Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Research Online Research Online Does bank ownership imply efficient monitoring? Evidence from bank Does bank ownership imply efficient monitoring? Evidence from bank lending and firm investment efficiencies in China lending and firm investment efficiencies in China

Abstract This study investigates the effect of bank ownership on lending and firm investment efficiencies to give reasons for the mixed evidence that exists on the impact of bank ownership on firm performance. Using China's listed firms as an example, we find that bank ownership reduces the efficiency of bank lending and harms investment efficiency for state-owned enterprises (SOEs), while simultaneously relating to optimal lending decisions and enhanced investment efficiency for non-SOEs. Our findings suggest that banks monitor non-SOEs effectively, but are less effective at monitoring SOEs. We document that banks' ex post monitoring on non-SOEs' investment policy results from their more effective ex ante monitoring of their lending decisions. Further analysis suggests that bank ownership hurts firm performance for SOEs while enhancing firm performance for non-SOEs. Overall, we document that in an emerging market where SOEs and non-SOEs co-exist, bank ownership affects firm performance by influencing the lending decision and firm investment policy, while the effectiveness of their monitoring varies with the firm's ownership structure. Abstract This study investigates the effect of bank ownership on lending and firm investment efficiencies to give reasons for the mixed evidence that exists on the impact of bank ownership on firm performance. Using China’s listed firms as an example, we find that bank ownership reduces the efficiency of bank lending and harms investment efficiency for state-owned enterprises (SOEs), while simultaneously relating to optimal lending decisions and enhanced investment efficiency for non-SOEs. Our findings suggest that banks monitor non-SOEs effectively, but are less effective at monitoring SOEs. We document that banks’ ex post monitoring on non-SOEs’ investment policy results from their more effective ex ante monitoring of their lending decisions. Further analysis suggests that bank ownership hurts firm performance for SOEs while enhancing firm performance for non-SOEs. Overall, we document that in an emerging market where SOEs and non-SOEs co-exist, bank ownership affects firm performance by influencing the lending decision and firm investment policy, while the effectiveness of their monitoring varies with the firm’s ownership structure.
Potent vasodilatory effect of fasudil on radial artery graft in coronary artery bypass surgery

Background . Radial artery (RA) is a useful conduit for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), but is susceptibility to vasospasm during harvesting. We evaluated the usefulness of fasudil, a Rho-kinase inhibitor, in dilating the RA graft and increasing graft free flow compared with the conventional graft dilating agents papaverine and verapamil-nitroglycerin. Methods . Between June 2012 and January 2013, 45 patients with ischemic heart disease who underwent isolated CABG using RA were enrolled and randomly assigned to fasudil (n=15), papaverine (n=15), or verapamil-nitroglycerin (n=15) group. Fasudil (0.9 mg/dl), papaverine (0.4 mg/ml) mixed with heparinized blood, or verapamil-nitroglycerin was injected intraluminally into the RA graft after harvesting. Main outcome measures were RA graft free flow, hemodynamic changes, and histopathological examination of RA. Results. In the fasudil group, graft free flow increased significantly ( p <0.001) from 36.8±20.4 at baseline to 148.0±88.3 ml/min after injection. Graft free flow increased significantly ( p <0.001) from 36.0±19.0 to 72.3±36.7 ml/min in the papaverine group, and increased significantly (P<0.001) from 39.5 ±23.3 to 64.3 ± 29.9 ml/min in the verapamil-nitroglycerin group. The graft free flow was significantly higher (p=0.001) in fasudil-treated RA than in papaverine- or verapamil-nitroglycerin-treated RA. Histopathologically, RA graft diameter was markedly increased after fasudil injection, and the multiple elastic lamellae structure was intact. Blood pressure did not change significantly after drug injection in all groups.
New Methods for Timing Analysis of Transient Events, Applied to Fermi/GBM Magnetar Bursts

