Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Profitability, Value, and Stock Returns in Production‐Based Asset Pricing without Frictions

51 p. ; Includes bibliographical references (pp. 40-43). ; "June 3, 2015. " ; The authors thank Andrew Ang, Sohn Bumjean, Ujjal Chatterjee, Ilan Cooper, Zhi Da, Fanchang Huang, Januj Juneja, Xiaoji Lin, Jianjun Miao, Jack Strauss, Yangru Wu, Hayong Yun, Lu Zhang, and seminar participants at the Central University of Finance and Economics, Fordham University, McMaster University, the Federal Reserve Bank at Richmond, and the 2013 FMA annual meeting in Chicago, the 2014 European Financial Management Association meeting in Rome, the 2014 World Finance Association in Venice, the 2014 China International Finance Conference in Chengdu, and the 2014 Southern Finance Association Annual Meeting in Key West for valuable comments.
Tip Effect of the Tapping Mode of Atomic Force Microscope in Viscous Fluid Environments

Atomic force microscope with applicable types of operation in a liquid environment is widely used to scan the contours of biological specimens. The contact mode of operation allows a tip to touch a specimen directly but sometimes it damages the specimen; thus, a tapping mode of operation may replace the contact mode. The tapping mode triggers the cantilever of the microscope approximately at resonance frequencies, and so the tip periodically knocks the specimen. It is well known that the cantilever induces extra liquid pressure that leads to drift in the resonance frequency. Studies have noted that the heights of protein surfaces measured via the tapping mode of an atomic force microscope are ~25% smaller than those measured by other methods. This discrepancy may be attributable to the induced superficial hydrodynamic pressure, which is worth investigating. In this paper, we introduce a semi-analytical method to analyze the pressure distribution of various tip geometries. According to our analysis, the maximum hydrodynamic pressure on the specimen caused by a cone-shaped tip is ~0.5 Pa, which can, for example, pre-deform a cell by several nanometers in compression before the tip taps it. Moreover, the pressure calculated on the surface of the specimen is 20 times larger than the pressure without considering the tip effect; these results have not been motioned in other papers. Dominating factors, such as surface heights of protein surface, mechanical stiffness of protein increasing with loading velocity, and radius of tip affecting the local pressure of specimen, are also addressed in this study.
CEO Risk-Related Incentives and Income Smoothing

We investigate whether risk-related incentives of executive stock option (ESO) compensation plans are associated with income smoothing. Given that risk has both potential benefits and costs, including possible losses and/or large fluctuations that affect reported financial outcomes, flexibilities in financial reporting enable a manager to make apparent risk lower while masking the underlying real risk. As such, income smoothing can be a means by which a manager can reduce the unintended consequences of risk taking without at the same time reducing its intended consequences. Using a sample of approximately 7,000 firm-years, we find that risk-taking incentives and income smoothing are positively related. Our results are robust to alternate specifications of income smoothing and risk-taking, and to various firm-level characteristics, including governance structures, CEO share and option holdings. Additionally, we find that our results are especially pronounced in firms whose risk and risk-taking behavior are high.
Feature selection for text classification using genetic algorithms

In text classification, feature selection is essential to improve the classification effectiveness. This paper provides an empirical study of a feature selection method based on genetic algorithms for different text representation methods. This feature selection algorithm can accomplish two goals: in one hand is the search of a feature subset such that the performance of classifier is best; in other hands is find a feature subset with the smallest dimensionality which achieves higher accuracy in classification. To evaluate the performance of this approach, three from the best classifiers have been selected: Naive Bayes (NB), Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and Support Vector Machines (SVMs). Our objective is to determine whether the genetic algorithms based feature selection will improve the performances in text classification with smaller size using F-measure. Experimentations were carried out on two benchmark document collections 20Newsgroups, and Reuters-21578. And the results were very interesting.
The shadowing experience: valuing the link between faculty practice and student learning.

