Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multi-product firms, heterogeneous quality and exporting behaviour: product-level evidence from the movie industry

ABSTRACT This article examines how quality affects heterogeneous multiple-product firms’ exporting behaviours. We develop a structural model of the global movie market, including both consumers’ movie demand choices and firms’ exporting decisions. A movie studio is a multi-product firm that releases many movies within a year. We model movie quality as a combination of firm-level appeal and product-level attractiveness. We find that both studio-level and movie-level heterogeneity affect demand for movie, and movie-level heterogeneity is relatively more important. We also explore the counterfactual effects of quality improvement and trade liberalization on trade. Our results show that improvement of quality increases both intensive margin and extensive margin of trade. By elimination of quota, we find that trade liberalization increases movie exports to a foreign market by 19%. The results of our study can also help improve understanding of trade in the service industry. For instance, we do not find a positive correlation between the foreign entry costs and the geographic distance, as in the case of manufacture goods.
Turnover intention among hospital-based registered nurses in the Eastern Caribbean.

PURPOSE Vacancy rates for nurses in the English-speaking Caribbean are estimated at 30% with turnover typically associated with migration. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of hospital-based registered nurses (RNs) in the sub-region, their practice environment and turnover intention in two and five years, respectively, and to determine the relationships among practice environment characteristics and turnover intention. DESIGN A descriptive correlational design was used with self-reported questionnaires from a convenience sample of 301 RNs working in hospitals in four English speaking Eastern Caribbean countries. Single-item visual analog scales (VAS) were used to measure turnover intention in 2 years and 5 years. The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) measured the characteristics in the practice environment. FINDINGS The mean age of the nurses was 32.5 (SD = 6.75) years. Most nurses (58.8%) were single and 91.4% had relatives living abroad. Nurses scored three PES-NWI subscales < 2.5, indicating a less positive practice environment: resource adequacy, nurse participation in hospital affairs, and nurse managers' ability, leadership, and support. The subscale for collegial nurse-physician relations received the best rating (mean = 2.61, SD = .62). For 2-year intention to leave, the mean rating on the 100-mm VAS was 63.2, while that for the 5-year intention to leave was 65.6. No significant correlations were found among four of the five PES-NWI subscales and turnover intention in 2 and 5 years. CONCLUSIONS The practice environment, while generally unfavorable, is not associated with the nurses' intention to leave their jobs. These findings support the current policy position that calls for managing turnover among nurses. Nursing and health system administrators should assess, plan, and implement workforce policies to slow the outflow of nurses. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Initiatives to improve the work environment and the delivery of high-quality care are important to RNs in the Eastern Caribbean. Managing the negative impact of continuous outflow of nurses through turnover requires long-term coordinated policy and human resource development and management initiatives to sustain the supply of RNs in the subregion.
A Randomly Expandable Method for Data Layout of RAID Storage Systems

With the increase of huge amounts of data in volume, velocity, and variety, the need for capacity of Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) storage systems is dramatically growing. However, the probability of disk failures in RAID storage systems is sharply high with the increase of program/erase cycles, read cycles, and retention time. Furthermore, they are faced with more challenges in fault tolerance, storage efficiency, computational complexity, and expandability. This article presents a novel data layout scheme for RAID storage System using Random Binary Extensive Code (RBEC), which are designed to ensure random expandability, high reliability, and availability of data in RAID storage systems. RBEC is a family of systematic code, in which the generator matrix consists of two submatrices with entries over GF(2), an identity matrix on the top, and another submatrix on the bottom. Compared with the existed approaches, the attractive advantages of our schemes include 1) they are completely implemented based on only simple eXclusive OR (XOR) operations and have systematic code property, 2) they can provide arbitrary fault tolerance, 3) their storage efficiency is quasi-optimal, and 4) data and parity disks of RAID storage systems can be randomly expanded according to practical requirements. Thus, our scheme is particularly suitable for RAID storage systems that need higher reliability, availability, and expandability.
Risky Decisions and the Family Firm Bias: An Experimental Study Based on Prospect Theory

In this article, we look at how a family firm signal affects decision making of nonprofessional investors. Grounded in prospect theory and supported by empirical evidence from a choice-based experimental study (N = 418) backed by a qualitative study, we demonstrate a behavioral bias induced by the family firm signal. This family firm bias shifts nonprofessional investors’ preferences toward the high-risk alternative in a choice situation. Accordingly, processing the family firm information seems to moderate risk aversion as risk avoidance is decreased in the gain domain, while risk seeking is reinforced in the loss domain due to trust and longevity associations tied to the family firm signal.
The challenge of stabilizing control for queueing systems with unobservable server states

We address the problem of stabilizing control for complex queueing systems where servers follow unobservable Markovian environments. The controller needs to assign servers to queues without full information about the servers' states. A control challenge is to devise a policy that matches servers to queues in a way that takes state estimates into account and updates these estimates in the best way possible. Maximally attainable stability regions are non-trivial. We present the model, the control problem, and some preliminary methods for analysis and control. We illustrate basic phenomena and then focus on the simplest possible model having a single queue, a fixed state server, and a two state server. For this case, we begin analysis of a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) hinting at some structural properties. We also show how to use a quasi-birth-death (QBD) process for analysis and control.
Suicide patterns and trends in people of Indian subcontinent and Caribbean origin in England and Wales.

