Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
National cultural differences and foreign direct investment in emergent countries

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of cultural differences on foreign direct investment performance in a rent-based economy. Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses in a sample of 121 firms. The findings show that cultural distance, in general, did not have an effect on international foreign direct investment performance, but the hypothesis relating individualism scores of cultures from where foreign investment belongs and the performance of foreign affiliates is verified. The moral engagement of local employees appeared to have a catalytic effect. In contrast, uncertainty avoidance does not have any significant impact on the performance of affiliates. We also find that the performance of a foreign affiliate increases when they invest in the industry in which the host country has a comparative advantage.
Necessity of Kids wear Safety Regulations for India: Viewpoint of Retailers

Product safety refers to the production, distribution, and sale of products that from various perspectives are either potentially unsafe or inherently unsafe to consumer use. In order to make sure that the product which consumer is buying is safe, there should be some safety standards. These standards are normally designed to ensure the safety of products, activities or processes etc. The Indian kidswear market is going to see the tremendous growth. It is important to note that no regulations for kidswear safety are in place in India whereas in developed nation there is legislative control on Kidswear merchandise. The main aim of this study is to find out the necessity of safety regulations for Indian market from the retailers’ point of view. For the study, 110 retailers were selected through stratified random sampling from Bengaluru, India and information was collected with the help of structured and well-designed questionnaire. The study concludes that, as per Indian retailers all the kidswear in India are not and therefore parents are vigilant while purchasing the same. Most of the retailers also agree that parents do discuss about the safety-related issue with them. Indian retailers are in favor of having standard regulations for the kidswear for Indian market.
Relationship Between Cerebral Oxygenation and Phosphorylation Potential During Secondary Energy Failure in Hypoxic-Ischemic Newborn Piglets

The aim of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that cerebral hemoglobin (Hb) oxygenation is related to phosphorylation potential during primary and secondary cerebral energy failure in newborn infants who have experienced birth asphyxia. We subjected newborn piglets to severe transient cerebral hypoxic-ischemia followed by resuscitation and examined cerebral energy metabolism by 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy and evaluated changes in cerebral Hb oxygen saturation (ScO2) using full-spectrum near-infrared spectroscopy before, during, and up to 54 h after the hypoxic-ischemic insult. ScO2 was significantly decreased during the hypoxic-ischemic insult compared with baseline values. During secondary energy failure, piglets were separated based on the relationship between the ratio of phosphocreatine to inorganic phosphate and ScO2; those with a negative correlation were less injured than those with a positive correlation. These results indicate that changes in ScO2 as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy are related to phosphorylation potential during secondary energy failure in asphyxiated infants.
The Impact of Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction on Trust of Students at University

This research aims to examine the effect of service quality and customer satisfaction on trust. Structural equation modeling was employed in the research, which was conducted in the State University of Jakarta. 255 students were selected as respondents of the research using stratified proportioned random sampling. Results of the research show that: 1) service quality has a direct positive effect on customer satisfaction; 2) service quality has a direct positive effect on trust; and 3) customer satisfaction has direct positive effect on trust. Keywords—service quality; customer satisfaction; trust
Influence of Cashflow Liquidity on Dividend Payout Among Deposit Taking Saving and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) in Kenya

