Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pension Incentives and Premature Retirement

This is a study of people’s retirement timing under defined benefit pension plans (DB plans). The actuarial structure of DB pensions generally creates strong incentive for people to stay with their employers, at least to their early retirement ages, not to retire beforehand. Upon tracking respondents covered by DB plans in the Wave I (1992 cohort) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) until they left their 1992 employers, we found that a significant percentage of people (about 17%) left their jobs prior to their early retirement ages. Why did people leave prematurely? Several possible hypotheses were considered and examined. Through simple tabulation analyses, we found that workers in the early-leaving group tend to have significantly smaller pension benefits and significantly poorer knowledge about their pensions. The impact of self-reported health status and early retirement windows were not evident. Logistic regressions showed that conditional on age dummies, pension size, and having basic pension knowledge was strongly negatively correlated to premature departure. Both excellent and poor health statuses correlate positively with early departure. Accepting an early-out window also had a significantly positive correlation with early departure.
Retrocausal Effects As A Consequence of Orthodox Quantum Mechanics Refined To Accommodate The Principle Of Sufficient Reason

The principle of sufficient reason asserts that anything that happens does so for a reason: no definite state of affairs can come into being unless there is a sufficient reason why that particular thing should happen. This principle is usually attributed to Leibniz, although the first recorded Western philosopher to use it was Anaximander of Miletus. The demand that nature be rational, in the sense that it be compatible with the principle of sufficient reason, conflicts with a basic feature of contemporary orthodox physical theory, namely the notion that nature's response to the probing action of an observer is determined by pure chance, and hence on the basis of absolutely no reason at all. This appeal to pure chance can be deemed to have no rational fundamental place in reason‐based Western science. It is argued here, on the basis of the other basic principles of quantum physics, that in a world that conforms to the principle of sufficient reason, the usual quantum statistical rules will naturally emerge at the pragmatic level, in cases where the reason behind nature's choice of response is unknown, but that the usual statistics can become biased in an empirically manifest way when the reason for the choice is empirically identifiable. It is shown here that if the statistical laws of quantum mechanics were to be biased in this way then the basically forward‐in‐time unfolding of empirical reality described by orthodox quantum mechanics would generate the appearances of backward‐time‐effects of the kind that have been reported in the scientific literature.The principle of sufficient reason asserts that anything that happens does so for a reason: no definite state of affairs can come into being unless there is a sufficient reason why that particular thing should happen. This principle is usually attributed to Leibniz, although the first recorded Western philosopher to use it was Anaximander of Miletus. The demand that nature be rational, in the sense that it be compatible with the principle of sufficient reason, conflicts with a basic feature of contemporary orthodox physical theory, namely the notion that nature's response to the probing action of an observer is determined by pure chance, and hence on the basis of absolutely no reason at all. This appeal to pure chance can be deemed to have no rational fundamental place in reason‐based Western science. It is argued here, on the basis of the other basic principles of quantum physics, that in a world that conforms to the principle of sufficient reason, the usual quantum statistical rules will naturally emerg.
A PROFILE OF JAMIS PUBLICATIONS BETWEEN 2006 AND 2012. REFLECTIONS ON THE JOURNEY TOWARDS INTERNATIONALIZATION

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the publications in the Journal of Accounting and Management Information Systems (JAMIS) over the period 2006-2012, and to comment on their characteristics in the context of international practices and of the Romanian particularities. We use observation and statistical analysis of the characteristics of the 175 articles in terms of authorship, citations, topics, and methodologies. We find that JAMIS is a journal that covers various aspects in terms of articles’ methodology, topics, and authors’ affiliation. A trend towards increasing the length of the papers and the number of references was found, suggesting an increasing in the quality of the papers published in JAMIS over this period. Our analysis is intended to provide an overview to an international audience about the transformations of a journal originated in an emerging economy, from a local orientation towards internationalization, and to inform current and potential authors about the characteristics of the publications in this journal.
E-Communication Adoption in Benin Public Administration: Challenges and Strategies

Smooth Communication channel is important for better public service delivery.E-communication is a newcommunication channel in developing countries that allowed in real time communication with the stakeholders.The objective of this paper is to examine enablers and impediments in e-communication adoption process as astrategic communication mean in the Benin Public Administration. It draws from the literature and analyzes theimpediments facing e-communication adoption in developing countries and especially in Benin.The authorsinvestigate the issue using data obtained by semi-structured interviews from Benin’s ministry of Informationand Communication Technology (ICT), international organizations reports and academic websites.
Providing artificial nest platforms for Cabot's tragopan Tragopan caboti (Aves: Galliformes): a useful conservation tool?

