Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Board independence and firm performance in Southern Europe: A contextual and contingency approach

Abstract This study analyses whether or not the effect of board independence on a firm's strategic performance is moderated by family involvement in ownership and control. Moderation of the board's size and the independent director ratio are tested under quadratic specifications. The effect of CEO duality with family involvement on long-term sales growth is also measured. The empirical analysis is conducted in the Southern European context using a sample of publicly traded firms that have concentrated ownership structures. The main findings indicate that when nonlinearities are considered, family involvement moderates the relationship between the independent director ratio and firm performance. The optimal proportion of independent directors is lower in family businesses than in non-family ones. However, the results fail to support nonlinearities for board size. We find positive linear relationships between both board size and CEO duality with firm performance, which are not moderated by family involvement.
Prevalence of alcohol-impaired driving. Results from a national self-reported survey of health behaviors.

OBJECTIVE To estimate how frequently adults in the United States drive while impaired by alcohol. DESIGN Telephone survey. SETTING The 49 states (and the District of Columbia) that participated in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in 1993. PARTICIPANTS A total of 102,263 noninstitutionalized adults aged 18 years or older. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The percentage of respondents who reported alcohol-impaired driving; number of episodes of alcohol-impaired driving per 1000 adult population; and total number of episodes of alcohol-impaired driving-each by age, sex, race, level of education, and state. RESULTS Overall, 2.5% of adults reported an estimated 123 million episodes of alcohol-impaired driving in 1993. This corresponds to 655 episodes of alcohol-impaired driving for each 1000 adults (range among states per 1000 adults, 165-1550). Alcohol-impaired driving was most frequent among men aged 21 to 34 years (1739 episodes per 1000 adults) and was nearly as frequent among men aged 18 to 20 years (1623 episodes per 1000 adults), despite legislation in all states that prohibited the sale of alcohol to persons younger than age 21 years in 1993. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol-impaired driving is common even among underage persons. Strict enforcement of laws that discourage alcohol-impaired driving is needed along with community and patient education to reduce the prevalence of alcohol-impaired driving and prevent injuries and deaths from alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. Data from the BRFSS, an ongoing source of national and state-specific data on the number of episodes of alcohol-impaired driving, are potentially useful for monitoring trends and evaluating the effect of future efforts to reduce alcohol-impaired driving.
What is Spanish nationalism today? From legitimacy crisis to unfulfilled renovation (1975–2000)

The article explores the different discourses on Spanish nationalism and 'patriotic affirmation' existing in contemporary Spain. Since the end of Francoism, Spanish nationalism has existed in a de-articulated and diffuse way, rather as a reaction against the challenge of stateless nationalisms than as a substantive doctrine. However, since the mid-1980s there has been a recovery of Spanish nationalist discourse, often labelled as 'Constitutional patriotism', whose main point is the insistence on History as the founding basis for the legitimation of the present Spanish polity, as well as the vindication of the 1978 Constitution as the end-point of decentralization.
Selective PPARδ agonist treatment increases skeletal muscle lipid metabolism without altering mitochondrial energy coupling: an in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy study

