Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Beware of Index Fund Fundamentalists

This article recasts earlier research on index fund performance. A different time period shows the opposite results for index fund superiority over actively managed funds. Over the past 20 years, the end result is that neither passive nor active management as a whole wins, as common sense would suggest. Even if active management as a whole were to lose in the future, it is shown how one may use active management to create superior portfolios.
Managerial strategies and trade unions in the company environment

Over the last ten to fifteen years the prospects for a trade union role and collective action in western European countries have been approached largely via a paradigm of crisis of representation and decline. This article argues that uncertainty is equally characteristic of managerial strategies and that, paradoxically enough, the exercise of the trade union function of representation of labour may prove to be particularly crucial in the management of the most innovative organisations, insofar as it can help build the social consensus which such organisations increasingly require. From this perspective, industrial relations at the workplace in the eighties and early nineties are re-interpreted as attempts to secure employee commitment through new uses of the traditional methods of collective bargaining. The more recent developments are then approached by discussing the quite unexpected role played by trade unions and works councils in the two fields - often seen as typical of managerial prerogatives - of the development of key human resources and of programmes for direct employee participation in organisational change. Finally, a new conceptual framework for analysis of the problems facing the labour movement is outlined.
Elucidating age-specific patterns from background electroencephalogram pediatric datasets via PARAFAC

Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) have the potential to provide non-muscular rehabilitation options for children. However, progressive changes in electrophysiology throughout development may pose a potential barrier in the translation of BCI rehabilitation schemes to children. Tensors and multiway analysis could provide tools which help characterize subtle developmental changes in electroencephalogram (EEG) profiles of children, thus supporting translation of BCI paradigms. Spatial, spectral and subject information of age-matched pediatric subjects in two EEG datasets were used to form 3-dimensional tensors for use in parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and direct projection comparison. Within dataset cross-validation results indicate PARAFAC can extract age-sensitive factors which accurately predict subject age in 90% of cases. Cross-dataset validation revealed extracted age-dependent factors correctly identified age in 3 of 4 test subjects. These findings demonstrate that tensor analysis can be applied to characterize the age-specific subtleties in EEG, which provide a means for tracking developmental changes in pediatric rehabilitation BCIs.
Use of the Kaufman-Assessment Battery for Children with the Hearing Impaired

The Kaufman-Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC), a measure of cognitive functioning, was administered to 26 male and 24 female hearing-impaired elementary school students to determine its appropriateness for hearing-impaired children. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised(WISC-R) also was administered. Scores for the present hearing-impaired sample on the K-ABC were compared with the normative group and were correlated with the WISC-R and standard achievement test scores. Results showed that both the Simultaneous Processing Scale and the Nonverbal Scale seemed appropriate for hearing-impaired children, whose scores were similar to those of the test's normative sample. Scores on the K-ABC also correlated highly with scores from the WISC-R. The Sequential Processing Scale was more problematic and not as useful. The K-ABC was significantly related to school achievement. Difficulties in the administration of the instrument with hearing-impaired children also are discussed.
Microbial growth and nitrogen retention in litter of Phragmites australis compared to Typha angustifolia

In tidal marshes of the northeast US, replacement of native cattail (Typha angustifolia) by the common reed (Phragmites australis) is widespread, and reed is often the target of removal efforts. Reed sequesters nearly twice the amount of nitrogen per unit marsh area in living aboveground tissue compared to cattail. Microbial decay processes immobilize additional nitrogen or return this organic nitrogen to the pool of inorganic nitrogen. We compared microbial growth during decay of standing and fallen litter of cattail and reed. Shoots of both plants were collected at the time of peak live biomass and then periodically throughout litter decomposition. Litter was analyzed for mass loss, nitrogen content, and biomass and production of fungi and bacteria. There were statistically significant but small differences in litter-associated microbial biomass and production between these two plants. Microbial production on both litter types was dominated by fungi, accounting for >99% of the total. Living fungal biomass (estimated from ergosterol) associated with reed and cattail litter averaged 6.1 and 8.2 mg fungal C/g litter dry mass, respectively, and fungal nitrogen accounted for roughly 25% of the total nitrogen associated with litter. Detrital nitrogen standing stocks/m2 were greater for reed than cattail throughout the first 2.5 years of decay. Therefore, the ability of reed litter to support decomposer growth is only somewhat lower and nitrogen retention is greater than for one of the plants it replaces. These differences are probably insufficient to argue for aggressive control of reed in tidal wetlands.
CRF-based Bibliography Extraction from Reference Strings Focusing on Various Token Granularities

