Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improved recovery of mycobacteria from respiratory secretions of patients with cystic fibrosis

Pulmonary colonization and infection of patients with cystic fibrosis by Mycobacterium spp. has recently been recognized as a potentially important clinical problem. However, frequent contamination of mycobacterial cultures by pseudomonads has hampered efforts to define the extent of this problem. This study was done to evaluate current techniques and to establish a more efficient method of recovering mycobacteria from respiratory secretions of patients with cystic fibrosis. Decontamination of respiratory specimens (n = 121) with 0.25% N-acetyl-L-cysteine and 1% sodium hydroxide (NALC-NaOH) was associated with a high rate of pseudomonas overgrowth for both Lowenstein-Jensen slants (74%) and BacTec vials supplemented with PANTA (polymyxin B [50 U/ml], amphotericin B [5 micrograms/ml], nalidixic acid [20 micrograms/ml], trimethoprim [5 micrograms/ml], azlocillin [10 micrograms/ml]) (36%). This overgrowth limited recovery of mycobacteria to only 64% (9 of 14) of specimens positive by smear for acid-fast bacilli (AFB). Decontamination of specimens (n = 441) with NALC-NaOH, followed by 5% oxalic acid treatment, resulted in contamination of only 5% of Lowenstein-Jensen slants and 3% of BacTec vials. AFB were recovered from all 90 AFB smear-positive specimens following the use of this decontamination technique. We recommend that respiratory secretions be decontaminated with NALC-NaOH and oxalic acid to decrease the incidence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa overgrowth.
Re‐engineering organizations: a critical appraisal

Addresses the latest vogue in managerial theory – business process re‐engineering (BPR). Locates BPR within other recent challenges to traditional modes of organizing work, and subjects it to some critical scrutiny in order to provide some markers for further work. Examines BPR in terms of the assumptions which it claims not to have, and in terms of the contradictions entailed by its use of concepts of commitment, empowerment and technology. Overall, aims to provide HRM professionals and academics with some of the arguments that may be deployed to challenge the excessive enthusiasm of some BPR advocates.
Venture capital market complementarities: The links between business angels and venture capital funds in the United Kingdom

The nature and extent of complementarities between the informal and formal venture capital markets has been the subject of limited research. This paper explores systematically the nature and extent of complementarities between the formal and informal venture capital markets in the UK, and identifies the opportunities for additional collaboration. Evidence is presented from surveys of business angels and venture capital fund managers for four types of complementarities: co-investing in deals; sequential investing in ventures; business angels as investors in venture capital funds; and deal referring.
Performance versus overhead for fountain codes over Fq

Fountain codes for packet erasure recovery are investigated over Galois fields of order q ¿ 2. It is shown through development of tight upper and lower bounds on the decoding failure probability under maximum likelihood decoding, that the adoption of higher order Galois fields is beneficial, in terms of performance, for linear random fountain codes. Moreover, it is illustrated how Raptor codes can provide performances very close to those of random fountain codes, with an affordable encoding and decoding complexity. Non-binary Raptor codes turn out to represent an appealing option for applications requiring severe constraints in terms of performance versus overhead, especially for small source block sizes.
Shaping fuzzy goals through teacher-student interaction: A detailed look at communication between community college faculty and transfer students

Faculty-student interactions have been largely neglected in the research regarding community colleges and community college transfer students. Yet faculty serve as points of institutional contact, and might also serve a central role in student experiences and decision-making. The purpose of this study was to increase our understanding of the dynamics and interactions that impact student experiences and decisions regarding transfer at the community college and to understand how those interactions contributed to goal formation. Symbolic interactionism (Blumer, 1969) provided a framework to guide the mixed-methods approach, which was primarily qualitative, utilizing online surveys and personal interviews to investigate students’ interpretations of the student-teacher interactions. Quantitative data analysis measured teacher influence. 429 students who successfully transferred to a Research I university in the southwest, from in-state community colleges completed the survey. Ten students from this pool, subsequently interviewed, reflected various levels of uncertainty in their goals to transfer. These uncertain goals were termed “fuzzy” goals. In addition to symbolic interactionism as a framework, Stanton-Salazar’s (1997) concept of institutional agents, supported with Bourdieu’s (1977) cultural and social capital and Tinto’s (1975) theory of social and academic integration were used to guide this study. Findings illustrated that students did utilize their teachers as institutional agents, who provided them with cultural knowledge and facilitated their understanding of procedures and processes through active as well as passive teacher-agency. Five themes
Selective blockade of M2 and M3 muscarinic receptors by hexahydrobenzyl‐ fourdapine and a comparison with zamifenacin

