Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A New Look at Currency Investing

The authors of this book examine the rationale for investing in currency. They highlight several features of currency returns that make currency an attractive asset class for institutional investors. Using style factors to model currency returns provides a natural way to decompose returns into alpha and beta components. They find that several established currency trading strategies (variants of carry, trend-following, and value strategies) produce consistent returns that can be proxied as style or risk factors and have the nature of beta returns. Then, using two datasets of returns of actual currency hedge funds, they find that some currency managers produce true alpha. Finally, they find that adding to an institutional investor’s portfolio even a small amount of currency exposure — particularly to alpha generators — can make a meaningful positive impact on the portfolio’s performance.
The legacy of the Gulf oil spill: analyzing acute public health effects and predicting chronic ones in Louisiana.

OBJECTIVES To describe the acute health impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in Louisiana as compared with the acute health impacts reported from prior crude oil spills. To predict potential chronic health impacts in Louisiana as compared with the chronic health impacts reported from prior crude oil spills. SETTING Offshore and onshore coastal southeastern Louisiana. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS Oil spill offshore and onshore cleanup workers and the general population of coastal southeastern Louisiana. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable to an observational study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Adverse acute health effects of petrochemical and dispersant exposures in highly exposed offshore and onshore cleanup workers and the general population; prior chronic adverse health effects reported from prior oil spills; and predicted chronic adverse health effects based on intensity of chemical exposures and on seroprevalences of genetic polymorphisms. RESULTS Acute health effects in cleanup workers mirrored those reported in cleanup workers following prior oil spills as ranked by systems (and by symptoms). Acute health effects in lesser exposed members of the general population mirrored those reported in similar coastal residents following prior oil spills but differed from cleanup workers as ranked by systems (and symptoms). CONCLUSIONS Subpopulations of cleanup workers and the general population with specific conditions or genetic polymorphisms in enzyme systems that detoxify polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in petrochemicals and glycols in dispersants will require long-term surveillance for chronic adverse health effects including cancer, liver and kidney diseases, mental health disorders, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Industrial Economics and Organization: Theory and Evidence

Part 1: a perspective of industrial economics. Part 2 The analysis of markets: costs and supply conditions strategy and pricing in Oligopolistic markets product differentiation advertising vertical market relationships and price discrimination pricing in practice market structure and profitability. Part 3 The behaviour of firms: the firm and its objectives the growth of firms company finance investment expenditure research and development, and innovation takeovers, mergers, and the stock market the development of firms, and market industrial structure market structure industrial concentration. Part 4 Issues for public policy: public policy towards market structure, conduct and performance I public policy towards market structure, conduct and performance II public policy and the development of firms.
THE MASS–SIZE RELATION FROM CLOUDS TO CORES. I. A NEW PROBE OF STRUCTURE IN MOLECULAR CLOUDS

We use a new contour-based map analysis technique to measure the mass and size of molecular cloud fragments continuously over a wide range of spatial scales (0.05 ⩽ r/pc ⩽ 10), i.e., from the scale of dense cores to those of entire clouds. The present paper presents the method via a detailed exploration of the Perseus molecular cloud. Dust extinction and emission data are combined to yield reliable scale-dependent measurements of mass. This scale-independent analysis approach is useful for several reasons. First, it provides a more comprehensive characterization of a map (i.e., not biased toward a particular spatial scale). Such a lack of bias is extremely useful for the joint analysis of many data sets taken with different spatial resolution. This includes comparisons between different cloud complexes. Second, the multi-scale mass–size data constitute a unique resource to derive slopes of mass–size laws (via power-law fits). Such slopes provide singular constraints on large-scale density gradients in clouds.
The Indian Act and the (Re)Shaping of Canadian Aboriginal Sport Practices

This paper examines how the Indian Act shaped the types of sporting opportunities that were made available for Aboriginal people in the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries. The Indian Act was (and still is) a significant piece of legislation in terms of Aboriginal sport history in that it structured the possibilities for Aboriginal participation in sport in Canada and legitimized Euro-Canadian ways of playing as the most appropriate forms of play.
Rapid and Specific Detection of Verotoxin Genes in Escherichia coli by the Polymerase Chain Reaction

