Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Essays on the impact of institutional investors on market efficiency and corporate policies

Dedication In the memory of my father Thank you for giving me the opportunities that you never had. For my mother Thank you for your unconditional love and support. For Deserina Thank you for your unwavering support, understanding and countless sacrifices on a journey you did not knowingly sign up for. Acknowledgements I have been remarkably privileged and will forever be grateful to have the support and guidance of my committee members in exploring my ideas and writing this dissertation. In particular, my deepest gratitude is to my co-chairs, Aydo˘ gan Altı and Sheridan Titman. Without Sheridan's valuable guidance and continuous support , this dissertation may not have been possible. In addition to his insightful comments, I am deeply grateful to him for carefully reading countless revisions of the second chapter of this dissertation. I am continually amazed by his enthusiasm and dedication to his students, and I hope that I can pay him forward in the future. Aydo˘ gan allowed me to consume a great deal of his time, advice, and outstanding comments. I am especially grateful to him for holding me to a high standard and pushing me to become a better researcher. His boundless enthusiasm and patience make my experience at Texas a truly enjoyable one. I would like to recognize Laura Starks for allowing me to borrow her extensive knowledge and experience in the subject matter of this dissertation. I am also grateful for her support throughout my stay in Texas. In addition to being a mentor, Jennifer Huang has provided numerous in-sightful comments at different stages of my research. Hartzell, and the rest of the finance faculty at Texas. Their comments and advice have greatly benefited this dissertation and its author. Lastly, I would like to recognize a great group of colleagues (and friends) who helped me improve my understanding and ideas. In particular, I would like to recognize In this dissertation, I explore the determinants and implications of the preferences of institutional investors. First, I examine whether institutional in-vestors' preference for local investments is related to informational advantage. Analyzing the equity holdings of a large sample of actively managed mutual funds, I find evidence consistent with the mutual fund industry having a perception that local funds have an informational advantage. However, the portfolio of mutual funds' local holdings does not display significant superior performance relative to the portfolio of their distant holdings. Using vi …
Local radiotherapy in the management of squamous carcinoma of the anus

This paper describes the results of treating 74 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal and perianal skin using interstitial radio‐therapy as primary treatment. This technique does not involve irradiation of regional lymph nodes. The local control rate for patients with tumours smaller than 5 cm and with negative inguinal nodes was significantly better than for the remaining patients (64 versus 23 per cent). Only 3 of 41 patients with tumours less than 5 cm diameter had clinically significant nodes at presentation, while in 33 patients with tumours larger than 5 cm there were 6 with involved nodes at presentation. Local treatment using interstitial radiotherapy is suggested as useful primary treatment for small, node‐negative carcinomas, with surgery held in reserve for failures.
Somali Families’ Experiences of Parenting in the United States

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of first-generation Somali families’ experiences of parenting in the United States to discover potential barriers to effective parenting with the goal to design supportive interventions. Using descriptive phenomenological design, 20 Somali families in Seattle, Washington, were interviewed. Interview transcripts were then analyzed using steps outlined by Colaizzi. The overarching theme that emerged was “Parenting: A Balancing Act,” which represents Somali parents trying to balance traditional cultural values and parenting traditions with dominant cultural expectations. Participants expressed fear of losing their children to American lifestyle choices, such as drugs or gangs, and misuse of the American system to turn on their parents. Parents also acknowledged the benefits of access to education and health care for children. To cope with the stressors of their new life, participants sought to preserve traditional cultural and religious values, thus strengthening their Somali community.
Comparison of Er,Cr:YSGG laser and hand instrumentation on the attachment of periodontal ligament fibroblasts to periodontally diseased root surfaces: an in vitro study.

BACKGROUND This study investigates the effects of erbium, chromium:yttrium-scandium-gallium-garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) laser irradiation and hand instrumentation on the attachment of periodontal ligament (PDL) fibroblasts to periodontally involved root surfaces. METHODS Twenty-four single-rooted periodontally involved human teeth (test groups), and six healthy premolar teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons (control group) were included in this study. A total of 45 root slices were obtained from all selected teeth and assigned to the following five groups: 1) untreated healthy group (+control); 2) untreated periodontally diseased group (-control); 3) hand instrumentation group (scaled Gracey); 4) laser I, Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation setting-I (short pulse); and 5) laser II, Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation setting-II (long pulse). All of the root slices were autoclaved in phosphate buffered saline and slices were placed onto cell culture inserts. PDL fibroblasts were placed at the density of 80,000 cells on the root plate (5 x 6 mm) and incubated for 48 hours and transferred to 24-well plates. The attachment PDL fibroblasts on the root plates were observed using confocal microscopy (at 12 hours and on days 3 and 7) and scanning electron microscopy (at 12 hours and day 3). 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay was performed on day 5 for PDL fibroblast survival. RESULTS 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay shows that whereas laser-treated specimens showed a significantly higher cell density, the Gracey-treated group showed a lower cell density compared to the positive control group (P <0.05). Based on confocal microscopy, apparent reduction was observed in the attachment of PDL cells to the periodontally diseased root surfaces. In the laser and Gracey groups, cells looked well-oriented to the root surfaces. Laser-treated groups provided suitable environment for cell adhesion and growth. Laser I treatment was more favorable for the attachment of PDL compared to scaled Gracey, laser II, and even healthy root surfaces. CONCLUSION The results of the study indicate that short-pulse laser setup (laser I) looks more promising regarding the attachment, spreading, and orientation of PDL cells.
Clonal growth of carcinogen-induced enzyme-deficient preneoplastic cell populations in mouse liver.