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-delta (PPARdelta) activation results in upregulation of genes associated with skeletal muscle fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial uncoupling. However, direct, noninvasive assessment of lipid metabolism and mitochondrial energy coupling in skeletal muscle following PPARdelta stimulation has not been examined. Therefore, in this study we examined the response of a selective PPARdelta agonist (GW610742X at 5 or 100 mg.kg(-1). day(-1) for 8 days) on skeletal-muscle lipid metabolism and mitochondrial coupling efficiency in rats by using in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). There was a decrease in the intramyocellular lipid-to-total creatine ratio as assessed by in vivo (1)H-MRS in soleus and tibialis anterior muscles by day 7 (reduced by 49 and 46%, respectively; P < 0.01) at the high dose. Following the (1)H-MRS experiment (day 8), [1-(13)C]glucose was administered to conscious rats to assess metabolism in the soleus muscle. The relative fat-vs.-carbohydrate oxidation rate increased in a dose-dependent manner (increased by 52 and 93% in the 5 and 100 mg.kg(-1). day(-1) groups, respectively; P < 0.05). In separate experiments where mitochondrial coupling was assessed in vivo (day 7), (31)P-MRS was used to measure hindlimb ATP synthesis and (13)C-MRS was used to measure the hindlimb tricarboxylic acid cycle flux (V(tca)). There was no alteration, at either dose, in mitochondrial coupling efficiency measured as the ratio of unidirectional ATP synthesis flux to V(tca). Soleus muscle GLUT4 expression was decreased by twofold, whereas pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4, carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1a, and uncoupling protein 2 and 3 expression was increased by two- to threefold at the high dose (P < 0.05). In summary, these are the first noninvasive measurements illustrating a selective PPARdelta-mediated decrease in muscle lipid content that was consistent with a shift in metabolic substrate utilization from carbohydrate to lipid. However, the mitochondrial-energy coupling efficiency was not altered in the presence of increased uncoupling protein expression.
Two tongue tied: Bilingualism in Singapore

This paper examines the problems and issues connected with the implementation of the bilingual policy in Singapore which is a multiracial, multicultural and multilingual nation. Bilingualism in Singapore describes more than just a policy, a programme, a population, or a progression. It involves a major transformation since bilingualism is important insofar as English is ‘claimed’ as the cornerstone of that operation towards bilingual achievement. In other words, bilinguals in Singapore are increasingly English‐knowing bilinguals. Some of the problems and issues connected to English‐knowing bilingualism including language maintenance and shift and the inter‐relationship between language and culture, are examined.
Thompson's group F is 1-counter graph automatic

Abstract It is not known whether Thompson's group F is automatic. With the recent extensions of the notion of an automatic group to graph automatic by Kharlampovich, Khoussainov and Miasnikov and then to 𝒞-graph automatic by the authors, a compelling question is whether F is graph automatic or 𝒞-graph automatic for an appropriate language class 𝒞. The extended definitions allow the use of a symbol alphabet for the normal form language, replacing the dependence on generating set. In this paper we construct a 1-counter graph automatic structure for F based on the standard infinite normal form for group elements.
Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Induces CCL5 Secretion via the Toll-Like Receptor 2-NF-κB and -Jun N-Terminal Kinase Signaling Pathways

ABSTRACT In response to Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), CC chemokines are secreted from host cells to attract components of the innate and adaptive immune systems to the site of infection. Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) has been shown to recognize M. bovis BCG and to initiate signaling pathways that result in enhanced secretion of CC chemokines. Despite the essential requirement of TLR2 in M. bovis BCG infection, the mechanisms by which it induces secretion of CC chemokines are not well defined. In this study, we report that stimulation of HEK293 cells expressing human TLR2 with M. bovis BCG resulted in increased CCL2 and CCL5 secretion, as determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. M. bovis BCG infection resulted in the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and the inhibition of JNK activity had a significant effect on M. bovis BCG-dependent CCL5 secretion in TLR2-expressing cells but no effect on M. bovis BCG-dependent CCL2 secretion from infected HEK293 cells expressing human TLR2. The M. bovis BCG-induced CCL5 release was attenuated by sulfasalazine (a well-described inhibitor of NF-κB activity), BAY 11-7082 (an IκB phosphorylation inhibitor), and ALLN (a well-described inhibitor of NF-κB activation that prevents degradation of IκB and eventually results in a lack of translocated NF-κB in the nucleus). In addition, stimulation of TLR2-expressing cells with M. bovis BCG resulted in translocation of NF-κB subunits from the cytoplasmic to the nuclear fraction, and stimulation of cells with M. bovis BCG activated IκB kinase αβ. These findings indicate that M. bovis BCG induces CCL5 production through mechanisms that include a TLR2-dependent component that requires JNK and NF-κB activities.
Anticipating a Post-task Activity: The Effects on Accuracy, Complexity, and Fluency of Second Language Performance

