Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Can Financial Stability be Maintained in Developing Countries after the Global Crisis: The Role of External Financial Shocks?

In the recent global turmoil, even though some developing economies were severely affected, in general, developing countries survived the crisis with less damage than advanced countries. The majority of developing countries did not experience a financial system collapse. What are the main factors behind the solid performance of many developing countries in the recent crisis? This paper argues that the main reason is the fact that developing countries did not face a strong financial account shock, especially in the form of capital reversals, during this period. In comparison to past developing country crises of the 80s and 90s, the financial account shocks in the global crisis were much more moderate. To a great extent, the fact that advanced countries could not fully serve their roles as safe havens in the global crisis explains why developing economies were not tested by destructive financial shocks in the recent crisis. Furthermore, developing countries enjoyed greater autonomy and legitimacy in implementing expansionary monetary and fiscal policies without much fear of the bigger financial shocks in an environment in which international cooperation partially meet the need for an international lender of last resort through swap operations and credit lines. If the developed countries, essentially European Union (EU) and the US, start serving fully their safe haven roles and the returns in the developed countries become much more attractive, developing countries may face larger external financial shocks. Even large reserves, flexible exchange rate regimes, healthy balance sheets on the papers and some so-called other strong fundamentals would not be enough to avoid financial collapses.
Italian consumer awareness of layer hens' welfare standards: a cluster analysis

Animal welfare has assumed in recent years an increasing significance for European consumers, becoming part of the Community Agricultural Policy strategy that encourages farmers to achieve higher standards of animal welfare. Undoubtedly, the superior social sensitivity towards animal welfare has produced over time notable changes within European Union (EU) Policy. However, while EU legislation has progressively focused on granting animals better possibilities to express their behavioural repertoire, recent analysis shows that consumer knowledge of animal welfare compulsory standards is still quite limited. Drawing on the results of a direct survey on 300 Italian food shoppers, our research analyses consumer knowledge of the welfare standards of laying hens. Our findings highlight important market opportunities and policy implications. Our research shows that, although the majority of the sample expressed concern on hen husbandry systems, most of respondents were unaware of the current mandatory labelling system for eggs. Through cluster analysis three segments were found: the inactive consumer cluster, the conflicted consumer cluster and the ethically competent consumer cluster. This segmentation is especially valuable for producers of ‘animal-friendly’ eggs to identify market opportunities and formulate appropriate marketing strategies.
COLOCALIZATIONS AND THEIR REALIZATIONS AS SPECTRA

Every chain functor A∗ (cf. appendixB below or (2) §4), admits a L- colocalization (corollary 1.3., L a subcategory of the category on which A A∗ is defined) A A L which (in contrast to the case of L-localizations, cf. (3)) in general does not allow a realization as a spectrum (even if A A∗ stems from a spectrum itself). The (E, )∗- colo- calization of A. K. Bousfield (6) is retrieved as a special case of a general colocalization process for chain functors.
"Global Sourcing and Purchasing Strategy as Decision-Making Process"

As reported extensively in academic literature, companies have been forced by increasing global competition to devise and pursue international purchasing strategies that hinge on reducing prices and optimising quality, fulfilment, production cycle times, responsiveness and financial conditions. As a result, purchase management has turned to improve internationalisation to support companies' globalisation processes. Specifically, research studies focusing on Multinational Companies' (MNC) corporate purchasing strategy influence on affiliates' global supply strategy (GSS) development reveal a strong link between two key dimensions: a) supply source –i.e., the level of supply globalisation as related to MNC's worldwide operating needs-and b) purchase location –i.e., the level of centralisation in relevant purchasing decisions. In this research, a sample of seven Italian MNCs operating in Latin America's MERCOSUR (Southern Common Market) region have been studied in an attempt to analyse their purchasing strategy definition and development processes. The focus of this study has zeroed in on the interactions between both dimensions and the variables used for definitions in each of them, reviewing also their impact on companies' decision-making processes.
Annotation Guidelines forCompoundAnalysis

This technical report introduces three sets of annotation guidelines for the analysis of compounds in Afrikaans and Dutch. The first protocol serves the annotation of compound boundaries when creating a dataset to use for compound segmentation. The second and third protocol serve the semantic annotation of the relation between the constituents of compounds. Where the second protocol only focuses on noun-noun (NN) compounds, the third protocol deals with other two-part nominal (XN) compounds. The report further contains a terminology list with definitions of concepts and abbreviations relevant to the analysis of compounds and an overview of the AuCoPro project in the context of which these guidelines were developed.
Video watermarking resistance to rotation, scaling, and translation

