Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Product Market Characteristics and the Choice between IPOs and Acquisitions

Using unique U.S. Census data sets, we analyze how entrepreneurial firms’ product market characteristics affect their choice between going public, being acquired, or remaining private. Size, total factor productivity (TFP), sales growth, capital expenditure, market share, access to private funding, and human capital intensiveness significantly increase a private firm’s likelihood of an initial public offering (IPO) relative to an acquisition. Firms in industries with less information asymmetry and higher stock liquidity are more likely to choose an IPO over an acquisition. While TFP peaks around either form of exit, the rate of increase in TFP prior to acquisitions and the subsequent decrease is smaller than that around IPOs.
Do institutional investors monitor top management turnover ? Evidence from superannuation fund mandate terminations

This study investigates the role of senior managerial turnover in the termination of investment mandates by Australian superannuation funds. Monitoring of investment arrangements by superannuation fund trustees represents a significantly important fiduciary responsibility, and is critically important given the substantial assets invested in the superannuation system. We find that superannuation funds rescind the services provided by an investment management company as a result of the departure of a senior fund manager. This finding is surprising since the literature shows improvements in fund performance after managerial changes. The probability of mandate termination is documented to be greater for larger funds, for those funds that do not have the best/highest fund rating, and for funds that generate lower gross returns. JEL Classification: G11, G23
A study on effect of curcumin on anticerebral aneurysm in the male albino rats

This study investigated the curcumin effect on the cerebral aneurysm. Apoptosis is known to play a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of a cerebral aneurysm. Therefore, we investigated the effect of curcumin on apoptosis of smooth muscle cells of a cerebral aneurysm‐induced male albino rats.
Marketers' perceptions of the implementation difficulties of multichannel marketing

This paper identifies implementation difficulties associated with multichannel marketing as perceived by senior marketers. While, multichannel marketing is being increasingly used because of its revenue enhancing and cost reduction opportunities, it appears more difficult to implement than ‘traditional’ single channel marketing. Traditional strategy implementation frameworks as typified by Miles and Snow and Porter, do not appear to address the implementation complexities of multichannel strategies especially when considering the dynamism of contemporary external environments. Using the methodology of thematic analysis, three implementation difficulty themes were identified: (1) understanding multichannel customer behaviour; (2) delivering sales, service and pre-purchase information; and (3) dealing with organisational politics and conflict caused by emerging channels. We propose that dynamic strategic frameworks can better address complexity and uncertainty, and overcome implementation difficulties. The paper concludes with general and specific research propositions to test the effectiveness of dynamic strategic frameworks in terms of the three themes.
Recovery of Campylobacter from Segments of the Reproductive Tract of Broiler Breeder Hens

SUMMARY. Three groups of >60-wk-old broiler breeder hens were assessed for the presence of Campylobacter within segments of the reproductive tract. In the first group, after stunned, the hens were bled, scalded, and defeathered, the reproductive tracts were aseptically excised from 18 hens, six from each of three adjacent floor pens that were feces positive for Campylobacter. The reproductive tract segments (infundibulum, magnum–isthmus, shell gland, vagina, and cloaca) were pooled by pen. In the second group, 10 individual hens were sampled from the pens; the reproductive tract was divided into the following segments: magnum, isthmus, shell gland, vagina, and cloaca. For the third group, hens were obtained from two commercial farms that had been determined to be feces positive for Campylobacter, and the reproductive tract was divided into five segments, as described for the second group. Segments of the reproductive tract were placed into sterile plastic bags and suspended 1:3 (w/v) in Bolton enrichment broth, and serial dilutions were plated (0.1 ml) onto Campy-Cefex agar. The agar plates were incubated at 42 C for 24 hr in a microaerobic atmosphere. In group 1, the pooled reproductive tract segments for hens from pen A were Campylobacter positive for the shell gland, vagina, and cloaca; hens from pen B were positive for the cloaca only; and hens from pen C were positive for the magnum–isthmus and cloaca. In the second group, 9 of 10 cloaca samples were Campylobacter positive. Commercial hens in group 3 had campylobacter-positive cloaca samples (12/12), vagina (10/12), shell gland (7/12), isthmus (2/12), and magnum (4/12). Campylobacter colonization of the reproductive tract of the hen could enable vertical transmission of Campylobacter from the hen to the chick.
Association of variant alleles of mannose binding lectin with severity of pulmonary disease in cystic fibrosis: cohort study

