Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AN EXACT RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR FOR VISITING DISTRIBUTION IN GSA JYHJENG DENG , CHUNLAN CHANG AND ZHONGXIAH YANG

Global optimization is widely used in various aspects both in industry and academia. Although different methods in operations research have been proposed to solve the global optimization, simulated annealing and its variations have been favored for their simplicity in the implementation. In order to reach the global optimum from the current solution, a walking mechanism must be planned so that global optimum can be reached stochastically with high probability. The walking mechanism is the stochastic rule to find the next solution from the current solution. One of the most promising walking mechanisms is represented as Tsallis distribution. In this study, an exact simulation method is proposed for the Tsallis distribution that is used in performing generalized simulated annealing (GSA), a global optimization algorithm suggested by Tsallis (1996). First, the Tsallis variate (random variable) is transformed linearly into a standard Tsallis variate with one parameter v q . Then the structure of a t distribution variate is imitated to obtain the standard Tsallis variate. A ratio of a standard normal variate over a square root function of the Gamma variate with proper chosen parameters’ values renders the standard Tsallis distribution variate. This method is suitable for all v q in the range 1 to 3. Theoretical justification is provided in supporting the proposed method. A numerical example, given originally by Tsallis and Stariolo, on the GSA is studied on the effect to which the v q has on the convergence to the optimal solution. A conclusion can be drawn from the results that the development of the exact simulation method is crucial in obtaining the correct results by using GSA.
THE DETERMINANTS OF COMMON STOCK RETURNS VOLATILITY: AN INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON

IT HAS BEEN COMMONLY NOTED that the variance of stock market returns differs considerably from stock to stock, across exchanges, and among countries. This paper seeks to determine empirically the importance of "thinness" in explaining such differences. We essentially regard thinness as being inversely related to the size of the market for the equity shares of a particular corporation. More specifically, we call the market for a particular stock thin when its floating supply (number of shares outstanding less insider holding) and/or its price per share are relatively low. The issue of thinness is of interest for a number of reasons. To the extent that shareholders do not diversify their portfolios so as to effectively eliminate all diversifiable risk, thinness in the markets for individual issues can increase the cost of capital for individual firms. This suggests that, if thinness contributes to returns variance, a firm will realize a financial economy of scale as it becomes larger. The undesirability of thinness-induced variance for risk averse investors further suggests that investors will select securities with reference to thinness, as well as to inherent investment profitability. Also, to the extent that thinness adds to variance, differences among investors in liquidity needs are expected to generate a "clientele" effect. Factors in addition to market thinness also contribute to returns variance. The most obvious are changes in the fundamental determinants of share price (e.g., expectations of earnings per share) and of a firm's business and financial risk. We attempt to account for this by distinguishing between random tenders-induced demand shifts (which are thinness related) and demand shifts induced by the receipt of new and generally available information concerning a stock's value (which are not thinness related). We then show that, with the thinness measures held constant, a security's turnover ratio (TOR), the number of shares traded divided by the stock's floating supply (FS), can be used to proxy the receipt of new information.
The Receptor for the Cytotoxic Ligand TRAIL

TRAIL (also known as Apo-2L) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligand family that rapidly induces apoptosis in a variety of transformed cell lines. The human receptor for TRAIL was found to be an undescribed member of the TNF-receptor family (designated death receptor-4, DR4) that contains a cytoplasmic “death domain” capable of engaging the cell suicide apparatus but not the nuclear factor kappa B pathway in the system studied. Unlike Fas, TNFR-1, and DR3, DR4 could not use FADD to transmit the death signal, suggesting the use of distinct proximal signaling machinery. Thus, the DR4-TRAIL axis defines another receptor-ligand pair involved in regulating cell suicide and tissue homeostasis.
Boosted Fitted Q-Iteration

This paper is about the study of B-FQI, an Approximated Value Iteration (AVI) algorithm that exploits a boosting procedure to estimate the action-value function in reinforcement learning problems. B-FQI is an iterative off-line algorithm that, given a dataset of transitions, builds an approximation of the optimal action-value function by summing the approximations of the Bell-man residuals across all iterations. The advantage of such approach w.r. t. to other AVI methods is twofold: (1) while keeping the same function space at each iteration, B-FQI can represent more complex functions by considering an additive model; (2) since the Bellman residual decreases as the optimal value function is approached , regression problems become easier as iterations proceed. We study B-FQI both theoretically , providing also a finite-sample error upper bound for it, and empirically, by comparing its performance to the one of FQI in different domains and using different regression techniques.
Antiretroviral therapy interruption guided by CD4 cell counts and plasma HIV-1 RNA levels in chronically HIV-1-infected patients

