Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Uncertainty and investment in private sector: An analytical argument and a review of the economy of Iran

The initial theories of investment have emphasized the role of reduction of interest rate and increase in output for encouraging private investment. But there are ample grounds for doubting these theories. As a result, researchers have recently emphasized the importance of uncertainty in determining the private rate of investment. As different theories give various results with respect to their assumptions, a new theory of investment under uncertainty is explained in this study. Intuition is that investors use the best worst strategy instead of maximization of expected returns in an uncertain environment. There must be a time horizon within which entrepreneurs can rely on information and assess their projects. This time horizon is compared with adjusted payback period of projects. Projects with longer adjusted payback period will be rejected. Among the viable projects, a project with shorter adjusted payback period is preferable. The more is the uncertainty about the future, the shorter the horizon within which information can be trusted. Twenty-three factors relating to uncertainty are classified into three different categories: changes in policies and macroeconomic outcomes, the quality of public governance and socio- political institutions and conflicts. A panel data method is applied to examine the effect of these factors on the private investment rate. Among the macroeconomic factors, uncertainty relating to exchange rate distortion, terms of trade, growth and trade have significant negative effect on the private investment rate. The effect of other factors (i.e. uncertainty about credit to private sector, inflation and real interest rate) on the rate of private investment is insignificant. Among the socio-political institutions and conflict factors the negative effect of civil war, purges, coups and constitutional changes cannot be rejected. There is not enough evidence that other measures of socio-political uncertainty (i.e. democracy, revolutions, inequality, assassinations, strikes and riots) have a significant impact on the private investment rate. However I cannot reject the positive effect of war on the private investment rate. Among the indices of the quality of public governance, there is not enough evidence to reject the hypothesis that worsening condition of regulatory burden, rule of law and property rights will reduce the private investment rate. However, the hypothesis of negative effect of government contribution in economy on the private investment rate can be rejected. Surprisingly, the effect of control of corruption on the private investment rate is quite negative and significant.
Food Price Levels and Volatility: Sources, Impact and Implications

Food inflation in India for the past few years has been at an historic high. Higher food prices have especially hurt those who spend most of their income on food and have not necessarily been helpful to smallholder farmers in terms of increased supply response. The volatility of food prices at the wholesale and retail levels has also increased, and this creates uncertainties for consumers and producers that need to be managed. This article reviews some of the sources of food price increases and volatility (especially over the period 2008–10 when inflation was high) and draws out implications for Indian citizens.
Short-Term Debt Maturity Structures, Credit Ratings, and the Pricing of Audit Services

ABSTRACT: Short-term debt and credit ratings have benefits for financial reporting quality that may be associated with lower audit fees. Using U.S. data for 2003 through 2006, we find that short-term debt is negatively related to audit fees for firms rated by Standard & Poor’s, consistent with more monitoring and better governance mechanisms in firms with higher short-term debt. Credit ratings quality is negatively related to audit fees, consistent with ratings quality reflecting a firm’s liquidity risk, governance mechanisms, and monitoring from rating agencies. We also find that the negative relation between short-term debt and audit fees is stronger for firms with low-quality credit ratings, consistent with auditors pricing lender monitoring.
Acetylcholine and Hallucinations - Disease-Related Compared to Drug-Induced Alterations in Human Consciousness

Newly proposed criteria for Lewy body dementia include alterations in consciousness. Lewy body dementia is also associated with a disturbance in cholinergic transmission; neocortical cholinergic deficits in this disorder are more extensive than in Alzheimer's disease and are correlated with symptoms commonly associated with delirium, such as visual hallucinations. The traditional view that derangements of the basal forebrain cholinergic system in Alzheimer's disease relate specifically to memory impairment is assessed in terms of a more general role for cortical acetylcholine in consciousness. This extends the concept that cortical acetylcholine enhances neuronal signal to noise ratio. It is suggested that muscarinic receptor activation in the cortex is involved in confining the contents of the discrete self-reported conscious "stream. " In the absence of cortical acetylcholine, currently irrelevant intrinsic and sensory information, which is constantly processed in parallel at the subconscious level, enters conscious awareness. This is consistent with the ability of anti-muscarinic drugs administered medically, recreationally, or ritualistically to induce visual hallucinations and other perceptual disturbances. The hypothesis is explored through comparisons between muscarinic and nicotinic receptor psychopharmacology and between the pathology of the basal forebrain as opposed to pedunculopontine cholinergic systems in different diseases of the human brain affecting consciousness and cognition. The paradoxical effects of muscarinic receptor blockade to induce hallucinations and of REM sleep-associated cholinergic activation of the thalamus to induce dreaming may be related to the differential distribution and activity of muscarinic receptor subtypes or to the differing responses of intrinsic GABA neurons in cortex and thalamus.
Determinants of Underwriters' Spreads on Tax Exempt Bond Issues

