Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of shocks in early life mortality on later life expectancy and mortality compression: A cohort analysis

I study how shocks in cohort-level early life conditions, as represented by deviations from trend in mortality before age 5, affect later mortality. I use data for six European countries and find that shocks that increase infant mortality decrease later life expectancy between ages 5-30. The effect is strong for England and Wales but small or insignificant for other countries. Shocks that increase mortality at ages 1-5 increase life expectancy between ages 5-30 and compress the mortality distribution. For both shocks the effects are weak at older ages. These results suggest that early life conditions have a transitory effect and potentially only little influence on old-age mortality.
Journal and Periodical Usefulness

This study reports the results of a survey of 300 CHRIE members designed to determine which publications are most useful to hospitality educators for five purposes: (1) for publishing their own articles, (2) as a researchinformation source, (3) as information for lectures, (4) for students' reading assignments, and (5) as general reading for professional or personal development. Results from this study indicate that the Cornell Hotel and RestaurantAdministration Quarterly is consistently rated by CHRIE educators as the most useful periodical overall. Nation's Restaurant News was rated the second most useful followed by the Hospitality and Tourism Educator, Restaurants & Institutions, the Wall Street Journal, and the Hospitality Research Journal. The HRJwas rated as the top publication overall for CHRIE members' writings while the Cornell Quarterlywas rated highest in the remaining four categories.
Synchronizing reconfiguration of coherent functions on disaggregated FPGA resources

With the evolution of cloud computing, FPGAs are involved in the data centers thanks to their high performance and logic reconfigurable features. To efficiently make use of data center resources, recent rack scale architecture tends to disaggregate data center resources. This paper proposes the Synchronizing Network wide Function Reconfiguration (SNFR) protocol that aims to synchronize the reconfiguration of coherent functions on disaggregated FPGA resources deployed across the network. The associated protocol processor is implemented. The synchronized reconfiguration is captured by the Xilinx debug core and network traffic analyzer. The experimental section shows that the protocol processor can support maximum 9 Gbps traffic and introduces additional latency ranged from from 0.1 μs to 0. 21μs.
Effects of Resource Distribution on Sexual Selection and the Cost of Reproduction in Sandgobies

I describe the results of an experimental manipulation of resource availability (nest substrate) and distribution (nest size), leading to effects on the opportunity for sexual selection and the survival of male sandgobies Pomatoschistus minutus competing for these resources. This study represents one of few such experimental manipulations. It shows a clear‐cut effect of male‐male competition on the survival of males, and it shows temporal variation in the opportunity for sexual selection, suggesting that short‐term assessment of sexual selection could be misleading. Males breeding under male‐male competition for nest sites lived on average 18 d less than males in the high‐nest‐availability treatment. This considerable cost of reproduction probably stems from increased stress levels as a result of higher levels of aggression. The opportunity for sexual selection was high throughout the 2‐mo experiment in the low‐nest‐availability treatment, while in the high nest availability, it changed in a complex manner over the season. In the latter case, sexual selection was initially low but increased during midseason to values nearly as high as in the nest‐site‐limited environment and then decreased again toward the end of the season. Previous studies have shown that temporal variation in sexual selection follows variation in population density and sex ratio. This study demonstrates that there can be considerable temporal variation in the opportunity for sexual selection without changes in population parameters.
Rolling Shutter Correction in Manhattan World

A vast majority of consumer cameras operate the rolling shutter mechanism, which often produces distorted images due to inter-row delay while capturing an image. Recent methods for monocular rolling shutter compensation utilize blur kernel, straightness of line segments, as well as angle and length preservation. However, they do not incorporate scene geometry explicitly for rolling shutter correction, therefore, information about the 3D scene geometry is often distorted by the correction process. In this paper we propose a novel method which leverages geometric properties of the scene—in particular vanishing directions—to estimate the camera motion during rolling shutter exposure from a single distorted image. The proposed method jointly estimates the orthogonal vanishing directions and the rolling shutter camera motion. We performed extensive experiments on synthetic and real datasets which demonstrate the benefits of our approach both in terms of qualitative and quantitative results (in terms of a geometric structure fitting) as well as with respect to computation time.
The Protean Career: Exemplified by First World Foreign Residents in Western Europe?

