Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analyzing financing strategy of public manufacturing companies

– This paper focuses on Taiwanese‐funded manufacturing companies operating in mainland China to analyze the factors affecting funding decision‐making before and after initial public offering (IPO). , – This research investigates the impact and usefulness of various paths in the data system by using the structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine how the overall economy aspect and the basic aspect before IPO affect the initial returns (IRs) during the IPO and the debt ratio (DR) volatility after listing. , – The results show that the IR, percent change of stock index, and exchange rate volatility before IPO are negative associated with the DR after IPO. The age of IPO companies is positive associated with the DR after IPO. This research also finds that the interest rate volatility before and after IPO have no direct effect upon companies' financial strategies after IPO, but may indirectly affect companies' financial strategies after IPO through the IRs, which conform with the market information feedback hypothesis proposed by van Bommel and Vermaelen. , – This paper investigates Taiwanese‐funded traditional manufacturing companies in mainland China. The paper obtains the sample from the Taiwan Stock Exchange from 1990 to 2005; electronic companies and samples lacking complete data are eliminated. Finally, the sample consists of 122 companies from traditional manufacturing sectors. The results may be applied to companies not from high‐tech sectors and emerging markets only. The incentive of debt financing would be lower for IPO companies with high IRs, percentage changes of stock index, and exchange rate fluctuation before listing. The paper suggests further research can investigate IRs for establishing an optimal capital structure to minimize financing costs and appreciate company value when choosing financing strategies. The new pubic companies will infer the IR and future capital structure through market interest before listing. It suggests future research may be directed at companies from financial and high‐tech sectors, and may apply the methodologies to developed economies. , – It is suggested that IPO companies may closely examine to determine the performance of stock market, tendencies of exchange rate movement, as well as IRs in order to establish an optimal capital structure to minimize financing costs and appreciate company value. Besides, the new pubic companies will infer the IR and future capital structure through market interests before listing. , – This research implicated that IPO companies should fully understand the stock market circumstance and exchange rate volatility tendencies. Then, the new pubic offering companies will be able to infer the IR and future capital structure through market interest to judge relative financing costs of manufacturing companies.
African American and White Female Caregivers and the Sociocultural Stress and Coping Model

Abstract This study compares 35 African American and 35 White female dementia caregivers using the Sociocultural Stress and Coping Model. Demographic differences are highlighted, as are differences in values and health outcomes. African American caregivers reported lower levels of income and higher levels of familism, but similar levels of active and avoidant coping compared with White caregivers. The groups did not differ in depressive symptoms or burden, but perceived physical health was worse among African American caregivers in the sample. The findings are discussed in the context of the Sociocultural Stress and Coping Model, focusing on the cultural measure of familism.
Effect of 7‐hydroxymethyl‐12‐methylbenz(a)anthracene on the adrenal gland of the foetal and postnatal rat

7,1 %DIMETHYLBENZ(a)ANTHRACENE (DMBA) and its derivative, 7hydroxymethyl-l2-methylbenz(a)anthracene (7-OHM-12-MBA), have powerful adrenocorticolytic actions in the mature rat (Huggins and Morii, 1961; Boyland, Sims and Huggins, 1965; Wheatley et al., 1966), but not in the immature rat (< 30 days of age) unless the rat has been pretreated with ACTH (Morii and Huggins, 1962; Wheatley and Currie, unpublished). Recently we described the embryopathic effects of DMBA and 7-OHM-12-MBA in the Sprague-Dawley rat (Currie et al., 1970), and the adrenocorticolytic effects of 7-OHM-12-MBA in the adrenal gland of the 17-day rat foetus (Bird, Crawford and Currie, 1970). We now describe the results of a more detailed study of the effects of 7-OHM-12-MBA on the adrenal gland of the rat foetus and the immature postnatal rat.
Intimate Politics: publicity, privacy and the personal lives of politicians in media-saturated democracies

Until recently it was perhaps appropriate to characterize scholarship exploring the relationship between popular culture, journalism and personalized politics as relatively new. But since we are well into the twenty-first century, book-length endeavours examining the incursion of popular culture into mainstream politics now stretch back decades (for example, Street 1997) and can increasingly be found on university library shelves and module reading lists (Corner and Pels 2003; Van Zoonen 2005). James Stanyer’s Intimate Politics is therefore published at a time when scholarly engagement in this area has become a familiar part of political communication and journalism studies. At first glance, then, Intimate Politics might not stand out from the crowd. But on closer inspection, Stanyer’s empirically driven approach and thoughtful interpretation of personalized political communication can, in my view, be placed in both the ‘‘new’’ and distinctive camp. Whereas analyses of politics and personalization can sometimes appear somewhat impressionistic, a subjective scholarly judgement about how citizens might*or might not*be disengaged by what are routinely dismissed as ‘‘tabloid’’, ‘‘soft’’ or ‘‘trivial’’ aspects of politics, Stanyer’s focus is specifically on interpreting*as the subtitle of the book reveals*the ‘‘Publicity, Privacy and the Personal Lives of Politicians in Mediasaturated Democracies’’. Moreover, from the outset Stanyer takes issue with the limited way ‘‘personalization’’ has been understood by scholars, since*he argues*the ‘‘majority of studies conducted on personalization do not deal with the flows of information and imagery about politicians’ private lives’’ (p. 8). In doing so, the concept of intimization is carefully introduced and defined as reflecting three domains of politicians’ lives:
Beyond Direct Explanation: Transactional Instruction of Reading Comprehension Strategies

