Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corporate Governance Structure And Firm Performance: Empirical Evidence From Brusa Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

The issue of corporate governance has been emerging as important phenomena that has been searched extensively both in developed countries due to its strategic impact on the monitoring of management activities and firms performance. Yet little attempt has been made in developing countries like Malaysia to ascertain what constitute corporate governance and its impact on firm's performance. Therefore, this study aims at examining the structure of the corporate governance and its impact on firms performance. This study is based on 100 firms, which are the component of the Composite Index (CI) serve as market barometer. This study employs cross-sectional annual multiple regression model to examine, what constitutes the corporate governance structure and its impact on performance of the firm. The analysis was based on annual regression over 5 years period from 1997 through 2001. Three different blend of surrogate for corporate governance were developed for good corporate governance structure. These are the independent non-executive (outside) directors, audit committee and remuneration committee. To isolate the size effect from the impact of corporate governance structure on firms performance, firms size was also included are variable in the model. The ratio of net income before tax to total asset is used as a surrogate for firms performance. Evidence from the study indicates that there is partial relation between corporate governance structure and corporate performance. The presence of both audit and remuneration committee serves as an important monitoring device to control management activities that lead to increase firm's performance. While on average, the presence of independent non-executive directors does not provide any significant explanation for the firm's performance. However, the firm size appears to have significant impact on corporate performance.
Can optimal defence theory be used to predict the distribution of plant chemical defences?

1. The optimal defence theory (ODT) of chemical defence provides a predictive framework for the distribution of anti‐herbivore defences in plants. One of its predictions is that chemical defences will be allocated within a plant as a function of tissue value, where value is correlated with the cost of having that tissue removed. While many studies have examined intra‐plant variation in defence chemistry, these results have rarely been compiled quantitatively to assess whether defence allocation is consistent with the prediction of ODT that more valuable tissues should be more defended than less valuable tissues.
PROMOTION OF SWEETPOTATO FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA

ODEBODE, S. O. , N. EGEONU AND M. O. AKORODA, 2008. Promotion of sweetpotato for the food industry in Nigeria. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 14: 300-308 This paper seeks to promote sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L. (Lam) through the diversification of its use in the Nigerian food industry. Sweetpotato was cultivated in few areas by farmers in Nigeria before the recent increase and spread in the last decade, and its use is limited to boiling, roasting and frying. The processing of sweetpotato, as highlighted in this paper, has the potential of making a significant impact on the economy. This is because processing offers the possibility of better storage, added value, lower transportation cost and new markets in the food, feed, and industrial sectors. It will facilitate the marketing of this crop, increase productivity and improve the standard of living by providing income for farmers. The use of sweetpotato in livestock feed will help to improve livestock nutrition and lead to cheaper meat production. Sweetpotato therefore, can play a major role as a food reserve for many rural and urban households, due to diversified usage. Recommendations include identifying and breeding the varieties that will be suitable for different end products so as to enhance its production. There is also the need to determine how the different varieties can be made available all year round by establishing multiplication sites. Industries or entrepreneurs who will be ready to buy must also be identified, for promotion of commercial production. Technical advice must also be provided so as to improve yields.
The serve impact in tennis: First large‐scale study of big Hawk‐Eye data

