Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stable Value Funds: Performance to Date

Little in the scholarly economics literature is directed specifically to stable value funds, although they occupy a leading place among retirement investment vehicles. They are offered in almost half of all defined contribution plans in the USA, with more than $800 billion dollars worth of assets under management. This paper rigorously examines their performance throughout the entire period since their inception in 1973. We produce a composite index of stable value returns. We conduct mean-variance analysis, Sharpe and Sortino ratio analysis, stochastic dominance analysis, and optimal multi-period portfolio composition analysis. Our evidence suggests that stable value funds dominate two (and nearly three) major asset classes based on a historical analysis, and that they often occupy a significant position in optimal portfolios across a broad range of risk aversion levels. We discuss the factors that contributed to stable value’s remarkable performance and whether it can be maintained into the future. Although stable value funds have heretofore been largely restricted to U.S. savings plans, the results of our study have strong implications for their consideration in markets overseas. In our paper, innovations are achieved in constructing efficient stochastic dominance algorithms, incorporating return expectations in multi-period portfolio construction, and in examining the multi-relations among competing stable value funds.
Year patterns of climate impact on wheat yields

Rainfall, temperature, and solar radiation are important climate factors, which determine crop growth, development and yield from instantaneous to decadal scales. We propose to identify year patterns of climate impact on yield on the basis of rain and non‐rain weather. There are inter‐related impacts of climatic factors on crop production within a specific pattern. Historical wheat yield data in Queensland during 1889–2004 were used. The influence of meteorological conditions on wheat yields was derived from statistical yield data which were detrended by 9‐year‐smoothing averages to remove the effects of technological improvements on wheat yields over time. Climate affects crop growth and development differently over different growth stages. Therefore, we considered the climate effects at both vegetative and reproductive stages (before and after flowering date, respectively) on yield. Cluster analysis was employed to identify the year patterns of climate impact. Five patterns were significantly classified. Precipitation during the vegetative stage was the dominant and beneficial factor for wheat yields while increasing maximum temperature had a negative influence. Crop yields were strongly dependent on solar radiation under normal rainfall conditions. As the effect of rainfall on soil water is relatively long‐lasting, its beneficial effect in vegetative stage was higher than its effect during the reproductive stage. The Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) was evaluated using long‐term historical data to determine whether the model could reasonably simulate effects of climate factors for each year pattern. The model provided good estimates of wheat yield when conditions resulted in medium yield levels, however, in extremely low or high yield years, corresponding to extremely low or high precipitation in the vegetative stage, the model tended to underestimate or overestimate. Under high growing season precipitation, simulations responded more favourably to reproductive stage rainfall than measured yields.
Subject Position in Spanish in Contactwith Catalan: Language Similarity vs. Interface Vulnerability

Recent years have witnessed an increased interest in the study of bilingualism and language contact from a theoretical point of view. These studies apply the architecture of language proposed in generative syntactic-theoretical accounts to the speech of these communities. The structure of the grammar proposed by Chomsky (1995) displays a lexicon, from which fully-inflected lexical items are selected forming a numeration (the lexical item + index of number of applications), then, the operations Merge and Move build the structure that is subsequently spelled-out. Full interpretation in the Logical Form (LF) and the Phonetic (or Phonological) Form (PF) are required for the derivation to converge at spell out. The LF and PF output interfaces with the Conceptual-Intentional component (CI) and the Articulatory-Perceptual component (AP). A grammar is, thus, compartmentalized into different modules; some of them internal (lexicon, phonology, syntax, morphology, and semantics) and some external (discourse/pragmatics). These modules are connected by interfaces, illustrated by arrows in Figure 1, from White (2009):
Measurements of the Depth Profile of the Refractive Indices in Oxide Films on SiC by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

The depth profiles of the refractive indices in thermally oxidized films on SiC have been measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry. Oxide films etched at an angle were used to obtain the depth profiles of the refractive indices in the oxide films. The apparent refractive indices napp and thicknesses have been evaluated, assuming that the films have optically uniform single layer structures. The experimental results show that the values of napp increase with oxide film thickness, and approach the values for oxide films on Si at around 60 nm in thickness. This feature is almost the same as the changes of refractive indices of oxide films with oxidation time reported previously. These results reveal that the oxide films are not optically uniform and that the optical properties change with depth from the surface. It has been found that the film structure model where the oxide film is composed of two layers, a thin interface layer around 1 nm in thickness with a higher refractive index than those of SiC and SiO2 and a stoichiometric SiO2 layer, the thickness of which changes with film thickness, can explain the thickness dependence of napp observed. These results suggest that there exists an interface layer with high refractive indices at oxide film/SiC interfaces.
A hybrid objective function for damage identification via imperialistic competitive algorithm (ICA)

