Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Leverage bias and risk-return trade-off, evidence from China

ABSTRACT This study examines whether the difference between firms’ actual and expected target leverage rAtios affects the cross-sectional risk-return trade-off in the stock market. It uses the financial data of all A-share firms listed and traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchange from 2000 to 2018 in the CSMAR database. We find that the risk-return relationship is negative when the actual leverage is lower than the target leverage. Conversely, the risk-return relation is positive when the actual leverage is higher than the target leverage. This is contrary to the basic principle that the greater the risk, the higher the return in the traditional financial field.
Effect of Climate Change and Anthropogenic Activities on Streamflow Indicators in a Tropical River Basin in Southern China

Climate change and anthropogenic activities are the two main driving elements influencing changes in streamflow. Previous studies mainly focused on the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities on annual mean streamflow (AMS), ignoring annual maximum streamflow (Amax) and annual minimum streamflow (Amin). On the other hand, most previous studies attributed the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities synoptically. However, the separate influence mechanism among climatic variables, such as precipitation, temperature, sunshine duration change, direct human activities, and land use cover change, needs further analysis. We used the Water and Energy transfer Processes in Large River basin (WEP–L) model to quantify the impacts of climatic variables (precipitation, temperature, and sunshine duration) and anthropogenic activities (land use cover change (LUCC) and direct human activities (DHAs)) on streamflow in the Caojiang River Basin (CRB) with a tropical climate. The results indicate that anthropogenic activities play a major role in streamflow indictor variation. Of the investigated factors related to climate change, precipitation showed the greatest impact on streamflow variation. Notably, DHA contributed the most to the variation of the three streamflow indictors, followed by precipitation, temperature, and sunshine duration, while LUCC had a much lower impact on streamflow variation. This study investigated the response of different streamflow indicators (AMS, Amax, and Amin) to climate change and anthropogenic activities, and it is of value to watershed resource planning and management.
The nexus between bank size and financial performance: Does internal control adequacy matter?

The economic development of any nation is largely dependent on the stability of the nation’s banking industry, because the industry promotes the savings culture of the public, aids capital funding, implements the monetary policy of a country and promotes the facilitation of international trade. Therefore this study examined the effect of bank size on the financial performance of listed Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria (DMBN). Also, the study examined the moderating effect of internal control adequacy on the relationship between bank size and financial performance. The study adopted an expost facto research design because secondary data were extracted from published annual reports of 10 DMB in Nigeria, for a period of 12 years from 2006 to 2017. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (multiple regression analysis). Results from the analysis showed that the proxies of bank size (total assets, number of employees and customers’ deposit) had a cumulative effect on return on asset for financial performance. Also, internal control adequacy as a moderating variable enhanced the effect of bank size on financial performance. Hence, the study concluded that, total asset, number of employees ad customer’s deposit as proxies for bank size had a combined effect on financial performance.
In Vitro Growth Responses of Ornamental Bananas (Musa sp.) as Affected by Light Sources

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have become very popular for the production of horticultural crops. LEDs represent an alternative lighting source to regular fluorescent (FL) bulbs, increasing the quality of plants and minimizing production costs. LEDs also provide selective light intensity and quality, suitable for commercial micropropagation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth and development of in vitro ornamental bananas under different light sources. Two ornamental banana varieties were selected for this study: Musa ‘Little Prince’ and Musa ‘Truly Tiny’. Light quality and intensity of three different light sources were evaluated: LED-1 (116 μmol m−2 s−1), LED-2 (90 μmol m−2 s−1), and FL (100 μmol m−2 s−1). Length and biomass of plantlets were greater under LED-1 compared to FL but not significantly different from LED-2. The fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots, number of leaves, and number and length of roots were not significantly different between treatments. Chlorophyll content was greater under LEDs. Leaf number and stomata number and size were greater under FL. Our results indicate that shoot length and biomass could be improved by optimizing light quality and intensity. Different responses to light sources between the two banana varieties also indicated a genotype effect.
Soft Wearable Patch for Continuous Cardiac Biometric Security

Recent studies show the possibility of using the sound information of an individual as the basis of a biometric security system. This paper introduces a soft wearable system that includes a miniaturized microphone and a wireless circuit for real-time, continuous detection and transmission of sounds measured on the chest. The skin-wearable patch that is non-invasive, flexible, and skin-friendly measures high-quality cardiac sounds to gather personalized biometric data. Convolutional neural network-based machine learning provides a real-time classification of detected sounds for biometric-based recognition of specific people. Creating such an identification key particular to an individual is markedly easier and more effective than the existing biometric systems currently in use because of its consistency and ability to be used continuously.
The Estimation Of The Quantity And Quality Of Oocytes And Embryos In The IVF Protocols In Women With Uterine Fibroids With And Without Surgical Treatment

