Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Representation of Managers, Shareholders and other Stakeholders inside the Boardroom: Does it Matter for CSR Commitment? *

Using multi-source extra-financial rating datasets (Vigeo and Asset4), this paper empirically investigates the relationships between CSR commitment (social, environment and societal) and board composition for French listed firms (SBF120) over the 2006-2011 period. This paper tests the two main hypotheses regarding CSR commitment from the corporate governance perspective: CEO's oppor-tunistic behavior and stakeholder conflict resolution, and compares both shareholder and stakeholder board perspectives. We show that CSR commitment, except environment one, is driven by good corporate governance practices from the shareholder perspective (high independence and low share of insiders). From the stakeholder perspective, social commitment is positively associated with stake-holders' representation inside the boardroom and societal one is positively related to supply-chain stakeholders' representation. These results support the stakeholder conflict resolution hypothesis (value-enhancing view). However, the results are mixed for environmental CSR dimension, suggesting that environmental commitment reduces conflicts with employees but exacerbates them with other stakeholders.
Enabling Robot Teammates to Learn Latent States of Human Collaborators

We are interested in designing collaborative robots that can seamlessly interact in complex domains such as, collaborative manufacturing and disaster response with human teammates. To be successful teammates, such robots need the ability to model, predict and adapt to their human collaborators. However, modeling the behavior of human teammates is challenging since human decisions often depend on factors that are latent and difficult to specify [4]. In this extended abstract, we describe this challenge for modeling humans for designing robot collaborators, summarize our algorithmic solutions towards this problem and conclude with a description of a human-robot collaboration scenario designed to evaluate our approach.
MaizeCUBIC: a comprehensive variation database for a maize synthetic population

Abstract MaizeCUBIC is a free database that describes genomic variations, gene expression, phenotypes and quantitative trait locus (QTLs) for a maize CUBIC population (24 founders and 1404 inbred offspring). The database not only includes information for over 14M single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) and 43K indels previously identified but also contains 660K structure variations (SVs) and 600M novel sequences newly identified in the present study, which represents a comprehensive high-density variant map for a diverse population. Based on these genomic variations, the database would demonstrate the mosaic structure for each progeny, reflecting a high-resolution reshuffle across parental genomes. A total of 23 agronomic traits measured on parents and progeny in five locations, where are representative of the maize main growing regions in China, were also included in the database. To further explore the genotype–phenotype relationships, two different methods of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were employed for dissecting the genetic architecture of 23 agronomic traits. Additionally, the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool and primer design tools are developed to promote follow-up analysis and experimental verification. All the original data and corresponding analytical results can be accessed through user-friendly online queries and web interface dynamic visualization, as well as downloadable files. These data and tools provide valuable resources on genetic and genomic studies of maize and other crops.
Role of Race in Short-Term Outcomes for 1700 Consecutive Patients Undergoing Brain Tumor Resection

ABSTRACT Background: Access to medical care seems to be impacted by race. However, the effect of race on outcomes, once care has been established, is poorly understood. Purpose: This study seeks to assess the influence of race on patient outcomes in a brain tumor surgery population. Importance and Relevance to Healthcare Quality: This study offers insights to if or how quality is impacted based on patient race, after care has been established. Knowledge of disparities may serve as a valuable first step toward risk factor mitigation. Methods: Patients differing in race, but matched on other outcomes affecting characteristics, were assessed for differences in outcomes subsequent to brain tumor resection. Coarsened exact matching was used to match 1700 supratentorial brain tumor procedures performed over a 6-year period at a single, multihospital academic medical center. Patient outcomes assessed included unplanned readmission, mortality, emergency department (ED) visits, and unanticipated return to surgery. Results: There was no significant difference in readmissions, mortality, ED visits, return to surgery after index admission, or return to surgery within 30 days between the two races. Conclusion: This study suggests that race does not independently influence postsurgical outcomes but may instead serve as a proxy for other closely related demographics.
True and common balsams

Balsams have been used since ancient times, due to their therapeutic and healing properties; in the perfume industry, they are used as fixatives, and in the cosmetics industry and in cookery, they are used as preservatives and aromatizers. They are generally defined as vegetable material with highly aromatic properties that supposedly have the ability to heal diseases, not only of the body, but also of the soul. When viewed according to this concept, many substances can be considered balsams. A more modern concept is based on its chemical composition and origin: a secretion or exudate of plants that contain cinnamic and benzoic acids, and their derivatives, in their composition. The most common naturally-occurring balsams (i.e. true balsams) are the Benzoins, Liquid Storaque and the Balsams of Tolu and Peru. Many other aromatic exudates, such as Copaiba Oil and Canada Balsam, are wrongly called balsam. These usually belong to other classes of natural products, such as essential oils, resins and oleoresins. Despite the understanding of some plants, many plants are still called balsams. This article presents a chemical and pharmacological review of the most common balsams.
Collateral as Hostage , Risk Taking , and Repo Runs ∗