In this study, a model-based method is employed to identify damage of structure. First, a hybrid objective function is proposed based on vibration data, which consists of frequency and modal strain energy. Then, the inverse problem of damage detection is solved by the single-objective optimization algorithm called ICA. Accuracy of the proposed method is shown by utilizing two different case studies (numerical and experimental). The obtained results of ICA are compared with other commonly used optimization algorithms in damage identification, i.e. particle swarm optimization (PSO).
Optimization of the preparation process for an oral phytantriol-based amphotericin B cubosomes

In order to develop an oral formation of Amphotericin B (AmB) using phytantriol- (PYT-) based cubosomes with desirable properties, homogenization conditions were firstly investigated to determine their effects on the morphological and dimensional characteristics of cubosomes. Under the optimized homogenization conditions of 1200 bar for 9 cycles, cubosomes with reproducible, narrow particle size distribution and a mean particle size of 256.9 nm ± 4.9 nm were obtained. The structure of the dispersed cubosomes was revealed by SAXS (small-angle X-ray scattering) and Cryo-TEM (cryogenic transmission electron microscopy) as a bicontinuous cubic liquid crystalline phase with Pn3m geometry. To overcome the poor drug solubility and increase the drug-loading rate, a solubilization method was firstly used to develop cubosomes containing AmB. The encapsulation efficiency determined by HPLC assay was 87.8% ± 3.4%, and UV spectroscopy and stability studies in simulated gastric fluids further confirmed that AmB was successfully encapsulated in cubosomes.
Genetic Algorithm Modification for Production Scheduling

Abstract Scheduling of production soundly affects its capacity especially if system does complex production jobs. In the theoretical part of the article an overview of the scheduling methods proposed in the literature was presented. In this paper it was stated a variant of job shop problem, in which jobs can overlap in some machines and omit others. Authors designed and presented here genetic algorithm to optimize solution of such a problem. The algorithm finds jobs sequence priority and in accordance with it schedules operations and calculates their completion time. An adequate problem was met in an examined plant, where 20 production jobs consisted of 11 to 20 operations assigned to at most 15 machines. Such big parameter numbers are crucial for big formal models and their solution algorithms. The designed algorithm proved to deal with parameters scale, as it found the schedule with 23,8% shorter jobs completion time in comparison with FIFO heuristic, that has been used so far by the plant.
Modeling and Forecasting Abnormal Stock Returns Using the Nonlinear Grey Bernoulli Model

Purpose This study aims to use gray models to predict abnormal stock returns. Design/methodology/approach Data are collected from listed companies in the Tehran Stock Exchange during 2005-2015. The analyses portray three models, namely, the gray model, the nonlinear gray Bernoulli model and the Nash nonlinear gray Bernoulli model. Findings Results show that the Nash nonlinear gray Bernoulli model can predict abnormal stock returns that are defined by conditions other than gray models which predict increases, and then after checking regression models, the Bernoulli regression model is defined, which gives higher accuracy and fewer errors than the other two models. Originality/value The stock market is one of the most important markets, which is influenced by several factors. Thus, accurate and reliable techniques are necessary to help investors and consumers find detailed and exact ways to predict the stock market.
Preparation of Composite Electrospun Membranes Containing Strontium‐Substituted Bioactive Glasses for Bone Tissue Regeneration

Barrier membranes used for the treatment of bone tissue defects caused by periodontitis lack the ability to promote new bone tissue regeneration. However, the addition of an osteogenic component to membranes may enhance their regenerative potential. Here the manufacturing of composite membranes made of poly(caprolactone) and strontium-substituted bioactive glass is described using the solution-electrospinning technique, with particles located both inside and on the surface of the fibers. All membranes are characterized using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and glass dissolution from within the fibers is investigated in water. In vitro material cytotoxicity is determined using a rat osteosarcoma cell line. Electrospun fibers exhibit porous surfaces and regions of increased diameter where the particles are accumulated. The glass dissolves after immersion in water, releasing dissolution products that are associated with increased pH. Further evidence suggests accelerated polymer degradation due to interactions between both components, which may provide the additional benefit of reducing the pH changes associated with glass dissolution. All compositions are biocompatible in vitro, with the exception of membranes with >50 μg of glass on their surface. In conclusion, these membranes show great potential for bone healing applications, including guided bone regeneration and scaffolds for musculoskeletal tissue engineering.
Levitation and Thrust Forces Analysis of Hybrid-Excited Linear Synchronous Motor for Magnetically Levitated Vehicle

This paper proposes a hybrid-excited linear synchronous motor (LSM) that has potential applications in a magnetically levitated vehicle. The levitation and thrust force characteristics of the LSM are investigated by means of three-dimensional (3-D) numerical electromagnetic FEM calculations and experimental verification. Compared to a conventional LSM with electromagnets, a hybrid-excited LSM can improve levitation force/weight ratios, and reduce the power consumption of the vehicle. Because the two-dimensional (2-D) FE analysis model describes only the center section of the physical device, it cannot express the complex behavior of leakage flux, which this study is able to predicts along with levitation and thrust force characteristics by 3-D FEM calculations. A static force tester for a hybrid-excited LSM has been manufactured and tested in order to verify these predictions. The experimental results confirm the validity of the 3-D FEM calculation scheme for the description of a hybrid-excited LSM.
Aspects regarding ndvi index calculated for softwood and mixed stands.

