Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) in the Long-Run: A Cointegration Approach

This paper intends to test the long-run purchasing power parity (PPP) in Bangladesh economy during the period 1971/72-2007/08. The cointegration tests using exchange rate and price indices from annual observations reject the PPP proposition for Bangladesh. The results indicate that deviations in domestic and foreign price levels are not reflected in nominal exchange rate movements. Instead of considering PPP as a complete model of exchange rate determination, it should be used in providing a guideline in setting exchange rates in the presence of monetary disturbances. The Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) doctrine states that the exchange rate between two currencies should be equal to the ratio of the price levels in two countries so that a given commodity has the same price in both countries when expressed in terms of the same currency. The intellectual origins of the doctrine can be attributed to the works of Wheatley (1807) and Ricardo (1821), where it appears as an extension of the quantity theory of money. Its latest revival owes much to Gustav Cassel's writings throughout the 1920s to explain the behaviour of the dislocated European exchanges during World War I (Humphrey and Kelehar, 1982). The emergence of the floating exchange rate system after 1973 inspired an enormous resurrection of interest in PPP theory. Numerous studies have been carried out in testing the validity of the PPP theory. Early studies of PPP centered on the European and United States economies during the 1920s. The results support the PPP hypothesis as exchange rates could not be separated from the price levels. On the contrary, PPP collapsed during the 1970s due to various structural changes in the United States economy with its trade partners (Frenkel, 1976, 1980; Krugman, 1978). In these studies, estimations were carried out without examining the time series properties of the variables. If the variables are nonstationary, we can study their behaviour only for the time period under consideration without generalizing it to other time periods. Provided that the variables are stationary as well as cointegrated, we may consider a long-run relationship among them. Besides, a number of studies were conducted on the basis of cointegration tests to identify the long-run relationship between exchange rate and price levels. Basher and Mohsin (2004) test the PPP hypothesis using panel cointegration framework for ten Asian countries. The results did not indicate any evidence in favor of PPP. The studies undertaken by Corbae and Ouliaris (1988) and Eatzaz et al. (2002) on US and Pakistan economies respectively, did not find any evidence in favor of the PPP hypothesis.
Amyloid burden and incident depressive symptoms in cognitively normal older adults

Several studies have reported that non‐demented older adults with clinical depression show changes in amyloid‐β (Aβ) levels in blood, cerebrospinal fluid and on neuroimaging that are consistent with those observed in patients with Alzheimer's disease. These findings suggest that Aβ may be one of the mechanisms underlying the relation between the two conditions. We sought to determine the relation between elevated cerebral Aβ and the presence of depression across a 54‐month prospective observation period.
A new 12-b 40 ms/s, low-power, low-area pipeline ADC for video analog front ends

A 12-bit, 40 MS/s pipelined analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is designed in 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS technology with 1.8 V single power supply. The proposed ADC architecture uses a combination of current-mode and voltage-mode stages to, significantly, reduce both power dissipation and area compared to conventional fully differential voltage-mode pipeline ADCs. Simulation results are provided and indicate that the proposed ADC has potential to be deployed in the video analog front-ends.
Development of blue ocean strategy in dairy industry in Iran (evidence from Kalleh Company)

One of today's most frequently discussed topics in the business world is how to escape from the intense red ocean and how to create an uncontested blue ocean. Therefore, the blue ocean strategy provides companies with guidelines on how to escape from intense competition over the same market space, where there are limited customers with an increasing number of competitors, by creating a new market space where there is less competition if any. This study aimed to develop a model in Kalleh Company of blue ocean strategy practical orientation, for a single-stage survey was conducted. This survey is used by collecting information through a questionnaire distributed to 265 managers and professional experts working in Kalleh Company as the sample. A survey and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used for data analysis. The results of study have shown that the most and least important factors the four-action framework of blue ocean strategy in Kalleh Company are create, raise, reduce, and eliminate variables respectively. The findings in this paper support the four-action model of blue ocean strategy in Kalle Company. The paper shows that industry managers and executives should try to influence; create, raise, reduce, and eliminate in their organisations.
Human Heart Mitochondrial DNA Is Organized in Complex Catenated Networks Containing Abundant Four-way Junctions and Replication Forks

Analysis of human heart mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) by electron microscopy and agarose gel electrophoresis revealed a complete absence of the θ-type replication intermediates seen abundantly in mtDNA from all other tissues. Instead only Y- and X-junctional forms were detected after restriction digestion. Uncut heart mtDNA was organized in tangled complexes of up to 20 or more genome equivalents, which could be resolved to genomic monomers, dimers, and linear fragments by treatment with the decatenating enzyme topoisomerase IV plus the cruciform-cutting T7 endonuclease I. Human and mouse brain also contained a population of such mtDNA forms, which were absent, however, from mouse, rabbit, or pig heart. Overexpression in transgenic mice of two proteins involved in mtDNA replication, namely human mitochondrial transcription factor A or the mouse Twinkle DNA helicase, generated abundant four-way junctions in mtDNA of heart, brain, and skeletal muscle. The organization of mtDNA of human heart as well as of mouse and human brain in complex junctional networks replicating via a presumed non-θ mechanism is unprecedented in mammals.
Analysis of self-powered vibration-based energy scavenging system

