Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Global Carbon Tax on Climate Change: Policy Implications for Latin America 1

This study measures the impact of curbing carbon dioxide (CO2), primary source of climate change. It applies a newly developed dynamic general equilibrium energy model with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean, built in a multi-stage nested production structure to accommodate energy-related substitutions among energy sources and with other factors of production at different stages. The model incorporates an energy module, which estimates the sectoral CO2 emission coefficients for energy sources and the aggregate CO2 emissions for each country and region. The model is built on 2007 base year and the time path over 2025. The simulation results confirm several stylized outcomes based on global initiatives. In order to reduce the global CO2 emissions, the key is the participation of large emitters in developing countries. With the global carbon taxes, China alone accounts for roughly the half of the global reduction of CO2 emissions, whereas OECD countries altogether contribute around 15 percent and the region by 2.5 percent. Carbon tax generates the global negative welfare effects. In the region, energy exporting countries are likely to incur greater adverse effects due to two factors: (i) deterioration of terms of trade; and (ii) large export-output ratio and sectoral composition of energy sectors. Among industries, the energy sectors are clear losers. On trade front, the simulation results reveal dynamic interactions and response between countries and among sectors in the global market. The region is expected to penetrate its exports largely of manufactured products to OECD countries, to which China loses. It is also shown that even being excluded from the global commitment, the region cannot be immune from the adverse effects, as it is strongly linked in the global market through trade.
Heterogeneous process migration by recompilation

An approach to heterogeneous process migration that involves building a machine-independent migration program that specifies the current code and data state of the process to be migrated is described. When this program is compiled and executed on the target machine, it will first reconstruct the process's state and then continue the normal execution of the now-migrated process. The principal advantage of this approach is that it hides the details of code and data translation in the compilers for each machine. <<ETX>>
Predicting the event and time horizon of bankruptcy using financial ratios and the maturity schedule of long-term debt

We study the problem of simultaneous and coherent assessment the probability of a firm’s bankruptcy at various time horizons in future. In contrast with usual (one-period) formulations of the problem, such multi-period formulation better matches the nature of bankruptcy process (bankruptcy occurs in time) and allows an easier and more natural incorporation of bankruptcy (default) prognoses in valuation of risky debt and equity, optimization of corporate capital structure etc. The study uses a new mathematical apparatus—multi-alternative decision rules of statistical decision theory. We investigate a new type of predictive variables that can be extracted from the maturity schedule of a firm’s long-term debt. The study develops Bayesian-type forecasting rules that use both maturity schedule factors and traditional financial ratios. These rules noticeably enhance bankruptcy prediction (compared with the familiar one-period Z-score rules of Altman) for bankruptcy within the first 1, 2 or 3 years. Predictive factors derived from schedule information enhance bankruptcy prediction at distant time horizons.
German corporate property and the conflict between real estate investment and operating resources

A great number of German companies are suffering an acute financial crisis. Financial optimisation of the substantial property holdings owned by German companies offers an opportunity to reduce costs and to free up capital. However, the demands on property for operational purposes create difficulties when optimisation is carried out exclusively for financial objectives. In this paper it will be shown, by means of an empirical investigation of real estate directors and financial managers of the leading German undertakings, that companies are failing to take the decisive step towards optimisation. The reason for this lies in inadequate internal preparations, manifested in the lack of a linkage between real estate strategy and corporate strategy. Property rights‐oriented analyses of real estate assets create new scope to refinance existing holdings, without sacrificing the important requirements of the units occupying them. This paper discusses the essential steps to a solution and explains the potentials that can be enhanced by a structured financial optimisation of property holdings.
Microstructured Cocultures of Cardiac Myocytes and Fibroblasts: A Two-Dimensional In Vitro Model of Cardiac Tissue

Cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts are essential elements of myocardial tissue structure and function. In vivo, myocytes constitute the majority of cardiac tissue volume, whereas fibroblasts dominate in numbers. In vitro, cardiac cell cultures are usually designed to exclude fibroblasts, which, because of their maintained proliferative potential, tend to overgrow the myocytes. Recent advances in microstructuring of cultures and cell growth on elastic membranes have greatly enhanced in vitro preservation of tissue properties and offer a novel platform technology for producing more in vivo-like models of myocardium. We used microfluidic techniques to grow two-dimensional structured cardiac tissue models, containing both myocytes and fibroblasts, and characterized cell morphology, distribution, and coupling using immunohistochemical techniques. In vitro findings were compared with in vivo ventricular cyto-architecture. Cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts, cultured on intersecting 30-μm-wide collagen tracks, acquire an in vivo-like phenotype. Their spatial arrangement closely resembles that observed in native tissue: Strands of highly aligned myocytes are surrounded by parallel threads of fibroblasts. In this in vitro system, fibroblasts form contacts with other fibroblasts and myocytes, which can support homogeneous and heterogeneous gap junctional coupling, as observed in vivo. We conclude that structured cocultures of cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts mimic in vivo ventricular tissue organization and provide a novel tool for in vitro research into cardiac electromechanical function.
Testing the Stability of Beta: A Sectoral Analysis in Turkish Stock Market

