Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Governance Of Large Corporations In Mexico And Productivity Implications

The main objective of this paper is to describe the essential features of large Mexican firms. The observed structure fits with the stylized facts of the business groups found in many developing countries. In particular, there is a high concentration of control rights, not only because of the fact that family members own large holdings of stock in these firms, but also because it is a common practice to use pyramids and to issue “non-voting” shares. It is argued that the lack of counterbalances and the excessive control rights in the hands of few large shareholders produce a rent extraction problem. Hence those stakeholders that potentially experience opportunistic behavior are reluctant to establish long-term relationships, with the corresponding negative consequences on the productivity of the firm.
Electrical tree initiation in XLPE cable insulation by application of DC and impulse voltage

Electrical tree initiation behavior of XLPE cable insulation was investigated by application of DC voltage, impulse voltage, repetitive DC voltage, and impulse voltage after DC prestressing. Treeing test samples are made of XLPE specimens with a pin-plane electrode system. The needle inserted has a tip radius of 5 μm and a pinpoint angle of 30 °, and the pin-plane distance is 2 mm. No trees appeared when DC voltage up to 70 kV or -60 kV was applied on the samples continuously or repetitively. Impulse voltage with or without DC prestressing could initiate an electrical tree. The tree initiation ratio increased due to higher impulse voltage, increased DC prestress level and shorter rest time between DC prestress and impulse voltage. The measured initial tree length showed a proportional relation with the impulse magnitude, whereas it was almost independent of DC prestress level and the rest time. The observations are explained by the injection, accumulation, dissipation, trapping and detrapping of space charges in the region around the needle tip.
Antibody titers against bovine coronavirus and shedding of the virus via the respiratory tract in feedlot cattle.

OBJECTIVE To describe patterns of seroconversion to bovine coronavirus (BCV) and shedding of BCV from the respiratory tract in feedlot cattle. ANIMALS 1,074 calves in feedlots in Ohio, Texas, and Nebraska. PROCEDURE Nasal swab specimens were obtained at time of arrival (day 0) and at various times during the initial 28 days after arrival at feedlots. Specimens were tested for BCV, using an antigen-capture ELISA. Serum samples were obtained at time of arrival and again 28 days after arrival; sera were analyzed for antibodies to BCV, using an antibody-detection ELISA. RESULTS Samples from 12 groups of cattle entering 7 feedlots during a 3-year period revealed that 78 of 1,074 (7.3%) cattle were shedding BCV (range, 0 to 35.9% within specific groups). At time of arrival, 508 of 814 (62.4%) cattle had low (< 50) or undetectable BCV antibody titers. Seroconversion to BCV during the initial 28 days after arrival was detected in 473 of 814 (58%) cattle tested (range, 20.3 to 84.1 % within specific groups). In cattle shedding BCV from the nasal passages, 49 of 68 (72.1 %) seroconverted, and 472 of 746 (63.3%) cattle that were not shedding the virus seroconverted. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Bovine coronavirus can be detected in populations of feedlot cattle in the form of viral shedding as well as seroconversion to the virus. Although only a few cattle were shedding the virus at the time of arrival at a feedlot, most of the cattle seroconverted to BCV by 28 days after arrival.
EXTENDING THE TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL TO PREDICT THE ACCEPTANCE OF CUSTOMER TOWARD MOBILE BANKING SERVICE IN SULAWESI SELATAN

Abstract: Over the time study on the acceptance of new technologies tend to always use the construct of Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), but this concept may not be able to explain the behavior of customers towards new information technologies such as mobile banking. In this study variable, Perceived enjoyment added as new factors that reflect the intrinsic belief in the acceptance of mobile banking customers. Therefore the aims of this research are to test the influence of; 1) Perceived Ease of Use toward Perceived Enjoyment Mobile banking services, 2) Perceived Enjoyment toward behavioral intention Mobile banking services, 3) Perceived Ease of Use toward Perceived Usefulness Mobile banking services and 4) Perceived Usefulness toward behavioral intention Mobile banking services. In this research, Survey methods and questionnaires are used as research instruments. The sample used amount 200 respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and Structural Equation Model (SEM) to examine the relationship between variables. Results of the Research show that: 1) Perceived ease of use affect perceived enjoyment of mobile banking positively, 2) Perceived enjoyment affect Intention to use mobile banking positively, 3) Perceived ease of use affect perceived of usefulness of mobile banking and 4) perceived of usefulness affect intention to use mobile banking positively. Keywords: Mobile banking, Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Enjoyment, TAM.
Corporate Mandatory Reporting: A longitudinal Investigation of Listed Companies in Bangladesh