Comprehension strategies are being taught in schools, with important similarities across some schools that are teaching them well. Strategy teaching typically occurs daily in these schools as part of group instruction. It is long term and complex since students are taught to coordinate traditional memory and comprehension strategies with interpretive processes. Consistent with both reader response theories and psychological theories, we refer to this approach as transactional strategies instruction: Student and teacher transactions with text are the heart of this form of instruction, with classroom discourse consisting of teachers providing support and guidance to students as they attempt to use strategies to learn regular elementary content. The limited evidence available suggests that this approach is effective and deserves research. Longitudinal experiments and quasi experiments are required, as are detailed descriptive analyses. There are many potential effects of transactional strategies instruction on classroom interactions, student reading and motivation to read, and cognitive competence in general-many more potential effects than the comprehension and memory variables that were the focus of comprehension strategies research during the last 2 decades. Research on these potential effects could yield a practical and realistic theory of comprehension strategies instruction.
Muscle Activity and Comfort Perception on Neck, Shoulder, and Forearm While Using a Tablet Computer at Various Tilt Angles

Tablet computers have become ubiquitous. There is a serious risk that using tablets may lead to musculoskeletal disorders. This research aims to investigate, for tablet computer users, the musculature load and comfort perception of the engaged upper extremity for three angles of viewing and common task types performed at a computer workstation. Thirty healthy adults were recruited. A 3 × 2 repeated experimental design with tilt angle (22.5°, 45°, and 67.5° from horizontal) and task type (movie watching vs. game playing) was employed. The muscular activity of the upper extremity was assessed by electromyography measurement. Subjective comfort ratings were collected using the visual analogue scale. The results showed that when tablets were mounted at a high tilt angle (67.5°), neck muscle activity was low; however, when the tablet computer was mounted at a low tilt angle (22.5°), shoulder forward flexion activity was low, particularly during the game-playing task. This article suggests that users who feel musculoskeletal discomfort in the neck area increase the angle of their tablet computers to decrease neck stress and that users who have musculoskeletal discomfort in the shoulder area position the tablet computer at a lower tilt angle to decrease shoulder stress.
Cancellation and focus: the role of shared and unique features in the choice process

Abstract A feature matching comparison process was used to derive a model for preference choices in which features shared by the choice alternatives are canceled and greater weight is placed on the unique features of the alternative that is the starting point for comparison. These aspects of the cancellation and focus model were tested in two experiments. In Experiment 1, after making a series of preference judgments between paired items that either shared good features and had unique-bad features (unique-bad pairs) or shared bad features and had unique-good features (unique-good pairs), subjects evaluated both the chosen and rejected alternatives. As expected, for unique-good pairs the bad features of the alternatives were canceled, whereas for unique-bad pairs the good features were canceled, resulting in higher postchoice evaluations of alternatives judged from unique-good pairs. In Experiment 2, the predicted advantage in postchoice evaluations of the products of unique-good over unique-bad comparisons (derived from the cancellation aspect of the model) was unaffected by whether the paired alternatives were encountered sequentially or side by side. In contrast, the relative preference of the subject or referent of a pair (derived from the focus aspect of the model) was eliminated when the choice alternatives were encountered side by side rather than sequentially, because a side by side comparison reduced the extent to which the features of the alternative under focus would be used to recruit features of the referent for use in the comparison. Implications of the cancellation-and-focus model of choice and its relation to other models of choice are discussed.
Straighten Up and Act Like a Lady: A Qualitative Study of Lesbian Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Although scholars have been studying domestic violence for decades now, it is only recently that domestic violence occurring in non-heterosexual relationships has received noteworthy attention. Several researchers have called for further study of lesbian intimate partner violence (IPV) and the experiences of lesbian survivors. This exploratory study was designed to uncover the experiences of lesbian survivors in regards to their background of violence, perception of lesbian community attitudes, and experience with seeking help. Using modified grounded theory, I was able to expose several recurring themes in the data, including the following: history of violence; gendered belief of violence; the reality of lesbian intimate partner violence; help seeking and the silence surrounding lesbian intimate partner violence in the lesbian community; and the roles of homophobia and heterosexism in lesbian intimate partner violence. Survivors repeatedly reported feeling silenced, isolated, and helpless due to the lack of acknowledgment of and support for lesbian survivors of intimate partner violence in their communities. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of women who have endured violence at the hands of their same-sex intimate partners.
Assessment of subjective stress in the municipal police force at the start and at the end of the shift