1 4‐Diphenylacetoxy‐N‐cyclohexylmethyl‐piperidine HC1 (hexahydro‐benz‐4DAP) is more active as an antagonist of carbachol at receptors in guinea‐pig isolated ileum, log K (pA2) = 6.64±0.14 (s.e. 7 results), than at receptors in guinea‐pig isolated atria, log K= 5.43 ±0.14 (7). In the presence of neostigmine bromide (0.2 μm) the value for atria was 5.62 ±0.19 (4), so the lower activity on atria cannot be attributed to hydrolysis of the compound by cholinesterases present in this tissue. 2 The limit of solubility of the free base in Krebs solution (pH 7.6) is about 50 μm for both hexahydro‐benz‐4DAP and benzyl‐fourdapine (benz‐4DAP). 3 In experiments on guinea‐pig isolated ileum with hexahydro‐benz‐4DAP given together with 4‐DAMP methobromide, the combined dose‐ratio was consistent with competition: similar results were obtained with benz‐4DAP. 4 In rats anaesthetized with pentobarbitone, hexahydro‐benz‐4DAP antagonized the effects of bethanechol on blood‐pressure in doses that had little effect on heart rate or airflow. There was a limit to the effect which could be obtained, however, and the slopes of the Schild plots were less than one. The effects on rat blood‐pressure had a half‐life of at least 30 min. 5 In similar experiments with zamifenacin the slopes of the Schild plots were close to 1 and the compound was 10 to 20 times as active on blood‐pressure at it was on heart‐rate. 6 The limited solubility of the base probably accounts for the flat Schild plots obtained with hexahydro‐benz‐4DAP, which had about 10 fold selectivity for effects on blood‐pressure and was more active than expected from tests on isolated ileum.
Effects of Land Titling on Child Health

This paper examines the impact of urban land titling on child health. We hypothesize that land titling may translate into positive effects on health through its impact on housing investments and household structure. To address selection concerns, we take advantage of a natural experiment of land occupation in a suburban area of Buenos Aires, Argentina, that ensures that the allocation of property rights is exogenous to the characteristics of the squatters. Our results show that in the titled parcels children enjoy better weight-for-height scores (but similar height-for-age scores), and teenage girls have lower pregnancy rates than those in untitled parcels.
High-order accurate implicit finite difference method for evaluating American options

A numerical method is presented for valuing vanilla American options on a single asset that is up to fourth-order accurate in the log of the asset price, and second-order accurate in time. The method overcomes the standard difficulty encountered in developing high-order accurate finite difference schemes for valuing American options; that is, the lack of smoothness in the option price at the critical boundary. This is done by making special corrections to the right-hand side of the differnce equations near the boundary, so they retain their level of accuracy. These corrections are easily evaluated using estimates of the boundary location and jump in the gamma that occurs there, such as those developed by Carr and Eaguet. Results of numerical experiments are presented comparing the method with more standard finite difference methods.
Do We Need an Economic Impact Study or a Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Sports Event?

Abstract In this paper, we try to show, using a simple numerical example of a fictional international sports event, that there is a fundamental difference between what is generally called an economic impact study of a sports event and a cost-benefit analysis. The difference is important because an economic impact study does not yield any argument for the government to subsidize the event. Only a cost-benefit analysis can provide the necessary information.
Administrative Fusion: Less Than a European ‘Mega‐administration’

Abstract This study explores administrative fusion. It is argued that the differentiated organizational constellation of the European Union contributes to a differentiated fusion of domestic core executive institutions. The European Commission mainly activates the lower echelons of domestic government hierarchies and contributes to a relative weakening of domestic politico‐administrative leadership. On the contrary, the Council of Ministers accompanies primarily a strengthening of domestic government hierarchies — notably the Foreign Office. Based on a rich body of survey data, this article reveals that multi‐level interaction of administrative systems between the European Commission and the central administrations of Sweden and Norway occur largely outside the control of the domestic politico‐administrative leadership, Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign Office. This tendency, however, is counterbalanced by the Council of Ministers, which accompanies inter‐sectoral coordination and vertical mandating within the Swedish central administration.
Director independence and performance of listed companies: evidence from Malaysia

This paper investigates the relationship between director independence and firm performance, as well as ownership of firms and firm performance in Malaysia. We find that independent outside directors and foreign directors have a significant positive effect on firm performance after controlling for the influence of other corporate governance variables such as firm ownership and board sizes. The study demonstrates that when a critical mass of outside directors' independence is achieved, this has a significant economic impact on the firm performance. The results have implications for rethinking board composition requirements in the emerging markets.
Essays in Ownership Structure and Corporate Governance

