Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal Compensation with Earnings Manipulation: Managerial Ownership and Retention

The optimal managerial compensation contract is characterized in an environment in which the manager influences the distribution of earnings through an unobservable effort decision. Actual earnings, when realized, are private information observed only by the manager, who may engage in the costly manipulation of earnings reports. We derive the optimal contract that guarantees the manager non-negative profit for any earnings realization (interim individual rationality) to ensure manager retention. We find that the optimal contract induces under-reporting for low earnings and over-reporting for high earnings, and that the optimal contract may be implemented through a compensation package composed of a performance bonus based upon (manipulated) earnings and a stock option that is repriced to be strictly in the money for intermediate earnings realizations and at the money for low earnings realizations.
Attitudinal effects of ad‐evoked moods and emotions: The moderating role of motivation

The role of the moods and emotions evoked by advertisements in shaping the amount and valence of cognitive elaboration, as well as consumer brand attitudes, has recently begun to elicit research interest. It is shown that moods and emotions appear to influence brand attitudes more in low personal relevance (“low motivational involvement”) situations than under high-motivation conditions, by suppressing counterargumentation more in such low motivation situations. Implications are discussed for advertising theory and practice © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Postmodernism and the Conduct of Inquiry in Social Work

This article proposes that social work's indigenous treasures are the intensely personal, highly emotional, often brutal stories of everyday life as lived by clients and witnessed by practitioners. Citing postmodern thought in several disciplines, the author suggests that the embrace of narrative as a method of inquiry and as a transformational tool at the individual and societal levels has the potential to bring social work's practice, research, and social action aspects into harmony. Clinical narratives illustrate the ways in which the postmodern dia logue could be (and already is) engaged by practitioners.
Human Resource Systems and Competitive Advantage: An Ethical Climate Perspective

Drawing on the theoretical insights from the resource‐based view of the firm, this paper explores how human resource (HR) systems may contribute to competitive advantage by facilitating the development and maintenance of five types of ethical climates, and conversely, how HR systems may hinder competitive advantage by inhibiting the development and maintenance of these climate types. In so doing, this paper contributes to the literature by highlighting the resource worthiness of a firm's ethical climates and showing how HR systems may influence that value. In addition, it advances theory that underpins the concept of competitive advantage sustainability and provides a platform for future empirical research.
Assessment of indices of preload and volume responsiveness

Purpose of reviewTo summarize the relevant peer-reviewed publications over the past year that addressed issues of when to give (or not give) fluid to the critically ill patient. Recent findingsClinical data from several studies underscore the inability of measures of ventricular filling to assess either preload or preload responsiveness. Whereas less invasive monitoring techniques than pulmonary arterial catheterization demonstrate better discrimination with estimates of both preload and preload responsiveness. Measuring dynamic changes in stroke volume, descending aortic flow, and both superior and inferior vena caval diameters during ventilation provides good predictive value in defining preload responsiveness. One study demonstrated that resuscitation protocols keyed to esophageal flow measures improved outcome in postoperative cardiac surgery patients. SummaryPreload is not preload responsiveness. Functional measures of preload responsiveness exist and are superior to traditional measures of filling pressures in driving resuscitation in critically ill patients.
Multi-vehicle motion coordination using V2V communication

Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication enables intention sharing among neighboring vehicles and thereby vehicles' motion can be coordinated to incorporate collision (or conflict) avoidance. In this paper, we propose a general framework to distribute the computational burden for coordinating multiple vehicles' stop-or-go motion. We formulate the multi-vehicle motion coordination problem as a total stopping time minimization problem under the constraint of mutual collision avoidance. The minimal stopping time solution, if such exists, is found using the A* search algorithm in the coordination diagram. The solution is executed efficiently by placing temporary virtual obstacles on the desired path. The communication latency is analyzed for practical applications. The simulations show the correctness and efficacy of our algorithm. An on-road experiment involving two autonomous vehicles, each equipped with V2V communication devices, was performed to demonstrate how deadlocks are successfully avoided.
Demobilization and Reintegration of Ex-Combatants: the Irish Case in International Perspective

This article surveys the literature on the global experience of demobilization and reintegration of combatants after wars end. It examines the factors that contribute to successful programmes. Among these, the two most frequently emphasized are the political will of all concerned to ensure the programmes work, and the active participation of ex-combatants in their own programmes of reintegration. The article then examines the situation in Ireland. In ways reintegration has failed, and for the same reasons as elsewhere. At the same time, the Irish case shows elements of success to match the best of reintegration programmes worldwide — not least the contribution of highly politicized ex-prisoners to their own reintegration and to conflict transformation more generally. These similarities have emerged in the relative absence of any involvement of the international community in demobilization and reintegration in Ireland, and indeed without direct comparisons made to good practice elsewhere.
Test-Retest, Interrater, and Intrarater Reliability, and Construct Validity of the Handwriting Speed Test in Year 3 and Year 6 Students

