Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Term Structure Models with Differences in Beliefs

In this paper we study both theoretically and empirically the implications of macroeconomic disagreement for bond market dynamics. If there is a source of heterogeneity in the belief structure of the economy then differences in beliefs can affect equilibrium asset prices. Using survey data on a unique data set we propose a new empirically observable proxy to measure macroeconomic disagreement and find a number of novel results. First, consistent with a general equilibrium model, heterogeneity in beliefs affect the price of risk so that belief dispersion regarding the real economy, inflation, short and long term interest rates predict excess bond returns with R 2 between 21%43%. Second, macroeconomic disagreement explains the volatility of stock and bonds with high statistical significance with an R 2 ∼ 26% in monthly projections. Third, disagreement also contains significant information trading activity: dispersion in beliefs explains the growth rate of open interest on 10 year treasury notes with R 2 equal to 21%. Fourth, while around half the information contained in the cross-section of expectations is spanned by the yield curve, there remains large unspanned component important for bond pricing. Finally, we control for an array of alternative predictor variables and show that the information contained in the belief structure of the economy is different from either consensus views or fundamentals. JEL classification: D9, E3, E4, G12
FBAR—From Technology Development to Production--

IN 2001, FBAR technology –in the form of PCS duplexers—showed up in cell phones. By the year 2002, Agilent began high volume FBAR manufacturing. The value proposition for FBAR duplexers was compelling. Up to 2001, PCS duplexers were made out of ceramic and were quite large. SAW technology was perceived as unable to meet the very stringent power requirement, not to mention the exacting electrical specifications. Agilent FBAR was not created overnight. Prior to 2001, Agilent invested eight years of R&D on FBAR. Major R&D investment was done on further improvements to the FBAR device and development of the microcap. Along the way, Agilent closed one FBAR fabrication facility and transferred the process to a 6” CMOS facility. In 2004, Agilent has received is first orders for microcap’d FBAR filters and duplexers. This paper attempts to highlight some of the issues going to high volume manufacturing.
A Comparative Study of Four Metaheuristic Algorithms, AMOSA, MOABC, MSPSO, and NSGA-II for Evacuation Planning

Evacuation planning is an important activity in disaster management to reduce the effects of disasters on urban communities. It is regarded as a multi-objective optimization problem that involves conflicting spatial objectives and constraints in a decision-making process. Such problems are difficult to solve by traditional methods. However, metaheuristics methods have been shown to be proper solutions. Well-known classical metaheuristic algorithms—such as simulated annealing (SA), artificial bee colony (ABC), standard particle swarm optimization (SPSO), genetic algorithm (GA), and multi-objective versions of them—have been used in the spatial optimization domain. However, few types of research have applied these classical methods, and their performance has not always been well evaluated, specifically not on evacuation planning problems. This research applies the multi-objective versions of four classical metaheuristic algorithms (AMOSA, MOABC, NSGA-II, and MSPSO) on an urban evacuation problem in Rwanda in order to compare the performances of the four algorithms. The performances of the algorithms have been evaluated based on the effectiveness, efficiency, repeatability, and computational time of each algorithm. The results showed that in terms of effectiveness, AMOSA and MOABC achieve good quality solutions that satisfy the objective functions. NSGA-II and MSPSO showed third and fourth-best effectiveness. For efficiency, NSGA-II is the fastest algorithm in terms of execution time and convergence speed followed by AMOSA, MOABC, and MSPSO. AMOSA, MOABC, and MSPSO showed a high level of repeatability compared to NSGA-II. It seems that by modifying MOABC and increasing its effectiveness, it could be a proper algorithm for evacuation planning.
Identi cation of osteosarcoma driver genes by integrative analysis of copy number and gene expression data

