banks to reach these audiences. Central banks must also meet the demand for more understandable information about policies and tools, while at the same time overcoming the challenge posed by the wider public’s rational inattention. Since the European Central Bank was established, the communications landscape has changed dramatically and continues to evolve. This paper outlines how better communication, including greater engagement with the wider public, could help boost people’s understanding of and trust in the Eurosystem.
CSR and Firm Survival: Evidence from the Climate and Pandemic Crises

We analyse the relationship between the extent of a firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its long-term survival probability. We conjecture that a better CSR rating is associated with a lower probability of corporate failure and a longer survival period. Consistent with this, we document that four CSR dimensions (environment, community, employee relations, and product) out of six are positively related to firms’ survival probability. The positive association between CSR ratings and firm survival is stronger for firms operating in more competitive industries and those with weaker governance. We find that a firm’s engagement in CSR activities is particularly crucial for firm survival during pandemics and under adverse climate conditions. We establish causality in the relation between a firm’s CSR activities and its survival probability using instrumental variable (IV) and Heckman two-step analyses. Finally, we find that better financial performance, less stringent financial constraints, greater managerial discipline, and enhanced labor productivity are some of the channels through which firms engaging in more CSR activity achieve longer survival times.
Corporate Acquisitions and Bank Relationships

Using a large dataset of firm-bank and ownership information for 23 European countries over 2008-2015, we study the dynamics of bank relationships after corporate acquisitions and the effects of changing banks on firm performance. Foreign acquirers do not rely on internal capital markets but keep targets' domestic banks. With more domestic banks, firms increase fixed capital and trade credit. In contrast, domestic acquirers remove domestic but add foreign banks. The latter mainly help reduce the cost of financing. We further explore firm and bank heterogeneity and confirm cost of financing and information asymmetry as plausible reasons to change bank.
Macro-Financial Trends in a Model with Concentrated Ownership of Capital

This paper investigates the macroeconomic and asset pricing consequences of the upward trend in financial market participation observed in the U.S. since the late 1980s. In a limited participation two-agent Real Business Cycle model where stockholders feature external habit preferences, higher participation produces higher equity premium and stock market volatility, while reducing the risk-free rate and the standard deviation of aggregate consumption. When coupled with a lower volatility of aggregate shocks, this mechanism helps rationalizing a period characterized by milder aggregate fluctuations but increased perceived risk in asset markets, such as the Great Moderation. I show that these results stem from a novel mechanism whereby an increase in the participation rate improves risk-sharing but raises the representative investor's average risk-aversion, with the latter channel dominating the former. Using household-level data on consumption from the U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey for the sample 1984-2017, I show that the risk-aversion channel is consistent with the empirical evidence.
Equity Book-to-Market Ratios Above One and Macroeconomic Risk

Equity book-to-market ratios (BTM) should not exceed one if a firm’s return on equity exceeds its cost of capital or it employs conservative accounting. Yet, BTM is above one for many firms. We address whether BTM above one reflects macroeconomic risk, which could explain this apparent incongruity. We find BTM above one generates larger hedge returns than BTM below one, but HML—the BTM-based return prediction factor—does not explain the returns for BTM above one. We also find that hedge returns for BTM above one are concentrated in recession years and likely reflect risk rather than mispricing. In addition, we find BTM above one reflects potentially overstated equity book values, but only in non-recession years. In contrast, high BTM below one does not generate hedge returns and reflects potentially overstated equity book values in recession and non-recession years. Together, our findings reveal that BTM above one reflects macroeconomic risk, which means that BTM above one has implications for risk assessment, return prediction, and asset under-impairment identification. Our study calls into question using HML as a return prediction factor for BTM above one and using BTM as a generic measure of conservative accounting or as the key indicator of overstated asset book values.