Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does Corporate Governance Predict Future Performance? Evidence from Hong Kong

This study uses time-series data to examine the relation between changes in the quality of corporate governance practices and subsequent market valuation among large listed companies in Hong Kong. The results indicate that firms that exhibit improvements in the quality of corporate governance display a subsequent increase in market valuation, whereas firms that exhibit deterioration in the quality of corporate governance practices tend to encounter a decline in market valuation. Additionally, the impact is greater for firms that are included in the MSCI index or with a China affiliation. The results provide evidence in support of the notion that good corporate governance can predict future market valuation.
A Polyphony of Perspectives

This paper reviews current developments in the field of emergent literacy (the study of reading and writing behaviors that develop into conventional literacy). The review includes studies that look at preschoolers' emerging literacy in homes, day-care environments, and kindergartens and that focus on children's development of literacy knowledge and processes through holistic literacy events (storybook reading, play, etc.). Findings suggest the need for a theoretical model to test the complex cognitive, social, and cultural explanations for emergent literacy. There is a need to explain individual differences, to design early reading instruction, and to decide what, when, and whether to provide it. In order to develop and expand research and knowledge about emerging literacy, the paper recommends defining literacy more broadly to include linguistic and nonlinguistic communication. It also recommends changes in research methodology: (1) researchers can no longer generalize findings to all students but must examine a wider range of social, political, economic, and cultural understandings of literacy; and (2) researchers must move away from concepts like high vs. low and discover the strengths, factors of resilience, and ways in which students from underrepresented populations can be successful in school. Contains approximately 200 references (Author/RS) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. I r Emergent Literacy A Polyphony of Perspectives David B. Yaden, Jr., University of Southern California Deborah W. Rowe, Vanderbilt University Laurie MacGillivray, University. of Southern California CIERA REPORT #1-1105
Category formation and the role of spectral quality in the perception and production of English front vowels

Photosensitized silicones having the formula MDnDEmD*pM are provided, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of R3SiO1/2 and R2ESiO1/2; wherein each R is independently selected from the group consisting of monovalent hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to 30 carbons, and E is an epoxide functionalized substituent selected from the group of epoxy either substitutents having the formula C6H11O2 or the group of alkyl cyclohexeneoxide substituents having the formula C8H13O; D has the formula R2SiO2/2, wherein each R is independently selected from the group consisting of monovalent hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to 30 carbons; DE has the formula RESiO2/2 wherein R is selected from the group consisting of monovalent hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, and wherein E is an epoxide functionalized substituent selected from the group of epoxy ether substituents having the formula C6H11O2 or the group of alkyl cyclohexeneoxide substituents having the formula C8H13O; D* is defined as the reaction product of DE with a compound selected from the group consisting of R'COOH, (R'CO)2O, R'COX, R'SO3H, and R'SO2X wherein R' is a photosensitizing naphthalene substituent and X is a halogen; and wherein the subscripts n, m, and p are integers where the sum of n+m+p ranges from about 10 to about 2,000. A method for preparing the photosensitized silicones is also provided.
The role of the demographic transition in the process of urbanization.

Beyond the field of economic and demographic history, the issue of how urbanization comes about has received relatively little attention. It is often thought that the process results chiefly from structural economic change—especially the movement of people out of agriculture that accompanies economic growth. Relatedly, there is a tendency to focus on the proximate cause of urbanization that is rural to urban migration. However, explanations of urbanization framed in terms of structural economic change have problems—not least the fact that in sub-Saharan Africa urbanization has been quite rapid, and urban growth has been very rapid. The fact that demographic processes play a major role in causing urbanization (and urban growth) is hardly new. Indeed, much of the case addressed here can be found in Graunt’s observations of 1662 (see above). However, the most direct explanation of how urbanization results from the demographic transition is that provided by de Vries—who advances a stylized sector-specific model of the transition in this context. Against this background, the present paper forwards and discusses empirical sector-specific illustrations of the transition for Sweden and Sri Lanka. Both illustrations use national data, rather than data for major towns (e.g. London, Amsterdam, Mumbai). The paper maintains that understanding and policy relating to the process of urbanization in contemporary developing countries have been compromised by the fact that the demographic basis of the process is largely unknown. Finally, the paper questions whether the speed of current urbanization is unexceptional by historical standards—as is often asserted. More recent demographic transitions have tended to occur over somewhat shorter time periods than applied historically. And evidence is provided here that contemporary urbanization is also occurring at a somewhat faster rate.
Keyphrase extraction-based query expansion in digital libraries

