Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Response of Industry Rivals to Control Threats

This paper studies how rival firms respond when a firm in the industry encounters a control threat because it suffers from agency problems. We find that after the control threat, rival firms increase leverage, cut capital expenditures, reduce their cash balances and free cash flows, and adopt more takeover defenses. The competitors with the largest increases in debt after the control and the highest industry-adjusted level of investment before the control threat have the largest cuts in capital spending. We also find that before the control threat, rival firms have less debt and higher levels of investment than predicted. Rivals gain 0.55%, on average, when the control threat is announced. The stock price reaction is higher for rivals with high free cash flow, high capital expenditures, and low insider ownership. The stock price reaction is lower for firms that have insulated themselves from takeover pressures. These results are consistent with the argument that the control threat leads to a reduction in the agency costs of the rival firms in the industry.
Assessing the intentions to use internet banking: The role of perceived risk and trust as mediating factors

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships among five dimensions of service quality towards the overall behavioural intentions to use internet banking in Thailand and explain the indirect effects between service quality and behavioural intentions to use internet banking using perceived risk and trust as the mediating variables. ,A multi-stage sampling procedure was performed to select the 505 respondents for this study. The participants were selected based on their experiences using internet banking in Thailand. The data obtained from the participants was analysed using a structural equation modelling approach. ,The results show that service quality, perceived risk and trust influence behavioural intentions to use internet banking. This study primarily aims to find out whether perceived risk and trust worked as a mediator variable between service quality and behavioural intentions to use internet banking. The study will be useful for the developers of internet banking, when they are implementing and developing a system that is in accordance with the needs and lifestyles of the potential users; and CEOs, to create strategies and relevant policies to achieve competitive advantage. ,Literature has focused on understanding service quality dimensions that influence the behavioural intentions to use internet banking. By expanding on the previous research in internet banking, this paper empirically examines the overall direct and indirect influences between service quality, perceived risk, trust and behavioural intentions.
Modulation of food consumption in healthy adults by exposure to coloured lighting

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/DEDICATIONS DOCUMENT STRUCTURE – An algorithm Document Map showing document structure. CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION TO THE RESEARCH STUDY CHAPTER 2 – REVIEW OF LITERATURE CHAPTER 3 – STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS i. THE DOCTORATE IN PROFESSIONAL STUDIES at SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY – an Overview of the Programme and the Assessment Process ii. PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT OF THE PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR
Rapid Diagnosis of Clonal Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Gene Rearrangements in Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphomas Using the LightCycler-Polymerase Chain Reaction with DNA Melting Curve Analysis

We have recently developed a novel Immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement (IgH-R) assay that combines polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and analysis in the same closed capillary tube using the LightCycler System. IgH-R can be identified by DNA melting curve analysis within 40 minutes after DNA preparation and amplification. To test the clinical utility of this new IgH-R assay for rapidly diagnosing cutaneous B-cell lymphomas, we prospectively analyzed 44 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues suspected of B-cell malignant lymphoma: skin (n = 31), lymph node (n = 7), stomach (n = 3), spleen (n = 1), colon (n = 1), and soft tissue (n = 1). We detected IgH-R in 12 DNA samples, including 8 skin biopsies, with the following diagnoses: B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (n = 4), extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (n = 4), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n = 2), Burkitt lymphoma (n = 1), and precursor B-lymphoblastic lymphoma (n = 1). DNA melting curve analysis, compared with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, achieved a sensitivity equal to 92.3% and a specificity equal to 100%. There was a single false negative result because DNA melting curve analysis could not detect less than 10.0% clonal B-cells. We conclude that this new, rapid PCR assay for detecting IgH-R based on DNA melting curve analysis can be clinically useful for confirming the initial diagnosis of B-cell malignant lymphoma.
Loss of Galectin-3 Expression in Mucinous Colorectal Carcinomas is Associated With 5′CpG Island Methylation in Tunisian Patients

The &bgr;-galactoside-binding protein galectin-3 (gal-3) has pleitropic biological functions and has been implicated in cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, RNA processing, apoptosis, and malignant transformation. To investigate the pattern of inactivation of the gal-3 gene (LGALS3) in colorectal cancers (CRC), we studied a series of Tunisian patients with CRC to identify abnormal methylation in LGALS3 promoter using a methylation-specific PCR. We also examined the gal-3 gene expression by reverse transcription-PCR and the expression of gal-3 protein by immunohistochemistry. Analysis of DNA methylation in nonmucinous colorectal carcinomas expressing gal-3 protein showed an unmethylated profile of LGALS3 promoter, whereas gal-3 was aberrantly methylated in mucinous colorectal carcinomas. Complete loss of the gal-3 expression both at mRNA and the protein level was associated with the gal-3 methylation in the mucinous colorectal carcinomas. Our results show that methylation of the gal-3 promoter could be an important mechanism in the regulation of the expression of this gene in mucinous CRCs.
Tuberculosis treatment outcomes among hospital workers at a public teaching and national referral hospital in Kenya.

