Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Cost of Financial Distress and the Timing of Default

At any point in time, most firms are not in financial distress. This implies that they must suffer value losses unrelated to their leverage--economic shocks--before becoming financially distressed. We show that if estimates of ex-ante financial distress costs are not filtered from the effects of future economic shocks, they are significantly biased upward, as far as an order of magnitude. Filtered from economic shocks, pure ex-ante distress costs average less than 1% of current firm value. We also estimate sensitivities of ex-ante distress costs to leverage that are generally far too small to offset the expected tax benefits. Extending our analysis to the cross section and time series, we confirm that ex-ante distress costs are highest: i) when the risk premium in debt markets is high, and ii) among firms with high systematic risk. Overall, our results suggest that most firms use debt too conservatively, but we characterize conditions under which they do not.
Reovirus-induced apoptosis of MDCK cells is not linked to viral yield and is blocked by Bcl-2

In this study, we investigated the relationship between reovirus-induced apoptosis and viral growth. Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells infected with prototype reovirus strains type 1 Lang (T1L) or type 3 Dearing (T3D) were found to undergo apoptosis, and T3D induced apoptosis of MDCK cells to a substantially greater extent than T1L. By using T1L x T3D reassortant viruses, we found that differences in the capacities of these strains to induce apoptosis are determined by the viral S1 and M2 gene segments. These genes encode viral outer-capsid proteins that play important roles in viral entry into cells. T1L grew significantly better in MDCK cells than T3D, and these differences in growth segregated with the viral L1 and M1 gene segments. The L1 and M1 genes encode viral core proteins involved in viral RNA synthesis. Bcl-2 overexpression in MDCK cells inhibited reovirus-induced apoptosis but did not substantially affect reovirus growth. These findings indicate that differences in the capacities of reovirus strains to induce apoptosis and grow in MDCK cells are determined by different viral genes and that premature cell death by apoptosis does not limit reovirus growth in MDCK cells.
Low Profile Planar Inverted-F Antenna for Mobile Devices Covering LTE/WLAN Applications

A Planar Inverted-F Antenna for LTE2300 (2.32.4 GHz), WLAN (2.4-2.484 GHz), and LTE2500 (2.5-2.69 GHz) bands has been presented in this paper. The proposed structure has a dimension of 18 x 13 mm 2 over the ground plane of size 100 x 50 mm 2 which can easily be implanted in the small space available within the mobile device. The proposed structure is having an impedance bandwidth ranging from 2.16 GHz to 2.726 GHz covering all the desired frequency bands. The antenna has a resonating frequency at 2.395 GHz. For getting the impedance bandwidth we are taking -8 dB as the reference return loss. The input impedance plot of the proposed antenna along with the radiation pattern of the antenna at 2.4 GHz and 2.55 GHz are presented. The peak realized gain of the proposed antenna varies from 4.17 dB to 4.84 dB in the desired operating band.
Markups of Chinese Firms: Product Choice and Export Discount

Trade economists have found that exporters usually have higher markups than firms that do not export. Our empirical work shows, however, that the markups of exporters in China are significantly lower than other firms in China. The result is both economically and statistically significant, and robust to controlling of various factors. We proposed a few explanations for this observation.
Bond markets and banks in emerging economies

As the financial system in most emerging economies is centred on banks, an important aspect of the development of bond markets is the impact on the banking system. One frequently heard worry is that bond markets could take business away from the banks. This raises some potential concerns for bank supervisors. On the other hand, if it means firms are less vulnerable to weaknesses in the banking system, corporate bond issuance can help central banks achieve steady economic growth. Banks also play an important role in developing a private sector bond market as they are often among the most important issuers, holders, dealers, advisers, underwriters, guarantors, trustees, custodians and registrars in this market. Indeed, banks are deriving more of their profits from such activities and less from lending. For this reason, it is important to have healthy banks to have a sound bond market. And a bond market may improve the health of banks, by improving market discipline.
Les schémas de test : une abstraction pour la génération de tests de conformité et pour la mesure de couverture. (Test schemas : an abstraction for generation of conformance tests and coverage measure)

