Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bank Loans to Newly Public Firms

Prior studies have shown that newly public firms exhibit a high degree of uncertainty and asymmetric information, with few reliable sources of information. These findings suggest that investors could benefit if some independent party is able to assess the quality of a newly public firm. Since other studies have found that banks can reduce information asymmetry about firms that borrow, we examine whether banks provide information about the quality of newly public firms. We find that bank lending is consistently associated with positive long-term outcomes-newly public firms that borrow experience significantly smaller decreases in operating performance and better long-term stock performance than non-borrowers.
FAM13A Regulates KLRG1 Expression and Interferon Gamma Production of Natural Killer Cells

The polymorphism of the gene FAM13A (family with sequence similarity 13, member A) is strongly linked to the risk of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which are among the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in lung-related diseases worldwide. However, the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms through which FAM13A contributes to the pathogenesis of these diseases largely remain unclear. Here, using a Fam13a knock out (KO) mouse model, we showed that Fam13a depletion upregulated the expression of the terminal differentiation and inhibitory marker, KLRG1 (killer cell lectin-like receptor G1) in natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells from Fam13a -deficient mice showed impaired IFN-γ production either against target tumor cells or following various cytokine cocktail stimulations. Furthermore, the number of lung metastases induced by B16F10 melanoma cells was increased in Fam13a -KO mice. Collectively, our data suggest a key role of FAM13A in regulating NK cell functions, indicating that the key lung-disease risk gene FAM13A might contribute to the pathogenesis of several lung diseases via regulating NK cells.
Sarajevo Under Siege: Anthropology in Wartime

Preface PART I. LIFE UNDER SIEGE 1. Civilian, Soldier, Deserter 2. Death and Creativity in Wartime 3. Struggling for Subsistence 4. Tests of Trust PART II. ETHNONATIONALIST REINVENTIONS 5. Political and Economic Transformation 6. Language and Symbols 7. Mobilizing Religion 8. Reorienting Social Relationships 9. Reconceptualizing War Epilogue Notes Glossary References Index Acknowledgments
ABOUT JPAPR

The transformation of the public sector from a moribund to a result-oriented institution has been a subject of academic discourse. This article based on empirical study contributes to this discourse by examining the pockets of effectiveness, the push factors and the challenges to the sustenance of the pockets of productivity using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in Ghana as a case study. The article found that decentralization, service diversification, innovation and best practices, and contracting out were the successes attained. Effective leadership, technology, management vision, mission, and a sense of urgency among employees accounted for the excellence. However, the “political chess” during political power transitions and resistance to change were the greatest threats to the maintenance of the islands of excellence. The Ghanaian experience reinvigorates the assertion that in the midst of non-performing state institutions, there exist well-functioning ones known as pockets of effectiveness.
HOMOTOPICAL INTERPRETATION OF GLOBULAR COMPLEX BY MULTIPOINTED D-SPACE

Globular complexes were introduced by E. Goubault and the author to model higher dimensional automata. Globular complexes are topological spaces equipped with a globular decomposition which is the directed analogue of the cellular decomposition of a CW-complex. We prove that there exists a combinatorial model category such that the cellular objects are exactly the globular complexes and such that the homotopy category is equivalent to the homotopy category of flows. The underlying category of this model category is a variant of M. Grandis’ notion of d-space over a topological space colimit generated by simplices. This result enables us to understand the relationship between the framework of flows and other works in directed algebraic topology using d-spaces. It also enables us to prove that the underlying homotopy type functor of flows can be interpreted up to equivalences of categories as the total left derived functor of a left Quillen adjoint.
Representation of action concepts in left posterior temporal cortex that generalize across vision and language

We understand actions from both observation and written text, pointing to a common neural representation of action concepts. However, which parts of the brain encode action concepts independently of stimulus type, say language or visual observation, is an unresolved question in neuroscience. An overlap of activation for action observation and sentence comprehension has been observed in frontoparietal and occipitotemporal cortex, but it is unclear whether this overlap points to the access of stimulus-general action concepts or result from functionally independent neural populations that are activated via one stimulus type but not the other . Using fMRI-based MVPA we found that frontoparietal areas encode representations of observed actions and corresponding written sentences in an overlapping way, but these representations did not generalize across stimulus type. By contrast, only left lateral posterior temporal cortex (LPTC) encoded action representations that generalize across observed action scenes and sentences. This observed stimulus generality was not modulated by verbalization or visual imagery. The representational organization of stimulus-general action information in LPTC could be predicted from models that describe basic agent-patient relations (object- and person-directedness) and the general semantic similarity between actions. Person- and object-directedness were topographically organized along a gradient in temporal cortex reminiscent of more posterior object distinctions, pointing to an overarching organizational principle of action and object knowledge in temporal and occipital cortex. Together, our findings revealed fundamentally distinct generalization profiles of temporal and frontoparietal cortex and suggest that LPTC represents aspects of action concepts by integrating more basic precursors in posterior cortex.
Seasonal variations in the isotopic composition of leaf and stem water from an arid region of Southeast Asia