A set of four synthetic oligonucleotide probes derived from sequences of the VT1 (Shiga-like toxin I [SLT-I]) and VT2 (SLT-II) genes were used in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification procedure to detect these genes in some enteric pathogens. A total of 40 verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli strains and 43 isolates of other recognized enteric pathogens were studied. PCR amplification products identifying the VT1 and VT2 gene sequences were observed only in nucleic acid extracted from strains found to be VT positive in traditional tissue culture assays. Template nucleic acid extracted from other gram-negative bacteria was found to be negative with the exception of five isolates of Shigella dysenteriae type 1 in which good amplification with the VT1 probe was observed. The oligonucleotide probes clearly distinguished VT1 and VT2 strains of E. coli and did not give specific amplification with nucleic acid from VTe (a SLT-II variant)-producing E. coli. VT1 or VT2 genes or both were not detected in E. coli K-12 strain C600 or HB101 or in strains known to express other virulence factors, such as enterotoxins, adhesins, hemolysins, or unrelated cytotoxins. The sensitivity of the PCR procedure for detection of both VT1 and VT2 genes was determined to be 1 ng of total nucleic acid. Furthermore, the VT1 gene was easily detected when only 100 pg of nucleic acid was used as the template in the PCR procedure.
Patterns of care and predictors of adjuvant therapies in elderly patients with glioblastoma: An analysis of the National Cancer Data Base

The objectives of this study were to characterize patterns of care and to identify predictors for adjuvant therapy in elderly patients with glioblastoma in the modern era. METHODS. The National Cancer Data Base was queried for patients aged 70 years and older with glioblastoma diagnosed from January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2012. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify predictors for receiving adjuvant therapy. Survival outcomes were estimated using the Kaplan‐Meier method and were analyzed using Cox regression models and the log‐rank test.
Use of the promoter fusion transposon Tn5 lac to identify mutations in Bordetella pertussis vir-regulated genes

Mutants of Bordetella pertussis deficient in virulence-associated factors were identified by using the transposon Tn5 lac. Tn5 lac is a derivative of Tn5 which generates promoter fusions for beta-galactosidase. Tn5 lac insertions in the vir-regulated genes of B. pertussis were identified by selecting for kanamycin-resistant mutants that expressed beta-galactosidase when the vir-regulated genes were expressed but not when the vir-regulated genes were turned off. Fourteen different mutations in vir-regulated genes were identified. Two mutants were deficient in the production of the filamentous hemagglutinin, two mutants were deficient in the production of adenylate cyclase toxin and hemolysin, and one mutant was deficient in the production of dermonecrotic toxin. One insertion mapped adjacent to the pertussis toxin gene, but the mutant produced pertussis toxin. The phenotypes of the remaining eight mutants were not determined, but the mutants did not appear to be deficient in the production of the 69,000-dalton outer membrane protein (agglutinogen 3) or the capsule. Screening for mutations in either of the fimbrial genes proved to be problematic since the parental strain was found to switch from a fimbriated to a nonfimbriated state at a high frequency, which was suggestive of the metastable expression of pili in other bacteria. We used Southern blot analysis with a 30-mer specific for the fimbrial sequences. No bands with the predicted increase in size due to the 12 kilobases from Tn5 lac were observed, which suggests that none of these genes were mutated. Southern blot analysis also revealed that seven of the eight unidentified mutations mapped to different restriction fragments, which suggests that they could be deficient in as many as seven different genes.
A systematic literature review of factors affecting outcome in older medical patients admitted to hospital.

INTRODUCTION The ACMEplus project aims to devise a standardised system for measuring case-mix and outcome in older patients admitted to hospitals in different parts of Europe for primarily 'medical' (i.e. not surgical or psychiatric) reasons. As a first step in this project, a systematic review was carried out to identify factors which had a significant influence on outcome in such patients. METHODS The systematic search used Medline 1966-2000, Cinahl 1982-2000, Web of Science 1981-2000, reference lists of relevant papers and a hand search of Age and Ageing 1974-2000. A six-category grading system was devised to classify the 313 identified papers with regard to their relevance to the ACMEplus project, study design and power. The analysis of the 14 'category 1' papers is presented. RESULTS The main areas of assessment of case-mix were function, cognition, depression, illness severity, nutrition, social elements, aspects of diagnosis and demographic details. Statistically significant predictors, for the four outcome measures, listed below were: For length of stay: functional status score, illness severity, cognitive score, poor nutrition, comorbidity score, diagnosis or presenting illness, polypharmacy, age and gender. For mortality: functional status score, illness severity, cognitive score, comorbidity score, diagnosis or presenting illness, polypharmacy, age and gender. For discharge destination: functional status score, cognitive score, diagnosis or presenting illness and age. For readmission rate: functional status score, illness severity, co-morbidity, polypharmacy, diagnosis or presenting illness and age. CONCLUSIONS Factors affecting outcome in older medical patients are complex. When looking at outcomes of hospital admission in older people it is important not just to look at routinely available statistics such as age, gender and diagnosis but also to take into account multifaceted aspects such as functional status and cognitive function.
Measuring Business Excellence