High-grade osteosarcoma is a tumor with a complex genomic pro le, occurring primarily in adolescents with a second peak at middle age. The extensive genomic alterations obscure the identi cation of genes driving tumorigenesis during osteosarcoma development. To identify such driver genes, we integrated DNA copy number pro les (A ymetrix SNP 6.0) of 32 diagnostic biopsies with 84 expression pro les (Illumina Human-6 v2.0) of highgrade osteosarcoma as compared with its putative progenitor cells, i.e. mesenchymal stem cells (n = 12) or osteoblasts (n = 3). In addition, we performed paired analyses between copy number and expression pro les of a subset of 29 patients for which both DNA and mRNA pro les were available. Integrative analyses were performed in Nexus Copy Number software and statistical language R. Paired analyses were performed on all probes detecting signi cantly di erentially expressed genes in corresponding LIMMA analyses. For both nonpaired and paired analyses, copy number aberration frequency was set to > 35%. Nonpaired and paired integrative analyses resulted in 45 and 101 genes, respectively, which were present in both analyses using di erent control sets. Paired analyses detected > 90% of all genes found with the corresponding nonpaired analyses. Remarkably, approximately twice as many genes as found in the corresponding nonpaired analyses were detected. A ected genes were intersected with di erentially expressed genes in osteosarcoma cell lines, resulting in 31 new osteosarcoma driver genes. Cell division related genes, such as MCM4 and LATS2, were overrepresented and genomic instability was predictive for metastasis-free survival, suggesting that deregulation of the cell cycle is a driver of osteosarcomagenesis.
Determinants of Acquisition Premiums: Empirical Evidence from Mining Industry in Australia and Canada

The objective of this study is to identify and analyse the determinants of the cross-sectional differences in mining industry takeover premiums. The study investigates how the method of payment, international corporate diversification, target takeover resistance, the distribution of target firm ownership and target firm performance affect the size of observed acquisition premiums offered to target mining firms. Using Australian and Canadian data spanning 19972007 the study answers five research questions constructed based on the above variables in attempting to fill the gaps left by previous merger and acquisition research. The results show that cash takeovers, hostile target management, the distribution of target ownership and poor target managerial performance prior to the takeover announcement all have statistically significant effects of acquisition premiums, where as the perceived international diversification benefits and the price-to-earnings ratio of the target firm fail to identify the hypothesised relationship. The results have beneficial implications for both individual investors and target firm management associated with an acquisition in the mining industry in regard to evaluating a takeover offer with the aim of maximising investment returns.
Legal Access to Reproductive Control Technology, Women’s Education, and Earnings Approaching Retirement

What do historical changes in legal access to reproductive health care technology tell us about the long-run effects of such changes? We investigate this question using data from the Health and Retirement Study and an identification strategy leveraging variation in exposure to legal changes in access across cohorts born in the same states. We find positive effects on educational attainment that align with prior work but are not statistically significant. We also find positive effects on working in a Social Security-covered job in women's 20s and 30s but no evidence of positive effects on women's earnings in their 50s.
Impact of a conservation agriculture system on soil characteristics, rice yield, and root-parasitic nematodes in a Cambodian lowland rice field

Abstract Rice production in Southeast Asia is significantly affected by root-parasitic nematodes (RPN). The Green Revolution has encouraged new agricultural practices (e.g. intensive monoculture, high yielding rice variety) to respond to the high rice demand; however, these methods have promoted the spread of these pests. The recent banning of chemical nematicides resulted in a need for alternative sustainable control strategies. In the present study, we assessed the effects of a direct-seeding mulch-based cropping system (DMC) vs conventional plough-based tillages (CT) on soil properties, rice yield and RPN communities during a two-year trial in Cambodia. Our results show that on average the population densities of RPN were significantly higher in DMC than in CT. Molecular identification revealed only two RPN species associated with roots: Meloidogyne graminicola, not previously reported from Cambodia, was predominant and was present throughout the plant’s development, whereas Hirschmanniella mucronata was only found at the tillering and milky stages. We conclude that DMC had a significant positive impact on rice yield, despite higher RPN short-term pressure. In order to increase the efficiency of such cropping systems, further studies and an evaluation of the long-term relationships between DMC, the nature of cover crops used, the soil biota including RPN, and rice yield should be conducted.
In-vitro Comparison of Tensile Strength of CommonlyUsed Suture Materials for Oral and PeriodontalSurgeries by simulating Oral Environment

