Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Empirical Approaches for Identifying Maverick Firms: An Application to Mortgage Providers in Australia

This paper develops an empirical strategy to identify maverick-like behavior. This strategy includes measuring two behavioral dimensions: (i) the extent to which particular suppliers underprice rivals; and (ii) the timing of the suppliers' responses to systemic cost changes. This strategy is applied to a dataset that contains interest rates charged by mortgage providers in Australia from January 2003 to October 2006. We then evaluate suppliers' behavior both in terms of the rates that they charge and the time it takes them to change their rates as a response to a systemic increase in costs that follows a change of the cash rate by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). We find that systematic price discounts and the frequency and timing of price increases and decreases are both important, but distinct, components of maverick-like behavior. These empirical observations suggest that the development of a theory for maverick behavior be focused on dynamic, asymmetric models and informed by institutions and market dynamics that are relevant to the case at hand.
Visualization of rod photoreceptor development using GFP‐transgenic zebrafish

Summary: Zebrafish retina contains five morphologically distinct classes of photoreceptors, each expressing a distinct type of opsin gene. Molecular mechanisms underlying specification of opsin expression and differentiation among the cell types are largely unknown. This is partly because mutants affected with expression of a particular class of opsin gene are difficult to find. In this study we established the transgenic lines of zebrafish carrying green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene under the 1.1‐kb and 3.7‐kb upstream regions of the rod‐opsin gene. In transgenic fish, GFP expression initiated and proceeded in the same spatiotemporal pattern with rod‐opsin gene. The retinal section from adult transgenic fish showed GFP expression throughout the rod cell layer. These results indicate that the proximal 1.1‐kb region is sufficient to drive gene expression in all rod photoreceptor cells. These transgenic fish should facilitate screening of mutants affected specifically with rod‐opsin expression or rod cell development by visualization of rod cells by GFP. genesis 34:215–220, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Characterization of Cardiac Dysfunction in Sepsis: An Ongoing Challenge

ABSTRACT Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC), which is a common morbid condition, occurs in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. The clinical characterization of SIC has been largely concept-driven. Heart function has traditionally been evaluated according to two basic conceptual models: a hydraulic pump system, whereby the output from the heart is entirely dependent on its input, or a hemodynamic pump, whereby the cardiac output is a function of preload, global ventricular performance, and afterload. Minimal attention has been given to the intrinsic contractile function of the heart or to the interaction between the peripheral circulation and the intrinsic myocardial function in sepsis. Currently, SIC is assumed to be the result of the interaction of microorganisms that activate the physiopathological pathways and cellular signaling mechanisms that lead to intrinsic myocardial dysfunction. However, the animal models used to study SIC exhibit multiple limitations. This review addresses the conceptual background, historical perspectives, physiologic mechanisms, current evidence, and limitations of SIC characterization. It also highlights potential future directions for the hemodynamic assessment of the intrinsic contractile function of the heart to overcome current methodological limitations. Finally, the present review recommends the exploration of additional potential mechanisms underlying SIC.
A real-time approach for autonomous detection and tracking of moving objects from UAV

A new approach to autonomously detect and track moving objects in a video captured by a moving camera from a UAV in real-time is proposed in this paper. The introduced approach replaces the need for a human operator to perform video analytics by autonomously detecting moving objects and clustering them for tracking purposes. The effectiveness of the introduced approach is tested on the footage taken from a real UAV and the evaluation results are demonstrated in this paper.
Trend Inflation and Inflation Persistence in Australia: A New Keynesian Perspective

The empirical shortcomings of the purely forward-looking New Keynesian Phillips curve (NKPC) have generally been attributed to its inability to generate sucient persistence in ination. While the literature moved towards incorporating backward-looking terms into the NKPC, their somewhat ad-hoc rationales have been an ongoing source of criticism. This thesis attempts to ascertain the extent to which ination dynamics in Australia can be explained
An incremental construction algorithm for Delaunay triangulation using the nearest-point paradigm

This paper introduces a new algorithm for constructing a 2D Delaunay triangulation. It belongs to the class of incremental insertion algorithms, which are known as less demanding from the implementation point of view. The most time consuming step of the incremental insertion algorithms is locating the triangle containing the next point to be inserted. In this paper, this task is transformed to the nearest point problem, which is solved by a two-level uniform subdivision acceleration technique. Dependencies on the distribution of the input points are reduced using this technique. The algorithm is compared with other popular triangulation algorithms: two variants of Guibas, Knuth, and Sharir's incremental insertion algorithm, two different implementations of Mücke's algorithm, Fortune's sweep-line algorithm, and Lee and Schachter's divide and conquer algorithm. The following point distributions are used for tests: uniform, regular, Gaussian, points arranged in clusters, and real data sets from a GIS database. Among all tested algorithms, the divide and conquer approach turns out to be the best. The proposed algorithm is the second fastest except for input points with highly non-uniform distribution. As implementation of the algorithm is simple, it represents an attractive alternative to other Delaunay triangulation algorithms used in practice.
Exploring Social Cognitive Theory Constructs for Promoting Exercise Among Breast Cancer Patients