Prognosis of cystic fibrosis is conditioned by the severity of pulmonary damage, which is related to infectious complications. The group of partial ∂F508 homozygous patients with cystic fibrosis shows a substantial variability in clinical expression of the severity of lung disease, which could be explained by the influence of modulating genes1 that are probably related to the efficiency of host immune factors in fighting against infection in patients' lungs. Mannose binding lectin, a protein of the innate immune system, is involved in opsonisation and phagocytosis of micro-organisms. The mannose binding lectin gene shows three major allelic variants that are responsible for a decrease of the protein plasma concentration, an opsonic defect, and a common immunodeficiency.2 We investigated the possible modulating role of mannose binding lectin because studies have shown (a) that homozygosity or compound heterozygosity for mannose binding lectin variant alleles predisposes to recurrent infections including lung infections and (b) that Staphyloccus …
Wealth, Poverty, and Happiness: Social Class Is Differentially Associated With Positive Emotions

Is higher social class associated with greater happiness? In a large nationally representative U.S. sample (N = 1,519), we examined the association between social class (household income) and self-reported tendencies to experience 7 distinct positive emotions that are core to happiness: amusement, awe, compassion, contentment, enthusiasm, love, and pride. Consistent with past research indicating that social class underlies differential patterns of attending to the self versus orienting to others, higher social class was associated with greater self-oriented feelings of contentment and pride, and with greater amusement. In contrast, lower social class was associated with more other-oriented feelings of compassion and love, and with greater awe. There were no class differences in enthusiasm. We discuss that individuals from different social class backgrounds may exhibit different patterns of emotional responding due to their distinct social concerns and priorities. Whereas self-oriented emotions may follow from, foster, and reinforce upper class individuals’ desire for independence and self-sufficiency, greater other-oriented emotion may enable lower class individuals to form more interdependent bonds to cope with their more threatening environments.
ADIPOQ −11377C>G Polymorphism Increases the Risk of Adipokine Abnormalities and Child Obesity Regardless of Dietary Intake

Objective: The aim of the present study was to verify whether selected functional single nucleotide polymorphisms in LEP, LEPR, and ADIPOQ loci are associated with the development of obesity and serum levels of the respective adipokines in prepubertal white children with obesity. Methods: Frequencies of −2548G>A LEP (rs7799039), Q223R (rs1137101) and K656N (rs8129183) LEPR, and −11377C>G (rs266729) and −11426A>G (rs16861194) ADIPOQ polymorphisms were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism in 101 obese (standard deviation score [SDS]-body mass index [BMI] >2) and 67 normal-weight (SDS-BMI <−1 + 1>) children. Serum adipokine concentrations were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Results: The GC/GG genotypes of −11377C>G ADIPOQ polymorphism were associated with a higher risk of obesity (P = 0.022, odds ratio 2.08 [95% confidence interval 1.11–3.90]). Individuals carrying the GG genotype had a higher leptin/total adiponectin ratio by 25% than CC homozygotes (Ptrend = 0.05). In the multivariate linear regression model, we found differences among particular genotypes of this polymorphism in concentrations of high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin (Ptrend = 0.043) and HMW/total adiponectin ratio (Ptrend = 0.048), with the lowest values in GG homozygotes. Positive correlations between SDS-BMI and dietary reference intake percentage were observed in individuals homozygous for allele C (r = 0.403, P = 0.01) and CG heterozygotes (r = 0.428, P = 0.004). No significant correlations between both parameters were found in the GG homozygotes. Conclusions: Among the analyzed polymorphisms, only −11377C>G ADIPOQ single nucleotide polymorphism was associated with obesity during the prepubertal period. Adipokine abnormalities coexisting with the lack of relations between SDS-BMI and dietary intake may predict a higher risk of future obesity-related disorders in obese children carrying the GG genotype than in those with other genotypes.
IT Capability for Health Care Delivery

In recent years, there has been a proliferation of health information technologies (HITs) that promise to improve the delivery of care. Health care service providers are faced with an increasing push to develop electronic medical record (EMR) capability, which is the ability to leverage health IT to enable and link the clinical processes for an effective and efficient delivery of care. However, there is little guidance in the literature on the performance implications of EMR capability and whether providers should commit to higher stages of EMR capability. Based on data from 1,011 acute care providers in the United States, the findings of this study suggest that the operational performance of providers, measured as case mix index-adjusted discharges per licensed bed, is positively related to the stage of EMR capability. However, the findings also point to a cautionary insight—committing to higher stages of EMR capability may not be uniformly beneficial to all providers. The findings suggest that the choice of the stage of EMR capability is self-selected. Interestingly, if health care service providers were to be assigned to a higher stage of EMR capability (i.e., incommensurate with their idiosyncratic technological, organizational, and environmental characteristics), the potential operational performance benefit of that stage of EMR capability may remain unrealized.
Sequence-Divergent Chordopoxvirus Homologs of the O3 Protein Maintain Functional Interactions with Components of the Vaccinia Virus Entry-Fusion Complex

