Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental Studies on Market Design and e-Trading

In this project, we introduce an experimental approach to the design, analysis and implementation of electronic markets based on double auction. A double auction is a market mechanism allowing multiple buyers and sellers to buy and sell goods, commodities and services in a single market. We introduce a formal model of double auction, which specifies market policies such as matching policies, accepting policies, clearing policies, pricing policies and charging policies. Based on this model, we designed and implemented a set of market policies and tested them with different experimental settings. The most important market policies for a double auction market, accepting policies and matching policies, determine the market share and profit in most market situations. For matching policies, we first studied the properties of the equilibrium matching policy, which has been used in many double auction markets. Based on our analysis, we designed and implemented a new matching algorithm, named maximal matching, which can maximize market liquidity, including the number of transactions and buy/sell-volumes. We prove that, given the number of matches, our maximal matching algorithm also maximizes the auctioneer profit. For accepting policies, we formally define a number of typical accepting policies, such as always accepting, quote-beating accepting and equilibrium-beating accepting, and analyze their properties. We then introduce a new accepting policy, named dynamic accepting policy, which is able to filter out extra-marginal shouts by specifying a price range for the maximum ask bound and minimum bid bound. In addition, we briefly discuss clearing policies, pricing policies and charging policies. 3 4 Beside the formal discussion of market policies, we introduce a set of criteria for an experimental study on market design. By utilizing the Market Design Game platform JCAT for the Trading Agent Competition (TAC), we analyze our market model and identify how specific market policies influence overall market behaviour. Within the JCAT platform, we implemented our formally designed market model with the several market policies and performed a series of experiments, producing a range of experimental results. In particular, we found that matching policies and accepting policies significantly affect overall market performance. We also found that periodic clearing policy can increase the efficiency of the market more than continuous clearing policy. For charging policy, we explore a market share-based dynamic charging policy, and show that it can improve and stabilize market share as well as observably increasing profit share. We conclude that sudden and disproportionate fee charging activities have a long-term effect on trader migration, resulting in a quick loss of market share and market confidence. The results of our experiments provide a better understanding of the dependencies amongst market policies, and show that an experimental approach can greatly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of market design and e-trading study.
An FSM-based program generator for communication protocol software

A program generator for communication protocol software is presented. This program generator takes an extended finite state machine as a domain model and generates a group of C++ classes needed for an implementation. In the program generator, an object is generated for each state of the FSM. In a given state, for each interface event that triggers a state transition from the state to another state or back to itself, a member function (or called method) is created for the state object. The actions associated with a state transition constitute bodies of the member function corresponding to the interface event that triggers the transition. The program generator now includes a state machine editor, a program editor, and a class library. Incremental implementation is also supported by the program generator. <<ETX>>
Mergers and Acquisitions: An Empirical Study on the Post-Merger Performance of Selected Corporate Firms in India

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As) are important corporate strategy actions that help in quick growth and provide competitive advantage. Many big companies continue to exist today after passing through various forms of restructurings, including M&As. The present study is carried out on a sample of 47 firms listed in Indian stock exchanges which have undergone M&A during April 1, 2008-March 31, 2009. The study captures the impact of M&A on liquidity, profitability, operating performance and leverage of sample merged/acquirer companies using ratio analysis and t-test. The financial ratios used in the study are Current Ratio, Quick Ratio, Gross Profit Ratio, Net Profit Ratio, Return on Assets, Return on Capital Employed, Debtors Turnover Ratio, Fixed Assets Turnover Ratio, Total Assets Turnover Ratio, Debt Equity Ratio and Interest Coverage Ratio. The study proves that there is a significant improvement in the liquidity, profitability, operating performance and financial leverage for a few merged/acquirer firms. M&As in the Indian corporate firms over a period of April 2008-March 2009 have had negative effects on the profitability in a majority of the cases.
Protein carbonyls in decidua and placenta of pre-eclamptic women as markers for oxidative stress.