L'activite de test est une partie de plus en plus importante dans les developpements logiciels. Cette activite de test est souvent longue et repetitive, les travaux entrepris dans cette these ont pour objectif de decharger l'ingenieur de test des tâches les plus repetitives de la synthese de tests. Notre approche, dans le cadre du test de conformite, se base sur le fait qu'il existe differents niveaux d'abstraction pour definir des tests les tests executables pour une cible technologique, les tests abstraits qui sont independants de la technologie et les objectifs de test qui ne representent que partiellement le chemin d'un test dans la specification. Nos travaux portent sur deux points. le premier point vise a reduire l'effort alloue a la conception des tests. Pour cela nous definissons un nouveau niveau d'abstraction : les schemas de test qui offrent une abstraction supplementaire sur les instances et valeurs manipulees. L'outil TObiAs a ete developpe au cours de la these pour aider a la conception des schemas de test, les deplier en objectifs de test ou en cas de test, puis concretiser ces cas de test. le deuxieme point etudie la portee d'un schema de test en mesurant sa couverture de la specification, au niveau d'abstraction du schem de test. Pour ce faire nous etudions les relations entre les niveaux d'abstraction de test et la specification. Nous presentons l'interet de proposer une notion de couverture au niveau des schemas de test en construisant une abstraction de la specification ainsi que l'outil CoPAS que nous avons cree pour calculer la couverture a priori.
Effect of training on response to a glucose load adjusted for daily carbohydrate intake.

From responses to identical absolute glucose loads in trained (T) and untrained (UT) subjects, it has been inferred that training promotes health by reducing glucose levels and insulin secretion. To mimic daily living conditions, we studied responses to oral glucose loads making up identical fractions of daily carbohydrate intake (i.e., same relative glucose load) in seven T and eight UT males [maximal O2 uptake (VO2max) 76 +/- 2 vs. 48 +/- 1 (SE) ml.min-1.kg-1; age 24 +/- 1 vs. 25 +/- 1 yr]. Daily energy intake was higher in T than in UT subjects (18,607 +/- 835 vs. 12,493 +/- 720 kJ/day, P less than 0.05), reflecting a 2.3 times higher carbohydrate intake (678 +/- 34 vs. 294 +/- 18 g/day, P less than 0.05). After 1 g/kg body wt glucose, C-peptide and insulin responses were lower in T than in UT subjects (P less than 0.05). However, after identical relative glucose loads [high: 2.3 +/- 0.2 (T) vs. 1 (UT) g/kg; low: 1 (T) vs. 0.4 +/- 0.03 (UT) g/kg], glucose [incremental areas 300 +/- 56 (T) vs. 304 +/- 35 (UT) mM.180 min and 148 +/- 30 (T) vs. 124 +/- 22 (UT)] and C-peptide [181 +/- 18 (T) vs. 171 +/- 27 (UT) nM.180 min, and 100 +/- 13 (T) vs. 71 +/- 12 (UT)] responses did not differ between groups, while insulin responses were lower in T [at low relative load 15 +/- 4 (T) vs. 20 +/- 2 (UT) nM.180 min, P less than 0.05]. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Measurement and Mean Power Estimation in Indoor Wireless Channel Based on Higher Order Kalman Filtering

This paper presents theoretical model and experimental results of the mean signal power measurements and estimation in real-time based on higher order Kalman filter (KF) application. The theoretical model and algorithms are developed for the first- and second-order KF and applied to estimate mean value of the data obtained by measurements. The method applied is compared with the existing moving average and scalar KF methods. The measurements are performed at different distances, antenna positions, and space resolutions. In particular, power measurements that kept constant the antenna separation to eliminate the distance dependence in power measurements are carried out. The obtained results show that the second-order KF outperforms the first-order filter and is almost same as the moving average filter with advantage of getting rid of optimum window length problem.
Electrical storm: a new challenge in the age of implantable defibrillators.

er/defibrillators (AICD) increase the life expectancy of patients with underlying cardiac disease in both the primary and secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Unfortunately, despite the continuing technological development of these devices, a large number of patients experience unpleasant effects caused by their defibrillator. Frequent discharges in response to incessant or recurrent ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, the delivery of inappropriate shocks in the absence of ventricular tachycardia because of non life-threatening supraventricular tachycardias or environmental factors, are the most common negative events that can occur after implantation of the defibrillator.
Impacts on Service Quality, Service Value on Visitors 'Satisfaction in Exhibition

This study show the service value and the service quality influence on the satisfaction of the participants in exhibition. Previous studies, from the general service quality to customer satisfaction research, begin to focus on the importance of service quality and customer satisfaction, so focus on the service value that explains revisiting behavior and loyalty as an important variable. This study mainly attempted integrated approach of various concepts between relationship. This point the service value did not sufficiently consider tries to evaluate the role of customer value in existing service quality and satisfaction. As a result, service quality and service value were identified to causal relationships that service value rather than service quality has an effect on satisfaction.
The dynamics of European financial market integration

