Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trilemma Stability and International Macroeconomic Archetypes in Developing Economies

In this paper, we examine the stability of international macroeconomic policies of developing countries in the post-Bretton Woods period. We use the simple geometry of the classic, open-economy trilemma to construct a new, univariate measure of inter- national macroeconomic policy stability, and to characterize international macroeconomic arrangements in terms of their semblance to definitive policy archetypes; and, we use the trilemma constraint to provide a new gauge of monetary sovereignty. Using these measures, we find that the greatest international macroeconomic stability among developing economies exists where there are capital controls and limited exchange rate flexibility. The least stable policies occur in the economies with flexible exchange rates and open financial markets. We also find that official holdings of foreign exchange re- serves seem to be weakly linked to greater policy stability, and their link is further weakened where financial markets are open.
Option Hedging And Implied Volatilities In A Stochastic Volatility Model

In the stochastic volatility framework of Hull and White (1987), we characterize the so-called Black and Scholes implied volatility as a function of two arguments the ratio of the strike to the underlying asset price and the instantaneous value of the volatility By studying the variation m the first argument, we show that the usual hedging methods, through the Black and Scholes model, lead to an underhedged (resp. overhedged) position for in-the-money (resp out-of the-money) options, and a perfect partial hedged position for at the-money options These results are shown to be closely related to the "smile effect", which is proved to be a natural consequence of the stochastic volatility feature the deterministic dependence of the implied volatility on the underlying volatility process suggests the use of implied volatility data for the estimation of the parameters of interest A statistical procedure of filtering (of the latent volatility process) and estimation (of its parameters) is shown to be strongly consistent and asymptotically normal. Copyright 1996 Blackwell Publishers.
Toward an Ecological Demography

An innovative way of looking at demographic patterns is based on paradigms from the fields of behavioral and evolutionary ecology. Just as the analytic techniques of demography have been important to biological investigations the theoretical advances of the last 25 years in biology may offer important perspectives on central problems in demography and provide paths to fruitful ecologically informed solutions. The authors summarize the pertinent theory in behavioral ecology highlight two important differences in the way biologists and demographers partition problems and illustrate how behavioral ecology might contribute to a new understanding of several important issues in classical demography namely natural versus controlled fertility population regulation and allocation of resources to offspring. (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA) (EXCERPT)
Analyst Coverage and the Cost of Raising Equity Capital: Evidence from Underpricing of Seasoned Equity Offerings

There is limited direct evidence on the impact of analyst coverage on the cost of capital. In this paper, we hypothesize that the amount and nature of analyst coverage can reduce information asymmetry among investors and thus lower the cost of raising equity capital. We investigate the effect of analyst coverage on the underpricing of seasoned equity offerings (SEOs), which is a substantial cost of issuing new shares. Based on 4,766 SEOs in the period 1984-2000, our results suggest that more analyst coverage is associated with lower SEO underpricing. Compared with firms without analyst coverage, firms with the median level of analyst coverage - three analysts - have a 1.19% lower SEO underpricing, a relative decrease of 38%. This effect is robust to controlling for other factors affecting SEO underpricing. We also examine additional attributes of analyst coverage and find that firms followed by analysts working for the lead underwriter, with a reputation for superior ability, or with lower forecast dispersion have incrementally lower SEO underpricing.
Video retargeting based on group of frames

Abstract. Temporal coherence of retargeted video is important. Even a mild temporal inconsistency among subsequent frames can result in visually annoying artifacts, such as jittering or flickering. To reduce these artifacts, we assign a common seam for a group of consecutive frames (GoF). The video sequence is divided into GoFs, and a representative frame for each GoF is formed. Then, both the spatial saliency in each representative frame and the temporal coherence among the consecutive representative frames are considered to determine a common seam for each GoF. Since a fixed seam of the representative frame is applied to the whole frames in a GoF, there will be no jittering and flickering artifacts within the GoF. Also, since the temporal coherence between the two consecutive representative frames (i.e., two consecutive GoFs) was taken into account, the transition between two consecutive GoFs will be smooth.
Non-governmental organizations: strategic management for a competitive world

