Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Boards, CEOS, and Surviving a Financial Crisis: Evidence from the Internet Shakeout

We examine whether corporate governance matters for firms facing financial distress by investigating the failure rate of Internet firms after the Internet shakeout. We theorize that financial crisis changes the relative costs and benefits of governance mechanisms. As a result, we suggest that more independent and smaller boards become more valuable in distressed firms that are more in need of rapid strategic action. We further hypothesize that, as financial distress increases, CEO power becomes increasingly beneficial as the concentrated power allows the firm to move more decisively. Event-history analysis of the failure of publicly traded Internet firms over the period 2000-2002 confirms our hypotheses. Our results suggest that the association between governance and survival depends on firm and environmental context and that governance mechanisms should be assessed in samples in which the specific mechanisms are likely to be important, rather than in broad samples, and that future research should attend to these considerations.
Relevance of Corporate Dividend Policy on the Shareholder's Wealth

This paper assessed the impact of dividend policy on shareholder"s wealth. The objectives of the study are; to ascertain the significant relationship between dividend policy and corporate performance whether it will enhance their profitability and attract investors to the firm. Data obtained from 2006 to 2012 annual reports and accounts of the companies in Nigerian Stock Exchange. Regression (ANOVA) was applied with the aid of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). Findings show that there is a significant relationship between the companies earning Per Share; dividend Per Share and corporate performance. It is therefore recommends that Organizations should ensure that they have a robust dividend policy in place because it will enhance their profitability and attract investments to the organizations.
A 20-year evolution of internships: implications for retail interns, employers and educators

For decades, retail educators and companies have agreed that internships play a vital role in students' retail education. Overall, the perceived value of internships/internship programmes and the attitude towards them have remained fairly stable and positive. However, the role of internships, their structure and the way they are administered have changed. After reviewing relevant literature, we identified five dimensions as major trends/changes regarding internships or internship programmes over the past 20 years: 1) internships: the new recruiting tool; 2) increased endorsement of internships by retailers and educators; 3) paid vs. non-paid internships: a legal issue? ; 4) structure of internship programmes revamped; and 5) socialization of interns: creating a bond. Each dimension is discussed in detail and practical implications for retail interns, employers and educators are presented.
Alliance Portfolio Resource Diversity and Firm Innovation

As interfirm collaboration plays an increasingly important role in firm innovation, many firms are engaged in multiple partnerships, forming portfolios of alliances. Research in marketing has predominantly focused on dyadic relationships without considering the important interdependencies among different alliances. This study takes a portfolio approach to examine the resource diversity of multiple alliance partners and its contribution to firm innovation. The authors argue that resource diversity in an alliance portfolio can only benefit innovation when resources and information are shared across alliances. They examine factors that may facilitate or inhibit information and resource sharing across alliances and thus influence the realization of any benefit of portfolio resource diversity. The model identifies various factors along three dimensions, including the composition of an alliance portfolio, alliance management, and the market environment, that moderate the relationship between alliance portfolio resource diversity and firm innovation. This study not only demonstrates the conditions for a firm to benefit from diverse partners but also highlights the importance of coordination among different alliances, suggesting a portfolio approach for alliance research.
Trauma team activation criteria as predictors of patient disposition from the emergency department.

UNLABELLED Many trauma centers use mainly physiologic, first-tier criteria and mechanism-related, second-tier criteria to determine whether and at what level to activate a multidisciplinary trauma team in response to an out-of-hospital call. Some of these criteria result in a large number of unnecessary team activations while identifying only a few additional patients who require immediate operative intervention. OBJECTIVES To separately evaluate the incremental predictive value of individual first-tier and second-tier trauma team activation criteria for severe injury as reflected by patient disposition from the emergency department (ED). METHODS This was a prospective cohort study in which activation criteria were collected prospectively on all adult patients for whom the trauma team was activated during a five-month period at an urban, Level 1 trauma center. Severe injury disposition ("appropriate" team activation) was defined as immediate operative intervention, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), or death in the ED. Data analysis consisted of recursive partitioning and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS Of the 305 activations for the mainly physiologic first-tier criteria, 157 (51.5%) resulted in severe injury disposition. The first-tier criterion that caused the greatest increase in "inappropriate" activations for the lowest increase in "appropriate" activations was "age > 65. " Of the 34 additional activations due to this criterion, seven (20.6%) resulted in severe injury disposition. Of the 700 activations for second-tier, mechanism-related criteria, 54 (7.7%) resulted in ICU or operating room admissions, and none resulted in ED death. The four least predictive second-tier criteria were "motorcycle crash with separation of rider," "pedestrian hit by motor vehicle," "motor vehicle crash with rollover," and "motor vehicle crash with death of occupant. " Of the 452 activations for these four criteria, only 18 (4.0%) resulted in ICU or operating room admission. CONCLUSIONS The four least predictive second-tier, mechanism-related criteria added little sensitivity to the trauma team activation rule at the cost of substantially decreased specificity, and they should be modified or eliminated. The first-tier, mainly physiologic criteria were all useful in predicting the need for an immediate multidisciplinary response. If increased specificity of the first-tier criteria is desired, the first criterion to eliminate is "age > 65. "
Purging disorder: an ominous variant of bulimia nervosa?

