Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Micro Determinants of Dividend Policy in Quoted Manufacturing Companies in Nigeria

This study examined the factors that determine dividend policy of quoted manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The general purpose is to examine factors that affect dividend policy of the quoted firms. After exhaustive literature review, cross sectional data was sourced from financial statement of twenty quoted manufacturing firms. Dividend payout rate was proxy for dividend policy while growth opportunities, liquidity, management efficiency, profit level, cost of capital, company size and debt equity ratio were proxy for independent variables. The study applied the Pooled Ordinary Least Square (OLS), fixed effect, and random effect regression models using the e-view statistical package. Findings reveal that growth opportunities, profit level, management efficiency and debt equity ratio have negative effect on dividend payout ratio while liquidity, cost of capital and company size have positive effect on dividend payout ratio of the manufacturing firms. We conclude that liquidity cost of capital and company size significantly determine dividend policy while growth opportunities, management efficiency, profit level and debt equity ratio have no significant effect on dividend policy. The study recommends among others, that managers/consultants should carefully examine the economic factors within a firm’s operating environment when carrying out the functions of developing or designing dividend policy for the firm.
Organisational culture's impact on management accounting and control practices in the United Arab Emirates

This paper investigates the impact of organisational culture on management accounting and control (MAC) practices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Data were collected using a self-administered survey of companies and multiple regression analysis (ordinary least squares) was employed to test the study's hypotheses. Empirical results show internal organisational cultures characterised by high levels of adhocracy (adaptability) or low levels of hierarchy appear to be more conducive to the adoption of MAC practices. On the other hand, organisations with a more market-oriented culture seem to be less reliant on budgeting as a means for exerting management control. In addition, the service industry displays significant differences in its MAC practices relative to other sectors' behaviour. This investigation thus yields new insights into the influences affecting implementation of MAC practices, which is useful for researchers, corporate managers, and other stakeholders.
Competing for Deal Flow in Local Mortgage Markets

The U.S. mortgage market exhibits competitive instability in which some lenders rapidly emerge from the fringe to substantial market shares. Using inferred discontinuities in application acceptance models to generate local lending shocks, we analyze the impact on a lender of a surge in originations by its competitors. We show that the quickest-growing (but not the largest) competitors divert applications and originations from other lenders. Facing a quickly growing competitor, lenders charge higher interest rates, partially because of the increased risk of their loans. Loan performance suffers for other lenders as the quickest-growing competitor’s originations increase.
Challenges and Opportunities of Sustainable Economic Growth: The Case of Malta

This book brings together five articles which assess whether recent economic growth in Malta was based on, or has led to, the development of macroeconomic imbalances. Economic growth appears to have been driven by a significant increase in the economy’s potential, through a boost in total factor productivity. The resulting rise in GDP instead of leading to a spike in consumption appears to have ended up mostly as higher savings. There is also no evidence that faster economic growth was fuelled by rising credit or has led to property prices deviating from fundamentals.
Extrahepatic malignancy following long‐term immunosuppressive therapy of severe hepatitis B surface antigen‐negative chronic active hepatitis

To determine the frequency, predisposing factors and consequences of extrahepatic malignancy following long‐term immunosuppressive therapy of severe HBsAg‐negative chronic active hepatitis, 149 patients who had received prednisone (20 mg daily) or prednisone (10 mg daily) in combination with azathioprine (50 mg daily) for at least 6 months were evaluated systematically for 109 ± 5 months (range: 7 to 223 months). Seven neoplasms involving cervix (2), lymphatic tissue (1), breast (1), bladder (1), soft tissue (1) and unknown site (1) developed in seven patients after 116 ± 23 months (range: 18 to 164 months). The incidence of extrahepatic neoplasm was 1 per 194 patient–years of surveillance, and the probability of tumor occurrence was 3% after 10 years. Tumor frequency was similar in men and women and the risk was 1.4‐fold greater than that in an age‐and sex‐matched normal population (95% confidence interval, 0.6‐ to 2.9‐fold normal). Patients with extrahepatic malignancy were not distinguished by age, sex, treatment regimen, cumulative duration of treatment (42 ± 9 vs. 60 ± 4 months, p = 0.7) or individual features of the liver disease. Five of the seven patients survived during 48 ± 25 months of follow‐up, including two patients who have lived for at least 5 years after the diagnosis of malignancy. We conclude that extrahepatic malignancy develops infrequently during long‐term immunosuppressive therapy. Its occurrence is not related to the type or duration of treatment, and long‐term survival after tumor detection is possible. The low but probably increased risk of extrahepatic neoplasm does not militate against the use of immunosuppressive therapy in these patients.
Uncertainty and Prediction Risk Assessment of short-term wind power forecasts

