Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Credit volatility and productivity growth

Research background: The issues of finance-growth nexus and financial instability have attracted considerable attention, but have been studied in isolation. This paper aims at filling this gap by providing insights into the implications of financial instability for long term productivity growth. Purpose of the article: This paper sheds light on the relationship between credit-to-GDP ratio volatility and the total factor productivity (TFP) growth rate. The impact of systemic banking crises and financial depth on productivity growth is also studied. Methods: The System GMM estimation of panel data for over 100 countries and spanning the period of 1970–2009 is used. The decomposition of credit-to-GDP ratio into trend and cyclical component is performed using the Hodrick-Prescott filter and a regression analysis with country-specific intercepts and slopes. The data on TFP comes from the Penn World Tables database. Findings & Value added: TFP growth is negatively affected by credit volatility, mainly in less technologically advanced countries, while financial depth exerts a negative influence on TFP growth in economies with superior technology. Systemic banking crises and the concomitant credit crunches have a negative impact on productivity growth, regardless of the level of technological development. Moreover, the level of human capital, patents and globalization fuel productivity growth. Macroeconomic instability, measured by the rate of inflation, hampers TFP growth.
Does Partner Volatility Have Firm Value Relevance? An Empirical Analysis of Part Suppliers

Considering the lifecycle of products, firms are releasing new products through diversified strategic partnerships via the global supply chain. As the uncertainty about the future increases and strategic partnership grows more important, part suppliers are becoming more and more significant in assessing firm value. From the perspective of the signaling effect, this study analyzed the impact of partner volatility (new partner, old partner, revocation partner) on firm value in terms of global supply chain management. Regarding both Apple and Samsung which have bisected the premium smart phone market, research results reveal that companies eliminated from partnership selection are found to show negative signaling effect, and the newly selected companies have the stronger innovative capacity and higher signaling effect of higher excess earning rate than that of re-selected companies. The findings indicate that the partner volatility of partner companies work as a reliable investment signal for investors to recognize as an investment indication, contributing to firm value. In particular, it is meaningful to confirm that a new partner’s differentiated R&D capacity is a key factor of new product launching and a significant variable capable of determining a firm’s survival in the smart phone market.
Injury mitigation estimates for an intersection driver assistance system in straight crossing path crashes in the United States

ABSTRACT Objective: Accounting for one fifth of all crashes and one sixth of all fatal crashes in the United States, intersection crashes are among the most frequent and fatal crash modes. Intersection advanced driver assistance systems (I-ADAS) are emerging vehicle-based active safety systems that aim to help drivers safely navigate intersections. The objective of this study was to estimate the number of crashes and number of vehicles with a seriously injured driver (Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale [MAIS] 3+) that could be prevented or reduced if, for every straight crossing path (SCP) intersection crash, one of the vehicles had been equipped with an I-ADAS. Methods: This study retrospectively simulated 448 U.S. SCP crashes as if one of the vehicles had been equipped with I-ADAS. Crashes were reconstructed to determine the path and speeds traveled by the vehicles. Cases were then simulated with I-ADAS. A total of 30 variations of I-ADAS were considered in this study. These variations consisted of 5 separate activation timing thresholds, 3 separate computational latency times, and 2 different I-ADAS response modalities (i.e., a warning or autonomous braking). The likelihood of a serious driver injury was computed for every vehicle in every crash using impact delta-V. The results were then compiled across all crashes in order to estimate system effectiveness. Results: The model predicted that an I-ADAS that delivers an alert to the driver has the potential to prevent 0–23% of SCP crashes and 0–25% of vehicles with a seriously injured driver. Conversely, an I-ADAS that autonomously brakes was found to have the potential to prevent 25–59% of crashes and 38–79% of vehicles with a seriously injured driver. I-ADAS effectiveness is a strong function of design. Increasing computational latency time from 0 to 0.5 s was found to reduce crash and injury prevention estimates by approximately one third. For an I-ADAS that delivers an alert, crash/injury prevention effectiveness was found to be very sensitive to changes in activation timing (warning delivered 1.0 to 3.0 s prior to impact). If autonomous braking was used, system effectiveness was found to largely plateau for activation timings greater than 1.5 s prior to impact. In general, the results of this study suggest that I-ADAS will be 2–3 times more effective if an autonomous braking system is utilized over a warning-based system. Conclusions: This study highlights the potential effectiveness of I-ADAS in the U.S. vehicle fleet, while also indicating the sensitivity of system effectiveness to design specifications. The results of this study should be considered by designers of I-ADAS and evaluators of this technology considering a future I-ADAS safety test.
Diet, Helicobacter pylori, and p53 mutations in gastric cancer: a molecular epidemiology study in Italy.

