Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reconstruction of Discontinuities from Backscattering Data in Two Dimensions

We prove that the nonsmooth part of a noncompactly supported potential $q$ in the Schrodinger Hamiltonian $-\Delta+q$, in dimension $n=2$, is contained in its Born approximation $q_B$ for backscattering data in a precise sense in terms of continuity: Given $q$ in $W^{\alpha,2}$ the difference $q-q_B$ is in the Holder class $\Lambda^\beta$ for any $\beta<\alpha. $
Whos On Board? Influence Of Diversity And Network Of Thai Boards Of Directors On Firm Value

Using a large sample analysis of Thai listed firms, we address an important question. Do board diversity and network add value to firms? This article extends the debate on the benefits and costs of board diversity and network and their effect on the broader picture of corporate governance. The sample period straddles 2001 to 2005, which allows us to examine board characteristics in response to the Asian financial crisis. We find that diversity in age and study majors are positively related to Tobins Q ratio, while diversity in educational levels leads to lower firm value. Our results suggest that boards with diverse age groups and study areas might generate useful advice and complement each other; however, those with diverse educational levels might create costs due to possible conflicts and a lack of coordination and communication. In addition, the results show that alumni networks have a positive effect on Tobins Q ratio. The findings further suggest that board networks could bring benefits to firms. An alumni network is significant to firms because it could help firms obtain external resources. It also provides significant findings for policy makers to design best practices of directors in emerging countries.
Observed and Projected Changes in United States Tornado Exposure

AbstractThis study examines how tornado risk and societal exposure interact to create tornado disaster potential in the United States. Finescale historical and projected demographic data are used in a set of region-specific Monte Carlo tornado simulations to reveal how societal development has shaped, and will continue to shape, tornado disaster frequency and consequences. Results illustrate that although the U.S. Midwest contains the greatest built-environment exposure and the central plains experience the most significant tornadoes, the midsouth contains the greatest tornado disaster potential. This finding is attributed to the relatively elevated tornado risk and accelerated growth in developed land area that characterizes the midsouth region. Disaster potential is projected to amplify in the United States due to increasing built-environment development and its spatial footprint in at-risk regions. In the four regions examined, both average annual tornado impacts and associated impact variability are p.
Market competitiveness and quality performance in high-contact service industries

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore conceptually and examine empirically the impact of market competitiveness on employee satisfaction, service quality, and customer satisfaction in high‐contact service industries.Design/methodology/approach – An empirical study was conducted in high‐contact service shops in Hong Kong. Dyadic data were collected from 210 high‐contact service shops and were analysed using structural equation modelling.Findings – The results confirm that market competitiveness has a direct impact on service quality, not employee satisfaction. The findings also reveal that service quality affects customer satisfaction, which in turn leads to employee satisfaction, forming a “quality‐customer satisfaction‐employee satisfaction cycle”. Practical implications – The results recommend that firms take a long‐term perspective towards investment in understanding the competitiveness of the market. Such an understanding helps managers identify and implement appropriate quality‐improvement.
Signal processing strategy for the exploitation of ultrasound contrast agents by current medical instrumentation

A correct exploitation of an ultrasound contrast agent injected into the human body and the measurement of the nonlinear responses generated by the bubbles that form it need an acoustic insonification beam having a quasi-constant pressure profile over a large depth interval. In order to obtain this special beam, a stochastic method of synthesis (based on simulated annealing), aimed at the optimization of the weight coefficients to be applied to the array transducers, has been developed and assessed. The results obtained in terms of pressure profile and simulated echographic images are reported and discussed.
Home-Based Art Therapy for Older Adults with Mental Health Needs: Views of Clients and Caregivers

The value of art therapy for older people with mental health problems is well documented although there is a paucity of research for people who are home bound. This study, based in England, involved five clients, all older people with mental health problems, receiving art therapy sessions at home. The clients and caregivers were then interviewed to ascertain their views. This study indicated that clients and caregivers do feel that art therapy can be of benefit in the home environment. These benefits include an increase in confidence and motivation, with emotional support also being valued. The study concludes that an art therapist can work in the home environment as long as he/she is flexible, organized and assertive.
Tumor cell adhesion to endothelial cells is increased by endotoxin via an upregulation of beta-1 integrin expression.

