Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Potential Effects of Citizens United: Policy and Corporate Governance in the States

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. FEC was one of its most controversial in decades. Critics of the decision argued it would lead to a flood of corporate cash that would warp electoral and policy outcomes. We test for this possibility by exploiting variation in state-level campaign finance laws from 1977 through 2006. Through an analysis of three outcomes of interest to business over three decades—state elected officials’ liberalism; relative minimum wage rates; and antitakeover laws—we find mixed evidence for critics’ claims. Campaign finance regimes appear to have little impact on overall levels of policy liberalism and relative minimum wage rates, but they do appear to have a significant effect on corporate governance: when businesses are allowed to engage in unlimited independent expenditures, antitakeover laws shift in favor of management. These findings suggest that those critics of corporate political activity who believe that, above all else, it represents an agency problem for shareholders have the most to fear from the decision’s potential effects.
Are Doppler studies a useful method of assessing neovascularization in human Achilles tendinopathy? A systematic review and suggestions for optimizing machine settings

Achilles tendinopathy describes a painful condition. The symptoms include localized swelling and tenderness, and the condition is often associated with altered tendon structure and neovascularization. Doppler ultrasound has been used in Achilles neovascularization and despite the lack of standardization and machine settings, recent research has demonstrated a potential relationship between pathology and the presence of neovascularization. This paper is a systematic review of the published studies which have used Doppler ultrasound in the assessment of Achilles neovascularization, and a prospective study to suggest a degree of optimization for future studies.
Earnings Skewness and Analyst Forecast Bias

Statistically optimal forecasts need not be unbiased. If analysts' objective is to provide the most accurate forecast through minimizing the mean absolute forecast error, the optimal forecast is the median instead of the mean earnings. When earnings distribution is skewed, the median is different from the mean and forecast bias is observed. Thus, analyst forecast bias could be a natural result of analysts' effort to improve forecast accuracy combined with skewed distribution of earnings. We find that earnings skewness explains a significant amount of variation in analyst forecast bias across firms, across fiscal quarters and across time. Moreover, the market appears to understand at least part of the skewness-induced bias and adjusts accordingly. One salient feature of our explanation is that we predict not only forecast optimism for firms with negatively skewed earnings, but also pessimism for firms with positively skewed earnings, thus providing a more coherent explanation of analyst forecast bias.
Neoclassical and structural analysis of poverty: winning the ‘Economic Kingdom’ for the poor in Southern Africa

In situations characterised by historical injustice in the distribution of economic resources, such as in many southern African ‘settler’ countries, there is a powerful intuitive case that ameliorative and palliative public policy is insufficient to significantly affect poverty reduction. This is because of the dulling effects on growth caused by significant structural inequality in the distribution of resources. However, the proposition that inequality is a problem for poverty reduction is contentious. This article reviews the neoclassical and structuralist literatures on the relationship between growth, inequality and poverty. It argues that the first is inconclusive and, furthermore, can only be so, while the second requires to be made more relevant to the discussions of how redistribution and inequality relate in legitimate policy and practice. The concept of property regimes can help here, within a more contextual understanding of development in practice as not necessarily involving growth and economic progress, but as being subject to periodic phases of ‘de‐development’, or well‐being retrogression. The paper concludes that state‐sponsored redistribution policy has an important role to play in changing underlying property regimes for the benefit of the poor in southern Africa. Inequality does matter, and a consideration of radical, redistributive social change is worth rehabilitating as an efficient means of reducing poverty, particularly in situations of low or fluctuating growth. This consideration, in turn, requires a political acceptance of the legitimacy of a broader role for economic public policy and state action.
Methacholine bronchial provocation test in patients with asthma: serial measurements and clinical significance

Background/Aims The methacholine bronchial provocation test (MBPT) is used to detect and quantify airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR). Since improvements in the severity of asthma are associated with improvements in AHR, clinical studies of asthma therapies routinely use the change of airway responsiveness as an objective outcome. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between serial MBPT and clinical profiles in patients with asthma. Methods A total of 323 asthma patients were included in this study. The MBPT was performed on all patients beginning at their initial diagnosis until asthma was considered controlled based on the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines. A responder was defined by a decrease in AHR while all other patients were considered non-responders. Results A total of 213 patients (66%) were responders, while 110 patients (34%) were non-responders. The responder group had a lower initial PC20 (provocative concentration of methacholine required to decrease the forced expiratory volume in 1 second by 20%) and longer duration compared to the non-responder group. Members of the responder group also had superior qualities of life, compared to members of the non-responder group. Whole blood cell counts were not related to differences in PC20; however, eosinophil concentration was. No differences in sex, age, body mass index, smoking history, serum immunoglobulin E, or frequency of acute exacerbation were observed between responders and non-responders. Conclusions The initial PC20, the duration of asthma, eosinophil concentrations, and quality-of-life may be useful variables to identify improvements in AHR in asthma patients.
For the record: A single amino acid substitution affects substrate specificity in cysteine proteinases from Fasciola hepatica