Abstract Stable isotopes are powerful research tools in environmental sciences and their use in ecosystem research is increasing. Stable isotope measurements allow the study of evapotranspiration fluxes, soil evaporation and leaf transpiration phenomena. Soil water and leaf water are the sources of the evapotranspiration that transfers large quantities of water from land to the atmosphere; as a result the isotopic composition of water left in the leaves is modified towards enrichment. Evaporation also changes the isotopic composition of water bodies creating a natural isotopic signal. The isotopic identity of soil water affects the oxygen isotopic signature of leaf and stem water. In this paper we present the isotopic data of bulk leaf water, showing the enrichment in isotopic value of oxygen due to evapotranspiration from leaves in conjunction with the isotopic signal of rainwater and other environmental factors such as humidity and temperature. Results suggest that the variation in the values of δ18O of Eucalyptus citriodora, Dalbergia sissoo, Melia azedarach and Pinus roxburghii is due to the seasonal changes in the δ18O of the source water for plants, i. e. rain. It is further observed that leaf water δ18O values are depleted during the months of July, August and September. This occurs due to the following reasons: (a) the sampling areas receive about 50% of the average annual rain during these months, and (b) rainfalls during these months are isotopically depleted compared with winter rains. Citation Butt, S. , Ali, M. , Fazil, M. & Latif, Z. (2010) Seasonal variations in the isotopic composition of leaf and stem water from an arid region of Southeast Asia. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(5), 844–848.
A non-controllability result for the half-heat equation on the whole line based on the prolate spheroidal wave functions and its application to the Grushin equation

In this article, we revisit a result by A. Koenig concerning the non-controllability of the half-heat equation posed on R , with a control domain that is a measurable set whose exterior contains an interval. The main novelty of the present article is to disprove the corresponding observability inequality by using as an initial condition a family of prolate spheroidal wave function (PSWF) translated in the Fourier space, associated to a parameter c that goes to ∞ . The proof is essentially based on the dual nature of the PSWF together with direct computations, showing that the solution “does not spread out” too much during time, with respect to the parameter c . As a consequence, we obtain a new non-controllability result on the Grushin equation posed on R × R .
Inference of snow cover beneath obscuring clouds using optical remote sensing and a distributed snow energy and mass balance model

We describe a new method to infer the presence or absence of snow cover when it is obscured to remote sensing by clouds. The inference is based on the spatial distribution of snow water equivalent (SWE) estimated by a physical snow model. The snow model accounts for surface and internal snowpack energy exchanges and mass exchanges including snow accumulation, sublimation, rainfall, and meltwater outflux. We examine two approaches to using the modeled SWE information to infer snow cover: (1) we directly categorize areas with modeled SWE greater than zero as “snow covered” and areas with zero SWE as “no snow”; (2) we classify the modeled SWE field into a binary map of snow covered/no snow, using maximum likelihood logistic estimation (LR). Here the modeled SWE serves as a semicontinuous independent variable, and the binary dependent variable consists of observed snow cover derived from all available ground observations of snow depth and water equivalent, and from samples of snow cover randomly selected from cloud-free areas of a satellite snow cover product. We demonstrate these methods for a 504,000 km2 region in the north central United States, over a 4 week period during March and April 1997. The snow model was run hourly on a 4 km grid using data normally available in near real time, including numerical weather analysis products, satellite-derived insolation products, and ground observations of precipitation. We tested two dependent variable data configurations for the LR approach to simulate (1) typical conditions when remotely sensed snow cover observations are available to help develop the logistic model and (2) “worst-case” conditions where only ground-based data are available. Averaged over the study period, all three methods, the direct SWE, the worst-case LR, and the typical LR, yielded comparable results in the range of 78–80% accuracy when compared to satellite-observed snow cover maps. The results of this study demonstrate that a relatively simple, spatially distributed, physically based snow model is capable of providing useful snow cover information in an operational environment.
Oligocene and Miocene paleogeography of central California and displacement along the San Andreas fault