Cabot's tragopan Tragopan caboti, a pheasant that inhabits subtropical montane forests in south-east China, is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Nesting in trees, it routinely makes use of natural platforms and the old nests of other species, both of which may sometimes be in short supply. This study was designed to test how much use would be made of artificial nest platforms, and to identify factors influencing their occupation. Basketry platforms made of bamboo were erected in parts of Wuyanling National Nature Reserve, Zhejiang Province, China. The tragopans used 16 platforms (8%) in 2002 and 12 (5%) in the following year. A census of the population in spring suggested that a high proportion of the females (41% in 2002, 36% in 2003) in the study area made use of the platforms. There were significant preferences for platforms in mixed conifer/broadleaf forest, as opposed to pure stands, as well as for sites on the upper part of hill slopes. Principal component scores were used to represent variation in 11 variables measured at each platform site. Binary logistic regressions employing these scores as predictors for each year separately did not reveal a consistent model for distinguishing used from unused platforms, although short distances to the forest edge were associated with use in both years. These nest platforms are cheap and easy to erect, and may have the potential to halt or reverse a perceived downward population trend for this species across the whole of its fragmented range. Further trials are therefore advocated.
The role of sponsor brand loyalty in sponsorship arrangements: FMCG context

In today’s fiercely competitive FMCG industry, brand managers have attempted to tackle consumers increasing price sensitivity by creating stronger brands. Marketers are aware that most FMCG consumer purchase decisions are made at the point-of-purchase. As on-pack promotions are considered particularly effective in influencing the consumer, sponsorship by FMCG organisations may provide a point of differentiation. In the last decade sponsorship spending increased with large corporations now including some sponsorship spend in their marketing budget, with worldwide sponsorship spending approaching US$45 billion. One widely used form of sponsorship, particularly in the fast moving consumer goods industry (FMCG) is sponsorship leveraged packaging (SLP). SLP involves depicting the sponsored property’s image and logos on the sponsoring brand’s packaging. Despite its widespread use, little empirical research exists to explain whether sponsorship leveraged packaging (SLP) impacts consumer behaviour in low involvement settings. This paper provides empirical evidence of the relationship between SLP and loyalty to the sponsoring brand.
Supported Knowledge Sharing Behavior

While most corporate organizations in Malaysia have implemented intranet or portal, questions regarding users’ utilization behavior for the purpose of knowledge sharing still remain unanswered. Against this concern, this study seeks to investigate demographic profiles associated with knowledge sharing behavior in an intranet computing environment in selected Malaysian companies. Using the survey research method, 700 questionnaires were distributed using the simple random sampling technique yielding to 359 usable responses. The findings suggest that there is a significant difference in terms of knowledge sharing behavior across demographic profiles. In addition, it was also found that both length of service and internet experience is a significant predictor of knowledge sharing behavior in an intranet computing environment.
IFRS Adoption and Audit Delay: The Role of Shareholders in the Audit Committee

This study examined the relationship between audit delay after IFRS adoption and the role of shareholders in the audit committee as well as testing the difference of pre-and post IFRS adoption periods. A sample of 101 firms with 505 firm-year observations over five year period for firms listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange was employed for the study, utilizing data from the annual report and accounts of the sample firms. Generalized Methods of Moment (GMM) estimation was used to check the effects of unobserved heterogeneity in audit delay model, while the test of difference in R2 value for pre-and post-adoption periods was determined using Cramer’s Z-statistics. Findings indicate that audit report lag is faster with shareholders in the audit committee. The study proved that brand named auditors such as Big4 can significantly perform faster audit task than non-Big4 firms in IFRS regime. The importance of the study’s findings demonstrates statistical inference on value relevance increase based on the unique IFRS adoption in Nigeria. Thus, regulators should consider increasing the tenure of shareholders in the audit committee to enable them to become more familiar with the corporate reporting under IFRS regime.
Mineralogical and geochemical properties of clay deposits in parts of Southeastern Nigeria

The rocks underlying many parts of Southeastern Nigeria had undergone extensive alterations to form considerable clay deposits. The mineralogical compositions of some of these clay deposits were evaluated with the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) method to ascertain the suitability of the deposits as raw materials. Results of the analyses indicated that kaolinite (Al2Si2O5 (OH)4) is the dominant clay mineral. Traces of bentonite and dickite were also observed, while the identified non-clay minerals were quartz and iron. Chemical analysis of the clays revealed the predominance of SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3 and TiO with values ranging from 31.70 to 56.45%, 19.30 to 29.30%, 3.11 to 29.42% and 2.21 to 7.04%, respectively, while the compositions of CaO, MgO, Na2O, and MnO in the analyzed samples were relatively lower with values ranging from 0.19 to 0.29%, 0.13 to 0.19%, 0.11 to 0.70% and 0.01 to 0.03%, respectively. The Al2O3/TiO2 ratio (3.7 to 13.5) of the studied clays indicated a mafic to intermediate igneous rock origin. Binary plots of TiO2 versus Al2O3 to distinguish between granitic and basaltic sourced clays indicated basalt-rhyolite/granite provenances. The high chemical index of alteration (95.8%), chemical index of weathering (98.3%) and low contents of alkali and alkali earth elements (averaging 0.11%) of the clay-rich sediments, is indicative of a relatively intense weathering source area. The SiO2-K2O/Na2O plots suggested that the sediments in the study area were deposited between passive and active continental margins. In comparison with other reference clays and standard specifications, the clay deposits in the study area possess characteristics satisfactory for economic and some engineering purposes. Key words: Chemical, clay, deposits, economic, mineralogical, potentials, provenance.
Influence of anticyclonic eddies on the Biogeochemistry from the Oligotrophic to the Ultraoligotrophic Mediterranean (BOUM cruise)

