Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measuring Private Equity Stock Reactions

This article presents preliminary evidence on the ability of an adjusted AR to enhance the materiality and significance levels in AR-based event studies. A case example of differences between the standard AR measure used in most event studies and the adjusted AR is provided. In tests of 240 equity private placements of publicly held companies between 1983 and 1996, the adjusted AR measure dominates the standard AR measure across various sample sizes. As the sample size decreases, the adjusted measure retains the ability to detect material and significant price increases while the standard AR measure's ability declines.
Do Family-Owned Businesses Have a Strategic Advantage in International Joint Ventures?

In an increasingly turbulent global economic environment, companies are searching for winning ways of doing business internationally. One frequently discussed type of business is the joint venture. In this article, we argue that the likelihood of success for an international joint venture increases when both partners are family-owned businesses. These firms have shared values and goals that enable them to bridge cultural barriers more effectively than publicly held corporations.
Key steps towards a European Union homelessness policy

This article explores the impact of the European Union (EU) on homelessness policy-making. Homelessness policy has undoubtedly been influenced at different levels, but the main framework for working on homelessness at the EU level in a targeted way over the last 10 years has been the social Open Method of Coordination (OMC). The article examines the emergence, through the social OMC, of the foundations of of an EU homelessness policy by looking at key mechanisms through which homelessness emerged on the EU agenda, and the first signs of EU impact on homelessness policy dynamics. The interconnection between local actions, national measures and the EU policy arena on homelessness is increasingly evident, to the extent that the EU is now in a position to support Member States to address homelessness.
Amylin found in amyloid deposits in human type 2 diabetes mellitus may be a hormone that regulates glycogen metabolism in skeletal muscle.

Diabetes-associated peptide has recently been isolated and characterized from the amyloid of the islets of Langerhans in type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetics, and immunoreactivity with antibodies to the peptide has been demonstrated in islet B cells of both normal and type 2 diabetic subjects. In view of the evidence presented in this paper that this 37-amino acid peptide may be a hormone present in normal individuals, we now propose the name "amylin" to replace "diabetes-associated peptide. " Because increased amylin, deposited as amyloid within the islets of Langerhans, is characteristic of type 2 diabetes, the study below was performed to examine the possible effects of amylin on peripheral glucose metabolism. Whole amylin was synthesized by using solid-phase techniques, with formation of the disulfide linkage by oxidation in dilute aqueous solution and recovery of the peptide by lyophilization. The effects of amylin on glucose metabolism were studied in two preparations in vitro, isolated rat soleus muscle strips and isolated rat adipocytes. In skeletal muscle exposed to 120 nM amylin for 1 hr, there was a marked decrease in both basal and submaximally insulin-stimulated rates of glycogen synthesis, which resulted in significant reduction in the rates of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. In muscles treated with amylin there was no response at the concentration of insulin required to stimulate glucose uptake half-maximally in untreated (control) muscles. In marked contrast, amylin had no effect on either basal or insulin-stimulated rates of glucose incorporation into either CO2 or triacylglycerol in isolated adipocytes. Therefore, amylin may be a factor in the etiology of the insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus, as both deposition of the peptide in islet amyloid and decreased rates of glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in skeletal muscle are characteristic of this condition.
Hippo Pathway–Dependent and –Independent Roles of RASSF6

RASSF6 is both an inhibitor and a promoter of apoptosis, and its proapoptotic activity is regulated by the mammalian kinase MST2, a Hippo homolog. Apoptosis, With or Without Hippo The Hippo signaling pathway, named after the kinase Hippo, limits organ size without affecting patterning, and the components of this pathway are conserved from Drosophila to mammals. Drosophila RASSF (Ras association domain family) not only inhibits Hippo signaling and thus counters Hippo-mediated apoptosis, but also exhibits tumor suppressor function. Of the 10 mammalian RASSF isoforms, the best-characterized isoform, RASSF1A, activates the mammalian homologs of Hippo (the MST kinases), which contrasts with the role of dRASSF. Ikeda et al. show that RASSF6 represents another twist in the RASSF protein family. RASSF6 and MST2 are mutual inhibitors: Activation of MST2 disrupted binding of RASSF6 to MST2, enabling MST2 to induce apoptosis through a process dependent on the Hippo pathway and allowing RASSF6 to mediate apoptosis through a Hippo-independent pathway. These results suggest that mammalian RASSF isoforms may have divergent functions and may link the Hippo pathway to other signal transduction cascades. The Hippo pathway restricts cell growth and proliferation and promotes apoptosis to control organ size. The Drosophila melanogaster isoform of RASSF (Ras association domain family; dRASSF) antagonizes proapoptotic Hippo signaling by inhibiting the binding of the adaptor protein Salvador to the kinase Hippo. Paradoxically, however, dRASSF also functions as a tumor suppressor. In mammals, RASSF1A induces apoptosis by stimulating the mammalian Ste20–like kinases (MSTs) 1 and 2, which are Hippo homologs. Here, we characterize the interaction between MST2 and another mammalian RASSF isoform, RASSF6. When bound to MST2, RASSF6 inhibited MST2 activity to antagonize Hippo signaling. However, RASSF6 caused apoptosis when released from activated MST2 in a manner dependent on WW45, the mammalian Salvador homolog. Thus, RASSF6 antagonizes Hippo signaling and mediates apoptosis through a pathway that is parallel to the canonical Hippo pathway. Our findings suggest that activation of MST2 causes apoptosis through the Hippo pathway, as well as through a RASSF6-mediated pathway.
Contractual Enforcement Institutions and the Structure of Information