This paper presents findings from a qualitative study exploring the career-related motivations and experiences of a sample of 20 expatriates living and working on a permanent basis in the south of France (Sophia Antipolis) and in Germany (Munich). By virtue of their having established local links in the host country, either in having local working contracts or being installed in the area on a permanent basis (home owners; children born/being schooled in the host country), these expatriates could also be termed foreign residents in the host country. The study's sample of highly educated workers originating from the United States or Western Europe (First World or "highincome economies" as they are called by Wikipedia contributors, 2006) who have chosen to remain in the host country on an indefinite basis differs from contemporary research samples in international careers. Argued in this paper is that this particular sample of the locally hired expatriates also warrants attention in the literature and in career research. The findings highlight the relevance of the subjective career and the lifestyle anchor to the career direction chosen by this sample within the context of both the traditional and boundaryless career. A marked inclination toward the protean career concept is underlined in the empirical research.
A method of low-rank decomposition with feature point detection for moving target tracking

In respect of the problems of complex changing of targets and background in moving target tracking, we utilize feature point detection method under low-rank sparse decomposition to track the moving target. First, for video sequence image, we adopt RPCA (Robust Principal Component Analysis) algorithm to conduct low-rank sparse decomposition, thereby extracting the foreground of the target; then SURF operator is used on each frame of image in the foreground sequence to conduct feature point detection, which just operates on the foreground of the image, thereby reducing the disturbance of complex background for target tracking and meanwhile reducing the amount of calculation in feature point detection. Through experiment on scale change, non-rigid motion, partial occlusion, and low-resolution thermal imaging video sequence as well as comparison with such moving target tracking methods as MIL, L1APG and DFT, the validity of the method adopted in this article in tracking moving target is verified.
Bed and Breakfasts, Small Inns, and the Internet: The Impact of Technology on the Globalization of Small Businesses

As the service industry continues to grow, small businesses must decide whether they are going to use new technologies available to them. This article is an exploratory study that examines how the Internet can help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) attain a global market. Small inns and bed and breakfasts were used as SMEs in this study. The authors developed a survey and sent it to small inns and bed and breakfasts in Canada and the United States to determine the ways these businesses are using the technologies available to them and the pros and cons of using the technologies. The authors discuss managerial implications of using the Internet.
Group vs. Individual Performance Pay in Relational Employment Contracts when Workers Are Envious

type="main"> I compare group to individual performance pay when workers are envious and performance is nonverifiable. Avoiding payoff inequity, the group reward scheme is optimal as long as the firm faces no credibility problem. The individual reward scheme may, however, become superior albeit introducing the prospect of unequal pay. This is due to two reasons: Group incentives are relatively low-powered compared to individual incentives, requiring higher incentive pay and impeding credibility of the firm. Moreover, with individual rewards, the firm benefits from the incentive-strengthening effect of envy, allowing for yet smaller overall incentive pay and further softening the credibility constraint. I also show that contracts combining both individual and group rewards are often optimal, depending on the firm's credibility problem. These contracts include joint and relative performance pay schemes.
Independent component analysis with application to hot galvanizing pickling waste liquor treatment process

In this paper, the application of independent component analysis (ICA) to statistical process monitoring is studied. This paper mainly focuses on studying on the fault detection and isolation principle based on the data model of ICA. Contributions of this paper are: (1) for the purpose of fault detection, two monitoring statistics are designated by detailed analysis on the data model of ICA; (2) a semi-supervised Laplacian regularization (SLR) kernel density estimation approach is proposed to determine the normal operation region; (3) Under fault condition, a fault isolation method based on expert knowledge is introduced; (4) Hot Galvanizing Pickling Waste Liquor Treatment Process (HGPWLTP) is taken to evaluate the monitoring performance of the proposed approaches. Encouraging experimental results of the proposed process monitoring approaches are achieved.
Comparative performance-related fund flows for Malaysian Islamic and conventional equity funds

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to compare the fund flow – performance relationship for Islamic and conventional equity funds in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach - – The authors use panel regression models to estimate the relationship between fund flows and performance for Islamic and conventional equity funds in Malaysia from 2001 to 2009. The data for each fund include fund flows, assets under management, management expenses, fund age, portfolio turnover, fund risk and return and the number of funds in the fund’s family. The authors also include market returns and year effects. The sample consists of 127 Malaysian equity funds with at least 65 per cent domestic equity holdings comprising 35 Islamic and 92 conventional equity funds. Findings - – Islamic fund investors respond to performance in much the same way as conventional fund investors, increasing fund flows to better performing funds and decreasing fund flows to poorer performing funds. However, there is also evidence that Islamic fund investors are relatively less responsive toward poorly performing Islamic funds, suggesting an asymmetry in the expected positive fund flow – performance relationship, but only for Islamic fund investors. When choosing funds based on other fund attributes, Islamic fund investors again exhibit similar behaviour, and like conventional fund investors direct larger percentage fund flows into smaller funds as well as funds with larger past fund flows and higher expense ratios. Research limitations/implications - – The authors were only able to access data on annual net fund flows not quarterly or monthly fund inflows and outflows as usual in developed markets and this may obscure some important aspects of investor decision-making. There is also insufficient data for matched-sample techniques, which may better control for fund-specific characteristics. Practical implications - – Islamic funds like conventional funds will experience increased fund flows with better performance and vice versa. However, Islamic fund investors appear somewhat less likely to remove monies from poorly performing funds. The authors believe this is because investors either place a premium on the non-return attributes of Shariah-compliant funds and/or wish to avoid search costs in finding another suitable Islamic fund. Apart from this, Islamic and conventional fund investors behave in a similar manner, and the authors believe that this is possible in Malaysia given the size and diversity of its Islamic fund sector. Originality/value - – This paper is one of the very few empirical studies concerning the behaviour of Islamic investors, particularly in Malaysia, primarily because of limitations in data availability.
Chenodeoxycholate Is an Inhibitor of Clostridium difficile Spore Germination

