Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Logic and Limits of Event Studies in Securities Fraud Litigation

Event studies have become increasingly important in securities fraud litigation after the Supreme Court’s decision in Halliburton II. Litigants have used event study methodology, which empirically analyzes the relationship between the disclosure of corporate information and the issuer’s stock price, to provide evidence in the evaluation of key elements of federal securities fraud, including materiality, reliance, causation, and damages. As the use of event studies grows and they increasingly serve a gatekeeping function in determining whether litigation will proceed beyond a preliminary stage, it will be critical for courts to use them correctly. This Article explores an array of considerations related to the use of event studies in securities fraud litigation. It starts by describing the basic function of the event study: to determine whether a highly unusual price movement has occurred and the traditional statistical approach to making that determination. The Article goes on to identify special features of securities fraud litigation that distinguish litigation from the scholarly context in which event studies were developed. The Article highlights the fact that the standard approach can lead to the wrong conclusion and describes the adjustments necessary to address the litigation context. We use the example of six dates in the Halliburton litigation to illustrate these points. Finally, the Article highlights the limitations of event studies – what they can and cannot prove – and explains how those limitations relate to the legal issues for which they are introduced. These limitations bear upon important normative questions about the role event studies should play in securities fraud litigation.
MAC-Layer Performance Enhancement Using Control Packet Buffering in Optical Burst-Switched Networks

One of the major hurdles in optical burst-switched (OBS) networks is the contention problem. In this paper, we tackle this problem by proposing a new contention resolution technique based on control packet buffering. In particular, a rigorous mathematical model is developed to analyze the performance of an OBS network core node employing this technique along with just-in- time one-way reservation protocol. The key idea that makes this proposal novel is that this buffering is implemented in the electronic domain, thus avoiding the complexity that exist in the optical domain solutions. A detailed evaluation of the system performance using both the burst loss probability and the steady-state throughput is presented. Our results reveal that a considerable improvement in the performance is achieved when adopting the proposed technique.
Solvent‐induced differentiation of protein backbone hydrogen bonds in calmodulin

In apo and holoCaM, almost half of the hydrogen bonds (H‐bonds) at the protein backbone expected from the corresponding NMR or X‐ray structures were not detected by h3 JNC′ couplings. The paucity of the h3 JNC′ couplings was considered in terms of dynamic features of these structures. We examined a set of seven proteins and found that protein‐backbone H‐bonds form two groups according to the h3 JNC′ couplings measured in solution. H‐bonds that have h3 JNC′ couplings above the threshold of 0.2 Hz show distance/angle correlation among the H‐bond geometrical parameters, and appear to be supported by the backbone dynamics in solution. The other H‐bonds have no such correlation; they populate the water‐exposed and flexible regions of proteins, including many of the CaM helices. The observed differentiation in a dynamical behavior of backbone H‐bonds in apo and holoCaM appears to be related to protein functions.
Method of sensor noise attenuation in high-gain observers — Experimental verification on two laboratory systems

In this paper, a measurement noise attenuation technique is applied to a state observer in order to decouple the noise from the estimated state variables. It is important to limit such interferences, since the estimates are: 1) used online to formulate the state feedback controller, and 2) used in the compensation loop, where the estimated overall uncertainty of the system is partially canceled from the original plant. This measurement noise rejection method, which is based on extending the plant model with an additional, integral state variable, allows user to choose higher gains of the observer in order to provide faster convergence of its estimates, without the danger of making the system less energy-effective (or even destabilizing it) due to noise amplification. Experiments, conducted on two laboratory testbeds, show that the considered technique gives satisfactory results in practical application.
Renal diseases in haemophilic patients: pathogenesis and clinical management