Many economic writers on contract theory have assumed that legal institutions are simply unable to do the job of enforcement, and have thus attempted to devise arrangements that motivate the parties to keep their commitments even though a government tribunal would be unable to tell whether they had performed. But non-legal enforcement mechanisms operate both as substitutes and complements for legal mechanisms (and as substitutes and complements for each other). This essay sketches how parties should choose among available enforcement mechanisms, based on the costs of information and other transaction costs.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae-derived heptose elicits an innate immune response and drives HIV-1 expression

Clinical and epidemiological synergy exists between the globally important sexually transmitted infections, gonorrhea and HIV. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which causes gonorrhea, is particularly adept at driving HIV-1 expression, but the molecular determinants of this relationship remain undefined. N. gonorrhoeae liberates a soluble factor that potently induces expression from the HIV-1 LTR in coinfected cluster of differentiation 4-positive (CD4+) T lymphocytes, but this factor is not a previously described innate effector. A genome-wide mutagenesis approach was undertaken to reveal which component(s) of N. gonorrhoeae induce HIV-1 expression in CD4+ T lymphocytes. A mutation in the ADP-heptose biosynthesis gene, hldA, rendered the bacteria unable to induce HIV-1 expression. The hldA mutant has a truncated lipooligosaccharide structure, contains lipid A in its outer membrane, and remains bioactive in a TLR4 reporter-based assay but did not induce HIV-1 expression. Mass spectrometry analysis of extensively fractionated N. gonorrhoeae-derived supernatants revealed that the LTR-inducing fraction contained a compound having a mass consistent with heptose-monophosphate (HMP). Heptose is a carbohydrate common in microbes but is absent from the mammalian glycome. Although ADP-heptose biosynthesis is common among Gram-negative bacteria, and heptose is a core component of most lipopolysaccharides, N. gonorrhoeae is peculiar in that it effectively liberates HMP during growth. This N. gonorrhoeae-derived HMP activates CD4+ T cells to invoke an NF-κB–dependent transcriptional response that drives HIV-1 expression and viral production. Our study thereby shows that heptose is a microbial-specific product that is sensed as an innate immune agonist and unveils the molecular link between N. gonorrhoeae and HIV-1.
Statistical Fusion of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Observations for Aided Target Recognition

The use of computers and sensors to detect and classify targets, often called aided target recognition (ATR), is an important component of military and civilian surveillance. Carrying it out from unmanned aerial vehicles is expensive in terms of both manpower and hardware. In this paper, we discuss the creation of a distributed ATR (DATR) method which replaces a single monolithic approach to ATR with a more robust multi-agent method. We present software and algorithms which have been developed for the purpose of testing and proving the validity of DATR, as well as some of the implementation possibilities and steps which we have taken to further prove the validity of the approach. Our examples and experiments with the normal light-weight ATR algorithms for our agents, combined with a fusion method based on belief calculus to demonstrate what DATR would perform like, show the validity of the approach
Monitoring by Auditors: The Case of Public Housing Authorities

ABSTRACT: We take advantage of the unique reporting requirements of nonprofit public housing authorities (PHAs) to study the effect of audits on financial information both generally and when there are management incentives to misreport financial data. There is little prior research on the effect of audit adjustments in nonprofit settings and conflicting research on how auditors react to management's incentives to misreport. We identify potential financial statement areas at risk of manipulation based on incentives specific to public housing authorities. Using pre- and post-audit financial data for almost 3,600 PHAs across seven years, we find that auditors make economically and statistically significant adjustments to PHA financial statements. In addition, we find evidence that audits appear to reduce potential management bias, particularly to reduce risks of overstatement. Overall, audits appear to matter in this nonprofit, low-litigation risk setting where there is a large concentration of non-Big 4 au.
Superconducting joint between Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor tapes