ABSTRACT Some cholate derivatives that are normal components of bile can act with glycine to induce the germination of Clostridium difficile spores, but at least one bile component, chenodeoxycholate, does not induce germination. Here we show that chenodeoxycholate inhibits the germination of C. difficile spores in response to cholate and taurocholate.
EPEE: an efficient PCIe communication library with easy-host-integration property for FPGA accelerators (abstract only)

The rapid growth in the resources and processing power of FPGA has made it more and more attractive as accelerator platforms. Due to its high performance, the PCIe bus is the preferred interconnection between the host computer and loosely-coupled FPGA accelerators. To fully utilize the high performance of PCIe, developers have to write significant amount of PCIe related code. In this paper, we present the design of EPEE, an efficient PCIe communication library that can integrate with hosts easily to alleviate developers from such burden. It is not trivial to make a PCIe communication library highly efficient and easy-host-integration simultaneously. We have identified several challenges in the work: 1) the conflict between efficiency and functionality; 2) the support for multi-clock domain interface; 3) the solution to DMA data out-of-order transfer; 4) the portability. Few existing systems have addressed all the challenges. EEPE has a highly efficient core library that is extensible. We provide a set of APIs abstracted at high levels to ease the learning curve of developers, and divide the hardware library into device dependent and independent layers for portability. We have implemented EEPE in various generations of Xilinx FPGAs with up to 12.7 Gbps half-duplex and 20.8 Gbps full-duplex data rates in PCIe Gen2X4 mode (79.4% and 64.0% of the theoretical maximum data rates respectively). EEPE has already been used in four different FPGA applications, and it can be integrated with high-level synthesis tools, in particular Vivado-HLS.
Coulomb explosion dynamics of N2O in intense laser-field: Identification of new two-body and three-body fragmentation pathways

The Coulomb explosion process of N2O in an intense laser-field (∼5 PW/cm2) has been investigated by the high-resolution time-of-flight (TOF) spectroscopy. Six two-body explosion pathways involving the NO+, NO2+, N2+ molecular ions have been securely identified from the momentum-scaled TOF spectra of the fragment ions. Assuming a linear geometry, three-body explosion pathways were investigated by sequential and concerted explosion models. When the concerted model is adopted, the observed momentum distributions of six atomic ion channels; N+, N2+, N3+, O+, O2+ and O3+, were well fitted using the Gaussian momentum distribution with the optimized bond elongation factor of 2.2(3). From the yields of individual Coulomb explosion pathways determined by the fit, the abundance of the parent ions, N2Oz+ (z=2–8), prior to the two- body and three-body explosion processes was found to have a smooth distribution with a maximum at z∼3.
Wage Rigidity, Institutions, and Inflation

A number of recent studies have documented extensive downward nominal wage rigidity (DNWR) for job stayers in many OECD countries. However, DNWR for individual workers may induce downward rigidity or "a floor" for the aggregate wage growth at positive or negative levels. Aggregate wage growth may be below zero because of compositional effects, for example that old, high-wage workers are replaced by young low-wage workers. DNWR may also lead to a positive growth in aggregate wages because of changes in relative wages. We explore industry data for 19 OECD countries, over the period 1971-2006. We find evidence for floors on nominal wage growth at 6 percent and lower in the 1970s and 1980s, at one percent in the 1990s, and at 0.5 percent in the 2000s. Furthermore, we find that DNWR is stronger in country-years with strict employment protection legislation, high union density, centralised wage setting and high inflation.
A transcription factor for expression of vaccinia virus late genes is encoded by an intermediate gene

