Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Cash, Debt, and Insiders on Open Market Share Repurchases

We employ a conditional event study to analyze managers’ motives to announce a share repurchase in the context of a model of economic factors that impact a firm’s abnormal announcement return. Firms with greater free cash flow and less debt are more likely to initiate a repurchase. Share repurchases have greater impact on share prices when they are large and occur during the stock price downtrend – smaller, routine share repurchases have a lesser impact on share prices. Managing insiders in repurchasing firms tend to decrease their selling activity and increase their buying activity in a pronounced manner before repurchase announcements. After the announcement, the differences in insider trading activity between repurchasing firms and non-repurchasing firms are largely insignificant. The results suggest a repurchasing firm’s managers possess little to no private information advantage relative to the market; however, managing insiders trading behavior is consistent with short term profitable opportunities.
Food Chain Aspects of Arsenic Contamination in Bangladesh: Effects on Quality and Productivity of Rice

Abstract The total arsenic content of 150 paddy rice samples collected from Barisal, Comilla, Dinajpur, Kaunia, and Rajshahi districts, and from the BRRI experimental station at Rajshahi city in the boro and aman seasons of 2000 was determined by hydride generation-inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP). Arsenic concentrations varied from 10 to 420 µg/kg at 14% moisture content. Rice yields and grain arsenic concentrations were 1.5 times higher in the boro (winter) than the summer (monsoon) season, consistent with the much greater use of groundwater for irrigation in the boro season. Mean values for the boro and aman season rices were 183 and 117 µg/kg, respectively. The variation in arsenic concentrations in rice was only partially consistent with the pattern of arsenic concentrations in drinking water tube wells. There was no evidence from yield or panicle sterility data of arsenic toxicity to rice. Processing of rice (parboiling and milling) reduced arsenic concentrations in rice by an average of 19% in 21 samples collected from households. Human exposure to arsenic through rice would be equivalent to half of that in water containing 50 µg/kg for 14% of the paddy rice samples at rice and water intake levels of 400 g and 4 L/cap/day, respectively.
Jury Verdicts in Drunken Driving Cases

The objective of this study was to examine the factors used by juries to make their decisions on compensatory damages awarded for physical injuries in automobile crash cases involving driving under the influence of alcohol and to compute a value that juries might award for hypothetical total impairment. This study used data obtained from Jury Verdict Research on drunk driving, non-fatal injury cases occurring in the time period from 1980 through 1990, before tort reform started in several states. To achieve the objective of this study, we used two log-linear regression models, with the logs of award and net award amounts as dependent variables. The award variable is a comprehensive figure that includes punitive damages and medical expenses. To calculate the net award, the latter were subtracted from the award amount. The regression explained 57% of the variance in 323 injury awards for impaired driving.The present value of impairment was the dominant predictor. Alone, it explained 21% of the variance. The type of verdict was also very important. Awards achieved through jury trials were approximately 75 percent higher than those achieved through mediation, arbitration or settlement. Using the model where the log of net award was the dependent variable, the value juries placed on total impairment compared to no impairment was approximately $3.1 million at 4% discount rate and $4.3 million at 2.5% discount rate (in 2005 dollars).
Hepatitis C Virus Inhibits DNA Damage Repair through Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species and by Interfering with the ATM-NBS1/Mre11/Rad50 DNA Repair Pathway in Monocytes and Hepatocytes

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma and putatively also non-Hodgkin’s B cell lymphoma. In this study, we demonstrated that PBMCs obtained from HCV-infected patients showed frequent chromosomal aberrations and that HCV infection of B cells in vitro induced enhanced chromosomal breaks and sister chromatid exchanges. HCV infection hypersensitized cells to ionizing radiation and bleomycin and inhibited nonhomologous end-joining repair. The viral core and nonstructural protein 3 proteins were shown to be responsible for the inhibition of DNA repair, mediated by NO and reactive oxygen species. Stable expression of core protein induced frequent chromosome translocations in cultured cells and in transgenic mice. HCV core protein binds to the NBS1 protein and inhibits the formation of the Mre11/NBS1/Rad50 complex, thereby affecting ATM activation and inhibiting DNA binding of repair enzymes. Taken together, these data indicate that HCV infection inhibits multiple DNA repair processes to potentiate chromosome instability in both monocytes and hepatocytes. These effects may explain the oncogenicity and immunological perturbation of HCV infection.
Immunoreactivity of Stat5 phosphorylated on tyrosine as a cell‐based measure of Bcr/Abl kinase activity

