Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Basic Economic Principles: A Methodical Approach to Deriving Production Cost Estimating Relationships (CERs)

This article addresses some of the classical methods of analysis, data collection, presentation, and interpretation of cost-estimating problems in the context of applied economic theory. The purpose is to show that basic microeconomic principles imply mathematical properties for which the uncertain values of the parameters may be measured using statistical methods of analysis. While statistics may be defined as the collection, presentation, analysis, and interpretation of numerical data, economic theory is concerned with relationships among variables. Since economic phenomena are not obtained from statistically controlled experiments1, special methods of analysis of non-experimental data have to be devised to explain related patterns of behavior. In this article, I examine a simple equation where cost is a function of one or more cost drivers and shows that specifications of the process by which the independent variables (cost drivers) are generated, the process by which unobserved disturbances are generated, and the relationship connecting these to the observed dependent variables (e.g., cost) are necessary to rely on the rules and criteria of statistical inference to develop a rational method of measuring the economic theory relationship from a given sample of observations. Finally, I explore specific tests of hypotheses to check whether or not the classical statistical assumptions of normality, homoscedasticity, and independence of successive errors are met. Before turning attention to the properties of statistical experiments and data collection, it is necessary to describe some of the basic technical aspects of the system that a cost estimator must consider when developing or applying cost-estimating relationships. First, each system is made up of several subsystems and their corresponding components. These components, identified as the lowest-level elements for which a cost estimate is required, are defined as the basic work breakdown structure (WBS) end items that, when integrated into the total system, define the scope of work to be estimated by the application of CERs to each element. For each end item in the WBS, the cost estimator must select the appropriate cost model, CER, or analogous cost-progress curve to estimate the costs. Consideration as to what is appropriate depends on the definition for each WBS end item. The following questions must be addressed:
Internationalization in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area: Images, Discourses and Metaphors

Abstract This paper investigates promotional images in the Metropolitan Area of Helsinki, focusing on the projection, outside national boundaries, of specific “ideas” concerning the cities of Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa. After introducing the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, presenting its geographical features, urban dynamics, actual problems and actors involved in image-building, the focus of this research will be a comparison between the images proposed in promotional materials and policy documents by the various territorial units, looking at their differences, overlaps, synergies and clashes. In fact, as will be discussed, even if the images proposed by the cities consist of the same thematic fields (technology, nature, culture, etc.), they contain slightly different implicit messages, targets, representations of the cities, values, strategic orientations and approaches.
Hyperbolic approach to fuzzy modeling and control

In this paper we consider a new approach to fuzzy modeling and control which is based on the formulation of a novel state-space representation consisting of hyperbolic functions. The new representation, designated the hyperbolic model, combines the advantages of fuzzy system theory and classical control theory. On the one hand, it is easily derived from a set of Mamdani-type fuzzy rules. On the other hand, it is possible to design fuzzy controllers for the model that guarantee closed-loop stability and robustness.
Altered motor network functional connectivity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Resting-state functional MRI provides a viable tool for assessing brain dysfunctions in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) without using explicit tasks. Altered resting brain functional connectivity (FC) in ALS has been reported in several studies but with large discrepancies in terms of the alteration directions. The purpose of this study was to provide new evidence for the resting FC disruptions in ALS. We focused on FC in the motor network as motor dysfunctions are a hallmark of ALS pathology. To test the hypothesis that ALS is associated with intermotor network FC changes, we compared FC of the key nodes of motor network between 12 ALS patients and 12 matched controls, and found both decreased and increased within-motor network FC in ALS patients. Increased FC between the bilateral superior parietal lobule and the right anterior inferior cerebellum was found to be correlated with disease severity, with higher FC related to more severe disease. The decreased motor network FC may be a result of motor function degradation in ALS, whereas the increased FC and its correlation to disease severity might suggest a brain mechanism to compensate the loss of the normal motor functionality in ALS. Our results also showed that the within-motor cortex FC except the within premotor area FC did not change in these early disease stage patients.
What moves the gold market

In this article, we provide a detailed characterization of the intraday return volatility in gold futures contracts traded on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The approach allows the study of intraday patterns, interday ARCH effects, and announcement effects in a coherent framework. We show that the intraday patterns exert a profound impact on the dynamics of return volatility. Among the 23 U.S. macroeconomic announcements, we identify employment reports, gross domestic product, consumer price index, and personal income as having the greatest impact. Finally, by appropriately filtering out the intraday patterns, we find that the high‐frequency returns reveal long‐memory volatility dependencies in the gold market, which have important implications on the pricing of long‐term gold options and the determination of optimal hedge ratios. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 21:257–278, 2001
Chirped RF Pulse Generation Based on Optical Spectral Shaping and Wavelength-to-Time Mapping Using a Nonlinearly Chirped Fiber Bragg Grating

