Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do corporate governance mechanisms affect cash dividends? An empirical investigation of UK firms

The study examines whether corporate governance mechanisms and the compliance with good governance practice are related to cash dividends. In particular, the study assesses the effect of institutional ownership and board structure on the decision to pay cash dividends. A study on UK firms is interesting because firms are expected to voluntarily structure governance mechanisms based on their own needs. We find that institutional owners positively affect cash dividend payments, suggesting that UK institutions are effective in forcing firms to disgorge cash. There is limited evidence that independent directors affect the cash dividends. The results also show that firm specifics affect the cash dividends, namely, business risk, firm size, and leverage ratio. The results are consistent across several robustness checks.
The role of thionins in rice defence against root pathogens.

Thionins are antimicrobial peptides that are involved in plant defence. Here, we present an in-depth analysis of the role of rice thionin genes in defence responses against two root pathogens: the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne graminicola and the oomycete Pythium graminicola. The expression of rice thionin genes was observed to be differentially regulated by defence-related hormones, whereas all analysed genes were consistently down-regulated in M. graminicola-induced galls, at least until 7 days post-inoculation (dpi). Transgenic lines of Oryza sativa cv. Nipponbare overproducing OsTHI7 revealed decreased susceptibility to M. graminicola infection and P. graminicola colonization. Taken together, these results demonstrate the role of rice thionin genes in defence against two of the most damaging root pathogens attacking rice.
Interaction Effects in Software Piracy

The paper presents an exploratory attempt to analyse self-reported leniency toward software piracy systematically, using an approach based on empirical factors, rather than ethical factors. The empirical factors studied were: (i) social acceptance of software piracy; (ii) the cost of original software; (iii) urgency of the subject's need for software; (iv) availability of original software; (v) knowledge of computer software copyright law; (vi) gender; (vii) monthly household income; and (viii) education level. It provides new insights to software companies and government officials who are developing programmes to promote the concept of anti-piracy among software consumers. This is also the first exploratory research to study the interaction effects among factors influencing the reported leniency towards software piracy, at the individual level.
The Microstructure of the Price-Volume Relationship of the Constituent Stocks of the Taiwan 50 Index

Due to data concerns, the microstructure of the price-volume relationship is seldom explored in Taiwan. Through efforts to collect the data, we reveal two impressive findings to contribute to the literature. One is that declining share prices are followed by a burst in volume, especially at market close. The other is that total trading volume increased by foreign institutions boosts subsequent returns, whether the trading volume is increased by buying or selling. Both results are barely disclosed in previous studies.
The effect of ultimate owner and regulation policy on corporate social responsibility information disclosure: Evidence from China

In the process of economic development, how to achieve the goal of harmonious development between society and companies is an important issue for the government. In China, the government ultimately owns more than half of the listed companies. Thus, the government plays a critical role in firms’ disclosure of social responsibility information. Although, the Chinese government enacted such disclosure policies in 2006, there are some slight differences in the details between the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange. It provides us with a unique context to test the effectiveness of explicit regulation policy. Thus, this paper investigated the impact of ultimate owner and regulation policy on the social responsibility reporting of publicly listed companies. Using the sample of 446 listed companies that disclosed the social responsibility and ultimate owner information in Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchange, this paper found that firms under the two stock exchanges do report differently on social responsibility. Besides, compared with voluntary disclosure firms, those under mandatory disclosure requirements do provide more social responsibility information. In addition, it was found that state ownership and voting rights have a positive effect on the disclosure of social responsibility information. Key words: Regulation policy, ultimate owner, social responsibility, information disclosure.
Serine protease inhibitors of parasitic helminths

SUMMARY Serine protease inhibitors (serpins) are a superfamily of structurally conserved proteins that inhibit serine proteases and play key physiological roles in numerous biological systems such as blood coagulation, complement activation and inflammation. A number of serpins have now been identified in parasitic helminths with putative involvement in immune regulation and in parasite survival through interference with the host immune response. This review describes the serpins and smapins (small serine protease inhibitors) that have been identified in Ascaris spp. , Brugia malayi, Ancylostoma caninum Onchocerca volvulus, Haemonchus contortus, Trichinella spiralis, Trichostrongylus vitrinus, Anisakis simplex, Trichuris suis, Schistosoma spp. , Clonorchis sinensis, Paragonimus westermani and Echinococcus spp. and discusses their possible biological functions, including roles in host-parasite interplay and their evolutionary relationships.
Women and higher education leadership in Kenya: a critical analysis