The aim of this study is to determine the extent and trend of mandatory reporting practices of the listed companies in Bangladesh. It also identifies the factors that influenced the mandatory reporting. The final sample consists of 123 companies with 861 firm year observations listed in the Dhaka Stock Exchange, Bangladesh for the year 2004 to 2010. This study used seven self constructed checklists (items ranging from 148 to 179) based on particular year acts and laws relating to mandatory reporting. The study reveals that total mandatory reporting level presents 76.42% over the period average mandatory reporting of before corporate governance code (2004-05) is 72.86% which is quite low than the average of after corporate governance code (2007-2010) 78.62%. Moreover, the study identifies mandatory reporting has significant positive association with firm size, firm profitability, and firm multinational parents, while it has significant negative association with firm ownerships. However, mandatory reporting has non-significant relationship with audit firm size and industry category.
WOMEN AS FOREST MANAGERS: THE EFFECT OF MEN'S OUTMIGRATION

Nepal has increasingly gained world-wide recognition in participatory forest management, primarily through “community forestry” programme. This paper sketches trajectory of forest management policies and practices in Nepal and analyzes achievements and pitfalls associated with community forestry. The focus is on analyzing the relations amidst good forest governance, sustainable livelihoods and forest conservation. Our analysis indicates that community forestry programme has been successful to meet the twined goals of forest conservation and socioeconomic transformation through power devolution, participation and good governance. Encouraged with such achievements, Nepal has envisioned attaining the national goals of poverty alleviation and the global goals of Sustainable Development by strengthening good forest governance, sustainable forest management, and livelihood improvement. Though, there are adequate challenges, mostly socio-economically, community forestry has been a ‘Learning platform’ that empowering people and recognizing their rights over the resources is the most viable approach of sustainable forest management for a country like Nepal.
Religious involvement and physical and emotional functioning among African Americans: The mediating role of religious support

Objectives: Religious social support may in part account for the relationship between religious involvement and health-related outcomes. African Americans, on average, tend to have relatively high levels of religious involvement, and suffer a higher burden of health conditions than other groups. This study aimed to examine whether religious social support played a mediating role between religious involvement and physical and emotional functioning, and depressive symptoms. Design: The study used a cross sectional telephone survey among a national probability sample of African Americans (n = 803). Study participants completed telephone interviews and data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Main outcome measures: Physical and emotional functioning and depressive symptoms served as study outcomes. Results: In both the emotional functioning and depressive symptoms models, the indirect effect test from religious behaviours to emotional religious support indicated evidence for mediation. There was no mediation for the physical functioning model. Conclusion: Implications for faith-based health promotion interventions are discussed.
2 Comparative Analysis of the Financial System in Croatia and the Financial Systems in Advanced Transition Economies

The Croatian financial system has entered a new phase of its development. As a result of the important and deep changes that have altered the image of the banking system, the conditions for more dynamic development of non-banking intermediaries and capital markets have been created. In order to assess the achieved level of financial development, the Croatian financial system is compared with the financial systems of advanced transition economies. The analysis is based on the standard indicators of size and activity of banking and non-banking intermediaries as well as of those of capital markets. The results of the analysis show that the size and activity of Croatian banking system is comparable to that of the banking systems of advanced transition economies. However, the achieved level of development of non-banking intermediaries and the capital market is still below that of other advanced transition economies. It is expected that Croatian financial system will fill this gap relatively quickly since activities of pension funds, investment funds and bond markets are growing quickly.
Executive Compensation Structure, Ownership and Firm Performance Nexus: An Empirical Analysis

A firm performance can be traced to its management capability which embodies the structure and composition of its executives. The paper examines the effect of executive compensation structure and ownership on firm performance. A simple random sampling technique was used to sample 240 personnel from cross-section of banks in Lagos State, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire consisting of 25 items as instrument for data collection was employed. The data were analyzed using chi-square technique. The results of the analysis revealed that there is a significant relationship between management ownership and bank’s market value. However, the finding shows that Executive compensation structures do not affects bank’s market value. The paper also revealed that among larger commercial banks, size is a key criteria in determining executive compensation as it is significantly but negatively related to compensation. Therefore, there is need to reign in the executive compensation tendencies in smaller banks to favour bigger shareholders who double up as bank directors to the detriment of returns and smaller owners of the bank.
Contrarian Investment, New Share Issues and Repurchases