The paper introduces a new methodology for assessing on-line the prediction risk of short-term wind power forecasts. The ﬁrst part of this methodology consists in computing conﬁdence intervals with a conﬁdence level deﬁned by the end-user. Focus is given in this paper to the second part of this methodology, which consists in a quantiﬁcation of the meteorological risk in order to give signals to the operator on the prediction risk - i.e. the probabilities for the occurrence of high prediction errors depending on the weather stability. For this purpose, two indices, named MRI and NPRI , are deﬁned reﬂecting respectively the spread of the available Numerical Weather Predictions and of the wind power ensemble predictions generated from meteorological poor man’s ensembles. A relation between these indices and the level of prediction error is shown. Evaluation results of this methodology over a three-year period on the case study of a Danish wind farm and over a one-year period on the case study of an Irish farm are given. The proposed methodology has an operational nature and can be applied to all kinds of wind power forecasting models.
O‐linked β‐N‐acetylglucosaminylation in mouse embryonic neural precursor cells

In neural stem cells (NSCs), glycoconjugates and carbohydrate antigens are known not only to serve as excellent cell surface biomarkers for cellular differentiation and development but also to play important functional roles in determining cell fate. O‐linked β‐N‐acetylglucosamine (O‐GlcNAc), which modifies nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins on the serine and threonine residues, is also expected to play an important regulatory role. It is not known, however, whether O‐GlcNAc is expressed in NSCs or what the function of this expression is. In this study, we evaluated the patterns and possible functions of O‐GlcNAcylation in mouse embryonic neuroepithelial cells (NECs), which are known to be rich in NSCs. We confirmed the expression of O‐GlcNAc transferase, O‐GlcNAcase, and several O‐GlcNAcylated proteins in NECs. Treatment of NECs with O‐GlcNAcase inhibitors, PUGNAc and streptozotocin, induced robust accumulation of O‐GlcNAc in NECs and reduction of number of NECs. In O‐GlcNAcase inhibitor‐treated NECs, the Ras‐mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathway and the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase‐Akt pathway, important for proliferation and survival, respectively, were intact, but caspase‐3, an executioner for cell death, was activated. These results suggest the possibility that O‐GlcNAc is involved in cell death signaling in NECs. Furthermore, in NECs, we identified an O‐GlcNAc‐modified protein, Sp1 transcription factor. Our study is the first to evaluate expression and functions of O‐GlcNAc in NECs. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Perceptions and Attitudes of Secondary School Students towards Engineers and Engineering

The aim of this research is to determine the perceptions and attitudes of fifth and sixth grade secondary school students towards engineers and engineering. The study group consists of fifty four students receiving education in the fifth and sixth grades of a state secondary school in Turkey. Convergent parallel design, as a mixed methods research design, was used during the research. The research data were obtained using the questionnaire on attitudes towards engineers and a draw-an-engineer form. Descriptive and predictive statistical techniques and content analysis were used during data analysis. The research results indicate that, students perceive engineers as qualified construction workers, repairers, managers or designers; and that they have stereotypical opinions about their gender. Despite their positive attitudes towards engineering, students were found to prefer engineering as a profession at a low level. The research was carried out with a view to contribute to the related literature, educators and researchers with research results obtained from Turkish education system in which STEM education has an increasing importance. Keywords: STEM education, engineering, perception, attitude, stereotypical opinions
Hyperpolarisation‐activated cyclic nucleotide‐gated channels regulate the spontaneous firing rate of olfactory receptor neurons and affect glomerular formation in mice

• Olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) utilise the spontaneous firing activity for axonal targeting. • Cyclic AMP‐gated HCN channels depolarised the membranes of ORNs and enhanced their spontaneous firing activity. • Standing activation of the β‐adrenergic receptors maintained the basal cAMP level and resulted in the opening of HCN channels. • The over‐expression of HCN4 resulted in a decrease in the number of glomeruli in the olfactory bulb, which was rescued by suppressing HCN4 over‐expression. • HCN channels, together with the standing activation of G‐protein‐coupled receptors, maintained the spontaneous firing activity of ORNs and were essential to glomerular formation in the olfactory bulb.
Exploring the Relationship between Senior Management Team Culture and Hospital Performance

The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between senior management team culture and organizational performance in English hospital organizations (NHS trusts [National Health Service]). We used an established culture-rating instrument, the Competing Values Framework, to assess senior management team culture. Organizational performance was assessed using a wide variety of routinely collected measures. Data were gathered from all English NHS acute hospital trusts, a total of 197 organizations. Multivariate econometric analyses were used to explore the associations between measures of culture and measures of performance using regressions, ANOVA, multinomial logit, and ordered probit. Organizational culture varied across hospital organizations, and at least some of this variation was associated in consistent and predictable ways with a variety of organizational characteristics and measures of performance. The findings provide particular support for a contingent relationship between culture and performance.
Financial expertise and corporate tax avoidance

ABSTRACT This study examines financial expert CEOs as one of the determinants of corporate tax avoidance. We conjecture that financial sophistication motivates CEOs to approach tax avoidance as an investment. We investigate the relationship between financial expert CEOs and tax avoidance both at the conditional mean and across tax avoidance distribution. Consistent with our conjecture, we find that financial expert CEOs are associated with a more aggressive tax avoidance policy. Further, our results indicate that the impact of financial expert CEOs results from a careful analysis of cost and benefit.
Actor‐Network Theory to Depict Context‐Sensitive M‐Learning Readiness in Higher Education

This study has taken a relatively unusual approach to assessing technology readiness within a higher educational institution by using Actor Network Theory (ANT) as a lens instead of the more common adoption models and indices. The study sets out to identify the key actors within an actor network and to describe how these actors are recruited during the problematisation stage of building the actor network. The actors were identified by means of the input from three groups participating in this study, namely the students, lecturers and non‐academic staff members. The paper then goes on to explain how the actors influence one another to become and remain m‐Learning ready. This influence is described in terms of attributes found as part of the inscription process. The construction and stabilization of the naturally dynamic actor network is intended to achieve a common goal, in this case, to use mobile learning effectively within South African higher educational institutions. The study contributes practically as an analytical process is demonstrated and that this could be used as a guide for future m‐Learning readiness studies with the existing findings being used as a reference point. Once the actors are identified, their participation in the project and the extent to which they are aligned in terms of the attributes can be used to assess the readiness of the institution to use m‐Learning. Theoretically, this paper provides evidence that sociological theories such as ANT can be used to complement traditional technology readiness, adoption and use models.
Trends in mortality from COPD among adults in the United States.

