Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Valuation Consequences of Clawback Provisions

ABSTRACT: We investigate the degree to which including a clawback provision in executive compensation contracts is an effective governance mechanism by documenting the impact of clawback adoption on stock prices. We expect this ex post settling-up mechanism to be beneficial because it diminishes financial reporting risks. In support of our hypotheses, we find that the shareholders of adopting firms experience statistically significant positive stock-valuation consequences relative to propensity-score-matched control samples. Further, firms with previous financial restatements had the largest economic gains, suggesting that a clawback policy can be effective at curtailing incentives for earnings manipulation. Analysis of the bid-ask spread provides evidence that these provisions contribute to reducing financial reporting risk for restating firms, while non-restating firms experience no change in the spread. We find no evidence that clawback provisions entail costs in the form of higher CEO compensation fol.
Inflation and economic growth: a cross-country nonlinear analysis

This paper presents new nonlinear regression estimates of the relationship between inflation and economic growth for 80 countries over the 1961- 2000 period, using middle-income and low-income countries. We also consider the four separate decades between 1961 and 2000. The paper consistently finds that higher inflation is associated with moderate gains in gross domestic product growth up to a roughly 15-18 percent inflation threshold. However, the findings diverge when we divide our full data set according to income levels. With the groupings by decade, the results indicate that inflation and growth will be more highly correlated to the degree that macroeconomic policy is focused on demand management as a stimulus to growth. We consider the implications of these findings for the conduct of monetary policy. One conclusion is that there is no justification for inflation-targeting policies as they are currently being practiced throughout the middle- and low-income countries, that is, to maintain inflation with a 3-5 percent band.
Censored correlated cytokine concentrations: multivariate Tobit regression using clustered variance estimation

Interest in cytokines as markers for the function of the immune system is increasing. Methods quantifying cytokine concentrations are often subject to detection limits, which lead to non‐detectable observations and censored distributions. When distributions are skewed, geometric mean ratios (GMRs) can be used to describe the relative concentration between two cytokines, and the GMR ratio (GMRR) can be used to compare two groups. The problem is how to estimate GMRRs from censored distributions.We evaluated methods, including simple deletion and substitution, in simulated and real data. One method applies Tobit directly to the censored difference between the two cytokine log‐concentrations (Diff). However, censoring is correlated to the outcome and is therefore not independent. The correlation increases as the correlation between the two log‐concentrations decreases. We propose a Tobit stacking method that uses clustered variance–covariance estimation allowing homogeneous (Stackc) or inhomogeneous (Stackh) variances. We compare it with direct estimation of the bivariate Tobit likelihood function (Bitobit) and multiple imputation. We assess sensitivity to inhomogeneity and non‐normality. Simulations show that deletion and substitution are empirically biased and that Diff has an empirical bias, which increases as the correlation between the log‐concentrations decreases. Estimates from multiple imputation, Stackh and Bitobit are almost identical. The estimates exhibit small empirical bias for both homogeneous and inhomogeneous normal distributions. For skewed mixture and heavy‐tailed distributions, they perform reasonably well if censoring is less than 30%. We recommend these methods to estimate GMRRs. At least one of the methods is available in Stata, R or SAS. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Business modeling for entrepreneurial firms: four cases in China

Purpose – Business model innovation is a new way for Chinese firms to compete in the global economy. Due to the unique context in China, the authors aim to clarify what is a business model, how to design a business model, and how different designs affect firms' competitive advantages in China.Design/methodology/approach – Literature review and multiple case studies (i.e. Dinghan Technology, Flush Network, Aier Eye, and Huayi Brothers) are used.Findings – After defining business model, the authors integrate the activity system approach and the configurational approach to construct a unique framework for business model design, and four different models for Chinese firms emerge, namely, focused cost innovation, integrated cost innovation, focused value innovation, and integrated value innovation. Then the authors explore the main mechanisms through which different designs could help firms achieve competitive advantages.Practical implications – Business model matters for Chinese firms. The authors' results pr.
Using Autonomous Planning Agents to Provide Model-based Decision-making Support

The purpose of this research is to investigate the potential of software agents in performing automated planning within Decision-Making Support Systems (DMSS). A planning agent that uses a partial-order planning mechanism to monitor and maintain corporate profit is built in Prolog and Java and embedded in an agent-integrated DMSS. The planning mechanism used by the agent supports the sequencing and interfacing of models within the DMSS for the purpose of generating alternatives. From this experience, an architecture for a general planning agent is constructed. Benefits of the agent-enhanced, planning DMSS are then discussed.
Dynamic delivery of IMRT using an independent collimator: a model study

