Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corporate Governance in Newly Listed Companies

Topics in corporate governance have been around in the literature almost for a century, most of the theoretical and empirical work has focused on the large and public company. While this research has improved our understanding of how large corporations are governed, corporate governance in small and medium sized enterprises and in particular in entrepreneurial and newly listed firms has rarely been studied. This essay offers a reflective overview of corporate governance mechanisms in entrepreneurial and newly listed companies and of why and how governance mechanisms differ from those in large and publicly traded corporations. In contrast to the traditional approach in corporate governance, we do not rely on the agency perspective as a work-horse to analyze governance problems. Instead we focus on either market or institutional based mechanisms in corporate governance. This opens the view on governance problems in newly listed companies outside the narrow view of either an agency or free-market perspective. Instead, the following study tries to bridge the different perspectives on corporate governance. From the broad set of mechanisms in corporate governance discussed in the literature, we focus only on a small subset which is prevalent in newly listed companies like the product and capital market, the market for corporate control, boards of directors and capital structures.
Electrophysiological Study of Human Ventricular Heart Muscle Treated with Quinidine: Interaction with Isoprenaline

We have investigated the effects of quinidine on the force of contraction and the intracellularly recorded action potential in papillary muscles isolated from human hearts. All preparations were obtained from patients undergoing corrective open heart surgery. The following results were obtained: (1) quinidine had a depressant effect on myocardial contractile force; (2) quinidine reduced the maximal upstroke velocity of the action potential; (3) quinidine shortened the plateau phase and prolonged the terminal repolarization of the action potential; (4) at higher concentrations quinidine reduced the resting potential; and (5) the depression by quinidine of both the plateau and the force of contraction was antagonized by isoprenaline. It is concluded that quinidine reduces the membrane conductances for sodium, calcium, and potassium ions. All of these actions of quinidine may contribute to the antiarrhythmic effects of the drug. The negative inotropic effect of quinidine can be explained by a depression of the calcium conductance at the myocardial cell membrane. The results show that earlier findings in laboratory animals regarding the effects of quinidine on the upstroke velocity and repolarization phase of the action potential are applicable to the human heart.
Immunologic Reactions Following the Intradermal Inoculation of Influenza A and B Vaccine.∗

Summary 1. Intradermal inoculation into 39 adults of 0.02 ml of concentrated Influenza A and B vaccine gave rise to a mean antibody response (antihemagglutinin) against Influenza B virus which approached that obtained by others following the subcutaneous injection of 1.0 ml of undiluted vaccine. A greater mean increase in antibody against Influenza A was observed in the same group, although this increase could not be attributed conclusively to the effect of the vaccine. 2. The intradermal injection of 0.02 ml of concentrated vaccine into 449 adults was followed within 20 minutes by a local erythematous reaction exceeding 10 mm in diameter in 37'3 or 83.1%. In 383 or 85.3% of the same group delayed local erythematous reactions exceeding 10 mm in diameter were present after approximately 48 hours accompanied in many cases by slight induration. 3. No correlation could be established between the intensity of the immediate or delayed dermal reaction and the level of antihemagglutinin in the blood. 4. Mild systemic reactions were reported by 75 (16.7%) of 449 vaccinated persons. 5. Although cases of Influenza A infection were demonstrated in the community shortly after vaccination, the rate of all upper respiratory disease during the succeeding 2-month period in a group of 316 vaccinated, persons was not significantly different from, the rate among 329 unvaccinated persons; working in the same institution.
Cat, dog, and house‐dust‐mite allergen levels of house dust in Finnish apartments