This paper examines the returns to investment strategies based on the interactions between value-to-market indicators and corporate financing transactions that increase or decrease the firm's outstanding equity, i.e., equity issues and repurchases. Portfolio-level analyses and firm-level cross-sectional regressions indicate that the well-documented contrarian profits soar when value stocks which repurchase shares (value repurchasers) and growth stocks which issue shares (growth issuers) are considered. The results also show that value-to-market ratios cannot capture the cross-sectional variation in expected stock returns when value issuers and growth repurchasers are considered. Based on various risk measures, we find that value repurchasers are not riskier than growth issuers. Furthermore, value repurchasers (growth issuers) experience the highest increase (decrease) in future growth rates. Our findings are consistent with the misvaluation explanation for the superior returns of value stocks.
An Empirical Research on Corporate Bond Trading in Indonesia: The Role of Volume and Volatility

We examine the relationship between trading activity and price volatility in Indonesia corporate bond market using 2010-2014 data. We also investigate the role of liquidity and credit quality in this relationship. We find that volume and trading frequency have a positive and significant correlation to bond volatility, which is consistent with information-based model. The results also suggest that liquidity plays an important role in their relationship, in which illiquidity causing stronger relationship between trading volume and price volatility. Credit quality, however, do not have similar effects on volatility where AAA-rated bonds have higher volatility.
Getting guidelines into practice: a literature review.

BACKGROUND Clinical guidelines have the potential to ensure that a research knowledge base underpins practice. Their development nationally and locally has increased dramatically in recent years. The challenge lies in implementing them. This literature review of guideline implementation was conducted to inform the development of implementation strategies for the Royal College of Nursing national clinical guidelines. CONCLUSION The evidence base for guideline implementation is still developing and many ideas and strategies require further testing. Although strategies can be developed around some core principles, as yet there is no single definitive strategy. This selective literature review offers some insight into successful implementation strategies.
Early use of immunosuppressives or TNF antagonists for the treatment of Crohn's disease: time for a change

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder that follows a progressive and destructive course. Ultimately, uncontrolled inflammation leads to bowel damage from disease-related complications such as strictures, fistulas and abscesses and surgical resection. Conventional ‘step-care’, whereby corticosteroids and immunosuppressives are prescribed sequentially, is an incremental approach to treatment that does not prevent disease progression and conveys an important risk of adverse events from repeated courses of corticosteroids. Although the immunosuppressives azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate are corticosteroid-sparing, they are not highly effective for inducing mucosal healing or preventing disease progression. Tumour necrosis factor antagonists induce and maintain mucosal healing and reduce surgery and hospitalisation rates. This holds out the possibility that long-term use of these agents may prevent bowel damage. Combination therapy with immunosuppressives and tumour necrosis factor antagonists is likely the best strategy for achieving optimal outcomes in patients at high risk of disease progression. However, accurate prognostic markers must be identified to guide patient selection. Long-term prospective studies with robust outcomes are still needed to establish definitively the efficacy and safety of early combination therapy to prevent bowel damage, loss of gastrointestinal tract function and permanent disability.
Study on Creative Industrial Parks of Cultural Tourism Based on "One-stop Experience"

Tourism industry is developing towards aggregation and tourism products are increasingly presenting the features of creative cultural industry.Under this background,the merge of creative cultural industry with tourism industry results in cultural tourism creative industry.And cultural tourism creative industry constitutes creative cultural industrial parks under the aggregation of specified space.The paper tries to define the newly-developed tourism product "Cultural Tourism Creative Industrial Park",whose practice is actually earlier than theory.Starting from the perspective of "one-stop experience",the authors summarize the mainstream mode of the development of this park.Countermeasures are put forward to facilitate the development of cultural tourism creative industrial parks,with ultimate aim of building tourism destinations.
Clinical risk factors for proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

We reviewed the records of all patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachments examined and treated by a single surgeon (B.P.C.) at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, between 1978 and 1984. Of the 607 eyes that satisfied the selection criteria, a preliminary chart review of outcomes found that 65 (10.7%) had proliferative vitreoretinopathy and 34 had macular puckers. From the remaining 508 eyes, 325 controls were randomly selected to match each case from within a time window. Thirty-six (55.4%) of the 65 patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy had had unequivocal reattachment after a single procedure before the onset of proliferative vitreoretinopathy, and the only clearly identified technical difficulty that was significantly more common in the patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy was the inability to identify a retinal break. Several other features of the rhegmatogenous retinal detachments that correlated with the development of postoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy were identified, and stepwise discriminant analysis was used to ascertain which of these were more important. The strongest predictor was use of vitrectomy in management of the detachment. Following this in order of importance were the presence of preoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy, preoperative choroidal detachment, and the amount of cryopexy required. Vitrectomy remained a strong predictor even when considered after adjustment for all other characteristics. These data suggest that proliferative vitreoretinopathy is not simply an iatrogenic disease, but it is more likely to occur in association with certain detachment features that either by themselves or through their management require prolongation of the retinal wound healing process.
Analysis of GWAS-linked loci in Parkinson disease reaffirms PARK16 as a susceptibility locus