In order to discern the physical nature of many gamma-ray sources in the sky, we must look not only in spectral and spatial dimensions, but also understand their temporal variability. However, timing analysis of sources with a highly transient nature, such as magnetar bursts, is difficult: standard Fourier techniques developed for long-term variability generally observed, for example, from AGN often do not apply. Here, we present newly developed timing methods applicable to transient events of all kinds, and show their successful application to magnetar bursts observed with Fermi/GBM. Magnetars are a prime subject for timing studies, thanks to the detection of quasi-periodicities in magnetar Giant Flares and their potential to help shed light on the structure of neutron stars. Using state-of-the art statistical techniques, we search for quasi-periodicities (QPOs) in a sample of bursts from Soft Gamma Repeater SGR J0501+4516 observed with Fermi/GBM and provide upper limits for potential QPO detections. Additionally, for the first time, we characterise the broadband variability behaviour of magnetar bursts and highlight how this new information could provide us with another way to probe these mysterious objects.
Cache Management for Aggregates in Columnar In-Memory Databases

—Modern enterprise applications generate workloads of short-running transactional queries as well as long-running analytical queries. In order to improve the execution time of computationally intensive analytical queries we have introduced an aggregate cache that makes use of the typical main-delta architecture of columnar in-memory databases (IMDBs) to cope with data modiﬁcations. In this work, we contribute a cache management system for that aggregate cache, which bases the cache admission and replacement decisions on novel proﬁt metrics. These metrics are tailored to the main-delta architecture of IMDBs. They ensure that expensive aggregates are stored in the cache while light weight query results are rejected. For the proﬁt estimation of a cached aggregate the system also takes into account transactional data modiﬁcations triggered by the enterprise application. Along with the proﬁt metrics we introduce an asynchronous cache management algorithm designed for the main-delta architecture as well as the transactional data modiﬁcations. We evaluate the cache management system on mixed, transactional and analytical workloads and real customer data.
Fluorite-pyrochlore phase transition in nanostructured Ln 2 Hf 2 O 7 (Ln = La-Lu)

Complex oxides of the Ln 2 Hf 2 O 7 (Ln = lanthanide) series undergo a ﬂuorite to pyrochlore phase transformation. We have studied the whole process of the crystal and local atomic structure realignment during the crystallization and the phase transition in the series of Ln 2 Hf 2 O 7 (Ln = La-Lu) samples synthesized by the coprecipitation method with the subsequent annealing of mixed hydroxides (precursors). The study em-ployed a combination of x-ray diﬀraction (normal and anomalous), x-ray absorption spectroscopy, analysis of atomic pair distribution function and Raman spectroscopy. The starting and ending temperatures of the ﬂuorite-pyrochlore phase transition for Ln 2 Hf 2 O 7 compounds have been determined along the lanthanide series La-Dy. The scheme summarizing structure types (amorphous, ﬂuorite and pyrochlore) for the whole Ln 2 Hf 2 O 7 (Ln = La-Lu) series as a function of the Ln cation radius (or the r Ln 3+ /r Hf 4+ ratio) and the annealing temperature has been reﬁned.
Debt Origin and Investment E ﬃ ciency from Korea

: This study empirically analyzes the e ﬀ ect of debt origin on investment e ﬃ ciency. According to previous studies that report that the quality of ﬁnancial reporting may vary depending on the origin of the debt, the empirical analysis predicted that the e ﬀ ects of the origin of the debt on investment e ﬃ ciency would be di ﬀ erential. Debt origin was divided into private and public debt. The analysis results of this study are as follows. First, there is a signiﬁcant negative relationship between the private debt and investment e ﬃ ciency, while there is a signiﬁcant positive relationship between public debt and investment e ﬃ ciency. This means that capital gains under public debt may be more proﬁtable to managers by improving the quality of their accounting information than those under private debt. This is in line with the previous research which found that, when ﬁnancing with public debt, the earnings management is reduced and accounting transparency is high. This study focuses on the origin of debt as a determinant of investment e ﬃ ciency and analyzes the level of investment e ﬃ ciency according to the origin of debt. We examine the sustainability of ﬁrms from the perspective of investment e ﬃ ciency, such as raising capital and selecting optimal investment options. The results of this study suggest that the level of incentives and investment e ﬃ ciency of managers may be di ﬀ erentiated depending on the origin of the debt.
ON THE CONVERGENCE OF (cid:80) c n f ( nx ) THE LIP