OBJECTIVE The current study evaluates the clinical significance and distinctiveness of purging disorder (PD), an eating disorder characterized by recurrent purging in the absence of objective binge episodes (OBE) among normal-weight individuals. METHOD Women with PD (n = 37), bulimia nervosa (BN; n = 39), or no eating disorder (n = 35) completed clinical assessments. Women with PD (n = 23) and BN (n = 25) completed 6-month follow-up assessments. RESULTS Compared with controls, both eating-disordered groups reported significantly higher eating, Axis I, and Axis II pathology. Compared with BN, PD was associated with significantly lower eating concerns, disinhibition, and hunger. At 6-month follow-up, rates of remission did not differ significantly between PD and BN, and crossover between disorders was rare. CONCLUSION PD appears to be a clinically significant and potentially distinctive eating disorder.
Joint optimization of power and distance to minimize outage probability in transparent DF relay network

In this paper, we jointly optimize the position of the relay node and transmission power ratio of the source node over the relay node to minimize the outage probability, which can provide guidance for IEEE 802.16j transparent relay node configuration. The result indicates that the outage probability is minimum when the relay is positioned at the midway between the source and the destination, and the transmission power ratio of the source node over the relay node is 11:9. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Internationalization of new ventures: tests of growth and survival

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate key contingencies affecting the internationalization of young ventures, and to shed light on early internationalization's implications for organizational survival and growth.Design/methodology/approach – A previously suggested conceptual framework is tested based on a quantitative study of UK firms before explorative analysis takes the analysis further.Findings – Contrary to the model suggested by Sapienza et al. that internationalization is of increasing importance at young ventures' founding stage, no such indications were found in this study. Further statistical tests revealed interesting insights into the relationship between other organizational factors and a young firm's survival and growth prospects.Research limitations/implications – The empirical results suggest that internationalization is a largely overrated theoretical factor as far as young ventures' short‐term survival and performance are concerned. As internationalization paths differ co.
Steroid biosynthesis by human ovarian granulosa and thecal cells.

The separation of granulosa cells from thecal elements of the human ovarian follicle has been described. The 2 cell types were incubated in vitro with progesterone-4-14C and pregnenolone-7-3H. Steroid metabolites were isolated with each of the cell types and crystallized to constant specific activity. In the granulosa experiment, pregnenolone-7-3H was converted to progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and estrone, and progesterone-4-14C was converted to 17-hydroxyprogesterone and estrone. In the theca experiment pregnenolone-7-3H was converted to progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione and estradiol, and progesterone-4-14C was converted to the last 3 compounds. The conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone was much more active with the granulosa than the theca, while indications of an alternate pathway via Δ5 compounds were more apparent with thecal cells.
Dental pulp capping: effect of Emdogain Gel on experimentally exposed human pulps.

AIM To investigate the effect of Emdogain Gel (Biora AB, Malmo, Sweden), consisting of a enamel matrix derivative (EMD) in a propylene glycol alginate (PGA) vehicle, on experimentally exposed human pulps and to register postoperative symptoms. METHODOLOGY Nine pairs of contralateral premolars scheduled for extraction on orthodontic indications were included. Following a superficial pulp amputation performed with a small (016) diamond bur, either EMDgel or a mix of calcium hydroxide and sterile saline was placed at random in contact with the pulp wound. The subjects made records of symptoms and were also interviewed about pain/discomfort by a blinded examiner. After 12 weeks the teeth were extracted, prepared and subjected to light microscopic examination in which the inflammation and newly formed hard tissue in the pulp were analysed. Immunohistochemistry was performed using affinity-purified rabbit anti-EMD polyclonal antibodies. RESULTS Postoperative symptoms were less frequent in the EMDgel-treated than in the calcium hydroxide-treated teeth, especially during the first six weeks. In the EMDgel-treated teeth, new tissue partly filled the space initially occupied by the gel and hard tissue was formed alongside the exposed dentine surfaces and in patches in the adjacent pulp tissue. EMD was detected in the areas where new hard tissue had been formed. The wound area of the EMDgel-treated teeth exhibited inflammation in the majority of the teeth whereas less inflammation was seen in the calcium hydroxide-treated teeth where the hard tissue was formed as a bridge. CONCLUSIONS In the EMDgel-treated teeth, postoperative symptoms were less frequent and the amount and pattern of hard tissue formation were markedly different than in the teeth treated with calcium hydroxide. However, the operative procedure and the formulation with EMD in a PGA vehicle do not seem to be effective for the formation of a hard tissue barrier.
Endocardial cushion development and heart loop architecture in the trisomy 16 mouse

