Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Board monitoring, product market competition and firm performance

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the monitoring role of board and product market competition in relation to firm performance. Further, this paper analyzes the moderating role of product market competition in influencing the board monitoring and firm value relationship in the context of an emerging economy, India. Design/methodology/approach A large sample of 3,854 firm-year observations has been used over a period of 10 years (2007-2016). Industry and year-fixed effect regression methodology has been used to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings The empirical findings indicate that board monitoring adds negatively to the firm value. The results also indicate that product market competition bears an insignificant moderating effect on the effectiveness of board monitoring in India. However, a more in-depth analysis reveals that product market competition complements the weak board monitoring of business-group firms. Further, the effectiveness of the board monitoring (which is relatively stronger in business-group firms) is weakened by the increased level of product market competition for stand-alone firms. Research limitations/implications A significant negative effect of board independence on the firm value raises the effectiveness of various policies advocating the board independence to strengthen the governance structure of the firms. The findings relating to the moderating role of product market competition for the business-group and stand-alone firms are helpful in understanding the governance behavior of the firms in relation to the external product market competition. Originality/value External governance mechanisms such as the market for corporate control and product market competition have been described as significant corporate governance mechanisms. However, the empirical efficacy of these governance mechanisms has not been explored in a greater detail in the context of the emerging markets. This study aims to address this research gap.
Clostridium difficile: Recent Epidemiologic Findings and Advances in Therapy

Clostridium difficile–associated disease (CDAD) has become an important public health problem. The causative organism is acquired by the oral route from an environmental source or by contact with an infected person or a health care worker who serves as a vector. Disruption of the bowel microflora, generally by antibiotics, creates an environment that allows C. difficile to proliferate. Organisms produce toxins A and B, which cause intense inflammation of the colonic mucosa. The syndrome that results includes severe diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, and leukocytosis. A new strain of C. difficile has become prevalent in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Identified by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), this strain is called North America PFGE type 1, abbreviated as NAP‐1. Clostridium difficile NAP‐1 characteristically generates large amounts of toxins A and B, as well as an additional binary toxin and is associated with enhanced morbidity and a poor response to antibiotic therapy. Mild cases of CDAD may respond to cessation of antibiotic therapy, perhaps related to antibody production by the infected person, but most infected persons require antimicrobial therapy. Vancomycin has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treatment of CDAD, but reluctance to use this antibiotic in the hospital setting has led to reliance on metronidazole as first‐line therapy. Recent studies show a high rate of failure, due either to infection by NAP‐1 or to the presence, in hospitals, of older and sicker adults who have been treated with many broad‐spectrum antibiotics. Nitazoxanide, bacitracin, teicoplanin, and fusidic acid are additional agents that have published efficacy for this indication in humans. Rifaximin and PAR‐101 are under investigation. Other therapies, including polymers that bind C. difficile toxin and monoclonal antibodies to toxins, and preventive measures such as toxoid vaccines are also under study.
The organ distribution of disseminated 51 Cr-labeled tumor cells.

Summary The present study was undertaken to obtain quantitative data relative to the deposition and egress of neoplastic cells from organs following their hematogenous dissemination and subcutaneous inoculation. 51 Cr-labeled Walker tumor cells in the rat and similarly tagged Brown-Pearce and V2 carcinoma cells in the rabbit were employed. Preliminary investigation confirmed the efficacy of this isotope technic for such studies. Following jugular vein or intraportal injection, the residence of a vast majority of the living tumor cells in the lung or liver was transient, contradicting the common belief that most circulating cells lodge in the first organ encountered. The difference in the ability of the Brown-Pearce and V2 tumor cells to traverse the lungs was quantitated. Cells from the latter tumor less readily left this organ 24 hr following inoculation of 10 × 10 4 cells. Liver, kidney, spleen, and gastrointestinal tract, in decreasing order, were recipients of most of the cells which traversed the lungs. Distribution to brain, lymph nodes, and endocrine organs was considered insignificant. Subcutaneous inoculation of tumor cells in the legs of animals was followed by a rapid egress of cells from the injection site to other organs. These studies lend further support to the obsolescence of the concept that tumor distribution is related to mechanical considerations or soil factors. In all probability, patterns of tumor spread are dictated by anatomic considerations as well as intrinsic factors in the tumor cell and the tissue it reaches.
Equatorial Dry Air Intrusion and Related Synoptic Variability in MJO Initiation during DYNAMO