Analysis of dual sports performance typically involves observational techniques to gather data samples during actual competition. These techniques are limited by the amount of data that can be collected and the need to define the observable variables in advance. Today's advanced technologies have considerably overcome these limitations, enabling high‐volume data collection for post‐recording analysis. The present study was based on the three‐dimensional kinematic data recorded by the automated ball‐tracking Hawk‐Eye system between the 2003 and 2008 seasons in elite tennis tournaments, which provided a database of 262 596 points. The analysis consisted of an examination of the relationships between the various characteristics of the serve summed up by the resulting ball trajectory and winning‐point probabilities. The influence of factors such as serve speed, serve location, court surface, gender differences, and spin intensity on the winning‐point rate was assessed to gain insight into efficient serve tendencies in world‐class tennis. The implications for practitioners are highlighted and directions for future research in tennis performance analysis based on automatic ball tracking are proposed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining: The ASA Data Science Journal, 2016
Therapeutic strategy for scirrhous type gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS As no appropriate therapeutic strategy has yet been established in scirrhous type gastric cancer, we retrospectively analyzed the therapeutic outcomes in patients with this type of cancer. METHODOLOGY A total of 183 patients with scirrhous type gastric cancer were enrolled in the study. 127 of them underwent resection; 61 potentially curative gastrectomy; 66 palliative resection; and 56 had no surgery. RESULTS Univariate analysis revealed that the number of metastatic lymph nodes and the depth of invasion influenced prognosis in curatively resected cases, whereas no factor did so after palliative resection. Multivariate analysis showed that prognosis was affected independently by peritoneal metastasis and non-regional lymph node metastasis in all resected cases, but by the number of metastatic lymph nodes in curatively resected cases. There was no significant difference in survival between patients undergoing and those not undergoing palliative gastrectomy. Prophylactic (6) and therapeutic CHPP (12) had no efficacy on peritoneal metastasis. Furthermore, left upper abdominal evisceration (LUAE) (9) did not improve long-term results in curatively resected cases. CONCLUSIONS In scirrhous type gastric cancer, gastrectomy including extended lymph node dissection is justified only in patients with limited lymph node metastasis, and palliative gastrectomy should be not performed because it has no efficacy on survival.
Formalisation and Organisational Effectiveness in Hospitals

This study tests four propositions concerning the relationship between formalisation and organisational performance. The propositions are based on Hage's axiomatic theory, wherein formalisation is inversely associated with worker satisfaction and organisational adaptation, and positively associated with efficiency and production. Data were collected by questionnaire from 348 respondents from 92 units of eight hospitals, measuring formalisation, complexity, coördination, climate for change, quality of care and worker satisfaction. Propositions were tested on data aggregated to the unit level. Findings strongly indicate the need for careful respecification of the Hage model in terms of subconcepts of structural and performance measures. Confirmations are reported for four of the five propositions examined, and specified in terms of the subconcepts involved. Unexpected reversals are also found, however, suggesting that formalisation under some circumstances is beneficial for adaptation and morale, but conducive to inefficiencies under other circumstances.
Optimization for extraction on total phenolic content and radical scavenging capacity of henna (Lawsonia inermis) stems using response surface methodology.

This study aimed to optimise potential extraction conditions using response surface methodology (RSM) for yielding maximum levels of total phenolic content (TPC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl radical (DPPH•) scavenging capacity of henna (Lawsonia inermis) stems. The ranges for selected independent variables, namely acetone concentration (20-90%, v/v), extraction time (10-90 min) and extraction temperature (25-45°C) were identified by screening tests. Optimum conditions obtained for extraction of TPC were 47.0% acetone, extraction time of 47.6 min and extraction temperature of 37.3°C. The result also showed that 75.8% acetone, extraction time of 26.2 min and extraction temperature of 41°C yielded the highest DPPH• scavenging capacity. The optimized extraction conditions have resulted in TPC and DPPH• scavenging capacity of 5232.4 mg GAE/100 g DW and 6085.7 g TE/100 g DW, respectively which similar to the predicted values. Therefore RSM has successfully optimized the extraction conditions for TPC and radical scavenging capacity of henna stems.
Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: omitting a pelvic drain.