Enhanced levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased levels of antioxidants may contribute to the development of pre-eclampsia. Protein carbonyls may be sensitive biomarkers for ROS-mediated protein damage, whereas the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) value may serve as marker for antioxidant capacity.Twenty-two healthy pregnant women and 50 patients with severe pre-eclampsia, 25 of whom with concurrent (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets) HELLP syndrome were investigated prospectively with respect to placental and decidual levels of protein carbonyls and FRAP antioxidant capacity. Measurements were evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis or Mann-Whitney U -tests for comparison between groups, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for comparison within groups. Spearman's correlation tests were used for correlation analyses. Placental and decidual protein carbonyl levels were higher in pre-eclampsia with HELLP than in healthy pregnancy, whereas FRAP levels were lower. Differences between pre-eclampsia and healthy pregnancy showed the same trend, but did not reach statistical significance. In pre-eclampsia with HELLP syndrome carbonyl levels as well as FRAP levels were significantly higher in placenta as compared with decidua.Higher levels of protein carbonyls and lower antioxidant capacity in both placenta and decidua in pre-eclampsia with concurrent HELLP syndrome as compared to healthy pregnancy may indicate that considerable ROS-mediated damage occurs in this disorder.
Persistent umbilical discharge in infants and children

Abstract Background: Umbilical discharge is not an unusual presentation in infants and children. However, the evaluation and management are rarely discussed. Method: A retrospective review of 18 patients presenting with persistent umbilical discharge over a period of 22 years, excluding neonates with omphalitis. Results: The patients' ages ranged between 11 days and 9 years. Presentation was usually discharge of clear, serous or purulent fluid or faecal matter from the umbilicus, sometimes dating back to the neonatal period. Evaluation consisted of bacteriology, fistulogram (one patient) and histopathology. The cause of discharge was patent vitello-intestinal duct in 11 patients, umbilical granuloma in three, umbilical sinus in two and patent urachus and osteomyelitis of the ischium in one each. Definitive treatment was exploration and complete excision of the lesion and antibiotics. Two patients with patent vitello-intestinal duct died, one before surgery from hypokalaemia and sepsis, and the other from anaesthetic complications. Conclusion: There is a need for early referral and treatment in patients with persistent umbilical discharge. Conservative treatment is usually not successful as the common causes would normally require complete excision.
Convergence Analysis of a Second Order Convex Splitting Scheme for the Modified Phase Field Crystal Equation

In this paper we provide a detailed convergence analysis for an unconditionally energy stable, second order accurate convex splitting scheme for the modified phase field crystal equation, a generalized damped wave equation for which the usual phase field crystal equation is a special degenerate case. The fully discrete, fully second order finite difference scheme in question was derived in a recent work [A. Baskaran et al., J. Comput. Phys., 250 (2013), pp. 270--292]. An introduction of a new variable $\psi$, corresponding to the temporal derivative of the phase variable $\phi$, could bring an accuracy reduction in the formal consistency estimate, because of the hyperbolic nature of the equation. A higher order consistency analysis by an asymptotic expansion is performed to overcome this difficulty. In turn, second order convergence in both time and space is established in a discrete $L^\infty (0,T; H^3)$ norm.
SUCCESSFUL KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS

In a study of thirty-one knowledge management projects in twenty-four companies, the authors examine the differences and similarities of the projects, from which they develop a typology. All the projects had someone responsible for the initiative, a commitment of human and capital resources, and four similar kinds of objectives: (1) they created repositories by storing knowledge and making it easily available to users; (2) they provided access to knowledge and facilitated its transfer; (3) they established an environment that encourages the creation, transfer, and use of knowledge; and (4) they managed knowledge as an asset on the balance sheet. The authors identify eight factors that seem to characterize a successful project: 1. The project involves money saved or earned, such as the Dow Chemical project that better managed company patents. 2. The project uses a broad infrastructure of both technology and organization. A technology infrastructure includes common technologies for desktop computing and communications. An organizational infrastructure establishes roles for people and groups to serve as resources for particular projects. 3. The project has a balanced structure that, while flexible and evolutionary, still makes knowledge easy to access. 4. Within the organization, people are positive about creating, using, and sharing knowledge. 5. The purpose of the project is clear, and the language that knowledge managers use in describing it is framed in terms common to the company's culture. 6. The project motivates people to create, share, and use knowledge (for example, giving awards to the top "knowledge sharers"). 7. There are many ways to transfer knowledge, such as the Internet, Lotus Notes and global communications systems, but also including face-to-face communication. 8. The project has senior managers' support and commitment. An organization's knowledge-oriented culture, senior managers committed to the "knowledge business," a sense of how the customer will use the knowledge, and the human factors involved in creating knowledge are most important to effective knowledge management.
International Experiences with Securities Transaction Taxes

