Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of ownership structure and family control on firm value and performance. Evidence from Continental Europe

We investigate the relation between ownership structure and firm performance in Continental Europe, using data from 675 publicly traded corporations in 11 countries. We find that firm valuation and operating performance decrease when the control rights of the largest shareholder exceed its cash-flow ownership. This is consistent with the hypothesis that control power unrelated to cash-flows ownership allows extraction of private benefits and/or entrenchment of less efficient management. We also find that operating performance increases with the largest shareholder’s cashflow ownership, that is consistent with the hypothesis that more cash-flows rights lead to more wealth production and less expropriation of minority shareholders. We don’t find, however, a clear relation between stock market valuation and cash-flows ownership. Families are the type of owners that most recur to control-enhancing devices associated with lower performance. However, even after taking into account that family-controlled corporations exhibit larger separation between control and cash-flow rights, our results do not support the hypothesis that family control hampers firm performance. Valuation and operating performance are significantly higher in founder-controlled corporations, and are at least not worse than average in descendants-controlled corporations. Thus, our results lead to the conclusion that family control is not negative for firm value and operating performance in Continental European firms. More specifically, when we consider as explanatory variables both a family-dummy and the continuous variables representing cash-flow rights and wedge, the effect of family control results neatly positive, meaning that for a given cash-flow and voting rights combination the average family firm performance is better. If we consider the effect of family control jointly with ownership (by including as independent variable a familydummy and omitting the other ownership variables), we obtain that large part of the former positive effect is wasted by the high use of wealth-reducing control-enhancing devices, but a residual positive effect still seems to remain. Thus, our results – that are novel in supplying multi-country non-U.S. evidence about family-controlled corporations – provide a contribution to the existing literature by warning that the simple observation of a large use of control-enhancing devices by family firms does not imply a global negative effect of family control, as it is often assumed. * Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense, 22100 Piacenza, Italy. Tel ++39 0523 599.325, e-mail roberto.barontini@unicatt.it ** Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Gemelli 1, 20123 Milano, Italy. Tel ++39 02 7234.2768, e-mail lorenzo.caprio@unicatt.it
Effects of Cadmium Exposure on Growth and Metabolic Profile of Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.]

Metabolic responses to cadmium (Cd) may be associated with variations in Cd tolerance in plants. The objectives of this study were to examine changes in metabolic profiles in bermudagrass in response to Cd stress and to identify predominant metabolites associated with differential Cd tolerance using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Two genotypes of bermudagrass with contrasting Cd tolerance were exposed to 0 and 1.5 mM CdSO4 for 14 days in hydroponics. Physiological responses to Cd were evaluated by determining turf quality, growth rate, chlorophyll content and normalized relative transpiration. All these parameters exhibited higher tolerance in WB242 than in WB144. Cd treated WB144 transported more Cd to the shoot than in WB242. The metabolite analysis of leaf polar extracts revealed 39 Cd responsive metabolites in both genotypes, mainly consisting of amino acids, organic acids, sugars, fatty acids and others. A difference in the metabolic profiles was observed between the two bermudagrass genotypes exposed to Cd stress. Seven amino acids (norvaline, glycine, proline, serine, threonine, glutamic acid and gulonic acid), four organic acids (glyceric acid, oxoglutaric acid, citric acid and malic acid,) and three sugars (xylulose, galactose and talose) accumulated more in WB242 than WB144. However, compared to the control, WB144 accumulated higher quantities of sugars than WB242 in the Cd regime. The differential accumulation of these metabolites could be associated with the differential Cd tolerance in bermudagrass.
The role of consonant duration and amplitude processing on speech intelligibility in noise