Myoma periodically leads to infertility by causing impaired blood flow, aseptic inflammation in the endometrium, increased uterine contractility, impaired sperm migration with cerviсal myoma nodes and obstruction of the proximal fallopian tubes. Objective — The estimation of the quantity and quality of oocytes and embryos in the IVF (in vitro fertilization) protocols in women with uterine fibroids with and without surgical treatment. Material and Methods — The retrospective study included 37 IVF cycles from 37 patients that had infertility combined with myoma. The Group 1 patients were subjected to the IVF procedure without previous treatment of the myoma, while the Group 2 patients were subjected to IVF after myomectomy. Results — The total quantity of oocytes and the percentage of mature (MII) oocytes obtained during the ovarian puncture of the patients in the compared groups were slightly higher in the group without surgical treatment (p>0.05). Any significant differences in the frequency of formation of high-quality embryos (р=0.43) and good-quality embryos (р=0.22) between the groups were not obtained. The number of embryos suitable for embryo transfer to the uterine cavity and/or cryopreservation in the women with myomectomy was 9% higher than the one in the group without surgical treatment. Conclusion — Surgical treatment of uterine fibroids does not significantly affect the quantity and quality of oocytes and embryos obtained in the IVF procedure.
Other-Regarding Behaviors and Attitudes toward Asylum Seekers

Previous studies predominantly examined self-reported attitudes toward economic migrants and refugees along with different types of public concerns. Few of these studies used behavioral measures to analyze how asylum seeker inflows may sway public preferences toward them. However, the literature remains largely silent on the issue as to how correcting misperceptions of asylum seeker inflows may improve a host population’s support for them. The authors’ research addresses this gap, using a lab experiment to examine how providing factual information on asylum seeker inflows changes other-regarding behaviors and attitudes of a host population toward asylum seekers, depending on people’s political leanings. Specifically, the authors examine whether factual information provided by a nonpartisan source may ease or backfire giving behaviors and unwelcoming attitudes toward asylum seekers through the moderation of partisanship. The findings suggest that providing accurate information about the number of asylum seekers counteracts low-level giving behaviors and unwelcoming attitudes of right-wing-leaning citizens.
Knowledge, Decisions, and Norms: A Framework for Studying the Structuration of Spreadsheets in Social Organizations

This article applies Anthony Giddens’ theory of structuration to analyze how digital spreadsheet technologies both produce and are the products of structures that reinforce and transform the institutionalized routine practices of workers in social organizations from which the effects of power flow. Specifically, it identifies the built-in capabilities and features of spreadsheet applications that are reconfigured to embed organizational structures within them. A framework is proposed to explain the ways spreadsheets are assembled to embody three general forms of modalities central to Structuration Theory: (1) interpretive schemes, (2) facilities, and (3) norms. The proposed framework characterizes specific spreadsheet properties by their roles in enabling how these structural modalities construct realities with digital information that predetermine organizational thinking and doing. Illustrations of spreadsheets-in-practice are given as evidence of how digital spreadsheets reinforce and change organizational structures through their widespread diffusion and use.
Heterogeneity in Mathematics Intervention Effects: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis of 191 Randomized Experiments

Abstract Since the standards-based education movement began in the early 1990s, mathematics education reformers have developed and evaluated many interventions to support students in mastering more rigorous content. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of U.S. PreK-12 mathematics intervention effects from 1991 to 2017 to study sources of heterogeneity. From more than 9,000 published and unpublished study reports, we found 191 randomized control trials that met our inclusion criteria, with 1,109 effect size estimates representing more than a quarter of a million students. The average effect size on student mathematics achievement was 0.31, with wide heterogeneity of most effects ranging from −0.60 to 1.23. Two modeling approaches—meta-regression and machine learning—provided converging evidence that outcome measure type (researcher-created vs. standardized) and technology delivery (vs. teacher or interventionist delivery) were predictors of effect size. Intervention type, intervention length, grade level, and publication year were also identified as potentially explanatory factors.
Improvement of the Current Gain Stability of SiC Junction Transistors

SiC Junction Transistors (SJTs) with 1900 V Drain-Source breakdown voltages, current gain (hFE) higher than 120 and low on-resistance of 22 mΩ (3.5 mΩ-cm2) are reported in this paper. SJTs with a pre-stress hFE of 90 suffer only a 10% reduction of the hFE after 190 hours under a 200 A/cm2 DC current stress at a TJ of 125°C, while a similar stress on earlier generation SJTs resulted in over 25% hFE reduction in only 25 hours. SJT die with pre-stress hFE in the range of 120-125 show absolutely no current gain degradation even after a 300°C/ 2 hour stress at 60 A/cm2 DC drain current.
The Highly Productive Thermothelomyces heterothallica C1 Expression System as a Host for Rapid Development of Influenza Vaccines

