Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integration and the Competitiveness of Peripheral Industry

This paper analyses economic integration between two economies; one central, with a large local market, and the other peripheral, with a small local market. Each economy has an imperfectly competitive manufacturing sector. Trade liberalization creates a strong incentive for the imperfectly competitive industry to concentrate in the central region, near the large market. This may cause the direction of net trade to be the opposite of that predicted by factor endowments. This effect may be offset by a lower wage in the periphery than in the centre; we find that in the early stages of integration relative wages in the centre and periphery diverge, with convergence occurring only in the later stages.
Spatial regulation of Aurora A activity during mitotic spindle assembly requires RHAMM to correctly localize TPX2

Construction of a mitotic spindle requires biochemical pathways to assemble spindle microtubules and structural proteins to organize these microtubules into a bipolar array. Through a complex with dynein, the receptor for hyaluronan-mediated motility (RHAMM) cross-links mitotic microtubules to provide structural support, maintain spindle integrity, and correctly orient the mitotic spindle. Here, we locate RHAMM to sites of microtubule assembly at centrosomes and non-centrosome sites near kinetochores and demonstrate that RHAMM is required for the activation of Aurora kinase A. Silencing of RHAMM delays the kinetics of spindle assembly, mislocalizes targeting protein for XKlp2 (TPX2), and attenuates the localized activation of Aurora kinase A with a consequent reduction in mitotic spindle length. The RHAMM–TPX2 complex requires a C-terminal basic leucine zipper in RHAMM and a domain that includes the nuclear localization signal in TPX2. Together, our findings identify RHAMM as a critical regulator for Aurora kinase A signaling and suggest that RHAMM ensures bipolar spindle assembly and mitotic progression through the integration of biochemical and structural pathways.
DIVIDEND POLICY IN SAUDI ARABIA

We examine dividend policy in a unique environment in Saudi Arabia, where (1) firms distribute almost 100% of their profits in dividends, (2) firms are highly levered mainly through bank loans, and (3) there are no income or capital gains taxes. Some common factors that affect dividend policy of both financial and non-financial firms, we found some factors that affect only non-financial firms. In particular, the common factors are profitability, size, and business risk. Government ownership, lavergae, and age have a significant impact on the dividend policy of non-financial firms but no effect on financial firms. Our results also show that agency costs are not a critical driver of dividend policy of Saudi firms. We also find that the factors that influence the probability to pay dividends are the same factors that drive the amount of dividends paid for both financial and non-financial firms.
Visual imagery differences in the recall of pictures.

Male and female subjects who differed in their verbal reports of visual image vividness were tested for recall in three experiments involving coloured photographs as stimuli. In all three experiments subjects who reported vivid visual imagery were more accurate in recall than subjects who reported poor visual imagery. In the first two experiments, females recalled more accurately than males. On the assumption that vividness reports and recall were both mediated by the same covert event - a visual image - these results provide further evidence that images have an important role in memory.
Characterisation of radial vibration force and electromagnetic noise behaviour of a PWM-fed permanent magnet synchronous machine

This paper presents the full analysis of the radial forces behavior responsible for audible magnetic noise in a PWM-fed permanent magnet synchronous traction machine with surface permanent magnet. Magnetic force waves due to slotting harmonics, pulse-width modulation (PWM) are characterized for different speeds, including theoretical predictions and experimental validations. The coupled lumped multi-physics models are developed in order to compute stator current, the radial air-gap flux density, the radial forces and the audible magnetic noise. Finally, some simulations and experiments are compared for many points of the electrical traction characteristics: output torque versus speed.
Identifying outdated requirements based on source code changes

Keeping requirements specifications up-to-date when systems evolve is a manual and expensive task. Software engineers have to go through the whole requirements document and look for the requirements that are affected by a change. Consequently, engineers usually apply changes to the implementation directly and leave requirements unchanged. In this paper, we propose an approach for automatically detecting outdated requirements based on changes in the code. Our approach first identifies the changes in the code that are likely to affect requirements. Then it extracts a set of keywords describing the changes. These keywords are traced to the requirements specification, using an existing automated traceability tool, to identify affected requirements. Automatically identifying outdated requirements reduces the effort and time needed for the maintenance of requirements specifications significantly and thus helps preserve the knowledge contained in them. We evaluated our approach in a case study where we analyzed two consecutive source code versions and were able to detect 12 requirements-related changes out of 14 with a precision of 79%. Then we traced a set of keywords we extracted from these changes to the requirements specification. In comparison to simply tracing changed classes to requirements, we got better results in most cases.
An audit of symptom triggered chlordiazepoxide treatment of alcohol withdrawal on a medical admissions unit