A series of 105 gastric cancer (GC) cases with paraffin-embedded specimens interviewed in a previous population-based case-control study conducted in a high-risk area around Florence, Italy, was examined for the presence of p53 mutations. Overall, 33 of 105 cases had a mutation (p53+) identified by single-strand conformational polymorphism and confirmed by sequencing (Y-H. Shiao et al., submitted for publication). p53+ cases had a more traditional dietary pattern (i.e., corn meal mush, meat soup, and other homemade dishes) and reported less frequent consumption of raw vegetables (particularly lettuce and raw carrots). A positive association with a high nitrite intake and a negative association with raw vegetables and diffuse type histology persisted in a multivariate analysis. In addition, p53+ cases tended to be located in the upper portion of the stomach and to be associated with advanced age and blood group A. No relation was found between the presence of p53 mutations and histologically defined Helicobacter pylori infection, smoking history, family history of gastric cancer, education, and social class. Of the 33 p53+ cases, 19 had G:C-->A:T transitions at CpG sites. These tumors tended to occur in females and in association with H. pylori infection but not other risk factors. The remaining 14 cases with a p53 mutation had mainly transversions but also two deletions and two transitions at non-CpG sites. These tumors showed a strong positive association with a traditional dietary pattern and with the estimated intake of selected nutrients (nitrite, protein, and fat, particularly from animal sources). The findings of this case-case analysis suggest that p53 mutations at non-CpG sites are related to exposure to alkylating compounds from diet, whereas p53 mutations at CpG sites might be related to H. pylori infection.
International Financial Markets: An Application of the Principal Component Analysis on Dependent Data

This study analyzed the analyze the integration pattern (co-movements) of the international financial markets of 25 countries, in the period from 1997 to 2015, by means of the principal component analysis, applied to the residuals of the VAR-GARCH model. The results showed that, in the subprime crisis period, there was a substantial increase of the integration between the countries, in terms of co-movements of the financial indexes (“contagion effect”), especially for the developed countries. During the review period, Asian countries reached the second position with regard to the percentage of explanation of the variability of returns indices and it the growth of China's participation was observed. Even over time, the economic, political and geographical features seem to be crucial in terms of financial integration by countries.
Recovery of Postural Equilibrium Control following Spaceflight a

Decreased postural stability is observed in most astronauts immediately following spaceflight. Because ataxia may present postflight operational hazards, it is important to determine the incidence of postural instability immediately following landing and the dynamics of recovery of normal postural equilibrium control. It is postulated that postflight postural instability results from in-flight adaptive changes in central nervous system (CNS) processing of sensory information from the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the magnitude and time course of postflight recovery of postural equilibrium control and, hence, readaptation of CNS processing of sensory information. Thirteen crew members from six spaceflight missions were studied pre- and postflight using a modified commercial posturography system. Postural equilibrium control was found to be seriously disrupted immediately following spaceflight in all subjects. Readaptation to the terrestrial environment began immediately upon landing, proceeded rapidly for the first 10-12 hours, and then proceeded much more slowly for the subsequent 2-4 days until preflight stability levels were reachieved. It is concluded that the overall postflight recovery of postural stability follows a predictable time course.
Deconstructing resilience: why gender and power matter in responding to climate stress in Bangladesh