The presence of indoor allergetis iti Finnish homes was studied for the first time. Dust samples (n=30) were collected by vacuuming a 1 m2 area from a living‐room carpet in 30 apartments divided into three groups: homes with cats (n = 10), homes with dogs (n = 10). and homes without pets (n=10). The levels of major cat (Fel d 1). dog (Can f 1), and house‐dust‐mite (Der p 1) allergens were analyzed by two‐site ELISA methods. Der p 1 levels were below the detection limit in all dust samples. In the homes with cats or dogs, Fel d 1 and Can f 1 levels ranged from 147 to 2800 μg/g (geometric mean 567 μg/g), and from 86 to 1400 μg/g (geometric mean 296 μg/g), respectively, being slightly higher than those reported elsewhere. Low allergen levels, mainly below 3 (μg/g. were also detected in the homes without pets, indicating the transfer of allergens from place to place. However, in 25% of these samples, allergen levels exceeded the proposed threshold levels for cat or dog sensitization. The presence of pets was the most significant factor affecting cat and dog allergen levels in the house dust, and other factors, such as the amount of dust collected, residential time, and cleaning habits, had no or only a weak effect on allergen levels.
Long-Term Doctor-Patient Relationships: Patient Perspective From Online Reviews

Background Continuity of patient care is one of the cornerstones of primary care. Objective To examine publicly available, Internet-based reviews of adult primary care physicians, specifically written by patients who report long-term relationships with their physicians. Methods This substudy was nested within a larger qualitative content analysis of online physician ratings. We focused on reviews reflecting an established patient-physician relationship, that is, those seeing their physicians for at least 1 year. Results Of the 712 Internet reviews of primary care physicians, 93 reviews (13.1%) were from patients that self-identified as having a long-term relationship with their physician, 11 reviews (1.5%) commented on a first-time visit to a physician, and the remainder of reviews (85.4%) did not specify the amount of time with their physician. Analysis revealed six overarching domains: (1) personality traits or descriptors of the physician, (2) technical competence, (3) communication, (4) access to physician, (5) office staff/environment, and (6) coordination of care. Conclusions Our analysis shows that patients who have been with their physician for at least 1 year write positive reviews on public websites and focus on physician attributes.
Why Do U.S. Firms Invest Less Over Time

Capital expenditures of U.S. public firms, relative to total assets, decrease by more than a half from 1980 to 2012. The decline is pervasive across industries and firms of different characteristics. The decline is not explained by time variation in industry composition in the economy, firms’ changing investment opportunities or financial conditions, corporate lifecycle, or public listing cohorts. It is related to the widespread transformation of production technology – firms rely more on intangible capital instead of fixed assets in production over the past three decades. As a result, the sensitivity of capital expenditure to investment opportunities decreases. Our examination of the international data suggests that economic globalization also facilitates the transformation of production technology. Our findings reflect a shift in the relative importance of physical and intangible capital in firm production and have important implications for how we think about and measure corporate investment.
Comparison of the small RNAs of polymerase-deficient and polymerase-positive Rous sarcoma virus and another species of avian retrovirus

The small RNAs contained in virions of avian leukosis and sarcoma viruses are a virus-specific subset of the total small RNA population of the host cell. The reverse transcriptase protein must be present in the budding virion for this selection to take place. Virions of the alpha form of the Bryan strain of Rous sarcoma virus, which lack detectable reverse transcriptase, incorporated an unselected population of small RNAs identical to total chicken cell small RNA. Virions of reticuloendotheliosis virus, which contain a reverse transcriptase unrelated to that of the avian leukosis and sarcoma viruses, contained a distinctly different population of small RNAs although both the avian leukosis and sarcoma and the reticuloendotheliosis viruses were grown in chicken cells. Because the primer for avian leukosis and sarcoma virus RNA-dependent DNA synthesis is a host cell tRNA, the differences in reverse transcriptase small RNA selection may help explain the failure of different species of retrovirus to complement for the reverse transcriptase.
Information technology and collaboration in the canadian construction industry