Patients suffering from alcohol withdrawal were found on initial audit to be discharged before the resolution of their symptoms. A regimen using symptom triggered chlordiazepoxide was introduced and found, on re-audit and anecdotally, to be an improvement. The duration of symptoms was reduced significantly, the length of stay was reduced (although not statistically significant because of limited power), and most patients who had experience of both regimens found the symptom triggered regimen more effective.
Real Time Neural Network-based Face Tracker for VR Displays

Tracking technology for Virtual Reality (VR) applications typically requires the user to wear head-mounted sensors with transmitters or wires. This paper describes a video-based, realtime, low-latency, high-precision 3D face tracker specifically designed for VR displays that requires no sensors, markers, transmitters, or wires to be worn. One center camera finds the 2D face position using Artificial Neural Networks (NN) and recognizes and tracks upright, tilted, frontal and non-frontal faces within visually cluttered environments. Two more left and right (L/R) cameras obtain the 3D head coordinates using a standard stereopsis technique. This paper presents a novel idea to train the NN to a new face in less than two minutes, and includes background training to avoid recognition of false positives. The system utilizes diffuse infrared (IR) illumination to avoid computing time-consuming image normalization, to reduce illumination variations caused by the physical surroundings, and to prevent visible illumination from interfering with the user’s field of view. CR categories: I.5. 1 [Computer Methodologies]: Pattern Recognition⎯Models⎯Neural nets; I.4. 8 [Image Processing and Computer Vision]: Scene Analysis—Tracking; I.3. 7 [Computer Graphics]: 3D Graphics and Realism−virtual reality;
The self-reference effect in memory: an implicit way to assess affective self-representations in social anxiety

ABSTRACT This study was designed to assess, through the self-reference effect in memory, whether affective self-representations were modulated by the retrieval conditions and the severity of social anxiety. Three groups (high socially anxious, low socially anxious and non-anxious) were compared on a self-referential task that involved encoding affective trait adjectives under three conditions: self-reference encoding, encoding with reference to the perception of self by others, and other-reference encoding. Memory for trait adjectives was tested on both a free recall task and a Remember/Know/Guess recognition task. The results revealed that while socially anxious individuals explicitly rated as self-descriptive and recalled more positive than negative trait adjectives like non-anxious participants, this positivity bias was respectively reduced and erased among low and high socially anxious participants when recollecting the same adjectives encoded in reference to the self. These findings are discussed in relation to their contribution to the understanding of the emotional memory biases related to the retrieval of self-knowledge in social anxiety. In particular, they highlight the necessity of using the self-reference effect in memory rather than mere self-endorsement of trait adjectives when assessing the efficacy of cognitive therapies for social anxiety.
A Unified Approach to Adjusting Association Tests for Population Admixture with Arbitrary Pedigree Structure and Arbitrary Missing Marker Information

A general approach to family-based examinations of association between marker alleles and traits is proposed. The approach is based on computing p values by comparing test statistics for association to their conditional distributions given the minimal sufficient statistic under the null hypothesis for the genetic model, sampling plan and population admixture. The approach can be applied with any test statistic, so any kind of phenotype and multi-allelic markers may be examined, and covariates may be included in analyses. By virtue of the conditioning, the approach results in correct type I error probabilities regardless of population admixture, the true genetic model and the sampling strategy. An algorithm for computing the conditional distributions is described, and the results of the algorithm for configurations of nuclear families are presented. The algorithm is applicable with all pedigree structures and all patterns of missing marker allele information.
The Internal Organization of Enterprise Risk Management

This study examines the association between the internal organization of the enterprise risk management (ERM) process (as reflected in the assignment of risk accountabilities or “risk ownership”) and the specific risk management practices adopted enterprise-wide. Using a global survey spanning multiple industries, we find that overall ERM sophistication is positively associated with the functional and hierarchical breadth of risk ownership. Furthermore, the risk management practices adopted by a firm are more strongly associated with the risk owners’ specific functions and levels than with the number of owners alone. When we examine the influence of risk ownership on the firms’ finance units, we find that units whose CFOs have risk ownership responsibilities make significantly greater contributions to a wider range of strategic and operational risks than those whose CFOs are not risk owners. In addition, the organization of risk responsibilities within finance (i.e., whether or not the compliance, internal audit, risk management, and treasury functions report to the CFO) has a significant influence on the types of financial and nonfinancial risks emphasized by the unit. We find relatively little evidence that the presence of risk owners other than the CFO reduces finance’s contributions to ERM.
Experimental arthritis exacerbates Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans-induced periodontitis in mice.

