Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Internal Capital Markets, Cross-Subsidization and Product Market Competition

This Paper analyses the interaction between internal capital market allocations and product market competition. It is argued that diversification and divestiture are both rational responses to anticipated changes in the competitive environment. Diversification is the optimal response to an anticipated toughening of competition, whereas divestiture may encourage competitors to adopt collusive pre-commitments. Moreover, thanks to the ability to shift resources across units, a diversified business group can consolidate its market power across industries. Our results yield empirically testable predictions relating the stock-market reaction to diversification announcements and the diversification premium to product market factors.
Privatization and Regulation of the Seaport Industry

With containerized shipping, maritime transport has changed profoundly. Among other things, it has shifted from labor-intensive to more capital-intensive activities, including larger specialized ships that require substantial investments in port infrastructure and equipment. Integrated transport chains have reduced transport costs so much that a shipper may find a distant port cheaper than a closer one. Modern ports must be competitive on times and prices for their services. Seaports must be integrated within logistical chains to serve their many functions. An efficient seaport requires infrastructure, superstructure, equipment, adequate connections to other modes of transport, a well-motivated management, and qualified employees. The public sector has been an important port organizer in the past, but private participation in port operations and infrastructure could make ports significantly more competitive. The authors provide an overview of changes in maritime activity, discuss concession contracts (a key instrument of privatization), and analyze how regulatory mechanisms affect such factors as seaport tariffs, port congestion, port safety, the quality of cargo handling, and relevant indicators of performance, finances, and factor productivity. They describe how an optimal seaport system should allocate tasks between the various institutions involved, including the port authority. The degree of a seaport's decentralization, they conclude, depends on a country size, the number of ports it has, and its legal tradition. Among several national governments in Latin America--Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela--there is an evident trend toward decentralization and greater autonomy for port authorities.
Role of lipoproteins and erythrocytes in the in vitro binding and distribution of cyclosporin A in the blood

The distribution of cyclosporin A between plasma, leucocytes and erythrocytes was studied in vitro by means of sedimentation in Ficoll‐Paque and dextran. The uptake by erythrocytes was found to be about 50% and the fraction of cyclosporin A bound to leucocytes amounted to 15%. Fractionation of plasma by ultracentrifugation also showed that two thirds of the drug were associated with lipoproteins whereas binding studies with isolated lipoproteins and plasma also indicated that lipoproteins were the major complexing constituents for cyclosporin A in plasma. The binding of cyclosporin A to erythrocytes and lipoproteins seems to be a linear process. The binding to the leucocytes may be a saturable process, however it is of minor importance in terms of the overall binding capacity in the blood.
Locally Linear Detail Injection for Pansharpening

This paper presents a novel method, referred to as <italic>locally linear detail injection</italic> (LLDI), for the <italic>pansharpening</italic> problem, which is based on the assumption that the spatial details of each <italic>multispectral</italic> (MS) band can be locally and linearly represented by the spatial details of <italic>panchromatic</italic> images. LLDI first exploits such assumption through scales using the <italic>modulation transfer function</italic> (MTF) of the MS instrument and then performs detail injections into the available low-resolution MS images. Visual analysis and quantitative evaluation performed on QuickBird and WorldView-2 data sets at both reduced and full scales show that the proposed LLDI achieves superior improvements over its baselines.
Effects of Verbal and Graphic Performance Feedback on Behavior Support Plan Implementation in a Public Elementary School

Previous research suggests that performance feedback improves treatment integrity. This study compared the effects of verbal performance feedback and verbal plus graphic performance feedback on implementation of a student-specific behavior support plan (BSP) by members of a second-grade teaching team at a public elementary school. A consultant to the school delivered feedback following regularly scheduled classroom observations. Results indicated that combining verbal and graphic performance feedback was more effective than verbal performance feedback alone in improving treatment integrity. Informal data collected on student performance also suggested that appropriate behavior increased with better implementation of the BSP. Clinical and research issues are discussed.
Linezolid safety, tolerability and efficacy to treat multidrug- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis

To the Editors: Treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) (defined as in vitro resistance to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, the two most potent first-line drugs for TB treatment) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR)-TB (defined as in vitro resistance to isoniazid and rifampicin plus any fluoroquinolone and at least one of the injectable drugs: amikacin, capreomycin or kanamycin) is still a major problem from both a clinical and a public health perspective [1–5]. Treatment outcomes for complicated MDR-TB cases (those with additional resistance beyond isoniazid and rifampicin) and XDR-TB cases being still poor, the need for information on the safety, tolerability and efficacy of other antibiotics that are potentially useful in their treatment is urgent [6–9]. In vitro and pharmacological data suggest that linezolid, an oxazolidinone antibiotic, could be useful in treating mycobacterial infections, including MDR-TB [9–11]. However, clinical experience with the off-label use of linezolid is still limited to case reports and small case series involving nontuberculous mycobacterial diseases [12] and TB, the four largest cohorts including 10 [13], 12 [14], 30 [15] and 85 cases (but only 45 with information on efficacy) [9], respectively. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of linezolid in a cohort of patients with MDR/XDR-TB from Portugal. Clinical information necessary to study safety, tolerability and efficacy was prospectively collected on all MDR-TB cases treated with linezolid in Portugal between 2004 and 2009, with the exception of one case who started the treatment in 2003 (whose information was …
The Test of IPO’s Underpricing between Financial and Non-Financial Institution Based on Asymmetric Information Hypothesis

This research aims to prove underpricing IPO differences between financial institution and non-financial institution during 2001-2008 period. In addition, this research also examined the causes of underpricing IPOs of financial institution and non-financial institution using asymmetric information hypothesis. This research uses initial return and abnormal return as a measure to know which one is better as an underpricing measurement. Furthermore, the calculation in this research is using the open to close prices data to have more accurate results and not biased.The tests are using one sample t-test, independent t-test, and the ordinary least square regression to analyze the data. One sample t-test is used to prove occurrence of institutions’ underpricing at observation period. Independent t-test is used to determine differences significance in underpricing. Whereas, ordinary least square regression to determine the causes of underpricing. Each test uses an initial return and abnormal return as a measure.This research found that IPOs are significantly underpriced at the first day of trading. Financial institutions sector’s IPOs are less underpriced than non-financial institutions sectors. This findings means that financial institution sector have less asymmetric information than non-financial institution sectors. This study concludes that the regulation and the monitoring for the financial institution sector have developed better than the previous few years. In addition, there are several factors that affect underpricing. These factors are the type of business entities and trade price volatility in the stock market. The usage of both initial return and abnormal return to measure underpricing level are not significantly different. Furthermore, usage of open to close price data is able to give more accurate results for calculations to measure underpricing level.
Pengaruh struktur kepemilikan, struktur modal dan ukuran perusahaan terhadap risk management disclosure pada perusahaan perbankan yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia

The study aimed to examine the effect of management ownership on risk management disclosure, the effect of institution ownership on risk management disclosure, the effect of capital structure on risk management disclosure and the effect of firm size on risk management disclosure. The sample was taken using the method of purposive sampling from banking firm listed Indonesian Stock Exchange(BEI) in 2010-2012. The sampling used was of 108 samples from 36 banks period of 3 years. The method of analysis in this study using multiple regression. The results of this study indicate that firm size effect on risk management disclosure. While management ownership, institution ownership, and capital structure does not effect on risk management disclosure. Keyword: Management ownership, institution ownership, capital structure, firm size, risk management disclosure.
Bioinformatic analysis of the hepadnavirus e‐antigen and its precursor identifies remarkable sequence conservation in all orthohepadnaviruses

The hepatitis B e‐antigen (HBeAg) is a non‐particulate secretory protein expressed by all viruses within the family Hepadnaviridae. It is not essential for viral assembly or replication but is important for establishment of persistent infection in vivo. Although the exact mechanism(s) by which the HBeAg manifests chronicity are unclear, the HBeAg elicits both humoral and cell‐mediated immunity, down‐regulates the innate immune response to infection, as well as functioning as a T cell tolerogen and regulating the immune response to the intracellular nucleocapsid. A bioinformatics approach was used to show that the HBeAg and precursory genetic codes share remarkable sequence conservation in all mammalian‐infecting hepadnaviruses, irrespective of host, genotype, or geographic origin. Whilst much of this sequence conservation was within key immunomodulatory epitopes, highest conservation was observed at the unique HBeAg N‐terminus, suggesting this sequence in particular may play an important role in HBeAg function. J. Med. Virol. 82:104–115, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Loss of α10β1 integrin expression leads to moderate dysfunction of growth plate chondrocytes

Integrin α10β1 is a collagen-binding integrin expressed on chondrocytes. In order to unravel the role of the α10 integrin during development, we generated mice carrying a constitutive deletion of the α10 integrin gene. The mutant mice had a normal lifespan and were fertile but developed a growth retardation of the long bones. Analysis of the skeleton revealed defects in the growth plate after birth characterized by a disturbed columnar arrangement of chondrocytes, abnormal chondrocyte shape and reduced chondrocyte proliferation. Electron microscopy of growth plates from newborn mice revealed an increased number of apoptotic chondrocytes and reduced density of the collagen fibrillar network compared to these structures in control mice. These results demonstrate that integrin α10β1 plays a specific role in growth plate morphogenesis and function.
Insulin Pump Treatment for Recurrent Ketoacidosis in Adolescence