BACKGROUND Recent studies have demonstrated that metastatic disease develops from tumor cells that adhere to endothelial cells and proliferate intravascularly. The beta-1 integrin family and its ligand laminin have been shown to be important in tumor-to-endothelial cell adhesion. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been implicated in the increased metastatic tumor growth that is seen postoperatively. We postulated that LPS increases tumor cell expression of beta-1 integrins and that this leads to increased adhesion. METHODS The human metastatic colon cancer cell line LS174T was labeled with an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) using retroviral transfection. Cell cultures were treated with LPS for 1, 2, and 4 h (n = 6 each) and were subsequently cocultured for 30 or 120 min with confluent human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), to allow adherence. Adherent tumor cells were counted using fluorescence microscopy. These experiments were carried out in the presence or absence of a functional blocking beta-1 integrin monoclonal antibody (4B4). Expression of beta-1 integrin and laminin on tumor and HUVECs was assessed using flow cytometric analysis. Tumor cell NF-kappaB activation after incubation with LPS was measured. RESULTS Tumor cell and HUVEC beta-1 integrin expression and HUVEC expression of laminin were significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced after incubation with LPS. Tumor cell adhesion to HUVECs was significantly increased. Addition of the beta-1 integrin blocking antibody reduced tumor cell adhesion to control levels. LPS increased tumor cell NF-kappaB activation. CONCLUSIONS Exposure to LPS increases tumor cell adhesion to the endothelium through a beta-1 integrin-mediated pathway that is NF-kappaB dependent. This may provide a target for immunotherapy directed at reducing postoperative metastatic tumor growth.
Do Ownership Structure and Governance Mechanisms Have an Effect on Corporate Fraud in China's Listed Firms?

Our study examines whether ownership structure and boardroom characteristics have an effect on corporate financial fraud in China. The data come from the enforcement actions of the Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). The results from univariate analyses, where we compare fraud and no-fraud firms, show that ownership and board characteristics are important in explaining fraud. However, using a bivariate probit model with partial observability we demonstrate that boardroom characteristics are important, while the type of owner is less relevant. In particular, the proportion of outside directors, the number of board meetings, and the tenure of the chairman are associated with the incidence of fraud. Our findings have implications for the design of appropriate corporate governance systems for listed firms. Moreover, our results provide information that can inform policy debates within the CSRC.
Ownership Structure and Dividend Policy: An Analysis of Consumer Goods Indusry in Nigeria

The study is aimed at determining the impact of ownership structure on dividend policy of firms listed in the Nigerian Consumer Goods Industry. The study employs the ex-post-facto research design. Data were collected from annual reports and accounts of sampled companies and were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regression methods. The study finds that insider share ownership (ISO) and outsider share ownership (OSO) have negative and insignificant impact on dividend per share (DPS) while block share ownership (BSO) has positive and insignificant impact on DPS. However, the impact of control variable earnings per share (EPS) on DPS is positive and significant. The study recommends that, in the analysis of dividend policy of companies in the consumer goods industry in Nigeria stakeholders should pay limited attention to the ownership structure of the company but the bottom line, as it is the earnings that matters not the dividend or ownership structure. This is because dividend per share is determined significantly by earnings not how the company is owned. However, considering dividend payout ratio as determinant of dividend payment, it is recommended that dividend clientele may be encouraged to invest in the consumer goods industry in Nigeria where there is high rate of block share ownership.
Self-Efficacy and Anxiety and Their Relationship to Training and Race Performance

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of task-specific and general measures of physical self-efficacy in a competitive sports setting and how these measures relate to anxiety and actual running performance. 47 members of a running club and 16 members of a university track team completed measures assessing general and task-specific self-efficacy, anxiety, and training experience and were asked to run in three running events. Associations among these variables and running performance, examined by correlational and regression analyses, indicated that race finishing time was significantly related to a number of training variables, predicted performance, and measures of self-efficacy; however, state and trait anxiety were not significantly related to pace of race. Results suggest that a task-specific measure of self-efficacy is the better predictor of performance in a race than a general measure of self-efficacy.
The Transmission of Banking Crises to Households: Lessons from the 2008-2011 Crises in the Eca Region

This paper examines the impact of the recent banking crises in Europe and Central Asia on households' incomes and consumption patterns. The analysis is based on the 2010 wave of the Life in Transition Survey, which covers 12,704 households in eleven countries that experienced a banking crisis between 2008 and 2011. It finds that households in middle-income crisis countries are more than twice as likely to be hit by an income shock as households in high-income crisis countries. The labor market channel is the predominant source of income shocks, with wage reductions more widespread than job-losses. In reaction to income shocks, households reallocate spending from non-essential goods to staple foods. Reductions in staple-food consumption are, however, prevalent among low-income households. The paper examines potential crisis mitigators and finds that at the macro level a flexible monetary regime is associated with fewer cutbacks in household consumption. At the meso level, it finds no evidence that foreign bank ownership amplified the transmission of banking crises to households in Europe. With respect to micro-level mitigators, the analysis finds that diversified income sources as well as stocks of non-financial and financial assets help households to cushion income shocks. Access to informal and formal credit also mitigates the impact of income shocks on household consumption, with the former especially important in middle-income countries.
Determinants of Related Party Transactions and Their Impact on Firm Value