This paper analyses a complete self-powered vibration based energy scavenging system. For the purpose of the analysis, the energy scavenging system (comprising of a SPICE model of Piezoelectric Bender Generator (PBG), an integrated semi-active bridge rectifier and a voltage regulator circuit) has been implemented in SPICE and presented in this paper. The semi-active bridge rectifier proposed in this paper uses Vertical Double-diffused MOS (VDMOS) transistors in place of standard diodes, to be suitable to withstand the high voltage values generated by PBGs. Using SPICE the analysis of the reciprocal interaction between PBG and scavenging system (in terms of stress, strain rate, mechanical and electrical powers at various loads and regulated voltages) is investigated. The simulation results of the semi-active bridge rectifier have shown an efficiency of the rectifier of about the 90 %. The simulation results of the whole system with optimized control circuits have shown how both the load and the regulated voltage can influence the behavior of stress and strain rate and vice versa. Comparisons of simulated stress and strain rate at various loads and regulated voltage values have shown an opposite behavior of the strain rate with respect to the stress. The simulation results of various powers - mechanical and electrical - from PBG to the load have shown the amount of mechanical power converted by the PBG into electrical that can be transferred to the load and that an optimal load exist.
The education and practice of futures studies in Estonia

The aim of this case study is to analyze the historical and current state of the education and practice of futures studies (FS) in a country that was once a member of the Soviet Union: Estonia. There are other countries in Eastern Europe which used to be or currently are in a similar situation to Estonia, but futures studies developed in different ways, because politics and economies were driven by different strategies or interests, and futurists emphasized different aspects of their research (either the theoretical or the practical, along different paradigms). In certain countries, like in Estonia, FS first achieved scientific (and educational) success after the political change of the early 90s, but this was followed by a long way down to a secondary (backing) position. It seems that an optimal share between education and practice may lead FS out from the pit in Estonia, and in other countries, too.
A CMOS Thermistor-Embedded Continuous-Time Delta-Sigma Temperature Sensor With a Resolution FoM of 0.65 pJ $^{\circ}$C$^{2}$

In a smart temperature sensor system, two individual building blocks, a sensing front-end and an analog-to-digital converter, are cascaded to implement the temperature-to-digital conversion. In this work, a thermistor-embedded continuous-time delta-sigma modulator (CTDSM), which merges these two building blocks into one, is proposed for a hardware- and energy-efficient temperature acquisition. The thermistor-based sensing front-end is reused in a 2nd-order 1 bit CTDSM to attain a high-resolution, low hardware complexity, and energy-efficient temperature sensing. Furthermore, a resistor-ladder with a switch on-resistance compensation scheme is proposed to implement the trimming circuit. Over a range of -45°C ~ 125°C, the proposed smart temperature sensor consumes 64.5 μW from 1.5 V supply voltage and achieves a resolution around 0.01°C rms (1 σ) temperature resolution with a single conversion time of 100 μs. The corresponding resolution FoM is 0.65 pJ°C2. With 1-point trimming, this design achieves ±1°C temperature inaccuracy; this inaccuracy can be further improved to ±0.4°C with additional batch calibration.
Spectral imaging technique for retinal perfusion detection using confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy

Abstract. To evaluate retinal perfusion in the human eye, a dual-wavelength confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (cSLO) was developed that provides spectral imaging of the fundus using a combination of red (670 nm) and near-infrared (810 nm) wavelengths. The image of the ocular fundus was analyzed to find out if quantitative measurements of the reflectivity of tissue permit assessment of the oxygen perfusion of tissue. We explored problems that affect the reproducibility of patient measurements such as non-uniformity errors on the image. For the first time, an image processing technique was designed and used to minimize the errors of oxygen saturation measurements by illumination correction in retina wide field by increasing SNR. Retinal images were taken from healthy and diabetic retinopathy eyes using the cSLO with a confocal aperture of 100 μm. The ratio image (RI) of red/IR, as oxygen saturation (SO2) index, was calculated for normal eyes. The image correction technique improved the reproducibility of the measurements. Average RI intensity variation of healthy retina tissue was determined within a range of about 5.5%. The capability of the new technique to discriminate oxygenation levels of retinal artery and vein was successfully demonstrated and showed good promise in the diagnosis of the perfused retina.
Immortalization of bovine capillary endothelial cells by hTERT alone involves inactivation of endogenous p16INK4A/pRb