SETTING Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Nairobi, Ken-ya, a large referral and teaching hospital. OBJECTIVE 1) To document tuberculosis (TB) case notification rates and trends; 2) to describe demographic, clinical and workplace characteristics and treatment outcomes; and 3) to examine associations between demographic and clinical characteristics, HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune-deficiency syndrome) treatment and anti-tuberculosis treatment outcomes among hospital workers with TB at KNH during the period 2006-2011. DESIGN A retrospective cohort study involving a review of medical records. RESULTS The TB case notification rate among hospital staff ranged between 413 and 901 per 100 000 staff members per year; 51% of all cases were extra-pulmonary TB; 74% of all cases were among medical, paramedical and support staff. The TB-HIV coinfection rate was 60%. Only 75% had a successful treatment outcome. Patients in the retreatment category, those with unknown HIV status and those who were support staff had a higher risk of poor treatment outcomes. CONCLUSION The TB case rate among hospital workers was unacceptably high compared to that of the general population, and treatment outcomes were poor. Infection control in the hospital and management of staff with TB requires urgent attention.
Tibialis Anterior and Soleus Withdrawal Reflexes Elicited by Electrical Stimulation of the Sole of the Foot during Gait

The aim of the present study was to investigate the modulation and functional importance of nociceptive withdrawal reflexes elicited from the sole of the foot and recorded from the soleus (SOL) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles during gait. Cutaneous electrical stimulation delivered at four locations of the sole of the foot was used to elicit the withdrawal reflex. Reflexes were recorded from eight healthy subjects during treadmill walking. The reflexes were elicited at heel‐contact, during foot‐flat, at heel‐off, and during mid‐swing. The reflexes evoked in TA were largest when the arch of the foot was stimulated, and smallest following stimulation of the heel (significant difference during stance, p ≤ 0.002). The largest soleus responses were elicited when the arch of the foot was stimulated (significant difference compared with the fifth metatarsophalangeal joint, stimulation after heel‐contact, p < 0.05). The TA reflex, expressed as a proportion of the electromyogram during unperturbed gait, was smallest during swing (p < 0.05, compared with stance) whereas the SOL reflex was maximal during swing (p < 0.05, compared with stance). The results suggest that the modulation of the reflex promotes an appropriate withdrawal while preserving balance and continuity of motion. These results may have applications in assisting gait of hemiplegics.
Senior Center Activities and Services

This article presents data on the number, nature, and availability of activities and services offered by a 31-state sample of 755 senior centers. Centers provide a mean 11.1 activities and 17.6 services-considerably more in number and variety than they made available a decade ago. Health, recreation, nutrition, access to center, and information/assistance are most likely and special/personal counseling, income supplement, and in-home are least likely to be offered.
The stethoscope as a vector of infectious diseases in the paediatric division

Aim: Nosocomial infections are of great concern in hospital settings, and even more so in the paediatric ward. Health professionals and their medical equipment have long been known to act as vectors of infectious diseases. This study aimed at evaluating the presence of bacterial pathogens on the stethoscopes of medical personnel in the paediatric division.
How does a Brand Reputation-Driven Construct Impact on Country Brand Equity? A Cross-National Study of Brazil and China

Abstract Country Brand Equity (CBE) is a core topic in international business; however, it is scarcely discussed in publications. Due to their global market importance as developing nations, Brazil and China were evaluated by U.S. consumers. The purpose of our model was to measure CBE by adding a new construct – Country Brand Reputation (CBRep) – to the classic models of brand equity at a country level [Country Brand Awareness, Country Brand Perceived Quality (CBQua) and Country Brand Loyalty (CBLoy)]. Therefore, these four constructs are represented by fifty-one variables founded on preexisting scales. By applying psychometric procedures, a CBE model was constructed and validated using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The Brazilian and Chinese models indicated quite similar results. The results implied consistency regarding both countries’ CBE when measuring the Country Brand Reputation’s influence on CBE. Thus, we propose a model named the Reputation-Driven Country Brand Equity Model (CBE-Rep) designed for countries, regions or cities.
The impact of managerial traits on corporate investment

