Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Competition, Concentration, Efficiency, and their Relationship in the Polish Banking Sector

European banking sectors have been subject to various forms of deregulation, liberalization, as well as dramatic improvements in information technology (IT). As the result of the creation of the European Union's Single Market, the financial institutions are transforming themselves in response to fundamental changes in regulation and technology. Many of these changes have vast implications for competition, concentration and the efficiency of the financial sectors. This paper examines the impact of increasing concentration and new technologies, linked with the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) process, on the degree of competition and technical efficiency of the Polish commercial banks. The goal of this paper is to check whether, during the analyzed period (1997- 2002), the concentration of the commercial banks had a negative impact on the competition in the Polish banking sector. In order to carry out a quantitative assessment of changes in the market structure and technical efficiency of the Polish banking sector, the study estimates competitive behavior in the Polish banking system by applying the method developed by Panzar and Rosse (1987). Moreover, this study assesses the technical efficiency and productivity in the Polish banking sector by applying the method of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The empirical results, for the analyzed period of 1997-2002, have shown that in Poland there is monopolistic competition. It seems that foreign entry, connected with the M&A process, and rapid changes in IT in Polish commercial banks, is one of the reasons for the improving technical efficiency measures and productivity indices. It has also influenced the level of competition in the Polish banking sector.
Evaluation of the Effects of the Aban Aya Youth Project in Reducing Violence among African American Adolescent Males Using Latent Class Growth Mixture Modeling Techniques

This study employs growth mixture modeling techniques to evaluate the preventive effects of the Aban Aya Youth Project in reducing the rate of growth of violence among African American adolescent males (N = 552). Results suggest three distinct classes of participants: high risk (34%), medium risk (54%), and low risk (12%) based on both the participants’ initial violence scores and their growth of violence over time. Results further show significant effects (almost 3 times as large as the effect found in the regular one-class analysis) for the high-risk class but not for the medium- or low-risk classes.
Prevalence and correlates of depression in Chinese elderly patients with pneumoconiosis

Recent literature suggests that patients with pneumoconiosis may be at higher risk of developing psychiatric problems, particularly depressive illness. There are no published data on depressive disorders in elderly patients with pneumoconiosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and correlates of depressive disorders in a community sample of elderly Chinese patients with pneumoconiosis in Hong Kong. Two hundred and one patients with pneumoconiosis were randomly selected from the case register of the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board of Hong Kong. A psychiatrist conducted a structured clinical interview to diagnose depressive disorders according to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Version IV criteria. Nineteen (9.5%) patients had depressive illness. Univariate logistic regression revealed that the number of comorbid conditions, and the scores on the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) were significant predictors of depressive disorders. Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that IADL and LSNS scores were the only independent predictors of depressive disorders. In conclusion, depressive disorders were common and associated with poorer functional ability and social support in patients with pneumoconiosis.
Discretionary Accruals, Managers' Incentives, and Stock Prices

Recent accounting research finds that the discretionary accrual component of earnings communicates managers' private information to stock market participants. We show that effects related to managerial compensation contracts and corporate debt agreements influence how the stock market interprets the discretionary component. Managerial opportunism--signaled by bonus components highly sensitive to earnings, and pre-managed earnings at levels consistent with benefits from exploiting accruals--is associated with negative stock price effects when managers make income-increasing accruals. Opportunism that benefits stockholders relative to debtholders--signaled by firms with high leverage levels--is associated with positive stock price effects when managers make income-increasing accruals. The paper focuses on the incentives managers face in reporting earnings, and provides new evidence on how incentives can influence stock prices.
Investigation of the specificity of the interaction between colicin E9 and its immunity protein by site‐directed mutagenesis

Comparison of the amino acid sequences of the C‐terminal domain of three DNAase type E colicins has identified six candidate specificity determinants for the interaction of these E colicins with their homologous immunity proteins. We have changed these candidate specificity determinants of colicin E9, using site‐directed mutagenesis, to the corresponding amino‐acids of colicin E8. A‘mutant’colicin E9, in which four of the six candidate specificity determininants have been changed, demonstrated colicin activity against Escherichia coli indicator strains which carried either the E8imm or the E9imm genes, indicative of a‘novel’E colicin. After changing all six of the candidate specificity determinants, the resulting colicin E9‘mutant’exhibited a phenotype very similar to that of colicin E8.
Vowel Lengthening in Japanese : A First Study