In pseudo-relevance feedback, the two key factors affecting the retrieval performance most are the source from which expansion terms are generated and the method of ranking those expansion terms. In this paper, we present a novel unsupervised query expansion technique that utilizes keyphrases and POS phrase categorization. The keyphrases are extracted from the retrieved documents and weighted with an algorithm based on information gain and co-occurrence of phrases. The selected keyphrases are translated into disjunctive normal form (DNF) based on the POS phrase categorization technique for better query refomulation. Furthermore, we study whether ontologies such as WordNet and MeSH improve the retrieval performance in conjunction with the keyphrases. We test our techniques on TREC 5, 6, and 7 as well as a MEDLINE collection. The experimental results show that the use of keyphrases with POS phrase categorization produces the best average precision
Using double-stranded RNA to explore the role of heat shock protein genes in heat tolerance in Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius)

SUMMARY The whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) biotype B, is one of the most destructive invasive pests of field and glasshouse crops, and has a high tolerance to heat. Our previous work found that whitefly females are more heat tolerant than males. In the present study, real-time PCR and double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) methods were used to explore the role of heat shock protein (Hsp) genes in whitefly of both sexes; this provided further evidence of the mechanism underlying the differential heat tolerance abilities of females and males. The results showed that both hsp23 and hsp70 mRNA expression levels were higher in females than in males from 37.5 to 42°C, while at the extreme temperature of 44°C the hsp70 mRNA level was higher in males than in females. There was no significant difference in hsp90 mRNA expression between females and males under heat shock conditions. Furthermore, the survival rate of females fed hsp23 or hsp70 dsRNA significantly decreased following heat shock at 44°C for 1 h, but male survival rate was not significantly affected. Additionally, the survival rate of both females and males showed no significant change after they were fed with hsp90 dsRNA. Collectively, the present study shows that the optimum mRNA expression of Hsp genes in females promotes a higher survival rate under heat shock conditions; hsp23 and hsp70 play a key role for heat tolerance in females but not in males, and hsp90 shows no significant role in heat tolerance in either females or males. Further, our study indicates that feeding with dsRNA is an effective method by which to study gene function, and the simplicity of this approach opens the way for further research on gene function in different sexes and diverse groups of species.
The Use of Video as a Media to Improve Students’ Vocabulary Mastery

The objective of this Classroom Action Research was to improve students’ vocabulary mastery by using video as a media in teaching and learning process. It covered four stages of activities, they were planning, implementing, observing, and reflecting of the action. The subject of this research was class VII C of SMP Muhammadiyah 1 Jember. In this research, the primary data were collected from the vocabulary test while the observation check list as supporting data was taking during the teaching and learning process. Video as a media of teaching and learning vocabulary improved students vocabualry mastery in two cycles from the percentage of students scored ≥ 70,was 69% in cycle 1 to 80% in cycle 2, it also improved students’ active participation from 55% in cycle 1 to 77% at the end of the cycle 2. Based on the research result, it can be concluded that the video as a media of teaching English vocabulary was able to improve the seventh grade students’ vocabulary mastery and students’s active participation.
FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHIPENGUNGKAPAN INFORMASI AKUNTANSIDI INTERNET OLEH PEMERINTAH DAERAH

The aim of this research is to examine factors which predicted the level of accounting information disclosure in internet by local government. Factors which are going to be tested are size, investment level, wealth, political competition and press visibility. The population of this research are local governments of Indonesia. The number of samples is 47, calculated using Slovin calculation formula. Analysis method used to test hypothesis in this research is linear regression. The result of this study indicates that press visibility significantly has negative influence to the level of accounting information disclosure in internet by local government. It means that the local government resistance to provide accounting information to the media because the media's tendency is usually to explore the negative side of a local government such as the budget deficit and corruption. The other factors, such like size, investment level, wealth, and political competition do not influence the level of accounting information disclosure in internet by local government significantly
Stereoscopic PIV measurements behind a 3D flapping foil producing thrust

Past qualitative dye flow visualizations behind a finite-span flapping foil have led to a model of the vortex skeleton. Subsequent 2D PIV experiments have highlighted some salient features in the proposed model but the 2D measurements reveals limited information about a highly 3D flow. This study proposes to use 3C 3D SPIV to quantitatively describe the flow geometry and test the proposed model of the vortex skeleton. This information is used to investigate the mechanisms responsible for thrust production. Preliminary results from 2D 3C SPIV behind a 3D NACA0012 flapping foil with an aspect ratio of 3, at a Strouhal number of 0.35 at the plane of symmetry reveal qualitative information about the reverse Karman vortex street. The structure as seen in the single measured plane, is phase locked with the forced flapping motion of the foil, in agreement with previous flow visualisations.
Living Apart, Losing Sympathy? How Neighbourhood Context Affects Attitudes to Redistribution and to Welfare Recipients