AIM This study aimed to investigate whether chronic antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) influences infection-induced periodontitis (PD) in mice and whether PD modifies the clinical course of AIA. The contribution of anti-TNF-α therapy was also evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS The PD was induced in C57BL/6 mice by oral infection with Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. AIA was induced after infection. Anti-TNF-α and chlorhexidine therapies were used to investigate the role of TNF-α and oral infection on PD and AIA interaction. Maxillae, knee joints, lymph nodes and serum samples were used for histomorphometric, immunoenzymatic and/or real time-PCR analyses. RESULTS Antigen-induced arthritis exacerbated alveolar bone loss triggered by PD infection. In contrast, PD did not influence AIA in the evaluated time-points. PD exacerbation was associated with enhanced production of IFN-γ in maxillae and expression of the Th1 transcription factor tBET in submandibular lymph nodes. Increased serum levels of IL-6 and C-reactive protein were also detected. Anti-TNF-α and antiseptic therapies prevented the development and exacerbation of infectious-PD. Anti-TNF-α therapy also resulted in reduced expression of IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-17 in maxillae. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, the current results indicate that the exacerbation of infection-induced PD by arthritis is associated with an alteration in lymphocyte polarization pattern and increased systemic immunoreactivity. This process was ameliorated by anti-TNF-α and antiseptic therapies.
Control over the electrostatic self-assembly of nanoparticle semiflexible biopolyelectrolyte complexes

The electrostatic complexation between model negatively charged silica nanoparticles (NPs) with radius R ∼ 10 nm and chitosan, a natural polyelectrolyte bearing positive charges with a semi-rigid backbone of a persistence length of Lp ∼ 9 nm, was studied by a combination of SANS, SAXS, light scattering, and cryo-TEM. In this system, corresponding to Lp/R ∼ 1, we observe the formation of (i) randomly branched complexes in the presence of an excess of chitosan chains and (ii) well-defined single-strand nanorods in the presence of an excess of nanoparticles. We also observe no formation of nanorods for NPs with poly-L-lysine, a flexible polyelectrolyte, corresponding to Lp/R ∼ 0.1, suggesting a key role played by this ratio Lp/R. In the intermediate range of nanoparticle concentrations, we observe an associative phase separation (complex coacervation) leading to more compact complexes in both supernatant and coacervate phases. This method might open the door to a greater degree of control of nanoparticle self-assembly into larger nanostructures, through molecular structural parameters like Lp/R, combined with the polyelectrolyte/nanoparticle ratio.
Bach flower therapy in the treatment of chronic major depressive disorder.

Bach flower remedies are a unique form of energy medicine that has become increasingly popular among alternative healthcare professionals; they are classified as homeopathic remedies in the United States and are part of the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS). Discovered by the English physician Edward Bach during the 1930s, the 38 flower tinctures are believed to heal emotional imbalances such as despondency, despair, and fear. Having been challenged by those patients whose chronic depressive symptoms were refractory to psychotherapy and/or medications, I began integrating Bach flower therapy into my psychotherapy practice about 3 years ago and have witnessed remarkable results. This article describes how the flower remedies were used within the context of psychotherapy to successfully treat 2 patients presenting with chronic major depressive disorder.
Evolving hardware using a new evolutionary algorithm based on evolution of a species

This work presents the analysis of species evolution properties which are considered to design a new evolutionary algorithm for evolvable hardware. These properties reduce the risk of malfunctions in a physical system when it is evolving. A mathematical model, that characterises the natural evolution phenomena of a species, is proposed. A new evolutionary algorithm based on this model is proposed as well. This algorithm is designed to evolve hardware, e.g., to obtain the optimal control parameters of a real control system, while it is executing a repetitive task. The convergence of the proposed algorithm was proven by means of new theorems. Simulations and experimentation studies were carried out in order to validate the theoretical aspects and to evaluate the performance of the evolutionary algorithm.
Physics in Fermi level pinning at the polySi/Hf-based high-k oxide interface

We report that O vacancy (Vo) formation in ionic Hf-based dielectrics and subsequent electron transfer into poly Si gates across the interface, definitely cause substantial flat band (Vfb) shifts especially for p+ gate MISFETs. Our theory can systematically reproduce experiments related to Hf-based dielectrics, and gives a guiding principle towards gate/high-k oxide interface control.
Trade Liberalization and Poverty: The Evidence So Far