We evaluated the effects of joining processes such as contact method, shape of joined area and pressure on the electrical and mechanical properties of Bi-2223 superconducting tape. Specifically, the current carrying capacity and bonding strength of the lap-joined tape were measured as a function of uniaxial pressure and correlated to the microstructural evolution. It was observed that the current carrying capacity was reduced in the transition region of the jointed tape and was significantly dependent on the uniaxial pressure. The jointed tape, fabricated with a pressure of 1,600 MPa, showed the highest value of current capacity 90% of the tape itself. It is believed that the highest value of current capacity results from improvements in core density, contacting area and grain alignment. In addition, bonding strength of the jointed tape was evaluated and correlated to the microstructural evolution.
Assessing the Contribution of Genetic Enhancements and Fertilizer Application Regimes on Canola Yield and Production Risk in Manitoba

"The number of canola varieties released, since the enactment of Plant Breeders' Rights (PBR) legislation in Canada in 1990, has increased substantively. The effect of genetic enhancements, including PBR, on canola yield and its variance is estimated for canola production regions of Manitoba using the Just-Pope production function. Diagnostic tests reveal the presence of heteroscedasticity in the data. The percentage of varieties seeded with PBR has a negligible effect on canola yield. Hybrid and herbicide tolerant varieties (HY/HT) seeded on over 90% of canola production area increases average yield by about 6.8%. Increased spatial diversity (more varieties planted on fewer acres) has reduced canola yield by up to 1.7%. Temporal diversity (turnover of varieties) has no significant impact on yield. Nitrogen and sulphur fertilizers are yield increasing. The variance of yield is not impacted by PBR, HY/HT, other technology measures, or by fertilizer other than potassium. Canola breeding programs have not compromised canola yield stability. " Copyright 2006 Canadian Agricultural Economics Society.
CONSUMER WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR REDUCTIONS IN THE RISK OF FOOD POISONING IN THE UK

The paper employs contingent valuation to estimate “willingness to pay” for reductions in the risk of food poisoning. The analysis accounts for the range of adverse health effects resulting from nonfatal cases of food poisoning as well as the risk of loss of life. A number of hypotheses regarding the value consumers attach to improvements in food safety are explored based on the results from a contingent valuation survey. Regression analysis is used to assess the factors influencing expressed “willingness to pay” for safer food, including demographic factors, personal experience of food poisoning and beliefs and attitudes about food-borne risk.
Strategic Compensation

Given that continued pressure will be levied on public sector organizations to provide higher levels of service while maintaining low costs, the importance of considering an organization's relative position in the regional labor market should not be understated. Using efficiency wage theory as a theoretical foundation, this research examines the use of market-clearing wages as a tool for strategic compensation in the public sector. Two separate survey instruments were distributed to municipalities in the Chicago suburban metropolitan area: a salary and fringe benefits survey and a reputational service quality (RSQ) questionnaire. The primary finding of this research indicates that efficiency wage rates are a significant predictor of increased reputational service quality, suggesting that municipal organizations may be able to leverage their reputation as a tool for increasing economic development and attracting more affluent residents to the community.
Northern Rock: Solutions and Problems

September brought the United Kingdom its first mass market bank run. Although there had been bank runs in the nineteenth century, with the last in 1866, very few people then had bank accounts so the runs were not in any sense comparable with what happened to Northern Rock, which showed a failure of mass retail banking.
Gene doping in sports: the science and ethics of genetically modified athletes.

Publisher Summary The chapter examines the scientific basis for this potential problem highlighting the scientific, ethical, and public policy considerations that the sports community, and society-at-large should understand and sort out. The societies have largely come to accept the idea that this kind of manipulation of sports and sports performance is undesirable, and requires control, regulation, and even banning. The considerations of devising bans on drug use in sports have been based on considerations, such as doping in sports is cheating and unfair, doping harms the athletes, doping harms even non-doping athletes, doping harms society, bans musts be enforceable, and therefore require complex infrastructures for fair and just implementation, doping represents a perversion of sports, and doping is unnatural and dehumanizing. The international sports community has recognized, for many years, the dangers of all forms of doping, but it has been only in the recent past that serious and increasingly effective regulatory mechanisms have been put into place for the detection and control of drug-based doping in sports. The chapter also presents the background for potential gene-based doping and explains the ways in that this threat has emerged from the new area of medicine called “gene therapy. ” It will examine whether the tools of medically justifiable genetic modification of human subjects are appropriate for modification of human non-disease traits for what are called “genetic enhancement,” and to indicate conclusion that a sport represents an area in that this development in human biology is likely to be first tested. The chapter concludes that, for scientific, social, and ethical reasons, the use of gene transfer methods to enhance sports performance is to be condemned.
Buried-channel GaAs MESFET's with frequency-independent output conductance

