Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detection of Collusive Behavior

AbstractCollusion is an insidious issue in the construction industry. Even though it is widely acknowledged as unethical and illegal, there are not many research studies conducted to detect collusive bidding. This study proposes a step-by-step method to detect collusive bidding by analyzing historical bidding data provided by a construction owner. The construction owner in this study is a public agency that commissioned 108 construction projects that were worth $1.3 billion during a 10-year study period (2001–2010). The number of bidders (80 in total) was small considering that a total of 108 contracts were awarded in the study period. Five of the 80 bidders jointly undertook 72% of the total contracts awarded by this public agency during the study period. The proposed detection method is on the basis of a regression model and involves identifying the potential cartel bidders using two tests called the residual test and the cost structure stability test. After conducting the study, it was found that two o.
Local Versus Global Assessment of Mobility

Mobility indices are popular tools designed to quantify the extent of income changes by aggregating "local" distributional change into a "global" scalar according to some rule. For some mobility measures, this aggregation rule is only implicit in their standard definition. We derive an insightful approximation to the (statistical) aggregation rule for the important class of mobility indices introduced by Shorrocks ("Journal of Economic Theory" 19 (1978), 376-93) and further generalized by Maasoumi and Zandvakili ("Economic Letters" 22 (1986), 97-102), which enables us to characterize their normative properties. We also develop methods for estimation and inference. A substantive empirical contribution emerges from the comparison of mobility between the United States and Germany. Our methods reveal why income mobility is higher in Germany than in the United States: Higher German mobility in the bottom of the distribution is combined with an implicitly higher weighting by the mobility index at the bottom. Copyright 2003 by the Economics Department Of The University Of Pennsylvania And Osaka University Institute Of Social And Economic Research Association.
Voluntary Income‐Increasing Accounting Changes*

This article presents an explanation of the reasons that managers might elect to change accounting methods. Facing adversity with a nontrivial probability of technical default on the debt covenants, the manager is motivated to effect an income-increasing accounting change to circumvent a technical default. Under rational expectations, if investors do not have any prior information about the firm's adversity, the market reaction on an accounting change announcement is predicted to be negative. We postulate that the market impact on the date of change announcement is negatively correlated with the amount of information the investors may have. A sample of 77 firms was selected to test the economic arguments. Investors' reaction to the accounting change was tested by abnormal returns on dates of announcement. Cross-sectional tests associate the investors' reaction with their prior information about the financial status of the sample firms. On the date of the change announcement, the sample firms did not experience a statistically significant negative market reaction. However, in a cross-sectional analysis, the market impact parameter was found to be significantly correlated in a negative manner with the prior information proxy variable.
Comparative Study of Interior Permanent Magnet, Induction, and Switched Reluctance Motor Drives for EV and HEV Applications

With rapid electrification of transportation, it is becoming increasingly important to have a comprehensive understanding of criteria used in motor selection. This paper presents the design and comparative evaluation for an interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) with distributed winding and concentrated winding, induction motor (IM), and switched reluctance motor (SRM) for an electric vehicle (EV) or hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) application. A fast finite element analysis (FEA) modeling approach is addressed for IM design. To account for highly nonlinear motor parameters and achieve high motor efficiency, optimal current trajectories are obtained by extensive mapping for IPMSMs and IM. Optimal turn-ON and turn-OFF angles with current chopping control and angular position control are found for SRM. Additional comparison including noise vibration and harshness (NVH) is also highlighted. Simulation and analytical results show that each motor topology demonstrates its own unique characteristic for EVs/HEVs. Each motor's highest efficiency region is located at different torque-speed regions for the criteria defined. Stator geometry, pole/slot combination, and control strategy differentiate NVH performance.
Insilico screening of Prevotella Intermedia 17 identifies Lipopolysaccharide Biosynthesis Pathway genes as potential drug targets

Periodontal disease is an infectious disease caused by gram negative bacteria. The aim is to identify the potential drug target of Prevotella Intermedia strain 17. In silico analysis was performed to find the essential genes in Prevotella Intermedia strain 17. 470 protein sequences was retrieved from NCBI, 439 sequences passed the 90% threstold in CD-HIT, BLAST filtered 24 sequences as homolog to human and retained remaining 415 sequences. DEG identified 144 proteins as essential genes. Ezypred classified 57 essential genes as enzymes and 87 as non enzymes. Psortb identified the cellular component of the essential genes where most of the genes was found to be cytoplamic. KEGG identified the genes involved in the unique pathways of Prevotella Intermedia strain 17. Two enzymes 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate cytidylyltransferase and 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate 8-phosphate phosphatase were identified to be involved in Lipopolysaccharide Biosynthesis Pathway which is a unique pathway for gram negative bacteria.
Barth syndrome associated with compound hemizygosity and heterozygosity of the TAZ and LDB3 genes