The trematode Fasciola hepatica secretes a number of cathepsin L‐like proteases that are proposed to be involved in feeding, migration, and immune evasion by the parasite. To date, six full cDNA sequences encoding cathepsin L preproproteins have been identified. Previous studies have demonstrated that one of these cathepsins (L2) is unusual in that it is able to cleave substrates with a proline in the P2 position, translating into an unusual ability (for a cysteine proteinase) to clot fibrinogen. In this study, we report the sequence of a novel cathepsin (L5) and compare the substrate specificity of a recombinant enzyme with that of recombinant cathepsin L2. Despite sharing 80% sequence identity with cathepsin L2, cathepsin L5 does not exhibit substantial catalytic activity against substrates containing proline in the P2 position. Molecular modeling studies suggested that a single amino acid change (L69Y) in the mature proteinases may account for the difference in specificity at the S2 subsite. Recombinant cathepsin L5/L69Y was expressed in yeast and a substantial increase in the ability of this variant to accommodate substrates with a proline residue in the P2 position was observed. Thus, we have identified a single amino acid substitution that can substantially influence the architecture of the S2 subsite of F. hepatica cathepsin L proteases.
Iliac cortical thickness in the neonate – the gradient effect

Recent studies of the neonatal ilium are beginning to reveal that a recognizable structural patterning of trabecular bone is present in the absence of any direct stance‐related weight transfer. However, little is known about the organization of compact bone in the ilium and the way in which it is laid down during the earliest stages of development. This study investigates cortical bone thickness across both gluteal and pelvic iliac shells in the human neonatal ilium. Measurements of specific regions of interest on the iliac cortices were recorded using reconstructed micro‐computed tomography scans from 30 neonatal ilia. Analysis of gluteal and pelvic cortical thicknesses revealed a distinctive patterning consistent with the expected bone distribution achieved through early bone modelling and remodelling. The analysis of this pattern is important for understanding the relationship between trabecular bone patterning and cortical bone structure in the earliest stages of pelvic development prior to locomotive influences and its response to the specific functional forces acting during this period.
Understanding SNP — Gene associations in pancreatic cancer: A systems biology approach

The findings of Human Genome Project revealed Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) as the most common form of genetic variations in humans. It also demonstrated the active role of SNPs in the genesis of many system disorders. Thus it is related to one or more diseases. SNP-Gene interactions across multiple diseases is a novel area of research which can result in understanding its commonality or uniqueness across population or disease clusters. This study with Pancreatic Cancer data gives a better and faster approach to make use of these associations and thereby to help in determining the disease causing SNPs and Genes which are common or unique across the disease cluster.
Workforce localization in emerging Gulf economies: the need to fine‐tune HRM

Purpose – This paper sets out to identify HR‐relevant recommendations for workforce localization in the context of emerging Gulf economies. While previous research has focused on topics such as commitment or the influence of stereotypes, this paper aims to suggest concrete steps to help organizations in addressing the full scale of localization from recruitment to retention.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected predominantly through in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews with HR managers from both the public and private sector.Findings – With a multitude of definitions and approaches to Emiratization, best practices are yet to be established. The paper provides a potential stepping‐stone towards these by identifying some of the adaptations needed to key HR processes to foster localization.Research limitations/implications – There are difficulties in generalizing the data due to the limited sample size and there were significant difficulties in accessing relevant personnel, with another limitatio.
Ribosomal Features Essential for tna Operon Induction: Tryptophan Binding at the Peptidyl Transferase Center

ABSTRACT Features of the amino acid sequence of the TnaC nascent peptide are recognized by the translating ribosome. Recognition leads to tryptophan binding within the translating ribosome, inhibiting the termination of tnaC translation and preventing Rho-dependent transcription termination in the tna operon leader region. It was previously shown that inserting an adenine residue at position 751 or introducing the U2609C change in 23S rRNA or introducing the K90W replacement in ribosomal protein L22 prevented tryptophan induction of tna operon expression. It was also observed that an adenine at position 752 of 23S rRNA was required for induction. In the current study, the explanation for the lack of induction by these altered ribosomes was investigated. Using isolated TnaC-ribosome complexes, it was shown that although tryptophan inhibits puromycin cleavage of TnaC-tRNAPro with wild-type ribosome complexes, it does not inhibit cleavage with the four mutant ribosome complexes examined. Similarly, tryptophan prevents sparsomycin inhibition of TnaC-tRNAPro cleavage with wild-type ribosome complexes but not with these mutant ribosome complexes. Additionally, a nucleotide located close to the peptidyl transferase center, A2572, which was protected from methylation by tryptophan with wild-type ribosome complexes, was not protected with mutant ribosome complexes. These findings identify specific ribosomal residues located in the ribosome exit tunnel that recognize features of the TnaC peptide. This recognition creates a free tryptophan-binding site in the peptidyl transferase center, where bound tryptophan inhibits peptidyl transferase activity.
newspapers : A substitute or complement for print newspapers and other information channels ?