In recent years, changes in business activities suggest that a shift of market capitalisation is taking place. Share prices of many large companies have severely corroded, and stakeholders are demanding that company chairmen take urgent steps to achieve profitability through Business Excellence. Business Excellence and Total Quality Management (TQM) models provide a means of measuring the satisfaction of customers, employers and shareholders simultaneously. A number of such models currently exist, but, the author argues, none of these address all dimensions of TQM. This book introduces the principles of TQM, and establishes their use in measuring Business Excellence in an organisational environment. It comparatively evaluates various TQM and Business Excellence models, and discusses the complexities of measuring success. The author also provides a new comprehensive model, based on theoretical and empirical research, which draws together the diverse principles of established models. This model provides critical organizational success factors, and also details the most effective methods of measuring these factors. Presenting important, innovative work by one of the most eminent scholars in the field, this book will be essential reading for both academics and professionals working in quality management.
Steroid regulation of octopamine expression during metamorphic development of the moth Manduca sexta

Octopamine (OA), a biogenic amine similar to norepinephrine, has profound and well‐documented actions on the nervous systems of invertebrates. In the insect, Manduca sexta, we examined the developmental plasticity of OA synthesis, studied its endocrine regulation, and observed previously undescribed OA‐immunoreactive (ir) neurons. We found that levels of tyramine beta‐hydroxylase (TβH), an essential enzyme for the biosynthesis of OA, increase during metamorphosis. Based on the established and influential roles of the steroid hormone 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20‐HE) during development, we tested the hypothesis that increases in TβH levels and OA immunoreactivity are regulated by the rise in 20‐HE occurring during pupal‐adult development. We determined that the levels of TβH in the terminal abdominal ganglion (neuromeres 6–9) remain at a constant level during pupal development and the early stages of adult development. Beginning at ca. pupal stage 8, however, the levels of TβH begin to rise, reaching a maximum level by pupal stage 12. By removing the source of ecdysteroid hormone through ligation, and by subsequent replacement of 20‐HE via infusion, we found evidence indicating that the preadult rise of 20‐HE is both necessary and sufficient for the increased levels of TβH. During the course of our study, we also identified previously unreported OA‐ir neurons. In particular, adult‐specific OA‐ir lateral cells were found, as were relatively small OA‐ir dorsal median pairs that doubled in size during adult development. Abdominal ganglia not exposed to the preadult rise in 20‐HE possessed neither the OA‐ir lateral neurons nor the somatic growth of the smaller OA‐ir median neurons. These newly described OA‐ir neurons probably contribute to the steroid‐induced elevations of TβH observed at the end of metamorphosis. J. Comp. Neurol. 424:283–296, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Channel-Aware Randomized Encryption and Channel Estimation Attack

In this paper, we study the channel-aware (CA) randomization for a simple physical-layer encryption scheme and show that the probability of successful attack becomes very low by CA randomization when the known plain-text attack is carried out. As CA randomization becomes vulnerable to the channel estimation attack, its impact on the performance is investigated in terms of the average number of known elements of a key subsequence when the known plain-text attack is performed together with the channel estimation attack.
Molecular Modeling of the Seven Tandem Leucine-Rich Repeats within the Ligand-Binding Region of Platelet Glycoprotein Ibα

Summary Platelet glycoprotein (GP)Ib-IX-V mediates von Willebrand Factor (vWF)-dependent adhesion to vascular subendothelium at high shear in (patho)physiological thrombus formation. The ligand-binding domain of GPIb-IX-V is within the N-terminal 282 residues of GPIbα, that contains seven tandem leucine-rich repeats (Leu36–Ala200). Repeats 2–4 are critical for vWF binding. In this study, we have built molecular models of the seven leucine-rich repeats of human, canine and mouse GPIbα, providing novel insights into the species-specific interaction between human vWF and its receptor. Interestingly, a major difference between the models was a large negatively charged patch on the concave face of human, but not canine, repeats 2–4. In addition, five individual mutations within the leucine-rich repeats of GPIbα associated with the bleeding disorder Bernard-Soulier syndrome, that result in dysfunctional vWF binding, were mapped to the model of human GPIbα. This provides the basis for relating these genetic lesions to abnormal function of the receptor.
Personal Scheduling for Concert-Goers at Large-Scale Music Festivals