We investigate the almost everywhere convergence of (cid:80) c n f ( nx ), where f is a measurable function satisfying . By a known criterion, if f satis(cid:12)es the above conditions and belongs to the Lip α class for some α > 1 / 2, then (cid:80) c n f ( nx ) is a.e. convergent provided (cid:80) c 2 n < + ∞ . Using probabilistic methods, we prove that the above result is best possible; in fact there exist Lip 1/2 functions f and almost exponentially growing sequences ( n k ) such that (cid:80) c k f ( n k x ) is a.e. divergent for some ( c k ) with (cid:80) c 2 k < + ∞ . For functions f with Fourier series having a special structure, we also give necessary and su(cid:14)cient convergence criteria. Finally we prove analogous results for the law of the iterated logarithm.
The speed of our mental soundtracks

The study of spontaneous and everyday cognitions is an area of rapidly growing interest. One of the most ubiq-uitous forms of spontaneous cognition is involuntary musical imagery (INMI), the involuntarily retrieved and repetitive mental replay of music. The present study introduced a novel method for capturing temporal features of INMI within a naturalistic setting. This method allowed for the investigation of two questions of interest to INMI researchers in a more objective way than previously possible, concerning (1) the precision of memory representations within INMI and (2) the interactions between INMI and concurrent affective state. Over the course of 4 days, INMI tempo was measured by asking participants to tap to the beat of their INMI with a wrist-worn accelerometer. Participants documented additional details regarding their INMI in a diary. Overall, the tempo of music within INMI was recalled from long-term memory in a highly veridical form, although with a regression to the mean for recalled tempo that parallels previous findings on voluntary musical imagery. A significant positive relationship was found between INMI tempo and subjective arousal, suggesting that INMI interacts with concurrent mood in a similar manner to perceived music. The results suggest several parallels between INMI and voluntary imagery, music perceptual processes, and other types of involuntary memories.
Covid-19: In Pursuit of a Cure

Our world is in a chaotic state at the moment. This stem mostly from the current infectious, highly contagious viral disease, COVID-19, and not to mention global warming and its catastrophic effects. COVID-19 is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-COV-2, a possible mutant of SARS-COV-1. It was first identified in Wuhan, China in December,2019, though there is speculation that it may have originated elsewhere. It has resulted in a current ongoing pandemic. A person infected with the virus can be symptomatic or asymptomatic. Common symptoms include fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of smell and taste, multi organ failure, septic shock. blood clots etc. The virus is spread primarily between people, during close contact via small droplets, produced by coughing, sneezing and talking, touching one own face after contact with a contaminated surface. It’s also postulated that its spread may also be airborne, requiring particulate matter in the atmosphere for further transmission. Whilst preventative measures for COVID-19, have been implemented by WHO and CDC, there is no known vaccine or specific antiviral treatment to date, even though the first is expected in the late, 2020. Considering that viruses are very much smaller than bacteria and they mutate, it would be best to use and explore drugs combination or herbal mixtures to control and eradicate this disease. A virus is not a bacterium, and so would require herbs that show strong and selective antiviral activity. Over one hundred Pharmaceutical research institutions are currently working to find a cure for this disease.It would require a concerted effort from synthetic organic chemists, natural product chemists, pharmaceutical chemists, medical doctors and other health professionals to find a cure for this planet threatening disease. The best way forward is to explore herbal medications,with a strong and selective anti-herbal activities and to use the current plethora of existing antiviral medications, singly or in combination as first choice, considering the urgent need and then later to resort to the synthesis of novel anti-viral drugs. Some of the antiviral medications at hand are.
Effects of Bacillus subtilis Sporulation Regulatory Protein SpoIIID on Transcription by (cid:115) K RNA Polymerase In Vivo and In Vitro

