Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Audit Committees in Private and Public Sector Corporates in New Zealand: An Empirical Investigation

This study sought to ascertain the incidence of audit committees in private and public sector corporates in New Zealand; the reasons for their adoption; their membership, administration and functions; disclosures relating to audit committees in annual reports; the attributes likely to enhance audit committees' effectiveness; and their perceived advantages and disadvantages. To accomplish this a mail survey was conducted amongst external auditors, internal auditors, chairpersons of significant private and public sector entities, and financial statement users. The survey found that about 60% of significant private and public sector corporates had audit committees, that these committees are expected to play a broad governance role, and that key players in the corporate arena support them strongly. However, it also found that the effectiveness of audit committees could be increased by having their objectives and responsibilities clearly defined in a written statement, and by disclosing their existence, membership and objectives in corporate annual reports.
The Human Papillomavirus Infection in Men Study: Human Papillomavirus Prevalence and Type Distribution among Men Residing in Brazil, Mexico, and the United States

Male sexual behavior influences the rates of cervical dysplasia and invasive cervical cancer, as well as male human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and disease. Unfortunately, little is known regarding male HPV type distribution by age and across countries. In samples combined from the coronal sulcus, glans penis, shaft, and scrotum of 1,160 men from Brazil, Mexico, and the United States, overall HPV prevalence was 65.2%, with 12.0% oncogenic types only, 20.7% nononcogenic types only, 17.8% both oncogenic and nononcogenic, and 14.7% unclassified infections. Multiple HPV types were detected in 25.7% of study participants. HPV prevalence was higher in Brazil (72.3%) than in the United States (61.3%) and Mexico (61.9%). HPV16 (6.5%), HPV51 (5.3%), and HPV59 (5.3%) were the most commonly detected oncogenic infections, and HPV84 (7.7%), HPV62 (7.3%), and HPV6 (6.6%) were the most commonly detected nononcogenic infections. Overall HPV prevalence was not associated with age. However, significant associations with age were observed when specific categories of HPV, nononcogenic, and unclassified HPV infections were considered. Studies of HPV type distribution among a broad age range of men from multiple countries is needed to fill the information gap internationally with respect to our knowledge of HPV infection in men. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(8):2036–43)
Are capital structure decisions of service SMEs different? Empirical evidence from Portugal

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the importance of information asymmetry in the relationships between Portuguese SME's capital structure decisions and creditors, comparing the results of service SME with those found in manufacturing SMEs.Design/methodology/approach – Two samples of Portuguese SMEs are considered: one sample is composed by 610 unlisted service SMEs; and, the other sample is made up by 381 unlisted SMEs in manufacturing industry, for the period 1999‐2006. To estimate the results, the two‐step estimation method is used, to control possible bias arising from data selection. In the first step, probit regression is used. In the second step, after the control for possible data bias, dynamic panel estimators are used.Findings – The results obtained suggest that information asymmetry in the relationships between SMEs and creditors has a greater relative influence on capital structure decisions of service SMEs than on those of manufacturing SMEs.Practical implications – Given the i.
The Foreign Bank Effect On Value Creation In Commercial Banks Incorporated In Thailand

Using quarterly bank-level data over the period 1997–2005, this paper examines the effect of foreign bank presence on commercial banks incorporated in Thailand, using traditional and value-based performance measures as indicators of the degree of competition and proxies for the efficiency in the provision of banking services. The findings suggest that foreign bank presence is not only beneficial in terms of traditional performance measures, but also in terms of economic profit. The results with respect to economic value added and cash value added, however, cast some doubt over the presumed benefits of opening up, underlining the importance of using a proxy that considers the cost of equity and departs from standard accounting principles. Furthermore, the results indicate that foreign entry through the acquisition of domestic banks appears to have a stronger and more beneficial impact on locally incorporated banks than through the establishment of branches, with majority ownership by a foreign blockholder being of importance.
THE NEED FOR A NEW, BIOPHYSICAL-BASED PARADIGM IN ECONOMICS FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE AGE OF OIL

The realization that the conceptual base for much of conventional economics is quite flimsy is no longer news to either those who follow events within the field or to many interested outsiders in the natural sciences. For an easy example, since 1998 a surprisingly large number of Nobel Laureates in economics (Joseph Stiglitz, George Akerlof, Daniel Kahneman, Robert Aumann, Thomas Schelling, and Amartya Sen) were people whose worked challenged, in various very fundamental ways, the basic existing paradigm of conventional neoclassical economics. (Neoclassical economics, which we abbreviate here as NCE, is sometimes called neoliberal, or welfare or “Washington Consensus” economics).
Do Broader Eminent Domain Powers Increase Government Size?