Stat5 1 (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 5) is normally phosphorylated and activated by Janus kinases. In cells transformed with BCR/ABL, Stat5 is constitutively activated by promiscuous phosphorylation. Cytometry of intracellular antigens can be used to evaluate cell treatments affecting gene expression, because it precisely provides the fraction of affected cells and the quantitative change in expression. Here, we asked whether we could measure a phosphorylated epitope on Stat5 by cytometry, and whether that measurement would respond to Bcr/Abl inhibition.
Moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation and coronary artery bypass surgery: effect of mitral repair on clinical outcome.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY The optimal management of moderate (grade 2-3+) ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) at the time of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains the subject of controversy. The study aim was to determine whether mitral repair associated with CABG is preferable to CABG alone in patients with moderate ischemic MR, in terms of intermediate outcome. METHODS Among 60 patients with moderate ischemic MR, 30 who underwent CABG plus mitral repair were compared with 30 others who underwent CABG alone. All patients underwent follow up echocardiographic and clinical examinations between 12 and 36 months after surgery. The decision to repair the valve during surgery was totally at the surgeons' discretion. RESULTS Preoperatively, both groups were substantially homogeneous. Patients who had CABG plus mitral repair had a lower NYHA functional class at intermediate follow up, and fewer signs and symptoms of heart failure. On multivariate analysis, mitral repair proved to be a protective factor for the development of heart failure. The preoperative size of the mitral annulus was seen to be a risk factor for subsequent heart failure events. At intermediate follow up, echocardiographic parameters were significantly better in the mitral repair group (left ventricular volume smaller, ejection fraction and pulmonary artery pressure improved). CONCLUSION The results of this case-control study showed that, in a homogeneous series of patients with moderate ischemic MR, repair of the mitral valve at the time of CABG leads to a better clinical status due to an improved hemodynamic profile.
Analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae his3 transcription in vitro: biochemical support for multiple mechanisms of transcription

The promoter region of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae his3 gene contains two TATA elements, TC and TR, that direct transcription initiation to two sites designated +1 and +13. On the basis of differences between their nucleotide sequences and their responsiveness to upstream promoter elements, it has previously been proposed that TC and TR promote transcription by different molecular mechanisms. To begin a study of his3 transcription in vitro, we used S. cerevisiae nuclear extracts together with various DNA templates and transcriptional activator proteins that have been characterized in vivo. We demonstrated accurate transcription initiation in vitro at the sites used in vivo, transcriptional activation by GCN4, and activation by a GAL4 derivative on various gal-his3 hybrid promoters. In all cases, transcription stimulation was dependent on the presence of an acidic activation region in the activator protein. In addition, analysis of promoters containing a variety of TR derivatives indicated that the level of transcription in vitro was directly related to the level achieved in vivo. The results demonstrated that the in vitro system accurately reproduced all known aspects of in vivo his3 transcription that depend on the TR element. However, in striking contrast to his3 transcription in vivo, transcription in vitro yielded approximately 20 times more of the +13 transcript than the +1 transcript. This result was not due to inability of the +1 initiation site to be efficiently utilized in vitro, but rather it reflects the lack of TC function in vitro. The results support the idea that TC and TR mediate transcription from the wild-type promoter by distinct mechanisms.
Causes of contractor's business failure in developing countries: the case of Palestine

2 Abstract : The construction industry has unique char acteristics that sharply distinguish it from other sectors of the economy. It is fra gmented, very sensitive to the economic cycles and political environment, and has a significantly high rate of business failure. Business failure, collaps e and bankruptcy are common terms in the industry due to the many risks inherited in how the industry operates. Throughout the world, the relative ease of entry gives rise to a large number of contracting firms competing fiercely in the market exposing ma ny of them to business failure, Palestine is no exception. The objectives of this paper are to report on a research study which aims at exploring the causes of contractor's business failure in Palestine, and investigating their severity from the contractor's point of view. The study's results shows that the main causes of business failure are delay in collecting debt from clients (do nors), border closure, heavy dependence on bank loans and payment of high interest on these lo ans, lack of capital, absence of industry regulations, low pro fit margin due to high competition, awarding contracts by client to the lowest bidder, and lack of experience in contract management. Based on these f indings, recommendations to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and local contractors are presented in this paper.
Petrol prices, oil price rises and oil price falls: some evidence for the UK since 1972

This paper examines the relationship between retail petrol prices, excise duties and crude oil prices in the UK over the period 1973–1988. The existence of a stable relationship between the petrol price, level of excise duty and spot oil price is confirmed through use of the cointegration approach. Although the speed of reaction of petrol prices to changes in the crude price depends on whether crude prices are rising or falling, any asymmetry in the pricing response is virtually absent after an adjustment period of only four months.
Do Buyouts (Still) Create Value?