The concept of focus on form has been influential in second language (L2) acquisition and pedagogy. One example of the implementation of focus on form is a post-task activity (e.g., anticipation of a public performance) that can selectively orient learners toward increased levels of accuracy. The present research proposes a new operationalization of a post-task activity, requiring L2 speakers, post-task, to transcribe some of their earlier task performance for both narrative and decision-making tasks. This study indicates that the predicted accuracy effect is obtained with both tasks, but so too is an effect of complexity for the decision-making task. Results are discussed in terms of the way L2 speakers allocate attention during task performance and how this allocation can be influenced by experimental conditions. Le concept d’« interaction centrée sur la forme » jouit d’une certaine influence dans les domaines de l’acquisition et de la pédagogie des langues secondes (L2). Un exemple de l’implantation de ce concept est la pratique d’une activité post-tâche (p. ex. l’attente d’une représentation en public) qui peut, de façon sélective, orienter les apprenants vers un degré plus élevé de précision. Nous proposons ici une nouvelle façon de rendre opérationnelles les activités post-tâche, en demandant aux locuteurs de la L2 de mettre par écrit le résultat de certaines tâches qu’ils ont accomplies auparavant dans des contextes de narration et de prise de décision. Les résultats montrent que l’effet de précision postulé est obtenu dans les deux tâches, de même qu’un effet de complexité dans le cas de la prise de décision. Les résultats sont interprétés en fonction de la répartition de l’attention des locuteurs de L2 pendant le déroulement de la tâche, et de la façon dont cette répartition peut être influencée par les conditions expérimentales.
Antisense angiopoietin-1 inhibits tumorigenesis and angiogenesis of gastric cancer.

AIM To investigate the effect of angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) on biological behaviors in vitro and tumorigenesis and angiogenesis in vitro of human gastric cancer cells. METHODS Human full-length Ang-1 gene was cloned from human placental tissues by RT-PCR method. Recombinant human Ang-1 antisense eukaryotic expression vector was constructed by directional cloning, and transfected by lipofectin method into human gastric cancer line SGC7901 with high Ang-1 expression level. Inhibition efficiency was confirmed by semi- quantitative PCR and Western blot method. Cell growth curve and cell cycle were observed with MTT assays and flow cytometry, respectively. Nude mice tumorigenicity test was employed to compare in vitro tumorigenesis of cells with Ang-1 suppression. Microvessel density (MVD) of implanted tumor tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemistry for factor VIII staining. RESULTS Full-length Ang-1 gene was successfully cloned and stable transfectants were established, namely 7Ang1- for antisenseìand 7901P for empty vector transfected. 7Ang1- cells showed down-regulated Ang-1 expression, while its in vitro proliferation and cell cycle distribution were not significantly changed. In contrast, xenograft of 7Ang1- cells in nude mice had lower volume and weight than those of 7901P after 30 days' implantation (P<0.01, 293.00+/-95.54 mg vs. 624.00+/-77.78 mg) accompanied with less vessel formation with MVD 6.00+/-1.73 compared to 7901P group 8.44+/-1.33 (P<0.01). CONCLUSION Ang-1 may play an important role in tumorigenesis and angiogenesis of gastric cancer, and targeting its expression may be beneficial for the therapy of gastric cancer.
A model-based approach to stabilizing crutch supported paraplegic standing by artificial hip joint stiffness