AbstractDynamics of the Madden–Julian oscillation (DYNAMO) was conducted over the equatorial Indian Ocean (IO) from October 2011 to March 2012. During mid- to late November, a strong Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) event, denoted MJO-2, initiated in the western IO and passed through the DYNAMO observation array. Dry air intrusions associated with synoptic variability in the equatorial region played a key role in the evolution of MJO-2. First, a sharp dry air intrusion surging from the subtropics into the equatorial region suppresses convection in the ITCZ south of the equator. This diminishes subsidence on the equator associated with the ITCZ convection, which leads to an equatorward shift of convection. It is viewed as a contributing factor for the onset of equatorial convection in MJO-2. Once the MJO convection is established, a second type of dry air intrusion is related to synoptic gyres within the MJO convective envelope. The westward-propagating gyres draw drier air from the subtropics into the equa.
Predictive Aids and Mental Models under Free Flight: Proceed with Caution

This paper discusses the possible adverse effects predictive aid usage may have on an air traffic controller’s mental model in a Free Flight environment. Free Flight is a concept that is aimed at increasing throughput in the National Airspace System (NAS). However, various studies have suggested that implementing free flight could result in a controller’s situation model being adversely affected given the lack of predictability in this environment. Consequently, the usage of predictive aids has been suggested as a possible solution to this problem. However, there is a possibility that the usage of such aids may negatively affect a controller’s underlying mental model and thus, reduce his/her the ability to predict system behavior through mental simulations. Drawing on the results from two studies, the authors argue that caution must be exercised when introducing predictive aids under Free Flight conditions, given the possibility that such usage may adversely affect the controller’s underlying mental model, which can ultimately result in performance being compromised.
An Algorithm for Skeletonization of Tubular Structures for Biological Applications

A pilot operated relief valve has a main relief valve (10) and a pilot relief valve (31) connected between a control chamber (23) and drain. A restriction (16) connects the control chamber (23) to the inlet chamber (22) which is separated from the control chamber by a piston (24) integral with the main relief valve closure member (12). Thus opening of the pilot relief valve against the adjustable force of a spring (14) determines the maximum pressure in the inlet chamber (22). The control chamber (23) can also be connected to drain (70) by a pilot valve (19) which is operated by a force motor (52) against pressure in a feedback chamber (56) connected to the inlet passage (22). The energization of the force motor (52) can be adjusted to adjust the relief pressure to a value below that at which the pilot relief valve (31) opens. Alternatively the pressure in the feedback chamber (56) can depend on the pressure at at least one side of a load fed via a directional valve from the inlet passage (22).
Markedness and Agreement

This paper presents an account of the interpretation of unmarked verb forms in which the entries of unmarked forms are uniformly unspecified for agreement features. The entries of impersonal verbs directly sanction agreement-neutral syntagmatic structures. However, the entries of unmarked personal verbs sanction structures with negative agreement values, as a consequence of an inflectional blocking principle that preserves paradigmatic contrasts by ‘inferring’ values in the mapping from lexical entries to syntagmatic structures. The interpretation of an unmarked form thus reflects the opposition of marked forms in its paradigm.
Device-to-Device Load Balancing for Cellular Networks

Small-cell architecture is widely adopted by cellular network operators to increase spectral spatial efficiency. However, this approach suffers from low spectrum temporal efficiency. When a cell becomes smaller and covers fewer users, its total traffic fluctuates significantly due to insufficient traffic aggregation and exhibits a large “peak-to-mean” ratio. As operators customarily provision spectrum for peak traffic, large traffic temporal fluctuation inevitably leads to low spectrum temporal efficiency. To address this issue, in this paper, we advocate device-to-device (D2D) load-balancing as a useful mechanism. The idea is to shift traffic from a congested cell to its adjacent under-utilized cells by leveraging inter-cell D2D communication, so that the traffic can be served without using extra spectrum, effectively improving the spectrum temporal efficiency. We provide theoretical modeling and analysis to characterize the benefit of D2D load balancing, in terms of total spectrum requirements and the corresponding cost, in terms of incurred D2D traffic overhead. We carry out empirical evaluations based on real-world 4G data traces and show that D2D load balancing can reduce the spectrum requirement by 25% as compared to the standard scenario without D2D load balancing, at the expense of negligible 0.7% D2D traffic overhead.
Not “My Territory:” How Gender Role Socialization Impacts Father Involvement in Caring for a Child with an Eating Disorder

ABSTRACT This study aimed to explore the experiences of clinicians working with fathers caring for a child experiencing an eating disorder. A phenomenological qualitative method was used to answer the question: What do clinicians with experiences working with male caregivers perceive to be barriers to male caregiver involvement in effectively caring for someone experiencing an eating disorder? Ten participants were interviewed for this study, and multiple themes were uncovered that identified significant barriers and interventions for father involvement in caregiving. Interview excerpts, accompanied by a thick description of the clinician’s lived experiences with male caregivers, are presented to enliven the data.
The Puzzle