Murine trisomy 16 (Ts16) is a model for Down's syndrome and has close to a 100% incidence of atrioventricular septal defects (AVSDs). These have been proposed to result from abnormal development of the endocardial cushions, but the mechanisms are unknown. We aim to identify the initial defects in Ts16 hearts, both to characterise the pathogenesis of AVSDs and as a first step in the search for molecular mechanisms. In 38 litters from an Rb(11.16)2H/Rb(16.17)7Bnr × C57BL/6J cross, which was examined on days 10 and 11 of gestation, 28.4% of embryos were trisomic. Trisomic embryos were uniformly retarded compared to their normal litter mates, having on average 3.3 fewer somite pairs. All further comparisons were made between embryos of the same somitic stage. Twenty‐one trisomic and 21 normal embryos of between 15 and 43 somites were serially sectioned, and stereomorphometric methods were used to reconstruct the volumes of the endocardial cushions and to count their number of mesenchymal cells. There were fewer cells in Ts16 superior and inferior cushions. In contrast, the volumes of trisomic cushions were significantly greater than normal. Thus, cell density was markedly lower in trisomic cushions. Importantly, the volumes of the cushions in trisomic embryos were already greater than normal at the 18 somite stage, prior to the invasion of cushions by mesenchymal cells. The architecture of Ts16 heart tubes in 15–25 somite embryos was subtly abnormal. This was reflected in the angle between the axis of the atrioventricular canal and the first pharyngeal cleft, which was significantly larger in trisomic hearts and showed a different relationship to somite stage when compared to normal embryos. These observations suggest that the primary cardiac defect in Ts16 mice may be localised to the myocardium, thus influencing the shape of the heart tube, with changes in the mesenchymal population of the endocardial cushions being later events. Whether AVSDs arise from one or both of these abnormalities remains to be established. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Marketing Strategy Implications of the Miles and Snow Strategic Typology

The Miles and Snow strategic typology is a useful tool for categorizing as well as understanding the types of strategies to be followed by organizations. The authors attempt to relate the usefulness of this typology to the field of marketing strategy and report an empirical investigation, within this context, of the marketing strategies used by firms in a dynamic environment. Results provide support for the typology and its applicability to the area of marketing strategy.
Updated Measurement of Market Cleanliness

The study measures market cleanliness by looking at the extent to which share prices move ahead of the regulatory announcements that companies make to the market in the UK. The same methodology as OP23 has been used in the latest analysis but with some amendments made following feedback on last year's paper. First, the way in which informed price movements (IPM) are identified has been adjusted so that, for example, it takes better account of volatility in the share price. This reduces the risk that the research incorrectly identifies an IPM as having occurred during a period of increased volatility prior to a regulatory announcement. Equally, it reduces the risk of a failure to spot an IPM where volatility has reduced over time. Second, the research concludes that it is best to treat all takeover announcements as significant rather than just those which led to a very large price movement once the disclosure has been made, as all such announcements may be considered to be economically significant. Finally, it also extends the analysis to examine the behaviour of trading volumes ahead of announcements and how changes in the sample could affect the measure over time. The research covered two types of market announcements: regulatory disclosures about the trading performance of FTSE 350 companies in the periods 1998-2000; 2002/03; and 2004/05; and takeover announcements for listed companies made in 2000 and 2002-2005. In both types of announcement the study looks for abnormal price movements around the time of the disclosure which would indicate the possible availability of information that may be of use to an insider trader. It then looks for the cases where these 'significant announcements' were preceded by an apparent IPM that could suggest informed trading had occurred. The market cleanliness measure is the ratio of informed price movements to significant announcements. The results show that in 2004/05 there was a significant decrease in the level of possible informed trading ahead of FTSE 350 companies' trading announcements, with only 2% of significant announcements being preceded by informed price movements compared to 11.1% in the period 2002/03 and 19.6% in 1998-2000. The 2005 figures also include the six month period following the introduction of the new Disclosure Rules for listed companies under the Market Abuse Directive. For takeover announcements there was a decrease in the level of possible informed trading ahead of takeover announcements from 32.4% in 2004 to 23.7% in 2005. But the level still remains high and little changed from the situation in 2000 of 24% before the implementation of the Financial Services and Markets Act.
AC Resistance Factor of Litz-Wire Windings Used in Low-Voltage High-Power Generators