Physical activity during breast cancer treatment can significantly reduce treatment-related fatigue and improve quality of life. Unfortunately, the majority of women with breast cancer either do not exercise at all or exercise below recommended levels. Little is known about how to enhance physical activity among breast cancer patients. The social cognitive theory, a useful framework for the design of physical activity interventions, has not been studied among breast cancer patients. Our study purpose was to explore physical activity knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among breast cancer patients during adjuvant therapy utilizing social cognitive theory constructs in preparation for a larger, survey study and future intervention research. Twelve breast cancer patients attended 1 of 3 focus group sessions. Focus group questions were based on the social cognitive theory constructs of self-efficacy, environment, behavioral capability, expectations, expectancies, self-control and performance, observational learning, and reinforcement. The focus group participants generally felt confident in their ability to exercise during treatment if fatigue, time management, and social networking were addressed. The majority of participants had not been given information related to exercise by their physicians during treatment. The participants felt that exercise was more beneficial than harmful during treatment, with the 2 most important benefits identified as reduced fatigue and the potential for improved survival. The use of reinforcements by participants was minimal. The participants consistently expressed the desire for education and guidance by knowledgeable staff during an exercise program. Walking was the most acceptable exercise modality. Social cognitive theory may be a useful framework for future study of exercise behavior among breast cancer patients and measurement of constructs related to this theory should be included in such studies. Future exercise intervention studies should consider the unique barriers and program preferences of breast cancer patients while focusing on self-efficacy, outcome expectations/ expectancies, observational learning, and reinforcements.
HIGH TECHNOLOGY, EMPLOYMENT AND THE CHALLENGES TO EDUCATION

The contribution of employment in high technology industry to future employment growth in the US economy is estimated to be small. Much high technology employment is not professional work at all, but routine labour, and much of that performed by minority groups with few career opportunities. Most new jobs will occur in occupations requiring no more than secondary education. High technology may generate employment in other areas, but often low grade work performed in the “homework economy”. Appropriate education for employment in high technology industry and in computer-related fields is not necessarily specialised and technical; high-quality general education is probably more important. Instrumental education, ignorant of the demands of high technology, and of the demands a modern economy makes upon high technology, is likely to be counter-productive. Commercial and technical success requires a combination of cultural learning and technical skill.
Provision of Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance in Small Businesses: Does Rural Location Matter?

Because employer-sponsored programs are the predominate means by which most non-elderly Americans are covered by health insurance, there is interest in the extent to which observed spatial differences occur because of structural differences in rural and metro economies. We examine factors influencing the costs employers face in providing health insurance to their employees, and how these costs compare in importance to other firm-level and regional economic factors that may impact their decision to offer health insurance to their workers. Overall, we find that costs, rather than either firm-level characteristics or rurality per se, are the most important determinant.
Implementation of a body image program as a twisty country lane

A teachers’ organization developed a grade-specific body image curriculum which was implemented in one Canadian province. The lessons were designed to promote body acceptance and to help students recognize and resist mediated constructions of ideal size and shape. One year after its introduction, a research study investigated the body image program’s implementation in six schools in different school districts. Data for the study include interviews with close to fifty teachers and surveys completed following the professional development sessions at the program’s introduction. The findings from this study indicate that, in addition to implementation factors such as resources, body image intervention programs at the school level are impacted by the complex ways in which bodies, including teachers’ bodies, are positioned socially. While the intent of the program was to provide a rich resource of materials for teachers, teachers needed more opportunities for reflection and support as they navigated new terrain. As a result, this particular curriculum implementation journey more closely resembled a road trip on a twisty country lane than one that took the shortest distance between two points.
The somatic marker affecting decisional processes in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Introduction. Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) demonstrate impairment in decisional processes in which both cognition and emotion play a crucial role. Methods. We investigated the connection between decision-making performances and choice-related skin conductance responses (SCRs), to identify a somatic marker impairment affecting decisional processes in these patients. We explored SCRs during the Iowa Gambling Task in 20 OCD and 18 control, measuring anticipatory and posticipatory psychophysiological reactions according to card choices and to the outcomes of each selection. Results. Most patients exhibited weaker SCRs compared to HC, although there weren't substantial differences in magnitude between the two groups. In contrast with HC, patients with OCD showed no significant differences of SCRs activation according to card selections; they chose cards from neither favourable nor unfavourable decks. Conclusions. The main finding of the study were the evidence of a dysfunctional biological marker in OCD subjects, affecting decision-making process. Dysfunctional patterns of SCRs could partially explain OCDs’ impairment in this ability. Decision-making deficits in OCDs could be influenced in part by the lack of somatic differences in discriminating between advantageous and disadvantageous behaviour. These findings could lead to a more complete understanding of OCD.
Sec22 and Memb11 Are v-SNAREs of the Anterograde Endoplasmic Reticulum-Golgi Pathway in Tobacco Leaf Epidermal Cells1