The Puzzle • B(are) P(lural)s in English can have both generic and existential readings (1) Curious people crowded around the site of the accident. (i.e., some curious people) (2) Curious people like to travel a lot. (all, or nearly all, curious people; curious people in general). [examples from Carlson 1999] [Irene: But given the diversity of readings that BPs can have (see previous handout) does it make sense to assume this split between existential and generic readings? In class, we discussed the following as a potential test that would tease the two uses apart: On their existential reading, BPs can be replaced by some NP without a noticeable change of meaning; on their generic reading, they can't. But what about the following example? (Danny): I am having brunch, and I see some Americans next to me eating blood sausage. Is it felicitous for me to say Americans eat blood sausage (now)? And isn't that sentence true just because some Americans eat blood sausage? Here's what Carlson had to say about the distinction between generic and existential uses: " As we are assuming there to be an intuitive split between the generic and existential uses of the bare plural for the moment, a word is in order concerning the recognition of each. To a large extent, I will be relying upon the sympathy of the reader to make the distinction. However, I am in a position to offer some crude rules of thumb for distinguishing the two. It bears emphasis that this distinction is made at this time for investigative purposes only, and we leave open for now exactly what theoretical significance to attach to this split " (p. 55-56) First rule of thumb: Substitution for a 'higher-order' bare plural works for existential uses of BPs, but not for generic uses.
De-repression of the RAC activator ELMO1 in cancer stem cells drives progression of TGFβ-deficient squamous cell carcinoma from transition zones

Squamous cell carcinomas occurring at transition zones are highly malignant tumors with poor prognosis. The identity of the cell population and the signaling pathways involved in the progression of transition zone squamous cell carcinoma are poorly understood, hence representing limited options for targeted therapies. Here, we identify a highly tumorigenic cancer stem cell population in a mouse model of transitional epithelial carcinoma and uncover a novel mechanism by which loss of TGFβ receptor II (Tgfbr2) mediates invasion and metastasis through de-repression of ELMO1, a RAC-activating guanine exchange factor, specifically in cancer stem cells of transition zone tumors. We identify ELMO1 as a novel target of TGFβ signaling and show that restoration of Tgfbr2 results in a complete block of ELMO1 in vivo. Knocking down Elmo1 impairs metastasis of carcinoma cells to the lung, thereby providing insights into the mechanisms of progression of Tgfbr2-deficient invasive transition zone squamous cell carcinoma. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.22914. 001
Modifications of single acetylcholine-activated channels in BC3H-1 cells. Effects of trimethyloxonium and pH

We have examined the effects of chemical modification with trimethyloxonium (TMO) and changes in external pH on the properties of acetylcholine (ACh)-activated channels in BC3H-1 cells, a clonal muscle cell line. TMO reacts covalently and specifically with carboxylic acid moieties in proteins to convert them to neutral methyl esters. In BC3H- 1 cells TMO modification reduces the whole-cell response to ACh measured at negative membrane potentials by approximately 60%. G omega seal patch-clamp recordings of single ACh channel currents showed that the reduction in ACh sensitivity is due to alterations in both the current-carrying and the kinetic properties of the channels. Under all our experimental conditions, i.e., in external solutions of normal or low ionic strength, with or without external divalent cations, and at external pHs between 5.5 and 8.1, TMO treatment reduced ACh single- channel conductance to 70-90% of normal. The effects of TMO on channel kinetics were dependent on the ionic conditions. In normal ionic strength solutions containing both calcium and magnesium ions TMO modification reduced the channel average open time by approximately 25%. A similar reduction in open time was seen in calcium-free solution, but was not present when both calcium and magnesium ions were absent from the external solution. Lowering the ionic strength of the solution increased the mean open time in normal channels by about threefold, but did not affect the kinetics of modified channels. In low ionic strength solutions normal ACh channel open times were maximal at approximately pH 6.7 and decreased by three- to fourfold at both acid and alkaline pH. TMO modification removed the pH dependence of channel kinetics, and average open times were short at all pHs between 5.5 and 8.1. We suggest that TMO modifies normally titratable groups on the external surface of ACh channels that help to determine both the gating and permeability properties of ACh channels.
Mobility, Balance and Falls in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