Many phonetic studies have investigated cases of incomplete neutralization, where contrasts that are seemingly neutralized phonologically nevertheless leave some phonetic distinctions. The majority of this previous work, however, focuses on the case of final devoicing in different languages. Building on this body of the literature (see Braver 2013 for an overview), this paper offers a new case study of incomplete neutralization: the phenomenon of monomoraic vowel lengthening in Japanese. Japanese phonology requires prosodic words to be minimally bimoraic (i.e., one foot) (e.g., Poser, 1990; Itô, 1990; Itô & Mester, 1992)—a requirement which is responsible for shaping many morphophonological patterns. Because of this prosodic restriction, Japanese monomoraic nouns, when produced in isolation, are lengthened (Mori, 2002). Our experiment shows that, despite this phonological lengthening, the contrast between lengthened monomoraic nouns and underlyingly long nouns is not completely neutralized at the surface phonetic level. This study thus contributes to expanding the typology of incomplete neutralization.
Test Escapes of Stuck-Open Faults Caused by Parasitic Capacitances and Leakage Currents

Intragate open defects are responsible for a significant percentage of defects in present technologies. A majority of these defects causes the logic gate to become stuck open, and this is why they are traditionally modeled as stuck-open faults (SOFs). The classical approach to detect the SOFs is based on a two-vector sequence, and has been proved effective for a wide range of technologies. However, factors typically neglected in past technologies have become a major concern in nanometer technologies, i.e., leakage currents and downstream parasitic capacitances. Some recent works have examined the influence of leakage currents. However, to the best of our knowledge, no one has considered the influence of downstream parasitic capacitances. In this paper, the influence of both factors is investigated and experimentally measured with a test chip built on a 65-nm technology. An analysis based on the electrical simulations is performed to quantify the number of test escapes in the presence of SOFs. Test recommendations are derived from the analysis results to maximize the detectability of these faults in present and future technologies.
Next Generation Optical Access Networks: from TDM to WDM

Network infrastructure plays a key role in the success of added services and in user satisfaction. It is widely accepted that Passive Optical Networks (PON) are the most promising, cost-effective, and high-performance access network solutions. Access networks are also commonly referred to as either ‘the last mile’ by the operators, or ‘the first mile of the network’ in IEEE terminology. The term ’mile’ is often related to the path portion that is used to reach the user from a network node, however access networks go as far as 20 km depending on the technology used. An access network comprises connections between different subscribers and a Central Office (CO), which is attached to the metro or core network. The wired technology deployed varies significantly from one country to another, i.e. Digital Subscriber line (xDSL), based on copper wires; Hybrid Fiber-coax (HFC), and optical fiber. The trends for Next Generation Access Networks (NGA) based on PON are: Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM), 10 Gb/s or more, and longer reach/higher splits. NGA must be able to cope with challenges, such as delivering diverse broadband services and facilitating the integration of different technologies. Moreover, NGA should provide higher bandwidths or further reduce the cost of existing delivering services, and serve as backhaul of wireless access networks (WiFi, WiMAX). The last one constitutes a relevant issue for the convergence between wireless and wired technologies.
The Behaviour Improvement Programme: Good Practice Guide

As part of the Government’s Street Crime Initiative, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) funded 34 Local Authorities to support measures to improve pupil behaviour and attendance in 2 to 4 selected secondary schools and their feeder primary schools. Over 700 schools were involved in Phase 1 of the programme. The Behaviour Improvement Programme (BIP) has now been rolled out in three further phases. This good practice guide is based on an evaluation of Phases 1 and 2 of the programme.
A 50 Gb/s 190 mW Asymmetric 3-Tap FFE VCSEL Driver

This paper describes the design of an energy-efficient vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) driver circuit implemented in a 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The driver features a 3-tap feed-forward equalizer where positive and negative peaks are added to the main signal to compensate for the low-pass characteristic of VCSELs. The circuit is also able to generate asymmetric pre-emphasis to counteract the VCSEL nonlinearity. Bonded to an 18 GHz VCSEL, the driver can reach an error-free (bit error rate < 10−12) optical data rate of 50 Gb/s with an horizontal eye opening better than 0.2 unit interval using a 22 GHz photoreceiver without equalization, retiming, and limiting amplifier at the receiver side. At 48 Gb/s, the horizontal eye opening is 0.5 unit interval. The circuit dissipates only 190 mW from a dual supply of 2.5 and 3.3 V, including the VCSEL power. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the fastest common-cathode VCSEL driver with lowest power consumption for data rates higher than 35 Gb/s. Thanks to the active delay line and the application of vertical inductor, the driver is very compact with an active area of only 0.036 mm2 including the inductor.
An Evaluation of Equity Redemption Alternatives in Centralized Cooperatives