This paper undertakes a critique of the gendered nature of leadership in modern universities in Kenya. The paper argues that the inclusive nature of African feminism makes it easier for both men and women to join in this discussion since African feminism demands a more holistic perspective that does not pit men against women but encourages them to work together to address gender inequalities. The review shows that there is a need to develop policies and strategies both at national and local level geared towards increasing women's participation in decision making and leadership in higher education in Kenya. The paper provides an opportunity for reflection on problems related to the participation of academic women in leadership in higher education in Kenya and comparable systems through the changing times and settings.
Polyglutamine‐induced ion channels: a possible mechanism for the neurotoxicity of huntington and other CAG repeat diseases

CAG repeats resulting in long polyglutamine tracts have been implicated in the pathogenesis of at least eight neurodegenerative diseases including Huntington. Expression of polyglutamine repeats is required for disease and increasing length of the repeats leads to earlier onset of illness (anticipation). Expression of polyglutamine repeats in cultured neurons leads to deposition of intracellular aggregates resembling those found in amyloid diseases, and to neurotoxicity. We report here that polyglutamine can induce large (19–220 pS), long‐lived, (lifetime = 6 sec), non‐selective (Pcation = Panion) ion channels in planar phospholipid bilayer membranes, and that channel formation is enhanced by acidic pH. We propose that channel formation may be a mechanism of cellular toxicity in Huntington and other CAG repeat disease. J. Neurosci. Res. 4:490–494, 2000 © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of Forward Sales on Spot Markets: Pre‐Commitment Sales and Prices for Fresh Strawberries

Increasingly, agricultural markets are vertically coordinated. Often a thinning spot market coexists with coordinated transactions, raising the question of how private coordination affects the market as a whole. One of the greatest challenges when analyzing such market-level effects is obtaining information on private transactions. We utilize publicly available data to evaluate how informal contracts in the fresh strawberry market affect spot market prices using a generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic in mean (GARCH-M) model. We find that these informal contracts increased spot prices, as argued by some industry members, while the effect on spot price volatility varied by production region.
Exploring Monitoring, Work Environment and Flexibility as Predictors of Job Satisfaction within Australian Call Centres

The purpose of this paper is to investigate predictors of workers’ job satisfaction from the labour process andequity theoretical perspectives. The study employed a qualitative approach and draws on data from in depth focusgroups of customer service representatives (CSR). The sample for this study was drawn from three Australian callcentres operating in a variety of business sectors. The study highlights that three dimensions: monitoring,flexibility and work environment are significantly correlated to CSR job satisfaction. Developing an understandingof these dimensions is critical to understanding CSR job satisfaction perceptions in an industry which exhibits highlabour turnover and absenteeism. This study provides new insights on how to manage effectively job satisfactionwithin call centre environments through the incorporation of more multi-dimensional aspects that are considered tobe strong determinants of CSR job satisfaction. The study contributes to the literature by investigating a moremulti-dimensional approach to studying job satisfaction in call centre environments. The intensive case studyapproach highlights the implications for HRM.
Preferential Associations between Oral Clefts and Other Major Congenital Anomalies

Objectives: To identify preferential associations between oral clefts (CL = cleft lip only, CLP = cleft lip with cleft palate, CP = cleft palate) and nonoral cleft anomalies, to interpret them on clinical grounds, and, based on the patterns of associated defects, to establish whether CL and CLP are different conditions. Design And Settings: Included were 1416 cleft cases (CL = 131, CLP = 565, CP = 720), among 8304 live- and stillborn infants with multiple congenital anomalies, from 6,559,028 births reported to the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research by 15 registries between 1994 and 2004. Rates of associated anomalies were established, and multinomial logistic regressions applied to identify significant associations. Results: Positive associations with clefts were observed for only a few defects, among which anencephaly, encephaloceles, club feet, and ear anomalies were the most outstanding. Anomalies negatively associated with clefts included congenital heart defects, VATER complex (vertebral defects, imperforate anus, tracheoesophageal fistula, and radial and renal dysplasia), and spina bifida. Conclusion: The strong association between all types of clefts and anencephaly seems to be attributable to cases with disruptions; the association between CP and club feet seems to be attributable to conditions with fetal akinesia. Some negative associations may depend on methodologic factors, while others, such as clefts with VATER components or clefts with spina bifida, may depend on biological factors. The different patterns of defects associated with CL and CLP, indicating different underlying mechanisms, suggest that CL and CLP reflect more than just variable degrees of severity, and that distinct pathways might be involved.
Plasma interleukin‐8 levels in patients with post‐hepatitic cirrhosis: Relationship to severity of liver disease, portal hypertension and hyperdynamic circulation

