Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monetary Policy and Volatility of Value and Growth Stocks (2009-2021)

Especially after the subprime international financial crisis, which began in 2007/2008, the role of central banks and the implementation of monetary policy gained ground and affected financial markets. In such a scenario, quantitative easing, a monetary stimulus program implemented by several central banks, significantly reduced interest rates, especially in developed countries. In this context, the objective of the research is to investigate whether there is a relationship between the monetary policy actions of the Federal Reserve (Fed) and the volatility of value and growth stocks in the USA in the period between 2009 and 2021 using a generalized heteroscedastic conditional autoregressive (Garch) model. The research hypothesizes that both value and growth stocks react with increased volatility to changes in monetary policy, with growth stocks showing superior sensitivity. Among the results found, there is evidence that the policies implemented by the Fed over the period led to volatility in the markets, with an emphasis on the intensity of volatility for value stocks to the detriment of growth stocks, which refuted, albeit partially, the initially formulated hypothesis.
Predicting Alcohol Consumption During the Month Before and Predicting Alcohol Consumption During the Month Before and After Beginning College After Beginning College

Background: We sought to determine predictors of drinking the month before and after beginning college, as well as changes in drinking between these two periods among adjudicated students. We conducted these analyses to inform individual and university-wide approaches to addressing underage drinking, particularly among the heaviest drinkers. Methods: The sample consisted of 143 students entering college, adjudicated during their first semester, and interviewed during the same semester. The sample consisted of 43% women. Drinking data were collected through the Time-Line Follow-Back interview. Results: The average number of drinking days (DD) during the first month of college was 7.0 (SD = 4.7), the average number of drinks per drinking day (DDD) was 7.4 (SD = 3.4), and the average volume of standard drink units consumed during this month was 56.3 (SD = 51.2). Students had volunteered for a two-year college facilitation study, and had been invited to participate after receiving a citation for violating university alcohol policies. Analyses consisted of nine backward elimination regression analyses with nine variables entered as predictors (one was a control variable). Age of first intoxication was related to every dependent measure. Men had a higher August DDD, September DDD, and September volume than women. Roommate drinking level was associated with September DDD and September volume. Out-of-state students had a lower August volume than in-state students. High school rank was inversely related to September drinking days
British Industrial Tribunal System. A Socio-Legal Comparison of Degrees of Judicialisation

A comparative analysis of substantive labour law and procedural practices of British Industrial Tribunals and West German Labour Courts reveals striking similarities in handling employment conflicts. Although institutional arrangements are significantly different, both labour court models are largely limited to solving disputes after dismissal, and both operate with a complex procedural mixture of negotiation, conciliation, mediation and adjudication. While the first part of the paper presents historical background information, and while the second part discusses doctrinal aspects by comparing British and West German unfair dismissal laws, the paper focuses in a third part on degrees of judicialisation. Thereby, it tries to explain why litigation rates, plaintiffs' success, and rates of settlement are higher in West German Labour Courts compared to the British Industrial Tribunal system. Furthermore, the paper discusses differences in procedures and courtroom personnel; it is found that interaction patterns of judges or chairmen and legal representatives showed a higher degree of formalism in British Industrial Tribunals than in German Labour Court hearings. On the other hand, with respect to pre-judicial procedures Germany still lacks effective filter institutions while Britain has developed a complex system which resists early judicialisation through an interplay of negotiations in grievance procedures and official conciliation efforts. However with respect to judicial procedures, high degrees of formalisation and low success rates for the claimants in Industrial Tribunals seem to have deterrent effects on potential litigants.
Paying the Human Costs of War

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS viii LIST OF TABLES ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xiii CHAPTER ONE: Theories of American Attitudes toward Warfare 1 CHAPTER TWO: America's Tolerance for Casualties, 1950-2006 23 CHAPTER THREE: Measuring Individual Attitudes toward Military Conflict 67 CHAPTER FOUR: Experimental Evidence on Attitudes toward Military Conflict 98 CHAPTER FIVE: Individual Attitudes toward the Iraq War, 2003-2004 125 CHAPTER SIX: Iraq the Vote: War and the Presidential Election of 2004 167 CHAPTER SEVEN: The Sources and Meaning of Success in Iraq 188 CHAPTER EIGHT: Conclusion 236 BIBLIOGRAPHY 265 INDEX 283
UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) A meta-analysis of the association between mental disorders and juvenile recidivism