Recent corporate scandals have raised considerable concern among regulators and stock market participants about related party transactions (RPTs), prompting SarbanesOxley (SOX) to prohibit personal loans to executives and non-executive board members. In a large representative sample of companies for a period that predates SOX, we find RPTs are wide spread and involve equally executive and non-executives board members; additionally, the proportion of related party loans is smaller than other non- loan related party transactions such as purchases or direct services. When we examine the relationship between RPTs and the extant literature's corporate governance mechanisms (such as board characteristics, CEO pay-performance sensitivity, and outside monitors), we generally find weaker corporate governance mechanisms associated with more RPTs. We also find that industry-adjusted returns are negatively associated with RPTs. On further examination of loans versus other types of RPTs not considered in SOX, we find a negative relationship between industry-adjusted returns and loans to executives and nonexecutive directors, and a similar relationship for other types of RPTs with non-executive directors. In summary, our results show strong support for RPTs as conflicts of interest between managers/board members and their shareholders.
Listed companies' contribution to non-shareholders stakeholders: Influencing factors and value relevance of voluntary disclosure

Listed companies of Shanghai Stock Exchange have begun to disclose their contribution to stakeholders voluntarily since 2008. In this paper, based on the Stakeholder Theory, we collect all the firms that disclosed the value of social contribution in their annual reports, then examine what factors affect management's disclose behavior, and whether the contribution to non shareholder stakeholders has incremental value relevance. The results show that companies that disclosed social contribution value are normally larger, more profitable ones, and possess better corporate governance than those that didn't disclose. What's more, investors see the contribution to non-shareholder stakeholders (NSS) in an active way, which is positively related to share price. When the companies' profitability is above the market average, investors will pay more attention to the contribution to NSS.
Prevalence of Wasting, Stunting, and Underweight Among HIV Infected Underfives', in Lagos Using W.H.O z Score.

BACKGROUND HIV affects more than 2.3 million children worldwide and 90% live in Africa. Malnutrition is also a major problem in Africa with 25% of children under the age of five being malnourished. OBJECTIVE The study is to determine the nutritional status of HIV infected children using weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height. METHODS This was a cross sectional descriptive study where the severity of malnutrition based on weight for age, height for age and weight for weight for height of HIV infected children were compared with controls. RESULTS The study showed that both HIV infected children and controls were both wasted stunted and underweight, however the severity was more marked in the HIV infected children. The prevalence of wasting was 17.5% in the HIV group compared to 6.6% of the controls, while 17.1% and 7.5% in the HIV infected and controls respectively were stunted. The HIV infected children were more underweight 18.5% compared to the non-infected 8%. CONCLUSION HIV infected children were three times more wasted, stunted and under-weight than the controls and was statistically significant.
Profiling Adopter Categories of Internet Banking in India: An Empirical Study

Internet Banking is an example of B2C business model, where transactions can be carried out without visiting the bank branch physically. The objective of the empirical study is to identify the dimensions and their impact on the adoption of Internet Banking on the various adopter categories. In order to get an insight of the different adopter segments, two important constructs such as customer perception constituting perceived ease of use and perceived security risk and perception towards demographic variables consisting of age, gender, education, income and occupation of the users are identified from the existing literature. The cluster analysis reveals that the clusters formed are innovators, early majority, late majority and laggards for adopting Internet Banking. Our study substantiates that only income as a variable acts as a roadblock in the adoption of Internet Banking services. The study will help Internet Banking marketing managers to design their strategies so as to encourage adoption and attract more customers.
Fear of Being Laughed at in Borderline Personality Disorder

Building on the assumption of a possible link between biases in social information processing frequently associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and the occurrence of gelotophobia (i.e., a fear of being laughed at), the present study aimed at evaluating the prevalence rate of gelotophobia among BPD patients. Using the Geloph<15> , a questionnaire that allows a standardized assessment of the presence and severity of gelotophobia symptoms, rates of gelotophobia were assessed in a group of 30 female BPD patients and compared to data gathered in clinical and non-clinical reference groups. Results indicate a high prevalence of gelotophobia among BPD patients with 87% of BPD patients meeting the Geloph<15> criterion for being classified as gelotophobic. Compared to other clinical and non-clinical reference groups, the rate of gelotophobia among BPD patients appears to be remarkably high, far exceeding the numbers reported for other groups in the literature to date, with 30% of BPD patients reaching extreme levels, 37% pronounced levels, and 20% slight levels of gelotophobia.
Bureaucratic Culture in Public and Private Construction Project Organisations