The references of academic articles include important bibliographic elements such as authors' names and article titles. Automatic extraction of these elements is useful because they can be used for various purposes, including searching. In this paper, a method for automatically extracting bibliographic elements from the text of reference strings is proposed. The proposed method assigns bibliographic labels to reference strings by using linguistic information and conditional random fields. Experimental results indicated that the extraction accuracies of major bibliographies were more than 96%.
Biodiversity and sectoral responsibility in Swedish forestry policy 1988-1993

In 1993 the Swedish parliament substantially revised the nations Forestry Act, deregulating forestry operations and establishing an environmental goal for national forestry policy equal to the previous goal of high production. long the leading aim for Swedish forestry These actions resulted from an extended process during late 1980s and early 1990s, trough which Swedish forestry developed its sectoral responsibilities for nature conservation measures, in particular the protection of biological diversity within the context of timber and pulp production. This thesis examines the legislative history behind these changes, including the ideas and concepts drawn from comprehensive environmental legislation approved during the same period. another legacy of the period is the inclusion of specific legal protection for small forest and agricultural habitats in the Nature Conservancy Act. This paper also explores the impact of this measure on Swedish forestry, specifically the efforts of the national forestry agency to retain authority to administer the habitat protection law on forestland, the majority of Sweden's land cover. Three major themes emerged from the analysis. First, the parliament and industry appeared to support increased nature conservation and biological diversity within production forestry in large parts a way to maintain the health of the forest, and thus the industry. Fundamentally, this position supported the responsible use of natural resources, and not simply protection from the effects of human influence. Second, Sweden's long history of forest use significantly shaped the discussion and outcomes. The policy now highlights the importance of nature conservation measures in the context of ordinary forestry activities, mainly because these comprise by far the largest share of forest use. National parks and forest reserves make up a relatively small portion of Swedish forestland. Third, conflicts between existing institutional actors yielded trade-offs and compromises during legislative development and implementation. The largest of these was an implicit agreement with the nation's forest owners described as "freedom under responsibility". In exchange for broader responsibility to meet the new and stronger environmental goal, forest owners received greater latitude to manage their forest without the regulatory oversight that many had found objectionable. Overall, the result is a seemingly simple system that in fact anticipates a sophistically set of shared understandings for long-term success. The thesis incorporates translations of relevant excerpts from original Swedish materials, including legislative proposals, unpublished government documents, and position statements from forest and environmental organizations. A short appendix provides an outlive of the Swedish legislative process as a guide to the documentation.
Influence of l-Leucine and l-Alanine on Lrp Regulation of foo, Coding for F1651, a Pap Homologue

ABSTRACT The foo operon encodes F1651 fimbriae that belong to the P-regulatory family and are synthesized by septicemic Escherichia coli. Using an Lrp-deficient host and the lrp gene cloned under the arabinose pBAD promoter, we demonstrated that foo was transcribed proportionally to the amount of Lrp synthesized. l-Leucine and l-alanine decreased drastically the steady-state transcription of foo and modified phase variation, independently of the presence of FooI. Specific mutations in the C-terminal region of Lrp reduced or abolished the repressive effect of these amino acids, indicating that they modulate F1651 by affecting Lrp.
Anti-fibrotic Potential of AT2 Receptor Agonists

There are a number of therapeutic targets to treat organ fibrosis that are under investigation in preclinical models. There is increasing evidence that stimulation of the angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) is a novel anti-fibrotic strategy and we have reviewed the published in vivo preclinical data relating to the effects of compound 21 (C21), which is the only nonpeptide AT2R agonist that is currently available for use in chronic preclinical studies. In particular, the differential influence of AT2R on extracellular matrix status in various preclinical fibrotic models is discussed. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that pharmacological AT2R stimulation using C21 decreases organ fibrosis, which has been most studied in the setting of cardiovascular and renal disease. In addition, AT2R-mediated anti-inflammatory effects may contribute to the beneficial AT2R-mediated anti-fibrotic effects seen in preclinical models.
Axially‐confined in vivo single‐cell labeling by primed conversion using blue and red lasers with conventional confocal microscopes