Haemophilia A and B are genetic X‐linked bleeding disorders, caused by mutations in genes encoding factors VIII and IX, respectively. Clinical manifestations of haemophilia are spontaneous haemorrhage or acute bleeding caused by minor trauma, resulting in severe functional consequences that can culminate in a debilitating arthropathy. Life expectancy and quality of life of patients with haemophilia have dramatically improved over the last years, mainly for new therapeutic options and the awareness to the risk of HCV and HIV infections. Different clinical problems arise from this important change in history of patients with haemophilia. In particular, ageing‐related diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer, and chronic viral infections are emerging as new challenges in this patient population. Among the different types of chronic illnesses, renal diseases are of special interest as they involve some difficult management issues. In fact, decisions regarding adequate preventive strategies and viral infection treatment, the choice of the dialytic modality, placement of vascular access and prescription of dialytic treatments are particularly complicated, because only few data are available. In this review, we discuss the pathogenesis of renal damage in patients with haemophilia, especially in those with blood‐transmitted viral infections, and the major issues about the management of renal diseases, including problems related to dialytic treatment and kidney transplantation, providing practical algorithms to guide the clinical decision‐making process.
Peroxisomal Proliferator-activated Receptor-α-dependent Inhibition of Endothelial Cell Proliferation and Tumorigenesis*

The peroxisomal proliferator-activated nuclear receptor-α (PPARα), the target for most hypolipidemic drugs in current clinical use, regulates the transcription of genes involved in lipid metabolism and transport, and energy homeostasis. More recently, PPARα and its ligands have been implicated in inflammatory responses and the regulation of cell proliferation. PPARα also regulates the expression of Cyp4a fatty acid ω-hydroxylases and Cyp2c arachidonic acid epoxygenase genes. To study the role of the PPARα receptor and of its Cyp2c epoxygenase gene target in tumorigenesis, we treated mice injected with tumor cells with Wy-14,643, a PPARα-selective ligand. Compared with untreated controls, Wy-14643-treated animals showed marked reductions in tumor growth and vascularization, which were accompanied by decreases in the plasma levels of pro-angiogenic epoxygenase metabolites (EETs), hepatic EET biosynthesis, and Cyp2c epoxygenase expression. All these Wy-14643-induced responses were absent in PPARα-/- mice and are thus PPARα-mediated. Primary cultures of mouse lung endothelial cells treated with Wy-14643 showed reductions in cell proliferation and in the formation of capillary-like structures. These effects were absent in cells obtained from PPRAα-/- mice and reversed by the addition of EETs. These results identify important anti-angiogenic and anti-tumorigenic roles for PPARα, characterize the contribution of its Cyp2c epoxygenases gene target to these responses, and suggest potential anti-cancer roles for this nuclear receptor and its ligands.
Sustained hypoxia depresses sensory processing of respiratory resistive loads.

RATIONALE The combination of acute hypoxia and increased respiratory load is encountered in several respiratory diseases including acute life-threatening asthma and sleep apnea. Hypoxia has been shown to inhibit respiratory load perception in healthy and asthmatic subjects, and could contribute to treatment delays and impaired function of protective reflexes. OBJECTIVES Using respiratory-related evoked potentials (RREPs) this study aimed to determine the sensory processes mediating hypoxia-induced suppression of respiratory load sensation. METHODS EEG was measured over the central and parietal cortical regions in 14 healthy subjects. RREPs were elicited by 500-ms midinspiratory resistive load stimuli during and after isocapnic normoxia or hypoxia (blood arterial O2 saturation approximately 80%). On a separate occasion, subjects rated the perceived magnitude of five externally applied inspiratory resistive loads (range, 8.6-43.7 cm H2O x L(-1) x s) under similar experimental conditions. In both experiments subjects voluntarily ventilated approximately 90% above baseline to match ventilatory output between gas conditions. RESULTS RREP stimulus was matched between gas conditions in 11 subjects (minimum mask pressure -9.7 +/- 0.6 versus -9.2 +/- 0.4 cm H2O). P1 and P2 amplitudes were reduced during isocapnic hypoxia compared with normoxia (maximal at Cz: P1, 2.5 +/- 1.1 versus 3.9 +/- 1.2 microv, p = 0.03; P2, 10.0 +/- 2.2 versus 12.4 +/- 2.1 microv, p < 0.01, respectively). Perceived magnitude of externally applied resistive loads was also reduced during hypoxia compared with normoxia (17.1 +/- 1.1 versus 19.0 +/- 1.1 au, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS These data confirm that isocapnic hypoxia suppresses respiratory load sensation. Decreased amplitude of the earlier (P1) RREP component suggests that this is mediated, at least in part, by suppression of respiratory afferent information before its arrival at the primary sensory cortex.
Treating cancer with sonodynamic therapy: A review