The Handwriting Speed Test (HST) is a standardized, norm-referenced test of handwriting speed, which was developed to be part of a comprehensive handwriting evaluation of school students. This study examined test-retest, interrater, and intrarater reliability and construct validity of the HST in year 3 and year 6 students. Two hundred and twelve students from randomly selected schools in Sydney, Australia completed the HST twice at 4-week intervals. The intraclass correlation coefficients for the sample as a whole were high for interrater and intrarater reliability and good for test-retest reliability. Scores of students rated as fast or slow by their teachers were compared to examine the test's construct validity. Although HST scores were different for students rated fast and slow by teachers, consistency was less between classification of fast and slow by the HST normative data and teachers' ratings. Weaknesses in study design probably account for this finding and future research is needed to further ex.
Serum cytotoxicity to pig cells and anti-alphaGal antibody level and specificity in humans and baboons.

BACKGROUND Removal and/or "neutralization" of anti-Gal alpha1-3Gal (alphaGal) antibodies can prevent or delay the hyperacute rejection of pig organs transplanted into primates. AIM To determine variations in (1) cytotoxicity to pig kidney (PK15) cells, (2) anti-alphaGal antibody level, and (3) specificity in adult human (n=46) and baboon (n=38) sera. METHODS Cytotoxicity to PK15 cells was determined by adding rabbit complement to heat-inactivated serum, using a two-color fluorescent dye to distinguish live and dead cells. Anti-alphaGal antibody level was determined by ELISA using alphaGal trisaccharide type 2-BSA glycoconjugate as antigen target. Specificity determined by ELISA using four different alphaGal-BSA glycoconjugates: (disaccharide, trisaccharides type 2 and 6, and pentasaccharide). RESULTS Cytotoxicity of human AB sera varied from 30-100% PK15 relative cell damage (%RCD), although that of baboon sera of all blood groups varied from 35-100% RCD. In human AB sera, anti-alphaGal antibody level (at a dilution of 1:80) varied from undetectable to 0.75 (OD at 405 nm), although in baboon sera of all blood groups, anti-alphaGal antibody level varied from undetectable to >2.0. There was no correlation between anti-alphaGal antibody level and serum cytotoxicity in either species. Specificity varied among individuals in both human and baboon sera. CONCLUSIONS These studies have demonstrated (1) considerable variation in cytotoxicity and anti-alphaGal antibody level in human and baboon sera, but a lack of correlation between these two parameters; (2) considerable variation in the specificity of anti-alphaGal antibodies; (3) blood group B human and baboon sera have lower levels of anti-alphaGal antibodies; (4) no relation between blood group and specificity of anti-alphaGal antibodies. Although there are minor differences in the parameters measured, baboons would appear to be suitable surrogates for humans in the pig-to-primate xenograft model.
Impact of participation in extra-curricular activities during college on graduate employability: an empirical study of graduates of Taiwanese business schools

This study examined college graduates’ evaluations of their employability skills associated with graduate participation in various extra-curricular activities including being a core member of: (a) student government (such as student councils), (b) service (such as scouts clubs), (c) sports, (d) music and (e) arts clubs. The final sample comprised 28,768 business school graduates who hoped to enter the workforce immediately upon graduating in the 2008 school year. Results from propensity score matching analyses demonstrated that students who had been core members of extra-curricular activities were more likely to positively evaluate their communication, leadership, creativity and self-promotion skills. Furthermore, results suggested that different types of extra-curricular activities could unequally influence the employability of graduating college students. Leadership skills benefited most from involvement in sports clubs, while creativity skills benefited most from involvement in music clubs. Communication and self-promotion skills benefited moderately from all extra-curricular activities. Unlike other employability skills, the time management skills of students hardly benefited from extra-curricular activities.
Tracing productive interactions to identify social impacts: an example from the social sciences

This paper applies the SIAMPI approach, which focuses on the concept of productive interactions, to the identification of the social impact of research in the social sciences. An extensive interview programme with researchers in a Welsh university research centre was conducted to identify the productive interactions and the perceived social impacts. The paper argues that an understanding of and focus on the processes of interaction between researchers and stakeholders provides an effective way to study social impact and to deal with the attribution problem common to the evaluation of the social impact of research. The SIAMPI approach thereby differentiates itself from other forms of impact assessment and evaluation methods. This approach is particularly well-suited to the social sciences, where research is typically only one component of complex social and political processes. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.
International Studies of Prenatal Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Fetal Growth