Purpose – This paper aims to empirically investigate competition within the non-governmental organization (NGO) sector, and presents some strategic approaches to managing it. Porter’s five forces (1980) model was used as a theoretical framework to understand and quantify competition in the NGO sector, as well as to explore the differences between NGOs’ budget sizes. Traditional strategic management often fails to meet NGOs’ needs. While economization is prevalent within the NGO sector, little is known about how NGOs address competition. Design/methodology/approach – An online global survey was conducted between November 2010 and May 2011. Data were collected from 1,211 NGOs that either function as consultants or work in association with the United Nations (UN). The key informants were leaders and executive managers of NGOs. The respondents’ fields of work varied from international advocacy and development (38 per cent), education and research (14 per cent), community and neighborhood (8 per cent), health .
Emulation system on smart grid Fast Automated Demand Response of widely-distributed stochastically-operating building facilities

The Fast Automated Demand Response (FastADR) for ancillary services might require precise control on power consumption of widely-distributed target loads. Office building air-conditioning facilities are expected to be the FastADR target loads. However, the dynamic behaviors of widely-distributed inverter-driven air-conditioners are complicated and stochastic. In order to reproduce and analyze the behavior, we have developed a realistic emulation system for the FastADR for these facilities. A neural network model is built from actual facilities' time-series data. The emulation system consists of 120 models with different stochastic disturbances, an aggregator's one-min-sampling feedback controller, and actual FastADR communication networks with the dummy Internet. We found that some step responses of FastADR sometimes become oscillative depending on the parameters of aggregator's wide-area feedback control.
Do public sector mergers (re)shape reputation

Purpose – The public sector worldwide is under pressure to downsize, which has led to mergers of public sector organisations. This paper seeks to bridge the unstudied gap of what happens to organisational reputation after a merger. The paper discusses change and reputation in the public sector, and reports findings of a longitudinal study on stakeholder assessments of four public sector organisations undergoing mergers recently. Design/methodology/approach – Following a theory-driven content analysis, this longitudinal study compares stakeholder assessments of four public sector organisations' reputations a year before an organisational merger with assessments of the two resulting organisations' reputations two years after the merger. Findings – The paper finds that the mergers did not really re-shape reputation, but the once established reputation persevered. Although the organisations faced greater expectations after the merger, only minor changes in reputation were detected post-merger: the reputation .
Map locations and functions of Salmonella typhimurium men genes

Menaquinone (men) mutants of Salmonella typhimurium isolated on the basis of their inability to produce trimethylamine were characterized with respect to mutation site, the ability to cross-feed each other and be cross-fed by known Escherichia coli men mutants, and response to intermediates of the menaquinone biosynthetic pathway. Cross-feeding tests were based on the requirement of menaquinone for hydrogen sulfide production. Genotypes corresponding to the menA, B, C, D, and possibly E genes described in E. coli were all identified. Additional studies of deletions in the menBCD area revealed that this cluster lies between ack/pta and glpT, as in E. coli. The ack and pta mutants were also defective in the production of trimethylamine and failed to produce gas in the absence of added formate.
Laminar and cellular targets of individual thalamic reticular nucleus axons in the lateral geniculate nucleus in the prosimian primate Galago

The visual sector of the thalamic reticular nucleus is the source of the primary inhibitory projection to the visual thalamic relay nucleus, the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. The purpose of this study was to investigate laminar and cellular targets of individual thalamic reticular nucleus axons in the highly laminated lateral geniculate nucleus of the prosimian primate Galago to better understand the nature and function of this projection. Thalamic reticular axons labeled anterogradely by means of biotinylated dextran amine were examined by using light microscopic serial reconstruction and electron microscopic analysis in combination with postembedding immunohistochemical labeling for the neurotransmitter γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA). The synaptic targets of labeled reticular terminal profiles were primarily GABA‐negative dendrites (79–84%) of thalamocortical cells, whereas up to 16% were GABA‐positive dendritic shafts or F2 terminals of interneurons. Reconstructed thalamic reticular nucleus axons were narrowly aligned along a single axis perpendicular to the geniculate laminar plane, exhibiting a high degree of visuotopic precision. Individual reticular axons targeted multiple or all geniculate laminae, with little laminar selectivity in the distribution of swellings with regard to the eye of origin or to the parvocellular, koniocellular, or magnocellular type neurons contained in the separate layers of the Galago lateral geniculate nucleus. These results suggest that cells in the visual thalamic reticular nucleus influence the lateral geniculate nucleus retinotopically, with little regard to visual functional streams. J. Comp. Neurol. 458:128–143, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nuclear Function of Subclass I Actin-Depolymerizing Factor Contributes to Susceptibility in Arabidopsis to an Adapted Powdery Mildew Fungus1[OPEN]