This paper studies the international experience with securities transaction taxes (STTs), using the Swedish and British systems as case studies. We argue that STTs are best thought of as taxes on different resources used in transactions: domestic brokerage services in the case of Sweden, and registration services in the British case. STTs give investors incentives to economize on the taxed resources by shifting trading to foreign markets or untaxed assets, or by reducing the volume of trade. We show that these effects can be important. Estimated revenues from an STT will be correspondingly overstated if they ignore such behavioral effects.
Synthetic fingerprint-image generation

Introduces a method for the generation of synthetic fingerprint images. Gabor-like space-variant filters are used for iteratively expanding an initially empty image containing just one or a few seeds. A directional image model, whose inputs are the number and location of the fingerprint cores and deltas, is used for tuning the filters according to the underlying ridge orientation. Very realistic fingerprint images are obtained after the final noising-and-rendering stage.
In Vitro Interactions between Amphotericin B, Itraconazole, and Flucytosine against 21 Clinical Aspergillus Isolates Determined by Two Drug Interaction Models

ABSTRACT Combination therapy of flucytosine (5FC) with other antifungal agents could be of use for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis. However, interpretation of the results of in vitro interactions is problematic. The fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index is the most commonly used method, but it has several major drawbacks in characterizing antifungal drug interaction. Alternatively, a response surface approach using the concentration-effect relationship over the whole concentration range instead of just the MIC can be used. We determined the in vitro interactions between amphotericin B (AMB), itraconazole, and 5FC against 21 Aspergillus isolates with a broth microdilution checkerboard method that employs the dye MTT [3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide]. FIC indices based on three different MIC endpoints (MIC-0, MIC-1, and MIC-2) and the interaction coefficient alpha were determined, the latter by estimation from the response surface approach described by Greco et al. (W. R. Greco, G. Bravo, and J. C. Parsons, Pharmacol. Rev. 47:331-385, 1995). The value obtained for the FIC index was found to be dependent on the MIC endpoint used and could be either synergistic, indifferent, or antagonistic. The response surface approach gave more consistent results. Of the three combinations tested, the AMB-5FC combination was the most potent in vitro against Aspergillus spp. We conclude that the use of the response surface approach for the interpretation of in vitro interaction studies of antifungals may be helpful in order to predict the nature and intensity of the drug interaction. However, the correlation of these results with clinical outcome remains difficult and needs to be further investigated.
Idle Assets Utilization and Firm Value (Exploratory Study)

In this study I have attempted to investigate the firm’s opportunity cost resulting from not fully utilizing its investment capacity (assets) and how this opportunity cost is associated with the firm’s value within the context of the life-cycle theory. By doing so, I contribute to the current literature first by providing additional evidence supporting the life-cycle theory. Second, by drawing a direct comparison between core operating and none operating profitability and asset utilization. Third, by positing theoretical limits for which firms are in constant optimality throughout their existence, and how this theoretical limits serve as a focal point in the firms’ valuation. This study have been conducted on firms in Food, Industrial and Services Sectors and listed in the Kuwaiti Stock Exchange (an emerging equity market). The study yielded somewhat mixed results, of which some were contrary to our expectations. Nonetheless, these results were significant and consistent for the industrial sector and promote for further investigations. Our study concluded that investors places a higher value on firms that generate profits from core business operations higher than profits from non-core business operations. Moreover, investors perceive our construct of opportunity cost positively whenever it deviates further from zero.
THE EFFECT OF RETRIBUTION ON SHAREHOLDER LITIGATION AND MANAGERS' REPORTS

Shareholder litigation is important because it is costly and can influence firms' reporting behavior. Prior research finds that attorneys' incentives and specific firm characteristics drive shareholder litigation. In this study, I control for these known drivers in order to examine whether an additional behavioral factor, investor retribution, also drives shareholder litigation. Retribution theory suggests that investors will initiate litigation to punish managers for misreporting even when there is no financial incentive to do so. My study uses experimental markets to examine whether retribution plays a role in investors' litigation decisions, and if this, in turn, affects managers' reporting decisions. Consistent with economic theory, I find that when investors do not have an option to initiate litigation, managers frequently misreport and investors do not find their reports credible. Further, when investors have an option to initiate litigation and a financial incentive to do so (similar to current securities laws), misreporting decreases and the credibility of managers' reports increases. However, inconsistent with economic theory but consistent with retribution theory, when investors have an option to initiate litigation but have no financial incentive to do so, misreporting decreases and the credibility of managers' reports increases to approximately the same level as when investors have a financial incentive to initiate litigation. These findings have important implications for regulators and managers who need to accurately anticipate investors' litigation decisions in order to make optimal policy and reporting decisions.
Mid-infrared tunable Resonant Cavity Enhanced Detectors employing vertically moving comb drive actuated MEMS micromirrors