Recent studies show that stable expression of the human telomerase catalytic subunit, hTERT, alone can lead several types of normal human somatic cells to bypass replicative senescence and become immortal. The molecular mechanisms by which telomerase immortalizes cells are not fully understood, although a key function of telomerase is to maintain a critical length of telomeres in order to preserve the stability and integrity of the genome. Here we report that stable transfection of hTERT alone was sufficient to allow bovine capillary endothelial (BCE) cells to bypass senescence and acquire immortality. Surprisingly, telomere lengths in these stable transfectants were progressively shortened during an increasing number of population doublings (PDLs), despite high telomerase activity. The expression of the cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKIs) p16INK4A and p21CIP1/WAF1 was concomitantly repressed, and the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) was maintained in a hyperphosphorylated state in the telomerase‐expressing cells. Re‐expression of p16INK4A in these cells by either treatment with a demethylating agent or by adenovirus‐mediated expression reinduced a senescence‐like phenotype, suggesting that the inactivation of p16INK4A was due to DNA methylation and was crucial for the immortalization process. In agreement with this finding, the expression levels of the prototypic DNA methyltransferase DNMT1 were elevated in the hTERT‐positive cells.
How Can 'Smart Beta' Go Horribly Wrong?

Factor returns, net of changes in valuation levels, are much lower than recent performance suggests. Value-add can be structural, and thus reliably repeatable, or situational—a product of rising valuations—likely neither sustainable nor repeatable. Many investors are performance chasers who in pushing prices higher create valuation levels that inflate past performance, reduce potential future performance, and amplify the risk of mean reversion to historical valuation norms. We foresee the reasonable probability of a smart beta crash as a consequence of the soaring popularity of factor-tilt strategies.
The Role of Premarket Factors in Black-White Wage Differences

Many attempts to measure the wage effects of current labor market discrimination against minorities include controls for worker productivity that (1) could themselves be affected by market discrimination and (2) are very imprecise measures of worker skill. The resulting estimates of residual wage gaps may be biased. Our approach is a parsimoniously specified wage equation that controls for skill with the score of a test administered as teenagers prepared to leave high school and embark on work careers or postsecondary education. Independent evidence shows that this test score is a racially unbiased measure of the skills and abilities these teenagers were about to bring to the labor market. We find that this one test score explains all of the black-white wage gap for young women and much of the gap for young men. For today's young adults, the black-white wage gap primarily reflects a skill gap, which in turn we can trace, at least in part, to observable differences in the family backgrounds.
Stochastic Entry of Competitors and Marketing Decisions

The research on determination of product life so far has been mostly focusing on the perspective of strategic development. This study, from a quantitative perspective, assumes that the decision to keep selling or stop selling a product is essentially affected by competitors' behaviors, and employs a stochastic approach in which the entry process of rival competitors and its effects within the planned product life are considered. The objective is to provide the managers with an informative decision process in formulating an appropriate strategy to maximize the product profits in a competitive market from the viewpoint of an incumbent firm. A nonhomogeneous Poisson process with a power law intensity function is assumed to be proper for modeling the entry process of rival competitors. The Bayesian decision analysis is utilized to recapitulate the assumptions and provide systematic criteria of rational judgments for quality decision making. Finally, a numerical example is given and the results of the proposed approach are discussed after performing sensitivity analyses.
Market transition, educational disparities, and family strategies in rural china: New evidence on gender stratification and development

Two theoretical perspectives have dominated debates about the impact of development on gender stratification: modernization theory, which argues that gender inequalities decline with economic growth, and the “women in development” perspective, which argues that development may initially widen gender gaps. Analyzing cross-sectional surveys and time-series data from China, this article indicates the relevance of both perspectives: while girls’ educational opportunities were clearly more responsive than boys’ to better household economic circumstances, the era of market transition in the late 1970s and early 1980s failed to accelerate and, in fact, may have temporarily slowed progress toward gender equity.
The Experience of Anxiety in Colonoscopy Outpatients: A Mixed-Method Study