The nuclear localization of subclass I actin-depolymerizing factor is critical for the susceptibility against an adapted powdery mildew. Actin-depolymerizing factors (ADFs) are conserved proteins that function in regulating the structure and dynamics of actin microfilaments in eukaryotes. In this study, we present evidence that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) subclass I ADFs, particularly ADF4, functions as a susceptibility factor for an adapted powdery mildew fungus. The null mutant of ADF4 significantly increased resistance against the adapted powdery mildew fungus Golovinomyces orontii. The degree of resistance was further enhanced in transgenic plants in which the expression of all subclass I ADFs (i.e. ADF1–ADF4) was suppressed. Microscopic observations revealed that the enhanced resistance of adf4 and ADF1-4 knockdown plants (ADF1-4Ri) was associated with the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and cell death specific to G. orontii-infected cells. The increased resistance and accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in ADF1-4Ri were suppressed by the introduction of mutations in the salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid-signaling pathways but not by a mutation in the ethylene-signaling pathway. Quantification by microscopic images detected an increase in the level of actin microfilament bundling in ADF1-4Ri but not in adf4 at early G. orontii infection time points. Interestingly, complementation analysis revealed that nuclear localization of ADF4 was crucial for susceptibility to G. orontii. Based on its G. orontii-infected-cell-specific phenotype, we suggest that subclass I ADFs are susceptibility factors that function in a direct interaction between the host plant and the powdery mildew fungus.
A probabilistic model of dictionary based automatic indexing

The Darmstadt indexing approach is a framework for the development of automatic indexing systems for subject fields that can be quite large. The indexing procedure performs a coordinate indexing based on abstract texts by means of an indexing dictionary that is derived from a set of manually indexed documents. This paper describes a probabilistic model for this indexing approach. The model points out some improvements to the indexing procedure. Comparison is made to other indexing models and extensions of the model are suggested.
NBA players: are they paid for performance?

This paper studies the relationship between NBA players’ salaries and their performance on the basketball court. In other industries executive compensation has been found to have a weak yet significant link to company performance. We find a positive and significant relationship between an NBA player’s salary and a player’s points per game and rebounds per game for 1997‐98 basketball season. These results may be improved by considering qualitative factors and including more years of data.
Suspected multiple sclerosis: MR imaging with a thin-section fast FLAIR pulse sequence.

PURPOSE To compare thin-section, sagittal, fast fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with conventional axial spin-echo (SE) imaging for early detection of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the brain. MATERIALS AND METHODS Conventional 5-mm axial proton-density- and T2-weighted SE images and sagittal 2-mm fast FLAIR images of the brain in five healthy volunteers and 25 patients with clinically suspected MS were evaluated and graded as normal or as showing possible or probable MS in a double-blind study. RESULTS Fast FLAIR was judged better than SE in 37% of cases, equal to SE in 63%, and never worse than SE. In 43% of patients considered to have normal SE images, fast FLAIR images showed abnormalities consistent with MS. A subependymal striated appearance observed in several cases is believed to represent early inflammation and/or demyelination around subependymal veins in MS. CONCLUSION Sagittal thin-section fast FLAIR is superior to conventional axial proton-density- and T2-weighted SE pulse sequences for detection of MS plaques in the brain.
Modelling and simulation of nanomagnetic logic with cadence virtuoso using Verilog-A

This paper presents an efficient compact model of a single nanomagnet implemented in Verilog-A. A single magnet is the key element of nanomagnetic logic systems. Two field coupled nanomagnets act as a magnetic inverter. To verify the model, a circuit consisting of five such single magnets in a loop is simulated and the results are compared to an experiment on an fabricated inverter chain. To reproduce the variations in a manufacturing process the Monte Carlo simulation method is applied and the magnetization direction of the last magnet in a chain is evaluated for one hundred clocking cycles. The results are compared to the experimental data.
Using CORBA applications in nomadic environments

Introduces /spl Pi//sup 2/, a proxy platform for CORBA-based applications in a nomadic environment. Nomadic computing presumes ubiquitous access to network services. An infrastructure providing the framework for nomadic users, therefore, has to support different network technologies and protocols. Wireless access networks offer widespread connectivity to nomadic users. However, distributed applications in a wireless environment often suffer from sudden connection losses, scarce bandwidth and high error rates when using TCP/IP. Hence, /spl Pi//sup 2/ transparently encapsulates the wireless link and splits the connection between the client on the mobile node and the server into separate parts. /spl Pi//sup 2/ can be transparently integrated into existing distributed systems without changes to clients or servers using a generic interface and dynamic type determination. It provides seamless handover between different networks, taking advantage of protocols especially tailored for wireless links, like WAP, and uses compression to reduce the required bandwidth. Furthermore, this platform flexibly provides value-added services for distributed applications like context- and location-awareness or caching, thus broadening the scope of the CORBA-based applications.
Libya's Return to the International Scene