Moreover, two different female patients (cases 2 and 10) who once had palpitations when they consumed alcohol noticed the disappearance of the symptom after taking coenzyme Q10, which has a therapeutic effect on mitochondrial abnormality (3). Thus, these clinical pictures suggest that alcohol may be unpleasant toxin for DM-Mt3243 patients and that improved mitochondrial function may ameliorate the unpleasant alcohol effect. The fact that alcohol plays a role in the phenotypic expression of the 3460 or 14484 mitochondrial DNA mutation in Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy may further support our finding (4,5). Because mitochondria is an organella possessing aldehyde dehydrogenase, which is a key enzyme for aldehyde metabolism, and because supply of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a cofactor of ethanol oxidation, is dependent on the mitochondrial membraneous system, alcohol intolerance concomitant with aldehyde accumulation or with change of redox state in liver may be understandable in groups of mitochondrial diseases. In addition, because ethanol decreases cytochrome oxidase activity or protein synthesis in mitochondria, it is likely that mitochondrial function in DM-Mt3243 will easily fall into a vicious circle with ethanol toxicity.
The highly conserved amino acid sequence motif Tyr-Gly-Asp-Thr-Asp-Ser in alpha-like DNA polymerases is required by phage phi 29 DNA polymerase for protein-primed initiation and polymerization.

The alpha-like DNA polymerases from bacteriophage phi 29 and other viruses, prokaryotes and eukaryotes contain an amino acid consensus sequence that has been proposed to form part of the dNTP binding site. We have used site-directed mutants to study five of the six highly conserved consecutive amino acids corresponding to the most conserved C-terminal segment (Tyr-Gly-Asp-Thr-Asp-Ser). Our results indicate that in phi 29 DNA polymerase this consensus sequence, although irrelevant for the 3'----5' exonuclease activity, is essential for initiation and elongation. Based on these results and on its homology with known or putative metal-binding amino acid sequences, we propose that in phi 29 DNA polymerase the Tyr-Gly-Asp-Thr-Asp-Ser consensus motif is part of the dNTP binding site, involved in the synthetic activities of the polymerase (i.e., initiation and polymerization), and that it is involved particularly in the metal binding associated with the dNTP site.
Employee engagement : the role of psychological conditions

The purpose of this study was to investigate the antecedents of employee engagement in the context of a developing country. A cross-sectional survey design was used with a sample of 309 employees in organisations in Namibia. A biographical questionnaire and questionnaires that measure employee engagement and antecedents of engagement were administered. Work-role fit and job enrichment showed the strongest relationships with employee engagement, while rewards, co-worker relations, resources, supervisor relations and organisational support showed moderate relationships with employee engagement. Work-role fit, job enrichment and the availability of resources affected employee engagement indirectly via experiences of psychological meaningfulness, while the availability of resources and co-worker relations affected employee engagement indirectly through psychological availability. The results confirm the important role of psychological meaningfulness and psychological availability as mediators between work-role fit, job enrichment, resources and co-worker relations on the one hand, and employee engagement on the other.
Corneal oedema after cataract surgery: predisposing factors and corneal graft outcome

Purpose: Pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (PBK) is one of the main indications for corneal transplantation. Graft survival and visual outcome in this group are often poorer than for other indications. The aim of this study was to find risk factors for developing corneal oedema after cataract surgery and factors that influence the subsequent survival of the graft and the visual outcome.
Myogenic differentiation potential of human tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells and their potential for use to promote skeletal muscle regeneration

Stem cells are regarded as an important source of cells which may be used to promote the regeneration of skeletal muscle (SKM) which has been damaged due to defects in the organization of muscle tissue caused by congenital diseases, trauma or tumor removal. In particular, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which require less invasive harvesting techniques, represent a valuable source of cells for stem cell therapy. In the present study, we demonstrated that human tonsil-derived MSCs (T-MSCs) may differentiate into myogenic cells in vitro and that the transplantation of myoblasts and myocytes generated from human T-MSCs mediates the recovery of muscle function in vivo. In order to induce myogenic differentiation, the T-MSC-derived spheres were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/nutrient mixture F-12 (DMEM/F-12) supplemented with 1 ng/ml transforming growth factor-β, non-essential amino acids and insulin-transferrin-selenium for 4 days followed by culture in myogenic induction medium [low-glucose DMEM containing 2% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 10 ng/ml insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1)] for 14 days. The T-MSCs sequentially differentiated into myoblasts and skeletal myocytes, as evidenced by the increased expression of skeletal myogenesis-related markers [including α-actinin, troponin I type 1 (TNNI1) and myogenin] and the formation of myotubes in vitro. The in situ transplantation of T-MSCs into mice with a partial myectomy of the right gastrocnemius muscle enhanced muscle function, as demonstrated by gait assessment (footprint analysis), and restored the shape of SKM without forming teratomas. Thus, T-MSCs may differentiate into myogenic cells and effectively regenerate SKM following injury. These results demonstrate the therapeutic potential of T-MSCs to promote SKM regeneration following injury.
Maslaha: a New Approach for Islamic Bonds