(1) Influenza viruses constantly change and evade prior immune responses, forcing seasonal re-vaccinations with updated vaccines. Current FDA-approved vaccine manufacturing technologies are too slow and/or expensive to quickly adapt to mid-season changes in the virus or to the emergence of pandemic strains. Therefore, cost-effective vaccine technologies that can quickly adapt to newly emerged strains are desirable. (2) The filamentous fungal host Thermothelomyces heterothallica C1 (C1, formerly Myceliophthora thermophila) offers a highly efficient and cost-effective alternative to reliably produce immunogens of vaccine quality at large scale. (3) We showed the utility of the C1 system expressing hemagglutinin (HA) and a HA fusion protein from different H1N1 influenza A virus strains. Mice vaccinated with the C1-derived HA proteins elicited anti-HA immune responses similar, or stronger than mice vaccinated with HA products derived from prototypical expression systems. A challenge study demonstrated that vaccinated mice were protected against the aggressive homologous viral challenge. (4) The C1 expression system is proposed as part of a set of protein expression systems for plug-and-play vaccine manufacturing platforms. Upon the emergence of pathogens of concern these platforms could serve as a quick solution for producing enough vaccines for immunizing the world population in a much shorter time and more affordably than is possible with current platforms.
Mitigation of the age-dependent decline in mitochondrial genome integrity

Unknown processes promote accumulation of mitochondrial DNA mutations during aging. Accumulation of defective mitochondrial genomes is thought to promote progression of heteroplasmic mitochondrial diseases and degenerative changes with natural aging. We used a heteroplasmic Drosophila model to test 1) whether purifying selection acts to limit the abundance of deleterious mutations during development and aging, 2) whether quality control pathways contribute to purifying selection, 3) whether activation of quality control can mitigate accumulation of deleterious mutations, and 4) whether improved quality control improves healthspan. We show that purifying selection operates during development and growth, but is ineffective during aging. Genetic manipulations suggest that a quality control process known to enforce purifying selection during oogenesis also suppresses accumulation of a deleterious mutation during growth and development. Flies with nuclear genotypes that enhanced purifying selection sustained higher genome quality, retained more vigorous climbing activity and lost fewer dopaminergic neurons. Pharmacological enhancement of quality control produced similar benefits. Importantly, similar pharmacological treatment of aged mice reversed age-associated accumulation of a deleterious mtDNA mutation. Our findings reveal dynamic maintenance of mitochondrial genome fitness, and reduction in the effectiveness of purifying selection during life. Importantly, we describe interventions that mitigate and even reverse age-associated genome degeneration in flies and in mice. Furthermore, mitigation of genome degeneration improved wellbeing in a Drosophila model of heteroplasmic mitochondrial disease. Significance Statement In contrast to the orderly segregation of nuclear DNA, mitochondrial genomes compete for replication and segregation. The abundance of mutants that emerge in a cell depends on their success in this competition. We show that quality control mechanisms put deleterious mutations at a disadvantage, but these mechanisms become ineffective during aging. The resulting rise in mutant genomes, which compromises vigor, can be suppressed using genetic backgrounds that enhance quality control. Feeding kinetin to adult Drosophila or mice also reduced the load of mutant mitochondrial genomes. This pharmacological reversal of the age associated deterioration of mtDNA quality suggests possible therapies to alleviate mitochondrial diseases and normal aging.
Integrated Virtual Assembly Process Planning System

Assembly process planning(APP) for complicated products is a time-consuming and difficult work with conventional method.Virtual assembly process planning(VAPP) provides engineers a new and efficiency way.Previous studies in VAPP are almost isolated and dispersive,and have not established a whole understanding and discussed key realization techniques of VAPP from a systemic and integrated view.The integrated virtual assembly process planning(IVAPP) system is a new virtual reality based engineering application,which offers engineers an efficient,intuitive,immersive and integrated method for assembly process planning in a virtual environment.Based on analysis the information integration requirement of VAPP,the architecture of IVAPP is proposed.Through the integrated structure,IVAPP system can realize information integration and workflow controlling.In order to model the assembly process in IVAPP,a hierarchical assembly task list(HATL) is presented,in which different assembly tasks for assembling different components are organized into a hierarchical list.A process-oriented automatic geometrical constraint recognition algorithm(AGCR) is proposed,so that geometrical constraints between components can be automatically recognized during the process of interactive assembling.At the same time,a progressive hierarchical reasoning(PHR) model is discussed.AGCR and PHR will greatly reduce the interactive workload.A discrete control node model(DCNM) for cable harness assembly planning in IVAPP is detailed.DCNM converts a cable harness into continuous flexed line segments connected by a series of section center points,and designs can realize cable harness planning through controlling those control nodes.Mechanical assemblies(such as transmission case and engine of automobile) are used to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed method and algorithms.The application of IVAPP system reveals advantages over the traditional assembly process planning method in shortening the time-consumed in assembly planning and in minimizing the handling difficulty,excessive reorientation and dissimilarity of assembly operations.
On the Length Transform of Size Series of Cocoon Filaments