This study aims to develop intensity-modulated beam delivery using an independent collimator in dynamic mode (dIC). A model was built to solve the problem of optimizing the dIC jaw trajectories for a desired beam intensity map with the adaptive simulated annealing technique. Like a leaf trajectory for a dynamic multileaf collimator (dMLC), a dIC jaw trajectory is composed of a series of control points. When delivering a beam in dynamic mode, all four jaws move continuously and independently while the beam is on. The performance of the proposed model is evaluated by comparing the delivery time of dIC with that of dMLC for 56 intensity maps of eight prostate cases and 72 maps of eight nasopharynx cases. The premises for the comparison are that (1) all MLC leaves have a width of 1 cm; (2) MLC leaf trajectories are generated with the algorithm of Spirou and Chui (1994 Generation of arbitrary intensity profiles by dynamic jaws or multileaf collimators Med. Phys. 21 1031), and (3) dIC delivers the desired intensity maps with equivalent or better accuracy as that of dMLC. We found that the dIC delivery time was 2.00 ± 0.83 times that of dMLC delivery for 56 intensity maps of prostate cases, and 2.90 ± 1.39 times that of dMLC delivery for 72 intensity maps of nasopharynx cases. The estimated mean treatment delivery time is 5.8 min for prostate cases, and 12.2 min for nasopharynx cases. Considering the advantages of dIC such as two-dimensional continuous spatial resolution, sharp penumbra, minimal leakage and no tongue-and-groove effects, dIC has the potential for high-resolution IMRT treatments of certain lesions.
Characterization of Clostridium perfringens Spores That Lack SpoVA Proteins and Dipicolinic Acid

ABSTRACT Spores of Clostridium perfringens possess high heat resistance, and when these spores germinate and return to active growth, they can cause gastrointestinal disease. Work with Bacillus subtilis has shown that the spore's dipicolinic acid (DPA) level can markedly influence both spore germination and resistance and that the proteins encoded by the spoVA operon are essential for DPA uptake by the developing spore during sporulation. We now find that proteins encoded by the spoVA operon are also essential for the uptake of Ca2+ and DPA into the developing spore during C. perfringens sporulation. Spores of a spoVA mutant had little, if any, Ca2+ and DPA, and their core water content was approximately twofold higher than that of wild-type spores. These DPA-less spores did not germinate spontaneously, as DPA-less B. subtilis spores do. Indeed, wild-type and spoVA C. perfringens spores germinated similarly with a mixture of l-asparagine and KCl (AK), KCl alone, or a 1:1 chelate of Ca2+ and DPA (Ca-DPA). However, the viability of C. perfringens spoVA spores was 20-fold lower than the viability of wild-type spores. Decoated wild-type and spoVA spores exhibited little, if any, germination with AK, KCl, or exogenous Ca-DPA, and their colony-forming efficiency was 103- to 104-fold lower than that of intact spores. However, lysozyme treatment rescued these decoated spores. Although the levels of DNA-protective α/β-type, small, acid-soluble spore proteins in spoVA spores were similar to those in wild-type spores, spoVA spores exhibited markedly lower resistance to moist heat, formaldehyde, HCl, hydrogen peroxide, nitrous acid, and UV radiation than wild-type spores did. In sum, these results suggest the following. (i) SpoVA proteins are essential for Ca-DPA uptake by developing spores during C. perfringens sporulation. (ii) SpoVA proteins and Ca-DPA release are not required for C. perfringens spore germination. (iii) A low spore core water content is essential for full resistance of C. perfringens spores to moist heat, UV radiation, and chemicals.
Mining Evolving Data Streams with Particle Filters

We propose a particle filter‐based learning method, PF‐LR, for learning logistic regression models from evolving data streams. The method inherently handles concept drifts in a data stream and is able to learn an ensemble of logistic regression models with particle filtering. A key feature of PF‐LR is that in its resampling, step particles are sampled from the ones that maximize the classification accuracy on the current data batch. Our experiments show that PF‐LR gives good performance, even with relatively small batch sizes. It reacts to concept drifts quicker than conventional particle filters while being robust to noise. In addition, PF‐LR learns more accurate models and is more computationally efficient than the gradient descent method for learning logistic regression models. Furthermore, we evaluate PF‐LR on both synthetic and real data sets and find that PF‐LR outperforms some other state‐of‐the‐art streaming mining algorithms on most of the data sets tested.
An Examination of an Engine Manufacturing Plant′s Downtime and Production Standards

In this article a case study is reported which deals with identifying the sources of downtime, and a procedure which could help management to predict whether the daily production standards in auto assembly‐line operations could be met given the intensity of sources of downtime. This study was conducted for a large auto engine manufacturer. The engine assembly line under study is subject to good preventive maintenance to avert unexpected breakdowns that would shut down the line or lower the quality so as to reduce the yield in total. Two multivariate statistical procedures are used – factor analysis and multiple discriminant analysis.
The natural history of HIV-1 subtype E infection in young men in Thailand with up to 14 years of follow-up