A video watermarking with robustness against rotation, scaling and translation (RST) is proposed. The watermark information is embedded into pixels along the temporal axis within a Watermark Minimum Segment (WMS). Since the RST operations for every frame along the time axis in video sequence are the same at a very short interval, the watermark information can be detected from watermarked frames in each WMS subjected to RST. Experimental results show that the proposed technique is robust against the attacks of RST, bending and shearing of frames, MPEG-2 lossy compression, color-space conversion, and frame dropping attacks.
Introduction of BSS into VR-based test and simulation-with application in NDE

VR-based test and simulation system(VTSS) is a concept put forward in the authors' previous works. In a VTSS, the test processes are interactively planned, optimized and simulated in a virtual test environment generated by computer, aiming at eventually performing tests completely in virtual test environments. To make VTSS intelligent and practical, the technique of blind source separation (BSS) is introduced into VTSS. With ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation (NDE) as the technical background, a prototype of the system has been described in this paper. BSS is adopted in VTSS to serve three purposes: defect classification, system modeling and noise reduction. The conclusion is that BSS can play a very important role in VTSS.
Rational Bubbles and Fractional Alternatives

This paper suggests a new and more flexible framework for studying the existence of rational bubbles in stock prices. The present value model provides the robust no rational bubbles restriction of a stationary price-dividend ratio. The validity of this restriction has previously been investigated, but we extend the test procedure to allow for fractionally integrated alternatives. Thus, the price-dividend ratio may be a stationary process, where the mean-reversion is at a much slower (persistent) rate than that of stationary ARMA specifications. This pesistence may be hard to detect using traditional random walk tests. Indeed, when testing the no rational bubble restriction on US and Swedish data this distinction is important. For Sweden we conclude that the price-dividend ratio is ruled by a fractionally integrated process (no rational bubble), whereas it follows a unit root process for the US (a rational bubble). Using Dickey-Fuller type tests the unit root hypothesis cannot be rejected for any of the markets.
Conservation Equations for Chemical Elements in Fluids with Chemical Reactions

It is well known that when chemical reactions occur, the masses of the participating molecules are not conserved, whereas the masses of the nuclei of the chemical elements constituting these same molecules, are conserved. Within the context of non-equilibrium thermodynamics, the first fact is expressed by the differential balance equations, for the densities of the chemically reacting molecules, having a non zero source term. At the same time the conserved quantities like the total mass, charge and energy obey differential conservation equations, i.e with zero source term. In this paper, we show that in fluids with chemical reactions occurring in them, there are additional conserved quantities, namely densities associated to the fact that the masses of the chemical elements are conserved. The corresponding differential conservation equations are derived. The found out conserved densities, one for each involved chemical element are shown to be linear combinations of the densities of those reacting molecules containing the element, weighted with the number of atoms of the element in the species. It is shown that in order to find the conserved densities, it is not necessary to know explicitly the reactions taking place. Some examples are provided.
Transcranial Magnetic and Electric Stimulation in Perception and Cognition Research

In recent years, we have witnessed the emergence of new techniques for studying the mechanisms that underlie perceptual and cognitive function in the human brain. An important contribution has come from the introduction of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS). The development of NIBS techniques to study perception and cognition constitutes a significant breakthrough in our understanding of the changes in the brain that may account for behavioral plasticity. NIBS approaches aim to induce changes in the activity of the brain, which can lead to alterations in the performance of a wide range of behavioral tasks (Sandrini et al. 2011). NIBS techniques that are used to modulate cortical activity include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) contents
A Case-Control Study Brings to Light the Causes of Screen Failures in Phase 1 Cancer Clinical Trials

INTRODUCTION Enrolling cancer patients in phase I clinical trials (P1s) requires that they fulfill specific criteria. Between the time they sign the consent form and the 1st administration of the experimental drug, some patients may be excluded and considered as screen failures (SFs). Our objective was to assess SF patients profiles and the reasons and risk factors for SFs. MATERIALS AND METHODS All patients included in P1s at Gustave Roussy from 2008 to 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. SFs were matched with control P1 patients who were successfully enrolled. Patient and tumor characteristics, P1 types and the reasons for SF were analyzed. RESULTS Among 1,293 patients, 192 (15%) were SF cases; 182 SF cases were matched with 182 controls: median age was 57 (48-64) and 55 (47-63), median home-cancer center distance was 69 vs 55 km, 45% vs 34% had more than 2 metastatic sites, median screening period was 14 vs 11 days, median progression-free survival during the previous line was 12 vs 14 weeks, 37% vs 29% of LDH values were above the upper limit of normal, 42% vs 36% of albumin values were < 35 g/L, respectively. Reasons for SFs were cancer progression (44%), sponsor decision unrelated to a clinical reason (25%), patient retrieval (13.5%), relevant comorbidity (13.5%). Multivariate analysis revealed that a high Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH) prognostic score was potentially associated with higher risk of SFs (OR = 2.3; 95% CI [1.0-5.7], p = 0.06). CONCLUSION Cancer progression led to half of the SFs in P1s. Physicians should pay attention to the RMH score at the time of patient inclusion to avoid further SFs.
Calcium Transients in 1B5 Myotubes Lacking Ryanodine Receptors Are Related to Inositol Trisphosphate Receptors*

