Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Debt and Product Market Fragility.

Liquidation of a supplier of durable goods can be costly for its customers because it frequently undermines the smooth supply of after-sales service and spare parts or makes it more costly. This paper studies the interplay between capital structure and product pricing strategy when liquidation imposes costs on customers. I develop a model which illustrates that highly leveraged firms can enter a vicious circle in which financial distress and sales drops are re-enforcing. Multiple equilibria can arise. There exists a "good" equilibrium in which consumers buy and the firm is in good financial shape. However, when agency problems between investors and managers are severe, there is also "bad" equilibrium: consumers turn away from the vendor, the market collapses, and the firm goes bankrupt. Moreover, the "good" equilibrium is highly fragile in that a small shock to the firm's profits can trigger a spiral of sales drops. I show that the firm can avoid the "bad" equilibrium by cutting prices and reducing leverage.
Hashtags as Milestones in Time

On Twitter, hashtags are typically used by authors wishing to explicitly denote the relevant topic(s) contained in their message, especially when the text quantity is limited. Hashtags are widely used by both tweet authors as well as users searching for specific topics. As such, frequently used hashtags often reflect either mainstream events in real-time, or circulating memes. In this paper we propose an approach to identify significant event-based hashtags and use them as annotations for constructing timelines. Such timelines allow easy time-based navigation of hashtagged information. To determine temporally significant hashtags, we correlate the periods of hashtag use in the Bing Social search engine query-log with the periods of high page viewing popularity of the Wikipedia article(s) most related to the words contained in the hashtag. Preliminary results suggest that the technique is effective for hashtags arising from large-scale events, including hurricanes, celebrities, music releases, television shows and sports games.
Effects of environmental and spatial variables on lotic ostracod metacommunity structure in the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract The heterogeneous distribution of aquatic species in lotic environments has been studied little in terms of metacommunity theory. Previous empirical tests have found significant spatial and environmental effects in pond and lake communities, but this has not yet been clearly established for stream networks. We conducted a multi-season survey of mountain streams in the Iberian Peninsula. We recorded GIS and in situ environmental data and collected biological samples to determine ostracods and macroinvertebrates and identified 41 ostracod species, the most common belonging to genera Herpetocypris, Sarscypridopsis, and Ilyocypris. A generalized linear model analysis showed that thermal range, alkalinity, slope, and the Iberian Average Score Per Taxon (IASPT) macroinvertebrate biotic index negatively influenced ostracod presence, whereas the Iberian Bio-Monitoring Working Party (IBMWP) biotic index and nitrite concentration had a positive effect. Conductivity, mean air temperature, slope, and IBMWP were the most statistically significant environmental factors affecting ostracod species distribution according to a canonical correspondence analysis, together with large-scale spatial factors identified with a principal coordinates neighbour matrix (PCNM) analysis. Both environment and space, although markedly overlapping, contributed significantly to the explanation of ostracod metacommunity structure. We conclude that both colonisation histories and environmental adaptations affect the patterns of distribution of aquatic organisms in riverine environments, extending beyond intra-basin connectivity.
An Operational Driven Development Approach for Cognitive Agents in UAV Applications

Future applications of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) require the operation of UAVs with a high level of autonomy. However, especially in military missions, the human UAV mission planners and operators should still be able to understand the behavior of the autonomous system. Therefore, this paper proposes the the application of cognitive agent technologies for the development of such systems. Several possible cognitive agent architectures are compared and assessed in order to detect the most suitable approach from an industrial perspective. Furthermore, a design procedure is being developed that supports the transition of the pure operational requirements and functional specification into a cognitive agent system: the Operational driven development approach for Cognitive Systems called OpCog. This procedure is then applied to an UAV SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defence) scenario and some first lessons learned are discussed.
Characterizing the fall and association between functional independence and balance in the elderly following proximal femoral surgery

Introduction: Fractures in the proximal femoral region have a multicausal etiology and can be attributed to extrinsic factors and intrinsic factors. Objective: To characterize sociodemographics and the diseases of the elderly who sustained a proximal femoral fracture, as a result of falls from a standing height, and to study the relationship between balance and functional independence of these elderly. Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted over a period of 12 months in a teaching hospital, with a sample of 89 elderly (≥ 60 years). Results: The characteristics of the elderly patients which demonstrated significance with functional independence were: the presence of nervous system disease, and/or mental and behavioral disorders (p = 0.001), and balance (p <0.001). Surgeries in the proximal femoral region occurred in females (67.3%), elderly patients ≥ 80 years of age (46.1%), and 60.7% underwent osteosynthesis. Conclusions: In relationship to functional independence, 23.6% of the elderly were classified as maximum dependence, 38.2% as minimum, and 38.2% as modified independence. The elderly gained balance significantly as they regained their functional independence, regardless of age, gender, and whether or not they presented with nervous system disease and/or mental and behavioral disorders.
Clinical and biochemical nutritional status among non-cancerous elderly patients with pressure sores