This paper examines whether, and how, leveraged buyouts from the most recent wave of public to private transactions created value. For a sample of 192 buyouts completed between 1990 and 2006, we show that these deals are somewhat more conservatively priced and lower levered than their predecessors from the 1980s. For the subsample of deals with post-buyout data available, median market adjusted returns to pre- and post-buyout capital invested are 78% and 36%, respectively. In contrast, gains in operating performance are either comparable to or slightly exceed those observed for benchmark firms. We examine the relative contribution of several potential determinants of returns; in addition to gains in operating performance, returns are strongly related to increases in industry valuation multiples. Overall, our results provide insights into how transactions from the most recent wave of leveraged buyouts created value.
Life-Cycle Effects on Corporate Returns on Retentions

IN a recent paper investigating the efficiency of earnings retentions, Baumol, Heim, Malkiel and Quandt (1970) (hereafter BHMQ) estimate the rate of return on earnings retentions, debt and new equity for a large cross section of firms. They find new equity earns considerably higher returns than the ploughback of profit and depreciation, with the returns on new debt falling between. BHMQ do not explain these striking results, beyond suggesting a lack of market discipline on the reinvestment of internal funds. In their concluding remarks, they pose a number of open questions for future research and analysis
Fibroblast growth factor‐2 mRNA expression in the brainstem and spinal cord of normal and chronic spinally transected urodeles

Descending pathways in the spinal cord of adult urodele amphibians show a high regenerative ability after body spinal cord transection; regenerated axons regrow into the transected spinal cord, and hindlimb locomotor recovery occurs spontaneously. Little is currently known about the molecular basis of spinal cord regeneration in urodeles, but it is believed that fibroblast growth factor‐2 (FGF2) may play an important role by inducing proliferation of neural progenitor cells. The aim of our study, using in situ hybridization in adult Pleurodeles waltlii, was twofold: 1) to document FGF2 mRNA expression pattern along the brainstem‐spinal cord of intact salamanders and 2) to investigate the changes in this pattern in animals unable to display hindlimb locomotor movements and in animals having fully recovered hindlimb locomotor activity after body spinal cord transection. This design establishes a firm basis for further studies on the role of FGF2 in functional recovery of hindlimb locomotion. Our results revealed a decreasing rostrocaudal gradient in FGF2 mRNA expression along the brainstem‐spinal cord in intact animals. They further demonstrated a long‐lasting up‐regulation of FGF2 mRNA expression in response to spinal transection at the midtrunk level, both in brainstem and in the spinal cord below the injury. Finally, double immunolabeling showed that FGF2 was up‐regulated in neuroglial, presumably undifferentiated, cells. Therefore, we propose that FGF2 may be involved in cell proliferation and/or neuronal differentiation after body spinal cord transection in salamander and could thus play an important role in functional recovery of locomotion after spinal lesion. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
ETHNIC MINORITIES AND RURAL POVERTY IN LAO PDR

Ethnic minorities have a significantly higher poverty incidence than the majority in Lao PDR. Based on survey data the determinants of minority poverty are analyzed, the sources of inequality decomposed, and the expected impact of polices to address minority poverty estimated. Minority poverty is found to be due to limited access to resources, while minority resource use tends to be efficient. Yet, large differences in resource use between the minority groups are found. Decomposition shows that unequal access to resources and demographic variables largely explain the majority-minority poverty gap. A strategy for alleviating minority poverty in the Lao PDR is suggested: (1) broad policies covering education, infrastructure and agricultural development can address poverty among ethnic minorities; (2) policies should be tailored to the needs of the individual minority groups.
Military support and transnational terrorism

Analysing the relationship between the provision of military support and the probability of becoming the target of a terrorist attack, this paper contributes to the literature on the causes of transnational terrorism. We find that deployment of military troops of country X in country Y increases the probability of a terrorist attack on citizens of country X by a terrorist group located in country Y. Exporting weapons to country Y seems to increase the probability of being attacked by the terrorists of this country Y as well. Deploying materials, however, does not seem to significantly influence the probability of attack. Including lagged values for our military support variables ensures that the causality direction is from military support to terrorist attacks. Moreover, these results indicate that while the effect of military deployment on the probability of attack lasts for more than 1 year, the effect is rather short-lived.
When Little Things Mean a Lot: On the Inefficiency of Item‐Pricing Laws