Recently completed sedimentologic and petrologic studies of Oligocene and Miocene strata in the Temblor Range (San Joaquin basin) and Santa Cruz Mountains (La Honda basin) permit detailed reconstructions of paleogeography, as well as new estimates of displacement along the San Andreas fault. During the Oligocene and Miocene, the San Joaquin and La Honda basins were contiguous. The southwestern margin of the San Joaquin-La Honda basin was tectonically unstable and paleogeographically complex, with several small deep-sea fans fed by sediment derived from nearby subaerial uplifts of Franciscan and granitic basement. One of these deep-sea fans, represented by the Temblor Formation of the southern Temblor Range and the Vaqueros Sandstone of the central Santa Cruz Mountains, apparently has been displaced about 315 to 320 km by post-early Miocene (post-Zemorrian, about 23 Ma) right-lateral slip along the San Andreas fault. This new estimate of displacement places an additional constraint on interpretations of San Andreas slip history, but ambiguities remain. The time of initiation of San Andreas displacement is poorly known, and available data do not permit discrimination between a history of relatively continuous slip versus a history of episodic slip.
Minimum mapping units in topographic information systems: a case study from Croatia

Abstract The paper discusses the minimum mapping units used in topographic information systems of scale of 1∶25 000. It refers to experience in data acquisition based on given criteria within ATKIS, traditional Croatian topographic maps and STOKIS. The emphasis is given to forest and arable land minimum mapping units (MMU). More adequate MMU is recommended on the basis of research conducted. The model can also be used for other topographic information system scales. The research results are applicable in countries attempting to create their own topographic information system, or wanting to produce a new edition of their object catalogue, as is the case in Croatia.
Spatial and temporal variability of annual glacier equilibrium line altitudes in the Southern Alps, New Zealand

Assessments of the contribution of meltwater to sea-level rise from mountain glaciers cannot presently account for the considerable spatial inter-catchment and temporal inter-annual variations in annual net glacier mass balance. We therefore analyse annual equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) to infer the controls on annual net glacier mass-balance variability for 34 glaciers in the central Southern Alps, New Zealand. Elevation, curvature and mean solar radiation receipt (both direct and indirect) during the ablation season can in combination account for up to 95% of the (temporal) variability in the long term ELA and up to c. 85% for a given year. It appears that long-term glacier net mass balance in the Southern Alps is controlled by ablation processes as a function of air temperature which decreases with elevation, and shortwave radiation which causes a positive feedback in ablation by reducing snow and ice cover and increasing albedo. In detail however, the degree to which local topographic variables can explain the differences in (i) the patterns and (ii) in the magnitudes of departures from the trend varies considerably from year to year and across the study region. At least 15–35% of annual ELA temporal variability is apparently associated with regional weather patterns. Our basic quantification of the interaction on multiple scales of topographic influences on annual ELA and ELAo (steady-state ELA) has implications for understanding inter- and intra-catchment variability in glacier responses to climatic change.
Wnt signalling is a major determinant of neuroblastoma cell lineages

The neural crest, which has been referred to as the fourth germ layer, comprises a multipotent cell population which will specify diverse cells and tissues, including craniofacial cartilage and bones, melanocytes, the adrenal medulla and the peripheral nervous system. These cell fates are known to be determined by gene regulatory networks (GRNs) acting at various stages of neural crest development, such as induction, specification, and migration. Although transcription factor hierarchies and some of their interplay with morphogenetic signalling pathways have been characterised, the full complexity of activities required for regulated development remains uncharted. Deregulation of these pathways may contribute to tumourigenesis, as in the case of neuroblastoma, a frequently lethal embryonic cancer thought to arise from the sympathoadrenal lineage of the neural crest. In this conceptual analysis, we utilise next generation sequencing data from neuroblastoma cells and tumours to evaluate the possible influences of Wnt signalling on neural crest GRNs and on neuroblastoma cell lineages. We provide evidence that Wnt signalling is a major determinant of regulatory networks that underlie mesenchymal/NCC-like cell identities through PRRX1 and YAP/TAZ transcription factors. Furthermore, Wnt may also co-operate with Hedgehog signalling in driving proneural differentiation programmes along the adrenergic lineage. We propose that elucidation of Signalling Regulatory Networks can augment and complement GRNs in characterising cell identities, which will in turn contribute to the design of improved therapeutics tailored to primary and relapsing neuroblastoma.
A Longer‐Lasting and Warmer Interglacial Episode During Isotopic Stage 11: Marine Terrace Evidence in Tropical Western Americas