Background . Identification of nutritional problems can facilitate strategies which need to be employed in the frail, non-cancerous elderly patient with bed sores at the end of their life. Aim of study was to investigate nutritional status among elderly patients with pressure sores. Material and methods . Newly admitted 313 elderly patients to Home Hospice For Adults were examined and 42 of them were non-cancerous with pressure sores in sacral region of 10–15 cm in diameter. Pressure ulcers severity was assessed due to Torrance scale and second (PS2), third (PS3), fourth (PS4) and fifth (PS5) stages of pressure sores were categorized. There was no patient with first stage severity. Nutritional status was assessed by Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF). Additionally we assessed complete blood count (CBC), erythrocytes sedimentation rate (ESR), plasma albumin (Alb), lipids and glucose (glu) concentrations, as well as glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1 c) level. Results . 1. All patients were malnourished. 2. The PS5 group had the lowest systolic blood pressure (106 ± 9 mm Hg), albumin concentration (20,4 ± 5,3 g/l), the highest red division width (RDW) (15.3 ± 1.1%) and glucose concentration tendency to drop down. 3. In all 42 persons MNA-SF correlated positively only with glu (R = 0.54; p = 0.0002) and from PS2 to PS4 subgroups, separately. 4. The positive correlation MNA-SF& Alb was found in PS4 subgroup only. Conclusions . These data suggest that metabolic status may influence the development and the severity of pressure sores in elderly, non-cancerous, frail patients. Adv. Pall. Med. 2011; 10, 2: 73–78
P1.2 MICROPHYSICAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF A WAVE-CIRRUS CLOUD SAMPLED DURING THE INCA EXPERIMENT

During the first field experiment in the Southern hemisphere within the international INCA project (Interhemispheric differences in cirrus properties from anthropogenic emissions) a wave-cirrus cloud was sampled by the instrumented Falcon aircraft operated by DLR and by the ground-based Lidar system operated by AWI near Punta Arenas (Chile). On the 13 April 2000, strong Westerly wind (35 m/s) over the Magallanes mountains induced a persistent wave-cirrus in the vicinity of the Punta Arenas site. The aircraft observations were co-located with the vertical profiles of the backscattering properties obtained from the Lidar system. The cirrus cloud microphysical and optical properties were inferred from the PMS FSSP-300 and 2D-C probes and the Polar Nephelometer. A quite good agreement is found between the in situ and remotely-sensed measurements in terms of water phase (water droplets or ice crystals) and extinction coefficient. Unusual high density of small non-spherical ice particles (up to 100 cm-3 with an effective diameter of 11 micrometers) inducing very large extinction coefficient (up to 15 km-1) have been evidenced.
An Electronic Personal Development Portfolio (ePDP) using Microsoft OneNote

The aim of the study is the presentation of issues concerning the functionality of the electronic Personal Development Portfolio (ePDP) software solution Microsoft OneNote. Preliminary research followed a pilot conducted by the PGCE Secondary ICT module in the Education Department in 2012 in response to the need for flexible ePDP software within the Faculty of Health Social Care and Education. The project was initially conceptualised as a feasibility study and a pilot for using a shared Microsoft OneNote workbook on the institutional VLE. It also aimed at exploring the possibility of creating custom private or public libraries and shared folders for each VLE student and the requirements for non-institutional user access. The research, conducted along the lines of the interpretivist paradigm and based on the results of the pilot, discusses some of the technical elements, examines the process from inception, presents identified benefits and drawbacks and evaluates the pedagogic effect of the solution on the basis of the views of the participants; it serves the interpretation of the meaning of lived experiences and focuses on the insights that will help to improve practices.
Investigation of Carbon Nanotube Ink with PDMS Printing Plate on Fine Solid Lines Printed by Micro-flexographic Printing Method

Micro-flexographic printing which is combination of flexography and micro-contact printing is a unique printing technique that create graphic, electronic and biomedical printed image on variable substrates. Therefore, an investigation for its potential usage in global area of printing hence a research for suitable ink and printing plate related to this process is vital. This paper will focus on investigating the printability of Carbon Nanotube (CNT) ink with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) printing plate. There are two types of CNTs ink which are solvent base and water base. A printing trial has been carried out in comparison with CNTs inks and PDMS printing plate with fine solid lines image on it to check the suitability of the printing plate development for micro-flexographic printing technique. The result shows that CNT water base ink is suitable with PDMS printing plate in printing fine solid lines image.
The process of business assistance to small and medium enterprises in South Africa : preliminary findings