Barth syndrome is an X‐linked recessive disorder caused by the tafazzin (TAZ) gene mutations and includes dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) with left ventricular non‐compaction, neutropenia, skeletal myopathy, abnormal mitochondria and 3‐methylglutaconic aciduria. Dilated cardiomyopathy with left ventricular non‐compaction transmitted as an autosomal dominant condition has also been associated with LIM domain‐binding 3 (LDB3) gene defects. We describe a family in which the 12‐year‐old proband had left ventricular non‐compaction and DCM. His mother had five miscarriages, two other sons who died in infancy, and a healthy son and daughter. The proband showed left ventricular non‐compaction–DCM, skeletal myopathy, recurrent oral aphthous ulcers and cyclic neutropenia. The DCM progressively improved with age; medical therapy was discontinued at 5 years of age. At present, left ventricular function is normal and arrhythmias are absent. Magnetic resonance imaging documented left ventricular non‐compaction. However, oral aphthous ulcers and cyclic neutropenia have recurred. In the proband we identified two novel mutations, one of maternal origin in the TAZ gene (p.[Glu202ValfsX15]) and one of paternal origin in the LDB3 gene (p.[Thr350Ile]). The mother, brother and father are healthy; although the latter two show prominent left ventricle trabeculation without dysfunction. Expression studies of TAZ and LDB3 genes were conducted in family members and controls. In the proband, brother and father, LDB3 expression was similar to control cases. TAZ and LDB3 expression progressively declined with age in control both blood and myocardial samples. However, an endomyocardial biopsy performed in the proband at 6 months of age, showed significantly lower TAZ and LDB3 expression than in age‐matched myocardial controls. We believe that the clinical, genetic and expression data support the hypothesis that tafazzins are essential during fetal and early post‐natal life. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Inward rectification in KATP channels: a pH switch in the pore

Inward‐rectifier potassium channels (Kir channels) stabilize the resting membrane potential and set a threshold for excitation in many types of cell. This function arises from voltage‐dependent rectification of these channels due to blockage by intracellular polyamines. In all Kir channels studied to date, the voltage‐dependence of rectification is either strong or weak. Here we show that in cardiac as well as in cloned KATP channels (Kir6.2 + sulfonylurea receptor) polyamine‐mediated rectification is not fixed but changes with intracellular pH in the physiological range: inward‐rectification is prominent at basic pH, while at acidic pH rectification is very weak. The pH–dependence of polyamine block is specific for KATP as shown in experiments with other Kir channels. Systematic mutagenesis revealed a titratable C–terminal histidine residue (H216) in Kir6.2 to be the structural determinant, and electrostatic interaction between this residue and polyamines was shown to be the molecular mechanism underlying pH‐dependent rectification. This pH‐dependent block of KATP channels may represent a novel and direct link between excitation and intracellular pH.
An exploratory study of the relevance of trans-national global information systems to small and medium enterprises: evidence from Egypt

This paper provides an investigation into the information system (IS) strategy of SMEs in Egypt using questionnaires and case studies to explore if a trans-national global IS can be applied to SMEs in Egypt. Generally, most Egyptian SMEs lack the structure needed to successfully plan an ISS. However, it was evidenced that top management involvement is present at the decision-making stages and throughout implementation and IS planning is undertaken in some way by Egyptian SMEs. The case studies revealed that SMEs operating with a structured hierarchy proved to be far more advanced with regard to information system strategy planning (ISSP). The results of the OLS regression analysis indicated that the higher the involvement of top management in IS decision-making in Egyptian SMEs the more advanced the organisation regarding ISS; organisations that have an IS department and a specific IS budget are more successful in planning and implementing IS strategy; there is a lack of expertise to adequately implement ISS in new companies and in companies from the public sector and finally, the greater the IS budget the greater the outsourcing activities of a firm. A theory of trans-national global IS can therefore be applied to Egyptian SMEs with some modifications due to differing cultures.
Cathepsin L Is Responsible for Processing and Activation of Proheparanase through Multiple Cleavages of a Linker Segment*