Objectives: The present in vitro study sought to evaluate the effect of saliva on the tensile strength of the commonly used suture material over a period of two weeks. Three suture materials Silk (SL), polyglactin 910 (PG) and polypropylene (PP) were used in 4-0 gauge. Methods: A total of 120 suture samples (40 from each material) were used for the experiment. Artificial saliva was mixed with human serum in 1:1 to simulate oral environment. All samples were tested at preimmersion (baseline), 3rd, 7th and 14th day post-immersion period. Universal testing machine was used to test the selected mechanical properties. Results: The distribution of mean baseline tensile strength was significantly higher in PP group (P-value<0.001). Inter-group comparison revealed that PP group has maximum tensile strength when compared with PG and SL groups at all point of time. Intra-group comparison showed that all the three suture materials had significant difference in mechanical properties when pre-immersion values were compared with 14th day post-immersion values (P-value<0.001). Conclusion: PP sutures are strongest and have highest tensile strength and elongation property. PP seems to sustain its tensile strength better than SL and PG at the end of 14th day. Planned clinical experiments are necessary to verify this finding in an in-vivo setting.
Between demonstrative and definite: A grammar competition model of the evolution of French l-determiners

Abstract This article investigates the spread of the le/la/les-forms in the diachrony of French on the basis of large-scale corpora. It focuses on the issue of their “mixed” distribution viz. the observation that during a long period of time the le/la/les-forms in French do not pattern as either (anaphoric) demonstratives from which they originate (Late Latin ille), nor as (uniqueness-based) definites, which they end up becoming in Modern French. We model the phenomenon as a competition between two grammars which ascribe different Logical Forms to the l-forms and test model predictions in contexts which differ with respect to whether they satisfy the relevant conditions for either demonstrative or definite semantics. We also suggest that this change was part of a larger change involving the spread of presupposition triggers within noun phrases. We show that our model correctly predicts the relative rates of determiner spread in various contexts.
DRYING PROCESS OF TWO SPECIAL PLANTS

The purpose of this work is determination of drying coefficient of porous material. Using the mathematical model of drying process of thick grain layer, a methodology of determination of drying coefficient of porous material in thin layer, using the experimental data, was done. Using the experimental data with natural convective drying method in the laboratory conditions there were calculated the theoretical drying coefficients, useful for description and modelling of the drying process, calculated theoretical results of moisture removal and compared with experimental results obtained from the measurements. The results of drying of typical traditional medicinal herbs which are Tilia cordata L. and Sambucus nigra L. are compared. The obtained results of this research are parameters, which can be used for other research work and for improvement of the whole drying process.
Occurrence of Medical Concerns in Psychiatric Outpatients with Intellectual Disabilities

ABSTRACT Despite the fact that adults with both intellectual disabilities (ID) and psychiatric disorders are at increased risk for physical health problems, few studies have described their medical concerns specifically. This study reports on the rates of physical health issues and completion of recommended health screenings among 78 adult outpatients with ID in a specialized psychiatric service. We conducted a retrospective chart review of physical health information gathered by the psychiatric nurse using a standardized head-to-toe assessment tool and compared findings from nursing assessments to health information collected at intake based on patient and caregiver perspectives. Psychiatric outpatients with ID had at least one physical health issue and most had multiple concerns flagged through nursing assessments, the majority of which were not documented at intake. Our findings highlight the important role of the psychiatric nurse in management of patients with ID and indicate the need for more comprehensive health monitoring.
ANALYSIS OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL REPORTING WITHIN ANNUAL REPORTS OF COMPANIES IN SLOVAKIA