Abstract Projects are commissioned by public and private client organisations, which have different organizational cultures and structures that dictate the rules and procedures to be followed in project procurement. It has long been perceived that public organisations are more bureaucratic than private organisations, yet empirical evidence is not entirely conclusive. The research objective in this study is to examine the extent of bureaucracy and red tape in construction project organisations in the public and private sectors. The methodology comprises two parts: the first part is a questionnaire survey of project participants’ perceived extent of bureaucracy and red tape in project organisations, and the second part is a comparative case study of a public and a private client project organisation. The long debated argument of “organisations in the public sector are generally more bureaucratic than those in the private sector” is supported. In addition, it is found that there is some correlation among bureaucratic features and between bureaucracy and red tape. The public organisation in the case study has set up more rules and procedures in both the control and operating systems, and has a greater demand on role delineation/specialisation.
In Vivo Transfer of Plasmid-Encoded ACC-1 AmpC from Klebsiella pneumoniae to Escherichia coli in an Infant and Selection of Impermeability to Imipenem in K. pneumoniae

ABSTRACT We describe in vivo selection of a Klebsiella pneumoniae strain with diminished imipenem susceptibility attributable to plasmid-encoded ACC-1 β-lactamase production and loss of a 36-kDa major outer membrane protein, together with transfer of this plasmid from K. pneumoniae to Escherichia coli in a Tunisian infant.
The Performance Private Equity Backed Ipos

The paper examines the aftermarket performance of private equity-backed initial public offerings (IPOs) based a hand collected sample of private equity-backed and equivalent samples of venture capital-backed and other non-sponsored issues on the London Stock Exchange. The evidence suggests marked differences across the three groups in terms of market size, industry classification and key operating characteristics at the time of flotation. Private equity-backed IPOs exhibit superior performance compared with their counterparts throughout the 36 months period in the aftermarket; such performance is robust across different benchmarks and estimation procedures. The performance of private equity-backed IPOs is positively related to their level of leverage and the proportion of equity maintained by the private equity sponsors immediately after flotation.
Consulting By Business College Academics: Lessons for Business Communication Courses

Three of the articles give examples of integrating consulting experiences into the classroom. Randy Barker and Kim Gowan, Virginia Commonwealth University, use a narrative approach to help their students understand a variety of business communication principles, while Jacqueline Layng, University of Toledo, describes an activity that focuses on the practice of salary negotiation. Finally, Tom Clark, Xavier University, examines elements of networking used by management consultants and explains how it provides a paradigm as his students strategize the job search. It is our hope that by reading this column, ABC members will find new ways to integrate their management consulting experiences into their classes, thereby offering students an experience-based glimpse into professional life.
OXYGEN TENSION UNDER AN OXYGEN‐PERMEABLE CONTACT LENS*

&NA; The oxygen tension at the anterior corneal surface under an oxygen‐permeable contact lens is shown to be a function of the oxygen transmissibility and the thickness of the lens. The oxygen transmissibilities of several gel contact lenses and a silicone rubber lens are reported together with the procedure for making this measurement. Several of the lenses are shown to give, for an open eye, an oxygen tension at the corneal surface sufficient for maintenance of normal corneal thickness. None of the lenses tested will do this for the closed eye.
Effects of human resource systems on manufacturing performance and turnover

Using an empirical taxonomy identifying two types of human resource systems, “control” and “commitment,” this study tested the strategic human resource proposition that specific combinations of policies and practices are useful in predicting differences in performance and turnover across steel “minimills. ” The mills with commitment systems had higher productivity, lower scrap rates, and lower employee turnover than those with control systems. In addition, human resource system moderated the relationship between turnover and manufacturing performance.
Satisfaction, loyalty and word of mouth within the customer base of a utility provider: differences between stayers, switchers and referral switchers

Research on satisfaction, loyalty and word of mouth (WOM) behaviour has made considerable progress within recent years, but important aspects remain neglected. In this paper, it is argued that, within the customer base of service providers, certain groups can be identified which differ from each other with regards to these variables. Hypotheses are developed and tested in a sample of 765 clients of a large German energy provider. The results show that recently acquired customers (switchers) differ from long-term customers (stayers), and that switchers acquired through customer referrals differ from switchers recruited through advertising or direct mail in their satisfaction, loyalty and WOM behaviour. The paper ends with some important implications for management and future research. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications Ltd.