Item‐pricing laws (IPLs) require a price tag on every item sold by a retailer. We study IPLs and assess their efficiency by quantifying their costs and comparing them to previously documented benefits. On the cost side, we posit that IPLs should lead to higher prices because they increase the costs of pricing and price adjustment. We test this prediction using data collected from large supermarket chains in the tri‐state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. We find that IPL store prices are higher by about 20¢–25¢ per item on average. As a control, we use data from stores that use electronic shelf labels and find that their prices fall between IPL and no‐IPL store prices. We compare the costs of IPLs to existing measures of the benefits and find that the costs are an order of magnitude higher than the upper bound of the estimated benefits.
Research and Solutions: Effects of Climate and Institution Size on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Colleges and Universities in the United States

Emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) associated with buildings may constitute as much as 40 percent of total emissions by the United States. Data on GHG emissions for 238 institutions, including doctorate-granting universities, master's institutions, and baccalaureate colleges, were acquired from the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). A regression model that included gross building area, July mean temperature, and January mean low temperature was used to predict GHG emissions (R2 = 0.911). A similar model was developed for emissions as a function of full-time equivalent (FTE) students, but the fit was poorer (R2 = 0.693). The percentage of coal in the energy source for electric power generation was also a factor, with higher percentages resulting in higher emissions. Institutions with high percentages of coal as their electricity source also experienced low January temperatures, making it difficult to distinguish the effects of energy source from winter climate. For doct.
Human Sex Differences in Sexual Psychology and Behavior

Abstract Because age and sex constitute the only distinct anatomical and physiological morphs (types) of the human species, universal sex differences ought to be expected. According to Darwinian theory, the most numerous sex differences are likely to be found in the domains of sexuality and reproduction. We first briefly review the basic model of the adaptationist program of modern Darwinian psychology. We then present evidence suggesting substantial sex differences in the following domains of sexual behavior: Mate preferences, interest in casual sex, interest in partner variety, jealousy, fantasy, sexual “plasticity,” and magnitude of intrinsic sexual motivation. We then propose a program for research and explanation of sex differences that invokes both proximate and ultimate variables where appropriate. This program is based in modern Darwinian theory, neuroendocrinology, human genetics, and social and behavioral sciences. We conclude by considering sociopolitical implications of research on sex differences.
Social funds as instruments for reducing childhood poverty: lessons from Save the Children's experience

Drawing on Save the Children's experience of working with three social fund financed programmes, this paper examines their potential for reducing childhood poverty. Examining direct and indirect effects on children it discusses the relevance and impact of activities supported, the extent to which the these three social fund programmes reached very poor families and children, and the extent of and mechanisms for poor people's participation. The paper situates this analysis within a discussion of the considers some of the broader factors influencing social fund effectiveness. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lean Production Practices: International Comparisons in the Auto Components Industry1

In recent years the application of lean production principles has been forcefully expounded as the route to high-performance manufacturing. This paper examines the relationship between lean production and performance empirically, using data from a benchmarking study of 71 plants in the international automotive components industry. The top performing plants (and their suppliers and customers) showed consistently better process control than did the lower performing plants. UK plants did not perform very well in terms of either quality or productivity, and links between economic context and manufacturing performance are discussed in relation to the UK.
Tax Evasion and the Cost of Public Sector Activities

This article examines the effects of tax evasion on the cost of goods and services in an environment where input prices are homogenously taxed but evasion is intersectorially differentiated. Tax evasion raises the relative cost of producing goods and services in the sectors where evasion is more difficult. Such an effect adds a potentially important but so far neglected element to the relative cost of goods and services produced by the public sector. The general equilibrium analysis presented in this article shows the perverse effects of tax evasion, which reduces total production (and hence total wealth) even in a model where because of the absence of redistributive effects, tax evasion is simply fiscal illusion.
Private vs State Ownership and Earnings Management: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies

In this study, we investigate the role played by a firm's ownership structure in earnings management, with reference to the Chinese capital market. We measure the impacts of both ownership concentration and different ownership types, specifically the difference between the state as blockholder and private blockholders. Copyright (c) 2007 The Authors; Journal compilation (c) 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Contingent management plans awaiting a contingency: the GFC and workplace change in the Australian hotels sector

The global financial crisis (GFC) has had a major impact on individuals, companies and countries. This paper reviews literature on managerial strategies in economic downturns, focusing on corporate downsizing. Empirically, the paper examines managerial strategy within one sector of the Australian economy – the luxury hotels sector. While much of the Australian economy has survived the GFC well compared with many other nations, hotels faced the double burden of reduced international travel and reduced domestic corporate demand. In the face of these concerns, we examine the way that managers at three different organizations attempted to ameliorate the impact the GFC would have on their business, while maintaining a positive experience for as much of their contingent labour as possible.