Potassium depolarization of skeletal myotubes evokes slow calcium waves that are unrelated to contraction and involve the cell nucleus (Jaimovich, E., Reyes, R., Liberona, J. L., and Powell, J. A. (2000) Am. J. Physiol. 278, C998–C1010). Studies were done in both the 1B5 (Ry53−/−) murine “dyspedic” myoblast cell line, which does not express any ryanodine receptor isoforms (Moore, R. A., Nguyen, H., Galceran, J., Pessah, I. N., and Allen, P. D. (1998) J. Cell Biol.140, 843–851), and C2C12 cells, a myoblast cell line that expresses all three isoforms. Although 1B5 cells lack ryanodine binding, they bind tritiated inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate. Both type 1 and type 3 inositol trisphosphate receptors were immuno-located in the nuclei of both cell types and were visualized by Western blot analysis. After stimulation with 47 mmK+, inositol trisphosphate mass raised transiently in both cell types. Both fast calcium increase and slow propagated calcium signals were seen in C2C12 myotubes. However, 1B5 myotubes (as well as ryanodine-treated C2C12 myotubes) displayed only a long-lasting, non-propagating calcium increase, particularly evident in the nuclei. Calcium signals in 1B5 myotubes were almost completely blocked by inhibitors of the inositol trisphosphate pathway: U73122, 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate, or xestospongin C. Results support the hypothesis that inositol trisphosphate mediates slow calcium signals in muscle cell ryanodine receptors, having a role in their time course and propagation.
tDCS of Medial Prefrontal Cortex Does Not Enhance Interpersonal Trust

Interpersonal trust is an essential ingredient of many social relationships. Previous research has suggested that the medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC) may be a critical component in mediating the degree to which people trust others. Here we assessed the role of the mPFC in modulating interpersonal trust by means of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Participants (n = 60) were randomly and equally assigned to receive anodal, cathodal, or sham stimulation while performing the Trust Game, an index of interpersonal trust that assesses the money units one participant (the trustor) transfers to another (the trustee). Results showed that neither anodal stimulation (brain stimulation that increases cortical excitability of the area being stimulated) nor cathodal stimulation (brain stimulation that decreases cortical excitability) affected the degree of interpersonal trust as compared to sham stimulation. We conclude that noninvasive electrical stimulation over the mPFC does not modulate the degree to which people trust others.
Should cut-off values of the risk of malignancy index be changed for evaluation of adnexal masses in Asian and Pacific populations?

BACKGROUND The risk of malignancy index (RMI) for the evaluation of adnexal masses is a sensitive tool in certain populations. The best cut off value for RMI 1, 2 and 3 is 200. The cut off value of RMI-4 to differentiate benign from malignant lesions is 450. Our aim was to evaluate the efficiency of four different malignancy indexes (RMI1-4) in a homogeneous population. MATERIALS AND METHODS We evaluated a total of 153 non-pregnant women with adnexal masses who did not have a history of malignancy and who were above 18 years of age. RESULTS A cut-off value of 250 for RMI-1 provided 95.9% inter-observer agreement, yielding 95.9% specificity, 93.5% negative predictive value, 75.0% sensitivity and 82.8% positive predictive value. A cut-off value of 250 for RMI-1 showed high performance in preoperative diagnosis of invasive malignant lesions than cut-off value of 200 in our population. A cut-off value of 350 for RMI-2 provided 94.5% inter-observed agreement, yielding 94.2% specificity, 93.4% negative predictive value, 75.0% sensitivity and 77.4% positive predictive value. RMI-2 showed the higher performance when the cut-off value was set at 350 in our population. A cut-off value of 250 provided 95.2% inter-observer agreement, yielding 95.0% specificity, 93.2% negative predictive value, 75.0% sensitivity, and 88.0% positive predictive value. RMI-3 showed the highest performance to diagnose malignant adnexal masses when the cut-off value was set at 250. In our study, RMI-4 showed similar statistical performance when the cut-off value was set at 400 [(Kappa: 0.684/p=0.000), yielding 93.8% inter-observer agreement, 93.4% specificity, 93.4% negative predictive value, 75.0% sensitivity, and 75.0% negative predictive value]. CONCLUSIONS We showed successful utilization of RMIs in preoperative differentiation of benign from malignant masses. Many studies conducted in Asian and Pacific countries have reported different cut-off values as was the case in our study. We think that it is difficult to determine universally accepted cut-off values for RMIs for common use around the globe.
HyPAERLoc: Plausible Hybrid Localization for Wireless Sensor Networks