Objectives Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitously distributed human mutagens and carcinogens. However, lack of adequate air monitoring data has limited understanding of the effects of airborne PAHs on fetal growth. To address this gap in knowledge, we examined the association between prenatal exposure to airborne PAHs and birth weight, birth length, and birth head circumference, respectively, in Krakow, Poland, and New York City (NYC). Methods The parallel prospective cohort studies enrolled nonsmoking, healthy, and nonoccupationally exposed women and their newborns. Personal air monitoring of pregnant women was conducted over 48 hr. To control for maternal environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure, we excluded those with umbilical cord plasma cotinine concentrations > 25 ng/mL. Mean cord plasma cotinine concentrations in both ethnic groups were ≤ 0.5 ng/mL. Results Prenatal PAH exposure was 10-fold higher in Krakow than in NYC. Prenatal PAH exposure was associated with significantly reduced birth weight in both Krakow Caucasians (p < 0.01) and in NYC African Americans (p < 0.01), controlling for known and potential confounders, but not in NYC Dominicans. Within the lower exposure range common to the two cities (1.80–36.47 ng/m3), the effect per unit PAH exposure on birth weight was 6-fold greater for NYC African Americans than for Krakow Caucasians (p = 0.01). Conclusions These results confirm the adverse reproductive effect of relatively low PAH concentrations in two populations and suggest increased susceptibility of NYC African Americans. Fetal growth impairment has been linked to child developmental and health problems. Thus, substantial health benefits would result from global reduction of PAH emissions.
Selecting indices of occupational exposure for epidemiologic studies

Decisions about how best to describe the magnitude or timing of exposure are challenging in most every epidemiological study because the number of possible representations of any epidemiologic relationship is large, but knowledge is limited, This paper seeks to promote a discussion of problems surrounding the selection of indices of exposure for epidemiologic studies in occupational health. Five themes are considered: 1) general approaches to selecting exposure indicators; 2) measurement error; 3) exposure-time or latency, analysis, 4) dosimetrie models, and 5) philosophical issues in exposure-response modeling. The predominant methods for selecting exposure indicators are based on operational criteria: one strategy (the maximum estimate criterion) is to choose indicators that maximize the observed association of exposure and disease: a second is to select ones that maximize the goodness-of-fit of statistical models (the best fit criterion). Results based on these approaches can be contradictory. Recent research shows the maximum estimate criterion is not justified as a general model-building strategy. It is reliable only with simple regressions with random, nondifferential error in the single predictor variable or single 2 × 2 tables with nondifferential exposure misclassification. When measurement error is systematic or confounders are measured with error, the maximum-estimate criterion is inappropriate. It is also questionable when exposure-time analysis is used to define latent periods. The best fit criterion may give a valid statistical description of the data, but it is supported only by statistical arguments which may be invalid in the absence of biological foundations. Optimizing the grouping of subjects to improve the accuracy of exposure assignment has greater theoretical justification, but further research is needed on the properties of different grouping procedures. The expanding use of dosimetric models and other techniques for increasing biological resolution may help penetrate the epidemiologic black box. but introduces new methodological and ethical challenges. Model building is a feedback process involving theory, knowledge and beliefs, on the one hand, and sets of data on the other. Consequently, some consideration of the philosophical basis of that process is essential. Future research might focus on the properties of measurement error, dosimetric models, and other advanced exposure estimation techniques. A need also exists for more deliberate development of epidemiological theory and an ongoing examination of research methods in relation to goals for science and public health.
An Algorithm for Finding Biologically Significant Features in Microarray Data Based on A Priori Manifold Learning

Microarray databases are a large source of genetic data, which, upon proper analysis, could enhance our understanding of biology and medicine. Many microarray experiments have been designed to investigate the genetic mechanisms of cancer, and analytical approaches have been applied in order to classify different types of cancer or distinguish between cancerous and non-cancerous tissue. However, microarrays are high-dimensional datasets with high levels of noise and this causes problems when using machine learning methods. A popular approach to this problem is to search for a set of features that will simplify the structure and to some degree remove the noise from the data. The most widely used approach to feature extraction is principal component analysis (PCA) which assumes a multivariate Gaussian model of the data. More recently, non-linear methods have been investigated. Among these, manifold learning algorithms, for example Isomap, aim to project the data from a higher dimensional space onto a lower dimension one. We have proposed a priori manifold learning for finding a manifold in which a representative set of microarray data is fused with relevant data taken from the KEGG pathway database. Once the manifold has been constructed the raw microarray data is projected onto it and clustering and classification can take place. In contrast to earlier fusion based methods, the prior knowledge from the KEGG databases is not used in, and does not bias the classification process—it merely acts as an aid to find the best space in which to search the data. In our experiments we have found that using our new manifold method gives better classification results than using either PCA or conventional Isomap.
Developmental profiles of children born to mothers with intellectual disability