We studied a longitudinal transect in the Mediter- ranean Sea (MS) and along this transect, the influence of an- ticyclonic eddies at three long duration (LD) stations. The deep chlorophyll maximum depth, the euphotic layer depth and the top of the nitracline depth are clearly correlated out- side of the eddies, and deepen from the oligotrophic western to the ultraoligotrophic eastern MS. We provide evidence that the locations of the three LD stations studied were near the axis of the eddies. Their diameters were close to 100 km and the studied areas were less than 10 km from the centre of the eddies. The positions of the LD stations are marked by an increase in the flux function and a decrease in apparent oxy- gen utilization (AOU) and in excess density () , as expected for anticyclonic eddies. Integrated mean primary production measured in situ inside the three studied eddies confirms the previous conclusion that integrated primary production (IPP) about 150 mgC m 2 d 1 may appear as a lower limit for IPP during strong oligotrophic conditions. The mesoscale activity is strong enough to locally modify the very well- documented western-to-eastern gradient of trophic condi- tions in the MS. We proposed a new calculation for mixed layer depths (MLDs) enabling the determination of MLD to take into consideration processes occurring with time scales ranging from a few hours to several days, and also the win- ter MLD. Studying the main physical, chemical and dynam- ical characteristics of the three eddies enables us to consider that the vorticity barrier prevents any strong mixing and ad- vection of outer water inside the eddy and explains why the depth range of eddies starts from the surface. As a first ap-
Materials and Methods Cell culture Human retinal endothelial cells

Endothelial cells play a major role in the initiation and perpetuation of the inflammatory process in health and disease, including their pivotal role in leukocyte recruitment. The role of pro-inflammatory transcription factors in this process has been well-described, including NF-kB. However, much less is known regarding transcription factors that play an anti-inflammatory role in endothelial cells. Myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) is a transcription factor known to regulate angiogenesis in endothelial cells. Here, we report that MEF2C plays a critical function as an inhibitor of endothelial cell inflammation. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a inhibited MEF2C expression in endothelial cells. Knockdown of MEF2C in endothelial cells resulted in the upregulation of pro-inflammatory molecules and stimulated leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cells. MEF2C knockdown also resulted in NF-kB activation in endothelial cells. Conversely, MEF2C overexpression by adenovirus significantly repressed TNF-a induction of pro-inflammatory molecules, activation of NF-kB, and leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cells. This inhibition of leukocyte adhesion by MEF2C was partially mediated by induction of KLF2. In mice, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced leukocyte adhesion to the retinal vasculature was significantly increased by endothelial cell-specific ablation of MEF2C. Taken together, these results demonstrate that MEF2C is a novel negative regulator of inflammation in endothelial cells and may represent a therapeutic target for vascular inflammation. J. Cell. Physiol. 230: 1310–1320, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Income-Generating Functions in a Low Income Country: Colombia

Income generating functions are statistical tools used to explain income inequality and other economic outcomes and behavior. These functions are often associated with a strict human capital framework, but they need not be. Instead, they may be viewed as a reduced form equation summarizing the relationship between income and various personal and locational characteristics. Following this latter interpretation, we develop the regression and analysis of variance approaches to income generating functions and estimate them empirically using micro‐economic data from one low income country, Colombia. Proceeding to increasingly parsimonious specifications of income generating functions, insights are gained into the structure of incomes in Colombia.
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER IN SCIENCE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Multiple-input multiple-output wireless links exploit the spatial dimension in a rich scattering environment by using multiple transmit and receive antennas. When combined with channelbased throughput maximizing techniques like adaptive modulation, the throughput of a MIMO link has been proven to be much larger than a conventional system. The perfonnance , of a MIMO system is highly dependent on the characteristics of the matrix channel. Proper selection of antenna weights, modulation index, data rate and transmitted power of each stream based on the channel conditions can ensure a high throughput while ensuring a minimum BER. This work proposes to design throughput-maximizing algorithms for limited feedback OpenLoop MIMO systems (systems without transmit beamfonning) and Closed-Loop MIMO systems (systems with transmit beamfonning) that are based on practical criterion such as BER threshold, discrete modulation indices, and channel estimation error. This work will be further extended to include interference limited multi-user MIMO systems that, in addition to the fore mentioned problems, suffer from interference between users. A Successive Interference Cancellation (SIC) based method will be developed for use in the interference limited multi-user MIMO system which will be based on the exact channel conditions instead of the channel whitening process that is currently used for such systems. The channel model used is a critical parameter that will affect the perfonnance of MIMO systems. The SIC is also implemented as a MMSE-SIC detector for limited feedback MIMO systems and it is shown that the throughput of desired stream depends on power and modulation index of the
PASSIVE CORPUSCULAR DIAGNOSTICS OF CHARGED PARTICLES EMISSION FROM HIGH-TEMPERATURE PLASMA EXPERIMENTS

