Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Essays on organizational economics and the heterogeneity of firm performance

The first chapter presents a model in which a principal requires an agent to work on multiple tasks, which require varying levels of effort. Initially the appropriate actions are unknown to the principal and so he cannot monitor the agent's effort; however he may succeed in learning the game over time. I provide conditions that ensure full learning and cooperation on all tasks. If these conditions are not met, then the performance of the relationship may depend critically on the order in which tasks are first required and on whether early attempts are successful. We may therefore see variation in long-run performance amongst partnerships facing an identical environment. The second chapter considers the role that mission statements made by firms may play in influencing workers' expectations, and whether these mission statements may thereby constitute informative cheap-talk. I consider a setting in which firms send costless mission statements at the start of the game, then with positive probability have an opportunity to send a costly signal of their type at a later stage. I show that this can generate informative cheap-talk in environments in which, absent the prospect of a costly signal, cheap-talk messages would otherwise be uninformative. However firms will face a welfare trade-off between informative communication and costly signaling, and moreover may be constrained in their ability to adapt to changing circumstances. In the third chapter I present a model of relational contracting in which the principal's type determines the probability that effort generates high output, and where this type is private information. In this setting the bonus payments will be driven by the agent's beliefs, and by the principal's desire to signal her type. I show that we will expect to see higher bonus payments following a run of poor output, given the need to restore the agent's confidence. I then consider an extension in which the agent receives a signal about the performance of the principal's competitors, and so the principal will be under more pressure to "match the market". I argue that this model may explain the dynamics of bonus payments following recessions. Thesis Supervisor: Robert Gibbons Title: Professor Thesis Supervisor: Glenn Ellison Title: Professor
The use of Handle to aid IoT security

This paper describes how the use of Identifiers with an appropriate system of identifier storage, registration and identifier resolution can greatly extend the flexibility of a system dealing with IoT. The features of the CNRI Handle system are shown to match well the requirements of such a IoT system. We have validated our thesis, by applying the system to a smart office environment, and shown how the properties of the IoT devices can be stored securely in a Handle repository including the characteristics of the device, network addresses and security attributes. We have concentrated on the security functionality combined with IPv6 infrastructure and the relevant Internet protocols.
Fact and Value in Decision Making

S IMON'S earlier studies of decision making incorporated and made use of the logical positivist distinction between fact and value. This was followed by two reactions. Without denying the distinction itself, critics attacked Simon's use of it (a) as reviving in a new guise the "discredited" politics-administration dichotomy (b) as harmful in its effects on decision makers and (c) as irrelevant to Simon's main thesis. Simon defended the distinction but at the same time felt that it was not so central to his thesis-and indeed his later work on decision making scarcely takes notice of it. ' This article attempts to analyse the criticisms afresh and also to show that Simon's original approach can be fruitfully extended and related to his later operational studies.
Differential recall of central and peripheral details of emotional slides is not a stable phenomenon

A number of studies have reported that central information of an emotional scene is well retained, whereas peripheral details of such a scene are poorly recalled. Experiment 1 tested the hypothesis that attentional narrowing is responsible for this phenomenon. In addition, an attempt was made to increase the ecological validity of the experiment by giving extensive self-relevant instructions. Results showed that, although an emotional slide elicited eye-movements consistent with attentional narrowing, the corresponding recall patterns were absent. Experiments 2 and 3 explored some of the variables that might be responsible for the latter result. Experiment 2, relying on the original design of Christianson and E.F. Loftus (1991), found enhanced recall of central information of an emotional scene. Experiment 3 systematically varied stimulus exposure and interstimulus interval durations. However, the results of this experiment were rather complex and did not fully support the predicted differential recall patterns. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed. It is suggested that other methods (e.g. increasing levels of emotion rather than involvement) may be more suitable for testing the attentional narrowing hypothesis of emotional memory.
On the Nexus of Monetary Policy and Financial Stability: Recent Developments and Research

Because financial and macroeconomic conditions are tightly interconnected, financial stability considerations are an important element of any monetary policy framework. Yet, the circumstances under which it would be appropriate for the Bank to use monetary policy to lean against financial risks need to be more fully specified (Cote 2014). The extent to which financial stability concerns should be taken into account by monetary policy will be a priority topic of research at the Bank for the renewal of the inflation-control target agreement in 2016. This paper reviews four considerations of interest, taking stock of key domestic and international developments and knowledge gained over the past few years: (i) Canada and other countries have made significant progress in the implementation of micro- and macroprudential regulatory reforms, and limited existing research finds that most of these policies were effective in reducing the potential need for leaning by monetary policy; (ii) the effectiveness of the monetary policy transmission mechanism depends on the state of the financial system, implying that financial system conditions need to be taken into account by monetary policy; (iii) although exceptionally low interest rates and other forms of monetary stimulus are sometimes needed to support growth and achieve inflation-target mandates, they may lead to excessive risk-taking activities and therefore contribute to the buildup of financial imbalances; and (iv) coordination of monetary and macroprudential policies for dealing with imbalances may, in some circumstances, be beneficial. The paper concludes by identifying future areas of research to further clarify the role of monetary policy in addressing financial stability risks.
Overcoming Voting Obstacles