Research suggests that online newspapers are not as good as their printed counterparts in widening the range of topics their audience is aware of. But should we be concerned about that? So far, visiting online newspapers does not seem to be a substitute for reading traditional newspapers. But the evidence is scarce; only a few studies specifically look at the impact of online newspapers. In this study we look at to what extent online newspapers ‘take over’ from printed newspapers and other information channels. We investigate the relation between using online newspapers and other media channels, and look into the usefulness of online newspapers for different types of information compared to their offline counterparts and other information channels. A recent survey of almost 1,000 respondents, representative for the Dutch adult population, shows that visiting online newspapers is negatively related to using print newspapers among the young, and more time spent on them seems to reduce the time spent watching television, at least, among males and lower educated respondents. Online newspapers do not seem to diminish the use of other media or the time spent on them though. On the contrary, their visitors use some information channels more often and more extensively, even after other plausible reasons for media use are controlled for. Furthermore, they regard printed newspapers and television as better suited for their information needs.
Investment Composition and Productivity with Heterogeneous Entrepreneurs

This paper develops an overlapping generations model of entrepreneurship to analyze the effects of financier patience on aggregate productivity of capital and macroeconomic development. The purpose of the enquiry is to show that while limited financier patience constrains the supply of investable funds allocated at productive long-term entrepreneurial projects and aggregate productivity, financial markets that favor short-term lending do not necessarily retard steady state output. I show that this potential non-linear effect of financier patience exists if entrepreneurial sector of the society consists of economic agents with heterogeneous interests in adopting long-term investment projects.
The Relative Ability of Earnings and Cash Flow Data in Forecasting Future Cash Flows: Some Australian Evidence

Purpose: This paper examines the relative predictive ability of earnings, cash flow from operations as reported in the cash flow statement, and two traditional measures of cash flows (i.e. earnings plus depreciation and amortisation expense, and working capital from operations) in forecasting future cash flows for Australian companies. Further, an empirical investigation of the extent to which firm size, as a contextual factor, influences the predictability of earnings and cash flow from operations is presented. Methodology: Our sample includes 323 companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange between 1992 and 2004 (3,512 firm-years). We employ the ordinary least squares and fixed-effects approaches to estimate our regression models. To evaluate the forecasting performance of the regression models, both within-sample and out-of-sample forecasting tests are employed. Findings: We provide evidence that reported cash flow from operations has more power in predicting future cash flows than earnings and traditional cash flow measures. Further, the predictability of both earnings and cash flow from operations significantly increases with firm size. However, the superiority of cash flow from operations to earnings in predicting future cash flows is robust across small, medium and large firms.
NMR structure of the forkhead-associated domain from the Arabidopsis receptor kinase-associated protein phosphatase

Forkhead-associated (FHA) domains are phosphoprotein-binding modules found in diverse signaling proteins that bind partners phosphorylated on threonine or serine. Kinase-associated protein phosphatase from Arabidopsis employs its FHA domain for negative regulation of receptor-like kinase signaling pathways, which are important in plant development. The solution structure of the free state of kinase-interacting FHA domain (KI-FHA) of kinase-associated protein phosphatase has been determined with high precision and accuracy using residual dipolar couplings. KI-FHA is a sandwich of a five-stranded mixed β-sheet with a six-stranded antiparallel β-sheet. Despite homology only in the recognition loops, this fold is shared with FHA domains from checkpoint proteins from yeast and humans, as well as with nonhomologous MH2 domains of Smad tumor suppressors. A shared pattern of hydrophobicity throughout FHA domains and Smad MH2 domains may stabilize the core of the β-sandwich. Evolutionary trace analysis of FHA domains suggests class-specific residues in the recognition loops that could tune their phosphoprotein-binding specificity. This surface agrees with that of KI-FHA in contact with a phosphothreonine peptide ligand. Evolutionary trace analysis also predicts an unexpected swath of class-specific residues on another face of FHA domains. Protein interactions with these faces may affect assembly of transmembrane signaling complexes in plants, and in other FHA domain-containing assemblies.
Conservation, relocation and the social consequences of conservation policies in protected areas: case study of the Sariska Tiger Reserve, India.