When banks borrow through repurchase agreements (repo) for margin trading, the repo collateral serves as a hostage that incentivizes banks to repay. As some banks become poorly capitalized, the repo margin depends not only on collateral risk but also on counterparty risk. A small increase in collateral risk or counterparty risk, or a self-fulfilling belief shock, can lead to a large decrease in asset price and repo financing, which resembles the market crash and repo run episode of the 2007-08 financial crisis. Repo runs occur because of upward-sloping asset demand: a decrease in asset price makes risk-taking more profitable for banks, reducing their incentive to repay. Expecting this heightened counterparty risk, lenders set a higher repo margin, which can depress asset demand and result in a further decrease in asset price. In a repo run, the effectiveness of intervention policies depends on the reason for the run as well as the design of the policies. ∗I am deeply indebted to my advisors Doug Diamond (chair), Zhiguo He, Veronica Guerrieri and Lars Hansen for discussions and encouragement. I appreciate helpful comments from Tobias Adrian, Kinda Hachem, Paymon Khorrami, Arvind Krishnamurthy, Moritz Lenel, Stefan Nagel, Guillermo Ordonez, Cecilia Parlatore, Stefano Pegoraro, Yinan Su, Pietro Veronesi, and seminar participants in UChicago Dconomics Dynamic Working Group, Chicago Booth Finance Brownbag, MFM Summer Session 2018, and SITE Summer Workshops 2018 (Session 9). Research support from MFM dissertation fellowship is gratefully acknowledged.
Metal phases in ordinary chondrites: Magnetic hysteresis properties and implications for thermal history

Magnetic properties are sensitive proxies to characterize FeNi metal phases in meteorites. We present a data set of magnetic hysteresis properties of 91 ordinary chondrite falls. We show that hysteresis properties are distinctive of individual meteorites while homogeneous among meteorite subsamples. Except for the most primitive chondrites, these properties can be explained by a mixture of multidomain kamacite that dominates the induced magnetism and tetrataenite (both in the cloudy zone as single‐domain grains, and as larger multidomain grains in plessite and in the rim of zoned taenite) dominates the remanent magnetism, in agreement with previous microscopic magnetic observations. The bulk metal contents derived from magnetic measurements are in agreement with those estimated previously from chemical analyses. We evidence a decreasing metal content with increasing petrologic type in ordinary chondrites, compatible with oxidation of metal during thermal metamorphism. Types 5 and 6 ordinary chondrites have higher tetrataenite content than type 4 chondrites. This is compatible with lower cooling rates in the 650–450 °C interval for higher petrographic types (consistent with an onion‐shell model), but is more likely the result of the oxidation of ordinary chondrites with increasing metamorphism. In equilibrated chondrites, shock‐related transient heating events above approximately 500 °C result in the disordering of tetrataenite and associated drastic change in magnetic properties. As a good indicator of the amount of tetrataenite, hysteresis properties are a very sensitive proxy of the thermal history of ordinary chondrites, revealing low cooling rates during thermal metamorphism and high cooling rates (e.g., following shock reheating or excavation after thermal metamorphism). Our data strengthen the view that the poor magnetic recording properties of multidomain kamacite and the secondary origin of tetrataenite make equilibrated ordinary chondrites challenging targets for paleomagnetic study.
Morphological and molecular data show no evidence of the proposed replacement of endemic Pomphorhynchus tereticollis by invasive P. laevis in salmonids in southern Germany

Changes in parasite communities might result in new host-parasite dynamics and may threaten local fish populations. This phenomenon has been suggested for acanthocephalan parasites in the river Rhine and Danube where the species Pomphorhynchus tereticollis is becoming replaced by the Ponto-Caspian P. laevis. Developing knowledge on morphologic, genetic and behavioural differences between such species is important to follow such changes. However, disagreements on the current phylogeny of these two acanthocephalan species are producing conflicts that is affecting their correct identification. This study is offering a clearer morphological and genetic distinction between these two species. As P. tereticollis is found in rhithral tributaries of the Rhine, it was questioned whether the local salmonid populations were hosts for this species and whether P. laevis was expanding into the Rhine watershed as well. In order to test for this, brown trout, Salmo trutta, and grayling, Thymallus thymallus from South-Western Germany watersheds have been samples and screened for the occurrence of acanthocephalan parasites. For the first time, both species were confirmed to be hosts for P. tereticollis in continental Europe. P. tereticollis was found to be common, whereas P. leavis was found only at a single location in the Danube. This pattern suggest either that the expansion of P. laevis through salmonid hosts into rhithral rivers has not yet occurred, or that not yet ascertained biotic or abiotic features of rhithral rivers hinder P. laevis to spread into these areas.
Quantile Regression for Final Hospitalization Rate Prediction