In the recent past Saving and Credit Cooperatives Societies in Kenya have gained popularity as a result of high interest being charged by commercial banks and borrowers have shifted their focus to the SACCOs due to their fixed interest rates on loans. SACCOs pay high dividends in comparison to commercial banks, however the level of dividend payout keeps on fluctuating and thus shareholders are not aware of what they expect in the next financial year. Studies have been carried out to examine the determinants of dividend of payout, where various factors have been identified and inconsistency results have been found in regard to the influence of cashflow liquidity on dividend payout. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to establish the influence of cashflow liquidity on dividend payout among deposit taking saving and credit cooperative societies (SACCOs) in Kenya. The study focused on deposit taking SACCOs as more researchers have focused on commercial banks and SACCOs in general. The study used descriptive and correlational research design. The target population was the 176 the deposit taking SACCOs in Kenya, out of which a sample of 108 respondents were randomly selected each SACCO that was included in the sample. Questionnaire and document analysis were used to collect data and which was analyzed with the help of SPSS (23). The study findings revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between cashflow liquidity and dividend payout. It was concluded that cashflow liquidity influenced dividend payout, among deposit taking SACCOs in Kenya. It was recommended to improve cashflow liquidity SACCOs should adopt conservative approach for management of working capital elements. The study also recommended that to improve cashflow liquidity, SACCOs should reduce the proportion of their long-term loans to short term loans. The study recommended further analysis on the influence of cash reserve ratio on dividend payout. Keywords: Dividend payout, cash flow liquidity, Deposit-taking, SACCOs
Retained earnings and Firms’ Market Value: Nigeria Experience

The study examined the effects of retained earnings on market value of listed firms after controlling for earnings per share, dividend payout and financial leverage in the context of the Nigerian stock market. The sample data was extracted from 75 non-financial firms listed on the Nigeria stock Market during the period 2003 to 2014. The unbalanced panel data (cross-sectional and time series) used to examine the relationship were obtained from the annual financial statements of the various firms. Two basic approaches descriptive and multiple regression models were used to determine the relationship between the underlying variables. The results indicated a positive and significant relationship between retained earnings, earnings per share, dividend payout and value of firms while market value is positively but non-significant associated with financial leverage. The study reduces the dearth of previous research on dividend policy in emerging markets regarding the empirical relationship between retained earnings and market value of firms.
Stock Market Rumors and Credibility

Stock prices occasionally move in response to unverified rumors. I propose a cheap talk model in which a rumormonger's incentives to tell the truth depend on the interaction between her investment horizon and the information acquisition decisions of message-receiving investors. The model's key prediction is that short investment horizons can facilitate credible information sharing between investors, thereby accelerating the information capitalization into market prices. Analyzing a dataset of takeover rumors covered by US newspapers, I find suggestive evidence in support of this prediction.
ON THE USE OF SMALL ARTIFICIAL PUPILS TO OPEN‐LOOP THE ACCOMMODATION SYSTEM

Abstract Monocular accommodation responses to stimuli at vergences from 0 to‐4.5 D (i.e. effective object‐eye distances from infinity to 22 cm) were measured objectively using artificial pupils of 0.5,0.75, 1.0 and 3.0 mm diameters and a constant retinal illuminance of 7000 td. The slopes of the response/stimulus curves for the 0.75, 1.0 and 3.0 mm pupils agree with those reported previously. The 0.5 mm pupil produced open‐loop accommodation, no systematic change in accommodation being observed as the stimulus vergence was varied. However, the response drifted considerably with this pupil diameter.
Parkin variants in North American Parkinson's disease: Cases and controls

We report on an evaluation of coding variants within the parkin gene to assess their frequency in a North American clinical series of 313 Parkinson's disease (PD) cases and 192 unrelated controls. We hypothesized that the carrier frequency of parkin coding mutations, exon deletions, or duplications may be greater in PD cases. However, point mutations and exonic deletions/duplications, reported previously as pathogenic in homozygous or compound heterozygous individuals, occurred in both cases and controls with similar frequencies (3.8% in cases, 3.1% in controls). Furthermore, only stratified subanalyses detected any genetic association between the V380L common coding polymorphism and PD. We discuss the implication of parkin mutations for Parkinson's disease from this population perspective. © 2003 Movement Disorder Society
Development of a Standard Protocol for the Harmonic Analysis of Radial Pulse Wave and Assessing Its Reliability in Healthy Humans