Abstract The cellular origin of preneoplastic subpopulations in liver during chemical carcinogenesis has not yet been clarified. An experimental approach to this problem became possible by using female phenotypic mosaics caused by the X-chromosome inactivation (“lyonization”) occuring early in embryogenesis. Allozymes of the X-linked enzyme phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK-1) served as markers of the maternal (wild-type PGK-1B) and paternal (variant PGK-1A) X-chromosomes in crosses of near-congenic C3H mice. These PGK allozymes are of similar activity and stability but can be separated electrophoretically and quantified by a fluorimetric method. Pgk-1a/Pgk-1b heterozygous females were subjected to chronic 2-acetylaminofluorene feeding for up to 14 months. Phenotypic expression of PGK-1B and PGK-1A was determined in µg samples as well as in mg samples of liver and other organs. Samples of adenosinetriphosphatase-deficient preneoplastic populations punched out from cryostat serial sections of liver of 2-acetylaminofluorene-fed mice disclosed a PGK allozyme pattern strikingly different from the norm. Thirty-nine of 40 preneoplastic nodules contained a pure population of either PGK-1A- or PGK-1B-expressing cells. Mean contamination by the opposite PGK type was 1.1%. In all cases, the PGK expression in the preneoplastic nodules differed from the surrounding liver parenchyma. Only a single large hyperplastic nodule was composed of several subpopulations with respect to PGK expression. Determination in normal liver tissue of the patch size of coherent populations with a homogeneous expression of one PGK allozyme revealed an average of about 8 hepatocytes per patch. Each microsample used for PGK determinations consisted of an average of 25 patches. It is evident from these results that AAF-induced, ATPase-deficient preneoplastic subpopulations in the mouse liver are in all probability clones derived from a single cell.
Worldwide Financial Reporting: The Development and Future of Accounting Standards

International accounting standards tend to converge, as do auditing, enforcement, and corporate governance, whereas trading of equity shares remains essentially national. The book provides a thorough analysis of what information investors really need, how financial accounting systems developed and their current requirements in major commercial countries, and examines current issues, particularly the benefits and costs a single or multiple accounting standards, the bases for accounting standards, and limitations to accounting disclosure in financial statements. Available in OSO: http://www.oxfordscholarship. com/oso/public/content/economicsfinance/0195305833/toc.html
Ethnic Identity Development: Implications for Mental Health in African-American and Hispanic Adolescents

One of the key tasks of adolescence is identity development. This includes ethnic identity, or the aspect of identity related to one's membership in an ethnic group. Ethnic identity development has implications for mental health. Those adolescents who achieve a secure sense of themselves as ethnic group members have higher self-esteem and tend to have better mental health overall. This paper reviews the pertinent literature that connects ethnic identity to mental health outcomes in African-American and Hispanic adolescents. The relevance to mental health nursing is also highlighted.
Proximity to major roadways is a risk factor for airway hyper-responsiveness in adults.

BACKGROUND Proximity to major roads is reported to be associated with asthma and airway hyper-responsiveness in children. Similar studies using objective measurements in adults are not available in Canada. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that adult asthmatic patients who live close to major roads and highways in an urban environment are at a risk of moderate to severe airway hyper-responsiveness. METHODS Airway responsiveness was determined using methacholine bronchial provocation (PC(20)) tests in a cohort of 2625 patients who attended an outpatient clinic in Hamilton, Ontario. Patient addresses were geocoded in a geographic information system to determine proximity to major roads and highways. Multivariate linear and multinomial regression analyses were used to assess whether proximity to roads was a risk factor for airway hyper-responsiveness as measured by PC(20) methacholine. RESULTS Patients who lived within 200 m of a major road had increased odds (OR 1.38 [95% CI 1.04 to 1.85]) of having moderate airway hyperresponsiveness (0.25 mg⁄mL 16 mg/mL). Spatial analysis also revealed that the majority of patients with severe airway hyper-responsiveness lived within the urban core of the city while those with moderate to mild hyper-responsiveness were also dispersed in rural areas. CONCLUSIONS In an adult population of patients attending an outpatient respiratory clinic in Hamilton, living close to major roadways was associated with an increased risk of moderate airway hyper-responsiveness. This correlation suggests that exposure to traffic emissions may provoke the pathology of airway hyper-responsiveness leading to variable airflow obstruction.
Entropic Data Envelopment Analysis: A Diversification Approach for Portfolio Optimization