Hearing loss can have drastic effects on communication abilities leading researchers to strive to find solutions for the associated problems. Clear speech has been studied in the past as a possible avenue for improving speech understanding in those with hearing loss. In the present study, two characteristics of clear speech, increased consonant duration and consonant amplification, were applied to Hearing-in-Noise Test sentences. Stimuli were presented in sound field to hearing-impaired and normal-hearing individuals in the presence of speech-shaped noise, and percentage correct was measured. For HINT sentence presentations, both groups showed improvements for both amplitude and duration processing. Specifically, significant improvements were observed for the 10-dB condition for amplitude processing and the 15-ms condition for duration processing. Results show that increasing consonant duration and amplitude is a viable approach to improving speech understanding; nevertheless, this data suggest that there is a cutoff point where lengthening the duration of a consonant can result in a degraded speech signal.
Design and analysis of coupled inductor based high step-up DC-DC converter

This paper presents a steady state analysis of DC-DC Converter, including switched capacitors and a switched coupled inductor. By adopting the coupled inductor to charge switched capacitors during switch turn on period, the voltage gain can be effectively increased, and the turn's ratio of the coupled inductor can be also reduced. In addition, the voltage stress of the active switch and diodes is clamped. Therefore, low voltage components can be adopted to reduce the conduction loss and cost, and conversion efficiency is improved. The operating principle and steady state analysis are discussed in this paper. The voltage gain of the proposed converter is 19.25 and the proposed converter is designed for output power 300W, with 12-V input voltage and 231-V output voltage.
Indirect Determination of Mercury Ion by Inhibition of a Glucose Biosensor Based on ZnO Nanorods

A potentiometric glucose biosensor based on immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOD) on ZnO nanorods (ZnO-NRs) has been developed for the indirect determination of environmental mercury ions. The ZnO-NRs were grown on a gold coated glass substrate by using the low temperature aqueous chemical growth (ACG) approach. Glucose oxidase in conjunction with a chitosan membrane and a glutaraldehyde (GA) were immobilized on the surface of the ZnO-NRs using a simple physical adsorption method and then used as a potentiometric working electrode. The potential response of the biosensor between the working electrode and an Ag/AgCl reference electrode was measured in a 1mM phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The detection limit of the mercury ion sensor was found to be 0.5 nM. The experimental results provide two linear ranges of the inhibition from 0.5 × 10−6 mM to 0.5 × 10−4 mM, and from 0.5 × 10−4 mM to 20 mM of mercury ion for fixed 1 mM of glucose concentration in the solution. The linear range of the inhibition from 10−3 mM to 6 mM of mercury ion was also acquired for a fixed 10 mM of glucose concentration. The working electrode can be reactivated by more than 70% after inhibition by simply dipping the used electrode in a 10 mM PBS solution for 7 min. The electrodes retained their original enzyme activity by about 90% for more than three weeks. The response to mercury ions was highly sensitive, selective, stable, reproducible, and interference resistant, and exhibits a fast response time. The developed glucose biosensor has a great potential for detection of mercury with several advantages such as being inexpensive, requiring minimum hardware and being suitable for unskilled users.
Submission to GMP 2015 One-step Bicubic Interpolation Submission

In this paper, a new interpolation scheme for Catmull-Clark subdivision (CCS) surfaces is introduced. With this new scheme, one can generate a bicubic interpolating surface to interpolate a set of millions of data points in just one step, instead of an iterative process usually required for large data sets. Furthermore, the computed interpolating surface has the same local property as CCS surface, i.e., changing a data point will only change the shape of the interpolating surface locally, the rst time ever to have such a property for a bicubic CCS interpolating scheme. The construction process is based on two techniques: surface o setting and mesh decomposition . The surface o setting technique ensures the shape of the data set is faithfully resembled, so the method has the power of a global method; the mesh decomposition technique enables us to solve the problem using a one-step, local approach, instead of solving a global linear system using an iterative approach. Test results show that interpolating surfaces can be e ciently generated by the new method for large data sets and the generated interpolating surfaces have very high surface quality. Hence, the new scheme is especially suitable for applications in reverse engineering and 3D printing.
Wideband Balun-LNA With Simultaneous Output Balancing, Noise-Canceling and Distortion-Canceling