Objective:We evaluated the safety of CD4 cell count and plasma HIV-1 RNA (pVL)-guided treatment interruptions (GTI) and determined predictors of duration of treatment interruption. Methods:Chronically HIV-1-infected adults with sustained CD4 cell counts > 500 cells/μl and pVL < 50 copies/ml were randomly assigned to either continue with standard antiretroviral therapy (control group, n = 101) or to interrupt therapy aimed at maintaining CD4 cell counts > 350 cells/μl and pVL < 100 000 copies/ml (GTI group, n = 100). Both groups were followed for 2 years. Results:There were no AIDS-defining illnesses or deaths in either group. Compared to controls, subjects interrupting therapy reduced treatment exposure by 67%, but suffered significantly more adverse events related to the intake of medication or to therapy interruption [relative hazard, 2.71; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.64–4.49; P < 0.001), mainly due to an excess in mononucleosis-like symptoms. While GTI subjects demonstrated improvements in the psychosocial spheres of quality of life and pain reporting, GTI had no effect on the physical aspects of quality of life. Although both groups had a similar hazard for developing CD4 cell count < 200 cells/μl; at least 10% of subjects on GTI had CD4 cell counts < 350 cells/μl at every time point. Drug resistance mutations were detected in 36% of subjects but were selected de novo only in subjects interrupting non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor therapy. Lower CD4 cell count nadir, higher set-point pVL and prior exposure to suboptimal regimens were all independent predictors of the need to reinitiate treatment. Conclusions:Overall, GTI were not as safe as continuing therapy. Despite achieving some improvements in quality of life, GTI did not reduce the overall rate of management-related adverse events.
How Regulations Affect Monetary Control

THIS PAPER CONSIDERS the major regulatory factors in the United States that affect control of the quantity of money, and it attempts to evaluate how changes in regulations might improve monetary control. Before turning to the regulations themselves, it is important to put the issues in perspective. Institutional and regulatory factors have important implications for the ability of the Federal Reserve to control the quantity of money over short periods of time. These factors do not present great problems for controlling the growth of money in the longer run. By reacting to systematic errors in hitting its target, the Fed can bring the quantity of money under control on an annual basis and probably quarterly. l Failure to achieve longer-run targets for monetary growth is not the result of regulatory or other technical factors. There are many factors that inhibit the Federal Reserve in controlling the monetary aggregates closely on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis. Fundamentally, the problem lies with the stochastic structure of the market for money but there are regulations and laws that exacerbate the problem. Thus, the institutional and regulatory environment complicates the execution and evaluation of monetary policy over relatively short periods of time. It is possible that by placing so much emphasis on technicalities of short-term
Antiretroviral drug resistance testing in adult HIV-1 infection: recommendations of an International AIDS Society-USA Panel.

OBJECTIVE Assays for drug resistance testing in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection are now available and clinical studies suggest that viral drug resistance is correlated with poor virologic response to new therapy. The International AIDS Society-USA sought to update prior recommendations to provide guidance for clinicians regarding indications for HIV-1 resistance testing. PARTICIPANTS An International AIDS Society-USA 13-member physician panel with expertise in basic science, clinical research, and patient care involving HIV resistance to antiretroviral drugs was reconvened to provide recommendations for the clinical use of drug resistance testing. EVIDENCE AND CONSENSUS PROCESS The full panel met regularly between January and October 1999. Resistance and resistance testing data appearing in the last decade through April 2000 and presentations at national and international research conferences were reviewed. Recommendations and considerations were developed by 100% group consensus, acknowledging that definitive data to support final recommendations are not yet available. CONCLUSIONS Emerging data indicate that despite limitations, resistance testing should be incorporated into patient management in some settings. Resistance testing is recommended to help guide the choice of new regimens after treatment failure and for guiding therapy for pregnant women. It should be considered in treatment-naive patients with established infection, but cannot be firmly recommended in this setting. Testing also should be considered prior to initiating therapy in patients with acute HIV infection, although therapy should not be delayed pending the results. Expert interpretation is recommended given the complexity of results and assay limitations.
The adjustment of nominal interest rates in Mexico: a study of the Fisher effect

Evidence is presented in favour of a Fisher effect between treasury bill interest rates and inflation in Mexico between 1978-94. The two series appear to be cointegrated and a unit proportional relationship between them would appear to exist such that treasury bills rates respond fully to inflationary shocks over a period of about 12 months. As such, monetary policy in Mexico is unlikely to have much impact on real rates of interest over the long-run.
Impact Of Circulating T Helper 1 And 17 Cells in the Blood on Regional Lymph Node Invasion in Colorectal Cancer