Libya is back on the international scene. Even the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) have shown their interest in the country after a long period of isolation. Qadhafi’s policies have proved to be pragmatic and opportunistic, with the aim of achieving maximum credit and cleaning up its image abroad. Qadhafi’s foreign (and even domestic) policy has always been under continuous adjustment to the changing international scenario. Despite strong criticisms from abroad and serious setbacks, the Libyan regime has succeeded in its search for survival, Qadhafi being the last Arab leader alive of a generation who took power several decades ago. After years of international sanctions, Libya is now slowly re-emerging from the cold. This development is the result of some adjustments in Qadhafi’s policies, but, above all, it is the consequence of variations in the attitudes of the great powers towards Libya.
The effect of ash composition on gasification of poultry wastes in a fluidized bed reactor

The effect of ash composition on the fluidized bed gasification behaviour of poultry wastes was investigated by operating a pre-pilot scale reactor with two batches of manure obtained from an industrial chicken farm. The experimental runs were carried out by keeping the fluidized bed velocity fixed (at 0.4m s−1) and by varying the equivalence ratio between 0.27 and 0.40, so obtaining bed temperature values between 700 and 800 °C. The performance of the gasification process was assessed by means of mass balances as well as material and feedstock energy analyses, and reported in terms of cold gas efficiency (CGE), specific energy production, low heating value of obtained syngas and yield of undesired by-products. The experimental results indicate the crucial role of ash amount and composition of the two poultry wastes. In particular, higher ash content (25.1% instead of 17.2%) and higher fractions of calcium, phosphorous and potassium (with an increase of 24, 30 and 28%, respectively) induce a dramatic reduction of all the process performance parameters: CGE reduces from 0.63 to 0.33 and the specific energy from 2.1 to 1.1 kWh kgfuel−1. At the same time, the formation of alkali compounds and their behaviour inside the fluidized bed reactor determine an increase of feedstock energy losses, which is related to occurrence of sintering and bridging between bed particles.
The Effect of Listing Price Strategy on Real Estate Negotiations: An Experimental Study

When selling a home, an important decision facing the homeowner is choosing an optimal listing price. This decision will depend in large part on how the chosen list price impacts the post negotiation final sale price of the home. In this study, we design an experiment that enables us to identify how different types of common list price strategies affect housing negotiations. Specifically, we examine how rounded, just below, and precise list prices impact the negotiation behavior of the buyer and seller and, ultimately, the final sale price of the home. Our results indicate that the initial list price strategy does play an important role in the negotiation process. Most notably, a high precise price generates the highest final sale price, smallest percentage discount off the list price, and the largest fraction of the surplus to the seller, while just below pricing leads to the lowest final price, largest percentage discount, and smallest fraction of the surplus to the seller. Interestingly, these effects generally attenuate with negotiating experience. Importantly, our experimental results are generally consistent, both in direction and magnitude, with the limited transactions-based empirical studies relating to real estate listing prices.
Interacting with Personality-Rich Characters

Whether reading a novel, watching TV, or enjoying a film, people are captivated by personality-rich interactive characters. They willingly suspend disbelief in order to immerse themselves in vicarious experiences with these characters. More recently, efforts have begun to create interactive characters in computer media. Several interesting questions arise. How can we create personality-rich characters in these new media? Will we be able to create characters that have distinct and recognizable personality types? What sorts of dramatic forms will support person-character interaction? Will people willingly suspend disbelief in order to immerse themselves in interactive experiences with these characters? How will people respond to dramatic interactions with characters? Will they like or dislike particular characters? Will they enjoy the interactive experience? In this paper, we report an initial exploratory study of these issues.
The influence of alternative acceptability, Attribute thresholds and choice response certainty on automobile purchase preferences

Two issues that reflect how individuals make travel or vehicle purchase choices are the relevance of attribute levels associated with alternatives, and the extent to which the respondent is certain of actually choosing the alternative that they indicated was their preferred alternative. This paper studies the influence of acceptability of each alternative, attribute thresholds, and choice response certainty on automobile purchase preferences, 'scaling' of the standard utility expression to account for perceived acceptability of each alternative, and perceived attribute thresholds. A comparison of the models shows the significant improvement in predictive power with inferred direct elasticities that are substantially different. © 2012 LSE and the University of Bath