An inductorless low-noise amplifier (LNA) with active balun is proposed for multi-standard radio applications between 100 MHz and 6 GHz. It exploits a combination of a common-gate (CGH) stage and an admittance-scaled common-source (CS) stage with replica biasing to maximize balanced operation, while simultaneously canceling the noise and distortion of the CG-stage. In this way, a noise figure (NF) close to or below 3 dB can be achieved, while good linearity is possible when the CS-stage is carefully optimized. We show that a CS-stage with deep submicron transistors can have high IIP2, because the nugsldr nuds cross-term in a two-dimensional Taylor approximation of the IDS(VGS, VDS) characteristic can cancel the traditionally dominant square-law term in the IDS(VGS) relation at practical gain values. Using standard 65 nm transistors at 1.2 V supply voltage, we realize a balun-LNA with 15 dB gain, NF < 3.5 dB and IIP2 > +20 dBm, while simultaneously achieving an IIP3 > 0 dBm. The best performance of the balun is achieved between 300 MHz to 3.5 GHz with gain and phase errors below 0.3 dB and plusmn2 degrees. The total power consumption is 21 mW, while the active area is only 0.01 mm2.
Least-violating control strategy synthesis with safety rules

We consider the problem of automatic control strategy synthesis, for discrete models of robotic systems, to fulfill a task that requires reaching a goal state while obeying a given set of safety rules. In this paper, we focus on the case when the said task is not feasible without temporarily violating some of the rules. We propose an algorithm that {synthesizes} a motion which violates only lowest priority rules for the shortest amount of time. Although the proposed algorithm can be applied in a variety of control problems, throughout the paper, we motivate this problem with an autonomous car navigating in an urban environment while abiding by the rules of the road, such as "always stay in the right lane" and "do not enter the sidewalk. " We evaluate the algorithm on a case study with several illustrative scenarios.
Neural evaluation of texture synthesis results

This paper introduces a new idea of using the Self-Organizing Map to compare the similarity between the synthesized textures and the original sample in accordance with human visual system. The approaches of texture synthesis do not provide convincing results for all types of textures, since it is difficult to produce a general definition of this term. So that, we propose to evaluate the quality of results provided by different approaches, based on features of comparison to capture information present in texture image.
Vision-model-based impairment metric to evaluate blocking artifacts in digital video

In this paper investigations are conducted to simplify and refine a vision-model-based video quality metric without compromising its prediction accuracy. Unlike other vision-model-based quality metrics, the proposed metric is parameterized using subjective quality assessment data recently provided by the Video Quality Experts Group. The quality metric is able to generate a perceptual distortion map for each and every video frame. A perceptual blocking distortion metric (PBDM) is introduced which utilizes this simplified quality metric. The PBDM is formulated based on the observation that blocking artifacts are noticeable only in certain regions of a picture. A method to segment blocking dominant regions is devised, and perceptual distortions in these regions are summed up to form an objective measure of blocking artifacts. Subjective and objective tests are conducted and the performance of the PBDM is assessed by a number of measures such as the Spearman rank-order correlation, the Pearson correlation, and the average absolute error The results show a strong correlation between the objective blocking ratings and the mean opinion scores on blocking artifacts.
Roles of Mir-144-ZFX Pathway in Growth Regulation of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Background Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) accounts for most of the lung cancer cases and the prognosis of this disease remains poor despite decades of intensive investigation. Thus new insights into underlying mechanisms by which NSCLC develops are avidly needed as the basis for development of new lines of therapeutic strategies. The past decade has witnessed a growing interest on the regulatory roles of micro RNAs on various categories of malignancies. Related data has been well documented in carcinogenesis and pathophysiology of a variety of malignancies. Even so, there is a relative lack of data on roles of mir-144 in tumor biology and there has been no report showing the involvement of mir-144 in NSCLC development. Methods/Principal Finding From human NSCLC tumor tissue samples and cell culture samples, we found that the expression of mir-144 is associated with malignant phenotype of NSCLC. Further investigations showed that ectopic mir-144 expression dramatically inhibits NSCLC tumor cell growth and induces apoptosis as manifested by elevated apoptotic protein markers and flowcytometry change. Moreover, we also found that ZFX protein expression is also associated with malignant phenotype of NSCLC and knockdown of ZFX protein results in a similar effect as of ectopic mir-144 expression. Finally, we found that ZFX expression is highly adjustable upon presence of mir-144 and ectopic expression of ZFX dramatically dampens mir-144 action of tumor inhibition. Conclusions Our results for the first time showed mir-144-ZFX pathway is involved in the development of NSCLC, which sheds a light for further investigations on underlying mechanisms toward better understanding and management of NSCLC.
A Comparison of Probabilistic, Neural, and Fuzzy Modeling in Ecotoxicity