This paper examines the determinants of underwriters' spreads on tax exempt bond issues. In particular, it investigates the effect on spreads of differences in issue quality, term to maturity, and size. In addition, changing money market conditions and variations in the degree of competition among underwriters of tax exempts are analyzed for their influence on spread behavior. The relationships are studied for virtually all state bond issues sold between July 1, 1959 and December 31, 1965. The principal method of investigation is multiple regression analysis.
Cointegration Tests of Spatial and Variety Price Linkages in Regional Dry Bean Markets

, , (3)A non-stationary series mean, variance, and covariance are changing over time, sothat standard t tests in regression are no longer valid (Karbuz and Jumah, 1995). Holdenand Perman (Rao, 1994) derived a relationship between stationarity and the existence of aunit root. Dickey and Fuller (1979 and 1981) demonstrated that if under the nullhypothesis that a series has a unit root (i.e., if the series is nonstationary), then the tstatistics for parameter estimates in a regression is not distributed as a Student t anymore.If a series follows the first order autoregressive process (AR(1)), for example:yy et
On the political economy of allocation of agricultural disaster relief payments: application to Taiwan

This paper examines the importance of political factors in the allocation of agricultural disaster payments as a result of Typhoon Morakot that ravaged Taiwan in 2009. The instrumental variable model was estimated using a unique data set that combines a national administrative profile of the 607,704 recipients of disaster relief payments and the matched weather and geographic information. Results show that the political factor significantly determined the level of disaster relief payments. The incumbent government paid more to the farms located in towns which voted for the incumbent party to a greater extent than they did for the opposition party.
Effect of Yeast Extract and Vitamin B12 on Ethanol Production from Cellulose by Clostridium thermocellum I-1-B

Addition to media of yeast extract, a vitamin mixture containing vitamin B12, biotin, pyridoxamine, and p-aminobenzoic acid, or vitamin B12 alone enhanced formation of ethanol but decreased lactate production in the fermentation of cellulose by Clostridium thermocellum I-1-B. A similar effect was not observed with C. thermocellum ATCC 27405 and JW20.
Crystal structure of 2-benzylamino-4-p-tolyl-6,7-dihydro-5H-cyclopenta[b]pyridine-3-carbonitrile

In the crystal of the title compound, molecules are linked by pairs of N—H⋯Nnitrile hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers with an (12) ring motif. The dimers are linked by C—H⋯π and π–π interactions [centroid–centroid distance = 3.7211 (12) Å], forming a three-dimensional framework.
VLSI Implementation of a Cost-Efficient Micro Control Unit With an Asymmetric Encryption for Wireless Body Sensor Networks

This paper presents a very large-scale integration (VLSI) circuit design of a micro control unit (MCU) for wireless body sensor networks (WBSNs) in cost-intention. The proposed MCU design consists of an asynchronous interface, a multisensor controller, a register bank, a hardware-shared filter, a lossless compressor, an encryption encoder, an error correct coding (ECC) circuit, a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter interface, a power management, and a QRS complex detector. A hardware-sharing technique was added to reduce the silicon area of a hardware-shared filter and provided functions in terms of high-pass, low-pass, and band-pass filters according to the uses of various body signals. The QRS complex detector was designed for calculating QRS information of the ECG signals. In addition, the QRS information is helpful to obtain the heart beats. The lossless compressor consists of an adaptive trending predictor and an extensible hybrid entropy encoder, which provides various methods to compress the different characteristics of body signals adaptively. Furthermore, an encryption encoder based on an asymmetric cryptography technique was designed to protect the private physical information during wireless transmission. The proposed MCU design in this paper contained 7.61k gate counts and consumed 1.33 mW when operating at 200 MHz by using a 90-nm CMOS process. Compared with previous designs, this paper has the benefits of increasing the average compression rate by over 12% in ECG signal, providing body signals analysis, and enhancing security of the WBSNs.
Coping as a Multifaceted Construct: Associations With Psychological Outcomes Among Family Members of Mechanical Ventilation Survivors

