Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corporate strategy and capital structure: An empirical study of listed manufacturing firms in Saudi Arabia

While there have been studies on capital structure and corporate strategy, limited research has considered the unique characteristics that influence the capital structures and corporate strategies of Saudi Arabian manufacturing firms. This thesis, therefore, intends to enrich the literature that relates capital structure to corporate strategy in the Saudi context. Informed by the literature, this research has developed a theoretical framework to study the influence of corporate strategy on capital structure. The framework could be extended to other industries with similar characteristics in Saudi Arabia in addition to other countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council. A mixed methodology was adopted in this research that consists of quantitative analysis, supported by qualitative results where relevant. The findings of this thesis highlight three main points. First, the results on the determinants of capital structure demonstrate the significance of the cost of servicing debt, zakat, industry structures and the nature of assets in influencing leverage. The results indicate a negative relationship between leverage and profitability and a positive relationship between leverage and risk. Second, when considering the influence of stakeholders on capital structure, the evidence indicates that debt is strategically used as a disciplining device for managers. The findings also underline the importance of equity-holders and debt-holders, demonstrating that corporate attitudes towards debt could depend on ownership structures. Institutional and family ownership positively influence leverage. Government ownership is found to be insignificant. The results demonstrate that strong banking relationships and the availability of government loans lead to higher leverage. Limited evidence was found to support a relevant role for nonfinancial stakeholders. The thesis illustrates to managers the possible strategic considerations of capital structure decisions that go beyond the need for finance. Further, the evidence illustrates that Saudi bankruptcy laws require clarification and that disclosure rules ought to be more stringent.
Numerical integration of the spatial distribution of the potential of electrostatic field of elliptical charged ring

Present methods of solving the distribution of the field of charged ring are mostly analytical solutions by which it is difficult to obtain the potential of the field at arbitrary location. By numerical integration, however, we can obtain numerical solution of the potential of the field at arbitrary location. In this paper, we discuss the distribution of the field of elliptical charged ring model by numerical integration and then plot the figures to reveal the relationship between the potential and elliptical coordinates. Therefore, an efficient scheme to solve the distributions of the field of general models is suggested.
Lack of adherence to evidence-based treatment guidelines for nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease.

RATIONALE The 2007 American Thoracic Society (ATS) and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) recommend that patients with pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial (PNTM) disease caused by Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) or M. abscessus be treated with a macrolide-based multidrug antibiotic regimen until sputum culture negative for 1 year. After 6 years, the degree of adherence to recommended guidelines among physicians remains unknown. OBJECTIVE To describe antibiotic treatment practices among physicians treating patients with PNTM in the United States. METHODS A nationally representative sample of 1,286 U.S. physicians was contacted in December 2011 through January 2012; 582 of the responding physicians were treating patients with PNTM and were eligible to participate. Physicians were asked to extract medical record data on the last four patients they treated in the past year with PNTM disease from either MAC or M. abscessus. Treatment patterns were assessed for all patients by NTM species and physician specialty, and compared with the 2007 recommended ATS/IDSA guidelines. MAIN RESULTS Questionnaires were completed by 349 physicians on 915 patients with PNTM, including 744 (81%) with MAC and 174 (19%) with M. abscessus; 3 patients were positive for both. Physicians treated 76 (44%) patients with M. abscessus and 411 (55%) patients with MAC. Only 13% of antibiotic regimens prescribed to patients with MAC met ATS/IDSA guidelines, 56% did not include a macrolide, and 16% were for macrolide monotherapy. Among patients with M. abscessus, 64% of regimens prescribed did not include a macrolide. CONCLUSIONS Adherence to the 2007 ATS/IDSA guidelines for treating PNTM disease is poor. Across all physician specialties evaluated, suboptimal or potentially harmful antibiotic regimens were commonly prescribed.
Accumulated Gradient Normalization

This work addresses the instability in asynchronous data parallel optimization. It does so by introducing a novel distributed optimizer which is able to efficiently optimize a centralized model under communication constraints. The optimizer achieves this by pushing a normalized sequence of first-order gradients to a parameter server. This implies that the magnitude of a worker delta is smaller compared to an accumulated gradient, and provides a better direction towards a minimum compared to first-order gradients, which in turn also forces possible implicit momentum fluctuations to be more aligned since we make the assumption that all workers contribute towards a single minima. As a result, our approach mitigates the parameter staleness problem more effectively since staleness in asynchrony induces (implicit) momentum, and achieves a better convergence rate compared to other optimizers such as asynchronous EASGD and DynSGD, which we show empirically.
The Determinants of Capital Structure in Energy Sector