Chirped radio-frequency (RF) pulse generation based on optical spectral shaping and nonlinear wavelength-to-time mapping in a nonlinearly chirped fiber Bragg grating (NLCFBG) is investigated. In the proposed approach, the spectrum of a femtosecond pulse generated by a mode-locked fiber laser is shaped by an optical filter that has a sinusoidal frequency response. The spectrum-shaped optical pulse is sent to the NLCFBG, to implement nonlinear wavelength-to-time mapping. A chirped electrical pulse with the central frequency and chirp rate determined respectively by the first- and second-order dispersions of the NLCFBG is then obtained at the output of a high-speed photodetector. An approximate model that describes the chirped RF pulse generation is derived, which is verified by numerical simulations. Chirped pulse generation with a pulse compression ratio as high as 450 is demonstrated. The key device in the chirped RF pulse generation system is the NLCFBG, which is investigated in detail with an emphasis on the influence of its group delay ripples on the performance of the pulse generation system. Techniques to design and fabricate the NLCFBG are also discussed. The proposed approach provides a potential solution for the generation of chirped RF pulse with a high central frequency and large chirp rate for applications in pulse compression radar systems.
Bank Distress During the Great Depression: The Illiquidity-Insolvency Debate Revisited

During the contraction from 1929 through 1933, the Federal Reserve System tracked changes in the status of all banks operating in the United States and determined the cause of each bank suspension. This essay analyzes chronological patterns in aggregate series constructed from that data. The analysis demonstrates both illiquidity and insolvency were substantial sources of bank distress. Periods of heightened distress were correlated with periods of increased illiquidity. Contagion via correspondent networks and bank runs propagated the initial banking panics. As the depression deepened and asset values declined, insolvency loomed as the principal threat to depository institutions.
Communication for wideband fading channels: on theory and practice

This dissertation investigates some information theoretic aspects of communication over wideband fading channels and their applicability to design of signaling schemes approaching the wideband capacity limit. This work thus leads to enhanced understanding of wideband fading channel communication, and to the proposal of novel efficient signaling schemes, which perform very close to the optimal limit. The potential and limitations of such signaling schemes are studied. First, the structure of the optimal input signals is investigated for two commonly used channel models: the discrete-time memoryless Rician fading channel and the Rayleigh block fading channel. When the input is subject to an average power constraint, it is shown that the capacity-achieving input amplitude distribution for a Rician channel is discrete with a finite number of mass points in the low SNR regime. A similar discrete structure for the optimal amplitude is proven to hold over the entire SNR range for the average power limited Rayleigh block fading channel. Channels with a peak power constraint are also analyzed. When the input is constrained to have limited peak power, we show that if its Kuhn-Tucker condition satisfies a sufficient condition, the optimal input amplitude is discrete with a finite number of values. In the low SNR regime, the discrete structure becomes binary. Next, we consider signaling over general fading models. Multi-tone FSK, a signaling scheme which uses low duty cycle frequency-shift keying signals (essentially orthogonal binary signals), is proposed and shown to be capacity achieving in the wideband limit. Transmission of information over wideband fading channels using Multi-tone FSK is considered by using both theoretic analysis and numerical simulation. With a finite bandwidth and noncoherent detection, the achievable data rate of the Multi-tone FSK scheme is close to the wideband capacity limit. Furthermore, a feedback scheme is proposed for Multi-tone FSK to improve the codeword error performance. It is shown that if the receiver can feedback received signal quality to the transmitter. a significant improvement in codeword error probability can be achieved. Experimental results are also obtained to demonstrate features and practicality of Multi-tone FSK. 3 Thesis Supervisor: Muriel Medard Title: Harold E. and Esther Edgerton Associate Professor Thesis Supervisor: Lizhong Zheng Title: Assistant Professor
Population Forecasts, Fiscal Policy, and Risk