Much assistance is provided to SMEs in South Africa, but many SMEs still fail or exit the market. The question that frequently arises is whether assistance to SME owners actually positively influences their success rate. Research was conducted to determine how seemingly successful SMEs in South Africa are assisted. SMEs owners in South Africa were interviewed to ascertain how they were assisted. The focus was on determining what type of assistance successful SME owners were receiving. The research was conducted in an attempt to find means of assisting SME owners in ways that would enhance their success rate. The results of the study indicated that although the SME owners mostly sought assistance in the areas of finance, marketing and human resources, they indicated that it was not the assistance that made them successful, but factors such as the product type, product quality and marketing. This indicates that assistance should probably be sought in the areas of product and marketing even before starting a business, and only thereafter in the areas of finance, marketing and human resources.
A Meta-Analysis Summary of Information Technology Lack of Connectivity and Usability in Patient Centered Care

In the past 30 years, information technology (IT) has become commonplace in the healthcare arena. IT provides beneficial attributes in easing the documentation processes in healthcare while creating a host of new documentation challenges. Usability is one problem of bedside computer charting that takes the nurse’s attention away from direct patient care time. The problem addressed in this proposal is that IT documentation does not always provide precision upon reviewing the patient care information. For example, a system that is not specialty specific may not ask accurate questions to get targeted information to render optimal patient care. The purpose of this research study is to analyze IT connectivity and usability using qualitative meta-analysis summary by reviewing research that speaks to solving the challenges.
Evaluation of contagion or interdependence in the financial crises of Asia and Latin America, considering the macroeconomic fundamentals

This article investigates the existence of contagion between countries on the basis of an analysis of returns for stock indices over the period 1994 to 2003. The econometrics methodology used is that of multivariate Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (GARCH) family volatility models, particularly the Dynamic Conditional Correlation (DCC) models in the form proposed by Engle and Sheppard (2001). The returns were duly corrected for a series of country-specific fundamentals. The relevance of this procedure is highlighted in the literature by the work of Pesaran and Pick (2003). The results obtained in this article provide evidence favourable for the hypothesis of regional contagion in both Latin America and Asia. As a rule, contagion spread from the Asian crisis to Latin America, but not in the opposite direction.
Extending the non-singular hyperscaling violating spacetimes

Lifshitz and hyperscaling violating geometries, which provide a holographic description of non-relativistic field theories, generically have a singularity in the infrared region of the geometry, where tidal forces for freely falling observers diverge, but there is a special class of hyperscaling violating geometries where this tidal force divergence does not occur. We explicitly construct a smooth extension of the spacetime in this case, and explore the structure of the spacetime. We argue that the extension involves an enlargement of the field theory Hilbert space, as in AdS2. We also consider the behaviour of finite-energy excitations of the spacetime at the horizon, arguing that they will have some divergence there.
DNA barcodes highlight two clusters within the little penguin (Eudyptula minor): time to reassess species delineation?

The use of DNA barcodes (haplotypic variation in a 648 bp segment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I [COI] gene within the mitochondrial genome, starting from base 58 at the 5’ end of the gene) as part of a species description is an accepted part of modern taxonomy. The evidence COI provides is compelling since a sequence of DNA is biological data obtained from living material. Early in the use of COI, it became apparent that it might highlight potential cryptic species and inform the debate around their status. The little penguin (Eudyptula minor) has been the subject of such debate. DNA barcodes from 60 little penguins were assessed to determine the specific status of this species across its range. Analysis of these data indicates distinct Australian and New Zealand haplotypes that may be indicative of separation at the species level. The specific status for the 2 populations is also supported by behavioural evidence and geographic isolation. Waugh, J. 2016. DNA barcodes highlight two clusters within the little penguin (Eudyptula minor): time to reassess species delineation? Notornis 63 (2): 66-72.
Predicting the reef acoustic cuescape from the perspective of larval fishes across a habitat quality gradient

The combined acoustic activity of soniferous organisms living in benthic habitats produces habitat-specific soundscapes, which are predicted to influence fish and invertebrate larval behavior during the settlement process. Not every sound will have the amplitude and frequency characteristics relative to hearing sensitivity to be used as an acoustic cue, thus the cuescape is a subset of the soundscape. These sounds vary through space and time, and little is known about how this variability could influence their role in settlement. We recorded the soundscapes of 4 coral reefs in Caribbean Panama for 6 wk and conservatively identified the sounds most likely to compose the cuescapes used by larval fishes. While these sites represented the variation in reef condition across the study area, we observed the same 4 dominant taxa groups emerge as the most likely producers of acoustic cues. These results were consistent across both time and space when compared to short-term recordings taken at these 4 reefs and at an additional 11 sites 2 yr prior. Next, we used an individual-based model to test the relationship between settlement success and the natural spatiotemporal variability we observed in these potential cues. Temporal variation in the sounds resulted in variation in settlement success; however, even shortrange, intermittent cues improved the likelihood of settlement. Overall, we observed similar acoustic cuescapes across reefs that varied in condition, suggesting that cuescapes can be resilient to some forms of reef degradation by retaining sounds potentially useful to larval fishes for both navigation and habitat selection.
Localization of oestrogen receptor (cid:1) , oestrogen receptor (cid:2) and androgen receptors in the rat reproductive organs