Nurse faculty members, engaged in active, clinical practice roles, can enhance student learning through a shadowing experience. A shadowing, or observational, experience was designed by the writer to enhance undergraduate student learning, contribute to student socialization to the profession, and assist students to develop career goals. The shadowing experience linked an undergraduate student with the faculty member in a learning partnership in an advanced practice clinical setting. Fifteen undergraduate nursing students participated in a pilot shadowing experience with a faculty member in her private practice. Both the students and faculty reported that the experience was mutually rewarding. Students reported they were able to learn new information, apply theory from the classroom, and develop interest in graduate school. The shadowing experience provided the faculty member with an opportunity to show the value of her clinical practice within a traditional academic environment. The value of the shadowing experience for the faculty member can be enhanced by formal mechanisms that support faculty clinical practice work.
Following Suit or Falling Behind? A Comparative Analysis of Think Tanks in Canada and the United States

Abstract Policy institutes, or think tanks, have become increasingly visible on the political landscape. However, their policy role has varied in different countries. This article seeks to explain why, compared to think tanks in the United States, Canadian institutes have maintained a relatively modest presence in the policy-making community. Although many Canadian think tanks have made concerted efforts to replicate the strategies of their American counterparts, they have had far less success employing them in an effective and meaningful manner. While many American think tanks have both the resources and the opportunities to convey ideas to policy makers, Canadian organizations must overcome institutional, cultural and economic barriers before they can play a decisive role in policy-making circles. This article also makes reference to the experiences of think tanks in some parliamentary systems, notably Great Britain, to demonstrate that although these barriers are formidable and need to be addressed in some detail, they are not insurmountable. Résumé Les groupes d'experts sont devenus de plus en plus visibles sur la scène politique. Cependant, leur rôle politique à variée d'un pays à l'autre. Cet article cherche à expliquer pourquoi les groupes canadiens, comparés aux groupes américains, ont maintenu une présence relativement modeste dans la communauté politique. Bien que plusieurs groupes canadiens aient essayé de reproduire les stratégies de leurs contreparties américaines, ils ont eu moins de succès à les utiliser de façon efficace et significative. Tandis que plusieurs groupes américains ont des resources et des occasions pour communiquer leurs idées aux décideurs politiques, les organismes canadiens doivent surmonter des barrières institutionnelles, culturelles et économiques avant qu'ils puissent jouer un rôle décisif dans les cercles politiques. Cet article fait référence aussi aux expériences des groupes dans d'autres systèmes parlementaires, notamment en Grande Bretagne, pour démontrer que ces barrières, bien qu'elles soient redoutables et qu'elles exigent une attention particulière, ne sont pas pour autant insurmontables.
Parallel TLM simulation of MPSoC on SMP workstations: Influence of communication locality

Simulation speed is a key issue in virtual prototyping of Multi-Processors System on Chip (MPSoCs). SystemC TLM2.0 (Transaction Level Modeling) is now commonly used to accelerate the simulation. However, the standard SystemC simulation engine uses a centralized scheduler that is clearly a bottleneck to parallelize the simulation of architectures containing hundreds of processor cores, and involving hundreds of SC_THREADs to be scheduled. In this paper, we describe a general modeling strategy for shared memory MPSoCs and associated tools for the parallel TLM simulation of these architectures. The proposed approach is based on the Parallel Discrete Event Simulation principles, and our parallel version of the SystemC kernel (named SystemC-SMP) that can run advantageously on multiprocessor workstations. As the speedup obtained by parallel simulation depends on the communication pattern between the parallel tasks, we study the influence of various locality characteristics for the software application running on the simulated MPSoC.
Traffic matrix estimation based on a square root Kalman filtering algorithm

The traffic matrix (TM) is one of the crucial inputs for many network management and traffic engineering tasks. As it is usually impossible to directly measure traffic matrices, it becomes an important research topic to infer them by modeling incorporating measurable data and additional information. Many estimation methods have been proposed so far, but most of them are not sufficiently accurate or efficient. Researchers are therefore making efforts to seek better estimation methods. Of the proposed methods, the Kalman Filtering method is a very efficient and accurate method. However, the error covariance calculation components of Kalman filtering are difficult to implement in realistic network systems due to the existence of ill‐conditioning problems. In this paper, we proposed a square root Kalman filtering traffic matrix estimation (SRKFTME) algorithm based on matrix decomposition to improve the Kalman filtering method. The SRKFTME algorithm makes use of the evolution equations of forecast and analysis error covariance square roots. In this way the SRKFTME algorithm can ensure the positive definiteness of the error covariance matrices, which can solve some ill‐conditioning problems. Also, square root Kalman filtering will be less affected by numerical problems. Simulation and actual traffic testing results show superior accuracy and stability of SRKFTME algorithm compared with prior Kalman filtering methods. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Free Markets and Fair Trade, Collective Livelihood Struggles, and the Cooperative Model