A factor, designated VLTF-1, that is required in vitro for specific transcription of vaccinia virus late genes was previously isolated from vaccinia virus-infected cells. Subsequent genetic experiments identified three vaccinia virus genes, encoding proteins of 17, 26, and 30 kDa, that together trans activate late gene expression in vivo. The purpose of this study was to determine whether VLTF-1 corresponded to one of the three trans activators. Toward this end, VLTF-1 was further purified, the trans-activator genes were expressed in Escherichia coli, and antisera were made to the native and recombinant proteins. Antibody to the 30-kDa recombinant protein reacted on Western immunoblots with a protein of approximately Mr 30,000 that cochromatographed and cosedimented with VLTF-1 activity from virus-infected cells. Conversely, antibody to purified VLTF-1 bound to products produced by in vitro transcription and translation of the open reading frame encoding the 30-kDa trans-activator protein. Both antisera depleted VLTF-1 activity and blocked late gene transcription by partially purified extracts of vaccinia virus-infected cells. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the 30-kDa trans activator comprises part, if not all, of VLTF-1 activity.
A Unique and Simple Approach to Improve Sensitivity in 15N-NMR Relaxation Measurements for NH3+ Groups: Application to a Protein-DNA Complex

NMR spectroscopy is a powerful tool for research on protein dynamics. In the past decade, there has been significant progress in the development of NMR methods for studying charged side chains. In particular, NMR methods for lysine side-chain NH3+ groups have been proven to be powerful for investigating the dynamics of hydrogen bonds or ion pairs that play important roles in biological processes. However, relatively low sensitivity has been a major practical issue in NMR experiments on NH3+ groups. In this paper, we present a unique and simple approach to improve sensitivity in 15N relaxation measurements for NH3+ groups. In this approach, the efficiency of coherence transfers for the desired components are maximized, whereas undesired anti-phase or multi-spin order components are purged through pulse schemes and rapid relaxation. For lysine side-chain NH3+ groups of a protein-DNA complex, we compared the data obtained with the previous and new pulse sequences under the same conditions and confirmed that the 15N relaxation parameters were consistent for these datasets. While retaining accuracy in measuring 15N relaxation, our new pulse sequences for NH3+ groups allowed an 82% increase in detection sensitivity of 15N longitudinal and transverse relaxation measurements.
Social enterprise and the measurement of social value: methodological issues with the calculation and application of the social return on investment

This article considers the methodological challenge of quantifying the social value generated through social enterprise activity. It argues that in the context of increasing enthusiasm for social enterprise as a mechanism for delivering social services and for tackling social exclusion, it is increasingly necessary to be able to value social impacts. Further it will be necessary to be able to assess the potential creation of social value from different investments in social enterprise. Specifically, this article considers methodology of social return on investment (SROI). SROI has become increasingly promoted in both policy and practice in the United States and the United Kingdom. This article considers the development of this methodology and draws on lessons from international development to highlight the limitations of the current use of SROI.
Parametric and semiparametric model representations of the conditional mean of wages: do they make a difference against nonparametric ones?

This study is concerned with the validation of parametric functional representations of the conditional mean of wages using Philippine data. This is done in the light of studies confirming relative weaknesses associated with parametric approaches to the modelling of human capital earnings functions (Zheng, 2000; Heckman et al., 2003; Lemieux, 2003; Miles and Mora, 2003). Extending the approaches in Lemieux (2003), Zheng (2000) and Miles and Mora (2003), we conduct consistent specification tests not only on parametric functional forms but also on the semiparametric partially linear model to verify the effect of modelling choice on the schooling-earnings as well as the experience-earnings relationships. Test results indicate that parametric models may still be valid representations of the wage function. In some instances, the semiparametric partially linear wage function holds promise as a modelling alternative to parametric models.
Characterization of Plasmodium yoelii monoclonal antibodies directed against stage-specific sporozoite antigens

A battery of monoclonal antibodies against Plasmodium yoelii sporozoites was produced. Five of these (NYS1 through NYS5) were selected for characterization. All five were positive in the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test with P. yoelii sporozoites; however, each showed a different immunofluorescence pattern. Although NYS1 (immunoglobulin G3 [IgG3]), NYS2 (IgG3), and NYS3 (IgM) were positive in the circumsporozoite precipitation test, only NYS1 and NYS2 were able to neutralize sporozoite infectivity in mice. NYS4 (IgM) and NYS5 (IgG1) were not positive in the precipitation test and did not protect mice from sporozoite infection. All except NYS4 were species as well as stage specific. NYS4 cross-reacted with sporozoites of P. berghei. Electrophoretic immunoblotting analysis showed that these monoclonal antibodies detected sporozoite antigens of various molecular weights. Inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays indicated that each recognized a different antigenic epitope. The differences in their immunochemical and biological reactivity make them useful for screening a variety of P. yoelii antigens in recombinant DNA libraries. These antigens will be used in an animal model system for vaccine development.