The prerequisites for stable crutch supported standing were analyzed in this paper. For this purpose, a biomechanical model of crutch supported paraplegic stance was developed assuming the patient was standing with extended knees. When using crutches during stance, the crutches will put a position constraint on the shoulder, thus reducing the number of degrees of freedom. Additional hip-joint stiffness was applied to stabilize the hip joint and, therefore, to stabilize stance. The required hip-joint stiffness for changing crutch placement and hip-joint offset angle was studied under static and dynamic conditions. Modeling results indicate that, by using additional hip-joint stiffness, stable crutch supported paraplegic standing can be achieved, both under static as well as dynamic situations. The static equilibrium postures and the stability under perturbations were calculated to be dependent on crutch placement and stiffness applied. However, postures in which the hip joint was in extension (C postures) appeared to the most stable postures. Applying at least 60 N /spl middot/ m/rad hip-joint stiffness gave stable equilibrium postures in all cases. Choosing appropriate hip-joint offset angles, the static equilibrium postures changed to more erect postures, without causing instability or excessive arm forces to occur.
Evolutionary stability in general extensive-form games of perfect information

We consider a basic dynamic evolutionary model with rare mutation and a best-reply (or better-reply) selection mechanism. A state is evolutionarily stable if its long-term relative frequency of occurrence is bounded away from zero as the mutation rate decreases to zero. We prove that, for all finite extensive-form games of perfect information, only Nash equilibria are evolutionarily stable. We show that, in games where a player may play at more than one node along some path, even when the populations increase to infinity, there may be some evolutionarily stable states which are not part of the backward induction equilibrium component. We give a sufficient condition for evolutionary stability and show how much extra value is needed in the terminal payoffs to make an equilibrium evolutionarily stable.
Genocidal risk and climate change: Africa in the twenty-first century

Climate change is often related to various adverse effects, among those are endangering food security and raising the risk of conflict. Some scholars go as far as identifying climate change as the main driver of civilisational crisis. But empirical evidence is rather inconclusive so far, particularly about its relationship to violence, and even more so, genocide. In this article, we provide a literature review of studies explaining certain forms of violence and especially the connections between climate change and violence as well as an empirical study about the connections of climate variables (temperature and rainfall) and agricultural production in sub-Sahara Africa. Further, we also provide an assessment of institutional risk factors given the historical record of sub-Saharan African states with respect to genocide and projections about the future development of agricultural production for the first half of the twenty-first century to also assess environmental risk. In doing so, we are able to identify countries of joint risk and promising directions of further research. In this context, we chose sub-Saharan Africa as our focus area for various reasons: first, because of widespread poverty, institutional weakness and dependence on rain-fed agriculture, sub-Saharan Africa is the macro region where the effects of climate change will very likely play out most adversely; further, it also assembles a pronounced historical record of violent conflict, notably including genocidal episodes; finally, mutual enforcement and endogeneity issues are particularly viable there, not the least in the form of a large potential impact of technological and institutional improvements.
Predicting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders‐IV personality disorders with the five‐factor model of personality and the personality psychopathology five

The five-factor model of personality (FFM), derived from personality trait psychology, is increasingly used to describe personality disorders (PDs). Critics have argued, however, that the personality traits of the FFM fail to capture adequately the full range of personality psychopathology. In this investigation, the personality domains of the personality psychopathology five (PSY-5), an alternative model designed specifically to assess pathological traits, were compared to the domain traits from the FFM in the prediction of the PD symptom counts. The personality traits from both dimensional models were assessed in a sample of 138 psychiatric patients with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) and the revised NEO personality inventory (NEO PI-R), respectively. Both instruments significantly predicted all 10 PD symptoms and contributed on average an additional 10% of the variance beyond that predicted by the other instrument. Whereas the MMPI-2 PSY-5 scales were comparatively better predictors of paranoid, schizotypal, narcissistic and antisocial PD symptom counts, the NEO PI-R domain scales outperformed the MMPI-2 PSY-5 scales in the prediction of borderline, avoidant and dependent PD symptom counts. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Survey of Foreign Languages for Business and the Professions at US Colleges and Universities

to be growing at colleges and universities in the United States. In order to measure this trend, a survey of foreign languages for specific purposes was conducted by means of a questionnaire mailed to the chairpersons of language departments at 1,008 randomly selected United States colleges and universities. The results of the survey provide information about the extent to which foreign language courses for specific purposes (FLSP) are part of the curriculum in higher education. ' The survey focused on some of the characteristics of the institutions that have FLSP
Ideology and utopia