Resilience is increasingly becoming the new buzz word. This paper examines the utility of the concept of resilience for understanding the gendered experiences of women to climate stress, through case study research in South-west Bangladesh. It provides evidence that resilience, as commonly understood, is inadequate for understanding the intersecting vulnerabilities that women face because of embedded socio-cultural norms and practices. These vulnerabilities culminate in a gendered experience of climate stress, where some groups of women are more likely go without education, food and access to good quality water. Such circuits of control highlight the importance of a more radical, transformational, gendered and power sensitive frame for moving beyond coping mechanisms to strategies that deal with the fundamental root causes of vulnerability to climate stress. A failure to do so risks further reinforcing gender inequalities due to the reality of social difference and inequities within local power structures.
Temporal control of the dephosphorylation of Cdk substrates by mitotic exit pathways in budding yeast

The temporal phosphorylation of cell cycle-related proteins by cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) is critical for the correct order of cell cycle events. In budding yeast, CDC28 encodes the only Cdk and its association with various cyclins governs the temporal phosphorylation of Cdk substrates. S-phase Cdk substrates are phosphorylated earlier than mitotic Cdk substrates, which ensures the sequential order of DNA synthesis and mitosis. However, it remains unclear whether Cdk substrates are dephosphorylated in temporally distinct windows. Cdc14 is a conserved protein phosphatase responsible for the dephosphorylation of Cdk substrates. In budding yeast, FEAR (Cdc14 early anaphase release) and MEN (mitotic exit network) activate phosphatase Cdc14 by promoting its release from the nucleolus in early and late anaphase, respectively. Here, we show that the sequential Cdc14 release and the distinct degradation timing of different cyclins provides the molecular basis for the differential dephosphorylation windows of S-phase and mitotic cyclin substrates. Our data also indicate that FEAR-induced dephosphorylation of S-phase Cdk substrates facilitates anaphase progression, revealing an extra layer of mitotic regulation.
Colour vision testing as an aid to diagnosis and management of age related maculopathy

Aim: To provide a simple test that detects the onset of age related maculopathy (ARM), and can be used to monitor its severity. Methods: Colour contrast sensitivity was measured using computer graphics techniques. Colour thresholds were measured along tritan and protan colour confusion axes in the presence of dynamic luminance noise. Thresholds were determined separately for two sizes of optotypes (6.5° and 1.5°). Natural pupils were used. Normal values for the test have been established. Results: In all patients with unilateral age related macular degeneration, the smaller optotype was invisible in that eye and in almost all, the larger optotype could not be seen. In the symptomless fellow eyes (with ARM) the larger optotype thresholds were raised. The degree of loss was larger for tritan. For the smaller optotype, protan thresholds were elevated in the majority of patients. Tritan losses were greater and disproportionate to the loss seen with the larger optotype. Every person including those with minimal fundal changes had tritan test results for 1.5 degree optotypes >2 SD above the normal mean. Tritan thresholds varied with the severity of the ARM. Conclusions: The test is sensitive, simple and quick to administer, and easy for patients. Therefore, it should be useful in detecting and monitoring elderly people with age related changes in their fundi before irreversible loss of vision has occurred.
Epistatic effects between two genes in the renin-angiotensin system and systolic blood pressure and coronary artery calcification.