Rising levels of income inequality have been directly linked to rising levels of spatial segregation. In this paper we explore whether rising segregation may in turn erode support for the redistributive policies of the welfare state, further increasing levels of inequality—a form of positive feedback. The role of the neighbourhood has been neglected in attitudes research but, building on both political geography and ‘neighbourhood effects’ literatures, we theorise that neighbourhood context may shape attitudes through the transmission of attitudes directly and through the accumulation of relevant knowledge. We test this through multilevel modelling of data from England on individual attitudes to redistribution in general and to welfare benefit recipients in particular. We show that the individual factors shaping these attitudes are quite different and that the influence of neighbourhood context also varies as a result. The findings support the idea that neighbourhood context shapes attitudes, with the knowledge accumulation mechanism likely to be the more important. Rising spatial segregation would appear to erode support for redistribution but to increase support for welfare recipients—at least in a context where the dominant media discourse presents such a stigmatising image of those on welfare benefits. Keywords: attitudes, inequality, redistribution, neighbourhood effects, spatial segregation
Public Investment and Economic Growth

Past analyses of the effects of government nondefense capital spending on the private economy have focused on public investment in physical capital such as roads, bridges and plant and equipment rather than on public investment in human capital. By contrast, government spending on education and labor training, both of which enhance human capital, are here found to have statistically (and numerically) significant correlations with the future growth of real private GDP. Other types of government spending are found to have weaker (or no) correlations with private GDP growth.
Local acoustic particle motion guides sound-source localization behavior in the plainfin midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus

SUMMARY Sound-source localization behavior was studied in the plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus) by making use of the naturally occurring phonotaxis response of gravid females to playback of the male's advertisement call. The observations took place outdoors in a circular concrete tank. A dipole sound projector was placed at the center of the tank and an 80–90 Hz tone (the approximate fundamental frequency to the male's advertisement call) was broadcast to gravid females that were released from alternative sites approximately 100 cm from the source. The phonotaxic responses of females to the source were recorded, analyzed and compared with the sound field. One release site was approximately along the vibratory axis of the dipole source, and the other was approximately orthogonal to the vibratory axis. The sound field in the tank was fully characterized through measurements of the sound pressure field using hydrophones and acoustic particle motion using an accelerometer. These measurements confirmed that the sound field was a nearly ideal dipole. When released along the dipole vibratory axis, the responding female fish took essentially straight paths to the source. However, when released approximately 90 deg to the source's vibratory axis, the responding females took highly curved paths to the source that were approximately in line with the local particle motion axes. These results indicate that the acoustic cues used by fish during sound-source localization include the axes of particle motion of the local sound field.
A Test of the Critical Period Hypothesis for Language Learning1

Abstract A critical period for language learning is often defined as a sharp decline in learning outcomes with age. This study examines the relevance of the critical period for English-speaking proficiency among immigrants in the USA. It uses microdata from the 2000 US Census, a model of language acquisition and a flexible specification of an estimating equation based on 64 age-at-migration dichotomous variables. Self-reported English-speaking proficiency among immigrants declines more or less monotonically with age at migration, and this relationship is not characterised by any sharp decline or discontinuity that might be considered consistent with a ‘critical’ period. The findings are robust across the various immigrant samples, and between the genders.
Credit Ratings and Acquisitions

We document a curvilinear relation between credit ratings and acquisitions. Acquisitions first increase and then decrease as ratings improve, with a high around the A− threshold. The increase at low rating levels is accompanied by lower announcement returns. Acquisitions have a negative impact on future ratings for highly-rated firms, and a positive impact for firms with low ratings, even after controlling for all the characteristics potentially influenced by the transaction. These results indicate that credit ratings exert substantial influence on the acquisition process, and that rating agencies pay particular attention to acquisitions when deciding on the creditworthiness of firms.
On isometric dilations of product systems of C*-correspondences and applications to families of contractions associated to higher-rank graphs

Let E be a product system of C*-correspondences over N^r. Some sufficient conditions for the existence of a not necessarily regular isometric dilation of a completely contractive representation of E are established and difference between regular and *-regular dilations discussed. It is in particular shown that a minimal isometric dilation is *-regular if and only if it is doubly commuting. The case of product systems associated with higher-rank graphs is analysed in detail.
Batch Mode Active Learning with Hierarchical-Structured Embedded Variance