Abstract Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has emerged as a promising option for the minimally invasive treatment of solid cancerous tumours. SDT requires the combination of three distinct components: a sensitising drug, ultrasound, and molecular oxygen. Individually, these components are non-toxic but when combined together generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS). The major advantage of SDT over its close relative photodynamic therapy (PDT), is the increased penetration of ultrasound through mammalian tissue compared to light. As a result, SDT can be used to treat a wider array of deeper and less accessible tumours than PDT. In this article, we critically review the current literature on SDT and discuss strategies that have been developed in combination with SDT to enhance the therapeutic outcome.
EGF‐related peptides are involved in the proliferation and survival of MDA‐MB‐468 human breast carcinoma cells

A majority of human breast carcinomas co‐express the epidermal growth factor (EGF)‐like peptides CRIPTO (CR), amphiregulin (AR) and transforming growth factor α (TGF‐α). MDA‐MB‐468 breast carcinoma cells express CR, AR and TGFα, while SK‐BR‐3 cells express CR and TGF‐α. Anti‐sense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides (AS S‐oligos) directed against either CR or TGF‐α inhibit the proliferation of both cell lines. A 40–50% growth inhibition was observed at a 2‐μM concentration of each AS S‐oligo. Treatment with the AR AS S‐oligo also resulted in a significant inhibition of MDA‐MB‐468 anchorage dependent growth (ADG). No significant growth inhibition was observed when MDA‐MB‐468 or SK‐BR‐3 cells were treated with a mis‐sense S‐oligo. The AS S‐oligos inhibited the expression of AR, CR or TGF‐α proteins and mRNAs, as assessed by immuno‐cytochemistry and semi‐quantitative RT‐PCR. An additive growth‐inhibitory effect was observed when MDA‐MB‐468 cells were treated with a combination of EGF‐related AS S‐oligos. Indeed, treatment of MDA‐MB‐468 cells with a combination of AR, CR and TGF‐α AS S‐oligos resulted in about 70% growth inhibition at a concentration of 0.7 μM each. Finally, treatment of MDA‐MB‐468 cells with a combination either of the 3 AS S‐oligos or of an EGF receptor‐blocking antibody (MAb 225) and either CR, AR or TGFα AS S‐oligos resulted in a significant increase in DNA fragmentation. Our data suggest that the EGF‐related peptides are involved in the proliferation and survival of breast carcinoma cells. Int. J. Cancer 80:589–594, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Training practices in the Hong Kong hotel industry: Managerial and executive perspectives

ABSTRACT Technology is expected to be adopted for the benefits of two types of customers in the hotel industry—external customers for providing better guest experience and internal customers for upgrading skills and knowledge. A survey was used in this study. Training with technology is not the current trend, and on-the-job training is still being adopted frequently and is preferred by executives and managers. It is unpredictable how long it will be before Hong Kong hotels take complete advantage of computer-based training. Minimum yearly training hours and training budgets should be benchmarked and be transparent for a better provision of training.
Dynamic trading and behavioral finance