BACKGROUND COPD imposes a large public health burden internationally and in the United States. The objective of this study was to examine trends in mortality from COPD among US adults from 1968 to 2011. METHODS Data from the National Vital Statistics System from 1968 to 2011 for adults aged ≥ 25 years were accessed, and trends in mortality rates were examined with Joinpoint analysis. RESULTS Among all adults, age-adjusted mortality rate rose from 29.4 per 100,000 population in 1968 to 67.0 per 100,000 population in 1999 and then declined to 63.7 per 100,000 population in 2011 (annual percentage change [APC] 2000-2011, -0.2%; 95% CI, -0.6 to 0.2). The age-adjusted mortality rate among men peaked in 1999 and then declined (APC 1999-2011, -1.1%; 95% CI, -1.4 to -0.7), whereas the age-adjusted mortality rate among women increased from 2000 to 2011, peaking in 2008 (APC 2000-2011, 0.4%; 95% CI, 0.0-0.9). Despite a narrowing of the sex gap, mortality rates in men continued to exceed those in women. Evidence of a decline in the APC was noted for black men (1999-2011, -1.5%; 95% CI, -2.1 to -1.0) and white men (1999-2011, -0.9%; 95% CI, -1.3 to -0.6), adults aged 55 to 64 years (1989-2011, -1.0%; 95% CI, -1.2 to -0.8), and adults aged 65 to 74 years (1999-2011, -1.2%; 95% CI, -1.6 to -0.9). CONCLUSIONS In the United States, the mortality rate from COPD has declined since 1999 in men and some age groups but appears to be still rising in women, albeit at a reduced pace.
Epinephrine for the out-of-hospital (first-aid) treatment of anaphylaxis in infants: is the ampule/syringe/needle method practical?

BACKGROUND Little information is available about administration of an accurate epinephrine dose to infants experiencing anaphylaxis outside the hospital setting. OBJECTIVE Our purpose was to perform a prospective, controlled study of (1) the time needed by parents to draw up an infant epinephrine dose from an ampule and (2) the dose accuracy. METHODS We gave 18 parents written instructions and asked them to draw up epinephrine 0.09 mL. We timed them by means of a stopwatch and measured the epinephrine content (in micrograms) in each dose by using HPLC-UV. Eighteen resident physicians, 18 general duty nurses, and 18 emergency department nurses served as controls. RESULTS The parents took significantly longer (P < .05) than the controls to draw up the dose; the mean (+/- SEM) times were 142 +/- 13 seconds (range, 83-248) for the parents, 52 +/- 3 seconds (range, 30-83) for the physicians, 40 +/- 2 seconds (range, 26-71) for the general duty nurses, and 29 +/- 0.09 seconds (range, 27-33) for the emergency department nurses. The control groups did not differ significantly from each other in speed (P > .05). The epinephrine content of the doses drawn up by the parents ranged 40-fold in contrast to the physicians' doses (7- to 8-fold), general duty nurses' doses (3-fold), and emergency department nurses' doses (2-fold). The mean epinephrine content did not differ significantly (P > .05) among the 4 groups. CONCLUSIONS Most parents were unable to draw up an infant epinephrine dose rapidly or accurately. Most health care professionals drew up the dose rapidly; however, their accuracy was compromised by inherent variations of epinephrine concentrations in the ampules (United States Pharmacopeia compendial limits, 90% to 115%) and the inherent difficulty of measuring low volumes (<0.1 mL) of epinephrine. User-friendly premeasured epinephrine doses suitable for infants should be developed.
Caspase Dependent DNA Fragmentation Might Be Associated with Excitotoxicity in Alzheimer Disease

Recent studies have shown that deficient functioning of glutamate transporters (GTs) in Alzheimer disease (AD) might lead to neurodegeneration via excitotoxicity; however, the characteristics of cell death and pathways involved are not yet clear. The main objective of the present study was to determine if deficient GT functioning in AD could be associated with cell damage and caspase activation. For this purpose, we analyzed the levels of caspase-1 and 3 immunoreactivity in AD and control brains and correlated this data with the numbers of cells displaying DNA fragmentation, GT activity, and amyloid precursor protein (APP) mRNA expression. Compared to controls, AD cases showed extensive positive labeling of neurons and glial cells with an assay for DNA fragmentation suggestive of cell damage, as well as increased neuronal caspase-3 and Bcl-2 immunoreactivity. Linear regression analysis showed a strong negative correlation between GT activity and apoptosis, and between deficient GT functioning and caspase-3 immunoreactivity. Neurons displaying DNA fragmentation presented more intense caspase-3 immunoreactivity than intact neurons. In addition, the altered ratio between the spliced forms of APP correlated with DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 immunolabeling. Taken together, these results support the possibility that excitotoxic injury associated with deficient GT functioning and an imbalance in ratio of spliced APP forms might lead to cell death via caspase-3 activation.
Surface display of a functional single-chain Fv antibody on staphylococci