Two agricultural cooperatives in Paraguay illustrate different models of smallholders’ collective livelihood struggles to enter international markets and achieve autonomy. One cooperative exports organic sugar and follows a strategy based on Fair Trade, independence from state bureaucracies, and alliances with international buyers and nongovernmental organizations. The other cooperative exports bananas to Argentina and follows a strategy based on free trade, regional market liberalization, and dependence on state bureaucracies. These cooperatives operate in a context of deep structural inequalities in which elements of a 35-year dictatorship mix with more recent regional and global integration and the consolidation of a democratic project. Examination of the structure in which they operate and the individual and collective agency of small producers reveals that, whether through free trade or Fair Trade, participation in global markets requires participation in debates on globalization and democracy and the redefinition of production processes to satisfy external markets that will allow small producers to make a reasonable living.
Fluctuating current control for a PMSM under reduced DC link capacitance

The DC link voltage fluctuation problem is more serious for an inverter system which utilizes a single phase AC source. As an effort to reduce the DC link capacitance, the fluctuating motor power control is proposed to match the converter power. Specifically, the key idea is to enforce current oscillation along a constant torque line which only affects the reactive power of the motor. Analytic method for obtaining the current bounds was derived. Also, a practical recursive algorithm was proposed. Simulation and experimental results support the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Production risks in Bulgarian peanut production

As farmers in a transition economy search for new crop enterprises with a potential for income enhancement they are faced with increased risks in the process of resource allocation. It has been noted that biased estimation of production function estimates results from the lack of accountability of risks. Since peanut production in Bulgaria has increased at a varying rate since 1989 it is important that we examine the risks associated with input use. The data for this study were collected from farmers from 18 villages in the southern part of Bulgaria. A total of 205 farmers were surveyed for this study. Peanut yield in Bulgaria is positively related to the quantity of seed used, fungicide, manual labor, investment level and mechanized labor used. Peanut yield is negatively influenced by investment levels but positively by the increase of manual labor. The response of yield to quantity of seed used is elastic, and an addition of a kg of peanut seeds may increase yield by 32kg. However, as the quantity of seeds used per ha increases the risk is expected to increase, hence farmers may be cautious in increasing the quantity of seeds used. Investment capital, manual labor and mechanized labor are positively related to yield and there will be a reduction in yield if the optimal levels of those inputs are surpassed. Thus farmers may increase yield and production by augmenting the seeding rate, other factors remaining constant.
The polymorphism of human leucocyte antigen‐G gene in a healthy population of Iran

Human leucocyte antigen‐G (HLA‐G) is a non‐classical HLA class I molecule that unlike the classical HLA, has low polymorphism. This molecule, initially, found on invasive trophoblast cells and is postulated to have mediatory role in maternal–fetal interface. So far 43 alleles of HLA‐G gene have been found. Studies on alleles of HLA‐G gene could be useful in understanding the genetic variants of HLA‐G alleles in Iranian population. The goal of this research was to determine the polymorphism of HLA‐G gene in a healthy population of Iran. Genomic DNA was isolated from the whole blood of 102 randomly selected, healthy, unrelated Iranian individuals using salting‐out technique followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the exons 2 and 3 of HLA‐G gene. For the performance of PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism method, the PCR products were digested with several restriction enzymes and the resulted fragments were analysed using gel electrophoresis. The obtained results indicated nine alleles of HLA‐G in Iranian individuals including G*01011 (4%), G*01012 (29.86%), G*01013 (10.8%), G*01015 (1.47%), G*01017 (1.96%), G*01018 (2.45%), G*01041 (29.4%), G*01043 (1.96%) and the null allele G* 0105N (18.1%). According to this study, in the Iranian subjects the most incident alleles were G*01012 and G*01041. The results for the frequency of G*01012 showed some similarity with Caucasians (36.3%).
CD47 blockade reduces ischemia/reperfusion injury and improves survival in a rat liver transplantation model

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) remains the standard treatment option for nonresponsive liver failure. Because ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is an important impediment to the success of OLT, new therapeutic strategies are needed to reduce IRI. We investigated whether blocking the CD47/thrombospondin‐1 inhibitory action on nitric oxide signaling with a monoclonal antibody specific to CD47 (CD47mAb400) would reduce IRI in liver grafts. Syngeneic OLT was performed with Lewis rats. Control immunoglobulin G or CD47mAb400 was administered to the donor organ at procurement or to both the organ and the recipient at the time of transplant. Serum transaminases, histological changes of the liver, and animal survival were assessed. Oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and hepatocellular damage were also quantified. A significant survival benefit was not achieved when CD47mAb400 was administered to the donor alone. However, CD47mAb400 administration to both the donor and the recipient increased animal survival afterward. The CD47mAb400‐treated group showed lower serum transaminases, bilirubin, oxidative stress, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick‐end labeling staining, caspase‐3 activity, and proinflammatory cytokine expression of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin‐1β, and interleukin‐6. Thus, CD47 blockade with CD47mAb400 administered both to the donor and the recipient reduced liver graft IRI in a rat liver transplantation model. This may translate to decreased liver dysfunction and increased survival of liver transplant recipients. Liver Transpl 21:468–477, 2015. © 2015 AASLD.
Mandatory Audit Firm Rotation: A Review of Stakeholder Perspectives and Prior Research