Influenza (the flu) has become a serious threat to human health since its birth. In the U.S., influenza approximately causes between 9.2 million and 35.6 million illnesses, between 140,000 and 710,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths annually since 2010 [3]. Although protective methods vaccination, disinfection, and antiviral drugs can reduce the intensity and spread of viruses, they have societal and monetary costs [2, 6]. Therefore, maintaining ongoing surveillance and forecasting future trends of flu activities are critical. Accurate reports and predictions will not only detect potential flu outbreaks in certain areas, but also lead to economical applications of protective methods. For social good, researchers has been developing and improving flu prediction systems in recent years.
Pricing and Capacity Sizing of a Service Facility: Customer Abandonment Effects

This paper studies the effect of customer abandonment in the economic optimization of a service facility. Specifically, we consider how to jointly set the price and service capacity in order to maximize the steady‐state expected profit, when the system is subject to customer abandonment and the price is paid only by customers that eventually receive service. We do this under the assumption that there is a high rate of prospective customer arrivals. Our analysis reveals that the economically optimal operating regime is consistent with the standard heavy traffic regime. Furthermore, we derive the following economic insight: when the capacity cost is sufficiently high, it can be advantageous for the system manager to “underinvest” in capacity and “take advantage of the abandonments” to trim congestion. Lastly, we show the loss in profit when customer abandonments are ignored is on the order of the square root of the demand rate.
VLBI Digital-Backend Intercomparison Test Report

Issues related to digital-backend (DBE) systems can be difficult to evaluate in either local tests or actual VLBI experiments. The 2nd DBE intercomparison workshop at Haystack Observatory on 25-26 October 2012 provided a forum to explicitly address validation and interoperability issues among independent global developers of DBE equipment. This special report discusses the workshop. It identifies DBE systems that were tested at the workshop, describes the test objectives and procedures, and reports and discusses the results of the testing.
Younger and Dissatisfied? Relative Age and Life-Satisfaction in Adolescence

This is the first study to investigate whether age gaps between classmates (that is, relative age) affect life-satisfaction gaps in adolescence. To this end, we analyse data from the multi-country Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey. We find evidence that relative age negatively impacts adolescents’ life-satisfaction. A twelve-month age gap decreases life-satisfaction, rated on a 0-10 scale, by 0.3 points. This negative effect is consistent across countries. Finally, this negative effect does not decrease with the increase in absolute age.
Dissecting Corn Price Movements with Directed Acyclic Graphs

Corn prices experienced enormous volatility over the last decade. In this paper, we apply a structural vector autoregression model to quantify the relative importance of various contributing factors in driving corn price movements. The identification of the structural parameters is achieved through a data-determined approach—the PC algorithm of Directed Acyclic Graphs. We find that, in general, unexpected shocks in aggregate global demand and speculative trading activities do not have a statistically significant effect on corn price movements. By contrast, shocks in the crude oil market have large immediate effects that persist in the long-run. The forecast error variance decomposition suggest that at the two-year horizon, variations in crude oil prices account for over 50% of the total corn forecast error variances. We also find that, consistent with theory, unexpected shocks in market-specific fundamentals also have large negative effects on price movements. In addition, unexpected residual shocks play an important role in corn price movement, especially in the short-run.
Learning-Augmented Algorithms March 12 , 2019 Lecture 10 : Similarity Search via Learning

In k-Nearest Neigbor Search (k-NNS), you have a set of data and you’d like to find, given a query, which k datapoints in the set are most similar to the query. One practical example is checking document similarity given a set of documents and a query document, you’d like to find the k most similar documents to the query document by considering the documents mapped in some feature space. Similarity is encoded by some norm (distance measure) on the space. The next section will provide more details on this.
Src Inhibitors Pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines, Si306 and Pro-Si306, Inhibit Focal Adhesion Kinase and Suppress Human Glioblastoma Invasion In Vitro and In Vivo