Essays in Ownership Structure and Corporate Governance Fangzhou Shi This dissertation delves into ownership structure and corporate governance. The rst chapter investigates the causal link between business group a liation and new rms' pro tability. To overcome selection issues related to group a liation, I focus on ownership changes at least two levels away in the ownership chain that lead to a change in group a liation. I provide evidence suggesting that these unintentional changes are likely exogenous. I nd that business group a liation leads to a 12% increase in new rms' pro tability during the rst six years. I further present evidence consistent with two channels. First, new rms quickly increase revenues and expand market shares after joining business groups, possibly leveraging on groups' marketing networks. Second, group a liation triggers a higher ratio of top manager turnover and leads to more experienced top managers and more productive employees. It is possible that business groups provide a talent pool of managers and better monitor new rms' labor force. Results suggest that business groups parallel the role of venture capital rms in sponsoring new rms in economies with concentrated equity ownership. The second chapter examines the impact of input and product market competition on private bene ts of control (PBC), as measured by the voting premia between shares with di erential voting rights. The main ndings are three. First, increases in the intensity of competition lead to lower estimates of PBC. Second, competition signi cantly reduces the dispersion in the voting premia, a ecting especially the top of the PBC distribution. Third, competition e ects are particularly prominent in weak-rule-of-law countries, in manufacturing industries and in less-pro table rms. Overall, the results show that competition leads to a meaningful reduction in the level and dispersion of PBC. The third chapter directly examines the correlation between insider trading and executive compensation at the rm level. Using panel data on US rms from 1992 to 2011, we nd that 1% decrease in cash compensation leads to a 21.7 percentage points increase in 6-month buy-and-hold excess returns, as well as a large increase in trading pro ts. These results indicate that insiders are using insider trading as a substitute to cash compensation, and keeping the total direct compensation level less volatile than previous research relied on. This e ect is robust to exogenous shock to insider trading return, such as Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The result suggests the importance to take into account of insider trading pro t in context of executive compensation.
The tight junction gene Claudin‐1 is associated with atopic dermatitis among Ethiopians

The strong association between epidermal barrier gene variants and Atopic Dermatitis (AD) highlights that impaired skin barrier is a key feature in the pathogenesis of AD. Although the filaggrin (FLG) gene is the major AD risk gene in European and Asian populations, disease‐associated variants remain elusive in African populations.
Exporting the German Model: The Establishment of a New Automobile Industry Cluster in Shanghai

Abstract Recent work has provided evidence that the establishment of new industry clusters cannot be jump-started through policy initiatives alone. This evidence does not imply, however, that the genesis of a new cluster cannot be planned at all. Especially in the context of a developing economy, it seems useful to reinvestigate the relation among economic development, the strategies of multinational firms, and state intervention in this respect. Drawing from the case of the automobile industry and its supplier system in Shanghai in which German firms play an important role, we provide empirical evidence of the evolution of a new cluster that is supported by the state in various forms and characterized by a focal, hierarchically structured production system. We use a multidimensional approach to clusters, which leads to a more nuanced understanding of the evolution and growth of a cluster than that provided by earlier accounts. This approach allows us to distinguish the development of the Shanghai automobile industry cluster along its vertical, horizontal, external, institutional, and power dimensions. We provide evidence that another dimension—“culture”—plays an important role, especially in its relation to issues of power and institutions. The role of this dimension is demonstrated in the case of German firms, which tap into the Chinese innovation system. This system is characterized by particular business relations, institutions, norms, and various social practices that are new to German firms. We demonstrate how this difference creates problems in establishing local production and supplier relations and how these problems can be overcome.
A comparison of different methods for decomposition of changes in expectation of life at birth and differentials in life expectancy at birth

Several methods were proposed to decompose the difference between two life expectancies at birth into the contribution by different age groups. In this study an attempt has been made to compare different methods with that of Chandra Sekar (1949) method. The methodologies suggested by Arriaga, Lopez and Ruzicka and Pollard have been extended. It is shown that all the three methods and also Chandra Sekar method in their modified (symmetrical) form will be seen to produce the same result as that of United Nations, Pollard, Andreev and Pressat. Finally it is suggested to use symmetric formulae of the above methods because the percent contribution of total of the interaction terms to the difference in the life expectancy at birth is observed to be very negligible.
Influence of Star Rating and Ownership Structure on Brand Image of Mainland China Hotels