Background There is a lack of information concerning the relation between objective measures of gait and balance and fall history in persons with MS (PwMS). This investigation assessed the relation between demographic, clinical, mobility and balance metrics and falls history in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods 52 ambulatory persons with MS (PwMS) participated in the investigation. All persons provided demographic information including fall history over the last 12 months. Disease status was assessed with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Walking speed, coordination, endurance and postural control were quantified with a multidimensional mobility battery. Results Over 51% of the participants fell in the previous year with 79% of these people being suffering recurrent falls. Overall, fallers were older, had a greater prevalence of assistive devices use, worse disability, decreased walking endurance, and greater postural sway velocity with eyes closed compared to non-fallers. Additionally, fallers had greater impairment in cerebellar, sensory, pyramidal, and bladder/bowel subscales of the EDSS. Conclusions The current observations suggest that PwMS who are older, more disabled, utilize an assistive device, have decreased walking coordination and endurance and have diminished balance have fallen in the previous year. This suggests that individuals who meet these criteria need to be carefully monitored for future falls. Future research is needed to determine a prospective model of falls specific to PwMS. Additionally, the utility of interventions aimed at reducing falls and fall risk in PwMS needs to be established.
Interpreting RCT, process evaluation and case study evidence in evaluating the Integrated Group Reading (IGR) programme: a teacher-led, classroom-based intervention for Year 2 and 3 pupils struggling to read

ABSTRACT Almost 20% of English pupils still experience difficulties with reading despite the use of a predominantly phonics-based approach that works well for most children, but not for all; therefore, other approaches need to be explored. The Integrated Group Reading (IGR) programme involves an inclusive approach to targeted teaching led by class teachers using group-based class organisation and the integration of diverse, research-based approaches (language and phonics-based). IGR has been evaluated in 34 English schools across 5 varied local authority areas using a cluster randomised design and a process evaluation. IGR was found to support enjoyment of reading and attain as much reading gains as the more phonics-oriented programmes used in the control classes. Following its use there were gains in teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching reading, and no negative effects on the class (non-IGR) pupils’ reading skills were found. This study shows what a more inclusive approach to targeted reading intervention can achieve through a well-resourced programme. Questions can be asked about the interpretation of randomised controlled trial (RCT) findings when it comes to classroom-based educational interventions, and about teacher choice in opting for alternative teaching approaches.
Periodic gastroenterology and hepatology meetings with primary care. Reasons for consultation.

INTRODUCTION care overload, aging of population, and increased chronic diseases lead to increased referrals from primary care, which may sometimes overload the health system. Thus, different interventions have been carried out attempting to improve these aspects. OBJECTIVES to assess the most frequent causes of consultation of general physicians, both in joint consultations and clinical sessions held jointly with specialist consultant in primary care, in the urban and rural setting, and the influence on referrals to first consultations of gastroenterology. MATERIAL AND METHODS a mainly training type of intervention was carried out, consisting of regular meetings in both urban and rural primary care center, to perform joint consultations and clinical sessions on patients and topics related to the specialty of gastroenterology. The intervention period (divided in two subperiods) was compared with a control period. RESULTS most reasons for consultation were those corresponding to lower gastrointestinal tract, followed by liver disease and upper gastrointestinal tract. Significant differences were only found in distribution of diagnoses between the two centers in joint consultations. There was a relative (percent) decrease in referrals at the global level in both subperiods, only significant in the first (51.45 %), as well as in rural setting (45.24 %). CONCLUSION common consultations motifs were similar in urban and rural settings, with some relevance of lower gastrointestinal tract disease. Most of them can be solved at primary care, with the help of consultant specialist. There is impact on referrals to the outpatient first consultations of gastroenterology, mainly in rural setting.
THINCing Together : Extending THINC for Multi-User Collaborative Support

Commonly-found design elements in collaboration software such as remote display and basic screen-sharing demonstrate a functional intersection with thin-client designs. This intersection of functionality provides a motivation for incorporating a multi-user collaborative environment within a thin-client system. As a result, popular thinclient systems like VNC and Citrix MetaFrame have begun to incorporate collaborative features. In this context, we introduce ”THINCing Together” which is an extension of the THINC thin-client protocol that allows for asynchronous and synchronous multi-user sessions. With THINCing Together, we are able to provide a platform for collaboration by implementing centralized cursor management and different modes of screen-sharing. In this paper, we show how we incorporated our design without compromising the thinclient functionality of THINC. We also discuss the issues we encountered with the current architecture of the THINC system while implementing multi-user support. Finally, we demonstrate how our design has a low impact on typical thin-client performance metrics with respect to bandwidth consumption, latency, and CPU utilization compared to a version of THINC without collaborative features as well as