The 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision Kelo v New London allows using eminent domain to transfer property from one private party to another when it serves a broadly defined public purpose such as economic development. This paper examines the effect of this doctrine on the size of state and local governments. In the leviathan model, constitutional constraints are needed to control government expansion. The Kelo decision removes one such constitutional constraint on how state and local governments gain command over privately owned resources. The empirical results show that the breadth of eminent domain power affects the size of the public sector; states that explicitly empower their local governments to use eminent domain for private economic development have larger state and local public sectors than those that do not.
Over‐expression of heat shock proteins in carcinogenic endometrium

We have previously shown that the subcellular localization of β‐catenin changes according to the cell proliferation status of the human endometrium, suggesting a role of intercellular transduction in cell growth control in human endometrium not only in the physiological but also in the carcinogenic condition. To further study the possible role of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in growth control, we immunohistochemically analyzed 92 endometrial samples, 30 of normal endometrium, 20 of endometrial hyperplasia and 42 of endometrial cancer, for expression of HSP27, HSP70, HSP90, estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor. HSP27 and HSP90 were detected in endometrial epithelium strongly in the proliferative phase and weakly in the secretory phase during the menstrual cycle according to the serum estradiol level. However, they were over‐expressed in endometrial hyperplasia, especially HSP27. In endometrial cancer, HSP27 expression was heterogenic among the glands and lower than that in the proliferative phase and endometrial hyperplasia. HSP27 over‐expression was also observed in samples including endometrial cancer and associated hyperplasia. Results of Western blotting followed those of immunohistochemistry. HSP70 was not changed during the menstrual cycle, as HSP27 and HSP90 were, and was rather stably expressed in endometrial hyperplasia and cancer. Our results suggest that HSP27 and HSP90 contribute to cell proliferation in endometrial epithelium and that over‐expression of HSP27 in endometrial hyperplasia occurs as a result of the activated condition of ER, though in cancer it decreases according to the loss of function of ER. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Online Constrained Model-based Reinforcement Learning

Applying reinforcement learning to robotic systems poses a number of challenging problems. A key requirement is the ability to handle continuous state and action spaces while remaining within a limited time and resource budget. Additionally, for safe operation, the system must make robust decisions under hard constraints. To address these challenges, we propose a model based approach that combines Gaussian Process regression and Receding Horizon Control. Using sparse spectrum Gaussian Processes, we extend previous work by updating the dynamics model incrementally from a stream of sensory data. This results in an agent that can learn and plan in real-time under non-linear constraints. We test our approach on a cart pole swing-up environment and demonstrate the benefits of online learning on an autonomous racing task. The environment's dynamics are learned from limited training data and can be reused in new task instances without retraining.
Cousins not twins: intratumoural and intertumoural heterogeneity in syndromic neuroendocrine tumours

Hereditary endocrine neoplasias, including phaeochromocytoma/paraganglioma and medullary thyroid cancer, are caused by autosomal dominant mutations in several familial cancer genes. A common feature of these diseases is the presentation of multiple primary tumours, or multifocal disease representing independent tumour clones that have arisen from the same initiating genetic lesion, but have undergone independent clonal evolution. Such tumours provide an opportunity to discover common cooperative changes required for tumourigenesis, while controlling for the genetic background of the individual. We performed genomic analysis of synchronous and metachronous tumours from five patients bearing germline mutations in the genes SDHB, RET, and MAX. Using whole exome sequencing and high‐density single‐nucleotide polymorphism arrays, we analysed two to four primary tumours from each patient. We also applied multi‐region sampling, to assess intratumoural heterogeneity and clonal evolution, in two cases involving paraganglioma and medullary thyroid cancer, respectively. Heterogeneous patterns of genomic change existed between synchronous or metachronous tumours, with evidence of branching evolution. We observed striking examples of evolutionary convergence involving the same rare somatic copy‐number events in synchronous primary phaeochromocytoma/paraganglioma. Convergent events also occurred during clonal evolution of metastatic medullary thyroid cancer. These observations suggest that genetic or epigenetic changes acquired early within precursor cells, or pre‐existing within the genetic background of the individual, create contingencies that determine the evolutionary trajectory of the tumour. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Necessary Conditions for Valid Benefit Transfers