We investigate financial market integration in Europe with a panel of 16 European and 4 non- European countries over the period 1970:01-2012:10. The theoretical framework considered is an international CAPM for equity excess returns with multiple common factors - a world factor and EU and euro country group factors - augmented with a local country-specific factor. While in the literature it is common practice to use observed variables and proxy’s for the factors, we estimate the ICAPM as a dynamic unobserved factor model with stochastic factor loadings and stochastic volatilities for the factor error terms. A measure for the time-varying degree of integration is calculated for each country with respect to the world and with respect to both country groups. The results suggest that, for all countries, integration has occurred mainly at the global level. The EU has been an additional driving force of financial market integration, especially for the initial EU member states in the 1970s. The contribution of the euro factor to financial market integration has been more important for the peripheral countries from the euro area than for the core economies. We also find that while the Great Recession (2008-2009) has temporarily increased the degree of financial market integration of European countries, no similar e ect can be observed with respect to the ensuing euro area debt crisis (2010-2012).
An Investigation into the High Turnover of Employees within the Irish Hospitality Sector, Identifying What Methods of Retention Should Be Adopted.

This research project seeks to determine the causative factors behind the exceptionally high employee turnover rates in the Irish hospitality industry. For a long time now, the Irish hospitality industry has been characterised by high numbers of employees opting to abandon their jobs. This translates negatively on the various companies in this crucial industry as they constantly have to spend significant amounts of resources on hiring new employees to replace the ones who have left. This is a costly procedure that is consuming potential profits for these companies. This project will identify the main reasons as to why more employees are quitting their job. To do this, the research will focus on getting vital insights from past hotel employees in the Irish hospitality industry. The decision to settle on this target population was based on the need to promote honesty in the responses provided. The research project will also incorporate a comprehensive review of past literature on this topic. This will introduce the perceptions and opinions of other past researchers into the study. Moreover, these past researchers will contribute towards the topic through their literature. The quantitative research method will be utilised in this project to help further comprehend the research question. An ontology approach will also be adopted since human nature plays a major role in influencing the behaviour of employees in the Irish hospitality sector. In the end, three factors were determined to cause the high employee turnover rates in this sector. They include; low levels of employee motivation, inadequate wages and finally, work-life balance. These three factors have to be adequately addressed to boost the employee retention rates in the Irish hospitality industry. The research project has outlined a variety of recommendations that these companies should consider to make this happen, including, regular periodic training, better wages, employee recognition and much more.
Persistent expression of helix‐loop‐helix factor HES‐1 prevents mammalian neural differentiation in the central nervous system.

In the developing mammalian central nervous system, neural precursor cells present in the ventricular zone determine their fate to become neurons or glial cells, migrate towards the outer layers and undergo terminal differentiation. The transcriptional repressor HES‐1, a basic helix‐loop‐helix (bHLH) factor structurally related to the Drosophila hairy gene, is expressed at high levels throughout the ventricular zone, but the level decreases as neural differentiation proceeds. Because of this negative correlation, we tested whether continuous expression of HES‐1 inhibits neural differentiation. A HES‐1 and lacZ‐transducing retrovirus (SG‐HES1) and a control lacZ‐transducing retrovirus (SG) were injected into the lateral ventricles of mouse embryos, and the fate of the infected neural precursor cells was examined by X‐gal staining. The SG virus‐infected cells migrated and differentiated into neurons and glial cells. In contrast, the cells infected with SG‐HES1 virus remained in the ventricular/subventricular zone, decreased to approximately 10% in number as compared with that of the newborn during the postnatal 4‐5 weeks and, when they survived, were present exclusively in the ependymal layer. Furthermore, whereas cultured neural precursor cells infected with SG virus became immunoreactive for neuronal and glial markers, the cells infected with SG‐HES1 virus did not. These results show that persistent expression of HES‐1 severely perturbs neuronal and glial differentiation.
Speech interactive computer-assisted language learning: a cross-cultural evaluation

The evaluation in real time of a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) program with end users is an invaluable stage in the design and development of such a program. By using a sample of target users in the evaluation, it is possible to gather information on attitudes towards the program and performance of the program with an intended population. However, such users come to the research with personal attitudes towards the target language and the learning process. This article describes the evaluation of a speech-interactive CALL program that creates an environment in which the learners, using speech recognition technology, can converse with virtual characters in the target language in real time. A cross-cultural empirical evaluation was adopted where two groups of users participated in the research: students of French in Scotland and students of English as a foreign language in mainland China. The evaluations sought to investigate user attitudes towards the speech-interactive CALL program and the performance of the system. In addition, users' motivations towards studying the target language were investigated. Differences were found between the two groups of learners with regards to their motivation towards studying the target language, which may be considered in relation to their differences in attitude towards the speech interactive CALL program.
A conceptual evaluation of the multiple dimensions of relationship marketing