OBJECTIVES To examine suicide rates and trends in people of Indian subcontinent, east African and Caribbean origin using the latest mortality data available for England and Wales. To compare suicide rates in these groups with the baseline and target rates for suicide in the Health of the Nation strategy. METHODS Suicide data for England and Wales for 1988-1992, classified by the country of birth of the deceased, and population denominators from the 1991 Census were used for the analysis. Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) for ages 15-64 and age-specific ratios were computed, using the age-sex specific rates for England and Wales as the standard. Trends over the preceding decade and suicide by burning were also analysed. Directly age-standardised suicide rates were derived to facilitate comparison with Health of the Nation baseline and target rates. RESULTS Suicide ratios were significantly low (SMRs 32, 52 and 55 respectively) in Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Pakistani born men at all ages, but raised in young Indian and east African men. Ratios were significantly high in Indian and east African women (143 and 154), with a 2-3 fold excess at ages 15-34 years. Ratios were low in Pakistani and Bangladeshi women overall, but elevated at 15-24 years. For the Caribbean-born, ratios were low overall but raised at ages 25-34. 20% of Asian female suicides were by burning. Indians are a high risk group in terms of the Health of the Nation suicide targets. Suicide trends in the minority ethnic groups reflect national trends. CONCLUSIONS This study confirms previous findings of high suicide rates in young Asian women. A new finding is the raised suicide rate in young Caribbeans. High suicide risks among young people from some ethnic minority communities are significant in the context of both the Health of the Nation strategy and recent governmental concern about the need to tackle health variations in the UK. Such deaths are indicative of larger numbers of young ethnic minority adults at risk of mental distress and self harm.
Modeling crude oil spot price as an Ornstein - Uhlenbeck process

Unexpected downturn in crude oil price in recent years has led to recession in economies of countries like Nigeria, and Venezuela. Search for a stochastic model that could give a good description of the movement of crude oil price led to the use of Ornstein Uhlenbeck process, since mean reversion is exhibited by the price of a number of commodities. We consider crude oil price series for four Niger-Delta crude types, over a five year period, and analyse same using the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. Parameters of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process were estimated for the data set using regression approach in R. These parameters were employed to simulate the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process using an R-computational scheme. In-sample and Out-of-sample forecast were done. It is found that in the absence of the unusual price movements (jumps), the O-U model can be used to model crude oil price movement.
Time-optimal quadrotor flight

Solving the time-optimal path planning problem, where a system is brought from an initial to terminal state in minimal time while obeying geometric and dynamic constraints, has been an active area of research for many years. Very often the problem is divided into a high-level path planning stage where a feasible geometric path is determined and a low-level path following stage where system dynamics are taken into account. This paper combines both approaches for differentially flat systems into a single optimization problem. The geometric path is represented as a convex combination of two or more feasible paths and the dynamics of the system can subsequently be projected onto the path which leads to a single input system. The resulting optimization problem is transformed into a fixed end-time optimal control problem that can be initialized easily. Throughout the paper, the quadrotor, a challenging non-linear system, is used to illustrate the proposed approach.
DAZ-interacting Protein 1 (Dzip1) Phosphorylation by Polo-like Kinase 1 (Plk1) Regulates the Centriolar Satellite Localization of the BBSome Protein during the Cell Cycle*

The function of the primary cilia, which is assembled in most vertebrate cells, is achieved by transport in and out of kinds of signaling receptors. The BBSome protein complex could recognize and target membrane proteins to the cilia, but how the BBSome itself is transported into the cilia is poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that the centrosome protein Dzip1 mediates the assembly of the BBSome-Dzip1-PCM1 complex in the centriolar satellites (CS) at the G0 phase for ciliary translocation of the BBSome. Phosphorylation of Dzip1 at Ser-210 by Plk1 (polo-like kinase 1) during the G2 phase promotes disassembly of this complex, resulting in removal of Dzip1 and the BBSome from the CS. Inhibiting the kinase activity of Plk1 maintains the CS localization of the BBSome and Dzip1 at the G2 phase. Collectively, our findings reveal the cell cycle-dependent regulation of BBSome transport to the CS and highlight a potential mechanism that the BBSome-mediated signaling pathways are accordingly regulated during the cell cycle.
Excision products of the T cell receptor gene support a progressive rearrangement model of the alpha/delta locus.