The problem of investing over time remains an important open question, considering the recent large moves in the markets, such as the Financial Crisis of 2008, the subsequent rally in equities, and the decline in commodities over the past two years. We study this problem from three aspects. The first aspect lies in analyzing a particular dynamic strategy, called the stop-loss strategy. We derive closed-form expressions for the strategy returns while accounting for serial correlation and transactions costs. When applied to a large sample of individual U.S. stocks, we show that tight stop-loss strategies tend to underperform the buy-andhold policy due to excessive trading costs. Outperformance is possible for stocks with sufficiently high serial correlation in returns. Certain strategies succeed at reducing downside risk, but not substantially. We also look at optimizing the stop-loss level for a class of these strategies. The second approach is more behavioral in nature and aims to elicit how various market players expect to react to large changes in asset prices. We use a global survey of individual investors, financial advisors, and institutional investors to do this. We find that most institutional investors expect to exhibit highly contrarian reactions to past returns in terms of their equity allocations. Financial advisors are also mostly contrarian; a few of them demonstrate passive behavior. In contrast, individual investors are, on average, extrapolative, and can be partitioned into four distinct types: passive investors, risk avoiders, extrapolators, and everyone else. The third part of the thesis studies how people actually trade. We propose a new model of dynamic trading in which an investor is affected by behavioral heuristics, and carry out extensive simulations to understand how the heuristics affect portfolio performance. We propose an MCMC algorithm that is reasonably successful at estimating model parameters from simulated data, and look at the predictive ability of the model. We also provide preliminary results from looking at trading data obtained from a brokerage firm. We focus on understanding how people trade their portfolios conditional on past returns at various horizons, as well as on past trading behavior. Thesis Supervisor: Andrew W. Lo Title: Charles E. and Susan T. Harris Professor
Adolescent developmental issues in Hong Kong: Relevance to Positive Youth Development Programs in Hong Kong

Several adolescent developmental issues and problems in Hong Kong are examined in this paper. First, the changing adolescent substance abuse patterns are described. Second, although the overall youth crime trend was relatively stable in the past decade, shoplifting and stealing crimes deserve our concern. Third, adolescent mental health problem is a growing problem. Fourth, statistics show that unhealthy life styles, such as smoking, early sex and moral confusion are issues of concern. Fifth, the proportion of adolescents experiencing economic disadvantage has increased. Sixth, youth unemployment and non-engaged youth are growing problems when the economy of Hong Kong is undergoing re-structuring. Seventh, family and parenting problems in families with adolescents deserve our attention. Finally, the Social Development Index showed that the development of young people has gradually deteriorated in the past decade. These adolescent issues and problems provide useful pointers for designing the positive youth development program financially sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.
Testing for Convexity Relevance: An IFRS 9 Benchmark Cashflow Test Proposal

According to IFRS 9, an Entity shall assess – by performing a quantitative assessment – the relevance of the modification of the time value of money element, i.e. the modification of the interest that can be observed, e.g. in all the instruments whose underlying interest rate tenors are different from the instrument payment tenors, i.e. the instruments affected by convexity. The aim of this paper is to introduce and describe a test that can be used to assess whether the magnitude of this modification is actually relevant. If this is the case, the instrument under investigation cannot be measured at Amortised Cost or Fair Value Through Other Comprehensive Income but it must be measured at Fair Value Through Profit or Loss.
Evaluation of vitamin D deficiency in breast cancer patients on bisphosphonates.