PURPOSE Our goal was to assess outcomes of a selective drain placement strategy during laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) with a running urethrovesical anastomosis (RUVA) using cystographic imaging in all patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed for all patients undergoing LRP between January 2003 and December 2004. The anastomosis was performed using a modified van Velthoven technique. A drain was placed at the discretion of the senior surgeon when a urinary leak was demonstrated with bladder irrigation, clinical suspicion for a urinary leak was high, or a complex bladder neck reconstruction was performed. Routine postoperative cystograms were obtained. RESULTS 208 patients underwent LRP with a RUVA. Data including cystogram was available for 206 patients. The overall rate of cystographic urine leak was 5.8%. A drain was placed in 51 patients. Of these, 8 (15.6%) had a postoperative leak on cystogram. Of the 157 undrained patients, urine leak was radiographically visible in 4 (2.5%). The higher leak rate in the drained vs. undrained cohort was statistically significant (p = 0.002). Twenty-four patients underwent pelvic lymph node dissection (8 drained, 16 undrained). Three undrained patients developed lymphoceles, which presented clinically on average 3 weeks postoperatively. There were no urinomas or hematomas in either group. CONCLUSIONS Routine placement of a pelvic drain after LRP with a RUVA is not necessary, unless the anastomotic integrity is suboptimal intraoperatively. Experienced clinical judgment is essential and accurate in identifying patients at risk for postoperative leakage. When suspicion is low, omitting a drain does not increase morbidity.
Head Injury in the Workplace

Work related head injuries do not occur frequently in comparison to other injuries, but their importance lies in their relative severity, both in terms of work days lost and long term morbidity, making it important for the occupational health nurse to have knowledge of how to deal with the initial injury and residual problems. In head injury, most of the treatment is aimed toward prevention of hypoxia, airway obstruction, hypercapnia, hypotension, and bleeding. The Glasgow Coma Scale is used for the severely head injured person. The residual cognitive impairment, emotional disturbances, and behavioral changes after head injury tend to continue long after the physical disabilities have resolved. Therefore, the occupational health nurse needs to assist recovering individuals and their families and coworkers to learn to cope with physical, cognitive, behavioral, and intellectual deficits.
Civil Service Reform in Action

Civil service reform interventions are designed to address institutional weaknesses associated with human resource management (HRM) and processes. This article discusses the case of a federal court order reform of a HRM system. More specifically, the article offers a firsthand look at efforts to reform the Personnel Board of Jefferson County, Alabama, following the imposition of a receivership.
Socio-Demographic Determinants of Maternal Health-Care Service Utilization Among Rural Women in Anambra State, South East Nigeria

Background: Although, antenatal care (ANC) attendance in sub Saharan Africa is high, however this does not always translate into quality ANC care service utilization. Aim: This study therefore is aimed at exploring pattern of maternal health (MH) services utilization and the socio-demographic factors influencing it in Anambra State, South East Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: A total of 310 women of reproductive age with a previous history of gestation attending ANC services between September, 2007 and August, 2008 in selected Primary Health Centers in Anambra State were studied. Responses were elicited from the study participants using a pre-tested, semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17 (SPSS Inc, Chicago Illinois, USA). Association between socio-demographic characteristics and pattern of utilization of ANC and delivery services was measured using χ2 -test, Regression analysis was done to identify factors associated with utilization of MH services. P < 0.05 was assumed to be significant. Results: Use of health facility was 293 (97.0%) and 277 (92,7%) out 302 women for ANC and delivery services respectively . Most women attended their first ANC consultation during the preceding pregnancy was after the first trimester and about 31% (94/298) of them had <4 ANC visits prior to delivery. Socio-demographic factors were found to be significantly associated with places where MH care services are accessed. Parity was found to be associated with timing of ANC booking and number of ANC attendance (χ2 = 9.49, P = 0.05). Odds of utilizing formal health facility for MH services were found to be significantly associated with increasing age (P < 0.01) and educational status of mothers (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The study revealed high maternal service utilization and 10% fetal loss, hence the need to address the gaps of late ANC booking and low ANC visits.
The impact of changes in asset prices on real economic activity: a cointegration analysis for Germany

This paper reviews theoretical and empirical evidence of asset price movements impact on the real economic activity. A key channel is the wealth effect on consumption. Fluctuations in stock prices and housing prices influence the households wealth and could have important impacts on households consumption. In addition, stock prices may affect corporate sector investments and property prices may affect building activity. Here, the method of cointegration is used to estimate the wealth effect and the investment effect in aggregate time series for Germany after the Reunification in 1990. Moreover, we discuss the role of asset prices in the monetary policy strategy of the ECB.
Consumer-to-Consumer e-Commerce Research in Information Systems Journals