The present study investigated plasma levels of interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) in patients with post‐hepatitic cirrhosis and correlated it with the severity of liver diseases and haemodynamic parameters. Plasma IL‐8 levels were significantly higher in 57 post‐hepatitic cirrhotic patients (7.5 ± 1.8 pg/mL; P< 0.005) than those in 41 healthy subjects (2.0 ± 0.2 pg/mL). Elevated (> 5 pg/mL) plasma IL‐8 levels were found in up to 30% of cirrhotic patients. In cirrhotic patients, plasma IL‐8 levels progressively increased in relation to the severity of liver dysfunction (4.5 ± 1.0, 4.9 ± 1.4 and 20.5 ± 8.3 pg/mL for Pugh's class A, B and C, respectively; P<0.005). A significant correlation was observed between plasma IL‐8 levels and serum bilirubin levels (r = 0.72; P<0.001). There were no differences in the hepatic venous pressure gradient (15.4 ± 1.1 vs 15.1 ± 0.9 mmHg; P>0.05) and systemic vascular resistance (1119 ± 118 vs 1199 ± 54 dyn.s/cm5; P>0.05) between cirrhotic patients with and without elevated plasma IL‐8 levels. In addition, plasma IL‐8 levels did not correlate with hepatic venous pressure gradient (r = 0.26; P>0.05) and systemic vascular resistance (r=‐0.24; P>0.05). These results demonstrate that plasma IL‐8 levels are increased in patients with post‐hepatitic cirrhosis. The severity of liver cirrhosis is an important factor for the occurrence of enhanced IL‐8 levels. IL‐8 does not play a role in the hyperdynamic circulation observed in patients with post‐hepatitic cirrhosis.
A Two-sector Overlapping Generations Model with Endogenous Discounting

In this paper, we consider a two-sector two-periods overlapping generations model with inelastic labor, consumption in both periods of life, endogenous discounting and homothetic preferences. We prove that under the assumption of under-accumulation of capital, an economy with endogenous discounting depending on income is much more likely to experience macroeconomic fluctuations compared to an economy with constant discounting.
Reparations, deficits, and debt default: the Great Depression in Germany

Germany's Great Depression of the early 1930s started in 1929 with a sudden stop in the current account. It ended after a foreign debt default that unfolded in several stages from 1931 to 1933. This chapter reviews Germany's macroeconomic history between the gold-based stabilisation of 1924 and the transition to autarky and domestic credit expansion in 1933. During the Dawes Plan of 1924-29, German borrowed abroad massively to pay reparations out of credit, a phenomenon that gave rise to the debate about the transfer problem between Keynes and his critics. An incentive based interpretation of the transfer problem is sketched to explain the later current account reversal. Time-varying VARs are employed to trace the propagation of the resulting macroeconomic shock, and to obtain estimates of fiscal multipliers.
The Information in the Longer Maturity Term Structure About Future Inflation

This paper provides empirical evidence on the information in the term structure for longer maturities about both future inflation and the term structure of real interest rates. The evidence indicates that there is substantial information in the longer maturity term structure about futureinflation: the slope of the term structure does have a great deal of predictive power for future changes in inflation. On the other hand, at the longer maturities, the term structure of nominal interest rates contains very little information about the term structure of real interest rates. These results are strikingly different from those found for very short-term maturities, six months or less, in previous work. For maturities of six months or less, the term structure contains no information about the future path of inflation, but it does contain a great deal of information about the term structure of real interest rates. The evidence in this paper does indicate that, at longer maturities, the term structure of interest rates can be used to help assess future inflationary pressures: when the slope of the term structure steepens, it is an indication that the inflation rate will rise in the future and when the slope falls, it is an indication that the inflation rate will fall. However, we must still remain cautious about using the evidence presented here to advocate that the Federal Reserve should target on the term structure in conducting monetary policy. A change in Federal Reserve operating procedures which focuses on the term structure may well cause the relationship between the term structure and future inflation to shift, with the result that the term structure no longer remains an accurate guide to the path of future inflation. If this were to occur, Federal Reserve monetary policy could go far astray by focusing on the term structure of interest rates.
Interactive effect of changes in the shape of the yield curve and conditional term spread on expected equity returns

Recent research has noted that the change in the shape of the yield curve can serve as a proxy for economic activity and contains economic information not present in other explanatory variables. This article extends previous research by examining the combined effect of changes in the shape of the yield curve (yield pattern) and term spread on ex ante equity returns. We find specific yield patterns do affect future equity returns, that changes in the expected long rate is a significant factor, and that, when conditioned on the change in yield curve, the term spread is time variant and significant in specific yield pattern environments and insignificant in others. Specifically, we find that average ex ante equity returns are significant and positive when the yield pattern shows signs of the expected long rate declining. In addition, we find the efficacy of the conditional term spread to predict future equity returns increased after 1980. Our results are consistent with the Expectation Theory of interest rates and robust across capitalization and industry classification.
Evaluation of Advanced Turbulence Models for High-Reynolds Number External Flow