The paper aims to test the stability of sector betas (systematic risk) in Turkish Stock Market for the period 03.01. 2005-31.12. 2009. We use rolling regression and recursive regression methods to test the stability of beta and two sub-samples to examine the impact of structural breaks on the beta behaviour, considering the 2007-2009 Global crisis. The findings support the instability of beta for most of the sectors and the results are robust when taking into account structural breaks. The paper is different from other studies in the Turkish literature because it uses different methodology, takes into account the crisis effect and focuses on the all sector betas.
Experimental and theoretical investigations of some useful langasite cuts for high-temperature SAW applications

Passive high-temperature sensors are a most promising area of use for SAW devices. Langasite (La<sub>3</sub>Ga<sub>5</sub>SiO<sub>14</sub>; LGS) has been identified as promising piezoelectric material to meet high-temperature SAW challenges. Because it is necessary to know the material behavior for an accurate device design, the frequency-temperature behavior of Rayleigh SAW (R-SAW) and shear-horizontal SAW (SH-SAW) LGS cuts is investigated on delay line and resonator test structures up to 700°C by RF characterization. In the range of the 434-MHz ISM band, the (0°, 22°, 90°) SH-SAW cut shows thermal behavior similar to the (0°, 138.5°, 26.7°) R-SAW cut. Associated with the (0°, 22°, 31°) cut, in which SAWs present mixed types of polarization, the (0°, 22°, 90°) SH-SAW orientation might allow differential measurements on a single substrate. In the temperature range of 400 to 500°C, delay line test devices using the SH-SAW cut show a considerable drop of signal. Theoretical analysis indicates that this newly described behavior might be a result of anisotropy effects in this cut, occurring in case of any slight misorientation of electrode alignment.
Comparison of immune electron microscopy and genome electropherotyping techniques for detection of turkey rotaviruses and rotaviruslike viruses in intestinal contents

Seventy-nine intestinal contents specimens from 65 turkey flocks were examined for rotavirus and rotaviruslike virus (RVLV) by immune electron microscopy (IEM) and genome electropherotyping. The IEM procedure was slightly more sensitive in detecting these viruses; 7 of 48 specimens (14.6%) positive for virus by IEM were negative by the genome electropherotyping technique. The genome electropherotyping technique more readily differentiated the rotaviruses and RVLVs than did the IEM procedure; 15 of 48 specimens (31%) positive for virus by IEM could not be differentiated into rotavirus of RVLV, whereas only 4 of the 41 specimens (9.7%) positive by genome electropherotyping produced incomplete genome electropherotypes and could not be differentiated. Thirty-one specimens negative by IEM were also negative by genome electropherotyping. Specimens determined to contain only rotavirus by IEM produced only rotavirus genome electropherotypes. Likewise, specimens determined to contain RVLV alone by IEM produced only RVLV genome electropherotypes. Three specimens contained viruses morphologically resembling rotaviruses that were not aggregated by either the anti-turkey rotavirus serum or the anti-turkey RVLV serum and possessed genome electropherotypes distinct from those of the turkey rotavirus and RVLV. These rotaviruses may represent a third, previously unrecognized serogroup of turkey rotaviruses.
8.7 Physically unclonable function for secure key generation with a key error rate of 2E-38 in 45nm smart-card chips

Physically unclonable function (PUF) circuits are for generating unique secure keys or chip IDs based on intrinsic properties of each chip itself [1-2]. PUFs are a step forward to improve the security level compared to traditional NVM (non-volatile memory) solutions (FUSEs, EEPROM/FLASH, etc.) because they resolve security issues, such as active data-probing, transferring the security key from outside, etc. Since the MOSFET mismatch (e.g. size, doping concentration, mobility and oxide thickness) due to process variations cannot be fully controlled, PUFs, which are based on such phenomena, cannot be replicated. Unfortunately, the PUF output is erroneous by nature, as caused by thermal noise, voltage/temperature influence, aging effects, etc. The stability issue must be overcome since standard security applications, such as data encryption and digital signatures, have zero error-tolerance. In this work, a PUF structure based on the threshold voltage (Vth) difference of inverting logic gates is presented, which is implemented for secure 24b key generation in a 45nm smart card chip. The key is used as part of an encryption key and achieves an error rate as low as 2.01×10-38. The PUF system is also scalable for a larger key size.
Heliox improves pulsus paradoxus and peak expiratory flow in nonintubated patients with severe asthma.