We examine the extent to which Americans with disabilities vote at the polls or take advantage of convenience voting reforms relative to voters without disabilities. The Help America Vote Act (2002) sought, in part, to increase polling place accessibility for the voters with disabilities, with a particular focus on those with vision disabilities. We construct two operationalizations of disability from the November Voting and Registration Supplement of the Current Population Survey over eight elections. A multinomial logistic model shows voters with a disability are significantly less likely to vote but are more likely to vote by mail ballot. Early in-person voting reforms have a marginal effect on the voting behavior of voters with disabilities. A matching model reveals adopting no-excuse absentee voting, permanent absentee voting, or both reforms increases the likelihood of voters with a disability casting a mail ballot.
High power, high efficiency, low cost capacitor charger concept and demonstration

A 20-kJ/s, 10-kV, 1-kHz repetition-rate technology demonstrator design and testing are described. The goal of the development was combining high performance and versatility with low-cost design and good manufacturability. This goal was met using an energy-dosing converter topology with smart controls adapting the switching frequency in such a way as to ensure zero-current switching for all possible scenarios, keeping maximum duty cycle for high power. The switching is accomplished at a frequency of up to 55 kHz employing relatively slow IGBTs with low conduction losses. High efficiency allows all-air cooled design that fits into a 19"×10"×24" rack. Design guidelines are reviewed. Comprehensive PSpice models accounting for numerous parasitic parameters and mimicking controls for the frequency variation were developed, and simulation results are presented. Together with analytical tools, they predicted a pulse-to-pulse repeatability (PPR) of ±0.15 %; the measured figures are ±0.4 % and ±0.5 % for short- and long-term operation, respectively, at peak charging and repetition rate. Repeatability analysis is briefed upon here, and to larger extent, in an accompanying paper. Test methods are described. Typical current and voltage traces and results of thermal runs are presented.
Aurora B switches relative strength between kinetochore–microtubule attachment modes to promote error correction

For proper chromosome segregation, sister kinetochores must interact with microtubules from opposite spindle poles; this is called bi-orientation. To establish bi-orientation prior to chromosome segregation, any aberrant kinetochore–microtubule interaction must be resolved (error correction) by Aurora B kinase that phosphorylates outer kinetochore components. Aurora B differentially regulates kinetochore attachment to the microtubule plus end and its lateral side (end-on and lateral attachment, respectively). However, it is still not fully understood how kinetochore–microtubule interactions are exchanged during error correction. Here we reconstituted the kinetochore–microtubule interface of budding yeast in vitro by attaching the Ndc80 complexes (Ndc80C) to nanobeads. These Ndc80C–nanobeads recapitulated in vitro the lateral and end-on attachments of authentic kinetochores, on dynamic microtubules loaded with the Dam1 complex. This in vitro assay enabled the direct comparison of lateral and end-on attachment strength and showed that Dam1 phosphorylation by Aurora B makes the end-on attachment weaker than the lateral attachment. We suggest that the Dam1 phosphorylation weakens interaction with the Ndc80 complex, disrupts the end-on attachment and promotes the exchange to a new lateral attachment, leading to error correction. Our study reveals a fundamental mechanism of error correction for establishment of bi-orientation.
Crystal structure of endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase F1, an alpha/beta-barrel enzyme adapted for a complex substrate.

Endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase F1 (Endo F1) is an endoglycosidase, secreted by Flavobacterium meningosepticum, that cleaves asparagine-linked oligosaccharides after the first N-acetylglucosamine residue. The enzyme is selective for high-mannose oligosaccharide chains. The crystal structure of Endo F1 has been determined at 2.0-A resolution. The molecular fold consists of a highly irregular alpha/beta-barrel, a commonly observed motif consisting of a cyclic 8-fold repeat of beta-strand/loop/alpha-helix units with an eight-stranded parallel beta-barrel at the center. Endo F1 lacks two of the alpha-helices, those of units 5 and 6. Instead, the links after beta-strands 5 and 6 consist of a short turn followed by a section in an extended conformation that replaces the helix and a long loop at the bottom of the molecule. The absence of any excursion on top of the molecule following beta-strands 5 and 6 results in a pronounced depression in the rim of the barrel. This depression forms one end of a shallow cleft that runs across the surface of the molecule, over the core of the beta-barrel to the area between the loops of units 1 and 2. The active site residues, Asp130 and Glu132, are located at the carboxyl end of beta-strand 4 and extend into this cleft. These residues are surrounded by several tyrosine residues. The cleft area formed by loops 1 and 2 is lined with polar residues, mainly asparagines. The latter area is thought to be responsible for oligosaccharide binding and recognition while the protein moiety of the substrate would be located outside the molecule but adjacent to the area of loops 5 and 6. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Serum Adiponectin Level Association with Breast Cancer Risk: Evidence from a Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND Adiponectin is a protein, synthesized by adipose tissue, which has a questionable role in breast cancer pathogenesis. This study focused on serum levels of adiponectin among cases and controls, and its possible association with breast cancer risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS This case-control study covered 175 diagnosed breast cancer patients with positive histopathology from Breast Clinic, surgical unit-1, Civil Hospital, Karachi and 175 healthy controls from various screening programs. Blood samples were obtained after an overnight fast and later analyzed. RESULTS Fasting blood glucose was significantly raised, while serum adiponectin was significantly decreased in breast cancer cases when compared to control subjects. To find the precise influence of serum adiponectin on the risk of breast cancer, subjects were divided in to quartiles based on serum levels of adiponectin. It is observed that risk of breast cancer decreased with rising quartile. Q2 (25th-50th) had the highest OR=1.76 (CI: 0.93-3.34), Q3 (50th-75th) has OR=0.89 (CI: 0.48-1.64), while subjects in the highest quartile Q4 (>75th) had significantly (p< 0.05) decreased risk of breast cancer having OR=0.06 (CI: 0.02-0.15), when compared to the lowest quartile. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated a statistically significant association of elevated serum adiponectin with decreased risk of breast cancer. This signifies a protective role of adiponectin via an intricate mechanism of masking mitogenic growth factors in breast carcinogenesis.
Stocks’ prices manipulation around national elections?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of major non-economic events such as the results of five Greek national Parliamentary elections during 1996-2009 on the Greek banks’ stocks. Design/methodology/approach Using daily data from the Athens Stock Exchange, event study methodology and market model, the results of this paper claim that the five Greek national Parliamentary elections during the 1996-2009 period had no statistically significant effect on the Greek banks’ stocks. The results show that cumulative average abnormal returns (CAARs) were slightly positive or negative for Greek banks’ stocks but not statistically significant at 5 and 10 per cent confidence levels. Findings Investors were not surprised and the political information caused no change and no influence on the future and course of the stock market. Expected winning political party was the same as the actual winning political party. Results showed that during pre-event period of 2000 and 2004 Greek national Parliamentary elections, CAARs for Greek banks’ stocks were slightly positive and after the event period were slightly negative but not statistically significant at all periods. During 2007 Greek national Parliamentary elections, the effect of elections changed because CAARs were generally slightly negative during the pre-event period and positive after the event period. Also, non-statistically significant CAARs indicate that there is no evidence that either political party was able to manipulate bank stocks’ prices for election purposes. Originality/value The main contribution of this paper is to provide evidence about effects of national elections to bank stocks’ prices which have important implications for stockbrokers, investors, politicians and political analysts.
Human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 and simian immunodeficiency virus Nef use distinct but overlapping target sites for downregulation of cell surface CD4

Although the Nef proteins encoded by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and simian immuno-deficiency virus (SIV) are known to induce the efficient internalization and degradation of cell surface CD4, it remains unclear whether this process involves a direct interaction between Nef and CD4. Here, we report that CD4 downregulation by HIV-1 and SIV Nef requires distinct but overlapping target sites within the CD4 intracytoplasmic domain. In particular, mutation of a glutamic acid residue located at CD4 residue 405 or of arginine and methionine residues located, respectively, at residue 406 and 407 results in a mutant CD4 protein that is efficiently downregulated by HIV-1 Nef but refractory to downregulation by SIV Nef. However, both HIV-1 and SIV Nef require an isoleucine located at residue 410 and the dileucine motif found at CD4 residues 413 and 414. CD4 downregulation induced by the Nef protein encoded by HIV-2 is shown to require a CD4 target sequence that is similar to, but distinct from, that observed with SIV Nef. These data explain the previous finding that the murine CD4 protein, which has an alanine at residue 405, is refractory to downregulation by SIV, but not HIV-1, Nef (J. L. Foster, S.J. Anderson, A. L. B. Frazier, and J. V. Garcia, Virology 201:373-379, 1994). In addition, these observations provide strong genetic support for the hypothesis that the Nef-mediated downregulation of cell surface CD4 requires a direct Nef-CD4 interaction.
The Caulobacter crescentus chromosome replication origin evolved two classes of weak DnaA binding sites