The global financial crisis brought to the fore questions surrounding the scope and quality of the external audit, market concentration and auditor independence. One of the issues currently being considered by the European Commission and European Parliament is mandatory audit firm rotation. The aim of this review is to identify, consider and evaluate stakeholder views and research evidence on mandatory audit firm rotation to highlight deficiencies in the existing research literature, identify opportunities for further research and make recommendations for policy-makers. As demonstrated, stakeholder views vary widely. We find that the research evidence on the impact of mandatory audit firm rotation on audit quality and auditor independence is inconclusive. Whilst there is some evidence that rotation may have a positive impact on ‘independence in appearance’, most research fails to generalise these findings to measures of audit quality associated with ‘independence in fact’ and there is even evidence of potentially adverse effects of rotation. Given the lack of evidence associating mandatory audit firm rotation with an improvement on audit quality, regulators need to determine carefully the long-term objectives of a mandatory rotation requirement before implementing a costly measure. We further highlight the need for future research looking at the implications of measures designed to improve audit quality.
Parametric and non-parametric estimates of willingness to pay for forest recreation in Northern Ireland: A discrete choice contingent valuation study with follow-ups

In this study we show that forest areas contribute significantly to the estimated benefits from outdoor recreation in Northern Ireland. Secondly we provide empirical evidence of the gains in the statistical efficiency of both benefit and parameter estimates obtained by analysing follow‐up responses with Double Bounded interval data analysis. As these gains are considerable, it is clearly worth considering this method in CVM survey design even when moderately large sample sizes are used. Finally we demonstrate that estimates of means and medians of WTP distributions for access to forest recreation show plausible magnitude, are consistent with previous UK studies, and converge across parametric and non‐parametric methods of estimation.
Foodborne viruses and fresh produce

Raw and minimally processed fruits and vegetables are typically sold to the consumer in a ready-to-use or ready-to-eat form. These products do not generally contain preservatives or antimicrobial agents and rarely undergo any heat processing prior to consumption. For many years raw fruits and vegetables have been implicated as vehicles for transmission of infectious micro-organisms. Although fresh produce can support the growth and/or survival of many pathogenic bacteria there is little published information on the stability of human pathogenic viruses on these food products. Viruses cannot grow in or on foods but may sometimes be present on fresh produce as a result of faecal contamination. This contamination can arise at source in the growth and harvesting area from contact with polluted water and inadequately or untreated sewage sludge used for irrigation and fertilization. Alternatively, fruits or vegetables handled by an infected person might become contaminated with virus and transmit infection. The most frequently reported foodborne viral infections are viral gastroenteritis and hepatitis A: both have been associated with the consumption of fresh fruit or vegetables.
Compliance with antidepressants in a primary care setting, 1: Beyond lack of efficacy and adverse events.

BACKGROUND Treatment guidelines recommend antidepressant treatment be continued for at least 6 months to ensure maximal improvement and to prevent relapse. Naturalistic studies show that the average length of treatment is shorter than 6 months and that dropout rates are high. Factors leading patients to discontinuation of therapy are not well understood. This study investigates when and why patients stop treatment and whether they inform their doctors. METHOD Patients (N = 272) receiving antidepressant therapy due to an episode of major depressive disorder (DSM-IV) were asked to complete an antidepressant compliance questionnaire. Patients were then telephoned monthly while they continued on antidepressant therapy, up to 6 months. During each call, patients were asked standard questions. RESULTS By endpoint, 53% of patients had discontinued antidepressant treatment. The most common reason given was "feeling better. " However, different dropout reasons were prevalent at different times after initiation of therapy. Overall, 24% of the patients did not inform their physician about stopping the antidepressant medication. The likelihood of patients' informing their physicians differed according to the patients' reasons for discontinuation and according to the patients' perceptions of their relationship with their physicians. CONCLUSION These results provide new guidelines for improving compliance. Strategy should be adapted to the stage of treatment, as patients' reasons for discontinuation vary as treatment progresses. The attitude of the physician and the information provided by the physician significantly influence whether patients inform the physician when they discontinue antidepressant therapy.