Distinct sets of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) are distributed to specific intracellular compartments and catalyze membrane fusion events. Although the central role of these proteins in membrane fusion is established in nonplant systems, little is known about their role in the early secretory pathway of plant cells. Analysis of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genome reveals 54 genes encoding SNARE proteins, some of which are expected to be key regulators of membrane trafficking between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi. To gain insights on the role of SNAREs of the early secretory pathway in plant cells, we have cloned the Arabidopsis v-SNAREs Sec22, Memb11, Bet11, and the t-SNARE Sed5, and analyzed their distribution in plant cells in vivo. By means of live cell imaging, we have determined that these SNAREs localize at the Golgi apparatus. In addition, Sec22 was also distributed at the ER. We have then focused on understanding the function of Sec22 and Memb11 in comparison to the other SNAREs. Overexpression of the v-SNAREs Sec22 and Memb11 but not of the other SNAREs induced collapse of Golgi membrane proteins into the ER, and the secretion of a soluble secretory marker was abrogated by all SNAREs. Our studies suggest that Sec22 and Memb11 are involved in anterograde protein trafficking at the ER-Golgi interface.
Perceptions of service quality in North Cyprus hotels

Purpose – Defining and measuring quality service is of importance to providers of hotel services. This study aims to diagnose the applicability of the perceived service quality measurement scale to European customers in a new emerging market which is North Cyprus – because tourism industry in Cyprus has been significantly influenced owing to political instability of the island since 1963 and the year 2004 has been of great importance owing to the 24 April referendum for a peace solution between South and North on the island Cyprus.Design/methodology/approach – The sample of the study consists of the European tourists visiting Northern Cyprus hotels. Non‐probability convenience sampling technique is used to collect the data of survey instruments adopted from Parasuraman et al. SPSS 10.0 for windows was employed for the scale measurement. Descriptive analysis such as means, standard deviation and frequencies are calculated. Regression analysis was employed to observe the causal effect of independent variabl.
Asset-Price Boom-Bust Cycles and Credit: What is the Scope of Macro-Prudential Regulation?

Over the recent months, several initiatives have taken place to develop macro-prudential regulation in order to prevent systemic risk and the built-up of financial imbalances. Crucial to the success of such policy is the ability of the macro-prudential authority to identify in due time such imbalances, generally featured by asset-price boom-bust cycles. In this paper, we investigate the possibility of detecting asset-price booms according to alternative identification strategies and assess their robustness. We infer the probability that an asset-price boom turns into an asset-price bust. In addition, we try to disentangle costless or low-cost from costly asset-price booms. We find some evidence that house price booms are more likely to turn into costly recession than stock price booms. Resorting both to a non-parametric approach and a discrete-choice (logit) model, we analyze the ability of a set of indicators to robustly explain costly asset-price booms. According to our results, real long-term interest rates, total investment, real credit and real stock prices tend to increase the probability of a costly housing-price boom, whereas real GDP and house prices tend to increase the probability of a costly stock-price boom. Regarding the latter, credit variables tend to play a less convincing role. From this perspective, we specify the scope of macro-prudential regulation as a set of tools aiming at avoiding "costly" asset-price booms. In doing so, we try both to make the case for state-contingent macro-prudential regulations and to set out clear delineation between monetary and financial stability objectives.
Emotional Intelligence and Acculturation to the United States: Interactions on the Perceived Social Consequences of Smoking in Early Adolescents