Objective:We evaluated the progression to AIDS and death among 228 men who seroconverted within a 6-month window when in the Royal Thai Army between 1991 and 1995. Design and methods:Men (N = 228) who seroconverted to HIV at 21–23 years of age between 1991 and 1995 were evaluated up to 14 years after HIV seroconversion. The seroconverters were matched with men who were seronegative when they were discharged from the military. In 2005–2006, the vital status was determined through the national mortality database and survivors were contacted for follow-up clinical and immunological assessment. Death certificates, medical records and next of kin interviews were used to evaluate the causes of death. Results:As of March 2006, among 228 seroconverters, 56 (24.6%) were alive, 171 (75.0%) had died and one (0.4%) had undetermined status. Among 255 HIV-seronegative individuals at baseline, 15 (5.9%) had died. The median time from HIV seroconversion to death was 7.8 years. The median time to AIDS death was 8.4 years. The median times from seroconversion to clinical AIDS and a CD4 cell count less than 200 cells/μl were 7.2 years and 6.5 years, respectively. The median time from seroconversion to World Health Organization criteria for antiretroviral therapy was 6.3 years. Conclusion:Our data indicate a more rapid progression to AIDS and death after HIV-1 infection among young Thai men than has been reported in similar aged men who were HAART-naive in western high income countries.
Cohort profile: The Boyd Orr cohort--an historical cohort study based on the 65 year follow-up of the Carnegie Survey of Diet and Health (1937-39).

1 Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2PR, UK. 2 Iona, Cannon Fields, Hathersage, Sheffield, UK. * Corresponding author. E-mail: richard.martin@bristol.ac. uk The fieldwork team on the road: Ford V8 Shooting Brake, 1937–39. Source: History Workshop Journal 2000;50:218. Reproduced with permission of Oxford University Press Loading the transit van in preparation for fieldwork, 2002. Source: Richard Martin
Immunocytochemical studies of the interactions of cadherins and catenins in the early Xenopus embryo

Linkage of cadherins to the cytoskeleton is crucial for their adhesive function. Since α‐ and β‐catenin play a key role in this linkage, these proteins are possible targets for processes that control cell–cell adhesion. To achieve a better understanding of the regulation of cell–cell adhesion in embryonic morphogenesis, we used immunohistology to investigate how in Xenopus blastomeres catenins respond to disturbances in the expression of maternal cadherins. Overexpression of myc‐tagged maternal cadherin leads to a proportionate increase of the level of β‐catenin. The two proteins colocalize in the endoplasmic reticulum, in cytoplasmic vesicles, and along the cell membrane, indicating that the β‐catenin binds to overexpressed cadherin early in its passage to the plasma membrane. Expression of cadherin is essential for the stable presence of β‐catenin, as depletion from maternal cadherin mRNA leads to a complete loss of β‐catenin from the blastomeres. α‐catenin behaves differently. Overexpression of cadherin leaves the amount and localization of α‐catenin largely unaffected, and additional cadherin inserts itself into the membrane without a pro‐portionate rise in the level of membrane‐bound α‐catenin. However, cadherin mRNA depletion leads to a redistribution of α‐catenin from the membrane to the cytoplasm. Thus, cadherin is required to localize α‐catenin to the membrane, but the amount of α‐catenin along the mem‐brane seems to be restricted to a certain level which cannot be exceeded. The relevance of these observations for the regulation of cad‐herin‐mediated cell adhesion in the Xenopus embryo is discussed. Additionally, we demonstrate that plakoglobin, like β‐catenin an armadillo repeat protein, shows neither accumulation after overexpression nor colocalization with the overexpressed cadherin. Dev Dyn 1999;215:155–169. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An Extended Neural Network-Based Importance-Performance Analysis for Enhancing Wine Fair Experience

ABSTRACT This article presents the results of a study conducted at the Dalmacija Wine Expo, a regional wine fair that was held for the first time in 2010 in Makarska, Croatia. To identify critical attributes impacting the experience of fair participants, two separate surveys were conducted among visitors and exhibitors. In analyzing the data, this study used an extended neural network-based importance-performance analysis (IPA) that combines measures of both the relevance (i.e., stated importance/general importance) and determinance (i.e., derived importance/actual influence) of fair attributes. Compared to traditional IPA approaches with uni-dimensional operationalization of attribute-importance, such an approach provided significantly more detailed (and reliable) managerial implications.
From Agricultural Research to ‘Product Development’