To investigate the association between mental disorders and recidivism in juveniles, a three-level meta-analysis of 20 manuscripts (17 independent studies, N = 5737 juveniles) was conducted. The study focused on internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders, and comorbid disorders (combinations of an internalizing and external-izingdisorder). Smalltomoderatemeaneffectsizeswerefoundforexternalizingdisorders( d =0.415, p b 0.001) and comorbid disorders ( d = 0.366, p b 0.001), and no relation was found between internalizing disorders and recidivism ( d = 0.016, p = 0.877). For comorbid disorders, no signi ﬁ cant variation was found between studies and between effect sizes within studies. Therefore, moderator analyses were only conducted for studies on internalizing and externalizing disorders. These analyses revealed that type of recidivism (e.g., rearrest, reincarceration), type of delinquency (e.g., overt and covert delinquency), and gender in ﬂ uenced the direction and magnitude of the associations between recidivism and internalizing and externalizing disorders.
The Reception Of South-Eastern Cultural Patterns: Late Neolithic And Nascent Bronze Age Flint Working In The Vistula Drainage Basin. The Case Of Trough-Like Retouch

This publication constitutes the fruits of National Science Centre research projects (grant no 2011/01/M/HS3/02142 – 6 articles) and the National Programme for the Development of the Humanities (grant no 0108/NPH3/H12/82/2014 – 3 articles). We would like to acknowledge and at the same time express our sincere gratitude for the generosity shown by the following at the Adam Mickiewicz University in making this publication possible: the Dean of the Department of History, Institute of Pre-history and the Eastern Institute.
Detecting changes in future precipitation extremes over eight river basins in China using RegCM4 downscaling

To detect the frequency and intensity of precipitation extremes in China for the middle 21st century, simulations were conducted with the regional climate model RegCM4 forced by the global climate model GFDL_ESM2M under the middle emission scenario (RCP4.5). Compared with observed precipitation extremes for the reference period from 1982 to 2001, RegCM4 generally performed better in most river basins of China relative to GFDL. In the future period 2032–2051, more wet extremes will occur relative to the present period in most study areas, especially in southeast China while significantly less dry extremes will occur in arid and semiarid areas in northwest China. In contrast, areas in northwest China showed an increase in the trend of dry extremes (CDD) and a decrease in the trend of wet extremes (R95p and Rx5day), which might result in more drought in the future. Finally, we discuss in detail the possible reason of these processes, such as zonal wind, vertical wind, and water vapor. In the Huaihe river basin (HU), reduced south winds in summer (June–August) and a decrease of the upward vertical p velocity cause less future precipitation and might lead to changes of extreme events. We also completed correlation analysis between the precipitation extreme indices and the climate factors and found that the precipitation extremes were more sensitive to the annual and seasonal mean precipitation, total water vapor, and upward vertical wind relative to the geopotential height and 2 m temperature over most river basins in China. Perhaps the changes of some wet extremes could be verified partly through changes of annual precipitation due to their high consistence.
Layer Stacking: A Novel Algorithm for Individual Forest Tree Segmentation from LiDAR Point Clouds

Abstract As light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology advances, it has become common for datasets to be acquired at a point density high enough to capture structural information from individual trees. To process these data, an automatic method of isolating individual trees from a LiDAR point cloud is required. Traditional methods for segmenting trees attempt to isolate prominent tree crowns from a canopy height model. We here introduce a novel segmentation method, layer stacking, which slices the entire forest point cloud at 1-m height intervals and isolates trees in each layer. Merging the results from all layers produces representative tree profiles. When compared to watershed delineation (a widely used segmentation algorithm), layer stacking correctly identified 15% more trees in uneven-aged conifer stands, 7%–17% more in even-aged conifer stands, 26% more in mixedwood stands, and 26%–30% more (with 75% of trees correctly detected) in pure deciduous stands. Overall, layer stacking's commission error was mostly similar to or better than that of watershed delineation. Layer stacking performed particularly well in deciduous, leaf-off conditions, even those where tree crowns were less prominent. We conclude that in the tested forest types, layer stacking represents an improvement in segmentation when compared to existing algorithms.
Pressure-Shear Crack Initiation and Expansion Mechanism of Complex Cracked Rock Mass under the Seepage Stress