High emotional intelligence (EI) is associated with decreased adolescent smoking. Acculturation to the United States is a risk factor for adolescent smoking. High EI may buffer the relationship between acculturation to the United States and perceptions of the social consequences of smoking (PSC). Emotional intelligence is the ability to: accurately perceive, appraise, and express emotion; access and/or generate feelings in facilitating thought; understand emotion and emotional knowledge; and regulate emotions. Emotional intelligence (measured by the Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale, Adolescent Version), acculturation, and PSC were assessed in 2001 from 416 Southern California sixth graders (47% boys; mean age = 11.3 yrs; 32% Hispanic/ Latino, 29% Asian/Pacific Islander, 13% White, 19% Multiethnic, 6% Other). There was a significant EI × US acculturation interaction (p < 0.01) suggesting that those with high EI perceived more social consequences associated with smoking. As the U.S. population becomes increasingly diversified, identifying protective variables and designing effective prevention programs for adolescents of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds becomes important.
Market Integration and Price Execution for NYSE-Listed Securities

For New York Stock Exchange listed securities, the price execution of seemingly comparable orders differs systematically by location. In general, executions at the Cincinnati, Midwest, and New York stock exchanges are most favorable to trade initiators, while executions at the National Association of Security Dealers are least favorable. These intermarket price differences depend on trade size, with the smallest trades exhibiting the biggest per share price difference. Collectively, these results raise questions about the adequacy of the existing intermarket quote system, the broker's fiduciary responsibility for 'best execution,'and the propriety of order flow inducements. Copyright 1993 by American Finance Association.
A discrete continuous model of vehicle ownership and use in Flanders

We estimate a discrete-continuous model of vehicle demand and use for the Belgian region of Flanders, combining the results of the official regional travel survey with a detailed database of vehicle characteristics. The overall predictive value of the submodel predicting the number of vehicles owned by each household is satisfying, and in line with expectations. However, existing data turn out to be relatively poor predictors of the vehicle class owned by households and of the annual mileage per vehicle. We argue that the current travel survey focuses on determinants of travel in the peak periods. In order to predict overall travel demand, future versions of the travel survey should identify indicators with a higher predictive value for travel behavior for other than commuting purposes.
Distribution Channel Decentralization and Strategic Durability Choice

Abstract In a simple two‐period setting we examine a decentralized distribution (marketing) channel consisting of an up‐stream durable‐goods manufacturer and down‐stream retailer. The manufacturer sets the wholesale price and the product’s durability while the retailer selects an output level. We show that in this setting, the profit‐maximizing manufacturer unambiguously selects a higher durability than the socially efficient (cost‐minimizing) level in both uncommitted sales and rental markets. We show this ‘reversed planned obsolescence’ result is due to the strategic benefit of durability in this double‐marginalization (double monopoly mark‐up) setting. This is in stark contrast to the usual integrated channel result where the profit‐maximizing manufacturer will select an efficient level of durability in rental markets and an inefficiently low durability in uncommitted sales markets (due to the selling firm’s commitment problem with potential buyers). Intuitively, with a decentralized distribution channel, the manufacturer faces potential commitment problems with both current buyers and its down‐stream retailer. We show, only in cases where both sources of commitment issues are removed (i.e. the manufacturer can credibly commit to both potential buyers and its retailer), will the profit‐maximizing durability choice be socially efficient.
Evolutionary clustering algorithm based on mixed measures

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an evolutionary clustering algorithm based on mixed measure for complex distributed data.Design/methodology/approach – In this method, the data are first partitioned into some spherical distributed sub‐clusters by using the Euclidean distance as the similarity measurement, and each clustering center represents all the members of corresponding cluster. Then, the clustering centers obtained in the first phase are clustered by using a novel manifold distance as the similarity measurement. The two clustering processes in this method are both based on evolutionary algorithm.Findings – Theoretical analysis and experimental results on seven artificial data sets and seven UCI data sets with different structures show that the novel algorithm has the ability to identify clusters efficiently with no matter simple or complex, convex or non‐convex distribution. When compared with the genetic algorithm‐based clustering and the K‐means algorithm, the proposed algorithm o.
Multi-UAV task allocation with communication faults

Most of the multi-agent coordination algorithms depend on communication to make cooperative decisions. However, the multi-agent system may be subject to partial or total communication failures. Designing coordination algorithms taking communication failures into account is a difficult task. In this paper, we develop behavior based coordination algorithms for agents having partial communication failure resulting from a receiver or transmission failure, and total communication failure where the receiver and transmitter of the agent has failed. The algorithm modifies the behavior of faulty and non-faulty agents depending on the type of failure. With modified behaviors, the non-faulty agents accommodate the faulty agents in accomplishing the tasks. Monte-Carlo simulations are carried out to validate the performance of the developed algorithms. The results show that the system with coordination mechanism performs close to that of the system with no communication failure agents, while it outperforms the system in which the communication failure agents are neglected.