Heparanase is an endo-β-d-glucuronidase that degrades heparan sulfate in the extracellular matrix and on the cell surface. Human proheparanase is produced as a latent protein of 543 amino acids whose activation involves excision of an internal linker segment (Ser110–Gln157), yielding the active heterodimer composed of 8- and 50-kDa subunits. Applying cathepsin L knock-out tissues and cultured fibroblasts, as well as cathepsin L gene silencing and overexpression strategies, we demonstrate, for the first time, that removal of the linker peptide and conversion of proheparanase into its active 8 + 50-kDa form is brought about predominantly by cathepsin L. Excision of a 10-amino acid peptide located at the C terminus of the linker segment between two functional cathepsin L cleavage sites (Y156Q and Y146Q) was critical for activation of proheparanase. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry demonstrates that the entire linker segment is susceptible to multiple endocleavages by cathepsin L, generating small peptides. Mass spectrometry demonstrated further that an active 8-kDa subunit can be generated by several alternative adjacent endocleavages, yielding the precise 8-kDa subunit and/or slightly elongated forms. Altogether, the mode of action presented here demonstrates that processing and activation of proheparanase can be brought about solely by cathepsin L. The critical involvement of cathepsin L in proheparanase processing and activation offers new strategies for inhibiting the prometastatic, proangiogenic, and proinflammatory activities of heparanase.
Interference removal on impulse voltage & current measurements with wavelet analysis

Impulse voltage tests are essential to inspect and test insulation integrity of high voltage apparatus. On the other hand, generated impulse currents are used for different test applications such as investigation of high current effects, electromagnetic interference (EMI) testing, etc. Obtained voltage and current waveforms usually have some sort of interferences originated from the different sources. These interferences have to be removed from the original impulse data in order to evaluate the waveform characteristics precisely. When the interference level is high enough, it might not be possible to distinguish signal parameters from the recorded data. Conventional filtering methods cannot be useful for some interferences such as white noise. In that case, time-frequency filtering methods might be necessary. In this study, the wavelet analysis, which is a powerful time-frequency signal processing tool, is used in order to increase the effectiveness of denoising of impulse current and voltage data. Depending on the signal type that is handled, the major difficulty is to select mother wavelet, decomposition level, thresholding rule and thresholding function, which effects the evaluation of impulse voltage and current characteristics. In this study, the effectiveness of wavelet transform on noisy impulse voltage and current data has been increased by studying the determination of wavelet related above mentioned parameters for common impulse voltage and current waveforms.
Energy security in the news: North/South perspectives

Analysis of newspaper reporting on the topic of energy security in eight countries – four from the global North (France, Germany, the UK, and the United States) and four from the global South (China, India, Brazil, and South Africa) – produces no support for the thesis that news is disseminated from core countries to the periphery and semi-periphery. There is an important difference between China and the other three fast-developing countries and a highly asymmetric flow of news not aligned to old core-periphery boundaries. In general, energy security is mainly covered in trade and business outlets and less in newspapers with mass circulation, indicating that the topic is still an elite concern. In some instances, attention has surged at the same time in different countries. But very few of these instances show a homogenous coverage across countries. Despite increasingly globalised media, news is created and consumed at a national level.
An assessment of solutions for combating water shortage in Cyprus: the views of citizens in the Province of Larnaka

This paper investigates the views of citizens of the Province of Larnaka in Cyprus regarding solutions to combat the problem of water shortage in the area in which they live in. The research was carried out in 2008–2009 and used simple random sampling involving 426 individuals. According to the citizens, the most important solutions to the problem of water shortage are, in order of importance, desalination of seawater; less prodigal use of water; reduction of water losses from the transport network; construction of water dams; and reforestation of non-vegetated areas. These were followed by the construction of lake dams on agricultural land; installation of a water recycling system; construction of trenches in surfaces with steep slopes; protection and creation of agricultural evergreen plantations; use of seawater in pools; use of liquid urban waste for irrigation purposes; and construction of water tanks in houses to take advantage of rainwater. Less accepted solutions were deep tillage of arable land along contour lines; construction of terraces; rangeland management; and transporting water in tankers.
Hedging Mean-Reverting Commodities

This paper uses the expected utility framework to examine the optimal hedging decision for commodities with mean reverting price processes. The derived results show that when commodity prices follow a mean reverting process, the optimal hedge ratio differs significantly from the classical results found under standard geometric Brownian motion. Hence a failure to accommodate mean reversion when it exists can lead to systematic biases in hedging and investment decisions respectively.
Earnings Management in Belgium: a Review of the Empirical Evidence

Earnings are an extensively used summary statistic of a firm’s financial performance. Various corporate reporting scandals (such as Enron and Lernout & Hauspie) have raised concerns regarding the credibility of this performance measure. This paper first discusses the empirical evidence on earnings management practices by Belgian companies. This review indicates that Belgian companies manage earnings to avoid declines in earnings or losses, to influence relations with external financiers and to reduce taxes. Belgian companies quoted on the Brussels Stock Exchange also report significantly less income-decreasing earnings management than their non-quoted counterparts, presumably to meet or beat market expectations. Belgian earnings management studies further report that larger boards and Big6 auditors may constrain the extent of incomedecreasing earnings management.
Stochastic modelling of herd behaviour indices