Information plays an essential role in construction because it specifies either the resulting product (design information) or the activities that need to be carried out in order for the product to be constructed (management information). The new information technology is impacting how this information is exchanged and how organizations operate because its purpose is to facilitate the exchange and management of information and it holds a lot of potential for the fragmented construction industry. To better understand this impact, a survey was carried out in Canada to inquire about communication, efficiency, and IT usage. Its focus is on collaboration among the various stakeholders. Collaboration implies that people with at least one common goal interact (through efficient communication), share (through generous cooperation) and coordinate themselves (through synchronicity). Little is known about the technologies used and how they impact collaboration. How do stakeholders interact? What information is shared? How does coordination occur between firms and within firms across functional lines? This exploratory study aims at providing insight into these questions. The authors created a questionnaire designed to assess issues related to information technology usages. The questionnaire has eight parts: socio-demographic questions to identify the context of the respondent and his/her firm; questions on IT usage which listed 17 different communication methods or devices (from fax to web portals and groupware) and evaluated their usage frequency as well as their perceived efficiency; questions on preferred IT use requested the most efficient technology or communication modality for contacting specific stakeholders; questions on the frequency of electronic transfer of key documents; questions to assess the perceived performance of the individual 1 Professor, Psychology Dept., Universite de Montreal, 90, ave. Vincent-d’indy, Montreal, Canada, H2V 2S9, Phone +1 514/343-6498, FAX + 1 514/343-2285, f.chiocchio@umontreal,ca Correspondance regarding this paper may be sent to Francois Chiocchio at f.chiocchio@umontreal.ca. This paper was made possible by a research grant from the FQRSC. 2 Doctoral Student, Psychology Dept., Universite de Montreal, 90, ave. Vincent-d’indy, Montreal, Canada, H2V 2S9, Phone +1 514/343-6498, FAX + 1 514/343-2285, caroline.lacasse@umontreal,ca 3 Professor, Construction Engrg. Dept., ETS, 1100 Notre-Dame St West, Montreal, Canada, H3C 1K3, Phone +1 514/396-8667, FAX +1 514/396-8584, hugues.rivard@etsmtl.ca 4 Professor, Construction Engrg. Dept., ETS, 1100 Notre-Dame St West, Montreal, Canada, H3C 1K3, Phone +1 514/396-8668, FAX +1 514/396-8584, daniel.forgues@etsmtl.ca 5 Professor, Construction Engrg. Dept., ETS, 1100 Notre-Dame St West, Montreal, Canada, H3C 1K3, Phone +1 514/396-8829, FAX +1 514/396-8525, claude.bedard@etsmtl.ca June 14-16, 2006 Montreal, Canada Joint International Conference on Computing and Decision Making in Civil and Building Engineering
Qualitative Risk Assessment of HPAI H5N1 Transmission between Small-Scale Commercial Broiler Chicken Farms in Bogor, Indonesia

Exposure pathway 6: probability of infection of broilers in a small-scale commercial farm after exposure to HPAI H5N1 from a contaminated bridge species . Preface Since its re-emergence, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has attracted considerable public and media attention because the viruses involved have been shown to be capable of producing fatal disease in humans. While there is fear that the virus may mutate into a strain capable of sustained human-to-human transmission, the greatest impact to date has been on the highly diverse poultry industries in affected countries. In response to this, HPAI control measures have so far focused on implementing prevention and eradication measures in poultry populations, with more than 175 million birds culled in Southeast Asia alone. Until now, significantly less emphasis has been placed on assessing the efficacy of risk reduction measures, including their effects on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and their families. In order to improve local and global capacity for evidence-based decision making on the control of HPAI (and other diseases with epidemic potential), which inevitably has major social and economic impacts, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) has agreed to fund a collaborative, multidisciplinary HPAI research project for Southeast Asia and Africa. The specific purpose of the project is to aid decision makers in developing evidence-based, pro-poor HPAI control measures at national and international levels. These control measures should not only be cost-effective and efficient in reducing disease risk, but also protect and enhance livelihoods, particularly those of smallholder producers in developing countries, who are and will remain the majority of livestock producers in these countries for some time to come. Disclaimer The views expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily endorsed by or representative of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), DGLS, ILRI, RVC, or of the cosponsoring or supporting organizations. This report is intended for discussion. It has not yet undergone editing. Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge the valuable contributions of all colleagues who collaborated with us in this risk assessment, reviewed and made suggestions to the manuscript. We are grateful to DFID for funding this project.
The Enron Bankruptcy: When Did The Options Market Lose Its Smirk?