Business managers have frequently been called upon to develop relationship marketing programmes, with little guidance about what relationship marketing means or of the resulting benefits. To some, relationship marketing is seen as little more than a tactical programme of database management, while to others it is seen as an integral part of a customer care strategy which goes to the core of the marketing concept. This paper reviews alternative perspectives from which relationship marketing has been viewed and argues that not all types of relationship building activities can be expected to achieve similar returns on investment. Exploratory research is reported which seeks to evaluate the benefits resulting from different aspects of relationship development among a sample of UK travel agents. It is tentatively concluded that although relationship marketing at the tactical level may be relatively easy to implement, much greater benefits may arise where relationship marketing has been interpreted as an underl.
An Evolutionarily Conserved Switch in Response to GABA Affects Development and Behavior of the Locomotor Circuit of Caenorhabditis elegans

The neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is depolarizing in the developing vertebrate brain, but in older animals switches to hyperpolarizing and becomes the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in adults. We discovered a similar developmental switch in GABA response in Caenorhabditis elegans and have genetically analyzed its mechanism and function in a well-defined circuit. Worm GABA neurons innervate body wall muscles to control locomotion. Activation of GABAA receptors with their agonist muscimol in newly hatched first larval (L1) stage animals excites muscle contraction and thus is depolarizing. At the mid-L1 stage, as the GABAergic neurons rewire onto their mature muscle targets, muscimol shifts to relaxing muscles and thus has switched to hyperpolarizing. This muscimol response switch depends on chloride transporters in the muscles analogous to those that control GABA response in mammalian neurons: the chloride accumulator sodium-potassium-chloride-cotransporter-1 (NKCC-1) is required for the early depolarizing muscimol response, while the two chloride extruders potassium-chloride-cotransporter-2 (KCC-2) and anion-bicarbonate-transporter-1 (ABTS-1) are required for the later hyperpolarizing response. Using mutations that disrupt GABA signaling, we found that neural circuit development still proceeds to completion but with an ∼6-hr delay. Using optogenetic activation of GABAergic neurons, we found that endogenous GABAA signaling in early L1 animals, although presumably depolarizing, does not cause an excitatory response. Thus a developmental depolarizing-to-hyperpolarizing shift is an ancient conserved feature of GABA signaling, but existing theories for why this shift occurs appear inadequate to explain its function upon rigorous genetic analysis of a well-defined neural circuit.
Water Governance of Singapore in Achieving Sustainable Water Security

Nowadays, the supply of clean water in the world is declined because of the human population growth pressure. So that water security is a real challenge for the people in the twenty-first century. More than a third of the world's population is not fulfilled the need for clean water, both for drinking water and sanitation. Various policies through the water governance need to be done in addressing the water crisis. It is because state/government remains the locus of power in managing natural resources for development. Singapore is one of country which previously experienced major problems in the availability of fresh water. Since separation from Malaysia in 1965, water becomes a major problem. Singapore does not have a clean water source because geographically Singapore is surrounded by beaches. This research will focus on how is the water governance in Singapore can achieve sustainable water security. Furthermore, to elaborate data, this research uses qualitative method with descriptive analysis approach. The result of research shows that to overcome the water crisis problem, the governments of Singapore take steps that are very creative and innovative to manage water independently with the goal to achieve water self-sufficiency and water security. Through the Public Utilities Board (PUB) program, Singapore's government cans fulfill the water needs for the people. Singapore implemented water governance by designing a comprehensive water management strategy which consisting from the protection and expansion of its water sources, reclamation of wastewater, desalination, demand management, and public education and awareness programs. Holistic approach to water governance has allowed Singapore to achieve sustainable water self-sufficiency and water security which is one of the best examples for innovative water management in the world. Keywords: Security Concept , Water Governance, Water Security
Oxidative Stress During Platelet‐Activating Factor‐Induced Microvascular Dysfunction

Objective: To assess the potential contribution of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to the leukocyte‐endothelial cell adhesion and increased microvascular permeability (to fluorescein isothiocyanate [FITC]‐albumin) observed in rat mesenteric venules exposed to platelet‐activating factor (PAF).
Psychological Contract in the Indian Aviation Sector

This study investigated the relationship between the Employers’ and Employees’ psychological contract along transactional, relational, balanced and transitional parameters in the context of Indian civil aviation sector and found that all the subdimensions of the major construct have statistically significant correlations and that a change in one dimension can effect a statistically significant variation in its corresponding dimension. The descriptive statistics showed that all the dimensions of Employees’ psychological contract, except for Employers’ ‘Narrow’ dimension of Transactional contract and ‘Mistrust’ dimension of Transitional contract, have slightly higher values than all other Employers’ contract dimensions. Though the values between the constructs do not have substantial variations, it is noted that the Employers have higher ‘transactional’ and ‘transitional’ focus and the Employees have higher ‘Relational’ and ‘Balanced’ focus. The findings of the study suggest that the organizations must thrust upon ‘relational psychological contract’ to minimize dysfunctional consequences of breach and employee turnover.