Recently, different methods have been proposed for portfolio optimization and decision making on investment issues. This article aims to present a new method for portfolio formation based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Entropy function. This new portfolio optimization method applies DEA in association with a model resulting from the insertion of the Entropy function directly into the optimization procedure. First, the DEA model was applied to perform a pre-selection of the assets. Then, assets given as efficient were submitted to the proposed model, resulting from the insertion of the Entropy function into the simplified Sharpe’s portfolio optimization model. As a result, an improved asset participation was provided in the portfolio. In the DEA model, several variables were evaluated and a low value of beta was achieved, guaranteeing greater robustness to the portfolio. Entropy function has provided not only greater diversity but also more feasible asset allocation. Additionally, the proposed method has obtained a better portfolio performance, measured by the Sharpe Ratio, in relation to the comparative methods.
Effects of high food-demand fish removal in groups of juvenile sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

In self-feeding conditions, a few individual sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax (L., 1758)) display strong activity in striking the food dispenser, whereas the remaining individuals of the group actuate the feeder weakly or never. Here, we investigated the effects of removal of the individuals showing dominant activity on the social and feeding behaviours in groups of juvenile sea bass. Following removal, new fish showing a dominant self-feeding activity quickly appear. They always come from the group of fish that have a low number of triggering actuations. This observation shows that it takes less time, about 5 days after the removal of dominant triggerers vs. 14 days at the beginning, for the re-establishment of the behavioural structure, suggesting the possibility of social transmission between individuals. The fish that show weak triggering activity seem to reach the high- food triggering level without obvious signs of competition. This experiment reveals the importance of the food-demand behavioural structure: the fish displaying the highest activity lead to a general food distribution and play a dominant role in feeding the entire group. Functional plasticity in this role within individuals is also demonstrated, indicating that the high-triggering function is essential for the group and not for the individual themselves. Resume : Au sein d'un groupe de bars (Dicentrarchus labrax (L., 1758)) places en auto-nourrissage, quelques individus disposent d'une activite forte de declenchement volontaire du distributeur d'aliments. Les autres poissons du groupe disposent d'une activite de demande faible voire nulle. Ici, nous avons etudie l'impact du retrait des poissons a forte activite sur le comportement alimentaire et social de groupes de bars juveniles. De nouveaux individus a forte activite reapparaissent rapidement, provenant exclusivement de la classe de poissons de faible demande. Cinq jours en moyenne suffisent apres le retrait, contre 14 jours au debut de l'experience, pour que la structure comportementale se retablisse suggerant l'existence d'une transmission sociale entre les individus. Ces poissons de faible activite semblent de plus atteindre leur nouvelle fonction sans aucun signe de competition. Cette experience revele d'abord l'importance de la structure de la demande alimentaire puisqu'elle reapparait apres le retrait. Elle montre egalement que l'activite des forts manipulateurs conduit a une distribution generale de l'aliment et contribue a nourrir le groupe en entier. L'etude montre enfin une plasticite fonctionnelle indiquant que seule la fonction de manipulateur fort est essentiel pour la stabilite du groupe, non l'identite des individus par elle-meme.
Impact of Strategic Human Resource Practice on Corporate Performance in Selected Nigerian Banks

This study examines whether there is any relationship between strategic human resource practice and corporate performance in the Nigerian banking industry. It is against this background that this study tries to look at the following objectives: (i) to determine if strategic human resource practice enhances corporate performance; (ii) to investigate the extent of relationship between strategic human resources practices and financial performance. In order to address the above research objectives, the following research questions are advanced: (i) Does a strategic human resource practice enhance corporate performance? (ii) What is the nature of relationship between strategic human resources practices and corporate financial performance? Two hypotheses were formulated and tested in this research. Primary data were garnered, presented and analysed for this study. Data collected through questionnaire were presented with the help of frequency tables and percentages; while data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). This study found that there is positive relationship between strategic human resource practice and corporate performance of organisation.
Correlation Study Between Point Load Test And Uniaxial Compressive Strength and Tensile Strength of Some Sedimentary Rocks In Mosul City

The point load test is used as a quick and inexpensive means of obtaining rock strength indexes when logging core samples in either a field or laboratory setting. In order to estimate the Uniaxial compressive strength, indirect tensile strength (Brazilian and 4-point bending)of the rocks, index to strength conversion factors are used to involve three types of the most popular sedimentary rocks in Mosul city, which are limestone, sandstone and gypsum in both dry and wet conditions. The results showed that a conversion factors,(14.55,15.9) can be used to estimate compressive strength for both limestone and gypsum rocks in dry and wet conditions respectively. The study also found that conversion factors,(1.4,2.6) are applied in dry condition for the three rocks in Brazilian and Bending tests.
Cerebrospinal fluid dopamine in HIV‐1 infection