This work was to analyze and discuss the propagation mechanism of compressive shear initiation of complex fractured rock mass with seepage stress. The dense marble of Daye Iron mine with bulk density of 26.6 kN/m3 and uniaxial compressive strength of 52.4 MPa was selected as the material, and the upper and lower fracture surfaces were polished smoothly. The crack initiation criterion under compressive shear stress state is analyzed by taking the theory of fracture mechanics and classical mechanics. The coupling equation in the extended finite element simulation is established. The influence of lateral pressure on the crack propagation law, the relationship between lateral pressure and fracture, the initial expansion angle and pressure change law, and the effect of working face length on the crack expansion are analyzed. Results. The initial expansion angle of cracks increases with the increase of lateral pressure, and that of a single crack decreases with the increase of pressure. When other conditions are constant, the crack angle of the crevice also shows a trend of increasing with the increase of lateral pressure. When the lateral pressure becomes smaller, the initial expansion angle is relatively small. With the progress of the step size, the expansion angle shows a gradually decreasing trend, that is, the initial expansion angle gradually decreases with the increase of water pressure. The smaller the working face length, the smaller the expansion length of the floor crack. Conclusion. The expansion of the floor cracks is mainly formed by the tensile shear failure, and the fracture water pressure will reduce the initiation stress, which makes the rock mass more prone to the fracture failure.
Self-adaptive Traf ﬁ c and Logistics Flow Control using Learning Agents and Ubiquitous Sensors

Traf ﬁ c ﬂ ow optimisation is a distributed complex problem. Traditional traf ﬁ c and logistics ﬂ ow control algorithms operate on a system level and address mostly switching cycle adaptation of traf ﬁ c signals and lights. This work addresses traf ﬁ c ﬂ ow optimisation by self-adaptive micro-level control by combining Reinforcement Learning and rule-based agent models for action selection with a new hybrid agent architecture. I.e., long-range routing is performed by agents that adapt their decision making for re-routing on local environmental sensors. Agent-based modelling and simulation are used to study emergence effects on urban city traf ﬁ c ﬂ ows with learning agents. The approach and the proposed agent architecture can be generalised and applied to a broader range of application ﬁ elds, e.g., logistics and general transport phenomena.
Exploration of the Pathogenesis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Caused by Smoking—Based on Bioinformatics Analysis and In Vitro Experimental Evidence

This study was aimed at investigating the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) caused by smoking—based on bioinformatics analysis and in vitro experimental evidence. The GEO, GEO2R, TargetScan, miRDB, miRWalk, DAVID, and STRING databases were used for bioinformatics analysis. The mRNA expression and the protein levels were determined by real-time PCR and ELISA. After taking the intersection of the diversified results of the databases, four differentially expressed miRNAs (hsa-miR-146a, hsa-miR-708, hsa-miR-150, and hsa-miR-454) were screened out. Subsequently, a total of 57 target genes of the selected miRNAs were obtained. The results of DAVID analysis showed that the selected miRNAs participated in COPD pathogenesis through long-term potentiation, the TGF-β signaling pathway, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, etc. The results of STRING prediction showed that TP53, EP300, and MAPK1 were the key nodes of the PPI network. The results of the confirmatory experiment showed that, compared with the control group, the mRNA expression of ZEB1, MAPK1, EP300, and SP1 were up-regulated, while the expression of MYB was down-regulated and the protein levels of ZEB1, MAPK1, and EP300 were increased. Taken together, miRNAs (hsa-miR-146a, hsa-miR-708, hsa-miR-150, and hsa-miR-454) and their regulated target genes and downstream protein molecules (ZEB1, EP300, and MAPK1) may be closely related to the pathological process of COPD.
Toward explainable AI (XAI) for mental health detection based on language behavior