This thesis examines the impact of the firm’s dominant structure and ability on corporate, financing and investment activities. Particularly, CEO duality is examined as a structure whose power and board supremacy provides a single agent with highly centralized power. Second with the use of Demerjian et al. (2012) managerial ability index, CEO managerial ability is quantified and assessed in the context of corporate activity and performance. The empirical analysis shows that the impact of CEO duality engages to misallocations which affect investment efficiency and verifying that such regime increases unprofitable investment which is detrimental to the firm value. Furthermore, this thesis provides strong support that the adverse impact of CEO duality on investment efficiency prevails only among firms that face high agency problems, as captured by high free cash flows, firm complexity, staggered board structure, low board independence, and medium-sized board. However, CEOs’ equity-based compensation, high managerial ability, as well as the occurrence of externally promoted CEO curb the negative effect of CEO duality on internal capital allocation efficiency. Furthermore, this thesis evinces a positive relation between pre-crisis managerial ability and crisis period investments. This occurs because of the capacity of firms with higher pre-crisis managerial ability to secure greater financing and to keep their firms less vulnerable to financial constraints, which in turn help mitigate severe underinvestment problems evident during the financial crisis. Interestingly, the positive relation between managerial ability and investments holds only for firms with CEOs who have general managerial skills (generalists) rather than firm-specific skills (specialists). When looking at the value implications of the main findings, it is observed that the stock market positively assesses crisis period investments, yet this effect is solely evident among firms characterized by high levels (i.e., above-median) of pre-crisis managerial ability. Overall the evidence in this thesis informs, for the first time, the agency theory regarding the mechanism through which CEO duality is destructive for internal capital markets and firm value, and sheds light on the importance of certain moderators that can mitigate the negative impact of CEO duality on investment allocation and efficiency. Regarding the management team as a whole, the findings of this thesis show that managerial ability can ameliorate inefficiencies during distress times, through gaining access to more resources, investing at greater levels and more efficiently than less able peers, thus, adding to the value of firms.
Effect of assortativity on traffic performance in scale-free networks

Assortativity is an important structural characteristic of complex networks. In this paper, we propose a simple method to generate a network with the desired assortative coefficient but still keep the degree distribution unchanged. We simulate cases with different assortative coefficients and calculate the packet drop probability when the buffer size is limited. The simulation results indicate that assortativity has a significant effect on the traffic performance. Our study helps to understand how the network structure influences the traffic dynamics in complex networks.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa MucD regulates alginate pathway through activation 1 of MucA degradation via MucP proteolytic activity 2 3

* Corresponding author 18 Mailing address: Robert C. Byrd Biotechnology Science Center, 1 John Marshall Drive, 19 Huntington, WV 25755-9320; Tel: 304-696-7356; Fax: 304-696-7207 20 E-mail: yuh@marshall.edu 21 Copyright © 2010, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved. J. Bacteriol. doi:10.1128/JB.01132-10 JB Accepts, published online ahead of print on 29 October 2010
Levels of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in serum and their relationship to levels of immunoglobulin M and G antibodies against HCV core protein

The presence and levels of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies against the virus core protein were determined in 449 serum specimens. Despite the fact that a relationship between the presence, but not the levels, of HCV RNA and HCV IgM was observed, the significance of HCV core IgM assays seems limited.
Low Carb High Protein Diets as Management Tool of Insulin Resistance in Patients with Obesity and/or Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Introduction and Rationale: Low carbohydrate high protein diets have been prescribed from as early as 1797 and are taken seriously by many researchers, although in main stream dietetics and medicine the diet can still be received with skepticism. Insulin resistance (IR) is the result of a cascade of physiological events, starting with hyperphagia leading to a positive energy balance and weight gain. Patients with IR gain weight easily and have trouble losing weight on diets with normal carbohydrate content, because of the highly elevated insulin levels. A diet for patients with IR must therefore tackle this problem to make weight loss possible. In this review the evidence on the diet short and long-term, effects on comorbidities and difference with Mediterranean diet are discussed. Methods: A search was carried out in Pubmed for articles of obesity management, IR, low carb/high protein diets and weight loss combined with comorbidities, several nutrients and the Mediterranean diet between 1995 and July 2017. Outcomes were compared to patient observations from dietary practice in weight loss management. Management: Diagnosis can easily be made by measuring waist circumference. The diet should be low carb/high protein but not provoking ketosis; energy and macro nutrient requirements should be individually assessed. Fat is not low but also not ad libitum, focusing on unsaturated fats. The intake of vitamin D, iodine and magnesium needs to be optimal. Alcohol consumption is not part of first phase of the diet. Exercise (endurance and resistance) is an essential part of the therapy. For patients with type 2 diabetes medication, diet and glucose values need to be meticulously observed. Conclusion: Low carbohydrate/high protein diets should be considered as a serious treatment option for all obese patients with and without comorbidities. They should be administered by specialised dietitians working in a multi-disciplinary team.
Arterial Wall Degeneration Plus Hemodynamic Insult Cause Arterial Wall Remodeling and Nascent Aneurysm Formation at Specific Sites in Dogs