SpoIIID is a sequence-speciﬁc, DNA-binding protein that activates or represses transcription of different genes by (cid:115) K RNA polymerase in vitro. A Bacillus subtilis strain engineered to produce both (cid:115) K and SpoIIID during growth showed effects of SpoIIID on expression of (cid:115) K -dependent genes that were consistent with the effects of a small amount of SpoIIID on transcription of these genes in vitro, indicating that the strain provides a simple, in vivo method to screen for effects of SpoIIID on transcription of (cid:115) K -dependent genes. During sporulation of Bacillus subtilis , an asymmetrically positioned septum divides the bacterium into two compart-ments, the mother cell and the forespore. Both of these com- partments receive a copy of the genome, but they realize al-ternative developmental fates because gene expression is regulated spatially (reviewed in reference 7). One key regulator of gene expression in the mother cell compartment is (cid:115) K , a subunit of RNA polymerase that directs the enzyme to tran- scribe genes whose products are involved in synthesis of the spore cortex and coat (1, 11, 14, 25, 27–29). Another key regulator of mother cell gene expression is SpoIIID (15, 23), a sequence-speciﬁc, DNA-binding protein that activates tran- scription of sigK (encoding (cid:115) K ) and represses transcription of cotD (encoding a spore coat protein) (5) by (cid:115) K RNA polymerase in vitro (11, 14). SpoIIID also activates or represses transcription of certain genes by (cid:115) E RNA polymerase in vitro (11). Because (cid:115) E precedes SpoIIID in the mother cell regulatory cascade (15, 23), the effects of SpoIIID on transcription of (cid:115) E -dependent genes in vivo can be determined by examining expression of the appropriate genes during sporulation of spoIIID mutant cells (13, 16, 21), and these results are in agreement with the in vitro data (11). However, spoIIID mu- tant cells fail to produce (cid:115) K during sporulation (15–17, 25), so it has not been possible to assess the effects of SpoIIID on transcription of (cid:115) K -dependent genes in vivo. Therefore, we engineered cells to produce both (cid:115) K and SpoIIID during growth. Using this artiﬁcial system, we show here that SpoIIID affects (cid:115) K -dependent gene expression in vivo in a manner consistent with the effects of a small amount of SpoIIID on transcription in vitro.
FLAVOUR PAIRING: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 1 RUNNING HEAD: FLAVOUR PAIRING: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Food and beverage flavour pairing: A critical review of the literature

The recent explosion of interest in the topic of flavour pairing has been driven, at least in part, by the now-discredited food-pairing hypothesis, along with the emergence of the new field of computational gastronomy. Many chefs, sommeliers, mixologists, and drinks brands, not to mention a few food brands, have become increasingly interested in moving the discussions that they have with their consumers beyond the traditional focus solely on food and wine pairings. Here, two key approaches to pairing that might help to explain/justify those food and beverage combinations that the consumer is likely to appreciate are outlined. Historically-speaking, many conventional pairings emerged naturally from cultural/geographical matches, presumably internalized as semantic knowledge amongst consumers. In this review, such conventional pairings are framed as but one example of a cognitive/intellectual food-beverage strategy. The alternative approach to pairing that has become increasingly popular in recent years involves experts/commentators making recommendations based on the perceptual relationship, or interaction, between the component stimuli, be it one of perceived similarity, contrast, harmony, emergence, or modulation (either suppression or enhancement). Physicochemical accounts of pairing, based on the presence of shared flavour molecules (e.g., aromatic volatiles) in the to-be-combined flavours or ingredients, have also gained in popularity. Here, though, the latter approach is framed as an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to predict matches based on perceived similarity. This review summarizes the available evidence concerning food-beverage pairing and proposes a new dichotomy between intellectual/cognitive and perceptual pairing principles in the case of food-beverage matching.
Functional and Structural Roles of Conserved Cysteine Residues in the Carboxyl-Terminal Domain of the Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Receptor in Human Embryonic Kidney 293 Cells 1