In this report several modern turbulence modeling techniques with applications to high-Reynolds number external flow are critically evaluated. Fully developed turbulent channel flow and the flow past the Ahmed body with a slant angle of 25◦ are both used to benchmark several LES and DES models for turbulence closure. Channel flow is simulated at two different Reynolds numbers and both the LES and DES approaches are found to exhibit predictive capabilities but with several limitations, especially at the higher Reynolds number. The flow past the Ahmed body is validated against several experimental measurements. The improved delayed detached eddy-simulation (IDDES) model is found to yield the best overall drag prediction, but the wall-modeled LES approach is more robust across a wide range of grid resolutions. The computational effort required to perform the Ahmed-body simulations is summarized together with recommendations for the future use of the turbulence modeling techniques that are evaluated herein.
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE IN WELFARE STATES: THE IMPACTS OF SOFT DURATION CONSTRAINTS

Based on a major reform of Norwegian unemployment insurance (UI), we examine the behavioral impacts of soft and hard UI duration constraints. A constraint is interpreted as hard if a claimant cannot rely on any form of income support after exhaustion, and as soft if UI is replaced by follow-on benefits or participation in active labor market programs (ALMP). We find that both hard and soft constraints raise the job hazard significantly, with surprisingly similar spikes at UI exhaustion. Participation in ALMP raises the probability of eventually finding a job, but at the cost of lengthening the overall job-search period.
A Comparison of Levels of GDP Per Capita in Developed and Developing Countries, 1700–1980

This paper examines the evolution of the per capita income gap between developed and developing countries. Landes and Kuznets suggest that Western countries already had a big lead before their economic growth accelerated, but Bairoch has recently claimed that European living standards in the mid-eighteenth century were lower than in the rest of the world. I think the existing evidence supports the Landes-Kuznets position, and that Bairoch probably overstates the contemporary income gap and understates per capita income growth in the developing world. But there are contradictory elements in the evidence, on which further research is needed.
Phorbol Ester-Induced Human Cytomegalovirus Major Immediate-Early (MIE) Enhancer Activation through PKC-Delta, CREB, and NF-κB Desilences MIE Gene Expression in Quiescently Infected Human Pluripotent NTera2 Cells

ABSTRACT The ways in which human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) major immediate-early (MIE) gene expression breaks silence from latency to initiate the viral replicative cycle are poorly understood. A delineation of the signaling cascades that desilence the HCMV MIE genes during viral quiescence in the human pluripotent N-Tera2 (NT2) cell model provides insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying HCMV reactivation. In this model, we show that phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) immediately activates the expression of HCMV MIE RNA and protein and greatly increases the MIE-positive (MIE+) NT2 cell population density; levels of Oct4 (pluripotent cell marker) and HCMV genome penetration are unchanged. Decreasing PKC-delta activity (pharmacological, dominant-negative, or RNA interference [RNAi] method) attenuates PMA-activated MIE gene expression. MIE gene activation coincides with PKC-delta Thr505 phosphorylation. Mutations in MIE enhancer binding sites for either CREB (cyclic AMP [cAMP] response element [CRE]) or NF-κB (κB) partially block PMA-activated MIE gene expression; the ETS binding site is negligibly involved, and κB does not confer MIE gene activation by vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). The PMA response is also partially attenuated by the RNAi-mediated depletion of the CREB or NF-κB subunit RelA or p50; it is not diminished by TORC2 knockdown or accompanied by TORC2 dephosphorylation. Mutations in both CRE and κB fully abolish PMA-activated MIE gene expression. Thus, PMA stimulates a PKC-delta-dependent, TORC2-independent signaling cascade that acts through cellular CREB and NF-κB, as well as their cognate binding sites in the MIE enhancer, to immediately desilence HCMV MIE genes. This signaling cascade is distinctly different from that elicited by VIP.
Culture‐based development: empirical evidence for Germany

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive concept for the role of culture in economic growth. Design/methodology/approach - The paper overviews the culture based development (CBD) concept and its precise definition of culture as an encompassing socio-economic factor. The outlined CBD mechanism of impact is expressed in a testable empirical model. Alternative approaches for operationalizing the CBD definition of cultural capital are suggested and a real data application on intra-regional level (for German Findings - The findings illustrate the ability of the CBD model to capture the statistical significance of culture. Originality/value - The paper demonstrates the two innovative elements of the CBD approach to culture: first, measuring culture with a factor variable as a better alternative to the mono-dimensional variables inferred by the state of the art; and second, thus capturing the overall economic meaning of the cultural factor (not just one aspect of it) for local socio-economic development.