Benefit transfer is an approach to estimating costs and benefits of policies in the absence of original data collection. Many different methods have been proposed (Navrud and Ready 2007). They all use estimates from one or more previous studies to predict the benefits from a new policy at a different point in space, time, or both. Under what conditions will these predictions be valid? Previous work on benefit transfer methodology has addressed this question by suggesting informal guidelines for the selection of previous studies (Water Resources Research 28(3), 1992 and Ecological Economics 60(2), 2006). There is consensus that the study sites should be “similar” to the policy site in terms of their consumer populations and in their provision of the good being valued. The need for similarity is also emphasized in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for benefit-cost analysis. However, there is no formal test for judging whether two sites are sufficiently “similar” to conduct a benefit transfer.
Collectivism and corruption in bank lending

This paper examines how national culture, and collectivism in particular, influences corruption in bank lending. We hypothesize that interdependent self-construal and particularist norms in collectivist countries lead to a higher level of lending corruption through their influence both on the interactions between bank officers and bank customers and on the dynamics among bank colleagues. Using a sample covering 3835 firms across 38 countries, we find strong evidence that firms domiciled in collectivist countries perceive a higher level of lending corruption than firms domiciled in individualist countries. In terms of economic magnitude, the effect of collectivism is substantially larger than the effects of other cultural dimensions (uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and power distance) and institutional factors identified in prior studies (bank supervision, bank competition, information sharing, and media monitoring). We further find that the positive relationship between collectivism and lending corruption is not driven by endogeneity, and that it is robust to different measures of bank corruption, different measures of collectivism, and different estimation methods. Finally, we find that the link between collectivism and lending corruption cannot be explained by the role of the government in the economy, political connections, biased responses from disgruntled borrowers, or relationship lending.
When Jobs Move, Do Black and Latino Men Lose? The Effect of Growth in Job Decentralisation on Young Men's Jobless Incidence and Duration

The spatial mismatch hypothesis suggests that the movement of jobs from central cities to suburbs negatively affects blacks' employment both absolutely and relative to whites. In this paper, data are used from the 1984 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and the 1972 and 1982 US Census of Industries to examine the effect of growth in metropolitan job decentralisation on young males' jobless incidence and duration. Overall, growth in job decentralisation is found to affect negatively young black and Latino males' jobless incidence and duration. In addition, the metropolitan unemployment rate is found to affect negatively young black males' jobless incidence and durations only. Thus, the combination of full employment policies with policies to alter the distribution of jobs in metropolitan areas in favour of the central city will do more to improve young black and Latino males' labour market position than either approach by itself.
What is the Impact of Corporate Governance on Organisational Performance

Research on the importance of generally accepted "best practices" in corporate governance has generally failed to find convincing connections between these practices and organisational performance. We discuss research outcomes on the relationship between two such "best practices" (CEO/Chair duality and insider/outsider composition) and organisational performance, that find this relationship to be insignificant. We propose four possibilities for this tenuous relationship, that are not mutually exclusive: firstly, the possibility that "best practices" in governance are indeed irrelevant to organisational performance; secondly, that the operationalisation of theoretical concepts has low face validity; thirdly, that studies are too narrow, aiming to relate board attributes directly to organisational performance and ignoring other systemic factors; and lastly, the possibility that different types of organizations require different practices in corporate governance. Lastly, we address the methodological and substantive implications of each of these possibilities.
Inhibitor-Sensitive AmpC β-Lactamase Variant Produced by an Escherichia coli Clinical Isolate Resistant to Oxyiminocephalosporins and Cephamycins

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli HKY28, a ceftazidime-resistant strain isolated from a urine specimen in Japan, produced an inhibitor-sensitive AmpC β-lactamase variant. The deduced amino acid sequence of the enzyme contained a number of substitutions and a tripeptide deletion (Gly286-Ser287-Asp288) compared with the sequence of native AmpC of E. coli. When the deletion was reverted by a 9-base insertion at the relevant site of ampC in the clone, the typical inhibitor-resistant phenotype of AmpC was restored, while at the same time the levels of resistance to ceftazidime, cefpirome, and cefepime were reduced eightfold or more. Molecular modeling studies indicated that a structural change took place in the H-10 helix as a result of the deletion, and this change caused an alteration of the substrate binding site, leading to a unique phenotype analogous to that of inhibitor-sensitive class A extended-spectrum β-lactamases. The degree of inhibition was greater with sulbactam and tazobactam than with clavulanic acid. To our knowledge, this is the first report to have characterized an E. coli ampC that encodes chromosomal AmpC β-lactamase sensitive to the available β-lactamase inhibitors.
Nucleotide-dependent interaction of the N-terminal domain of MukB with microtubules.