The output conductance of GaAs MESFET's is shown to be a function of frequency and to have a well-defined temperature dependence. This behavior is in agreement with other reports of the behavior of GaAs ion-implanted MESFET's. The output conductance of buried-channel GaAs MESFET's is shown to be independent of frequency and temperature. This is an important improvement in the output characteristics with many implications for GaAs analog and digital circuits.
Transmit Antenna Selection for Physical-Layer Network Coding Based on Euclidean Distance

Physical-layer network coding (PNC) is now well- known as a potential candidate for delay-sensitive and spectrally efficient communication applications, especially in two-way relay channels (TWRCs). In this paper, we present the error performance analysis of a multiple-input single- output (MISO) fixed network coding (FNC) system with two different transmit antenna selection (TAS) schemes. For the first scheme, where the antenna selection is performed based on the strongest channel, we derive a tight closed-form upper bound on the average symbol error rate (SER) with M-ary modulation and show that the system achieves a diversity order of 1 for M > 2. Next, we propose a Euclidean distance (ED) based antenna selection scheme which outperforms the first scheme in terms of error performance and is shown to achieve a diversity order lower bounded by the minimum of the number of antennas at the two users.
BioVLAB-MMIA: A Cloud Environment for microRNA and mRNA Integrated Analysis (MMIA) on Amazon EC2

MicroRNAs, by regulating the expression of hundreds of target genes, play critical roles in developmental biology and the etiology of numerous diseases, including cancer. As a vast amount of microRNA expression profile data are now publicly available, the integration of microRNA expression data sets with gene expression profiles is a key research problem in life science research. However, the ability to conduct genome-wide microRNA-mRNA (gene) integration currently requires sophisticated, high-end informatics tools, significant expertise in bioinformatics and computer science to carry out the complex integration analysis. In addition, increased computing infrastructure capabilities are essential in order to accommodate large data sets. In this study, we have extended the BioVLAB cloud workbench to develop an environment for the integrated analysis of microRNA and mRNA expression data, named BioVLAB-MMIA. The workbench facilitates computations on the Amazon EC2 and S3 resources orchestrated by the XBaya Workflow Suite. The advantages of BioVLAB-MMIA over the web-based MMIA system include: 1) readily expanded as new computational tools become available; 2) easily modifiable by re-configuring graphic icons in the workflow; 3) on-demand cloud computing resources can be used on an “as needed” basis; 4) distributed orchestration supports complex and long running workflows asynchronously. We believe that BioVLAB-MMIA will be an easy-to-use computing environment for researchers who plan to perform genome-wide microRNA-mRNA (gene) integrated analysis tasks.
Risk measuring under liquidity risk

ABSTRACT We present a general framework for measuring the liquidity risk. The theoretical framework defines risk measures that incorporate the liquidity risk into the standard risk measures. We consider a one-period risk measurement model. The liquidity risk is defined as the risk that a security or a portfolio of securities cannot be sold or bought without causing changes in prices. The risk measures are decomposed into two terms, one measuring the risk of the future value of a given position in a security or a portfolio of securities and the other the initial cost of this position. Within the framework of coherent risk measures, the risk measures applied to the random part of the future value of a position in a determinate security are increasing monotonic and convex cash sub-additive on long positions. The contrary, in certain situations, holds for the sell positions. By using convex risk measures, we apply our framework to the situation in which large trades are broken into many small ones. Dual representation results are obtained for both positions in securities and portfolios. We give many examples of risk measures and derive for each of them the respective capital requirement. In particular, we discuss the VaR measure.
Electron–phonon coupling from finite differences

The interaction between electrons and phonons underlies multiple phenomena in physics, chemistry, and materials science. Examples include superconductivity, electronic transport, and the temperature dependence of optical spectra. A first-principles description of electron–phonon coupling enables the study of the above phenomena with accuracy and material specificity, which can be used to understand experiments and to predict novel effects and functionality. In this topical review, we describe the first-principles calculation of electron–phonon coupling from finite differences. The finite differences approach provides several advantages compared to alternative methods, in particular (i) any underlying electronic structure method can be used, and (ii) terms beyond the lowest order in the electron–phonon interaction can be readily incorporated. But these advantages are associated with a large computational cost that has until recently prevented the widespread adoption of this method. We describe some recent advances, including nondiagonal supercells and thermal lines, that resolve these difficulties, and make the calculation of electron–phonon coupling from finite differences a powerful tool. We review multiple applications of the calculation of electron–phonon coupling from finite differences, including the temperature dependence of optical spectra, superconductivity, charge transport, and the role of defects in semiconductors. These examples illustrate the advantages of finite differences, with cases where semilocal density functional theory is not appropriate for the calculation of electron–phonon coupling and many-body methods such as the GW approximation are required, as well as examples in which higher-order terms in the electron–phonon interaction are essential for an accurate description of the relevant phenomena. We expect that the finite difference approach will play a central role in future studies of the electron–phonon interaction.