In recent years, music festival have been growing in popularity, generating significant revenue (McIntyre 2015; Mintel 2015). In the U.S. alone, over 30 million people attend music festivals each year, with more than 10 million attending more than one festival each year (Nielsen 2015). Modern music festivals are large-scale events consisting of a set of musical shows, scheduled over the course of a few days at many different venues. The largest festivals exceed 600 shows per day across dozens of venues. Preparing a personal schedule for a music festival is a challenging task due to the existence of time conflicts between shows and travel times between venues. Festivalgoers often spend a significant amount of time deciding which shows to attend, while trying to account for their musical preferences, travel times, and breaks for eating and resting. This problem is often discussed in the entertainment media:
Factors Affecting Mandatory Audit Rotation: Evidence from Jordan

The study aims to examine the effect of specific contingency variables upon mandatory audit rotation represented by external auditor rotation, namely; audit independence, financial interests, audit Fees, and litigation from the perception of external auditors. The study contribution based on tackling debatable subject and its importance as most the studies examined the external auditor rotation as independent variable and attempted to find out its effect on audit quality through audit independence. In addition, by examine the effect from the external auditor’s perception. In order to attain the study objectives the study utilized a questionnaire. The study population consists from the Jordanian audit firms including big four audit firms and the sample will be selected randomly with taking into account comprising the big four. The study distributed 80 questionnaires, the returned and accepted for analyzing questionnaires were 52 questionnaires which gives 65% respond rate. The study indicated that the following variables audit independence, financial interests, litigation have a significant impact on the external auditor rotation in the Jordanian audit firms. In addition, the study indicated that there is insignificant impact of audit fees variable upon external auditor rotation. As accumulated impact of all the examined variables the study revealed that there is significant impact between on factors influence of the audit and external auditor rotation. Finally, the study suggested carrying out more studies on this subject by tackling more variables which might affect audit rotation.
New technique for online object tracking-by-detection in video

Object detection and tracking is an important task within the ﬁeld of computer vision, because of its promising application in many areas, such as video surveillance. The need for automated video analysis has generated a great deal of interest in the area of motion tracking. A new technique is proposed for online object tracking-by-detection capable of achieving high detection and tracking rates, using a stationary camera, in a particle filtering framework. The fundamental innovation is that the detection technique integrates the local binary pattern texture feature, the red green blue (RGB) colour feature and the Sobel edge feature, using ‘Choquet’ fuzzy integral to avoid uncertainty in the classification. This is performed by extracting the colour and edge grey scale confidence maps and introducing the texture confidence map. Then, the tracking technique makes use of the continuous confidence detectors, extracted from those confidence maps, along with another three introduced classifier confidence maps, extracted from an online boosting classifier. Finally, both the confidence detectors and the classifier maps are integrated in the particle filtering framework, using the Choquet integral. Experimental results for both indoor and outdoor dataset sequences confirmed the robustness of the proposed technique against illumination variation and scene motion.
A risk score for predicting stroke or death in individuals with new-onset atrial fibrillation in the community: the Framingham Heart Study.

CONTEXT Prior risk stratification schemes for atrial fibrillation (AF) have been based on randomized trial cohorts or Medicare administrative databases, have included patients with established AF, and have focused on stroke as the principal outcome. OBJECTIVE To derive risk scores for stroke alone and stroke or death in community-based individuals with new-onset AF. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Prospective, community-based, observational cohort in Framingham, Mass. We identified 868 participants with new-onset AF, 705 of whom were not treated with warfarin at baseline. Risk scores for stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) and stroke or death were developed with censoring when warfarin initiation occurred during follow-up. Event rates were examined in low-risk individuals, as defined by the risk score and 4 previously published risk schemes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Stroke and the combination of stroke or death. RESULTS During a mean follow-up of 4.0 years free of warfarin use, stroke alone occurred in 83 participants and stroke or death occurred in 382 participants. A risk score for stroke was derived that included the following risk predictors: advancing age, female sex, increasing systolic blood pressure, prior stroke or transient ischemic attack, and diabetes. With the risk score, 14.3% of the cohort had a predicted 5-year stroke rate < or =7.5% (average annual rate < or =1.5%), and 30.6% of the cohort had a predicted 5-year stroke rate < or =10% (average annual rate < or =2%). Actual stroke rates in these low-risk groups were 1.1 and 1.5 per 100 person-years, respectively. Previous risk schemes classified 6.4% to 17.3% of subjects as low risk, with actual stroke rates of 0.9 to 2.3 per 100 person-years. A risk score for stroke or death is also presented. CONCLUSION These risk scores can be used to estimate the absolute risk of an adverse event in individuals with AF, which may be helpful in counseling patients and making treatment decisions.