Coastal areas of Baja California, Peru and northern Chile, which experienced relatively high uplift rates during the last half-million years, show a particularly wide development of marine terrace remnants assigned to the MIS 11. Morphologic characteristics of this terrace along the tropical eastern Pacific coasts (30°N to 30°S) suggest that the MIS 11 lasted longer than the other interglacials (more than 40 ky ? ) and that sea-level reached a higher eustatic position than at present and during MIS 5. A precise determination of the paleo-sea level position at the maximum of the MIS 11 transgression is hindered by uncertainties on variations in rates of tectonic uplift motions, in the course of the last 400 ky. Paleontological and paleoecological particularities of MIS11 coastal deposits in northern Chile provide relevant data regarding nearshore marine and climatic conditions. Warm water mollusks from the Panamic Province (living presently north of 6°S) are retrieved in some MIS 11 coastal deposits at 23°S latitude (Mejillones peninsula), while a few species currently living in north and central Peru are found in coeval deposits at 23-30°S latitudes. Extralimital faunal elements thus co-existed with cool-water species of the Peruvian Province, and formed typical TAMAs (Thermally Anomalous Molluscan Assemblages). During the MIS 11 interglacial, for thousands of years, warm water populations lived in protected lagoons and embayments, where the water was apparently heated all year long by significantly warmer air-temperature than nowadays. The replenishment of the lagoonal assemblages by extralimital Panamic elements most probably involved episodic larval transports from lower latitudes, that reflect persistently strong and frequent ENSO manifestations.
NORMAL FAULT TYPE EVENTS IN THE UPPER PLANE OF THE DOUBLE-PLANED DEEP SEISMIC ZONE BENEATH THE NORTHEASTERN JAPAN ARC

The spatial change in the focal mechanism of the intermediate-depth earthquakes in the Tohoku District, the northeastern part of Honshu, Japan, is investigated in detail. In addition to general features of the distribution of focal mechanisms revealed by the previous studies, it is found that normal fault type events are dominant in the upper seismic plane of the double-planed deep seismic zone beneath the volcanic front, where the upper seismic plane is bending downward. The bending of the descending oceanic plate is probably the cause of these normal fault type events.
Linking offshore stratigraphy to onshore paleotopography: The Late Jurassic-Paleocene evolution of the south Norwegian margin

The temporal link between onshore topography and offshore stratigraphy is of key importance for understanding the long-term development of continental margins. The Mesozoic and Cenozoic landscape topography of southern Norway has long been a matter of debate due to the absence of concrete data reflecting ancient onshore relief. We here present quantitative estimates of paleotopography in southern Norway during three key time intervals (Late Jurassic, Late Cretaceous, and Paleocene) based on the observed volume of sediment stored in point-sourced depocenters along the margin. The aim is to determine the syndepositional paleolandscapes that are in best agreement with the observed distribution, geometry, lithology, and volume of different offshore depositional units. Probability ranges of estimated paleorelief are based on Monte Carlo simulations of a relief prediction model. The results suggest that the late Phanerozoic sedimentary successions along the margin best reflect: (1) a Late Jurassic landscape with a maximum relief of ∼1.6 km; (2) a more subdued Late Cretaceous topography of <0.5 km in the south and up to ∼0.5 km in the north; and (3) a Paleocene topography of up to ∼1.1 km in the north and ∼0.5 km in the south. The temporal and spatial variability in offshore deposition and the linked onshore topography strongly suggest that relief must have been rejuvenated several times during the late Phanerozoic in response to tectonic activity along major fault systems. This quantitative assessment not only sheds new light on the topographic evolution of the south Norwegian margin, it also provides a potential tool with which to investigate the topographic evolution of continental margins and the close coupling between onshore relief and offshore stratigraphy in nearby sedimentary basins.
The European Union Emissions Trading System: Should we throw the flagship out with the bathwater?

The European Union emission trading system has been criticized by various stakeholders. We review the main criticisms and end up with the following conclusions: abatement has been real, albeit small, no noticeable loss of competitiveness or carbon leakage occurred, the distributional effects were unfair and major fraud occurred. Some of these problems could have been avoided and can still be corrected by adopting a more critical approach toward flexibility mechanisms and setting a CO2 floor price.
The shell middens of Las Bela coast and the Indus delta (Arabian Sea, Pakistan)

The surveys carried out along the coast of Las Bela (Balochistan) and the Indus delta (Sindh), have shown that these two regions were inhabited since the end of the eighth millennium BP. The discovery of shell middens along the shores of Daun Bay and Lake Siranda (Las Bela), have radically changed our view of the prehistory of this territory. The surveys conducted in the Indus delta have revealed that all the rocky outcrops rising from the alluvium are covered with chipped stone artefacts and marine and mangrove shells, which were radiocarbon dated between the seventh and fourth millennium BP, showing that all the outcrops above were islands at least until Hellenistic times. The radiocarbon results obtained from a few shell samples indicate that some of these islands had already been settled at the beginning of the seventh millennium BP, suggesting that seafaring was already practised along the northern Arabian Sea coast at least since the beginning of the Neolithic.