Green‐to‐red photoconvertible fluorescent proteins have been found to undergo efficient photoconversion by a new method termed primed conversion that uses dual wave‐length illumination with blue and red/near‐infrared light. By modifying a confocal laser‐scanning microscope (CLSM) such that two laser beams only meet at the focal plane, confined photoconversion at the axial dimension has been achieved. The necessity of this custom modification to the CLSM, however, has precluded the wide‐spread use of this method. Here, we investigated whether spatially‐restricted primed conversion could be achieved with CLSM without any hardware modification. We found that the primed conversion of Dendra2 using a conventional CLSM with two visible lasers (473 nm and 635 nm) and a high NA objective lens (NA, 1.30) resulted in dramatic restriction of photoconversion volume: half‐width half‐maximum for the axial dimension was below 5 μm, which is comparable to the outcome of the original method that used the microscope modification. As a proof of this method's effectiveness, we used this technique in living zebrafish embryos and succeeded in revealing the complex anatomy of individual neurons packed between neighboring cells. Because unmodified CLSMs are widely available, this method can be widely applicable for labeling cells with single‐cell resolution.
Polymeric Gels: Pseudo Muscular Actuators And Variable Compliance Tendons

Flexibility is a fundamental requirement of robotic technology and of particular significance in this regard is the choice and availability of actuators and actuation systems [I]. Although the performance of actuators is known to be critical in determining the strength, speed of motion, power, response rate, compactness and in many cases the compliance exhibited by robots, the choice of drive systems remains primarily restricted to electric, hydraulic and pneumatic units [2]. These devices have been in existence for many years which is testament to their endurance and performance, but each suffers from well known and well documented drawbacks which place constraints on their application in robotics [2].
Vision for Robotics

Robot vision refers to the capability of a robot to visually perceive the environment and use this information for execution of various tasks. Visual feedback has been used extensively for robot navigation and obstacle avoidance. In the recent years, there are also examples that include interaction with people and manipulation of objects. In this paper, we review some of the work that goes beyond of using artificial landmarks and fiducial markers for the purpose of implementing vision-based control in robots. We discuss different application areas, both from the systems perspective and individual problems such as object tracking and recognition.
Exporting from Fragile States: Challenges and Opportunities

Although fragile states account for 15% of the global population they only contribute about 2% of exports. Trade is widely believed to be an important determinant of development. This paper analyses the challenges and opportunities faced by fragile states in their bid to diversify their economies and to break into export markets. Currently most of these countries benefit from preferential market access agreements and can export to OECD countries duty free and quota free. However, the trade schemes differ across OECD member countries; fragile states would benefit from their harmonisation. The current schemes also do not provide access for all goods – some agricultural products are excluded. OECD countries should open their markets to all goods from fragile states. Compliance with stringent OECD standards on animal, food and plant safety can also be an obstacle for exporters. Specific aid and technical assistance could help to address this problem. However, the paper also finds that domestic policies in the fragile states themselves are often the binding constraint for potential exporters. Specific “soft” industrial policies can therefore also help to overcome the main challenges of breaking into export markets: these include focusing on one specific task in the production chain, creating clusters of industries in one area, and building the capacity needed to enter the global market.
THE ECONOMICS OF AQUACULTURE INSURANCE: AN OVERVIEW OF THE U.S. PILOT INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR CULTIVATED CLAMS

One important issue affecting the continued growth and success of the aquaculture industry is risk management. Aquaculture producers face a number of production risks (e.g., weather, disease) that substantially affect their output quantity and quality. Crop insurance is one important potential mechanism for managing these risks, but aquaculture has historically had limited insurance availability in the United States, in part because of unique challenges associated with implementing crop insurance programs in aquatic settings. The Cultivated Clam Pilot Insurance Program, which began in 2000 in four Atlantic Coast states, is the first United States, federal crop insurance program for aquaculture. This program experienced relatively high loss ratios in the early years of the program, but substantial modifications beginning with the 2004 crop year resulted in a significant improvement in actuarial performance. Experiences with clam insurance can provide insight into the potential development and application of insurance programs for other aquaculture products.
Correlates of Employee Satisfaction With Stock Ownership: Who Likes an ESOP Most?