We consider the problem of active learning when the categories are represented as a tree with leaf nodes as outputs and internal nodes as clusters of the outputs at multiple granularity. Recent work has improved the traditional techniques by moving beyond ”flat” structure through incorporation of the label hierarchy into the uncertainty measure. However, these methods have two major limitations when used. First, these methods roughly use the information in the label structure but do not take into account the training samples, which may lead to a sampling bias due to their crude approximation of the class relations. Second, none of these methods can work in a batch mode to reduce the computational time of training. We propose a batch mode active learning scheme that exploits both the hierarchical structure of the labels and the characteristics of the training data to select the most informative data for human labeling. We achieve this goal by first using an approach based on graph embedding that embeds the relationships between the labels and data points in a transformed low-dimensional space. Then, we compute uncertainty by calculating the variance among the points and the labels in the embedding space. Finally, the selection criterion is designed to construct batches and incorporate a diversity measure. Experimental results indicate that our technique achieves a notable improvement in performance over the state-of-the-art approaches.
Arylamine N-acetyltransferases: from drug metabolism and pharmacogenetics to drug discovery

Arylamine N‐acetyltransferases (NATs) are polymorphic drug‐metabolizing enzymes, acetylating arylamine carcinogens and drugs including hydralazine and sulphonamides. The slow NAT phenotype increases susceptibility to hydralazine and isoniazid toxicity and to occupational bladder cancer. The two polymorphic human NAT loci show linkage disequilibrium. All mammalian Nat genes have an intronless open reading frame and non‐coding exons. The human gene products NAT1 and NAT2 have distinct substrate specificities: NAT2 acetylates hydralazine and human NAT1 acetylates p‐aminosalicylate (p‐AS) and the folate catabolite para‐aminobenzoylglutamate (p‐abaglu). Human NAT2 is mainly in liver and gut. Human NAT1 and its murine homologue are in many adult tissues and in early embryos. Human NAT1 is strongly expressed in oestrogen receptor‐positive breast cancer and may contribute to folate and acetyl CoA homeostasis. NAT enzymes act through a catalytic triad of Cys, His and Asp with the architecture of the active site‐modulating specificity. Polymorphisms may cause unfolded protein. The C‐terminus helps bind acetyl CoA and differs among NATs including prokaryotic homologues. NAT in Salmonella typhimurium supports carcinogen activation and NAT in mycobacteria metabolizes isoniazid with polymorphism a minor factor in isoniazid resistance. Importantly, nat is in a gene cluster essential for Mycobacterium tuberculosis survival inside macrophages. NAT inhibitors are a starting point for novel anti‐tuberculosis drugs. Human NAT1‐specific inhibitors may act in biomarker detection in breast cancer and in cancer therapy. NAT inhibitors for co‐administration with 5‐aminosalicylate (5‐AS) in inflammatory bowel disease has prompted ongoing investigations of azoreductases in gut bacteria which release 5‐AS from prodrugs including balsalazide.
Preoperative endovascular embolization of craniospinal hemangioblastomas.

PURPOSE To determine whether hemangioblastomas, highly vascular tumors requiring surgery that is potentially complicated by excessive bleeding, can be embolized safely by using interventional techniques that furnish a more avascular surgical field. METHODS Nine hemangioblastomas involving either the cerebellum or the spinal cord were embolized preoperatively. In each case the feeding artery was selectively catheterized with a microcatheter and the hypervascular tumor nidus was devascularized with polyvinyl alcohol particles. RESULTS Two patients who had undergone recent attempts as surgical resection at another institution had repeat surgery after endovascular embolization rendered the tumor nidus avascular. At surgery, the tumor was completely removed in one case and markedly debulked in the other. In all nine cases, blood loss after embolization was reported to be less than expected by experienced surgeons. In addition, manipulation and removal of the tumor was reported to be subjectively easier in these embolized tumors. The embolization procedure caused no permanent complications; however, one patient with a posterior fossa hemangioblastoma and hydrocephalus worsened clinically within 12 hours of embolization. This event was thought to be caused by obstructive hydrocephalus resulting from tumor swelling. Emergency craniotomy, ventricular decompression, and surgical resection of the tumor produced complete resolution of the signs and symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that preoperative embolization of hemangioblastomas is a safe procedure that is useful in aiding surgical resection of these highly vascular tumors.