Glioblastoma (GBM), as the most aggressive brain tumor, displays a high expression of Src tyrosine kinase, which is involved in the survival, migration, and invasiveness of tumor cells. Thus, Src emerged as a potential target for GBM therapy. The effects of Src inhibitors pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines, Si306 and its prodrug pro-Si306 were investigated in human GBM cell lines (U87 and U87-TxR) and three primary GBM cell cultures. Primary GBM cells were more resistant to Si306 and pro-Si306 according to the 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. However, the ability of all GBM cells to degrade the extracellular matrix was considerably compromised after Si306 and pro-Si306 applications. Besides reducing the phosphorylation of Src and its downstream signaling pathway components, both compounds decreased the phosphorylated form of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression, showing the potential to suppress the aggressiveness of GBM. In vivo, Si306 and pro-Si306 displayed an anti-invasive effect against U87 xenografts in the zebrafish embryo model. Considering that Si306 and pro-Si306 are able to cross the blood–brain barrier and suppress the spread of GBM cells, we anticipate their clinical testing in the near future. Moreover, the prodrug showed similar efficacy to the drug, implying the rationality of its use in clinical settings.
Evaluating the Therapeutic Efficacy of Mono- and Bivalent Affibody-Based Fusion Proteins Targeting HER3 in a Pancreatic Cancer Xenograft Model

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) has been increasingly scrutinized as a potential drug target since the elucidation of its role in mediating tumor growth and acquired therapy resistance. Affibody molecules are so-called scaffold proteins with favorable biophysical properties, such as a small size for improved tissue penetration and extravasation, thermal and chemical stability, and a high tolerance to modifications. Additionally, affibody molecules are efficiently produced in prokaryotic hosts or by chemical peptide synthesis. We have previously evaluated the biodistribution profiles of five mono- and bivalent anti-HER3 affibody molecules (designated as 3) fused to an albumin-binding domain (designated as A), 3A, 33A, 3A3, A33, and A3, that inhibit ligand-dependent phosphorylation. In the present study, we examined the therapeutic efficacy of the three most promising variants, 3A, 33A, and 3A3, in a direct comparison with the HER3-targeting monoclonal antibody seribantumab (MM-121) in a preclinical BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer model. Xenografted mice were treated with either an affibody construct or MM-121 and the tumor growth was compared to a vehicle group. Receptor occupancy was estimated by positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging using a HER3-targeting affibody imaging agent [68Ga]Ga-(HE)3-Z08698-NODAGA. The affibody molecules could inhibit ligand-dependent phosphorylation and cell proliferation in vitro and demonstrated tumor growth inhibition in vivo comparable to that of MM-121. PET/CT imaging showed full receptor occupancy for all tested drug candidates. Treatment with 3A and 3A3 affibody constructs was more efficient than with 33A and similar to the anti-HER3 antibody seribantumab, showing that the molecular design of affibody-based therapeutics targeting HER3 in terms of the relative position of functional domains and valency has an impact on therapeutic effect.
A Review of Salmonella and Campylobacter in Broiler Meat: Emerging Challenges and Food Safety Measures

Poultry is one of the largest sources of animal-based protein in the United States. Poultry processing has grown from a small local network of plants to nearly 500 plants nationwide. Two of the most persistent bacteria in poultry processing are Salmonella and Campylobacter. It was not until the introduction of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point systems in 1996 that major efforts to reduce bacterial contamination were developed. Traditionally, chlorine has been the industry standard for decontaminating chicken meat. However, antimicrobials such as peracetic acid, cetylpyridinium chloride, and acidified sodium chlorite have replaced chlorine as primary antimicrobials. Despite current interventions, the emergence of stress-tolerant and biofilm-forming Salmonella and Campylobacter is of primary concern. In an effort to offset growing tolerance from microbes, novel techniques such as cold plasma treatment, electrostatic spraying, and bacteriophage-based applications have been investigated as alternatives to conventional treatments, while new chemical antimicrobials such as Amplon and sodium ferrate are investigated as well. This review provides an overview of poultry processing in the United States, major microbes in poultry processing, current interventions, emerging issues, and emerging technologies in antimicrobial treatments.
AstroCloud: A Distributed Cloud Computing and Application Platform for Astronomy

Virtual Observatory (VO) is a data-intensively online astronomical research and education environment, which takes advantages of advanced information technologies to achieve seamless and global access to astronomical information. AstroCloud is a cyber-infrastructure for astronomy research initiated by Chinese Virtual Observatory (China-VO) project, and also a kind of physical distributed platform which integrates lots of tasks such as telescope access proposal management, data archiving, data quality control, data release and open access, cloud based data processing and analysis. It consists of five application channels, i.e. observation, data, tools, cloud and public and is acting as a full lifecycle management system and gateway for astronomical data and telescopes. Physically, the platform is hosted in six cities currently, i.e. Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Kunming, Lijiang and Urumqi, and serving more than 17 thousand users. Achievements from international Virtual Observatories and Cloud Computing are adopted heavily. In the paper, backgrounds of the project, architecture, Cloud Computing environment, key features of the system, current status and future plans are introduced.