This mater thesis is concerns to test that if financial patterns of listed firms in energy sector of Pakistan follow any foremost capital structure theories. The analysis was implemented on a sample of 22 listed firms during the period 2001 to 2005. The results of pooled regression model show that both Static trade-off theory and Pecking order theory are pertinent corporate capital structure theories to the firms in Pakistani energy sector.
The Link between Dietary Protein Intake, Skeletal Muscle Function and Health in Older Adults

Skeletal muscle mass and function are progressively lost with age, a condition referred to as sarcopenia. By the age of 60, many older adults begin to be affected by muscle loss. There is a link between decreased muscle mass and strength and adverse health outcomes such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Data suggest that increasing dietary protein intake at meals may counterbalance muscle loss in older individuals due to the increased availability of amino acids, which stimulate muscle protein synthesis by activating the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTORC1). Increased muscle protein synthesis can lead to increased muscle mass, strength and function over time. This review aims to address the current recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein and whether or not this value meets the needs for older adults based upon current scientific evidence. The current RDA for protein is 0.8 g/kg body weight/day. However, literature suggests that consuming protein in amounts greater than the RDA can improve muscle mass, strength and function in older adults.
An Ancient Yeast for Young Geneticists: A Primer on the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Model System

The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is an important model organism for the study of eukaryotic molecular and cellular biology. Studies of S. pombe, together with studies of its distant cousin, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, have led to the discovery of genes involved in fundamental mechanisms of transcription, translation, DNA replication, cell cycle control, and signal transduction, to name but a few processes. However, since the divergence of the two species approximately 350 million years ago, S. pombe appears to have evolved less rapidly than S. cerevisiae so that it retains more characteristics of the common ancient yeast ancestor, causing it to share more features with metazoan cells. This Primer introduces S. pombe by describing the yeast itself, providing a brief description of the origins of fission yeast research, and illustrating some genetic and bioinformatics tools used to study protein function in fission yeast. In addition, a section on some key differences between S. pombe and S. cerevisiae is included for readers with some familiarity with budding yeast research but who may have an interest in developing research projects using S. pombe.
Controversies in antiepidermal growth factor receptor therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer

The randomized first‐line trials, including the CRYSTAL trial, the OPUS trial, and the PRIME trial, have demonstrated the significant efficacy of cetuximab or panitumumab in patients with v‐Ki‐ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) wild‐type tumors. The addition of an antiepidermal growth factor receptor (anti‐EGFR)‐directed monoclonal antibody to chemotherapy for these patients significantly improved progression‐free survival, response rates, and R0 resection rates to a greater extent than overall survival compared with patients who received chemotherapy alone. However, 2 recent randomized phase 3 trials, the MRC COIN trial and the Nordic VII trial, reported an unexpected lack of benefit from the addition of cetuximab to chemotherapy in the first‐line setting. In addition, recent retrospective analyses performed on a pooled data set from major clinical trials added more complexity, reporting an unexpected association of KRAS G13D mutation with a better clinical outcome compared with patients who had other KRAS mutations in the first‐line and salvage settings, whereas the other independent analysis failed to demonstrate a benefit from panitumumab in patients with the same KRAS G13D mutation. The anti‐EGFR monoclonal antibody‐associated skin toxicity and the controversial strategies of management also are discussed. In this review, the authors analyze the previous randomized clinical trials and more critically re‐evaluate recent trials and subgroup analyses to derive 3 factors that need to be taken into consideration regarding the addition of EGFR‐directed monoclonal antibodies to chemotherapy: the preclinical data on mechanisms of action between chemotherapy and anti‐EGFR antibodies along with mechanisms of resistance to anti‐EGFR antibodies, the role of cross‐over events in overall survival data, and the significant dose reductions of chemotherapeutic agents when combined with anti‐EGFR agents. Cancer 2013;119:1941–1950. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
Intramuscular vs intradermal hepatitis B vaccination: a 6-year follow-up.

To the Editor. —We previously reported 1 the results of a randomized trial evaluating the immunogenicity of a DNA-recombinant hepatitis B (HB) vaccine (Recombivax-HB, Merck Sharp & Dohme, West Point, Pa) administered intradermally (ID) at a dose of 2 μg or intramuscularly (IM) at a dose of 10 μg to 80 healthy adults at 0,1, and 6 months. Twelve months after the first vaccination, the number of responders (vaccinees with anti-hepatitis B surface antigen [anti-HBsAg] levels ≥ 10 IU/L) was found to be significantly higher ( P 2 ) in the IM group (36/37, 97%) than in the ID group (21/38, 55%). Six years (mean, 72 months; range, 66 to 78 months) after initiation of vaccination, we obtained serum from 53 (33 women and 20 men; mean age, 36 years; range, 26 to 61 years) of those 68 vaccinees who initially had anti-HBsAg levels greater than 1 IU/L. Twenty subjects
Dietary Energy Intake Is Associated With Type 2 Diabetes Risk Markers in Children