ABSTRACT Composed of 35 amino acids, O3 is the smallest characterized protein encoded by vaccinia virus (VACV) and is an integral component of the entry-fusion complex (EFC). O3 is conserved with 100% identity in all orthopoxviruses except for monkeypox viruses, whose O3 homologs have 2 to 3 amino acid substitutions. Since O3 is part of the EFC, high conservation could suggest an immutable requirement for interaction with multiple proteins. Chordopoxviruses of other genera also encode small proteins with a characteristic predicted N-terminal α-helical hydrophobic domain followed by basic amino acids and proline in the same relative genome location as that of VACV O3. However, the statistical significance of their similarity to VACV O3 is low due to the large contribution of the transmembrane domain, their small size, and their sequence diversity. Nevertheless, trans-complementation experiments demonstrated the ability of a representative O3-like protein from each chordopoxvirus genus to rescue the infectivity of a VACV mutant that was unable to express endogenous O3. Moreover, recombinant viruses expressing O3 homologs in place of O3 replicated and formed plaques as well or nearly as well as wild-type VACV. The O3 homologs expressed by the recombinant VACVs were incorporated into the membranes of mature virions and, with one exception, remained stably associated with the detergent-extracted and affinity-purified EFC. The ability of the sequence-divergent O3 homologs to coordinate function with VACV entry proteins suggests the conservation of structural motifs. Analysis of chimeras formed by swapping domains of O3 with those of other proteins indicated that the N-terminal transmembrane segment was responsible for EFC interactions and for the complementation of infectivity.
THE EFFECT OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE ON THE EXTENT OF VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE IN IRAN

This study examines the relationship between corporate governance and the extent of voluntary disclosure in listed firms of Tehran Stock Exchange. The corporate governance attributes are the percentage of independent directors on the board, the existence of dominant personalities (CEO/Chairman duality) and the percentage of institutional investors. The research sample was selected among listed companies in Tehran Stock Exchange during 2001-2005 and totally is consist of 106 observations. In this research, the size and the type of audit institute (Audit organization or other institutes) are used as control variables. The research results show that there is no significant relationship between percentage of independent directors on the board, CEO/Chairman duality and the extent of voluntary disclosure. Also the research results provide significant evidence on relationship between the percentage of institutional investors and the extent of voluntary disclosure.
Salphasic Distribution of Clock Signals for Synchronous Systems

The design of a synchronous system having a global clock must account for propagation-delay-induced phase shifts experienced by the clock signal (clock skew) in its distribution network. As clock speeds and system diameters increase, this requirement becomes increasingly constraining on system designs. The paper describes a method that exploits properties of standing waves to reduce substantially clock skews due to unequal path lengths, for distribution network diameters up to several meters. The basic principles are developed for a loaded transmission line, and then applied to an arbitrary branching tree of such lines to implement a clock distribution network. The extension of this method to two- and three-dimensional distribution media is also presented, suggesting the feasibility of implementing printed circuit board clock planes exhibiting negligible phase shift over their extents. >
Wealth and the effects of founder management among IPO‐stage new ventures

IPO underpricing is inherently related to both wealth retention and wealth creation. This paper reviews the relationship between IPO underpricing and wealth, then presents the results of an empirical study of the impact of CEO founder status (i.e., is the CEO also the founder? ) on IPO underpricing. Results based on data collected from 368 IPO-stage new ventures suggest that founder management has a positive impact on IPO underpricing, and that the founder management–underpricing relationship is moderated by (a) the IPO market share of the investment banker employed and (b) the proportion of insiders on the IPO firm's board of directors. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Detection of a Third Lymphocyte‐Like Cell Type by Rosette Formation with Erythrocytes Sensitized by Various Anti‐Rh Antibodies

Abstract. Assay systems with erythrocytes sensitized by three different human anti‐Rh isoantibodies, anti‐Rh Ri, Lor and 3360 have been compared for their sensitivity and specificity in detecting Fc receptor‐bearing lymphocyte‐like cells. When carefully standardized, all these test systems detected primarily the ‘third lymphocyte‐like cell type’, different from B and T lymphocytes as detectable by conventional membrane markers.
Autonomous proliferation of leukemic cells in vitro as a determinant of prognosis in adult acute myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS A characteristic of acute myeloid leukemia is the frequent ability of the leukemic cells to sustain their own proliferation in vitro. To determine the clinical importance of this property, we measured the uptake of tritiated thymidine by leukemic cells in serum-free and cytokine-free cultures as a means of determining the rate of spontaneous proliferation in 114 patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia. Proliferation was then classified according to three quantitative levels of activity and related to overall survival and to treatment outcome (the response to treatment, the actuarial probability of relapse, and disease-free survival) in 91 patients who were treated with chemotherapy to induce remission. RESULTS Of the 114 patients, 37 had low, 39 had intermediate, and 38 had high levels of proliferation. The probability of survival at three years was 36 percent among patients with low levels of proliferative activity and 3 percent among those with high levels (P < 0.001). Among the patients treated with chemotherapy, those with low rates of proliferative activity had a 68 percent rate of complete remission and a 49 percent probability of remaining free of relapse, whereas those with high rates of proliferative activity had only a 39 percent rate of complete remission (P = 0.04) and an 11 percent probability of remaining in complete remission (P = 0.009). The probability of disease-free survival at three years among the patients in complete remission after chemotherapy was 49 percent among those with low rates of proliferative activity and 9 percent among those with high rates (P = 0.004). Accordingly, patients with low rates of proliferative activity also had a significantly higher rate of overall survival (44 percent vs. 4 percent; P = 0.002). Patients whose cells had intermediate levels of proliferation in vitro had intermediate rates of survival, relapse, and disease-free survival. CONCLUSIONS The capacity of leukemic blasts for autonomous proliferation is associated with highly aggressive acute myeloid leukemia.
A Process-Tracing Study of Brand Extension Evaluation