The MukB protein from Escherichia coli has a domain structure that is reminiscent of the eukaryotic motor proteins kinesin and myosin: N-terminal globular domains, a region of coiled-coil, and a specialised C-terminal domain. Sequence alignment of the N-terminal domain of MukB with the kinesin motor domain indicated an approximately 22% sequence identity. These observations raised the possibility that MukB might be a prokaryotic motor protein and, due to the sequence homology shared with kinesin, might bind to microtubules (Mts). We found that a construct encoding the first 342 residues of MukB (Muk342) binds specifically to Mts and shares a number of properties with the motor domain of kinesin. Visualisation of the Muk342 decorated Mt complexes using negative stain electron microscopy indicated that the Muk342 smoothly decorates the outside of Mts. Biochemical data demonstrate that Muk342 decorates Mts with a binding stoichiometry of one Muk342 monomer per tubulin monomer. These findings strongly suggest that MukB has a role in force generation and that it is a prokaryotic homologue of kinesin and myosin.
Relationship Between Serum Prolactin Levels and Histology of Benign and Malignant Breast Lesions: A Detailed Study of 153 Consecutive Cases

This study was aimed at investigating the relationship between serum prolactin levels and the morphology of operable female breast lesions. One hundred fifty‐three consecutive patients with operable benign and malignant breast lesions in whom preoperative serum prolactin levels had been determined were stratified into five groups according to their serum prolactin levels. The histologic findings in these groups were analyzed and compared. Most patients (93%) had serum prolactin levels within the normal limits. Of the 54 patients with benign lesions, only 4(7%) had slightly elevated serum prolactin levels. Two of these patients had fibroadenomas, one had a phyllodes tumor and one had fibrocystic change. Of the 99 patients with carcinoma, 7 (7%) had hyperprolactinemia. Five of the seven tumors were invasive and two were in situ. All seven tumors were of low or intermediate grade of malignancy. The two cases with the highest prolactin levels (3057 and 1822 mU/L) were both intermediate‐grade ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). It is concluded that the great majority of patients presenting with operable breast lesions have normal serum prolactin levels, and that elevated levels, when present, occur with equal frequency in patients with benign and malignant breast lesions. Hyperprolactinemic patients presenting with carcinoma in this study, none of whom had a history of recent pregnancy or lactation, tended to have histologically low‐ or intermediate‐grade tumors, but this needs to be confirmed by investigating more cases.
Geographical location and urbanisation of the Swedish manufacturing industry, 1900–1960: evidence from a new database

Abstract This article introduces a new database, based on official statistics, of regional manufacturing industries in Sweden. We employ this database to examine the distribution of manufacturing activity across Swedish regions and cities, 1900–1960. Over this period we observe an increasing concentration of manufacturing activities, reaching a peak around 1940, across the northern, southern and western parts (NUTS-I areas) of Sweden. Over the same period, the North-South divide in terms of manufacturing employment grew larger. Across counties (NUTS-III) and cities we, however, observe two shorter periods of convergence of manufacturing activities, in the early twentieth century and in the post-war period, whereas the inter-war period was characterised by divergence. These developments occurred to the backdrop of the urbanisation of industry in Sweden, as the rural share of manufacturing employment declined from roughly 60 to 25% between 1900 and 1960. We also find that the regional patterns of individual industries over time followed different trajectories, suggesting that that the determinants of industry location differed significantly across industries.
Product Exploration based on Latent Visual Attributes

In this demo paper, we present a prototype web application of a product search engine of a fashion e-shop. Although e-shop products consist of full-text description, relational attributes (e.g., price, type, size, color, etc.) as well as visual information (product photo), traditional search engines in e-shops only provide full-text and relational attributes for product filtering. In our retrieval model, we incorporate also the visual information into the search by extracting visual-semantic features using deep convolutional neural networks. Furthermore, visual exploration of the product space using the visual-semantic features (multi-example queries) is used to dynamically discover latent visual attributes that could enhance the original relational schema by fuzzy attributes (e.g., a floral pattern in product). In the demo, we show how these latent attributes could be used to recommend the user preferred products and even outfits (e.g., shoes, bag, jacket) that fit a certain visual style.
Have VAT rates reached their limit?: an empirical note

Value-added taxes (VAT) have increased in a number of developed economies in recent years. The shift towards consumption taxes in general and VAT in particular has made it a politically sensitive tax. While it is generally accepted that an expenditure tax such as VAT is less distortionary and more efficient to collect than an income tax, there is increasing concern that VAT rates have reached or are close to their revenue maximizing limit. Empirical evidence is produced to support this view.