OBJECTIVE Energy intake, energy density, and nutrient intakes are implicated in type 2 diabetes risk in adults, but little is known about their influence on emerging type 2 diabetes risk in childhood. We examined these associations in a multiethnic population of children. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This was a cross-sectional study of 2,017 children predominantly of white European, South Asian, and black African-Caribbean origin aged 9–10 years who had a detailed 24-h dietary recall and measurements of body composition and provided a fasting blood sample for measurements of plasma glucose, HbA1c, and serum insulin; homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance was also derived. RESULTS Energy intake was positively associated with insulin resistance. After the removal of 176 participants with implausible energy intakes (unlikely to be representative of habitual intake), energy intake was more strongly associated with insulin resistance and was also associated with glucose and fat mass index. Energy density was also positively associated with insulin resistance and fat mass index. However, in mutually adjusted analyses, the associations for energy intake remained while those for energy density became nonsignificant. Individual nutrient intakes showed no associations with type 2 diabetes risk markers. CONCLUSIONS Higher total energy intake was strongly associated with high levels of insulin resistance and may help to explain emerging type 2 diabetes risk in childhood. Studies are needed to establish whether reducing energy intake produces sustained favorable changes in insulin resistance and circulating glucose levels.
The clinical research office of the endourological society percutaneous nephrolithotomy global study: staghorn versus nonstaghorn stones.

PURPOSE The study compared characteristics and outcomes in patients with staghorn or nonstaghorn stones who were treated with percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) within the Clinical Research Office of the Endourological Society (CROES) PCNL Global Study. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data over a 1-year period from consecutively treated patients from 96 centers worldwide were collated. The following variables in patients with staghorn or nonstaghorn stones were compared: National prevalence, patient characteristics, access method, puncture frequency and outcomes, including bleeding rates, operative time, and duration of hospital stay. RESULTS Data from 5335 eligible patients were collated; 1466 (27.5%) with staghorn and 3869 (72.5%) with nonstaghorn stones. Staghorn stone presentation varied between centers from 67% in Thailand to 13% in Argentina. The frequencies of previous procedures were similar between groups, but shockwave lithotripsy was less frequent in patients with staghorn stones compared with nonstaghorn (16.8% vs 22.6%) and positive preoperative urine cultures were more frequent in patients with staghorn than nonstaghorn stones (23.4% vs 13.1%). Patients with staghorn stones underwent multiple punctures more frequently than those with nonstaghorn stones (16.9% vs 5.0%). Postoperative fever, bleeding, and the need for blood transfusion were more frequent, the median operative time and duration of hospital stay were longer, while the proportion of patients remaining stone free was lower (56.9% vs 82.5%) in patients with staghorn than nonstaghorn stones. CONCLUSIONS The proportion of patients with staghorn stones varies widely between centers. Stone-free rates were lower, complications more frequent, and operative time and hospital stay were longer in patients with staghorn stones.
The Relevance of Tax Information in Other Comprehensive Income

Against the background of increasing tension between the need for additional disclosure and an information overload in financial statements, this study investigates the relevance of specific tax accounting information in an experimental setting. Participants make judgments on the financial performance, investment attractiveness and tax position of the firm, in absence or in presence of detailed tax information in the other comprehensive income statement. Our results do not support the notion that such deferred tax information has an effect on the judgment of experts, as long as the amounts of deferred tax are normal. However, when the detailed amounts of deferred tax are abnormally high, judgment differs significantly. Our result is important for standard setters, as they may consider further developing guidance in standards (such as IAS 1 and IAS 12) and in the Practice Statement for how to judge materiality of information, in accordance with the materiality principle set forth in IAS 1.31. By doing so, the risk of information overload can be reduced. Our study thus contributes to the current debate on the extent of disclosure. Our results are novel and the method used allows for the isolation of effects and the identification of causal relationships.
Understanding the effect of network-coding and video-encoding on multimedia streaming for peer-to-peer ( P 2 P ) systems in wireless networks

Although great advances have been realized in wireless networking over the last ten (10) years, the wireless transport medium is not ideal for multimedia video applications. This paper proposes the basis for a study in quantitatively understanding the effect in deploying various combinations of video encoding and network coding approaches on peer-to-peer streaming systems in a wireless environment. A simulation model will be implemented and used for analyzing the video traffic and its flow through the network. The PSNR (peak signal-to-noise ratio) will be used in understanding the quality of video for the various cases. The PSNR is a common quality metric used that is based on the MSE (mean-squared-error) of two images. The study will also use the coding-bit-rate, packet-loss-ratio and videocharacteristics as key factors in quantitatively comparing various coding schemes [19]. In all cases, the video packets will be multicasted and a retransmission-based error-control method will be used.
Time evolution of sigma 3 annealing twins in secondary recrystallized nickel