The Enron Corporation went from a $65 billion dollar market capitalization to bankruptcy in just 16 months. Using statistical techniques for extracting the implied probability distributions built into option prices, I examine the market’s expectation of Enron’s risk of collapse. I find that the options market remained far too optimistic about the stock until just weeks before their bankruptcy filing.
Eye irritation and lithium carbonate.

To the Editor . —Little has been mentioned in the literature discussing the effect of lithium carbonate on the eye. Makeeva et al 1 described three patients with incipient senile cataract who, after receiving lithium carbonate, showed a "sudden and acute worsening" with visual impairment. Segal et al 2 reported that in nine patients taking lithium carbonate, either unilateral or bilateral exophythalmos developed that was unrelated to the state of thyroid function. However, nothing yet has been said of how lithium carbonate affects the lacrimal fluid. In reviewing the case histories of 21 patients participating in our lithium carbonate counseling clinic, it was observed that five patients had complained of increased eye irritation during the first week after receiving maintenance lithium carbonate therapy. Ocular tearing, burning, and itching resolved within two weeks, but there was the necessity in three cases to use eyedrops containing naphazoline hydrochloride to alleviate the irritation. The
Polyclonal antibody targeting SOX11 cannot differentiate mantle cell lymphoma from B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

OBJECTIVES To determine whether SOX11 is a diagnostic marker of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). METHODS We analyzed SOX11 expression in 349 B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHLs) via immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Nuclear staining of SOX11 was observed in 54 (93.1%) of 58 MCLs. We noticed that SOX11 protein was also expressed on the nuclei in 8 (21.6%) of 37 B-lymphoblastic lymphomas, 45 (32.6%) of 138 diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, 15 (44.1%) of 34 follicular lymphomas, 8 (30.8%) of 26 Burkitt lymphomas, 2 (10.0%) of 20 chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small cell lymphomas, and 3 (18.8%) of 16 marginal zone lymphomas. CONCLUSIONS Although the positive rate of SOX11 expression in MCL was significantly higher than other B-NHLs (P < .001), polyclonal antibody targeting SOX11 is not able to identify MCL from B-NHLs because the nuclear staining of SOX11 was widely positive in B-NHLs.
LONG-TERM LIFE-HISTORY CONSEQUENCES OF ECTOPARASITE-MODULATED GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Many parasites affect the development and survival of offspring. Because passerines exhibit determinate growth, parasites may have lasting effects on phenotypes. The life-history consequences of parasite-induced developmental modifications have rarely been analyzed, and require long-term experimental studies. Here we present the results of a four-year experimental study on the effects of a hematophagous ectoparasite, the hen flea (Ceratophyllus gallinae), on growth, survival, and lifetime reproductive success of nestlings of the Great Tit (Parus major). In a design A, half of the nests were heat-treated several times per year to kill parasites, while in the other half, fleas were allowed to immigrate naturally over several years. To allow for the estimation and statistical control of effects due to potentially nonrandom phenotype distribution within this design, a second design, design B, was applied. In design B, all nests were heat treated to kill parasites after nest box occupation, and the subsequent infestation of half of the nests was then randomized in space and time. In both designs, the fleas significantly reduced nestling body size but did not significantly affect the probability of nestling recruitment as local breeders. Parasitism reduced the clutch size of the nestlings' first recorded clutch, and of the subsequent clutches, and reduced the total number of recruits produced per nestling over the entire study period. Because body size of the recruited nestlings, both at the end of growth and as recruits, was not significantly different between treatments, the reduced fitness was not an indirect consequence of parasite-modified body size. This study provides experimental evidence for parasite-induced effects during growth on survival and development of offspring and shows the consequences of this phenotypic modification on lifetime reproductive success. It shows that parasite-induced effects during growth are important for understanding optimal resource allocation and life-history evolution under parasitism.
Diminished Insulin Secretory Reserve in Diabetic Pancreas Transplant and Nondiabetic Kidney Transplant Recipients