The aim of this study was to assess subjective stress in the municipal police force of a large Italian city by administering the Rapid Stress Assessment (RSA) Scale, a self-rated tool, in order to identify any possible differences between the start and the end of the shift. Two samples of 100 exposed traffic police officers and 100 non-exposed office-workers of both sexes were assessed. The subjects were interviewed on a working day, at the start (6.45 a.m.) and end (2 p.m.) of their shift. The analysis of the data showed a significantly higher total score, as well as scores in the anxiety and aggressiveness clusters at the end of the shift both in traffic police officers and in office-workers compared to those recorded at the start of the shift. The RSA ‘somatization’ cluster was only significantly higher at the end of the shift in traffic police officers with respect to the start of the shift. A gender analytical framework showed a higher score among separated or divorced women with children. The results could be taken to mean that the stressors have, throughout the working day, an ‘exhausting’ effect and the subject feels ‘down’, despite having finished his/her work for the day. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Barley Brassinosteroid Mutants Provide an Insight into Phytohormonal Homeostasis in Plant Reaction to Drought Stress

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of steroid phytohormones, which regulate various processes of morphogenesis and physiology—from seed development to regulation of flowering and senescence. An accumulating body of evidence indicates that BRs take part in regulation of physiological reactions to various stress conditions, including drought. Many of the physiological functions of BRs are regulated by a complicated, and not fully elucidated network of interactions with metabolic pathways of other phytohormones. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize phytohormonal homeostasis in barley (Hordeum vulgare) in reaction to drought and validate role of BRs in regulation of this process. Material of this study included the barley cultivar “Bowman” and five Near-Isogenic Lines (NILs) representing characterized semi-dwarf mutants of several genes encoding enzymes participating in BR biosynthesis and signaling. Analysis of endogenous BRs concentrations in these NILs confirmed that their phenotypes result from abnormalities in BR metabolism. In general, concentrations of 18 compounds, representing various classes of phytohormones, including brassinosteroids, auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, abscisic acid, salicylic acid and jasmonic acid were analyzed under control and drought conditions in the “Bowman” cultivar and the BR-deficient NILs. Drought induced a significant increase in accumulation of the biologically active form of BRs—castasterone in all analyzed genotypes. Another biologically active form of BRs—24-epi-brassinolide—was identified in one, BR-insensitive NIL under normal condition, but its accumulation was drought-induced in all analyzed genotypes. Analysis of concentration profiles of several compounds representing gibberellins allowed an insight into the BR-dependent regulation of gibberellin biosynthesis. The concentration of the gibberellic acid GA7 was significantly lower in all NILs when compared with the “Bowman” cultivar, indicating that GA7 biosynthesis represents an enzymatic step at which the stimulating effect of BRs on gibberellin biosynthesis occurs. Moreover, the accumulation of GA7 is significantly induced by drought in all the genotypes. Biosynthesis of jasmonic acid is also a BR-dependent process, as all the NILs accumulated much lower concentrations of this hormone when compared with the “Bowman” cultivar under normal condition, however the accumulation of jasmonic acid, abscisic acid and salicylic acid were significantly stimulated by drought.
Expression of Human Chemerin Induces Insulin Resistance in the Skeletal Muscle but Does Not Affect Weight, Lipid Levels, and Atherosclerosis in LDL Receptor Knockout Mice on High-Fat Diet

OBJECTIVE Chemerin is a recently discovered hepatoadipokine that regulates adipocyte differentiation as well as chemotaxis and activation of dendritic cells and macrophages. Chemerin was reported to modulate insulin sensitivity in adipocytes and skeletal muscle cells in vitro and to exacerbate glucose intolerance in several mouse models in vivo. In humans, chemerin was shown to be associated with multiple components of the metabolic syndrome including BMI, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and hypertension. This study aimed to examine the effect of chemerin on weight, glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as atherosclerosis in vivo. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We used recombinant adeno-associated virus to express human chemerin in LDL receptor knockout mice on high-fat diet. RESULTS Expression of chemerin did not significantly alter weight, lipid levels, and extent of atherosclerosis. Chemerin, however, significantly increased glucose levels during the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test without affecting endogenous insulin levels and the insulin tolerance test. Chemerin reduced insulin-stimulated Akt1 phosphorylation and activation of 5′AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the skeletal muscle, but had no effect on Akt phosphorylation and insulin-stimulated AMPK activation in the liver and gonadal adipose tissue. CONCLUSIONS Chemerin induces insulin resistance in the skeletal muscle in vivo. Chemerin is involved in the cross talk between liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle.
Experiences of combined visual training and arm activation in the rehabilitation of unilateral visual neglect: A clinical study