Samples of commercially pure nickel have been annealed in air at 0.68Tm (900 °C) for 1, 2 and 3 h in order to study the relationship between the grain growth characteristics and grain boundary misorientation, particularly annealing twins (Σ 3). Orientation mapping by electron backscatter diffraction was used to obtain the experimental data. Anomalous grain growth was observed in commercially pure nickel after each of the anneals. The main findings are as follows. The texture was mainly {100}<001> and {112}<111> and it was more pronounced in coarse‐grained areas than in fine‐grained areas. The length fraction of Σ 3s (annealing twins) increased with annealing time and therefore with the level of anomalous grain growth. Two to three twins per grain were sited in coarse‐grained regions whereas less than one twin per grain was sited in fine‐grained regions. It is suggested that the nucleation and growth of twinning is mechanistically linked to anomalous grain growth.
Coaching : an effective way to transfer learning and strengthen the capacity of non-profit organisation leaders

Non-profit organisations (NPOs) play a crucial role in society, largely serving the needs of those members who are most vulnerable. The leaders of these organisations work in challenging circumstances and are often expected to fulfil roles for which they have not been trained. Various leadership development programmes have been designed to equip leaders in this sector with the necessary knowledge and skills to deal effectively with the increasing and more complex demands placed on them. Stand-alone programmes, however, have been shown to have less success in transferring knowledge and skills back to the workplace than blended learning approaches. This means a large proportion of the learning investment is being wasted. Since coaching has proved to be a powerful intervention leading to individual and organisational transformation in many sectors, the main question that this investigation has tried to answer is: To what extent can coaching contribute to enhancing the transfer of learning back into the workplace for NPO leaders who have attended a leadership development programme. Further questions relating to factors influencing the learning transfer process were also addressed during this study, as was the preference for different coaching formats. This investigation involved a case study design and was based on a programme for NPO leaders offered at the University of Stellenbosch Business School, referred to as the NPO Plus programme. The findings of this study are intended to provide insights for trainers on the benefits of using coaching as a component when designing learning interventions, and to shed light on what coaches can expect when coaching NPO leaders. The NPO community, as well as donors, can also get a sense of how coaching can contribute to building and strengthening the overall capacity of leaders in the non-profit sector.
CONTINUING EDUCATION IN HONOR OF NORMAN TRIEGER, DMD, MD Alpha-2 Adrenergic Receptor Agonists: A Review of Current Clinical Applications

The a-2 adrenergic receptor agonists have been used for decades to treat common medical conditions such as hypertension; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; various pain and panic disorders; symptoms of opioid, benzodiazepine, and alcohol withdrawal; and cigarette craving. However, in more recent years, these drugs have been used as adjuncts for sedation and to reduce anesthetic requirements. This review will provide an historical perspective of this drug class, an understanding of pharmacological mechanisms, and an insight into current applications in clinical anesthesiology.
Effects of biophysical and physiologic parameters on brain activation‐induced R2* and R2 changes: Simulations using a deterministic diffusion model

A central issue in magnetic resonance imaging of human brain function using blood oxygenation level‐dependent (BOLD) contrast is the accurate interpretation of the signal changes that are observed. Using a method that incorporates repeated phase rotation and convolution with a smoothing function to simulate spin diffusion in the presence of magnetic field perturbers, the dependencies of the absolute and relative changes in transverse relaxation rates (δR2* and δR2) on biophysical and physiologic parameters were explored. First we introduce the modeling methodology. Then we simulate δR2* and δR2 as physiologic and biophysical parameters are modulated within the ranges that they vary across subjects and voxels in the brain. The simulations demonstrate that the δR2* and δR2 values that occur with activation‐induced changes in blood oxygenation depend most strongly on the resting state blood volume and field strength. The δR2*/δR2 ratios depend most strongly on the vessel radius and spin diffusion coefficient.
UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE VACANCY RATE IN THE DUTCH OFFICE MARKET, DUE TO THE DIFFERENT VACANCY TYPES AND STRATIFIED STRUCTURE

The increasing vacancy in the Dutch office market is a socially undesirable development. One solution might be to take unlettable properties off the market by converting them into housing; but for this _ or any other solution _ to be effective, the general vision of the market needs to be improved. Despite the increased vacancy level, only a brief downturn has appeared in current cycle. Theoretically, it will take a long time to clear the current amount of supply. Rapid recovery depends on two market processes: tenants who move from older to newer office premises and investors who sell off the older properties in their portfolio and invest in newer ones. The life cycle of an investment property thus involves a succession of tenants and also of buyers and sellers. The perception of the market, however, is dominated by the role played by institutional investors at the head of the latter chain. Even though their eareai accounts for only a limited part of the market, people still refer to ethe marketi when speaking of that specific part of the whole. This is a misperception, which distorts the composition of the total market. A more accurate view can be derived by drawing a clear distinction between different types of vacancy.