The coercive, top-down approach to managing protected areas has created socio-cultural disruption and often even failed to conserve biodiversity. This top-down conservation approach has led to management decisions seriously threatening the livelihood and cultural heritage of local people, such as the resettlement programme established to move people from villages inside the park, and the reduction of access to resources and traditional rights. This article presents findings from an analysis of the resettlement program, documenting the consequences of the relocation process on people's livelihood in the Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India. The results show that local people have had little influence on the relocation process, and hardly any say on the limitations of access and use of resources linked to the constitution of this protected area. The article challenges the existing conservation paradigm practiced currently by the authorities in most protected areas in India, and calls for park management to rethink their vision of conservation, by adopting new approaches toward a more collaborative paradigm integrating conservation and development needs.
Development of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Gold/Gelatin Gel Electrolyte: Effect of Different Aspect Ratio of Gold Nanocrystals

This study describes the application of gold/gelatin (Au/gelatin) gel electrolyte to a set of quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A set of DSSC based on Au/gelatin gel electrolyte was developed. Au nanocrystals of different aspect ratio were synthesized and immobilized in gelatin gel electrolyte. The structures of the synthesized nanocrystals and nanocomposite gel were confirmed by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, a scanning electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray, and transmission electron microscopy analysis. The thermogravimetric analysis indicated that introduction of Au nanocrystals to the polymer matrix resulted in an increase in thermal stability. Fabricated DSSC was exposed to a 100-mW/cm2 solar simulator in ambient atmosphere. It was observed that the photoconversion efficiency (PCE) changes with different aspect ratio of Au. In addition, significantly high open-circuit voltage (Voc), current density (Jsc), and PCE of 0.656 V, 4.94 mA · cm-2, and 1.975%, respectively, are found for Au nanocrystals with maximum aspect ratio of 3.5 at an optimum concentration of 0.04%.
THE CHANGING CUBAN PARADIGM: CREATING ALLIANCES IN GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS

Although the United States and Cuba are close geographically, ideologically, the distance is great and the “dots” on that line have not been connected in five decades. Nonetheless, many have reason to hope that the changes occurring in Cuba today, under the leadership of Raul Castro, and the more open attitude of the current president of the U.S., President Obama, will result in the decades old embargo between the U.S. and Cuba being lifted. In the meantime, what can U.S. firms do to be ready for that day? This paper explores how creating strategic allegiances in the global supply chain with the hope of generating trust, could be a proactive strategy for firms wishing to enter the Cuban market. Specifically these inroads would be formed through U.S. firms forging relationships with U.S. universities and faculty, foreign firms already operating in Cuba and also with U.S. firms having experience in Cuba, such as agricultural firms
Experimental study of the microwave radar doppler spectrum backscattered from the sea surface at small incidence angles

This paper focuses on the comparison of the measured characteristics of radar backscattering by the water surface with the theoretical model which includes the scattering model and the surface model. In the experiment, the backscattered signal at small incidence angles was studied at the different azimuth angle of antenna rotation. Comparison of the experimental data with the model confirmed the accuracy of the sea wave spectrum model and the electromagnetic scattering model. It is shown that the analysis of the reflected signal is necessary to take into account the parameters of the surface rather than wind speed as is usually done.
How firms grow and the influence of size and age

The growth process is revealed by tracing the diachronic paths followed by sixty growth firms over the period from 1994 through 2007. Initial employment size, rather than age, was found to have some bearing on the nature of the growth path. Smaller firms grew more often and with more continuity than larger firms. In the larger firms, growth occurred in relatively large isolated steps with little continuity. These findings have important implications for how this vital process is conceptualized and managed.
Agricultural Cooperatives in Israel

Israel’s agriculture is agriculture of cooperatives, with cooperative structures accounting for about 80% of agricultural production and agricultural services. This article traces the development of agricultural cooperation in Israel from its ideological origins at the beginning of the 20th century, through the formative decades of the 1920s and the 1930s when the organizational structure of the kibbutz and the moshav crystallized, and on to the vigorous growth and expansion in the independent State of Israel between 1948 and 1985. The article shows how the seeds of the financial crisis that struck the cooperative sector in 1986 had been sown during the expansion decades. Causes of the financial crisis are analyzed and the policies developed for its resolution are described in detail. Consistent implementation of these policies has led to impressive recovery of the agricultural cooperatives in Israel, culminating with the emergence of the New Kibbutz and the New Moshav in the first decade of the 21st century.