Colonoscopy is commonly used to investigate gastrointestinal symptoms such as pain or changes in bowel habits and may either induce patient anxiety or assist in patient reassurance. Currently, 2 studies investigating negative colonoscopy, reassurance, and anxiety came to conflicting conclusions on this issue. Furthermore, it is possible that differences in coping styles may influence patient anxiety. A mixed-methods study was conducted with 26 precolonoscopy and 24 postcolonoscopy patients to address the conflicting, limited literature regarding colonoscopy, coping, and anxiety. Participants completed postal surveys and interviews were conducted with 16 participants. There was no significant difference between pre- and postcolonoscopy groups on any anxiety measures; however, this was possibly because of individual differences. Significant positive correlations were found between maladaptive coping and state anxiety indicating that healthcare professionals should consider screening for maladaptive coping in patients needing invasive procedures. Neither problem- nor emotion-focused coping showed any significant relationship with state anxiety. Interviews revealed that clinicians and endoscopy nurses should be aware that some patients are not absorbing correct information about colonoscopy, specifically that they may be conscious or experience pain during the procedure. Because of this, clinicians should ensure that patients understand standard practice at their hospital. In addition, interview data suggested that more attention should be given to pain management as it currently may not be adequate during conscious sedation.
Unions, Efficiency and Bargaining when Workers have Heterogeneous Productivity

This thesis proposes and analyzes micro-theoretic models of the strategic interaction between heterogeneous workers and a union, and that between a rm and a union. We assume union membership increases the bargaining power of the workers, but decreases their productivity. The workers and the rm produce a surplus. The union bargains on behalf of all workers, trying to maximize their surplus, which is a share of the total surplus. This thesis focuses on studying equilibria in which the least productive workers join the union, but the most productive workers do not. For each model, we show that such an equilibrium exists, is unique, and is robust to coalitional deviations. We nd expressions for the equilibrium union size, union density, the wages of union and non-union workers, the surplus and pro t of the rm, and the respective bargaining powers of the workers and the rm. The models comparative statics are also studied. Equilibrium variables are compared across the models to gain insight into the unions preferences on performance-based pay. We also study how di¤erences in the workers productive levels a¤ect their incentives to join the union. The most striking result that holds across the models is that the rms surplus and pro t can sometimes increase with the ine¢ ciency coe¢ cient of the union. This suggests there can exist situations where rms have a perverse incentive to make union workers less e¢ cient compared to non-union workers. We also nd that union membership and salaries decrease with the ine¢ ciency coe¢ cient of the union. This suggests that unionized workers always prefer to be as e¢ cient as their non-unionized colleagues. We nd that union wages
A Perspective on Non-Isometric Shape-from-Template

Shape-from-Template (SfT) uses an object's shape template and a deformation law to achieve single-image reconstruction. SfT is a fundamental tool to retexture or augment a deformable object in a monocular video. It has matured for isometric deformations, but the non-isometric case is yet largely open. This is because modeling is generally more complicated and the constraints certainly weaker. Existing algorithms use, for instance, linear elasticity, require one to provide boundary conditions represented by known deformed shape parts and need nonconvex optimization. We use a very simple and generic model to show that non-isometric SfT has a unique solution up to scale under strong perspective imaging and mild deformation curvature. Our model uses a novel type of homography interpretation that we call Perspective-Projection-Affine-Embedding. It may use boundary conditions if available and can be estimated with Linear Least Squares optimization. We provide experimental results on synthetic and real data.
Functional MRI of the rat somatosensory cortex: Effects of hyperventilation

Functional mapping of the rat somatosensory cortex was performed with T2*‐sensitized MRI using a forepaw electrical stimulation model in α‐chloralose‐anesthetized rats at 7 T under both normocapnia and mild hyperventilation‐induced hypocapnia. A highly localized activation area, consistent with the known somatosensory cortical region, was detected in all seven animals studied during hypocapnia and in five of the same animals during normocapnia. Quantitatively, hypocapnia was found to significantly increase both the size of the fMRl activation area (3.4 ± 0.6 mm2 versus 1.5 ± 0.6 mm2 in normocapnia, mean ± standard error, n = 7, P < 0.03) and the average fMRl signal intensity increase (3.4 ± 0.6% versus 2.7 ± 0.4%, n = 5, P < 0.05). The increased sensitivity of fMRl to functional activation may reflect a widened arterial‐venous oxygenation difference resulting from an increased effective oxygen extraction during hyperventilation. The dependence of the fMRl response on the ventilation state underscores the need to control for physiological parameters in animal fMRl studies.
Governors and directors: Competing models of corporate governance

Why do we use the term ‘corporate governance’ rather than ‘corporate direction’? Early British joint stock companies were normally managed by a single ‘governor’. The ‘court of governors’ or ‘board of directors’ emerged slowly as the ruling body for companies. By the nineteenth century, however, companies were typically run by directors while not-for-profit entities such as hospitals, schools and charitable bodies had governors. The nineteenth century saw steady refinement of the roles of company directors, often in response to corporate scandals, with a gradual change from the notion of the director as a ‘representative shareholder’ to the directors being seen collectively as ‘representatives of the shareholders’. Governors in not-for-profit entities, however, were regarded as having broader responsibilities. The term ‘governance’ itself suggests that corporate boards should be studied as ‘political’ entities rather than merely through economic lenses such as agency theory.