We have cloned extrachromosomal circular DNAs containing T cell receptor (TCR) delta gene segments in adult mouse thymocytes and splenocytes. We find that the frequency of circular DNA clones carrying germline delta sequences is lower than that of J alpha probe‐positive clones, possibly related to increasing 5′ distance from the most upstream J alpha segment. This suggests that the TCR alpha/delta locus is successively rearranged from within and that the delta‐containing excision products are progressively diluted out by the subsequent cell division which includes further alpha gene rearrangements. In addition, examination of delta gene excision products revealed newly identified V delta subfamilies, the reciprocal joining of two D delta elements, J delta 2 usage in thymocytes and novel sequences homologous to the human delta‐gene deleting elements.
The Coxsackie B Virus and Adenovirus Receptor Resides in a Distinct Membrane Microdomain

ABSTRACT The coxsackie B virus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. In addition to activity as a viral receptor, it may play a role in cellular adhesion. We asked what determines the cell membrane microdomain of CAR. We found that CAR is localized to a novel lipid-rich microdomain similar to that of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) but distinct from that of a CAR variant that exhibited traditional lipid raft localization via fusion to a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) tail. The cytoplasmic tail determines its membrane localization, since deletion of this domain resulted in mislocalization. Results indicate that CAR, CAR-LDLR, and LDLR reside in a novel lipid raft that is distinct from caveolin-1-containing caveolae and GPI-linked proteins. Residence in a lipid-rich domain provides a mechanism that allows CAR to interact with other cell adhesion proteins and yet function as an adenovirus receptor.
Technical note: A method to facilitate retrieval of polyester bags used in in sacco trials in ruminants.

A method is described to facilitate the retrieval of polyester bags from ruminally cannulated cattle. The system consists of 2 major components, i) an accommodation vessel for multiple polyester bags in the form of an opaque nylon stocking, referred to as the "receptacle," and ii) a shorter stocking, knotted with a loop on one end to attach to the receptacle, referred to as the "catcher. " The catcher is tied on the other end to the inside of the cannula plug. Sample bags are inserted in tandem into the receptacle, separated from each other by a tight knot. The receptacle is tied to the catcher and subsequently inserted into the rumen. Upon retrieval, receptacles are pulled out only far enough to expose the first bag to be removed. This procedure ensures easy bag retrieval without exposing the remaining bags (intended for further incubation) to air.
Core Decomposition and Densest Subgraph in Multilayer Networks

Multilayer networks are a powerful paradigm to model complex systems, where various relations might occur among the same set of entities. Despite the keen interest in a variety of problems, algorithms, and analysis methods in this type of network, the problem of extracting dense subgraphs has remained largely unexplored. As a first step in this direction, in this work we study the problem of core decomposition of a multilayer network. Unlike the single-layer counterpart in which cores are all nested into one another and can be computed in linear time, the multilayer context is much more challenging as no total order exists among multilayer cores; rather, they form a lattice whose size is exponential in the number of layers. In this setting we devise three algorithms which differ in the way they visit the core lattice and in their pruning techniques. We assess time and space efficiency of the three algorithms on a large variety of real-world multilayer networks. We then move a step forward and showcase an application of the multilayer core-decomposition tool to the problem of densest-subgraph extraction from multilayer networks. We introduce a definition of multilayer densest subgraph that trades-off between high density and number of layers in which the high density holds, and show how multilayer core decomposition can be exploited to approximate this problem with quality guarantees.
Higher education and stakeholders’ donations: successful civic crowdfunding in an Italian university

Can civic crowdfunding be used to improve the structures and services offered by public universities? Are stakeholders willing to make donations to such projects? This paper answers these questions by analysing a successful civic crowdfunding project in an Italian university. Stakeholders were found to be willing to engage in crowdfunding and make donations. The key to success is to ensure effective communication and to draw on feelings of belonging to the institution.
The Importance of Networks in Export Promotion: Policy Issues

The role and importance of interfirm relations and networks in shaping a firm's performance, including exporting, increasingly are being recognized. Relations with suppliers, customers, competitors, government agencies, and others are the means by which resources are accessed and learning and knowledge development takes place. The importance of informal personal relations and networks, as well as formal business connections, in promoting interfirm cooperation is also recognized.
Mechanical Stretch Increases Brain Natriuretic Peptide Production and Secretion in the Human Fetal Membranes