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index represents an objective index of the stand's state of vegetation and is related to the quantity of biomass, vegetation covered percentage and the leaf area index. It is calculated differently, according to the satellite season, taking into account the spectral reflectance of the red band and that of the near infrared band. Obtaining NDVI index for the same area and on grounds of images taken over on different dates represents one of the manners of taking into evidence the changes occurred within the images taking over laps of time. The paper analyzes NDVI images obtained for U.P. Moieciului Valley, by processing two Landsat records, taken over on different times.
Under the "Cloak of Invisibility": Gender Bias in Teaching Practices and Learning Outcomes

This paper analyzes gender bias in teaching in low-performing schools in Chile. To carry out the analyses, the authors used videotaped classes for fourth graders and coded 237 tapings. Results show a general (although not uniform) bias in teachers' actions that resulted in less attention to female students. Gender bias had an even greater effect in classrooms where the teachers had worse interactions with students. Results show that less effective teachers (according to the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, or CLASS) show a larger gender bias. Greater gender bias is also correlated with lower scores for girls in Chile's standardized test (Sistema de Medición de la Calidad de la Educación, or SIMCE). With a few exceptions, the measures of gender bias in teacher-student interaction do not show statistically significant correlations with the test scores of boys.
The aspect-phase model from the viewpoint of LAP and OS

A mold has at least one vent hole formed in the mold. The vent hole is positioned to allow egress of air from the mold. The vent hole has an inside end and an outside end. The vent hole has a cross section that increases in area from the inside end to the outside end. The vent hole may have a shape of a trapezoidal prism, a truncated pyramid or a truncated cone; the cross section of the vent hole may be a rectangle. A preferred mold has three air vent holes at three corners of the mold. An integrated circuit is placed within the mold. A material to be molded is injected into the mold to encapsulate the integrated circuit. Mold cleaning is facilitated by the shape of the vent, and plastic flashes may be easily removed through the vent hole.
The Effects of Fiscal Shocks on Employment and the Real Wage

We study the transmission of fiscal shocks in the labor market. We employ a structural VAR and base identification on the restrictions that shocks to government consumption, investment, and employment must raise output and deficits. These restrictions hold in both prototype Real Business Cycle (RBC) and New Keynesian models. Shocks to government consumption and investment increase real wages and employment contemporaneously, both at state level and in the aggregate. The dynamics in response to employment shocks are mixed: Increases in government employment raise the real wage and total employment in the aggregate. However, in one third of the states they reduce total employment.
No pulsar left behind - I. Timing, pulse-sequence polarimetry and emission morphology for 12 pulsars

In this paper we study a set of twelve pulsars that previously had not been characterized. Our timing shows that eleven of them are "normal" isolated pulsars, with rotation periods between 0.22 and 2.65 s, characteristic ages between 0.25 Myr and 0.63 Gyr, and estimated magnetic fields ranging from 0.05 to 3.8x 10^{12} G. The youngest pulsar in our sample, PSR~J0627+0706, is located near the Monoceros supernova remnant (SNR G205.5+0.5), but it is not the pulsar most likely to be associated with it. We also confirmed the existence of a candidate from an early Arecibo survey, PSR~J2053+1718, its subsequent timing and polarimetry are also presented here. It is an isolated pulsar with a spin period of 119 ms, a relatively small magnetic field of 5.8x10^9 G and a characteristic age of 6.7 Gyr; this suggests the pulsar was mildly recycled by accretion from a companion star which became unbound when that companion became a supernova. We report the results of single-pulse and average Arecibo polarimetry at both 327 and 1400 MHz aimed at understanding the basic emission properties and beaming geometry of these pulsars. Three of them (PSRs~J0943+2253, J1935+1159 and J2050+1259) have strong nulls and sporadic radio emission, several others exhibit interpulses (PSRs J0627+0706 and J0927+2345) and one shows regular drifting subpulses (J1404+1159).
Genetic diversity and virulence genes in Streptococcus uberis strains isolated from bovine mastitis