Abstract To determine whether arterial wall degeneration, in combination with hemodynamic insult, causes cerebral artery aneurysms in a dog model, we simulated the geometry and hemodynamics of a human artery by surgical reconstruction of both common carotid arteries in 12 dogs. The dogs were then randomly assigned to one of the following groups: hemodynamic insult + elastase insult group ( n = 6), hemodynamic insult group (n = 6), or elastase control group (n = 3), in which the straight common carotid arteries were subjected to elastase alone. Angiography and hemodynamic analysis were performed immediately and at 12 weeks after surgery; the animals were then killed for histologic evaluation. The 12 surgically reconstructed distal internal carotid arteries simulated the human artery well with respect to geometric and hemodynamic measurements, with the intended aneurysm sites exposed to higher wall shear stress and velocity, lower pressure, turbulent flow, and changes in wall shear stress gradient. Nascent aneurysms developed in 4 hemodynamic insult + elastase insult group dogs at 12 weeks; blood flow analysis demonstrated decreased wall shear stress, increased pressure, and wall shear stress gradient from the neck to the dome. Arterial wall remodeling or nascent aneurysm formation in the hemodynamic insult + elastase insult group versus the other groups was indicated by internal elastic lamina/elastic fiber disruption, muscular layer thinning, increased smooth muscle cell proliferation, macrophage infiltration, and high expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in the media. These data suggest that nascent aneurysms were caused by the combination of arterial wall degeneration and hemodynamic perturbations in this distal internal carotid artery dog model.
BID mediates neuronal cell death after oxygen/ glucose deprivation and focal cerebral ischemia

Mitochondria and cytochrome c release play a role in the death of neurons and glia after cerebral ischemia. In the present study, we investigated whether BID, a proapoptotic promoter of cytochrome c release and caspase 8 substrate, was expressed in brain, activated after an ischemic insult in vivo and in vitro, and contributed to ischemic cell death. We detected BID in the cytosol of mouse brain and primary cultured mouse neurons and demonstrated, by using recombinant caspase 8, that neuronal BID also is a caspase 8 substrate. After 2 h of oxygen/glucose deprivation, BID cleavage was detected in neurons concurrent with caspase 8 activation but before caspase 3 cleavage. Bid−/− neurons were resistant to death after oxygen/glucose deprivation, and caspase 3 cleavage was significantly reduced; however, caspase 8 cleavage did not differ from wild type. In vivo, BID was cleaved 4 h after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Infarct volumes and cytochrome c release also were less in Bid−/− mice (−67% and −41%, respectively) after mild focal ischemia. These findings suggest that BID and the mitochondrial-amplification pathway promoting caspase activation contributes importantly to neuronal cell death after ischemic insult.
Stakeholders perceptions on key drivers for and barriers to household e-waste management in Accra, Ghana

Safe management of e-waste has become a major problem for many countries particularly developing countries. This is because e-waste management in an environmentally sound manner (ESM) is affected by many factors in most African countries. To address this emerging urban waste problem, city authorities are devising management strategies that would be acceptable to key stakeholders. This paper evaluates perceived drivers for and barriers to the adoption of e-waste management option in Accra, Ghana from the perspective of households, e-waste workers and institutions. The paper identified four critical factors that could facilitate the adoption of e-waste management option. These include regulatory framework, public health outcomes, education and awareness on e-waste management and good policies and stricter legislation. In addition, the paper identified poor policy framework, lack of or inadequate legal/regulatory framework, low public education and awareness of e-waste management and unhealthy conditions of informal recycling as the four most critical barriers to overcome in the search of e-waste management option. We draw attention of policy makers and waste planners to critically take into consideration the identified drivers and barriers in the adoption of any management option to ensure sound environmental practices. Key words: E-waste, stakeholders, drivers, barriers, management option.