This study was aimed to establish a standard protocol and to quantitatively assess the reliability of harmonic analysis of the radial pulse wave measured by a harmonic wave analyzer (TD01C system). Both intraobserver and interobserver assessments were conducted to investigate whether the values of harmonics are stable in successive measurements. An intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and a Bland-Altman plot were used for this purpose. For the reliability assessments of the intraobserver and the interobserver, 22 subjects (mean age 45 ± 14 years; 14 males and 8 females) were enrolled. The first eleven harmonics of the radial pulse wave presented excellent repeatability (ICCs > 0.9 and p <; 0.001) for the intraobserver assessment and high reproducibility (ICCs range from 0.83 to 0.96 and p <; 0.001) for the interobserver assessment. The Bland-Altman plot indicated that more than 90% of harmonic values fell within two standard deviations of the mean difference. Thus, we concluded that the harmonic analysis of the radial pulse wave using the TD01C system is a feasible and reliable method to assess a hemodynamic characteristic in clinical trial.
The Effect of Antibiotics on Escherichia coli Ingested by Macrophages 1

Summary Macrophages obtained from mouse peritoneal washings or the culture of human peripheral monocytes, were incubated in vitro with opsonized E. coli. Macrophages containing viable E. coli were then incubated with either rifampin, gentamicin or ampicillin. Only rifampin killed all intracellular and extracellular bacteria whereas gentamicin and ampicillin eradicated only extracellular bacteria. Rifampin is able to penetrate macrophages and kill bacteria that have survived phagocytosis.
Identifying Dead Regions in the Cochlea: Psychophysical Tuning Curves and Tone Detection in Threshold-Equalizing Noise

Objective Recent studies indicate that high-frequency amplification may provide little benefit for listeners with moderate-to-severe high-frequency hearing loss, and may even reduce speech recognition. Moore and colleagues have proposed a direct link between this lack of benefit and the presence of regions of nonfunctioning inner hair cells (dead regions) in the basal cochlea and have suggested that psychophysical tuning curves (PTCs) and tone detection thresholds in threshold-equalizing noise (TEN) are psychoacoustic measures that allow detection of dead regions ([Moore, Huss, Vickers, Glasberg, & Alcántara, 2000]; [Vickers, Moore, & Baer, 2001]). The experiments reported here examine the consistency of TEN and PTC tasks in identifying dead regions in listeners with high-frequency hearing loss. Design Seventeen listeners (18 ears) with steeply sloping moderate-to-severe high-frequency hearing loss were tested in PTC and TEN tasks intended to identify ears with high-frequency dead regions. In the PTC task, pure-tone signals of fixed level were masked by narrowband noise that slowly increased in center frequency. For a range of signal frequencies, noise levels at masked threshold were determined as a function of masker frequency. In the TEN task, masked thresholds for pure-tone signals were determined for a fixed-level, 70 dB/ERB TEN masker (for some listeners, 85 or 90 dB/ERB TEN was also tested at selected probe frequencies). Results TEN and PTC results agreed on the presence or absence of dead regions at all tested frequencies in 10 of 18 cases (∼56% agreement rate). Six ears showed results consistent with either mid- or high-frequency dead regions in both tasks, and four ears did not show evidence of dead regions in either task. In eight ears, the TEN and PTC tasks produced conflicting results at one or more frequencies. In instances where the TEN and PTC results disagreed, the TEN results suggested the presence of dead regions whereas the PTC results did not. Conclusions The 56% agreement rate between the TEN and PTC tasks indicates that at least one of these tasks was only partially reliable as a diagnostic tool. Factors unrelated to the presence of dead regions may contribute to excess masking in TEN without producing tip shifts in PTCs. Thus it may be appropriate to view tuning curve results as more reliable in cases where TEN and PTC results disagree. The current results do not provide support for the TEN task as a reliable diagnostic tool for identification of dead regions.
GRB 090417B AND ITS HOST GALAXY: A STEP TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF OPTICALLY DARK GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