The authors explore the implications of considering a brand as representing a category consisting of its products. They report results of a laboratory experiment in which response times and verbal protocols were used to examine processes related to the evaluation of brand extensions. Evaluations of brand extensions were influenced both by the extension's similarity to the brand's current products (brand extension typicality) and by the variation among a brand's current products (brand breadth). An inverted U describes the relationship between brand extension typicality and evaluation process measures. Moderately typical extensions were evaluated in a more piecemeal and less global way than were either extremely typical or extremely atypical extensions. Subjects’ attitudes toward brand extensions were correlated highly with their ratings of brand extension typicality.
Directing Attention During Perceptual Training: A Preliminary Study of Phonetic Learning in Southern Min by Mandarin Speakers

Previous studies have shown that directing learners’ attention during perceptual training facilitates detection and learning of unfamiliar consonant categories [1, 2]. The current study asks whether this attentional directing can also facilitate other types of phonetic learning. Monolingual Mandarin speakers were divided into two groups directed to learn either 1) the consonants or 2) the tones in an identification training task with the same set of Southern Min monosyllabic words containing the consonants /ph, p, b, kh, k, ɡ, tɕh, tɕ, ɕ/ and the tones (55, 33, 22, 24, 41). All subjects were also tested with an AXB discrimination task (with a distinct set of Southern Min words) before and after the training. Unsurprisingly, both groups improved accuracy in the sound type to which they attended. However, the consonant-attending group did not improve in discriminating tones after training and neither did the toneattending group in discriminating consonants -despite both groups having equal exposure to the same training stimuli. When combined with previous results for consonant and vowel training, these results suggest that explicitly directing learners’ attention has a broadly facilitative effect on phonetic learning including of tonal contrasts.
A two-layer linear piezoelectric micromotor

A first bending (B1) mode two-layer piezoelectric ultrasonic linear micromotor has been developed for microoptics driving applications. The piezo-vibrator of the micromotor was composed of two small Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT-5) plates, with overall dimensions and mass of only 2.0 × 2.0 × 5.0 mm3 and 0.2 g, respectively. The proposed micromotor could operate either in single-phase voltage (standing wave) mode or two-phase voltage (traveling wave) mode to drive a slider via friction force to provide bidirectional linear motion. A large thrust of up to 0.30 N, which corresponds to a high unit volume direct driving force of 15 mN/mm3, and a linear movement velocity of up to 230 mm/s were obtained under an applied voltage of 80 Vpp at the B1 mode resonance frequency of 174 kHz.
South African training officers' perceptions of the knowledge and skills requirements of entry-level trainee accountants

Changes in business environments have challenged the competencies (technical knowledge, skills and attitudes) of professional accountants. Accounting professions have responded by developing competency frameworks. In 2008, the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) issued a draft competency framework encapsulating a broad range of knowledge, skills and attributes. The objective of the study reported on here was to determine training officers’ perceptions of the knowledge and skills requirements of entry-level trainee accountants. SAICA could consider the findings of this study in the finalisation of its competency framework. The study reveals that nearly three-quarters of all the topics in the current prescribed SAICA syllabus are considered to make at least an important contribution to the knowledge requirements of entry-level trainee accountants. Although more than half the management accounting topics prescribed in the SAICA syllabus are perceived as being only reasonably important, further statistical analysis revealed that TOPP (training outside public practice) training officers disagreed significantly with their TIPP (training inside public practice) counterparts on the importance of management accounting topics and perceived them to be at least important. Except for specialised topics, all other topics covering the remaining core subjects (Financial Accounting, Financial Management, Taxation and Auditing) were perceived to be important or even more than important by the respondents. The study demonstrates that there is a movement towards an expanded set of competencies beyond the technical knowledge typically taught to prospective CAs, and that there is evidence of a need for today’s entry-level trainee accountants to receive training in communication, analytical, interpersonal and computer skills.