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is synthesized by human fetal membranes, both the amnion and chorion. This locally produced BNP inhibits the contraction of the human myometrium, contributing to the maintenance of myometrial quiescence during pregnancy. We tested the hypothesis that BNP production is increased by fetal membrane stretching, which is predicted to occur in the expanding uterus, and inhibited by epidermal growth factor (EGF), whose production in the fetal membranes increases in late pregnancy. Term fetal membranes were obtained during elective cesarean delivery before labor. Sections of membranes were placed in an isolated chamber containing DMEM: F12 medium (37°C) and stretched with a 35 g weight. Medium and tissue samples were collected at 0, 3, 6, 18, and 24 hours for measurement of messenger RNA (mRNA) and BNP levels in the presence/absence of EGF (2 × 10−9 mol/L). Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and β-actin were also evaluated to discard a nonspecific effect of mechanical stretch on protein expression. We found that amnion and chorion stretching increased the BNP mRNA (reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR]) and protein (radioimmunosorbent assay [RIA]) levels from 18 hours onward. The effect of stretching was inhibited by EGF (2 × 10−9 mol/L). Stretch did not increase iNOS or β-actin protein levels. We concluded that chorion and amnion stretching may increase BNP expression in the fetal membranes during pregnancy, while increasing biological activity of EGF may decrease BNP production in the chorion and amnion late in pregnancy. We postulate BNP is an important regulator of myometrial contractility during pregnancy, and its production is modulated by both stretch and progressive increase in EGF levels during pregnancy.
Using empirical research to advance workplace equality law scholarship: benefits, pitfalls and challenges

ABSTRACT Legal scholars are increasingly attuned to the substantial benefits that can be derived from empirical and socio-legal scholarship. While drawing on the knowledge of legal insiders – such as legal practitioners, judges or academics – to critique and evaluate the effectiveness of law and legal reform is an established means of empirically evaluating legal impact, this approach can be particularly problematic in relation to empirical equality research, as legal insiders are unlikely to be members of the under-represented groups that are the focus of equality regulation, and are instead more likely to represent the majoritarian status quo. Drawing on two empirical projects conducted in Australia and the UK, this paper considers the benefits, potential pitfalls and challenges of undertaking empirical equality research in the workplace. Using an insider / outsider lens to facilitate analysis, it canvasses existing gaps in empirical equality law scholarship and considers how future research could address these limitations.
A comparison of methods to detect publication bias in meta‐analysis

Meta‐analyses are subject to bias for many of reasons, including publication bias. Asymmetry in a funnel plot of study size against treatment effect is often used to identify such bias. We compare the performance of three simple methods of testing for bias: the rank correlation method; a simple linear regression of the standardized estimate of treatment effect on the precision of the estimate; and a regression of the treatment effect on sample size. The tests are applied to simulated meta‐analyses in the presence and absence of publication bias. Both one‐sided and two‐sided censoring of studies based on statistical significance was used. The results indicate that none of the tests performs consistently well. Test performance varied with the magnitude of the true treatment effect, distribution of study size and whether a one‐ or two‐tailed significance test was employed. Overall, the power of the tests was low when the number of studies per meta‐analysis was close to that often observed in practice. Tests that showed the highest power also had type I error rates higher than the nominal level. Based on the empirical type I error rates, a regression of treatment effect on sample size, weighted by the inverse of the variance of the logit of the pooled proportion (using the marginal total) is the preferred method. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evidence for gene flow via seed dispersal from crop to wild relatives in Beta vulgaris (Chenopodiaceae): consequences for the release of genetically modified crop species with weedy lineages

Gene flow and introgression from cultivated to wild plant populations have important evolutionary and ecological consequences and require detailed investigations for risk assessments of transgene escape into natural ecosystems. Sugar beets (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) are of particular concern because: (i) they are cross–compatible with their wild relatives (the sea beet, B. vulgaris ssp. maritima); (ii) crop–to–wild gene flow is likely to occur via weedy lineages resulting from hybridization events and locally infesting fields. Using a chloroplastic marker and a set of nuclear microsatellite loci, the occurrence of crop–to–wild gene flow was investigated in the French sugar beet production area within a ‘contact–zone’ in between coastal wild populations and sugar beet fields. The results did not reveal large pollen dispersal from weed to wild beets. However, several pieces of evidence clearly show an escape of weedy lineages from fields via seed flow. Since most studies involving the assessment of transgene escape from crops to wild outcrossing relatives generally focused only on pollen dispersal, this last result was unexpected: it points out the key role of a long–lived seed bank and highlights support for transgene escape via man–mediated long–distance dispersal events.