The carboxyl-terminal segment of G protein-coupled recep- tors has one or more conserved cysteine residues that are potential sites for palmitoylation. This posttranslational modifi- cation contributes to membrane association, internalization, and membrane targeting of proteins. In contrast to other members of the glycoprotein hormone receptor family (the LH and thyroid-stimulating hormone receptors), it is not known whether the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) is palmitoylated and what are the effects of abolishing its potential palmitoyla- tion sites. In the present study, a functional analysis of the FSHR carboxyl-terminal segment cysteine residues was carried out. We constructed a series of mutant FSHRs by substituting cysteine residues with alanine, serine, or threonine individually and together at positions 629 and 655 (conserved cysteines) and 627 (nonconserved). The results showed that all three cysteine residues are palmitoylated but that only modification at Cys629 is functionally relevant. The lack of palmitoylation does not appear to greatly impair coupling to G s but, when absent at position 629, does significantly impair cell surface membrane expression of the partially palmitoylated receptor. All FSHR Cys mutants were capable of binding agonist with the same affinity as the wild-type receptor and internalizing on agonist stimulation. Molecular dynamics simulations at a time scale of ; 100 nsec revealed that replacement of Cys629 resulted in structures that differed significantly from that of the wild-type receptor. Thus, deviations from wild-type conformation may potentially contribute to the severe impairment in plasma membrane expression and the modest effects on signaling exhibited by the receptors modified in this particular position. FSHR Lhcgr -Ctail subcloned into the pSG5 at the Eco restriction the pSG5-h FSHR (1–611)/ Lhcgr -Ctail (604–674) expression plasmid. The identity of all mutant h FSHR constructs and the correctness of the PCR-derived sequences verified DNA sequencing an automated sequencer 377 (Applied Biosystems). For transfection, large-scale plasmid using an Endofree kit (Qiagen).
THE EFFECT OF PROACTIVE PERSONALITY AND LOCUS OF CONTROL ON INNOVATIVE WORK BEHAVIOR: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF WORK ENGAGEMENT

The aim of the study is to test the mediating role of work engagement on the effects of proactive personality and locus of control characteristics on innovative work behaviors of the employees. A field study was conducted, and the research data were collected using the questionnaire technique for an empirical analysis of the structural equation modeling created for this purpose. The research population has consisted of employees working in food and beverage departments of hotel businesses, where complex and complicated activities are carried out, therefore a high amount of qualified workforce is needed. According to the results obtained in the results of the survey applied to the employees who provide services in the food and beverage department of the hotels located in Antalya province, which is one of the most important tourist destinations in Turkey. Employees' proactive personality characteristics and their level of commitment positively affect their tendency to show innovative entrepreneurial behavior; proactive personality and internal locus of control had a positive and significant effect on work engagement; however, the mediating effect of external locus of control on innovative entrepreneurial behavior was not detected as significant.
A model-independent analysis of (cid:12)nal-state interactions in (cid:22) B 0 ! J=

: Exploiting B -meson decays for Standard Model tests and beyond requires a precise understanding of the strong (cid:12)nal-state interactions that can be provided model-independently by means of dispersion theory. This formalism allows one to deduce the universal pion-pion (cid:12)nal-state interactions from the accurately known (cid:25)(cid:25) phase shifts and, in the scalar sector, a coupled-channel treatment with the kaon-antikaon system. In this work an analysis of the decays (cid:22) B 0 d ! J= (cid:25) + (cid:25) (cid:0) and (cid:22) B 0 s ! J= (cid:25) + (cid:25) (cid:0) is presented. We (cid:12)nd very good agreement with the data up to 1.05 GeV in the (cid:25)(cid:25) invariant mass, with a number of parameters reduced signi(cid:12)cantly compared to a phenomenological analysis. In addition, the phases of the amplitudes are correct by construction, a crucial feature for many CP violation measurements in heavy-meson decays.