In a “knowledge-based” economy, the source of companies’ economic value no longer depends on the production of material goods but on the creation and manipulation of intellectual capital. As a result, the concept of intellectual capital, which quantifies the knowledge, skills, relationships, processes, innovation and other components of intangible assets, has became the most important business factor. Companies interesting in building and maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage have to focus in larger extent on their intellectual capital as well as their knowledge activities. Although intellectual capital reports are not commonly created by Slovak companies, their annual reports are often used to inform stakeholders about different components of intellectual capital. The paper focuses on the concept of intellectual capital as a management instrument for assessing and developing resources needed for fulfillment the corporate strategy and provides a systematic research based evidence on the intellectual capital reporting within annual reports of 25 Slovak companies.
Prevalence and Effect of Social Media on Sleep among Students of Higher Institutions in Sokoto Metropolis, Sokoto State Nigeria

Background: Social media use is a very popular leisure activity that is common amongst young people globally. There is increasing evidence that students spend several hours daily on social media with affectation of sleep duration. Sleep duration of 7 to 9 hours daily is needed for normal healthy function of the human body. This study was conducted to determine the effect of social media on sleep pattern among students of higher institutions in Sokoto metropolis, Sokoto State. Methods: This was a cross sectional descriptive study carried out among 381 students of higher institutions in Sokoto metropolis using multistage sampling technique. Frequencies of the various variables were tabulated and chi-square tests were done as appropriate. Results: About 67.4% of the respondents were within the age group 20-24 years. A total of 97.9% of the respondents used social media with WhatsApp ((84.9%) and Facebook ((81.7%) being the commonly used platforms. More than a quarter ((27.4%) used social media for more than 3 hours in a day. About 92% of the respondents used social media at night. Almost half of the respondents who used social media at night have their sleep duration affected by its use. Those using it for more than 2 hours at night were 5 times more likely to have sleep affectation ((AOR=2.9 – 7.3, p<0.000). Conclusion: The study demonstrated high prevalence of social media use amongst students of higher institutions in Sokoto with a significant proportion of them having sleep duration shortened. Schools and the general public should be made to create awareness on the negative impact of using social media among students especially at night.
Investigating European ETFs: The Case of the Swiss Exchange Traded Funds

In this paper we study the performance and the trading characteristics of a sample of 36 Swiss Exchange Traded Funds during the period 2001-2006. Using daily data we find that Swiss ETFs underperform their underlying indexes and encumber investors with greater risk. We also find that Swiss ETFs do not adopt full replication strategies and the magnitude of tracking error is substantial to an approximate average of 1.02%. Further investigation reveals that the tracking error is positively related to the management fees and risk of ETFs while the impact of expenses on ETFs performance is negative on ETF investor returns. Finally, in regression results we estimate that the volume of Swiss ETFs is positively affected by the intraday price volatility, the number of trades, and the trading frequency while a significant part of volume is unrelated to the above factors. *University of Athens, 5 Stadiou Street, 105 62 Athens, Greece, e-mail: nmilonas@econ.uoa. gr (Corresponding author) ** Research Associate, University of Athens, e-mail: grompotis@kpmg.gr This paper has been prepared for presentation at the 2006 Annual Conference of HFAA in Thessaloniki, Greece. Comments are welcome.
Evidence of habitat associations and distribution patterns of rockfish in Puget Sound from archival data (1974-1977)