The Caulobacter crescentus replication initiator DnaA and essential response regulator CtrA compete to control chromosome replication. The C. crescentus replication origin (Cori) contains five strong CtrA binding sites but only two apparent DnaA boxes, termed G‐boxes (with a conserved second position G, TGATCCACA). Since clusters of DnaA boxes typify bacterial replication origins, this discrepancy suggested that C. crescentus DnaA recognizes different DNA sequences or compensates with novel DNA‐binding proteins. We searched for novel DNA sites by scanning mutagenesis of the most conserved Cori DNA. Autonomous replication assays showed that G‐boxes and novel W‐boxes (TCCCCA) are essential for replication. Further analyses showed that C. crescentus DnaA binds G‐boxes with moderate and W‐boxes with very weak affinities significantly below DnaA's capacity for high‐affinity Escherichia coli‐boxes (TTATCCACA). Cori has five conserved W‐boxes. Increasing W‐box affinities increases or decreases autonomous replication depending on their strategic positions between the G‐boxes. In vitro, CtrA binding displaces DnaA from proximal G‐boxes and from distal W‐boxes implying CtrA–DnaA competition and DnaA–DnaA cooperation between G‐boxes and W‐boxes. Similarly, during cell cycle progression, CtrA proteolysis coincides with DnaA binding to Cori. We also observe highly conserved W‐boxes in other replication origins lacking E. coli‐boxes. Therefore, strategically weak DnaA binding can be a general means of replication control.
Using patent data to analyze the development of the next generation of solar cells

With the shortage of raw materials for the production of crystalline silicon solar cells, the next generation of solar cells has reached the perfect stage for development. While in the past researchers have laid emphasis on the development of crystalline silicon solar cells, the application of the next generation of crystalline silicon solar cells is different. Among the thin film solar cells, the most widely-recognized is the a-Si thin film solar cell with the greatest potential to be developed and many manufacturers have already invested in R&D. In this study, we employ the patent portfolio proposed by Ernst to embark on the analysis of technology development regarding the a-Si thin film solar cell and find that the major technology field has reached the mature stage in the technology life cycle; moreover, four patent strategic clusters are obtained. The results regarding the company level and technology level of the clusters are integrated with the profile data and the development focus to realize the patent performance, technology capacity and R&D background concerning the technological fields of the a-Si thin film solar cell and to propose patent strategies to companies.
Cultural Variables in Asian Indian Families

The author explores the cultural values and mores of a select group of Asian immigrants in the United States and identifies and analyzes problems of acculturation. These issues affect generational conflicts faced by parents and their adolescent children. The generation gap is a phenomenon that many Americans have learned to accept, but it baffles parents from other countries and cultures. Intervention strategies are suggested.
Organizational knowledge, dynamic capabilities and innovation in the hotel industry

Literature suggests that knowledge is one of the main resources of innovative activity. Even more important than the existing knowledge in a firm, is its capacity to renovate its knowledge resources in order to adapt them to changing environment, that is to say, to develop dynamic capabilities. However, empirical research on variables that support such capabilities is scarce. Likewise, very little is known regarding the influence of these dynamic capabilities on organizational performance. Furthermore, empirical studies have analysed these topics mainly in the manufacturing sector and research is particularly rare regarding the hospitality industry. In order to study these matters, this paper develops and tests a comprehensive model to analyse the multiple and simultaneous relationships among organizational knowledge, dynamic capabilities and innovation in the accommodation sector. Results show that knowledge and knowledge-based processes play an outstanding role to foster innovation in the hotel firms.
Working memory in children assessed by the Brown-Peterson Task.

BACKGROUND the working memory is a cognitive skill that contributes to adequate development of language and to the acquisition of reading and writing. A consistent evaluation of the working memory in pre-school and basic school children demonstrates to be important for the early identification of possible learning impairments. AIM to evaluate the development of working memory along the first school grades of basic education and to verify the applicability of the Brown-Peterson Task in the assessment of this function in children. METHOD 103 children, 63 males, with the mean age of 9.75, recruited from 1st to 6th grades of basic school participated in the study. The children were assessed with the Brown-Peterson Task, the Digit Span forward and the Digit Span Backward. The results were compared for the variables of gender, age and grade. RESULTS the score on the Brown-Peterson Task increased along the school grades and age groups. A linear decrease in scoring was observed in longer interference intervals. A positive correlation was found between the Brown-Peterson Task and the Digit Span, yet the Brown-Peterson Task proved to better differentiate school grades. CONCLUSION the study confirmed that working memory development continues during the basic education years, indicating late maturation of related brain areas. The Brown-Peterson Task proved to be an adequate tool for the assessment of working memory in children.