This paper assesses the current state of evidence on the impact of trade policy reform on poverty in developing countries. There is little empirical evidence addressing this question directly, but a lot of related evidence on specific aspects. We summarize this evidence using an analytic framework addressing four key areas: economic growth and stability; households and markets; wages and employment and government revenue. Twelve key questions are identified and empirical studies and results are discussed. We argue that there is no simple generalizable conclusion about the relationship between trade liberalization and poverty, and the picture is much less negative than is often suggested. In the long run and on average, trade liberalization is likely to be strongly poverty alleviating, and there is no convincing evidence that it will generally increase overall poverty or vulnerability. But there is evidence that the poor may be less well placed in the short run to protect themselves against adverse effects and take advantage of favorable opportunities.
Evaluation of graphical user interfaces for augmented reality based manual assembly support

Augmented reality (AR) technology is advancing rapidly and promises benefits to a wide variety of applications—including manual assembly and maintenance tasks. This thesis addresses the design of user interfaces for AR applications, focusing specifically on information presentation interface elements for assembly tasks. A framework was developed and utilized to understand and classify these elements, as well as to evaluate numerous existing AR assembly interfaces from literature. Furthermore, a user study was conducted to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of concrete and abstract AR interface elements in an assembly scenario, as well as to compare AR assembly instructions against common paper-based assembly instructions. The results of this study supported, at least partially, the three hypotheses that concrete AR elements are more suitable to convey part manipulation information than abstract AR elements, that concrete AR and paper-based instructions lead to faster assembly times than abstract AR instructions alone, and that concrete AR instructions lead to greater increases in user confidence than paper-based instructions. The study failed to support the hypothesis that abstract AR elements are more suitable for part identification than concrete AR elements. Finally, the study results and hypothesis conclusions are used to suggest future work regarding interface element design for AR assembly applications.
Digital Trace Data in the Study of Public Opinion

In this article, we examine the relationship between metrics documenting politics-related Twitter activity with election results and trends in opinion polls. Various studies have proposed the possibility of inferring public opinion based on digital trace data collected on Twitter and even the possibility to predict election results based on aggregates of mentions of political actors. Yet, a systematic attempt at a validation of Twitter as an indicator for political support is lacking. In this article, building on social science methodology, we test the validity of the relationship between various Twitter-based metrics of public attention toward politics with election results and opinion polls. All indicators tested in this article suggest caution in the attempt to infer public opinion or predict election results based on Twitter messages. In all tested metrics, indicators based on Twitter mentions of political parties differed strongly from parties’ results in elections or opinion polls. This leads us to question the power of Twitter to infer levels of political support of political actors. Instead, Twitter appears to promise insights into temporal dynamics of public attention toward politics.
Stock Market Reaction to Catastrophic Shock: Evidence from Listed Pakistani Firms

This study examines the effect of the earthquake of October 8, 2005 on the price behaviour and activities of KSE. Sixty firms are selected from those listed on Karachi Stock Exchange, and the results are informative about the price behaviour of the stock market in response to unanticipated shock. The results reveal the fact that the earthquake had both a positive and a negative information content for KSE stocks. There is an increase in the return and volume of the cement, steel, food, and banking sectors, which indicates that investors have expectations of the upcoming demand of investment in these sectors. Furthermore, there is no significant increase in the volatility, because the investors seem certain about the future outlook and they take into account the March 2005 market crash. These findings support the fact that the stock market of Pakistan is reactive to unanticipated shocks and it takes no time to impact the market activities. The evidence also suggests that the Pakistani stock market is resilient, and that it recovered soon after the catastrophic shock.
The Effects of Exposure to Gang Violence on Adolescent Boys’ Mental Health

Gang violence is a growing public health concern in the United States, and adolescents are influenced by exposure to gang violence. This study explored the influence of exposure to gang violence on adolescent boys’ mental health using a multi-method design. A semi-structured interview guide and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children were used to collect data from adolescents. Parents, primary caregivers, and community center employees completed the Child Behavior Checklist or Teacher Report Form. Ten adolescent boys, their parents or primary caregivers, and six community center employees participated in the study. Exposure to gang violence was common among these adolescents and they had a variety of reactions. Parents, primary caregivers, and community center employees had differing perceptions of adolescents’ exposure to violence and their mental health. Adolescent boys’ exposure to gang violence in the community is alarming. These adolescents encountered situations with violence that influenced their mental health.