The common practice in inducing toxicity models from data is regression analysis. The predictive power of such models is usually poor with very different molecules and toxicity end-points. In the present work, we study toxicity classification of pesticides: we discuss about knowledge representation, and we test probabilistic and softcomputing techniques. We conclude with the interpretability of the induced models.
Disulfiram anti-cancer efficacy without copper overload is enhanced by extracellular H2O2 generation: antagonism by tetrathiomolybdate

Highlights exogenous SOD increases apoptosis by sub-toxic disulfiram without copper overload H2O2 generation from glucose oxidase also potentiates disulfiram toxicity N-acetylcysteine suppresses antitumor potentiation of DSF by H2O2 generation sub-toxic tetrathiomolybdate inhibits potentiation of DSF by SOD Background Cu/Zn superoxide dismutases (SODs) like the extracellular SOD3 and cytoplasmic SOD1 regulate cell proliferation by generating hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This pro-oxidant inactivates essential cysteine residues in protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTP) helping receptor tyrosine kinase activation by growth factor signaling, and further promoting downstream MEK/ERK linked cell proliferation. Disulfiram (DSF), currently in clinical cancer trials is activated by copper chelation, being potentially capable of diminishing the copper dependent activation of MEK1/2 and SOD1/SOD3 and promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) toxicity. However, copper (Cu) overload may occur when co-administered with DSF, resulting in toxicity and mutagenicity against normal tissue, through generation of the hydroxyl radical (•OH) by the Fenton reaction. Purpose To investigate: a) whether sub-toxic DSF efficacy can be increased without Cu overload against human melanoma cells with unequal BRAF(V600E) mutant status and Her2-overexpressing SKBR3 breast cancer cells, by increasing H2O2from exogenous SOD; b) to compare the anti-tumor efficacy of DSF with that of another clinically used copper chelator, tetrathiomolybdate (TTM) Results a) without copper supplementation, exogenous SOD potentiated sub-toxic DSF toxicity antagonized by sub-toxic TTM or by the anti-oxidant N-acetylcysteine; b) exogenous glucose oxidase, another H2O2 generator resembled exogenous SOD in potentiating sub-toxic DSF. Conclusions potentiation of sub-lethal DSF toxicity by extracellular H2O2 against the human tumor cell lines investigated, only requires basal Cu and increased ROS production, being unrelated to non-specific or TTM copper chelator sequestration. Significance These findings emphasize the relevance of extracellular H2O2 as a novel mechanism to improve disulfiram anticancer effects minimizing copper toxicity.
International law and the administration of occupied territories : two decades of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip

Part 1 International legal framework: prolonged military occupation, Adam Roberts the application of international law in the occupied territories as reflected in the judgments of the High Court of Justice in Israel, Mazen Qupty the relevance of international law to Israeli and Palestinian rights in West Bank and Gaza, Richard A. Falk and BUrns H. Weston the legislative stages of the Israel military occupation, Raja Shehadeh the destruction of Troy will not take place, Alain Pellet playing on principle? - Israel's justification for its administrative acts in the occupied West Bank, Emma Playfair. Part 2 Administration of occupied territories: the administration of occupied territory in international law, Christopher Greenwood the administration of the West Bank under Israeli rule, Mona Rishmawi the right to form trade unions under military occupation, John Quigley mass-based organizations in the West Bank and Gaza, Joost R. Hiltermann taxation under belligerent occupation, Gerhard von Glahn financial administration of the Iraeli occupied West Bank, Hisham Jabr Israeli's economic policies in the occupied territories, Hisham Awartani power and duties of an occupation in relation to land and natural resources, Antonio Cassese exploitation of land and water resources for Jewish colonies, Ibrahim Matar. Part 3 Enforcement of international law: enforcement of human rights in the West Bank and Gaza strip, John Dugard avenues open for defence of human rights in the Israeli occupied territories, Jonathan Kuttab.
An Induced Mutation in Tomato eIF4E Leads to Immunity to Two Potyviruses

Background The characterization of natural recessive resistance genes and Arabidopsis virus-resistant mutants have implicated translation initiation factors of the eIF4E and eIF4G families as susceptibility factors required for virus infection and resistance function. Methodology/Principal Findings To investigate further the role of translation initiation factors in virus resistance we set up a TILLING platform in tomato, cloned genes encoding for translation initiation factors eIF4E and eIF4G and screened for induced mutations that lead to virus resistance. A splicing mutant of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor, S. l_eIF4E1 G1485A, was identified and characterized with respect to cap binding activity and resistance spectrum. Molecular analysis of the transcript of the mutant form showed that both the second and the third exons were miss-spliced, leading to a truncated mRNA. The resulting truncated eIF4E1 protein is also impaired in cap-binding activity. The mutant line had no growth defect, likely because of functional redundancy with others eIF4E isoforms. When infected with different potyviruses, the mutant line was immune to two strains of Potato virus Y and Pepper mottle virus and susceptible to Tobacco each virus. Conclusions/Significance Mutation analysis of translation initiation factors shows that translation initiation factors of the eIF4E family are determinants of plant susceptibility to RNA viruses and viruses have adopted strategies to use different isoforms. This work also demonstrates the effectiveness of TILLING as a reverse genetics tool to improve crop species. We have also developed a complete tool that can be used for both forward and reverse genetics in tomato, for both basic science and crop improvement. By opening it to the community, we hope to fulfill the expectations of both crop breeders and scientists who are using tomato as their model of study.
Characterization of recruitment through tandem running in an Indian queenless ant Diacamma indicum

Tandem running is a primitive recruitment method employed by many ant genera. This study characterizes this behaviour during the recruitment of colony mates to a new nest in an Indian ant Diacamma indicum. Tandem leaders who have knowledge of the new nest lead a single follower at a time, to the destination by maintaining physical contact. In order to characterize tandem running, we captured and analysed 621 invitations, 217 paths and 226 termination events. Remarkably, not a single colony member was lost. While invitations were stereotypic in behaviour, termination was not. Analysis of speed revealed that the average transport speed was 4.2 cm s−1. Coupled adult-brood transport was slower than other transports but was more efficient than individual trips. Comparing tandem running with other popular recruitment methods in ants allows us to postulate that even though tandem running is primitive it is probably just another means to achieve the same end.
Productive diversity: a new, Australian model for work and management

This monograph discusses a new model to manage workplace change which encompasses globalisation and Australia's diversity. The chapters are: The cultures of work; Fordism: the machine as a metaphor for work and management; Post-Fordism: the culture-as-sameness metaphor for work and management; The shaky organisational life of post-Fordism: contradictions in the metaphor of culture-as-sameness; Productive diversity: stories of organisations in the era of civic pluralism and total globalisation; Markets and cultures: going back to the basics; Culture and citizenship: our changing times and how we interpret them. Also included is a glossary of key terms in the 'productive diversity' argument.