Objectives: To develop and evaluate a preliminary multifaceted model for coping among family members of patients who survive mechanical ventilation. Design and Setting: In this multicenter cross-sectional survey, we interviewed family members of mechanically ventilated patients at the time of transfer from the ICU to the hospital ward. We constructed a theoretic model of coping that included characteristics attributable to family members, family-clinician rapport, and patients. We then explored relationships between coping factors and symptoms of psychological distress (anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress). Subjects: Fifty-six family members of survivors of mechanical ventilation. Measurements and Main Results: Psychological distress measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Posttraumatic Stress Scale. Optimism measured using the Life Orientation Test scale, resiliency by Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale, and social support using the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System inventory. Family members had moderate levels of psychological distress with median total Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale equal to 14 (interquartile range, 5–20) and Posttraumatic Stress Scale equal to 22 (interquartile range, 15–31). Among family member characteristics, greater optimism (p = 0.001, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; p = 0.010, Posttraumatic Stress Scale), resilience (p = 0.012, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and social support (p = 0.013, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) were protective against psychological distress. On the contrary, characteristics of family-clinician rapport such as communication quality and presence of conflict did not have any associations with psychological distress. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore coping as a multifaceted construct and its relationship with family psychological outcomes among survivors of mechanical ventilation. We found certain family characteristics of coping such as optimism, resilience, and social support to be associated with less psychological distress. Further research is warranted to identify potentially modifiable aspects of coping that might guide future interventions.
Layer formation in stratified Taylor-Couette flow

Layer Formation in Stratified Taylor–Couette Flow J. L. Partridge 1 , C. Leclercq 2 , C. P. Caulfield 1,3 and S. B. Dalziel 1 Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge School of Mathematics, Bristol University BP Institute, University of Cambridge jlp56@cam.ac. uk Abstract A new set of high Reynolds number experiments (Re = r i Ω ν i ∆r ∼ 10 3 − 10 4 ) are conducted to examine the layer formation observed in stratified Taylor–Couette flow. A wider range of radius ratios η = r r o i (where r i and r o are the radii of the inner and outer cylinder, respectively) than previously possible is explored to examine the universality of the de- U pendence of layer height l on N , where U is a characteristic velocity scale and N is the buoyancy frequency. Previous work by Oglethorpe et al. (2013) found a linear relationship U between l and N taking a horizontal velocity scale U h = r i ∆rΩ i , where ∆r = r o − r i is the gap width and Ω i is the rotation rate of the inner cylinder, and this choice of velocity scale is tested with our new, more comprehensive data set. The sensitivity of this scaling to initial conditions is also considered with the use of different spin up protocols, i.e. initi- ating the experiment in different ways. The different protocols include linearly increasing Ω i with time to some final value, as well as initiating the experiment with a slow spin up, slow compared to viscous diffusion, to solid body rotation before impulsively stopping the outer cylinder. Introduction Spontaneous layer formation from an initial linear stratification within turbulent flows is not uncommon and layering within the ocean has been observed (for example, see figure 10.1 of Turner, 1979). There have also been a number of experimental studies investigating layer formation in stratified flows. Ruddick et al. (1989) and Park et al. (1994) observed layer formation when a vertical rod was towed through a stratified fluid, and a similar layering process was found by Holford and Linden (1999) when an array of vertical bars was used to drive the flow. Layering has also been observed experimentally in stratified Taylor–Couette flow by Boubnov et al. (1995) and Oglethorpe et al. (2013). However, the precise mechanism for the formation of the layers in high Schmidt number experiments at high Reynolds number is still not known and is crucial to the understanding of subsequent mixing within such flows as any buoyancy flux through the system ultimately has to pass over the highly stratified interfaces. We investigate the robustness of the layer formation mechanism here, by varying the initial conditions of the experiment, and propose a new scaling for the height of the layers. The layout of the paper is as follows: §2 describes the experimental set-up followed by experimental observations in §3. Results are presented in §4 before concluding in §5. VIII th Int. Symp. on Stratified Flows, San Diego, USA, Aug. 29 - Sept. 1, 2016
Particle filters for tracking with out-of-sequence measurements

An extension is presented to the particle filtering toolbox that enables nonlinear/non-Gaussian filtering to be performed in the presence of out-of-sequence measurements (OOSMs) with arbitrary lag, without the need to adopt linearising approximations in the filter and without the degradation of performance that would occur if the OOSMs were simply discarded. An estimate of the performance of the OOSM particle filter (OOSM-PF) is obtained for bearings-only tracking scenarios with a single target and a small number of sensors. These performance estimates are then compared with the posterior Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for the state estimate rms error and similar performance estimates obtained from the oosm extended Kalman filter (OOSM-EKF) algorithms recently introduced in the literature. For a mildly nonlinear bearings-only tracking problem the OOSM-PF and OOSM-EKF are shown to achieve broadly similar performance.
Inhibitory effects of Baccharis dracunculifolia on 1,2-dimethylhidrazine-induced genotoxicity and preneoplastic lesions in rat colon