Two different host-vector expression systems designed for cell surface display of chimeric receptors on Staphylococcus xylosus and Staphylococcus carnosus have been evaluated for surface display of a mouse immunoglobulin G1(kappa) [IgG1(kappa)] anti-human IgE single-chain Fv (scFv) antibody fragment. To achieve surface anchoring of the chimeric receptors containing the scFv, the cell surface attachment regions from Staphylococcus aureus protein A were used in both expression systems. The different chimeric receptors could be recovered from cell wall extracts of both S. xylosus and S. carnosus, and surface localization was demonstrated by taking advantage of a serum albumin-binding reporter region present within the two types of receptors. In addition, the two different recombinant staphylococci carrying hybrid receptors containing the scFv were demonstrated to react with the antigen, which was human IgE, in whole-cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. This is the first report of an antibody fragment expressed in a functional form anchored to the surface of gram-positive bacteria. The potential use of recombinant gram-positive bacteria as whole-cell diagnostic devices or alternatives to filamentous phages for surface display of scFv libraries is discussed.
A Multisensor Solid-State Pressure Manometer to Identify the Level of Collapse in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The cause of failure after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) in idiopathic obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is poorly understood, but has been speculated to be due, in part, to persistent collapse in the lower oropharynx. In order to determine the specific level of upper airway obstruction during sleep, a multisensor pressure catheter has been developed with five solid-state ultraminiature sensors. Four sensors in the pharynx simultaneously measure multiple pressure levels, with no need to move the catheter during sleep. One distal esophageal port measures the respiratory effort. To evaluate the use of this catheter, manometry in twelve patients was reviewed and compared to simultaneous videoendoscopy. The initial site of obstruction was the palate in nine patients (75%) and the tongue base in three (25%). Three patients with initial obstruction at the palate manometrically demonstrated distal obstruction on subsequent occluded breaths. Furthermore, simultaneous videoendoscopy in four patients with a palatal level of obstruction also identified marked near-total visual collapse without obstruction of the lower oropharynx that was not identified by pharyngeal manometry. The endoscopy revealed that at the initial site of obstruction, collapse appeared to have occurred passively during expiration and not on inspiration. Inferior to the site of mano-metric obstruction, collapse occurred during inspiration associated with increased negative inspiratory pressures. These results demonstrate that a multisensor pressure catheter can objectively identify the level of obstruction during sleep. However, manometry does not identify visually observed collapse at nonobstructive segments of the upper airway. Because such collapse and the associated increases in resistance may contribute to the pathology of airway obstruction in OSAS, manometry may miss pathologic segments of the upper airway in OSAS.
Mapping two genes in the purine metabolism pathway of soybean

Mapping genes in biochemical pathways allow study of the genomic organization of pathways and geneic relationships within these pathways. Additionally, molecular markers located within the boundaries of a specific gene sequence represent important marker assisted selection resources. We report map locations of two geneic markers from the purine synthesis pathway in soybean (Glycine max (L. merr.)), utilizing a 90 plant F2 population created from the cross of “DT97-4290” × “DS97-84-1”. Primers were designed based on sequences from annotated soybean complimentary DNA. A polymorphic, co-dominant, sequence-characterized amplified region marker was created for hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (EC 2.4.2.8). Linkage analysis placed this gene on linkage group (LG) O. In addition, a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker was developed for a urate oxidase gene (EC 1.7.3.3). Linkage analysis of the SNP placed the urate oxidase gene on LG I. For both genes, amplicon sequence data confirmed the identification of the respective gene. Mapping these genes represents the first step in understanding the genomic organization of the purine biochemical pathway in soybean.