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) in general and Natural Language Processing (NLP) in particular are paving the new way forward for the automated detection and prediction of mental health disorders among the population. Recent research in this area has prioritized predictive accuracy over model interpretability by relying on deep learning methods. However, prioritizing predictive accuracy over model interpretability can result in a lack of transparency in the decision-making process, which is critical in sensitive applications such as healthcare. There is thus a growing need for explainable AI (XAI) approaches to psychiatric diagnosis and prediction. The main aim of this work is to address a gap by conducting a systematic investigation of XAI approaches in the realm of automatic detection of mental disorders from language behavior leveraging textual data from social media. In pursuit of this aim, we perform extensive experiments to evaluate the balance between accuracy and interpretability across predictive mental health models. More specifically, we build BiLSTM models trained on a comprehensive set of human-interpretable features, encompassing syntactic complexity, lexical sophistication, readability, cohesion, stylistics, as well as topics and sentiment/emotions derived from lexicon-based dictionaries to capture multiple dimensions of language production. We conduct extensive feature ablation experiments to determine the most informative feature groups associated with specific mental health conditions. We juxtapose the performance of these models against a “black-box” domain-specific pretrained transformer adapted for mental health applications. To enhance the interpretability of the transformers models, we utilize a multi-task fusion learning framework infusing information from two relevant domains (emotion and personality traits). Moreover, we employ two distinct explanation techniques: the local interpretable model-agnostic explanations (LIME) method and a model-specific self-explaining method (AGRAD). These methods allow us to discern the specific categories of words that the information-infused models rely on when generating predictions. Our proposed approaches are evaluated on two public English benchmark datasets, subsuming five mental health conditions (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression and psychological stress).
Becker Digital

Background: While it is known that elevated baseline intracardiac repolarization lability is associated with the risk of fast ventricular tachycardia (FVT)/ventricular ﬁbrillation (VF), the effect of its longitudinal changes on the risk of FVT/VF is unknown. Methods and Results: Near-ﬁeld (NF) right ventricular (RV) intracardiac electrograms (EGMs) were recorded every 3–6 months at rest in 248 patients with structural heart disease [mean age 61 . 2 ± 13 . 3; 185(75%) male; 162(65.3%) ischemic cardiomyopathy] and implanted cardioverter-deﬁbrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy deﬁbrillator (CRT-D) [201 (81%) primary prevention]. Intracardiac beat-to-beat QT variability index (QTVI NF ) was measured on NF RV EGM. During the ﬁrst study phase (median 18 months), participants made on average 2.4 visits. Then remote follow-up was continued for an additional median period of 3 years. Average QTVI NF did not change during the ﬁrst year after ICD implantation ( − 0 . 342 ± 0 . 603 at baseline vs. − 0 . 262 ± 0 . 552 at 6 months vs. − 0 . 334 ± 0 . 603 at 12 months); however, it decreased thereafter ( − 0 . 510 ± 0 . 603 at 18 months; P = 0 . 042). Adjusted population-averaged GEE model showed that the odds of developing FVT/VF increased by 75% for each 1 unit increase in QTVI NF . (OR 1.75 [95%CI 1.05–2.92]; P = 0 . 031). However, individual patient–speciﬁc QTVI NF trends (increasing, decreasing, ﬂat) varied from patient to patient. For a given patient, the odds of developing FVT/VF were not associated with increasing or decreasing QTVI NF over time [OR 1.27; (95%CI 0.05–30.10); P = 0 . 881]. Conclusion: While on average the odds of FVT/VF increased with an increase in QTVI NF , patient-speciﬁc longitudinal trends in QTVI NF did not affect the odds of FVT/VF.
Inhibition of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity by levo-1-methyl Inhibition of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity by levo-1-methyl tryptophan blocks gamma interferon-induced chlamydia tryptophan blocks gamma interferon-induced chlamydia trachomatis persistence in human epithelial cells trachoma