Heliox is a blend of helium and oxygen with a gas density less than that of air that decreases airway resistance (Raw) in patients ventilated for status asthmaticus. We tested whether breathing an 80:20 mixture of helium:oxygen would reduce pulsus paradoxus (PP) and increase peak expiratory flow (PEF) in patients presenting to the emergency room with an exacerbation of asthma. After receiving 30 min of beta-agonist aerosols and intravenously administered methylprednisolone, 27 patients whose PP remained greater than 15 mm Hg and whose PEF remained less than 250 L/min consented to breathe heliox or room air for 15 min. PP decreased and PEF increased with time in control patients, indicating a time-related effect of routine bronchodilator therapy (p < 0.05). PP decreased in 15 of 16 patients during heliox, and the change with heliox was significantly greater than that during air breathing (p < 0.01). PEF measured with a Wright's peak flow meter calibrated for heliox increased in all patients breathing heliox. Again, the increase in PEF during heliox breathing was significantly greater than the corresponding change in control patients breathing air (p < 0.001). To the extent that PP reflects the inspiratory fall in pleural pressure, this reduction in PP indicates a substantial reduction in inspiratory Raw when the less dense gas is inspired through narrowed bronchi having turbulent flow regimes. The 35% increase in PEF while breathing heliox signals a similar reduction in expiratory Raw, which might diminish the hyperinflation often observed during an exacerbation of asthma. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Game‐theoretic auction design for bandwidth sharing in helper‐assisted P2P streaming

Video traffic offloading through the helper peers can significantly alleviate the server workload and enhance users' quality of experience. In this paper, the complex interactions of a number of helpers seeking to trade their bandwidth surplus in a peer‐to‐peer market are studied using non‐cooperative game theory and double auction. In particular, a non‐cooperative game is formulated among the helpers in which each helper can make a decision on the maximum amount of upload bandwidth surplus that it is willing to sell so as to maximize its utility function that reflects the tradeoff between the benefits from bandwidth sharing and its associated costs. Then, the price governing the bandwidth trading market between the helpers and peers is determined via a truthful double auction mechanism. To solve the game, an algorithm based on the best response dynamics is proposed using which helpers can reach a Nash equilibrium point. Simulation results exhibit that the proposed algorithm achieves significant performance improvements in terms of utility per selling helpers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards Architectural Styles for Android App Software Product Lines

Software product line development for Android apps is difficult due to an inflexible design of the Android framework. However, since mobile applications become more and more complex, increased code reuse and thus reduced time-to-market play an important role, which can be improved by software product lines. We propose five architectural styles for developing software product lines of Android apps: (1) activity extensions, (2) activity connectors, (3) dynamic preference entries, (4) decoupled definition of domain-specific behavior via configuration files, (5) feature model using Android resources. We demonstrate the benefits in an early case study using an image processing product line which enables more than 90% of code reuse.
Sclerosing Polycystic Adenosis of the Parotid Gland : Report of A Case with Multifocality

Sclerosing polycystic adenosis (SPA) is a rare tumor-like lesion of the salivary gland that bears a histomorphological resemblance to fibrocystic disease and sclerosing adenosis of the breast. The lesion is widely considered to be a pseudoneoplastic inflammatory process. However, foci of epithelial dysplasia and carcinoma in situ can occur in the lesion. We report a case of 16-year-old Thai female with multifocality of SPA arising in the right parotid gland. Grossly, the masses were well-circumscribed, firm, and whitish yellow discoloration with scattered small cysts. Microscopic examination revealed partially encapsulated masses composed of multiple irregular lobules containing cystically dilated ducts and foci of ductal and acinar proliferation embedded in sclerotic collagenous stroma. There were multiple foci of intraductal epithelial hyperplasia with focal cytological atypia. Immunohistochemical staining for calponin and smooth muscle actin demonstrated intact myoepithelial layer around each ducts and acini, which was an important clue in diagnosis this lesion.
Stock Valuation and Investment Strategies

This article studies the relative investment performance of several stock-valuation measures. The first is mispricing based on the valuation model developed by Bakshe and Chen (1998)and extended by Dong (1998) (hereafter, the BCD model). The BCD model relates, in closed form, a stock's fair value to (i) the firm's net earnings per share (EPS). (ii) the expected future EPS growth and (iii) long-term rate. The second is a value/ price (V/P) ratio based on the Lee-Myers-Swaminathan (1999) residual-income model. The other measures are all indirect valuation indicators, including book/market (B/M), earnings/price (E/P), size, and past return momentum. These measures are shown to possess distinct properties. For example, the B/M, E/P and V/P ratios are highly persistent over time: high (low) B/M stocks tend to maintain high (low) B/M ratios. But, the BCD model mispricing is highly mean-reverting: an overpriced group will eventually become underpriced (in about 1.5 years on average), and vice versa. More importantly, the BCD model mispricing, momentum, size V/P and B/M are, in decreasing order, significant ex ante predictors of future returns. The best investment strategy is to combine the BCD model mispricing with momentum rankings. Indeed, if one would hold an equally-weighted portfolio of stocks that are the most underpriced and that have top momentum, the average monthly return from 1979 to 1996 would have been 3.18 percent, with a monthly Jensen's alpha of about 1.5 percent.
Board Effectiveness and CEO Pay: Board Information Processing Capacity, Monitoring Complexity, and CEO Pay‐for‐Performance Sensitivity