New types of heavy litz wires with noninsulated or insulated strands are offered for high-power low-voltage electrical machines, where skin and proximity effects can cause serious problems if traditional windings are used. This paper evaluates the ac resistance of a litz wire and its usability in megawatt-range low-voltage electrical machines. The evaluation is made by finite-element analysis and by resistance measurements with an experimental test setup. A simple amplifier configuration was used to minimize current and voltage phase shift errors, which are critical in this kind of low-impedance and low-frequency measurement. A simple measurement device based on the aforementioned configuration was prepared to ensure a precise measurement result. Tests were done in a frequency range of 50-200 Hz, to cover a wide range of practical high-power low-voltage electrical machines. It is found that the measured litz wire with originally noninsulated strands can be used in large electrical machines up to about 120 Hz if about 50% increase in ac resistance compared to the dc resistance is allowed. Impregnation of the originally noninsulated litz wire with vacuum pressure impregnation improved the ac resistance in one test case, and in the other case, it seemed to have no effect on the ac resistance.
Mutation Patterns of the Reverse Transcriptase and Protease Genes in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Infected Patients Undergoing Combination Therapy: Survey of 787 Sequences

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to evaluate the resistance-associated mutations in 302 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients receiving combination therapy and monitored in Marseille, France, hospitals from January 1997 to June 1998. In the reverse transcriptase (RT) gene, the most frequent mutations were found at codons 215 (53%), 41 (34%), and 67, 70, 184, and 210 (>20%). One deletion and two insertions in the β3-β4 hairpin loop of the finger subdomain (codon 69) were detected. Interesting associations and/or exclusions of specific mutations were observed. In 96% of RT genes, a mutation at codon 70 (most frequently, K70R) was associated with a wild-type genotype at position 210 (P < 10−5). Similarly, a mutation at codon 210 (most frequently, L210W) was generally associated with mutations at codons 41 (92%) and 215 (96%) but not at codon 219 (16%) or codon 70 (4%) (P < 10−5). In the protease gene, the most prevalent mutations were at codons 63 (84%), followed by codons 10, 36, 71, 77, and 93 (ca. 20%). As for RT, pairwise associations of mutations were observed. Analysis of the mutation patterns for patients with undetectable HIV-1 loads revealed a high proportion (65%) of wild-type RT genotypes but only 18% wild-type protease genotypes. For patients with high viral loads (>100,000 copies/ml), more than 50% of the RT and protease genes displayed three or more mutations. The significant correlation between the level of viremia in plasma and the number of resistance mutations in the protease (P = 0.007) and RT (P = 0.00078) genes strengthens the importance of defining the genotype of the predominant HIV-1 quasispecies before initiating antiretroviral therapy.
Automated characterization of mouth activity for stress and anxiety assessment

Non-verbal information portrayed by human facial expression, apart from emotional cues also encompasses information relevant to psychophysical status. Mouth activities in particular have been found to correlate with signs of several conditions; depressed people smile less, while those in fatigue yawn more. In this paper, we present a semi-automated, robust and efficient algorithm for extracting mouth activity from video recordings based on Eigen-features and template-matching. The algorithm was evaluated for mouth openings and mouth deformations, on a minimum specification dataset of 640×480 resolution and 15 fps. The extracted features were the signals of mouth expansion (openness estimation) and correlation (deformation estimation). The achieved classification accuracy reached 89.17%. A second series of experimental results, for the preliminary evaluation of the proposed algorithm in assessing stress/anxiety, took place using an additional dataset. The proposed algorithm showed consistent performance across both datasets, which indicates high robustness. Furthermore, normalized openings per minute, and average openness intensity were extracted as video-based features, resulting in a significant difference between video recordings of stressed/anxious versus relaxed subjects.
Novel Node Deployment Strategies in Corona Structure for Wireless Sensor Networks

Owing to the traffic pattern of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), cluster heads (CHs) around the sink node have larger relaying loads and consume their energy more quickly. This paper first analyzes the corona model. Based on analysis results, we find that nearly balanced energy consumption of WSNs can be achieved with the additional help of arranging different initial conditions. We then propose the energy-balanced node deployment with a balanced energy (END-BE) algorithm and END with a maximum life-time (END-MLT) scheme, which determine the cluster density for each corona according to the energy consumption of each CH. Simulation results show that the energy consumption is nearly balanced by implementing END-BE, and the network lifetime is greatly improved by adopting END-MLT.