Baccharis dracunculifolia (Asteraceae), the main botanical source of green propolis, also known as ‘alecrim-do-campo’ and ‘vassourinha’, is a shrub of the Brazilian ‘cerrado’ and is native to the South and Southeast of Brazil. The effects of B. dracunculifolia ethyl acetate extract (Bd-EAE) were evaluated on the 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced DNA damage and aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in the colon of male Wistar rats by the comet and ACF assays, respectively. The animals were treated by gavage with doses of 6, 12, and 24 mg/kg body weight/day. Animals were also administered a single subcutaneous injection of 40 mg/kg DMH and were killed after 4 h for evaluation of DNA damage. Also, two doses of 40 mg/kg of DMH were administered weekly for 2 weeks, and animals were killed 2 weeks after the last injection for evaluation of ACF development in the colon. The results showed a significant reduction in the frequency of DNA damage and ACF in the group treated with the Bd-EAE plus DMH in comparison with those treated with DMH alone, suggesting that Bd-EAE reduced DNA damage and suppressed the formation of ACF and also exerted a protective affect against colon carcinogenesis.
The Detection of Earnings Manipulation

Presented are a profile of a sample of earnings manipulators, their distinguishing characteristics, and a suggested model for detecting manipulation. The model's variables are designed to capture either the financial statement distortions that can result from manipulation or preconditions that might prompt companies to engage in such activity. The results suggest a systematic relationship between the probability of manipulation and some financial statement variables. This evidence is consistent with the usefulness of accounting data in detecting manipulation and assessing the reliability of reported earnings. The model identifies approximately half of the companies involved in earnings manipulation prior to public discovery. Because companies that are discovered manipulating earnings see their stocks plummet in value, the model can be a useful screening device for investment professionals. The screening results, however, require determination of whether the distortions in the financial statement numbers r.
Cell Factor Promotes B Lymphopoiesis with Reduced Interleukin 7 Responsiveness in the Absence of E 2 A

The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors encoded by the E2A gene function at the apex of a transcriptional hierarchy involving E2A, early B cell factor (EBF), and Pax5, which is essential for B lymphopoiesis. In committed B lineage progenitors, E2A proteins have also been shown to regulate many lineage-associated genes. Herein, we demonstrate that the block in B lymphopoiesis imposed by the absence of E2A can be overcome by expression of EBF, but not Pax5, indicating that EBF is the essential target of E2A required for development of B lineage progenitors. Our data demonstrate that EBF, in synergy with low levels of alternative E2Arelated proteins (E proteins), is sufficient to promote expression of most B lineage genes. Remarkably, however, we find that E2A proteins are required for interleukin 7–dependent proliferation due, in part, to a role for E2A in optimal expression of Nmyc . Therefore, high levels of E protein activity are essential for the activation of EBF and Nmyc , whereas lower levels of E protein activity, in synergy with other B lineage transcription factors, are sufficient for expression of most B lineage genes.
Regulated Prices and Real Options

This paper shows how the cash flows received by an unregulated firm operating in a workably competitive market can be replicated for a regulated firm. The only change to standard regulatory practice is that each time the regulated firm invests, the amount added to its rate base is the product of its capital expenditure and a multiplier, greater than one, that captures the reduction in value of the unregulated firm's growth options that occurs whenever the firm invests. The regulated firm is allowed to earn a rate of return equal to its weighted-average cost of capital, applied to this rate base. Four possible approaches to estimating the size of the multiplier are presented, each based on an established real-options investment model.
The social health care policy implementation gap: moving beyond the legacies of 'new' public management

How do social health care policies fare within economically rational structures? This paper, based on a study of two Scottish maternity units, identifies and explains a number of gaps in social health care policy implementation and practice. One finding suggests that devolved budgets result in a certain amount of operational fragmentation, increased attention to cost consciousness, low staffing levels and ultimately a noticeably decreased concern for social health care policy implementation. What can be done to ensure that health and welfare services are democratized? This paper proposes that moving beyond new public management involves an alternative model which would encompass a broadened form of economic regulation. Such a model would ensure that health and welfare outcomes are comprehensively accounted for in financial terms. There are strong indications that subjective service user indicators of health and welfare are just as important as objective professional assessments. Another indication is that whereas technological determinism sparks off rising costs, service user self-determination and self-management, which situates medical expertise at the periphery rather than the centre, could save public money. Thus, the need to widen the economic base serves both the objectives of the treasury and the needs of the public.
The Market for Space Tourism: Early Indications

The development and growth of space tourism faces a number of hurdles. Producing credible and reliable estimates of market demand represents one of the most significant of these. This article examines the early indications of the market for space tourism based on the limited research conducted to date. It identifies several research challenges and considers methodological alternatives that might improve research findings.