Objective: A genome-wide association study (GWAS) in the Japanese population identified 2 new Parkinson disease (PD) susceptibility loci on 1q32 (PARK16) (OMIM 613164) and BST1. We analyzed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) located at the GWAS-linked loci (PARK16, PARK8, PARK1, and BST1) in a Chinese population and also conducted a meta-analysis in Asians by pooling 2 independent replication studies from Japan. Methods: We conducted an analysis of 13 SNPs associated with PD GWAS-linked loci in 2 case-control cohorts comprised of 1,349 ethnic Chinese subjects. Results: PARK16, PARK8, and PARK1 loci but not BST1 were found to be associated with PD. PARK16 SNPs were associated with a decreased risk while PARK1 and PARK8 SNPs were associated with an increased risk of PD. A pooled analysis of our Chinese cohorts and 2 Japanese replication cohorts involving 1,366 subjects with PD and 16,669 controls revealed robust association with these 3 loci and also BST1. There was a trend toward a stronger protective effect of SNPs at the PARK16 locus in sporadic PD compared to familial cases and in older compared to younger subjects. Conclusions: Our study reaffirms the role of GWAS-linked loci in PD in Asian subjects and the strength of association is similar between Chinese and Japanese subjects. Efforts to elucidate the associated gene within PARK16 locus are warranted.
Prospective randomized trial of lisofylline for the prevention of toxicities of high-dose interleukin 2 therapy in advanced renal cancer and malignant melanoma.

The therapeutic application of high-dose interleukin (IL) 2 in human malignancy is limited by severe multiorgan toxicities that are mediated, in part, by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and IL-1. CT1501R (lisofylline; LSF) is one of several methyl xanthine congeners that inhibit the effects of TNF by the interruption of specific signal transduction pathways. This randomized, placebo-controlled trial was designed to assess the activity of LSF in reducing the toxicities of high-dose IL-2 therapy. Fifty-three patients with metastatic renal cancer or malignant melanoma were treated with i.v. bolus IL-2, 600, 000 IU/kg every 8 h for 5 days (14 doses), followed by 9 days of rest and another 5-day course of IL-2. Patients were randomly assigned to LSF, 1.5 mg/kg i.v. bolus, or placebo every 6 h during IL-2 therapy. All patients were to be treated to individual maximum tolerance of IL-2 at the intensive care unit level of support. The end points for statistical analysis were the number of IL-2 doses administered during the first cycle of treatment (maximum, 28) and the toxicities experienced by each group after the first 8 planned IL-2 doses. There was no difference between the LSF and placebo groups in the mean number of IL-2 doses tolerated in the entire first cycle of therapy (19.6 +/- 5.4 versus 19.5 +/- 5.8, P = 0.86) or in the first or second 5-day course of IL-2. The only significant difference in toxicities occurring through the eighth dose of IL-2 was in the maximum elevation of serum creatinine (mean, 1.7 +/- 0.8 for placebo versus 1.5 +/- 0.6 mg/dl for LSF, P = 0.013). A Monte Carlo analysis of major toxicities over the first 14-dose course of therapy showed a statistically significant difference favoring the LSF-treated group (P = 0.025). LSF was well tolerated, associated only with mildly increased nausea (P = 0.006 after eight IL-2 doses, but not significant for the entire first cycle). The antitumor activity was comparable in both groups (objective responses, 2 of 28 with LSF versus 4 of 24 with placebo). The mean peak plasma concentrations of LSF on days 1, 5, and 19 were 6.24, 3.83, and 5.04 micromol/liter, respectively. In conclusion, with this dose and schedule, LSF did not alter the toxicities of high-dose i.v. IL-2 sufficiently to impact the overall dose intensity of IL-2. Successful IL-2 toxicity modulation may require the use of higher doses of LSF, the development of agents with more potent anti-TNF activity, and/or combined modulating agents that function via distinct mechanisms to interrupt cytokine-mediated signaling.