— Position estimation is one of the major challenges of sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks. By utilizing the information of messages of some pre-deployed location aware nodes, called beacons, and signal strength based distance estimation, a location unaware node is able to estimate its position. In the recent years, several localization methodologies have been developed. Due to imprecise distance estimations via received signal strength utilization, the localization accuracies of these algorithms differ, depending on the scenario conditions. In the proposed work, we developed an algorithmic approach to improve the localization accuracy of a least squares approach via two strategies. On the one hand, we tackle the imprecise distance measurements with a preceding plausibility check. On the other hand, we evaluate the achieved accuracy and improve the result by weaving the result of adaptive weighted centroid localization into a hybrid localization. The achieved localization accuracy beats the performance of the preceding approaches in all investigated scenarios, particularly for low beacon densities.
Incorporating data abstraction in CRC to simplify method interface

Class Responsibility Collaboration (CRC) has been a widely-used technique for collaborating team to design software. As the traditional CRC does not seem to include the argument analysis process, method interface and test case seem more difficult to devise. Therefore, we propose a method in CRC that incorporates argument extraction and method interface simplification, which helps evaluate arguments to move up their abstraction level and to reduce the number of arguments. In addition, test cases production seems facilitated.
Actuator fault estimation based on adaptive H∞ observer technique

In adaptive observer methods for actuator fault estimation, the system has to satisfy the condition of the Strictly Positive Realness (SPR). However, some practical systems may fail to satisfy the SPR condition. This paper proposes two methods for actuator fault estimation without the need of the SPR condition, based on the adaptive observer technique with the same structure. At first, for a class of linear time invariant systems without external disturbance, an adaptive fault estimation observer is designed by integrating the output errors. Then, for a class of linear time invariant systems subjected to external disturbance, the fault estimation method based on an adaptive H∞ observer is proposed. The observer gain is obtained by solving a linear matrix inequality. The gains of both observers are independent of the sensor fault distribution matrix. The convergence and the existence condition of the designed adaptive observers are analyzed. An example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Therapy Development for Spinal Muscular Atrophy in SMN Independent Targets

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder, leading to progressive muscle weakness, atrophy, and sometimes premature death. SMA is caused by mutation or deletion of the survival motor neuron-1 (SMN1) gene. An effective treatment does not presently exist. Since the severity of the SMA phenotype is inversely correlated with expression levels of SMN, the SMN-encoded protein, SMN is the most important therapeutic target for development of an effective treatment for SMA. In recent years, numerous SMN independent targets and therapeutic strategies have been demonstrated to have potential roles in SMA treatment. For example, some neurotrophic, antiapoptotic, and myotrophic factors are able to promote survival of motor neurons or improve muscle strength shown in SMA mouse models or clinical trials. Plastin-3, cpg15, and a Rho-kinase inhibitor regulate axonal dynamics and might reduce the influences of SMN depletion in disarrangement of neuromuscular junction. Stem cell transplantation in SMA model mice resulted in improvement of motor behaviors and extension of survival, likely from trophic support. Although most therapies are still under investigation, these nonclassical treatments might provide an adjunctive method for future SMA therapy.
The First Year Experience in Australian Universities: Findings from a decade of National Studies

This report examines the experiences of first year university students over a 10 year period and reports on six key areas: aspirations, change and uncertainty in the first year; student expectations and adjustments to university study; engaging with learners and learning at university; managing commitments in the first year; perceptions of teaching and satisfaction with courses; and the first year experience of significant student groups. An important finding of the report is that the 2004 respondents continued to rate both interest-related and job-related reasons as important in their decisions to enrol in university study together with an increased sense of purpose. The respondents also revealed a greater clarity about occupational aspirations compared with their peers from 1994 and 1999 and were less likely to have come to university directly from school.
On Mining Crowd-Based Speech Documentation

Despite the globalization of software development, relevant documentation of a project, such as requirements and design documents, often still is missing, incomplete or outdated. However, parts of that documentation can be found outside the project, where it is fragmented across hundreds of textual web documents like blog posts, email messages and forum posts, as well as multimedia documents such as screencasts and podcasts. Since dissecting and filtering multimedia information based on its relevancy to a given project is an inherently difficult task, it is necessary to provide an automated approach for mining this crowd-based documentation. In this paper, we are interested in mining the speech part of YouTube screencasts, since this part typically contains the rationale and insights of a screencast. We introduce a methodology that transcribes and analyzes the transcribed text using various Information Extraction (IE) techniques, and present a case study to illustrate the applicability of our mining methodology. In this case study, we extract use case scenarios from WordPress tutorial videos and show how their content can supplement existing documentation. We then evaluate how well existing rankings of video content are able to pinpoint the most relevant videos for a given scenario.