There is now evidence that oestrogens and androgens can inﬂuence male and female reproductive systems. In order to accurately identify the sites of action of oestrogens and androgens, we have proceeded to the histological localization of the two oestrogen receptor (ER) subtypes, ER (cid:1) and ER (cid:2) , and the androgen receptor (AR) in the reproductive tissues of adult rats of both sexes. AR was detected by immunocytochemistry, while ER (cid:1) and ER (cid:2) were localized by both immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization. In the pituitary gland of animals of both sexes, ER (cid:1) was found in the majority of nuclei of secretory cells in the anterior pituitary. The intermediate and posterior lobes did not show any staining. ER (cid:2) was not found to be expressed in any of the pituitary lobes. Using AR antibodies, nuclear staining was detected in about 50% of secretory cells of the anterior lobe, the intermediate and posterior lobes being completely unstained. In the testis, ER (cid:1) was localized in nuclei of Leydig cells as well as in round spermatocytes and spermatids, while ER (cid:2) could only be detected in Sertoli cell nuclei. AR immunoreactivity was found in nuclei of Sertoli, peritubular myoid and Leydig cells. In the prostate, ER (cid:2) was observed in epithelial cells of tubulo-alveoli, while the stroma was unlabelled. ER (cid:1) was not found to be expressed in any prostate cells. In the prostate, AR was detected in nuclei of epithelial, stromal and endothelial cells. In seminal vesicles, staining of ER (cid:1) was found in nuclei of epithelial and stromal cells. Similar ﬁndings were observed using AR antibodies. While ER (cid:2) mRNA could not be detected by in situ hybridization, weak staining for ER (cid:2) was localized in epithelial cells of seminal vesicles. In the ovary, both ER (cid:1) and ER (cid:2) were found to be expressed. ER (cid:2) mRNA was found in granulosa cells of growing follicles, while ER (cid:1) was present in theca cells, interstitial gland cells and germinal epithelium. AR immunoreactivity was detected in granulosa cell nuclei in growing follicles and also in scattered interstitial cells. In the oviduct and uterus, ER (cid:1) was observed in nuclei of epithelial cells as well as of stromal and muscle cells. Similarly, AR immunoreactivity was present in nuclei of epithelial cells, stromal and muscle cells in both the oviduct and uterus. ER (cid:2) was not detected in the oviduct and uterus. The present ﬁndings indicate a cell-speciﬁc localization of ER (cid:1) , ER (cid:2) and AR in reproductive tissues in rats of both sexes. By establishing the precise sites of action of oestrogens and androgens they contribute to a better understanding of the respective role of these steroids in reproduction function.
Depth of the Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer over a Shallow Uniform Slope

This paper is concerned with the depth of the stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer overlying a shallow uniform slope. A specified surface heat flux is applied. Large eddy simulation modelling is used to compare the boundary layer depths predicted by three different definitions for the depth of the stable layer that are in common use: the height at which the heat flux has dropped to 5% of its surface value, the height at which the Zilitinkevich ratio is a prescribed constant value, and, thirdly, the height at which the wind speed reaches its maximum value. These three definitions are based on different physical properties. Results from both one-dimensional (in the sense that span-wise spatial derivatives are all assumed to be zero but the three components of the velocity field are included) and fully threedimensional simulations are presented. Key findings from this study indicate that in the onedimensional simulations, cross-slope winds could adversely affect the surface layer statistics leading to the prediction of an overly shallow boundary layer. This problem was alleviated in the threedimensional simulations. This suggests that fully three-dimensional simulations are required for stable boundary layers over sloping terrain.
ASSESSMENT OF FAST SPECTRAL WAVE TRANSFER METHODOLOGIES FROM DEEP TO SHALLOW WATERS IN THE FRAMEWORK OF ENERGY RESOURCE QUANTIFICATION IN THE CHILEAN COAST

Alternative wave transfer methodologies from deep to shallow water that aim at reducing the computational time in cases where the full propagation of a large number of wave climates is often prohibitive are defined and tested against full spectral propagation using complex measured wave climates. A proposed method is presented in this work which is able to accurately reproduce the shape transformation of directional spectra while significantly reducing the computational time. Another transfer method is also validated, which can achieve relatively good results when there is no spectral information and only statistical wave parameters (e.g. significant wave height, peak period and mean wave direction) are available. Finally, an application of the proposed method in the framework of energy resource quantification in Chile is presented.