We have developed an information processing theory of board effectiveness to examine board-chief executive officers (CEOs) pay relations. We theorize that CEO pay reflects the information processing context of boards. Boards have limited information processing capacity and therefore prefer to use outcome-based CEO pay when they have difficulty in processing information for monitoring their CEOs. Using a longitudinal sample of Standard and Poor's (S&P's) large-, medium-, and small-cap manufacturing firms in the United States from 1998 through 2005, we found support for our theory. Large boards and boards in less complex monitoring contexts tend to link CEO pay less tightly to firm performance by providing less stock-based incentives, and the tendency of large boards to decrease outcome-based CEO pay is even greater when boards are not busy or when boards are in less complex monitoring contexts. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Owner-managers and Business Planning in the Small Firm

This article explores the ways in which the characteristics of the owner-managers of small firms influence whether or not those firms have a business plan. The focus is primarily on antecedent influences on owner-managers such as education and prior experience. Data are drawn from a survey of the owner-managers of small metalworking firms in Sheffield, UK. Around half the sample of owner-managers possess a business plan. Antecedent influences on owner-managers showing a significant association with the possession of a business plan include an above average level of education, previous work experience in a large firm immediately before setting up their firm and running firms in sectors outside their previous experience. Not surprisingly, possession of a business plan showed a positive association with those owner-managers with a growth orientation. It is concluded that owner-manager characteristics can be important in explaining the presence/absence of a business plan within the small firm.
The Stock-exchange Industry: Network Effects, Implicit Mergers, and Corporate Governance

The evolution and integration of financial markets in recent decades have created increasing competition among stock exchanges, which are behaving more and more like 'standard' firms. Stock exchanges are peculiar firms that produce listing, trading, and clearing services and 'sell' price information. They have different types of customers: firms that want to be listed, financial intermediaries who want to trade securities, and institutional and private investors. Some of them, in particular financial intermediaries, are often the 'owners' of the stock exchanges, which traditionally have been organized as cooperatives or public entities. This paper focuses on the stock-exchange industry, analyzing the competition among exchanges and, more theoretically, the corporate-governance problem of customer-controlled firms, of which stock exchanges are a clear example. Policy implications are provided in both cases. After the introductory chapter, the second chapter, 'Competition and Integration among Stock Exchanges in Europe: Network Effects, Implicit Mergers, and Remote Access', analyzes the role of network externalities in the stock-exchange industry through a model in which two exchanges compete. It is shown, using the European regulatory background, that competition may end up in inefficient equilibria while an 'implicit merger' may be Pareto optimal and give greater profits to both exchanges. In the end, exchanges may specialize in listing and trading services, or unilaterally start to trade stocks listed on other markets (as did Seaq-International some years ago or many automated trading systems in recent years).
The imidazoquinolines and their place in the therapy of cutaneous disease

The imidazoquinolines arose from efforts to develop a nucleoside analogue. Although molecularly similar to nucleosides, the imidazoquinolines did not have nucleoside-like activity. However, the imidazoquinolines induced immune modulatory cytokines, in part, because of their ability to activate toll receptors (TLR)s. Imiquimod, the first FDA-approved imidazoquinoline, has been marketed as a 5% cream, which is approved for the therapy of genital warts. The advantage of imiquimod therapy over other therapies for genital warts is the decrease in recurrence rate with the establishment of an adaptive immunological response or immunological memory/surveillance response. As tumours and viral infections are handled similarly by the immune system, there has been great interest in the use of topical imiquimod for the treatment of cutaneous neoplasms, particularly non-melanoma skin cancers. Future efforts in imidazoquinoline research is focused around the development of analogues with modifications in the immunological profiles, potency and penetration parameters that better focus these new analogues for the therapy of specific intracellular infections and neoplasms, as well as the development of imidazoquinolines for conditions related either directly or indirectly to patterns of immune dysregulation.
Assessment of the environmental, social and economic benefits of a water transfer tunnel in the Nakdong River, Korea

This study compares the benefits and disadvantages of two options, i.e. dam construction and a water transfer tunnel between two existing dams, with a particular focus on their effects on the natural environment and local communities and their respective economic efficiencies. It is concluded that significant advantages exist for the construction of a water transfer tunnel between two dams in Korea. This option would secure water resources in a manner that minimizes the economic, environmental and social effects of water resource development and which maximizes the utility of existing water resources.