BACKGROUND Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is an important indicator of future coronary artery disease events. Since elevated blood pressure (BP) is an important predictor of CAC, genetic polymorphisms in the renin-angiotensin system and their interaction may play a role in explaining CAC quantity variation. MATERIAL/METHODS As part of the Epidemiology of Coronary Artery Calcification Study, 166 asymptomatic women and 166 asymptomatic men were genotyped for the insertion/deletion polymorphism in the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene and the -6 promoter polymorphism of the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene. We used a novel method to detect gene-gene interaction and compared it to the standard two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) method. RESULTS Based on a two-way ANOVA model, there was no evidence for epistasis for either systolic BP or CAC in either men or women. However, using a novel method, we found evidence of significant gene-gene interaction in systolic BP in men and gene-gene interaction in both systolic BP levels and CAC quantity in women. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that new methods of assessing epistasis maybe important in understanding the complex genetics of systolic blood pressure as well as subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.
Distinguishing the Effects of Familiarity, Relatedness, and Color Pattern Rarity on Attractiveness and Measuring Their Effects on Sexual Selection in Guppies (Poecilia reticulata)

Mate choice is often based on multiple signal traits and can be influenced by context‐dependent factors. Understanding the importance of these signals and factors can be difficult because they are often correlated and might interact. Here, we experimentally disentangle the effects of familiarity, kinship, pattern rarity, and ornament patterns on mate choice in guppies. We estimate whether these factors alter sexual selection on six phenotypic traits known to influence male attractiveness. Rarity of the male’s phenotype is the only context‐dependent factor that significantly influenced female mating decisions, with common patterns being least attractive. This preference for rare male patterns is a source of negative frequency‐dependent selection that may contribute to maintaining the extreme polymorphism in male guppy coloration. Neither visual familiarity nor relatedness between mating partners had any significant effect on mate choice decisions. There was significant linear and nonlinear sexual selection on ornamental traits, but this was not influenced by the context‐dependent measures. Our approach highlights the complexity of female mate choice and sexual selection, as well as the value of combining multifactorial experiments with multivariate selection analyses. Our study shows that both negative frequency‐dependent selection and disruptive selection contribute to the maintenance of extreme polymorphism in guppies.
The assembled structure of a complete tripartite bacterial multidrug efflux pump

Bacteria like Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa expel drugs via tripartite multidrug efflux pumps spanning both inner and outer membranes and the intervening periplasm. In these pumps a periplasmic adaptor protein connects a substrate-binding inner membrane transporter to an outer membrane-anchored TolC-type exit duct. High-resolution structures of all 3 components are available, but a pump model has been precluded by the incomplete adaptor structure, because of the apparent disorder of its N and C termini. We reveal that the adaptor termini assemble a β-roll structure forming the final domain adjacent to the inner membrane. The completed structure enabled in vivo cross-linking to map intermolecular contacts between the adaptor AcrA and the transporter AcrB, defining a periplasmic interface between several transporter subdomains and the contiguous β-roll, β-barrel, and lipoyl domains of the adaptor. With short and long cross-links expressed as distance restraints, the flexible linear topology of the adaptor allowed a multidomain docking approach to model the transporter–adaptor complex, revealing that the adaptor docks to a transporter region of comparative stability distinct from those key to the proposed rotatory pump mechanism, putative drug-binding pockets, and the binding site of inhibitory DARPins. Finally, we combined this docking with our previous resolution of the AcrA hairpin–TolC interaction to develop a model of the assembled tripartite complex, satisfying all of the experimentally-derived distance constraints. This AcrA3-AcrB3-TolC3 model presents a 610,000-Da, 270-Å-long efflux pump crossing the entire bacterial cell envelope.
Pseudorabies virus and equine herpesvirus 1 share a nonessential gene which is absent in other herpesviruses and located adjacent to a highly conserved gene cluster