We hypothesised that the blood levels of immune cells would be related to the progression of colorectal cancer and regional lymph node metastasis. We investigated the association between the blood levels of immune cells and regional lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer patients. Patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stages 1 and 2 colorectal cancer were assigned to Early stage group and those with AJCC stages 3 and 4 were assigned to Late stage group. Blood levels of circulating immune cells, such as cluster of differentiation (CD)4+ including T helper 1 (Th1) and 17 (Th17) cells, regulatory T (Treg) cells, CD8+ T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells were assessed using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The blood levels of CD4+ T, Treg, CD8+ T, and NK cells did not significantly differ between the two groups. However, the blood levels of Th1 and Th17 cells did significantly differ between the groups. Specifically, Late stage group had higher levels of Th1 and Th17 cells than Early stage group (Th1, 11.14±1.22% vs. 16.25±1.57%, p = 0.015; Th17, 3.32±0.05% vs. 1.11±0.15%, p < 0.01). In conclusion, the blood levels of Th1 and Th17 cells significantly increased as the N stage increased. The blood levels of Th1 and Th17 cells might be useful as predictive markers of lymph node invasion in colorectal cancer.
The Economic Burden of Student Loan Repayment in Norway

Abstract This paper examines the effects of student loan repayment on household economy in Norway. Using data from two nationwide interview‐based surveys on the financial position of Norwegian households, we analyse the financial position of households currently repaying student loans compared with households without such loans along several demographical and economical characteristics. The results suggest that households that currently are repaying student loans have higher economic burdens compared with households without student loans. However, these burdens are not dependent on the size of the student loan. In conclusion, subjective and objective reasons for the hardship are discussed.
Discrete-time generalized policy iteration ADP algorithm with approximation errors

This paper concerns with a novel generalized policy iteration (GPI) algorithm with approximation errors. Approximation errors are explicitly considered in the GPI algorithm. The properties of the stable GPI algorithm with approximation errors are analyzed. The convergence of the developed algorithm is established to show that the iterative value function is convergent to a finite neighborhood of the optimal performance index function. Finally, numerical examples and comparisons are presented.
Essays in spatial economics

The New Economic Geography literature has experienced an impressive success in economic theory. At the same time, the empirical evidence about the forces and mechanisms emphasized by this literature is growing. Nevertheless, there is still much to be gained from empirical analysis. The main objective of this work is thus to help mind this gap by providing further evidence on the relevance of agglomeration forces for the distribution of economic activities. We address this task from an eclectic perspective using both descriptive and structural approaches. We also pay particular attention to plants' heterogeneity and its interaction with spatial externalities. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that pecuniary externalities stemming from final consumption and input-output linkages play an important role in location choice. Furthermore, while big plants are more sensitive to very localized externalities, small units display a stronger spatial correlation pattern and can be found more easily close to big consumers' markets.
Direct Costs of COPD in the U.S.: An Analysis of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) Data

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a costly cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. The objective of this study was to use contemporary national data—specifically, those from the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)—to estimate direct costs of COPD in the U.S. from an all-payer perspective. Due to constraints of MEPS data, indirect costs were excluded from our analyses, as were costs of long-term oxygen therapy and costs from nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Two methods of cost estimation were employed. First, we estimated resources used and expenditures incurred by individuals with COPD that were directly attributable to the disease (attributable cost approach). Second, we compared overall medical expenditures of patients with COPD to those of the non-COPD population; the resulting difference represented excess costs of COPD. Approximately 1.7% (n = 144) of the nearly 8,300 persons in the analysis data set aged ≥ 45 years used medical resources and incurred expenditures related to treatment of COPD. Mean attributable costs per patient were estimated at $2,507, with more than one-half of these costs ($1,365) associated with hospitalization. Mean excess costs of COPD, after adjustment for sociodemographic factors and smoking status, were substantially higher, at $4,932 per patient. Results of our study indicate that COPD-associated healthcare utilization and expenditures are considerable, and that annual per-patient costs of COPD are comparable to those of other chronic diseases of the middle-aged and elderly.
Monetary Policy Announcements and Money Markets: A Transatlantic Perspective

This paper investigates how money markets in the USA, Germany (up to 1998) and the euro area (since 1999) react to monetary policy announcements by the Federal Reserve, Bundesbank and ECB. We find that interest rates respond strongly to domestic monetary policy throughout, whereas the response to foreign monetary policy varies across markets and over time: both the German and the euro area market react to Federal Reserve announcements, whereas US markets do not generally respond to European monetary policy. Whereas announcements by the Bundesbank increased the volatility of German money markets, such effects are rarely found for the ECB, and have basically disappeared for the Federal Reserve. Moreover, the general linkage of money markets has increased considerably over time: interest rate developments and volatility in either the USA or the euro area are generally mirrored in the other market to a much larger extent than prior to EMU. We interpret these results as evidence that euro area and US markets not only have become more interdependent over time, but that the markets' understanding and anticipation of monetary policy decisions have improved over time. Copyright 2003 by Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
Conformational and Molecular Structures of α,β-Unsaturated Acrylonitrile Derivatives: Photophysical Properties and Their Frontier Orbitals