This invited lecture presents results of research on charged particles emitted from high-temperature plasmas, which was performed by means of corpuscular-diagnostic techniques at NCBJ (former IPJ) during recent years. The studies were performed by joint teams at different facilities, e.g. RPI-IBIS and PF-360 machines at NCBJ, and PF1000 facility at IFPiLM. To study spatial and energetic structure of fast ion streams emitted from RPI- and PF-type discharges the use was made of nuclear track detectors (NTDs), ion pinhole cameras and Thomson-type analyzers. The appearance of many ion micro-beams was confirmed and detailed mass- and energy-analysis of them was carried out. For time-resolved ion measurements the use was made of miniature scintillation detectors coupled with fast photomultipliers. Fast electrons from RPI- and PF-facilities were investigated with a magnetic analyzer, and energy spectra of them were determined. Time-resolved measurements of fast electrons were also performed in some tokamaks by means of Cherenkov-type detectors. Recently, new probes have been designed for ion studies in MCF experiments, e.g. COMPASS-U tokamak in Prague. Some research on passive corpuscular diagnostics of plasma was realized in a frame of the Polish-Ukrainian scientific collaboration.
The gene profile in the spleen under massive partial hepatectomy using cDNA microarray and pathway analysis 1 Running title : expression and change of splenic genes after hepatectomy

Background: In general, the spleen is one of the abdominal organs connected by the portal system, and a splenectomy improves hepatic functions in the settings of partial hepatectomy (Hx) for portal hypertensive cases or living donor liver transplantation with excessive portal vein flow. Those precise mechanisms remain still unclear; therefore, we investigated the DNA expression profile in the spleen after 90% Hx in rats using cDNA microarray and pathway analysis. Methods: mRNAs were prepared from three rat spleens at each time point (0, 3 and 6h after 90% Hx). Using the gene chip, mRNA was hybridized to Affymetrix GeneChip Rat Genome 230 2.0 Array (Affymetrix®) and pathway analysis was done with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA®). Results: We determined the 3h or 6h / 0h ratio to assess the influence of Hx, and cut-off-values were set at more than 2.0-fold or less than 1/2 (0.5)-fold. Chemokine activity related genes including Cxcl1 (GRO1) and Cxcl2 (MIP-2) related pathway were up-regulated in the spleen. Also, immediate early response genes including early growth response-1 (EGR1), FBJ murine osteosarcoma (FOS) and activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) related pathway were up-regulated in the spleen. Conclusions: We concluded that in the spleen the expression of numerous inflammatory related genes would occur after 90% Hx. The spleen could take a harmful role and provide a negative impact during post Hx phase due to the induction of chemokine and transcription factors including GRO1 and EGR1. A cc ep te d A rti cl e
Successful learners of Irish as an L 2 Kevin Petit Cahill

This article presents the results of a small-scale research conducted for a master’s thesis on the motivation to learn Irish on the part of university students and members of the Gaelic society An Cumann Gaelach. In the light of questionnaires’ results and interviews, the emphasis is placed on the links between motivation, identity, and potential key moments in learners’ lives. Using an AMTB-type questionnaire (n=45), the author puts to the test Dörnyei’s Motivational Self System theory (2005) in the context of the learning of Irish by looking at the correlation between the motivational intensity of 45 students and six variables (Ideal L2 Self, Ought to Self, Ideal L2 Community, Instrumentality, Parental encouragement, and Role of teachers). The notion of Ideal L2 Self, or the capacity to picture oneself speaking an L2 in the future, clearly appears to be strongly correlated with the respondents’ motivational intensity (r=.75 p<.01), in accordance with Dörnyei’s model. However results concerning extrinsic factors differ from previous research, putting forward distinctive features of the learning of minority languages. The second phase of the research looks at the language learning narratives of three An Cumann Gaelach’s members through the qualitative analysis of three interview transcripts. The results clearly show that time spent in Irish summer colleges are linguistic mudes (Pujolar and Puigdevall 2015), or keymoments, which triggered the interest in the language for the three students interviewed.