GRB 090417B was an unusually long burst with a T90 duration of at least 2130 s and a multi-peaked light curve at energies of 15–150 keV. It was optically dark and has been associated with a bright star-forming galaxy at a redshift of 0.345 that is broadly similar to the Milky Way. This is one of the few cases where a host galaxy has been clearly identified for a dark gamma-ray burst (GRB) and thus an ideal candidate for studying the origin of dark bursts. We find that the dark nature of GRB 090417B cannot be explained by high redshift, incomplete observations, or unusual physics in the production of the afterglow. Assuming the standard relativistic fireball model for the afterglow we find that the optical flux is at least 2.5 mag fainter than predicted by the X-ray flux. The Swift/XRT X-ray data are consistent with the afterglow being obscured by a dense, localized sheet of dust approximately 30–80 pc from the burst along the line of sight. Our results suggest that this dust sheet imparts an extinction of AV ≳ 12 mag, which is sufficient to explain the missing optical flux. GRB 090417B is an example of a GRBs that is dark due to the localized dust structure in its host galaxy.
Accounting for community building: the municipal amalgamation of Milan in 1873–1876

ABSTRACT This study analyses the accounting change that occurred as a consequence of the amalgamation of the municipalities of Milan and Corpi Santi in the years 1873–1876 and sheds light on the role played therein by accounting information. To explain the process of accounting change, the study adopts institutional theory, in particular, coercive isomorphism and the processual approach of Dawson. While coercive isomorphism shaped the process of municipal amalgamation, innovation in accounting practices also took place, greatly contributing to building the sense making of the new community. The accounting innovation consisted in the use of cost accounting logic to allocate revenues and expenditures between the two municipalities that in the end favoured the amalgamation and overcame the mandatory separation of published accounts. The study presents evidence that leading elected councillors and the chief accountant bolstered the process of accounting innovation. Apart from external organisational pressures posited by institutional theory, we suggest that, to explain accounting change within organisations, more emphasis should be given to the role played by individuals and contrasting interests during the institutionalisation process.
A sliding mode observer for tyre friction estimation during braking

This paper describes a new model based scheme for estimating the coefficient of road surface adhesion (mu) based only on wheel speed measurements. A sliding mode observer is proposed based on a LuGre friction model and a simple representation of the vehicle. The observer is driven by measurements of the wheel speed and the applied brake pressure. The observer is designed in such a way that the output of the observer tracks the measured wheel speed perfectly i.e. a sliding motion is obtained on the output estimation error. It is demonstrated that the nonlinear output error injection signal necessary to maintain a sliding motion gives information about the coefficient of adhesion
Anticipation in bipolar affective disorder: is age at onset a valid criterion?

Anticipation has been suggested among the genetic mechanisms of bipolar disorder (BD), prompting the search for unstable DNA sequences. Past studies of anticipation in BD have generally relied on observed shift in the age at onset between parental and offspring generations. Such a shift, however, may be caused by a number of other factors difficult to correct for. We investigated age at onset distributions in a sample of 161 related subjects and in a sample of "pseudofamilies" consisting of 320 unrelated subjects selected from a large epidemiological cohort using Monte-Carlo simulation to mimic the family sample. Comparison of age at onset distributions in both samples shows a difference between the generations, but of a similar magnitude in each sample. This suggests that age at onset alone may not be a sufficient criterion of anticipation. Am. J. Med. Genet. (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 96:804-807, 2000.
Knowledge Spillovers and Local Industry Growth: A Patent Citation Approach

We create unique patent-based measures of Marshall–Arrow–Romer (MAR) and Jacobs knowledge spillovers using patent citations data and use them to test the Glaeser et al. model of local industry employment growth on three emerging technology categories, namely, computing and communications, drugs and medical, and electrics and electronics. We test growth in 45 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and consolidated metropolitan statistical areas (CMSAs) for eight two-digit industries over the period 1994 to 2000. We find strong evidence for MAR spillovers from specialization, but little for Jacobs spillovers from diversity. Our results suggest that regional specialization, but not diversity, boosts local industry employment growth in these knowledge fields. JEL classifications: J21, L16
Suppression of the Escherichia coli dnaA46 mutation by changes in the activities of the pyruvate-acetate node links DNA replication regulation to central carbon metabolism