In this study, we examined the correlates of individual employee satisfaction with stock ownership in a sample of 37 employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) companies. The results indicated that ESOP satisfaction is a function of five factors: (a) characteristics of the company ESOP, (b) employee status within the ESOP, (c) employee values, (d) interactions between employee and ESOP characteristics, and (e) employees' general attitude toward the organization as a whole (organizational commitment). Together, these five factors accounted for 58% of the variance in ESOP satisfaction. The results both support and extend previous employee stock ownership research and theory. Despite increasing research attention (e.g., Conte & Tannenbaurn, 1978; French & Rosenstein, 1984; Hammer & Stern, 1980; Hochner & Granrose, 1985; Klein, 1987; Long, 1978; Rosen, Klein, & Young, 1986), important questions about the nature and determinants of employee attitudes toward stock ownership remain unanswered. Are all employees equally satisfied with stock ownership? If not, which factors distinguish the more satisfied from the less satisfied employees? How much do company-level factors explain differences in employee satisfaction with stock ownership? Are more highly paid employees more satisfied with stock ownership than lower paid employees? Are more educated employees more satisfied with ownership than less educated employees? To answer these questions, we proposed and tested a model of individual employee satisfaction with stock ownership. Before describing this model, we provide a brief introduction to employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).
Building a corporate identity using corporate social responsibility: a website based study of Indian banks

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to explore the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the formation of corporate identity. This paper examines the role of CSR activities performed by the banks through the analysis of information displayed on the websites and annual reports of the bank. Design/methodology/approach - – A content analysis approach has been applied and supported by the quantitative measures to identify the weightage of every dimension. Findings - – The findings show that in India most of the banks are using CSR practices in their operations and communicating all this information with the help of their websites. The dimensions and sub-dimensions are classified on the basis of stakeholder’s actions. Results reveal that banks are more concerned about their stakeholders and consider them in their corporate statements which help them to build their distinctive identity. Research limitations/implications - – The results are limited to only Indian banks, which cannot be applied in other financial sectors. Social implications - – This study has implications for those organizations that are planning to have policies and practices on CSR. Originality/value - – This kind of study is not available in the Indian context, so it will be helpful in generating the awareness and importance of CSR practices in building corporate identity.
DIVIDEND POLICY: ITS INFLUENCE ON THE VALUE OF THE ENTERPRISE

THE QUESTION BEFORE the house is whether dividends are in some sense of the word weighted differently from retained earnings at the margin in the minds of marginal investors. As evidenced by the current literature on the subject, the answer is by no means self-evident. Although the problem that confronts us can be approached in a variety of ways, our preference is to commence with net cash flows from operations and to consider the effect of additions to, and subtractions from, these flows upon stock values. ' Not only does this starting point by-pass certain measurement problems, but it also directs attention to the relevant variables in a manner that other approaches may not. Net cash flows from operations are available for (1) the payment of interest and principal on debt or the equivalent and (2) capital expenditures and dividend payments. Operating cash flows can, of course, be supplemented in any period by debt or equity financing. Debt financing creates obligations to pay out cash in future periods and thereby reduces cash flows available for capital expenditures and dividends in those periods. Equity financing, in turn, diminishes the pro rata share of total cash flows available for dividends and reinvestment. The stockholder shares in the operating cash flows of each period to the degree that cash dividends are declared and paid and in future cash flows insofar as they are reflected in the market price of the stock.2 In like fashion, the purchaser of a share of stock acquires (1) a finite stream of anticipated cash dividends and (2) an antici-
London in the European financial services industry: locational advantage and product complementarities

If its prospects were doubted in the early 1990s, London is now the pre-eminent international financial centre. It dominates its European rivals and is joined with New York and Tokyo in a non-stop reciprocal global embrace. Whereas some analysts approach this topic concentrating on the nature and quality of market relationships in London, others emphasise the role that government regulation has played in promoting the growth of the City of London with respect to its European rivals. Here, I elaborate the logic whereby financial products and services are produced at a particular point in space even if financial trading is an increasingly ubiquitous virtual activity. I emphasise the competitive dynamics of the financial services industry, the complementary qualities of financial products, and the place of London in corporate global transactions systems. I mean to show that the production of financial products has been brought to ground (so to speak) in London for a variety of (perhaps non-replicable) reasons. In this regard, my argument is clearly at odds with those analysts of information and communication technology who proclaim the end of geography. However, my argument sits uncomfortably with those who insist upon the persistence and co-existence of different national financial systems. Implications are drawn for the role of London in the evolving integrated European market for financial services, and for the future of continental European financial centres. Copyright 2002, Oxford University Press.