This study presents the brand image of hotels in Mainland China perceived by international travelers using a content-analysis of online hotel reviews. Cai’s (2002) 3A (Attributes, Affective and Attitudes) model of destination image was adapted to fit the hotel brand image context and used to code reviews of hotels in major Mainland Chinese cities. The study further hypothesized that brand image components were significantly influenced by ownership structures and ratings of hotels. Results showed that the three hotel brand image dimensions could be extracted from the hotel reviews and varied across hotel types and hotel star-ratings.
Rural-Urban Migration, Substitutability of Human Capital and City Productivity: Evidence from China

Among the studies on the productivity effect of migration, the role of the substitutability of human capital between migrant workers and local workers has not received much attention. The elasticity of substitution is important for rural–urban migration in China, because there is a substantial difference in schooling quality between rural and urban regions and because there is imperfect competition in city labor markets. Using aggregate city-level data from the 2010 China Population Census, we find that the positive effect of human capital on city productivity improves as the substitutability increases. Moreover, a grid-search shows that the “best” estimate of the substitutability in China is between 2.1 and 2.5, far from being complete.
Combining Matching and Nonparametric IV Estimation: Theory and an Application to the Evaluation of Active Labour Market Policies

In this paper, we show how instrumental variable and matching estimators can be combined in order to identify a broader array of treatment effects. Instrumental variable estimators are known to estimate effects only for the compliers, which often represent only a small subset of the entire population. By combining IV with matching, we can estimate also the treatment effects for the always- and never-takers. In our application to the active labour market programmes in Switzerland, we find large positive employment effects for at least 8 years after treatment for the compliers. On the other hand, the effects for the always- and never-participants are small. In addition, when examining the potential outcomes separately, we find that the compliers have the worst employment outcomes without treatment. Hence, the assignment policy of the caseworkers was inefficient in that the always-participants were neither those with the highest treatment effect nor those with the largest need for assistance.
An Empirical Study of Bank Efficiencies and Technology Gaps in European Banking

This paper extends the established literature on modeling the cost structures of Europe's banking sectors by combining the Fourier flexible cost function with time‐varying technical efficiency (TE) under the framework of the meta-frontier, as proposed by Battese et al. (Journal of Productivity Analysis, Vol. 21 (2004), pp. 91-103) and O'Donnell et al. (Empirical Economics, Vol. 34 (2008), pp. 231-255). We find multiple technologies prevail in the nine sample countries, justifying the use of the meta-cost frontier. Measures TE and technology gap ratios are found to be positively correlated with each other, implying that a relatively technically efficient bank is possibly technologically efficient and vice versa.
A 65nm test structure for the analysis of NBTI induced statistical variation in SRAM transistors

We present the results of a test structure that allows to measure the variation of SRAM p-MOS and n-MOS transistors in a dense environment and to apply Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) stress on the p-MOS transistors. The threshold voltage (Vth) and drain current (Id) distributions of p-MOS SRAM transistors pre and post NBTI Stress are measured and analyzed. The probability density functions (PDF) of both transistor parameters Vth and Id follow a Gaussian distribution pre and post NBTI stress, but the difference in the transistor parameters of an individual device is not Gaussian distributed. The standard deviation in the difference of Vth is about 50% of the mean for the small SRAM p-MOS transistor. The impact of the additional variation induced by NBTI stress is shown for the Static Noise Margin of a 6-T SRAM cell.
Influence of rapid thermal cycling on the microstructures of single SnAgCu and SnPb solder joints

Lead-free solder joints in electronic packages experience the thermal cycles as the electronic packaging products encounter the temperature fluctuations. This study provides some prospectives into the microstructural changes of the solder joints interconnection by rapid thermal cycles. The goal of this paper is to investigate the thermal fatigue behavior of a single Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC) lead-free and 63Sn-37Pb (SnPb) lead-containing solder joint treated by rapidly alternating heating and cooling cycles. The microstructure and morphology of the interface between the solder ball and Cu substrate was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The intermetallic compounds (IMC) and the solder bump surface were analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and respectively. The experimental results showed that rapid thermal cycling had an evident influence on the interfacial microstructure of a single solder joint. The experiment revealed that microcracks initiate at the bottom of the SAC solder joint. In addition, rimous cracks initiated and propagated on the superficial oxide of the solder bump after rapid thermal cycling. The temperature distribution can be explained by finite element modeling (FEM) according to heat deformation theory in materials physics and based on metal thermal fatigue mechanism.