This study reports a rehabilitation training for unilateral visual neglect combining a visual training programme and arm activation. Four cases of left visual neglect are presented with differing arm use. Neglect impairment was assessed using seven neuropsychological tests at weekly intervals for nine weeks: three weeks before, during and after the treatment period. In addition, one patient was followed over a longer time period. The treatment consisted of both a visual training programme and simultaneous arm activation. Considerable improvement in three of the four patients was observed in article reading. Moreover, all patients showed some improvement on three cancellation tests, whereas there was no improvement on other tests. In particular, the patients who had full hand or shoulder movement showed improvement in their performance. These results point out the usefulness of combined visual training and arm activation in the rehabilitation of visual neglect.
How similar, how different? On Dutch media depictions of older and younger people

ABSTRACT By providing information on society at large, the media help to establish and maintain relations between various social groups, such as between younger and older people. They may also disturb the formation or maintenance of such relations, e.g. by stimulating the ‘othering’ of the out-group members. The aim of the present study was to trace how the different strategies of ‘othering’ are applied by Dutch news media in their portrayal of older and younger citizens. The analysis showed that the most notable discrepancies in the media coverage of the two age groups appear in (the nature of) their evaluation. While the negative descriptors of older characters relate more frequently to their (alleged) incompetence, the negative depictions of younger actors refer predominantly to their lack of benevolence. In the case of positive evaluations the reverse is true: older characters are more often presented as warm and younger people as competent. The results of the study are interpreted in the light of literature on social distance and (social) practices of ‘othering’.
Digital Cell Counting Device Integrated with a Single-Cell Array

In this paper, we present a novel cell counting method accomplished using a single-cell array fabricated on an image sensor, complementary metal oxide semiconductor sensor. The single-cell array was constructed using a microcavity array, which can trap up to 7,500 single cells on microcavities periodically arranged on a plane metallic substrate via the application of a negative pressure. The proposed method for cell counting is based on shadow imaging, which uses a light diffraction pattern generated by the microcavity array and trapped cells. Under illumination, the cell-occupied microcavities are visualized as shadow patterns in an image recorded by the complementary metal oxide semiconductor sensor due to light attenuation. The cell count is determined by enumerating the uniform shadow patterns created from one-on-one relationships with single cells trapped on the microcavities in digital format. In the experiment, all cell counting processes including entrapment of non-labeled HeLa cells from suspensions on the array and image acquisition of a wide-field-of-view of 30 mm2 in 1/60 seconds were implemented in a single integrated device. As a result, the results from the digital cell counting had a linear relationship with those obtained from microscopic observation (r2 = 0.99). This platform could be used at extremely low cell concentrations, i.e., 25–15,000 cells/mL. Our proposed system provides a simple and rapid miniaturized cell counting device for routine laboratory use.
On High-Speed Connections and the Location of Activities

We study the impact of a high-speed connection between two regional economies on the location of production activities, using the simple plant-location problem and toy networks. As expected, the relative value of fixed production costs to transportation costs is crucial in the determination of facility locations. Less expected is the fairly strong instability observed in the structure of the locational pattern of facilities when the relative value of the fixed costs changes. The construction of a piece of infrastructure has an impact on the regional structure of production provided that it allows for a substantial reduction in transport spending. When scale economies in production are large, one regional center swallows up the other and may eventually become the only production center within the integrated economy.
Autonomic resource provisioning for cloud-based software

Cloud elasticity provides a software system with the ability to maintain optimal user experience by automatically acquiring and releasing resources, while paying only for what has been consumed. The mechanism for automatically adding or removing resources on the fly is referred to as auto-scaling. The state-of-the-practice with respect to auto-scaling involves specifying threshold-based rules to implement elasticity policies for cloud-based applications. However, there are several shortcomings regarding this approach. Firstly, the elasticity rules must be specified precisely by quantitative values, which requires deep knowledge and expertise. Furthermore, existing approaches do not explicitly deal with uncertainty in cloud-based software, where noise and unexpected events are common. This paper exploits fuzzy logic to enable qualitative specification of elasticity rules for cloud-based software. In addition, this paper discusses a control theoretical approach using type-2 fuzzy logic systems to reason about elasticity under uncertainties. We conduct several experiments to demonstrate that cloud-based software enhanced with such elasticity controller can robustly handle unexpected spikes in the workload and provide acceptable user experience. This translates into increased profit for the cloud application owner.