This paper proposes different diffusion processes to model herd behaviour indices such as the Herd Behaviour Index (HIX). These models arise by combining popular mean-reverting processes with simple algebraic functions mapping the definition domain of the underlying mean-reverting process to the unit interval. The so obtained Itô processes preserve, to some extent, the mean-reverting trend of the underlying process while satisfying the fundamental properties of the so-called herd behaviour indices. In a numerical study, we calibrate the different model settings to time series data for a period spanning from January 2000 until October 2009 and investigate their ability to predict the future behaviour of herd behaviour indices.
Television news perspective of conflict reporting: The Nigerian Television Authority as a reference point

This paper examines the significance of public views on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) perspectives of conflict reporting in news. Survey research method was adopted for the study. A total of 400 respondents were selected for the study using Taro Yamane’s sample size formula. Questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. Four hundred copies of questionnaire were administered to the public but only three hundred and ninety eight were returned. The data collected through questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency count, percentage, mean and chi-square to test the hypothesis. Finding reveals that audience views on the perspective of NTA news on conflict reporting are not significant as far as national unity is concerned. Also, it was, found that as a result of audience dependency on the media and as a national news carrier (NTA), the public are affected by gate keeping and agenda-setting postulations of the NTA news. Invariably, the media are reflections of events in the society and they play roles in the structuring of audience perceptions. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that journalists or television reporters should not allow their personal views and emotions as well as ethnic, religious, political and ideological sentiments to influence their reports on conflicts as such may call to question the credibility of the reports and put their lives at risk. In all conflict situations, government should always react promptly to early signals of possible outbreak of hostilities. Key words: Conflict, conflict reporting, television news, audience, perceptions.
Molecular Evidence for the Evolution of Metal Homeostasis Genes by Lateral Gene Transfer in Bacteria from the Deep Terrestrial Subsurface

ABSTRACT Lateral gene transfer (LGT) plays a vital role in increasing the genetic diversity of microorganisms and promoting the spread of fitness-enhancing phenotypes throughout microbial communities. To date, LGT has been investigated in surface soils, natural waters, and biofilm communities but not in the deep terrestrial subsurface. Here we used a combination of molecular analyses to investigate the role of LGT in the evolution of metal homeostasis in lead-resistant subsurface bacteria. A nested PCR approach was employed to obtain DNA sequences encoding PIB-type ATPases, which are proteins that transport toxic or essential soft metals such as Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) through the cell wall. Phylogenetic incongruencies between a 16S rRNA gene tree and a tree based on 48 PIB-type ATPase amplicons and sequences available for complete bacterial genomes revealed an ancient transfer from a member of the β subclass of the Proteobacteria (β-proteobacterium) that may have predated the diversification of the genus Pseudomonas. Four additional phylogenetic incongruencies indicate that LGT has occurred among groups of β- and γ-proteobacteria. Two of these transfers appeared to be recent, as indicated by an unusual G+C content of the PIB-type ATPase amplicons. This finding provides evidence that LGT plays a distinct role in the evolution of metal homeostasis in deep subsurface bacteria, and it shows that molecular evolutionary approaches may be used for investigation of this process in microbial communities in specific environments.
Reconsidering the Effects of Education on Political Participation

The consensus in the empirical literature on political participation is that education positively correlates with political participation. Theoretical explanations posit that education confers participation-enhancing benefits that in and of themselves cause political activity. As most of the variation in educational attainment arises between high school completion and decisions to enter postsecondary institutions, we focus our inquiry on estimating the effect of higher education on political participation. Our primary purpose is to test the conventional claim that higher education causes political participation. We utilize propensity-score matching to address the nonrandom assignment process that characterizes the acquisition of higher education. After the propensity-score matching process takes into account preadult experiences and influences in place during the senior year of high school, the effects of higher education per se on participation disappear. Our results thus call for a reconsideration of how scholars understand the positive empirical relationship between higher education and participation: that higher education is a proxy for preadult experiences and influences, not a cause of political participation.
Vertical Spillover Effects of Multinationals on Chinese Domestic Firms Via Supplier–Customer Relationships

Foreign direct investment (FDI) can benefit domestic firms in the host country. Using firm-level data for China, we find statistically positive vertical spillover effects of multinational enterprises on the performance of domestic firms through backward and forward supplier–customer relationships. The spillover effects are mainly from large multinational enterprises and are greater for state-owned firms and in poor regions. Our results are robust for both parametric regression and nonparametric matching techniques. Our findings have strong policy implications: while regulations relating to building business relationships with domestic firms when seeking foreign direct investment should be established, such policies should be aimed at private firms, big multinationals and less developed regions.