In order to simulate the size curves of cocoon filaments with finite length using AR(auto-regression) model, two methods of transforming the series lengths of the size curves of cocoon filaments are discussed, transforming experiments are carried out, transform error is analyzed. The method can be used for time series pretreatment and the AR analyzing. 
Mental Health and Wellbeing in Young People in the UK during Lockdown (COVID-19)

This study aimed to assess the levels of mental wellbeing and potential for clinical need in a sample of UK university students aged 18–25 during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also tested the dose-response relationship between the severity of lockdown restrictions and mental wellbeing. We carried out a prospective shortitudinal study (one month between baseline and follow up) during the pandemic to do this and included 389 young people. We measured a range of facets of mental wellbeing, including depression, depressogenic cognition (rumination), wellbeing, stress and sleep disturbance. Our primary outcome was ‘probable depression’ as indexed by a score of ≥10 on the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-8). The prevalence of probable depression was significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels (55%) and did not decrease significantly over time (52%). Higher levels of lockdown severity were prospectively associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Nearly all students had at least one mental wellbeing concern at either time point (97%). The evidence suggests that lockdown has caused a wellbeing crisis in young people. The associated long-term mental, social, educational, personal and societal costs are as yet unknown but should be tracked using further longitudinal studies.
Ewe wastage in commercial sheep flocks: a review of current knowledge

ABSTRACT Ewe wastage encompasses ewes that do not reach the end of their potential productive lives and is the combination of premature culling and on-farm mortality. Increased ewe wastage results in reduced flock productivity and profitability, primarily driven by the need for increased replacement ewe lambs to maintain flock numbers and the costs associated with these additional replacements (e.g. reduced sale lambs, reduced flock age resulting in lower lamb production, and reduced ability to utilise terminal sires). Annual ewe mortality rates are reported to range from 2.8 to 40.2% in New Zealand commercial flocks, while wastage over a ewe’s productive lifespan (i.e. mortality and premature culling combined to 6–7 years-of-age) is reported to be up to 90%. To date, ewe wastage has received relatively little attention in the published literature. This article reviews published studies describing wastage in non-dairy ewes, focusing on New Zealand commercial flocks, although overseas pasture-based data is also considered. The relevance of, and challenges associated with, investigating ewe wastage are discussed. Ewe culling and mortality data is outlined, and causes are described. Known key risk factors for wastage, namely, reproductive performance, udder health, dental health, body condition score and breeding of ewe lambs, are reviewed. Finally, current knowledge gaps and future areas of research are identified and evaluated.
The Myotis chiloensis Guano Virome: Viral Nucleic Acid Enrichments for High-Resolution Virome Elucidation and Full Alphacoronavirus Genome Assembly

Bats are widespread mammals of the order Chiroptera. They are key for ecosystem functioning, participating in crucial processes. Their unique ability amongst mammals to fly long distances, their frequently large population sizes, and their longevity favor infectious agent persistence and spread. This includes a large variety of viruses, encompassing many important zoonotic ones that cause severe diseases in humans and domestic animals. Despite this, the understanding of the viral ecological diversity residing in bat populations remains unclear, which complicates the determination of the origins of zoonotic viruses. To gain knowledge on the viral community of a widely distributed insectivorous bat species, we characterized the guano virome of a native Chilean bat species (Myotis chiloensis (Waterhouse, 1840)). By applying a novel enrichment strategy, we were able to secure a consequent percentage of viral reads, providing unprecedented resolution for a bat virome. This in turn enabled us to identify and assemble a new bat alphacoronavirus from Chilean bats closely related to PEDV, an important viral pathogen with high mortality rates in suckling piglets. This study highlights the importance of applying and improving high-resolution virome studies in this vital order to ultimately enhance epidemiological surveillance for potentially zoonotic pathogens.