BACKGROUND Bisphosphonates are very effective in treating osteoporosis and metastatic bone disease; however, unfavorable outcomes can occur when they are given to patients with occult vitamin D deficiency. No clear consensus exists on the assessment of vitamin D status in cancer patients undergoing bisphosphonate therapy. This study examines the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among breast cancer patients treated with bisphosphonates for osteoporosis or metastatic bone disease, and observes the use of calcium and vitamin D supplementation in these patients. METHODS This retrospective study reviewed the electronic records of 321 breast cancer patients treated with bisphosphonates. Information on age, race, and serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD), parathyroid hormone, and calcium were collected, and intakes of calcium and vitamin D supplements were queried in an outpatient pharmacy database. RESULTS Of the 321 patients treated with bisphosphonates, 209 (65.1%) had their 25-OHD levels checked at least once. Of these patients, 57 (27.3%) had a serum 25-OHD level <20 ng/ml. Of the 209 patients with a known 25-OHD level, only eight (3.8%) received >600 IU of vitamin D per day, and 41 (19.6%) patients received 400-600 IU of vitamin D daily. CONCLUSION Especially in the setting of metastatic bone disease in breast cancer patients, we advocate routine 25-OHD concentration screening for vitamin D deficiency in general. Clear guidelines for the diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency in cancer patients would be extremely beneficial to have, as would identification of the proper dose of vitamin D supplementation. We recommend 1,000 IU daily to our metastatic cancer patients.
[Application of the anxiety and depression scale of patients with nasal septum deviation].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the anxiety and depression status of patients with nasal septum deviation before and after surgery, and explore the relationship between anxiety and depression and nasal symptoms. METHOD By means of visual analogue scale (VAS) as the evaluation index of quality of life, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were used to analyze statuses before and after surgery. The 98 patients with nasal septum deviation were collected. RESULT The preoperative SAS/SDS scores of the nasal septum deviation patients were higher than those of the national standards. The level of anxiety and depression were lower than the national norm after treatment. The patients of the normal and moderate SAS/SDS scores felt better after surgery. The patients of the severe SAS/SDS scores felt the symptoms improve poor. CONCLUSION Doctors should pay attention to the application of the SAS/SDS in patients of nasal septum deviation. Surgeon should actively communicate with severe patients in psychological problems, and strictly control the surgical indication of such patients.
A New Metric Temporal Logic for Hybrid Systems

We introduce a new way of defining metric temporal logic over the continuous real model of time. The semantics refer to a single universal clock in order to impose metric constraints to any desired precision. Furthermore, the expression of any non-metric aspects can correctly utilise the full power of continuous time temporal logic. Syntactic constructs afford the convenient succinct expression of many useful and typical constraints while other, more intricate properties are able to be captured but may require more lengthy formulation. A decision procedure is provided via a simple translation into an existing non-metric temporal logic and this gives a workable complexity and the possibility of automated reasoning. There are advantages in expressiveness, naturalness, generality and amenability to reasoning techniques over the existing metric temporal logics. Combining purely continuous with adequate metric aspects in one language makes the logic very suitable for dealing with hybrid systems.
Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and CT after talc pleurodesis.

BACKGROUND Talc pleurodesis is widely performed for the management of persistent pneumothorax or pleural effusion, particularly malignant effusions. However, there are very few data characterizing fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) and CT findings after treatment. METHODS We retrospectively evaluated the FDG-PET and CT studies of nine patients who underwent talc pleurodesis for the treatment of malignant pleural effusions or persistent air leak. RESULTS FDG-PET studies were performed on average 22 months after talc pleurodesis, and the mean CT follow-up period was 25 months. There was moderate-to-intense plaque-like or focal nodular-increased FDG uptake in the pleura on PET with mean standardized uptake value of 5.4 (SEM, 1.2; range, 2.0 to 16.3). The FDG uptake was either diffuse (two patients) or focal (seven patients), and most commonly occurred in the posterior costophrenic angles (five patients), followed by the apical regions (three patients), anterior costophrenic angle (one patient), and the anterior chest wall (one patient). On CT, high-density areas of pleural thickening or nodularity (mean, 230 Hounsfield units [HU]; SEM, 23 HU; range, 140 to 380 HU) corresponded to regions of increased FDG uptake. These pleural foci had an average thickness of 1.2 cm and measured up to 8.2 cm (mean, 7.1 cm) in length. Rounded pleural nodules were as large as 3.1 cm (mean, 1.5 cm). CONCLUSIONS Talc pleurodesis produces increased FDG uptake on PET and high-density areas of pleural thickening on CT that remain unchanged on serial imaging. When PET detects increased uptake in the pleural space, correlation with CT is recommended to detect the presence of pleural thickening of increased attenuation that suggests talc deposits rather than tumor.