BackgroundIncreasing evidence suggests significant involvement of the basal ganglia in patients with HIV-1 infection. ObjectiveTo study the effect of HIV-1 infection on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dopamine levels. DesignCSF dopamine levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. SettingA university-based outpatient clinic in south Florida involved in clinical AIDS research. SubjectsTwenty-two subjects were enrolled in a prospective, longitudinal study of the neurological complications of AIDS. Five subjects were HIV-seronegative, but at risk for HIV-1 infection, 11 were HIV-1-seropositive without neurological disease and six had HIV-1-related neurological disease. ResultsThe CSF dopamine mean values were significantly lower in the HIV-1-seropositive group with (P< 0.0001) or without (P < 0.0001) neurological disease than in the HIV-seronegative group. There was a very strong correlation between CD4 lymphocyte counts and CSF dopamine levels (P=0.004) in the neurologically symptomatic group (P= 0.0008), but not in the other two groups. ConclusionHIV-1 infection appears to have an effect on the central nervous system dopaminergic systems, as reflected in levels of CSF dopamine.
Direct (non-vector) transmission of West Nile virus in geese

During a recent epizootic, losses due to West Nile virus (WNV) infection in young goose flocks were estimated to be far greater than expected if mosquito-borne transmission was the principal route of infection. Contact transmission was investigated experimentally as an alternative explanation. A group of 10, 3-week-old geesewere inoculated subcutaneously and placed in one insect-proof room with 20 geese of the same age. A group of10 geese were housed in an adjacent insect-proof room to serve as an environmental control. All geese in theinoculated group produced antibodies, eight became viraemic and five died between 7 and 10 days afterinfection. Virus was shed from the cloaca and oral cavity by three geese. Two of the in-contact birds died ondays 10 and 17 after infection, and WNV was recovered from another three birds. None of the environmentalcontrol group became infected. This result strongly suggests that horizontal transmission of WNV can occur incommercial flocks and may be aggravated if cannibalism and feather-picking of sick geese occur.
V-Antigen Genotype and Phenotype Analyses of Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

ABSTRACT The pcrV genotype was analyzed in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which showed a negative phenotype for secretion of V-antigen PcrV. The suppression of PcrV secretion in these isolates was due not to a lack of the pcrV gene but rather to suppression of PcrV expression.
Isoflurane Reduces Ischemia-induced Glutamate Release in Rats Subjected to Forebrain Ischemia

Background The release of excitatory neurotransmitters during ischemia is thought to contribute to ischemic neuronal injury. Volatile anesthetics have been shown to reduce excitatory neurotransmission in vitro, and it is conceivable that they reduce ischemia-induced neurotransmitter release. The current investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of isoflurane and N2 O-fentanyl anesthesia on ischemia-induced glutamate release in the rat and to compare it with that of mild hypothermia, an intervention known to reduce glutamate release significantly. Methods Microdialysis probes were implanted into the parietal cortex and dorsal hippocampus of four groups of anesthetized rats (n = 5 per group). The hypothermic group was anesthetized with 1.2% halothane. The two isoflurane groups were anesthetized with 0.5 minimum alveolar concentration or electroencephalographic burst-suppression doses of isoflurane ([nearly equal] 2 minimum alveolar concentration). The control group was anesthetized with 70% N2 O-30% Oxygen2 and fentanyl. The pericranial temperature was maintained at 34 degrees Celsius in the hypothermic group and at 38 degrees Celsius in the remaining groups. Ischemia was induced by bilateral carotid artery occlusion with simultaneous hypotension to 35 mmHg for 10 min, followed by a reperfusion period of 70 min. Dialysate was collected before, during, and after ischemia. The concentrations of glutamate and glycine in the dialysate were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Results Preischemic glutamate and glycine concentrations in the dialysate were similar among the groups. Ischemia resulted in a significant increase in glutamate and glycine concentrations in the N sub 2 O-fentanyl groups in the parietal cortex and in the hippocampus. This increase in neurotransmitter concentrations did not occur in the hypothermic group in either structure. Isoflurane reduced glutamate concentrations in both structures and glycine concentrations in the hippocampus. In the parietal cortex, glycine concentrations did not increase in either isoflurane group. Conclusions Hypothermia inhibits ischemia-induced excitatory neurotransmitter release in the rat. Isoflurane, in comparison with a N sub 2 O-fentanyl-anesthetized state, significantly attenuates excitatory neurotransmitter release in the hippocampus. This effect of isoflurane is comparable to that of mild hypothermia.