Although Karl Mannheim and Ernst Bloch provide two contrasting analyses of the relationship between ideology and utopia, they hold in common the belief that the two concepts need to be examined together as a pair of closely related concepts. Mannheim argues that the ideological and the utopian are both forms of ‘reality‐transcendence’, and constructs an historical account of their role in the emergence of modernity. Bloch posits a ‘utopian surplus’ in ideology which carries the ‘not‐yet’ of human potential. The recent ‘post‐secular’ turn in contemporary political philosophy provides an excellent focus for considering the utility of the two approaches, and a discussion of the relationship of the two thinkers to the work of Karl Marx can help clarify the nature of their differences.
The mere exposure effect and recognition memory

This investigation explores the relationship between liking ratings and recognition performance for obscure classical and Russian music melodies. Past studies have explored if awareness of stimulus presentation affects the mere exposure effect (MEE) (Bornstein, 1989; Bornstein & D'Agostino, 1992). We investigate if the type of awareness (i.e., "remembering" an actual occurrence of hearing the melody vs. "knowing" that one is familiar with the melody in a more general, less contextualised sense; Tulving, 1985) affects the MEE. In Experiment 1, we administered the liking test and the recognition test within the same test block and found that liking ratings for "remembered" melodies were on average higher than those for melodies that were merely "known". Although the recognition data replicate the findings of Gardiner, Kaminska, Dixon, and Java (1996) whereby remember and know responses to a given stimulus react differently to repetition from one to three trials, liking data did not vary with the degree of exposure. In addition, our adoption of the recognition category "guess" resulted in a pattern of results that is not only different from previous studies but illustrates the importance of judged, instead of true, old/new status in determining liking. The basic findings of Experiment 1 were replicated in Experiment 2 in which the liking test was conducted prior to the recognition test. Implications of these findings for theories of MEE are discussed.
Values, Motives, and Interventions of Organization Development Practitioners

A mail survey was conducted to empirically measure respondents' perceptions of the values, motives, and interventions of today's organization development (OD) practitioners. The survey sample consisted of 1,500 names randomly selected from three different professional organizations. Overall, 416 practitioners (27.7%) returned the questionnaire. Data from each of the three content areas were analyzed through: (a) factor analyses to determine the underlying structure and to generate subscales, and (b) MANCOVAs to assess the degree of differences among various types of respondents (e.g., professional association membership, gender, internal vs. external status) across the respective summary scores. In terms of the values of OD, results indicated that practitioners perceive the field today to be focused more on business effectiveness and productivity issues than on the humanistic concerns and orientation of the past. Although respondents rated interest in social action and helping people as the most important motivators of OD work in the ideal, exercising personal power and reaping the rewards of the consulting relationship were considered to be the more dominant motivators for people in the field today. Regarding interventions, practitioners reported engaging primarily in activities aimed at long-term organizational change, action research methodologies, and management skills training.
Recognition of Transposed Melodic Sequences

Accuracy of recognition for short (three-note) transposed melodic sequences was measured and compared with accuracy predicted by three models of recognition each of which described a different degree of abstraction and synthesis of the musical intervals contained in the sequence. For subjects with musical training, recognition was best described by a model that assumed abstraction and synthesis of the musical intervals between both adjacent and non-adjacent tones of the sequence. For subjects without musical training, recognition was much less accurate but there was some evidence that intervals between adjacent tones were abstracted. Of major theoretical interest, however, was the finding that none of the models provided a comprehensive account of the data. Not merely the size of the intervals contained in a sequence determines accuracy of recognition of the sequence, but also the order or configuration of the intervals. It is suggested that particular interval configurations facilitate the abstraction of tonal structure.