We report single crystal X-ray diffraction (hereafter, SCXRD) analyses of derivatives featuring the electron-donor N-ethylcarbazole or the (4-diphenylamino)phenyl moieties associated with a -CN group attached to a double bond. The compounds are (2Z)-3-(4-(diphenylamino)-phenyl)-2-(pyridin-3-yl)prop-2-enenitrile (I), (2Z)-3-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)-2-(pyridin-4-yl)-prop-2-enenitrile (II) and (2Z)-3-(9-ethyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)-2-(pyridin-2-yl)enenitrile (III). SCXRD analyses reveal that I and III crystallize in the monoclinic space groups P2/c with Z’ = 2 and C2/c with Z’ = 1, respectively. Compound II crystallized in the orthorhombic space group Pbcn with Z’ = 1. The molecular packing analysis was conducted to examine the pyridine core effect, depending on the ortho, meta- and para-positions of the nitrogen atom, with respect to the optical properties and number of independent molecules (Z’). It is found that the double bond bearing a diphenylamino moiety introduced properties to exhibit a strong π-π-interaction in the solid state. The compounds were examined to evaluate the effects of solvent polarity, the role of the molecular structure, and the molecular interactions on their self-assembly behaviors. Compound I crystallized with a cell with two conformers, anti and syn, due to interaction with solvent. DFT calculations indicated the anti and syn structures of I are energetically stable (less than 1 eV). Also electrochemical and photophysical properties of the compounds were investigated, as well as the determination of optimization calculations in gas and different solvent (chloroform, cyclohexane, methanol, ethanol, tetrahydrofuran, dichloromethane and dimethyl sulfoxide) in the Gaussian09 program. The effect of solvent by PCM method was also investigated. The frontier HOMO and LUMO energies and gap energies are reported.
The impact of US GAAP reconciliation requirements on choice of foreign stock exchange for firms from common law and code law countries

Abstract The aim of this study is to investigate whether the impact of the SEC's Form 20-F reconciliation requirements on non-US firms' choices of foreign stock exchanges was different for firms from common law and code law countries, that is, for firms with different accounting, legal and financial systems. We examined attributes of 253 cross-listed firms from the UK, Australia, France, Germany and Japan in the 1999 financial year. We found the ability to raise further capital in the home market was relevant for firms from both groups. In addition, firms from code law countries listing on the NYSE or NASDAQ were more likely to have greater foreign revenue and lower leverage. We expected differences in accounting requirements to be a greater barrier to listing on the NYSE or NASDAQ for code law firms. However, we found firms from code law countries were more likely to select a Form 20-F exchange than firms from common law countries, providing support for suggestions that a NYSE/NASDAQ cross-listing has a bonding role for code law firms.
Robust decentralized connective stabilization for a class of power systems with expanding construction

The robust decentralized connective stabilization problem based on output feedback for a class of power systems with expanding construction, which is constituted by adding new subsystems one after another on the original construction, is considered in this paper. The robust decentralized connective stabilization problem for the power system is how to design the local control law of the new subsystem based on not changing the decentralized control laws of original construction, so that both the subsystem and the resultant expanded power system are connective stable. The sufficient condition of the robust decentralized connective stabilization based on output feedback for the expanding construction of the power systems is obtained by taking Lyapunov theory and LMI approach. The design method of the robust decentralized output feedback controller of the expanding construction is given. The method is applied to AGC control design of a class of power systems with expanding construction, and the simulation results show the effectiveness of presented method.
Survey on 3D-ICs thermal modeling, analysis, and management techniques

Thermal management is one of the important issues of 3D IC integration. So, effective thermal management methodologies and solutions are needed for widespread use of 3D IC integration. The thermal analysis is an important as from the thermal and stress distribution, layout modification can be done and thus enhance the circuit reliability. The thermal issue of a 3D IC is much severer than that of a 2D IC. The cause is that the ambient environment of the die of a 2D IC is the cooling material, but the ambient environment of a die within a 3D IC may be another die that also generates heat. Therefore, Thermal management in 3D ICs is critical for maintaining required reliability, performance, and power dissipation target. Therefore, new cooling techniques must be innovated to ensure that the chip can operate at temperatures and performance required for reliability. This paper presents a survey on 3D-ICs modeling, analysis, and management techniques.