Agricultural research for development (AR4D) is often discussed in terms of abandoning ‘business as usual’. One important element of the reframing of agricultural research is an emphasis on the development of useful ‘products’, which immediately brings ‘users' to centre stage. In this paper the authors review the literature on user involvement from the field of new product development (NPD). They then propose a conceptual model of feedback and feedback loops within AR4D and use this model to analyse examples of feedback generation in rice research in West Africa. On the basis of this initial analysis they conclude that, while there are many ongoing activities that could potentially provide useful feedback, in the majority of cases this potential is probably not being realized. Unless feedback is approached much more systematically, the promise of AR4D as a means of generating useful products for farmers and others will probably remain unfulfilled.
Fabrication of Coil Lines with High Aspect Ratio for Electromagnetic Actuators

Actuators are finding increasing use in the various fields. And, it is one of most important parts for machines because it determines its performance. Actuators account for a large percentage and volume and weight of a product compared with other parts. Therefore, the progress in downsizing of actuators was required. Then, we have proposed a high aspect ratio coil lines for electromagnetic actuators in order to expect to reduce the size and increase the output power. To realize these coils and actuators, we have fabricated a three dimensional X-ray lithography and metallization process. Using these processes, we have formed three-dimensional coil lines with high aspect ratio that could be used in electromagnetic actuators. In this paper, we have fabricated coil lines with 10 mum line width, 20 mum pitch and aspect ratio of 5 on the surface of an acrylic pipe by mean of three-dimensional X-ray lithography technique. And, a void-free metallic deposit could be formed on a thin coil lines by electroplating method. It is very expected the high performance microcoils and actuators with high aspect ratio could be manufactured in spite of the miniature size.
A STOCHASTIC MODEL OF EMERGENT ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING: ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AS A DISTRIBUTED SELF-REPRESENTATION

A STOCHASTIC MODEL OF EMERGENT ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING: ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AS A DISTRIBUTED SELF-REPRESENTATION Lewis L. Mills California School of Professional Psychology at Alameda A model is developed that describes organizational learning at the organizational level rather than as an aggregate of individuals’ learning. Following Cook and Yanow (1993), organizational culture, rather than cognition, is the medium of organizational learning. Because organizational culture is usually defined in terms of “sharing”, which is ambiguous as to level, the level of analysis for organizational culture and learning remains uncertain. Process emergence is proposed as a dynamic explanation for the relationship between the individual and group levels. This explanation takes into account the emergence of the group from the individual level and the part-whole relationship between levels. An emergent level is an autonomous process that learns. Three criteria for process emergence, of which the emergence of the group level is an example, are developed based on Bateson’s (1979) work on mind. The group emergent level is described as an autonomous process produced in the interaction of processes at the individual level. Stochastic process is proposed to model how process emergence can occur. Stochastic process, of which biological evolution is an example, is defined in terms of selection by consequences. Models of cognition based on stochastic process are adapted to the process emergence of the group level from the individual level. The distributed self-representation (DSR) model is offered, which is based on the stochastic
Agile Innovative Total Quality Function Deployment and its financial accountability in an Indian company

In the last few decades, the world has witnessed the emergence of three strategies, namely, quality, innovation and Agile Manufacturing (AM). This paper reports research work, which was carried out to tap the synergic powers of these strategies. To begin with, a model by the name agile Innovative Total Quality Function Deployment (agile ITQFD) was designed. A financial accounting system was also designed in order to depict the performance of agile ITQFD using financial values. As an experiment, the working of agile ITQFD and its financial accounting system were studied in an Indian electronics switches manufacturing company. This company has successfully applied many world class manufacturing strategies. Hence, the inferences drawn from this experimentation could be viewed from a global perspective, which indicated that it is possible to apply agile ITQFD and its financial accounting system successfully in real-time situations.
Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Short-Term Outcome Study

Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) is a relatively new therapeutic approach that has shown beneficial effects in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). One question to be answered is how enduring its neuromodulatory effect could be. Twenty-four patients with ASD (mean age: 12.2 years) received 20 sessions of NIBS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC). They were randomized into two groups with two (G1) or three (G2) clinical evaluations before NIBS. Both groups had a complete follow-up at six months after the intervention, with the aim of determining the short-term outcome using the total score on the Autism Behavior Checklist, Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist, and the Autism Diagnostic Interview. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) was used in ASD patients aged <11 years, and repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for 11–13-year-olds. Observation points were at one, three, and six months after completing all the sessions of NIBS. A significant reduction in the total score on the three clinical scales was observed and maintained during the first six months after treatment, with a slight and non-significant tendency to increase the scores in the last evaluation. Twenty sessions of NIBS over the L-DLPFC improves autistic symptoms in ASD children, with a lasting effect of six months.