To ensure faithful transmission of genetic material to progeny cells, DNA replication is tightly regulated, mainly at the initiation step. Escherichia coli cells regulate the frequency of initiation according to growth conditions. Results of the classical, as well as the latest studies, suggest that the DNA replication in E. coli starts at a predefined, constant cell volume per chromosome but the mechanisms coordinating DNA replication with cell growth are still not fully understood. Results of recent investigations have revealed a role of metabolic pathway proteins in the control of cell division and a direct link between metabolism and DNA replication has also been suggested both in Bacillus subtilis and E. coli cells. In this work we show that defects in the acetate overflow pathway suppress the temperature-sensitivity of a defective replication initiator–DnaA under acetogenic growth conditions. Transcriptomic and metabolic analyses imply that this suppression is correlated with pyruvate accumulation, resulting from alterations in the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activity. Consequently, deletion of genes encoding the pyruvate dehydrogenase subunits likewise resulted in suppression of the thermal-sensitive growth of the dnaA46 strain. We propose that the suppressor effect may be directly related to the PDH complex activity, providing a link between an enzyme of the central carbon metabolism and DNA replication.
Historical developments of atrial septal defect closure devices: what we learn from the past

ABSTRACT Introduction: Since King and Mills’ pioneering work in percutaneous closure devices of secundum atrial septal defects (ASD) four decades ago, developments in device shape, material and implantation technique led to adoption of percutaneous ASD closure as current treatment of choice. Not only was the feasibility of such a percutaneous procedure tested altogether, but pursuing the ideal device in terms of safety and efficacy became priority. Areas covered: In this review we present the historical development of ASD devices in design, material and technique with clinical data, and provide the future perspectives in percutaneous ASD closures. Expert opinion: An ‘ideal device’ requires complete defect closure with negligible risk of complications using a safe, straightforward delivery technique with repositioning and retrieving properties. Some of the devices currently at hand come close to fulfilling these criteria, however none seem to provide those prerequisites completely. By understanding how challenges in device development were overcome in the past, new insights into future improvements are given.
High-dose chemotherapy with hematopoietic rescue in patients with stage III to IV ovarian cancer: long-term results.

PURPOSE A series of 53 patients with poor-prognosis epithelial ovarian cancer treated with high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) followed by hematopoietic rescue was retrospectively studied from the day of diagnosis for toxicity and long-term survival analysis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were treated with surgery followed by cisplatin combination chemotherapy. After second-look operation (SLO), HDC was administered: 23 patients received melphalan (140 mg/m2 on day 1) and 30 patients received a combination of carboplatin (400 mg/m2 on days 1 to 4) and cyclophosphamide (1.6 g/m2 on days 1 to 4). After HDC, autologous stem-cell transplantation was performed for hematologic support. RESULTS One patient died of cardiac failure after HDC, but the acute toxicity was acceptable for the other patients. With a median follow-up of 81.5 months, the 5-year overall survival rate for the 53 patients was 59.9% and the disease-free survival (DFS) rate at 5 years was 23.6%. Twenty-four patients (45.3%) were alive, 12 with no evidence of disease and 12 with recurrent disease. The best results were achieved in 19 patients with pathologic complete response at SLO (74.2% 5-year overall survival; 32.8% 5-year DFS). CONCLUSION HDC followed by autologous stem-cell support is a well-tolerated therapeutic approach for patients with poor-prognosis ovarian carcinoma. In this report, the 59.9% survival of 53 patients at 5 years must be compared to the 20% to 30% 5-year survival observed after conventional therapy. These results should be confirmed by an ongoing prospective randomized trial.