Mastitis is one of the most common and costly infectious diseases in dairy cattle worldwide. This is a multifactorial illness caused by different microorganisms, including virus, yeasts, algae, parasites, and several species of bacteria. Among these bacteria, Streptococcus uberis is an important environmental pathogen that is responsible for a large range of clinical and subclinical mammary infections, especially in intensively managed herds. Despite the increasing importance of this pathogen in the etiology of bovine mastitis, data on its virulence and diversity in Brazilian dairy herds are scarce. The aims of the present study were to investigate the virulence characteristics of S. uberis isolated from bovine mastitis and to assess the molecular epidemiology of the Brazilian isolates using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). In this work, 46 strains of S. uberis isolated from bovine mastitis from 26 Brazilian dairy herds were evaluated regarding their genetic diversity by PFGE using with the SmaI enzyme. Additionally, the presence of the virulence genes skc and pauA, which encode plasminogen activators, and the gene sua, which encodes an adhesion molecule in mammary epithelial cells, were assessed by PCR. Our results showed a high genetic diversity in the population, displaying many different patterns in the PFGE analysis. A high proportion of strains was positive for virulence genes in the sampled population (sua [100%], pauA [91%], and skc [91%]). The high frequency of skc, pauA, and sua genes among the studied strains suggests the importance of these virulence factors, possibly helping S. uberis in the colonization of the bovine mammary gland. Surveys of the genetic and molecular characteristics of this pathogen can improve our knowledge of bacterial activity and identify molecules that have roles in the establishment of the infection. This might help in the development of more effective measures to control and prevent bovine mastitis.
Theory of light-enhanced phonon-mediated superconductivity

We investigate the dynamics of a phonon-mediated superconductor driven out of equilibrium. The electronic hopping amplitude is ramped down in time, resulting in an increased electronic density of states. The dynamics of the coupled electron-phonon model is investigated by solving Migdal-Eliashberg equations for the double-time Keldysh Green's functions. The increase of the density of states near the Fermi level leads to an enhancement of superconductivity when the system thermalizes to the new state at the same temperature. We provide a time- and momentum-resolved view on this thermalization process and show that it involves fast processes associated with single-particle scattering and much slower dynamics associated with the superconducting order parameter. The importance of electron-phonon coupling for the rapid enhancement and the efficient thermalization of superconductivity is demonstrated, and the results are compared to a BCS time-dependent mean-field approximation.
Body Mass Index-Is it Reliable Indicator of Obesity?

Body mass index (BMI) is a universally accepted anthropometric method to classify overweight and obesity. The term was coined by Ancel Keys, also known as the Quetelet index; it is a value of body mass derived by dividing weight in kilograms by height in squared meters. BMI is easy is to calculate, reproducible and least expensive way to categorize weight but limited by number of factors. Gender, ethnicity, body composition are few important factors that affects the credibility of BMI. Yet it is used as gold standard to diagnose, categorize and treat overweight/ obesity. After critical analysis and detailed discussion of the limiting factors this review article concludes that BMI should not be used as the only criteria and that, it should be used along with waist circumference, skin fold thickness measurement and body composition analysis to diagnose obesity/overweight with greater accuracy.
Study on genetic diversity of Gibberella moniliformis and G. intermedia from corn and rice, and determination of fertility status and of mating type alleles

Genetic diversity, fertility status and distribution of the mating type alleles of Gibberella moniliformis and G. intermedia from corn and rice were studied. One hundred and twenty one isolates of these fungi were collected from rice growing areas of Guilan and Mazandaran provinces, and from various corn growing areas of Iran. 46 isolates of G. moniliformis and G. intermedia from rice and corn were studied by RAPD-PCR using four random primers. The isolates of G. moniliformis were separated from the isolates of G. intermedia on the basis of their hosts. Furthermore, fertility status of G. intermedia from corn and rice, and of G. moniliformis from rice were surveyed using standard tester isolates. A multiplex PCR technique was used to distinguish and amplify the fragments of the MAT-1 and MAT-2. The results of the field isolates with opposite mating types that were crossed each other showed that all of the isolates were male fertile. In spite of the existence of the MAT-1 and MAT-2 in populations of both fungi, the sexual reproduction did not occur among field isolates. Considering male fertile of the above mentioned isolates, genetic diversity resulted from the RAPDPCR cannot necessarily show the occurrence of the sexual reproduction.
Abelian sandpiles:An overview and results on certain transitive graphs

We review the Majumdar-Dhar bijection between recurrent states of the Abelian sandpile model and spanning trees. We generalize earlier results of Athreya and Jarai on the infinite volume limit of the stationary distribution of the sandpile model on Z d , d ‚ 2, to a large class of graphs. This includes: (i) graphs on which the wired spanning forest is connected and has one end; (ii) transitive graphs with volume growth at least cn 5 on which all bounded harmonic functions are constant. We also extend a result of Maes, Redig and Saada on the stationary distribution of sandpiles on infinite regular trees, to arbitrary exhaustions.