Gamma interferon (IFN-(cid:1) ) induces expression of the tryptophan-catabolizing enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) in human epithelial cells, the permissive cells for the obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis . IDO1 depletes tryptophan by catabolizing it to kynurenine with consequences for C. trachomatis , which is a tryptophan auxotroph. In vitro studies reveal that tryptophan depletion can result in the formation of persistent (viable but noncultivable) chlamydial forms. Here, we tested the effects of the IDO1 inhibitor, levo-1-methyl-tryptophan (L-1MT), on IFN-(cid:1) -induced C. trachomatis persistence. We found that addition of 0.2 mM L-1MT to IFN-(cid:1) -exposed infected HeLa cell cultures restricted IDO1 activity at the mid-stage (20 h postinfection [hpi]) of the chlamydial developmental cycle. This delayed tryptophan depletion until the late stage (38 hpi) of the cycle. Parallel morphological and gene expression studies indicated a consequence of the delay was a block in the induction of C. trachomatis persistence by IFN-(cid:1) . Furthermore, L-1MT addition allowed C. trachomatis to undergo secondary differentiation, albeit with limited productive multiplication of the bacterium. IFN-(cid:1) -induced persistent infections in epithelial cells have been previously reported to be more resistant to doxycycline than normal productive infections in vitro . Pertinent to this observation, we found that L-1MT signiﬁcantly improved the efﬁcacy of doxycycline in clearing persistent C. trachomatis forms. It has been postulated that persistent forms of C. trachomatis may contribute to chronic chlamydial disease. Our ﬁndings suggest that IDO1 inhibitors such as L-1MT might provide a novel means to investigate, and potentially target, persistent chlamydial forms, particularly in conjunction with conventional therapeutics.
Soil Carbon Stocks under Amazonian Forest: Distribution in the Soil Fractions and Vulnerability to Emission

Transformations of natural ecosystems in tropical regions, which are usually covered by high-biomass forests, contribute to increased atmospheric CO2. Much of the carbon in forest ecosystems is stored in the soil. This study estimates soil carbon stock in a dense forest in central Amazonia from sets of soil samples collected in three topographic positions (plateau, slope and valley bottom). Soil organic matter (SOM) was fractionated by density and particle size, thus obtaining the free light fraction (FLF), intra-aggregated light fraction (IALF), sand fraction (F-sand), clay fraction (F-clay) and silt fraction (F-silt). Soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks on the plateaus (Oxisol), slopes (Ultisol) and valley bottoms (Spodosol) were 98.4 ± 7.8 Mg·ha-1, 72.6 ± 5.4 Mg·ha-1 and 81.4 ± 8.9 Mg·ha-1, respectively. Distribution of carbon in soil fractions was: 112.6 ± 15 Mg·ha-1 (FLF), 2.5 ± 0 Mg·ha-1 (ILAF), 40.5 ± 1.5 Mg·ha-1 (F-silt), 68.5 ± 4.2 Mg·ha-1 (F-clay) and 28.3 ± 1.4 Mg·ha-1 (F-sand), totaling 252.4 ± 22.1 Mg·ha-1 of carbon. Carbon is largely in labile form and near the soil surface, making it liable to release from deforestation or from climate change. Spodosols are more susceptible to soil carbon losses, demonstrating the need to preserve forested areas close to Amazonian rivers and streams.
Reputation and International Cooperation: Sovereign Debt Across Three Centuries

List of Tables ix List of Figures xi Preface xiii PART ONE: THEORY 1 Chapter 1: The Puzzle of Cooperation in International Debt 3 Chapter 2: A Theory of Cooperation through Reputation 14 PART TWO: EVIDENCE 37 Chapter 3: Reputations of New and Seasoned Borrowers 39 Chapter 4: Reputation in Expert Opinion 70 Chapter 5: Reputations during Good Times and Bad 86 Chapter 6: Enforcement by Gunboats 114 Chapter 7: Enforcement through Trade Sanctions 158 Chapter 8: Enforcement through Collective Retaliation 196 PART THREE: IMPLICATIONS 221 Chapter 9: Reputation and Cooperation under Anarchy 223 Bibliography 243 Index 275