Evaluations of five basic equity redemption alternatives are made for the distinct patron-cooperative economic relationship found in both regional and local centralized cooperatives. The five alternatives are the estate settlement, age-of-patron, revolving fund, percentage pool, and base capital plans. An empirically estimated economic life cycle is used to determine the pattern of patronage and investment by patrons. Redemptions are determined for several programs, each using estate settlement alone or in combination with another plan. Performance is measured using three criteria: flexibility, proportionality, and cash flow. Results vary significantly among alternatives.
Physics-Based Character Animation for AR Applications

Physics-based approach for character animation has advantages in interactive AR applications in that the approach can create realistic character motions that are responsive to non-predefined environment and user inputs. In this paper, we introduce two subjects on physics-based character animation. Biomechanical modeling of human characters is an effort to create more human-like motions than conventional methods by modeling the force generating function of muscles. Balance control is a fundamental technique necessary for a virtual character to perform as desired in simulated physical environment. We discuss challenges and future work to enable the physics-based approach for character animation to be widely adopted in AR applications.
The Impact of Media Stories Concerning Health Issues on Food Product Sales

Consumer interest concerning the health aspects of food products has grown in recent years. Consequently, media attention to scientific studies about the beneficial or detrimental effect on consumers′ health has resulted in substantial changes to the consumption of certain products. A recent CBS 60 Minutes program, The French Paradox, highlighted the health issues concerning red wine consumption. As a result, red wine sales have climbed significantly. Discusses the managerial implications for preparing and reacting to similar situations.
Molecular profiling of the “plexinome” in melanoma and pancreatic cancer

Plexins are transmembrane high‐affinity receptors for semaphorins, regulating cell guidance, motility, and invasion. Functional evidences implicate semaphorin signals in cancer progression and metastasis. Yet, it is largely unknown whether plexin genes are genetically altered in human tumors. We performed a comprehensive gene copy analysis and mutational profiling of all nine members of the plexin gene family (plexinome), in melanomas and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs), which are characterized by high metastatic potential and poor prognosis. Gene copy analysis detected amplification of PLXNA4 in melanomas, whereas copy number losses of multiple plexin genes were seen in PDACs. Somatic mutations were detected in PLXNA4, PLXNB3, and PLXNC1; providing the first evidence that these plexins are mutated in human cancer. Functional assays in cellular models revealed that some of these missense mutations result in loss of plexin function. For instance, c.1613G>A, p.R538H mutation in the extracellular domain of PLXNB3 prevented binding of the ligand Sema5A. Moreover, although PLXNA4 signaling can inhibit tumor cell migration, the mutated c.5206C>T, p.H1736Y allele had lost this activity. Our study is the first systematic analysis of the “plexinome” in human tumors, and indicates that multiple mutated plexins may be involved in cancer progression. Hum Mutat 30,1–8, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dietary intake and dietary quality of low-income adults in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

BACKGROUND The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) aims to alleviate hunger among its beneficiaries by providing benefits to purchase nutritious foods. OBJECTIVE We conducted a comprehensive dietary analysis of low-income adults and examined differences in dietary intake between SNAP participants and nonparticipants. DESIGN The study population comprised 3835 nonelderly adults with a household income ≤130% of the federal poverty level from the 1999-2008 NHANES. The National Cancer Institute method was used to estimate the distributions of usual intake for dietary outcomes. Relative differences in dietary intake by SNAP participation were estimated with adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics and household food security. RESULTS Few low-income adults consumed recommended amounts of whole grains, fruit, vegetables, fish, and nuts/seeds/legumes. Conversely, many low-income adults exceeded recommended limits for processed meats, sweets, and bakery desserts and sugar-sweetened beverages. Approximately 13-22% of low-income adults did not meet any food and nutrient guidelines; virtually no adults met all of the guidelines. Compared with nonparticipants, SNAP participants consumed 39% fewer whole grains (95% CI: -57%, -15%), 44% more 100% fruit juice (95% CI: 0%, 107%), 56% more potatoes (95% CI: 18%, 106%), 46% more red meat (95% CI: 4%, 106%), and, in women, 61% more sugar-sweetened beverages (95% CI: 3%, 152%). SNAP participants also had lower dietary quality scores than did nonparticipants, as measured by a modified Alternate Healthy Eating Index. CONCLUSION Although the diets of all low-income adults need major improvement, SNAP participants in particular had lower-quality diets than did income-eligible nonparticipants.
Comparative analysis of different fractal methods in studying post-ictal ECG signals of epilepsy patient