The developmental status of 37 pre-school aged children born to mothers with intellectual disability was assessed and the relationship between developmental status and selected child, maternal and home/environment characteristics was examined. The developmental status of the children varied markedly. Controlling for possible organic pathology, the development of these children did not vary significantly from age-norm expectations in four domains: physical, self-help, social and academic. No statistically significant correlation was found between developmental status and characteristics of the mother or home/environment. The key to prevention may lie in the provision of suitable antenatal and maternity services to ensure the best possible birth outcomes.
Tissue response to titanium implant using scanning electron microscope

Most of the surgeons now use titanium miniplates because of its biocompatibility and corrosion resistant properties; studies have shown that these titanium particles are released in the surrounding tissues causing tissue necrosis and if these implants are placed for a long period, the adverse effect of these implants are more severe. It therefore necessitates a study to find out whether these titanium particles are released into surrounding tissues from titanium miniplates used for maxillofacial fractures so that we could use these implants, that is, bone plates and screws with more confidence.
NITROGEN CYCLING IN A FOREST STREAM DETERMINED BY A 15N TRACER ADDITION

Nitrogen uptake and cycling was examined using a six-week tracer addition of 15N-labeled ammonium in early spring in Walker Branch, a first-order deciduous forest stream in eastern Tennessee. Prior to the 15N addition, standing stocks of N were determined for the major biomass compartments. During and after the addition, 15N was measured in water and in dominant biomass compartments upstream and at several locations downstream. Residence time of ammonium in stream water (5–6 min) and ammonium uptake lengths (23–27 m) were short and relatively constant during the addition. Uptake rates of NH4 were more variable, ranging from 22 to 37 μg N·m−2·min−1 and varying directly with changes in streamwater ammonium concentration (2.7–6.7 μg/L). The highest rates of ammonium uptake per unit area were by the liverwort Porella pinnata, decomposing leaves, and fine benthic organic matter (FBOM), although epilithon had the highest N uptake per unit biomass N. Nitrification rates and nitrate uptake lengths and rates were .
Fluctuation theorem for stochastic dynamics

The fluctuation theorem of Gallavotti and Cohen holds for finite systems undergoing Langevin dynamics. In such a context all non-trivial ergodic theory issues are bypassed, and the theorem takes a particularly simple form. As a particular case, we obtain a nonlinear fluctuation-dissipation theorem valid for equilibrium systems perturbed by arbitrarily strong fields.
The Evaluation of a Sexual Assault Self-Defense and Risk-Reduction Program for College Women: A Prospective Study

The present study evaluated the efficacy of a sexual assault risk-reduction program that included a physical self-defense component for college women (N = 500). Program group women significantly increased their protective behaviors over the 6-month follow-up period compared to the waiting-list control group. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups regarding rates of sexual victimization, assertive communication, or feelings of self-efficacy over the follow-up periods. Program group women who were victimized during the 3-month follow-up period evidenced less self-blame and greater offender blame for their assaults than control group women who were victimized following the program. Given that program women evidenced a greater awareness of sexual assault at the end of the study than control group women, the difficulty in addressing the impact of programming on rates of sexual victimization is discussed.
Complement Regulator FHR-3 Is Elevated either Locally or Systemically in a Selection of Autoimmune Diseases

The human complement factor H-related protein-3 (FHR-3) is a soluble regulator of the complement system. Homozygous cfhr3/1 deletion is a genetic risk factor for the autoimmune form of atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome (aHUS), while also found to be protective in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The precise function of FHR-3 remains to be fully characterized. We generated four mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for FHR-3 (RETC) without cross-reactivity to the complement factor H (FH)-family. These antibodies detected FHR-3 from human serum with a mean concentration of 1 μg/mL. FHR-3 levels in patients were significantly increased in sera from systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and polymyalgia rheumatica but remained almost unchanged in samples from AMD or aHUS patients. Moreover, by immunostaining of an aged human donor retina, we discovered a local FHR-3 production by microglia/macrophages. The mAb RETC-2 modulated FHR-3 binding to C3b but not the binding of FHR-3 to heparin. Interestingly, FHR-3 competed with FH for binding C3b and the mAb RETC-2 reduced the interaction of FHR-3 and C3b, resulting in increased FH binding. Our results unveil a previously unknown systemic involvement of FHR-3 in rheumatoid diseases and a putative local role of FHR-3 mediated by microglia/macrophages in the damaged retina. We conclude that the local FHR-3/FH equilibrium in AMD is a potential therapeutic target, which can be modulated by our specific mAb RETC-2.