Evidence of habitat associations and distribution patterns of rockfish in Puget Sound from archival data (1974-1977) Hilary F. Browning Chair of Supervisory Committee: Associate Professor Terrie Klinger School of Marine and Environmental Affairs Rockfish (Sebastes spp.) populations have declined dramatically and failed to recover in Puget Sound, WA following a period of heavy exploitation in the 1970s and 1980s. Despite these declines, there exist few historical data on which to base management and rebuilding plans. I explored whether archival data from an early recreational fishing survey could be used to 1) characterize the distribution of rockfish species in Puget Sound in the 1970s with respect to environmental variables and 2) detect changes in rockfish distribution and abundance over time. Results of multivariate analysis indicated that catch for black rockfish (S. melanops) and brown rockfish (S. auriculatus) in part could be explained by proximity to kelp and the average magnitude of bottom currents, while bathymetric characteristics were not effective for predicting catch for any species. Comparisons of catch across sites revealed that copper rockfish (S. caurinus) and brown rockfish were unlikely to be caught at the same sites, suggesting limited cooccurrence at locations within the study area. Black rockfish, yelloweye rockfish (S. ruberrimus), greenstriped rockfish (S. elongatus) and quillback rockfish (S. maliger) were caught along a range of sites, suggesting a weak gradient in their distribution across the study area. The data ultimately proved unsuitable for the purposes of detecting change over time, due to problems of data adequacy and mismatches between the scale of data collection and the scale of ecological
PERIURBAN – A COMPARISON BETWEEN INDIA AND WESTERN COUNTRIES

The PERIURBAN project was an EC funded thematic network with the aim of obtaining an understanding for sustainable development in periurban settlements of India's major cities. The project’s focus was on a crosssectional analysis including a socio-economic framework, the institutional setup and the analysis regarding energy and transport, which have not been explicitly tackled in previous projects of the same kind. The case studies have been carried out in several Indian major cities, such as Kolkatta, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmadabad and Chennai.
ANALYZING THE CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES OF PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES IN GHANA

The purpose of the study was to investigate the conflict resolution styles used by public sector employees. To this end, the article reports findings from an analysis of the conflict resolution styles of teachers and nurses working in the public sector of Ghana. A total sample of 331 public sector employees including 189 public school teachers and 142 nurses of public hospitals was investigated. Rahim’s Organisational Conflict Inventory -ROCI-II) was used to collect data from the sample which was analysed using regression statistical method. Results showed that the most preferred conflict resolution style by teachers was ‘Avoiding’ followed by integrating/collaborating, whereas ‘Compromising’ was the least preferred style. For nurses, the most preferred style was ‘Avoiding’ followed by ‘Obliging/Accommodation’, whereas the compromising style was the least preferred. Teachers significantly differed from nurses in the utilization of Dominating and Compromising conflict resolution styles. Teachers utilized these two styles more often than the nurses. Recommendations and implications are discussed.
Is Expert Input Valuable? The Case of Predicting Surgery Duration

Most data-driven decision support tools do not include input from people. We study whether and how to incorporate physician input into such tools, in an empirical setting of predicting the surgery duration. Using data from a hospital, we evaluate and compare the performances of three families of models: models with physician forecasts, purely data-based models, and models that combine physician forecasts and data. We find that combined models perform the best, which suggests that physician forecasts have valuable information above and beyond what is captured by data. We also find that applying simple corrections to physician forecasts performs comparably well.
A Mini Review on Different Methods of Functional-MRI Data Analysis

Physiological changes due to blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signals from the brain can be probed by functional MRI (fMRI). Especially, several resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) studies have evidenced the alterations in the default mode network (DMN), which is a fundamental network among the resting state networks (RSNs) with respect to progressing diminished brain function due to various disease conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recently, there are several techniques developed to analyze the rs-fMRI data such as voxel based morphometry (VBM), i.e., seed based analysis, independent component analysis (ICA), clustering algorithm, graph method, neural networks, pattern classification method and statistical parametric mapping. Though these techniques are promising, its application on routine clinical practice is not yet developed. However, it may play a vital role in future for diagnostic and prognosticating various dementia conditions. In this review, fundamentals of rs-fMRI, different data analysis techniques such as seed-based, independent component analysis and graph theory analysis, regional homogeneity analysis and amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuations of the rs-fMRI BOLD signal are discussed.