Results on a tunable resonant cavity enhanced detector (RCED) in the mid-infrared employing a vertically moving, comb-drive actuated micromirror are presented. A wide tuning range of 0.7 mum and a low order configuration have been achieved with a micromirror displacement range of 2.5 mum and a reduction of the optical cavity length respectively.
Comparison between symbolic and spectral analyses of short-term heart rate variability in a subsample of the ELSA-Brasil study

Linear and nonlinear analyses of heart rate variability (HRV) have been largely used to evaluate the autonomic balance directed to the cardiovascular system. However, comparative studies evaluating the agreement between methods are scarce. Therefore, our aim was to examine the relationship between spectral (SPA; linear) and symbolic analyses (SYA; nonlinear) indexes. A subsample of 683 participants of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health was investigated. Linear and nonlinear analyses were obtained from 10 min ECG recording at rest. Reliability and agreement between methods were evaluated by kappa-statistic and proportion of agreement. According to SYA, the most frequent pattern was P1V (sympathovagal balance, without sympathetic or vagal predominance) comprising 62.7% of the sample, followed by P2V (vagal predominance) with 33.2%, and finally P0V pattern (sympathetic predominance) with 4.1%. Overall proportion of agreement between SYA and SPA was 39.68% (95% CI 0.360–0.433), with expected agreement by chance of 30.8%. Kappa value was 0.128 indicating a slight agreement between methods. Proportion of agreement was 7.93% (95% CI 0.032–0.126) for predominant sympathetic modulation, 10.39% (95% CI 0.075–0.132) for sympathovagal modulation, and 40.29% (95% CI 0.361–0.444) for parasympathetic modulation. Our data provide evidence for important differences between SPA and SYA on HRV analysis. More studies are needed to clarify the causes of disagreement between two methods designed to evaluate the autonomic modulation of heart beats.
Improving the system of financial incentives for enhancing Thailand's industrial technological capabilities

This report provides a summary of current international experiences with financial incentives for supporting technology development and identifies some important implications for public policy in Thailand. International experiences have demonstrated the broader public good that can be achieved through policies and public interventions that stimulate technology learning environments built around clusters or networks of firms and national support institutions. Financial incentives serve as a mediating influence to enhance the flow of knowledge from firms that are closer to a leading technological edge through to those firms where technological skills are lagging. They are therefore an essential tool available to governments in seeking to increase national technological capabilities and international competitiveness. Although a wide range of incentives for technology development is in place in Thailand the system overall reflects a policy perspective that has not kept pace with the changing demands of global environments. International experiences reflect the need to target incentives where they will have maximum impact. This requires targeting particular types and groups of firms and targeting the specific technology thresholds relevant to their current levels of technology capabilities. It also implies the need for incentive mechanisms that stimulate a demand for technology and skills rather than focusing simply on their supply. The report draws attention to the need to redirect the current system of incentives in Thailand to place greater attention on efforts to enhance basic engineering and design capabilities, building knowledge networks between large and smaller firms and stimulating demand for technology upgrading.
Regulation in Services

The paper looks at patterns of regulation in service industries and explores their implications for service performance. Focusing on restrictions to market mechanisms, a map of the state of service regulation in OECD countries is provided, based on data recently collected and summarised by the OECD. The paper also surveys the available cross-country empirical evidence on the effects of regulatory reform on service productivity, prices and innovation. Finally, it discusses ways in which regulation can encourage competition, efficiency and investment in those segments of the service industries where non-competitive elements persist. The main conclusions reached are: i) in the past two decades OECD governments extensively reformed regulatory environments in both competitive and network service industries, generally making them closer to market mechanisms; ii) however due to differences in initial conditions and in the pace of reform, within each service industry the dispersion of .
CAN bus analyzer and emulator

A need arises when using CAN buses to monitor the data on the bus as well as having the ability to inject further data onto it. This provides the ability to fully test a CAN network on both the frame level and the bit level. This paper introduces a new CAN bus analyzer and emulator. The proposed System on Chip (SoC) is verified by simulation and implementation on FPGA board. Real time results show the efficiency of the SoC in bus analysis and CAN node emulation.