Islamic finance is inextricably linked to Islamic law, or sharia, which is richly detailed and difficult to distil into simple rules. In particular, it invokes the concept of maslaha to prohibit or permit actions and choices on the basis of whether or not it serves the best interest of the community at large. This aspect of Islamic finance has not been addressed and the purpose of this thesis is to fill this gap in knowledge. This thesis conducts a comprehensive investigation of application of the concept of maslaha as a new approach for Islamic bonds in theory and practice. Integrated into this is a comprehensive analysis of sharia auditing where knowledge in the areas of Islamic economics, finance, and law are brought together to articulate a holistic framework for Islamic finance. The thesis argues that the concept of maslaha must be applied in its entirety in determining sharia compliance of financial contracts in order to avoid increasing the level of risk faced by the participants in the Islamic finance sector. Impaired contracts, apart from increasing the level of risk, increase the probability of costly litigations and diminish the degree of market competitiveness of Islamic financial products.
Acute glucocorticoid effects on the multicomponent model of working memory

In comparison with basal physiological levels, acute, high levels of cortisol affect learning and memory. Despite reports of cortisol‐induced episodic memory effects, no study has used a comprehensive battery of tests to evaluate glucocorticoid effects on the multicomponent model of working memory. Here, we report the results of a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, between‐subjects study.
Comparison of broth microdilution and agar dilution for susceptibility testing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Broth microdilution was compared with agar dilution to test the susceptibilities of 170 clinical isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to several antimicrobial agents. Percents agreement between the two methods within 1 doubling dilution were 98.8% for enoxacin, 94.3% for penicillin G, 93.5% for spectinomycin, and 98.4% for ceftriaxone.
Potential future generation nanoscale MOS device: Trigate (TG) or Double Gate (DG) FinFETs?

Performance limit of Tri-Gate (TG) and Double Gate (DG) SOI FinFETs have been compared in terms of ballistic current which is calculated using a modified model shown for conventional MOSFET. Such a simple model for calculating ballistic current in nanoscale multigate MOSFETs is yet to be reported. Comparison of the ballistic current for different Si fin thicknesses reveals that for decreasing fin thickness, strong quantum mechanical confinement degrades the ballistic current. The simulation result presented here contradicts with the previously reported result that TG FinFETs show better performance than DG FinFET and reveals that DG FinFET shows slightly better performance below 5nm fin thickness. This result indicates that in terms of ballistic drive current the tri-gate device is not always favorable than double gate device especially when the device dimension is scaled down deeply.
Determinants of new product performance: A study in the financial services sector

Contributes to the growing body of information on the determinants of performance in new products. Examines a sample of “typical” new products (instead of the more usual comparison of successes and failures) and identifies the factors that are crucial for producing outstanding performance in the financial services sector. Shows that marketing factors (i.e. effective distribution and effective communications) are the keys to new service success. In addition demonstrates the importance of the quality of the service offered and the quality of the tangible evidence of the service as a basis of outstanding performance. These key determinants of performance need to be built on the skills of the frontline staff and the push they give to the new product. Reiterates the importance of synergy when developing new products. Product advantage is not the key success factor, contrary to previous findings in other sectors. Attributes this to the nature of the sector studied (financial services) where sustainable competitive product advantage is rarely achieved. Makes a comparison between success factors for consumer services and industrial products/services.
Country Size, Productivity and Trade Share Convergence: An Analysis of Heterogenous Firms and Country Size Dependent Beachhead Costs*

This paper modifies the heterogenous firms and trade model by Melitz (2003) by explicitly modelling the entry cost of a firm in a new market as a function of market size. This leads to several new predictions compared to the standard model: The productivity of non exporters and exporters depends on market size. Moreover, manufacturing export shares vary inversely with country size. However, export shares converge (upwards) as markets are integrated. The empirical part of the paper offers support for our model specification.
Comparison of labour - based/light equipment and heavy equipment-based methods of construction for a typical rural road in Nigeria

Road construction has been particularly plagued in the nineties in Nigeria due to the downward trend of the nation's economy coupled with the gross devaluation of her currency. The paper reports on an investigation made to the relative advantages and disadvantages of using labor based light equipment method and heavy equipment based method to construct a rural road in Epe, Lagos, Nigeria.