We have determined the nucleotide sequence and transcriptional pattern of a group of open reading frames in the pseudorabies virus (PrV) genome located near the left end of the unique long region within BamHI 5' fragment at map positions 0.01 to 0.06. The 7,412-bp BamHI 5' fragment was found to contain five complete open reading frames and part of a sixth whose deduced amino acid sequences showed homology to the UL50 (partial), UL51, UL52, UL53, and UL54 gene products of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and corresponding genes identified in other alphaherpesviruses. Homologs to the UL55 and UL56 genes of HSV-1 were not detected. However, we identified a gene with homology only to the first open reading frame (ORF-1) of the equine herpesvirus 1 strain Ab4 (E. A. Telford, M. S. Watson, K. McBride, and A. J. Davison, Virology 189:304-316, 1992). Northern blot analyses revealed unique mRNAs for the UL51, UL54, and ORF-1 genes and a set of 3'-coterminal mRNAs for the UL52 to UL54 genes. A PrV mutant lacking ORF-1 was isolated after deletion of ORF-1 coding sequences and insertion of a lacZ expression cassette. The ORF-1- PrV mutant was able to productively replicate in noncomplementing cells to levels similar to those of wild-type PrV, proving that ORF-1 is not essential for replication of PrV in cell culture. The conservation of this gene between PrV and equine herpesvirus 1 documents the close evolutionary relationship between these animal herpesviruses and points to a possible function of the respective proteins in infection of the natural host.
Theories From the Lab: How Research on Science Commercialization Can Contribute to Management Studies

Universities and research centres have long been used to study management issues. A growing body of research has focused on how science can be effectively commercialized, emphasizing technology commercialization activities, university–industry collaborations, and academic entrepreneurship. While much of this work has documented empirical relationships, our aim in this introductory article of the special issue is to show how research on science commercialization may yield conceptual contributions to the field of management. Hence, we first discuss the importance of context for theory development. We then review how the science commercialization context has been used for theory development, identifying two facets used to conceptualize science commercialization (i.e., managing the transition between institutional contexts, and the multiple goals and impacts of actors engaging in science commercialization). This forms the basis for discussing what makes this context suited for theory development in general management and for outlining a future research agenda. We conclude by summarizing the papers in the special issue.
Solid solubility limited dopant activation of group III dopants (B, Ga & In) in Ge targeting sub-7nm node low p+ contact resistance

Low contact resistance (Rc) is key to boost device performance for sub-10nm node. At VLSI Technology Symposium 2016 Samsung reported they reduced Rc by 10% from 14nm to 10nm bulk FinFET technology [1]. TSMC in their beyond 10nm node FinFET paper reported reducing S/D (source/drain) parasitic resistance and enhanced contact process [2] and at IEDM-2016 reported 7nm FinFET reduced S/D parasitic resistance and developed a novel contact process [3]. A complete session #7 was dedicated to “Contact Resistance Innovations for Sub 10nm Scaling” with 4 papers at the VLSI Technology Symposium 2016 [4-7]. To achieve Rc in the low E-9 Ωcm<sup>2</sup> requires active dopant carrier concentration >5E20/cm<sup>3</sup> to low E21/cm<sup>3</sup>. For SiP n+ S/D contacts P >1E21/cm<sup>3</sup> active dopant carrier concentration is realized with laser melt annealing resulting in Rc <1E-9 Ωcm<sup>2</sup> [6]. For 70%-SiGe p+ S/D contacts IMEC reported using pre and post Ge amorphous implants to boost the B-implant activation with nsec laser melt annealing to reduce Rc from 1.2E-8 Ωcm<sup>2</sup> to 2.1E-9 Ωcm<sup>2</sup> [4]. IBM/GF on the other hand reported reducing SiGe p+ S/D Rc from 1.3E-8 Ωcm<sup>2</sup> to 1.9E-9 Ωcm<sup>2</sup> by using a thin 12nm 100%-Ge trench-epi and switching from a p+ Ge:B to a p+ Ge:B:group-III metastable alloy for surface interface doping [8]. The group-III Me-alloy in Ge boosted p+ dopant activation from ∼1E19/cm<sup>3</sup> with B to ∼8E20/cm<sup>3</sup> with Ge+Me-alloy. They mentioned no difference between msec non-melt and nsec melt laser annealing.