Measuring EEG signals as a diagnostic tool for Epileptic patient is a well traveled way. Different non-linear statistical approaches have been applied over the past years on this signal to reveal the nature of connection between epilepsy and EEG. In this work we study the post-ictal ECG signals of epileptic patient collected from MIT-BIH database using mono-fractal methods as well as multifractal approach. We compare the results of the same statistical methods with healthy normal group. Result from monofractal analysis such as Rescaled range analysis indicates that the ECG signals of epileptic patients are anti-persistent in nature whereas for healthy normal people it is persistent. Detrended fluctuation analysis also confirms the same fact and declares that ECG signals of healthy normal people are more persistent and more correlated than epileptic patients. Finally we use the multifractal approach on the ECG signals. Result from the Multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis confirms that healthy normal people have higher degree of multifractality compared to epileptic patients.
New laboratory test in flow cytometry for the combined analysis of serologic and cellular parameters in the diagnosis of heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia

Heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a major complication of heparin therapy. A quick and reliable laboratory assay for the combined determination of pathogenic anti‐heparin and platelet factor 4 (H:PF4) antibodies in the serum and platelet activation is not currently available.
Early Detection of Heart Failure Using Electronic Health Records: Practical Implications for Time Before Diagnosis, Data Diversity, Data Quantity, and Data Density

Background—Using electronic health records data to predict events and onset of diseases is increasingly common. Relatively little is known, although, about the tradeoffs between data requirements and model utility. Methods and Results—We examined the performance of machine learning models trained to detect prediagnostic heart failure in primary care patients using longitudinal electronic health records data. Model performance was assessed in relation to data requirements defined by the prediction window length (time before clinical diagnosis), the observation window length (duration of observation before prediction window), the number of different data domains (data diversity), the number of patient records in the training data set (data quantity), and the density of patient encounters (data density). A total of 1684 incident heart failure cases and 13 525 sex, age-category, and clinic matched controls were used for modeling. Model performance improved as (1) the prediction window length decreases, especially when <2 years; (2) the observation window length increases but then levels off after 2 years; (3) the training data set size increases but then levels off after 4000 patients; (4) more diverse data types are used, but, in order, the combination of diagnosis, medication order, and hospitalization data was most important; and (5) data were confined to patients who had ≥10 phone or face-to-face encounters in 2 years. Conclusions—These empirical findings suggest possible guidelines for the minimum amount and type of data needed to train effective disease onset predictive models using longitudinal electronic health records data.
Unraveling the relative contribution of inter‐ and intrapopulation functional variability in wild populations of a tadpole species

Abstract Functional traits are increasingly recognized as an integrative approach by ecologists to quantify a key facet of biodiversity. And these traits are primarily expressed as species means in previous studies, based on the assumption that the effects of intraspecific variability can be overridden by interspecific variability when studying functional ecology at the community level. However, given that intraspecific variability could also have important effects on community dynamics and ecosystem functioning, empirical studies are needed to investigate the importance of intraspecific variability in functional traits. In this study, 256 Scutiger boulengeri tadpole individuals from four different populations are used to quantify the functional difference between populations within a species, and the relative contribution of inter‐ and intrapopulation variability in functional traits. Our results demonstrate that these four populations differ significantly in functional attributes (i.e., functional position, functional richness, and low functional overlap), indicating that individuals from different populations within a species should be explicitly accounted for in functional studies. We also find similar relative contribution of inter‐ (~56%) and intrapopulation (~44%) variation to the total variability between individuals, providing evidence that individuals within populations should also be incorporated in functional studies. Overall, our results support the recent claims that intraspecific variability cannot be ignored, as well as the general idea of “individual level” research in functional ecology.
FDI Spillovers and Firm Ownership in China: Labor Markets and Backward Linkages

Using firm–level data, we find that the presence of foreign firms in China is positively associated with the performance of domestically owned private firms but is negatively associated with the performance of state–owned enterprises (SOEs). In particular, we find: (1) the presence of foreign direct investment (FDI) is associated with larger differences in the wages and the quality of skilled workers between SOEs and private firms; and, (2) FDI presence is positively associated with private firms’ sales to foreign firms and foreign consumers, but not with the sales of SOEs. We argue that these differences could be due to the fact that private firms have more flexible wage and personnel policies, which allows them to attract talent that facilitates positive FDI spillovers.