This paper describes how stochastic population forecasts are used to inform and analyze policies related to government spending on the elderly, mainly in the context of the industrialized nations. The paper first presents methods for making probabilistic forecasts of demographic rates, mortality, fertility, and immigration, and shows how these are combined to make stochastic forecasts of population number and composition, using forecasts of the U.S. population by way of illustration. Next, the paper discusses how demographic models and economic models can be combined into an integrated projection model of transfer systems such as social security. Finally, the paper shows how these integrated models describe various dimensions of policy-relevant risk, and discusses the nature and implications of risk in evaluating policy alternatives.
Positive versus Normative Justifications for Benefit-Cost Analysis: Implications for Interpretation and Policy

What is the rationale for benefit-cost analysis (BCA)? The answer is critical for determining how BCA should be conducted and interpreted, and identifying its implications for policy. This article examines two possible justifications for BCA: positive and normative. The positive rationale is that BCA identifies policy changes whereby those who benefit could, in theory, compensate those who are harmed. The normative rationale is that BCA identifies social improvements (e.g., by approximating a utilitarian calculus or protecting against cognitive error in policy choice). The standard approach to BCA assumes that the positive and normative justifications coincide. However, when human behavior differs from what is assumed in standard economic models, these justifications may conflict. In this case, individuals may dislike a change in circumstances that economic models predict they should prefer. The positive justification for BCA is consistent with respect for individual autonomy and provides clarity about methodological choices in the analysis (i.e., that the objective is to incorporate people’s apparent preferences as accurately as possible), but it may also require accepting cognitive and behavioral errors that individuals would wish to avoid. The normative justification implies rejecting policies that the population may prefer and requires determining what preferences are normatively acceptable. The article argues that the choice of justification is part of a larger issue concerning the appropriate role of representative government.
Human resource involvement, job-related factors, and their relation with firm performance: experiences from Greece

A great deal of debate exists regarding the relationship between human resource (HR) practices and firm performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between HR involvement in firm's strategic planning, job-related constructs (job characteristics, workplace characteristics, and satisfaction), and their impact on firm performance. A new research model is proposed exploring the above-mentioned relationships. The validity of this model is tested using data from 106 chief executive officers (CEOs), top managers, and managing directors of Greek small medium enterprises (SMEs)), using the structural equation modeling approach. The results indicate that job characteristics and workplace characteristics directly affect satisfaction and firm performance, while HR involvement has a direct impact on job characteristics and workplace characteristics and an indirect effect on satisfaction and firm performance. It is suggested that managers should emphasize on the HR involvement in the process of strategic planning which actually affects the job-related constructs, in order to improve employees' satisfaction and achieve higher firm performance levels.
Effects of value, affect, security, and web content on informational and transactions usage of the internet

The often cited potential benefits of the Internet have been its informational (communication) and transactional (distribution channels) use as marketing tools. This exploratory study developed and investigated a model of the antecedents of making on‐line hospitality and tourism product purchases. The findings suggested that security features and the informational use of the Web sites have a direct impact on purchasing on‐line. Suggestions are made for future researchers. Marketing implications for Web design and features were discussed.
China’s WTO Accession and Long-Term Profitability of Chinese Firms

Abstract As emerging economies integrate their markets with the rest of the world, competition-driven changes in profitability are increasingly affected by shocks of various types from the business environment. We examine the dynamics of profitability distributions under such conditions using China’s WTO accession as a natural experiment to carry out before and after comparisons. Our results suggest that after WTO accession, the long-run (ergodic) distribution of conditional profitability rates of Chinese firms has become more dispersed. Due to the large proportion of firms at the poor performance end, this suggests that the financial stability of the Chinese economy will be endangered if the business environment were to deteriorate. There is an urgent need to reduce the widening span of the distribution of profitability at the lower end by accelerating the restructuring of Chinese companies.
Effector-Specific Visual Information Influences Kinesthesis and Reaction Time Performance in Parkinson's Disease

Abstract Twelve patients diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and 11 age-matched control participants performed a continuous bimanual wrist flexion-extension tracking task while vision of their hands was manipulated. Participants were required to match the frequency and amplitude of movements of 1 limb that was driven at 0.6 Hz by a torque motor by actively moving the contralateral limb. In half the trials, the more affected limb (sub-dominant for controls) was driven, and in the other half, the less affected limb (dominant for controls) was driven. Vision of both hands, vision of the driven hand only, vision of the active hand only, or no vision of the hands was allowed. Simple and probe reaction times were assessed. Parkinson's disease patients performed the tracking task to a reasonable level of temporal and spatial accuracy as compared with control participants in terms of hand phasing and root mean square error. Patients demonstrated a marked posture deviation (toward flexion), which was exaggerated when the less affected limb was active. Amplitude deviations were smaller in both groups when the less affected (dominant) limb was active and when participants had vision of the driven hand. Overall, patients delivered slower responses in both simple and probe conditions. Reaction times of Parkinson's disease patients who were allowed vision of only the active hand were longer than were those of patients in all other visual conditions, whereas visual conditions did not affect the reaction times of control participants. The authors conclude that central demands increase when movement regulation must be based solely on kinesthetic information and when vision directs attention away from the most relevant source of kinesthetic information.
Hydrogen gas ameliorates oxidative stress in early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats

Objective:Hydrogen gas has been demonstrated to neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress recently. Our objective was to determine the therapeutic effect of H2 inhalation and its antioxidative activity on early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Design:Controlled in vivo laboratory study. Setting:Animal research laboratory. Subjects:One hundred thirty-seven adult male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 280–350 g. Interventions:Subarachnoid hemorrhage was induced by endovascular perforation method in rats. Subarachnoid hemorrhage rats were treated with 2.9% hydrogen gas inhaled for 2 hrs after perforation. At 24 and 72 hrs, mortality, body weight, neurologic deficits, and brain water content were assessed. Blood–brain barrier permeability and apoptosis were also measured at 24 hrs. To investigate the antioxidative activity of hydrogen gas, the expression of malondialdehyde, nitrotyrosine, and 8-hydroxyguanosine, which are oxidative markers of lipid, protein, and DNA damage, respectively, were measured at 24 hrs. Measurements and Main Results:Hydrogen gas significantly alleviated brain edema and blood–brain barrier disruption, reduced apoptosis, and improved neurologic function at 24 hrs but not 72 hrs after subarachnoid hemorrhage. These effects were associated with the amelioration of oxidative injury of lipid, protein, and DNA. Conclusions:Hydrogen gas could exert its neuroprotective effect against early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage by its antioxidative activity. (Crit Care Med 2012; 40:–1296)
Measuring the Linkage Between Business and Information Technology Objectives

The establishment of linkage between business and information technology objectives has consistently been reported as one of the key concerns of information systems (IS) managers. The two objectives of this paper are: (1) to clarify the nature of the linkage construct, and (2) to report on a project that developed and tested measures of the social dimension of linkage. According to our research, the linkage construct has two dimensions:1. Intellectual: the content of information technology and business plans are internally consistent and externally valid.2. Social: the IS and business executives understand each others' objectives and plans.We conducted a study of measurement issues associated with the social dimension of linkage. The following candidate measures of linkage were examined:1. Cross references between written business and information technology plans;2. S and business executives' mutual understanding of each other's current objectives;3. Congruence between IS and business executives' long-term visions for information technology deployment;4. Executives' self-reported rating of linkage. Data were collected from 10 business units in three large Canadian life insurance companies. In addition to examining written documents such as strategic plans and minutes of steering committee meetings, extensive interviews were conducted with information systems and business unit executives. Based on this data, understanding of current objectives and shared vision for the utilization of information technology are proposed as the most promising potential measures for short- and long-term aspects of the social dimension of linkage, respectively. With some precautions, self-reports may also be used as a surrogate measure for short-term linkage.
Out-of-sample Tests of Continuous Time Models

The out-of-sample performance of continuous time models has been an unattended aspect of model evaluation in the literature. Out-of-sample performance, however, is crucial in model evaluation since in nance applications investors need to model the distribution of an underlying at some point in time in the future. This paper extends the literature on the empirical analyzes of equity index returns by analyzing the out-of-sample performance of a broad class of continuous time models in detail. In particular, we analyze the out-of-sample performance of exponentially ane and non-ane continuous time stochastic volatility models with jumps in returns and volatility. In order to evaluate the forecasting density we use the procedure proposed by Diebold, Gunther, and Tay (1998). The sample is divided into a period used for parameter estimation and a subsequent period is used for the out-of-sample evaluation of the forecasting density. Parameter estimation is based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and we extract latent factors by using a particle lter approach. We nd that good in-sample ts do not carry over to the out-ofsample behavior. In particular, likelihood ratio tests conveniently reject all model specications. In contrast to in-sample studies, neither including jumps nor leaving the ane model class really improves the out-of-sample model performance. Valueat-Risk (VaR) analyses eventually show that all models fail in the same region of the distribution, i.e., particularly in the left tail. Accordingly, all models considered in this study underestimate the VaR observed in the equity market.