Although both kidney and pancreas transplantation can restore renal and pancreatic endocrine functions, the accompanying immunosuppression may cause diminished glucose tolerance in some individuals. Therefore, we determined to what extent pancreas transplantation itself and the triple immunosuppressive therapy used in pancreas transplant recipients have adverse effects on insulin secretory reserve. β-cell secretory reserve was assessed by the method of glucose potentiation of arginine-induced insulin secretion in 25 normoglycemic pancreas recipients, 12 nondiabetic kidney recipients using the same immunosuppressive therapy, 3 psoriasis patients treated long term with cyclosporine, 5 arthritis patients treated long term with prednisone, and their respective sex-, age-, and body mass index-matched control subjects. Levels of fasting glucose, HbA1c, and glucose disappearance rates were normal in all subjects. During the glucose potentiation study, pancreas recipients had significantly less insulin secretion than control subjects (maximal acute response [ARmax] = 1,083 ± 93% vs. 3,938 ± 355%, P < 0.001). Insulin responses were also decreased in kidney recipients (ARmax = 2,296 ± 290%) vs. control subjects (4,691 ± 554%, P = 0.001) and in psoriasis patients treated with cyclosporine (ARmax = 2,153 ± 390%) vs. control subjects (3,962 ± 88%, P = 0.011), but not as extreme as that seen in pancreas recipients. No abnormalities were observed in arthritis patients treated with steroids. We conclude that normoglycemic pancreas and kidney transplant recipients receiving triple immunosuppressive therapy have diminished β-cell secretory reserve. Because this defect was present in psoriasis patients treated long term with cyclosporine, but not in arthritis patients treated long term with prednisone, this adverse effect was probably caused in part by cyclosporine.
Importance of Creative Advertising and Marketing According to University Students’ Perspective

Advertising has crucial role in todays competitive marketing world. This research studies two important persuasive processes often employed in the management of businesses; Creative Advertising and Marketing Management. Creative Advertising and Marketing Management is necessary in order to have a complete understanding of how producers and sales companies work effectively. While advertising performs the communicative function of informing consumers about a company’s product or services, creative advertising is also attract people to the market, marketing management is a much more complex managerial process which encompasses activities such as; marketing research, product conception and design, pricing, distribution and even advertising. Today, incurrent globalized and rapidly expanding business conscious world; creative advertising and marketing management are increasingly becoming more relevant to the businesses. Companies need to adopt creative strategies and innovations in their operations in order to survive the challenges of the ever expanding global market. In the study, creative advertising and its importance in marketing managemet are investigated and examined by sample group of university students.
Stable Shareholdings, the Decision Horizon Problem, and Patterns of Earnings Management

Prior studies argue that stable shareholders do not encourage firm managers to manage their earnings to achieve short-term earnings goals. They also state that firm managers with stable shareholders have an incentive to report smooth earnings to maintain long-term relationships with such shareholders. We focus on cross-shareholdings and stable shareholdings owned by financial institutions as stable shareholdings in Japan, and investigate the effect of these ownership structures on earnings management patterns. Specifically, we hypothesize that stable shareholdings are positively associated with the informational components of earnings smoothing, and negatively associated with big bath. Consistent with our hypotheses, we first find that as stable shareholdings increase, managers are more likely to conduct earnings smoothing that provides useful information to stable shareholders. Second, we reveal that managers are less likely to engage in big bath behavior as stable shareholdings increase. Finally, our additional analysis shows that stable shareholdings reduce incentives for managers to cut discretionary expenditures to meet short-term earnings benchmarks, implying that stable shareholdings could reduce the possibility of a myopic problem. These results suggest that managers with stable shareholdings tend to report smoother and less volatile earnings, and do not tend to pursue earnings management to attain short-term earnings targets.