This study conducts a literature review of a sample of information systems journals in order to determine the consumer-to-consumer (C2C) electronic commerce (e-commerce) research that currently exists. Thirty-five information systems journals are reviewed between the years 1997–2009, and the articles are categorized as being e-commerce and then, more specifically, as C2C e-commerce. The findings indicate the study of C2C e-commerce is 10.86 percent of the total e-commerce studies published, which is considerable given the multitude of e-commerce topics. However, the study indicates many additional areas within the C2C e-commerce area that need to be researched, such as e-service, mobile commerce, and trust.
A gene cluster required for coordinated biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide and extracellular polysaccharide also affects virulence of Pseudomonas solanacearum

Bacterial cell surface components can be important determinants of virulence. At least three gene clusters important for extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) biosynthesis have been previously identified in the plant pathogen Pseudomonas solanacearum. We have found that one of these gene clusters, named ops, is also required for lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis. Mutations in any complementation unit of this cluster decreased EPS production, prevented the binding of an LPS-specific phage, and altered the mobility of purified LPS in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. However, restoration of LPS biosynthesis alone was not sufficient to restore virulence to the wild-type level, suggesting that EPS is important for pathogenesis.
Predictive Validity of a Continuous Alternative to Nominal Subtypes of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder for DSM–V

Three subtypes of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) based on numbers of symptoms of inattention (I) and hyperactivity-impulsivity (HI) were defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) to reduce heterogeneity of the disorder, but the subtypes proved to be highly unstable over time. A continuous alternative to nominal subtyping is evaluated in a longitudinal study of 129 four- to six-year-old children with ADHD and 130 comparison children. Children who met criteria for all subtypes in Year 1 continued to exhibit greater functional impairment than comparison children during Years 2 to 9. Among children with ADHD in Year 1, I and HI symptoms differentially predicted teacher-rated need for treatment and reading and mathematics achievement scores over the next 8 years in controlled analyses. Consistent with other studies, these findings suggest that the use of diagnostic modifiers specifying the numbers of I and HI symptoms could reduce heterogeneity and facilitate clinical intervention, prognosis, and research.
A theory of efficient coexistence

Abstract Neighbours have to coexist over an infinite horizon. Neither of them can eradicate the other or extricate him or herself from the bondage. Their respective resources regenerate themselves periodically. Hence, the capacities for production and war repeatedly recuperate from exhaustion. This paper uses a simple dynamic model to study the cooperation and conflict between two neighbours. It is shown that the way for one party to enhance its own prosperity without inducing a war with its neighbour is to collaborate on mutually beneficial projects and divide the output according to each side's contribution. Rejecting potential collaboration or dividing the joint output disproportionately risks the eruption of war. If the duration that one side is prepared to fight exceeds that of the other, the one with a shorter duration will concede defeat before the war starts. Nonetheless, when the planned durations of war of both sides are identical, the first-strike advantage induces them to wage war simultaneously.
Private Equity Takeovers and Employment in the UK: Some Empirical Evidence

This study investigates the employment consequences of private equity acquisitions, in particular institutional buy-outs (IBOs), in the UK. It involves a pre- and post-acquisition analysis of employment and performance characteristics for a sample of acquired firms and a matched sample of non-acquired firms. The study finds a significant decrease in employment in acquired firms in the year immediately after the completion of the IBO compared to the non-acquired firms. Further analysis fails to identify any parallel or subsequent increase in firm productivity or profitability. This evidence suggests that the observed downsizing has not been effective either in disciplining staff or imparting a clearer focus to activities.
Role of vasoactive intestinal peptide in the control of prolactin-induced turkey incubation behavior. II. Chronic infusion of vasoactive intestinal peptide.

Hyperprolactinemia is associated with incubation behavior in avian species. Increased nesting activity is a major indication of incubation behavior. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) stimulates prolactin (PRL) secretion from the anterior pituitary. The goal of this study was to induce incubation behavior by stimulating PRL through chronically infusing VIP into the third ventricle of turkey brains. In experiment 1, porcine VIP (pVIP) was infused into the median eminence at a rate of 60 ng/min for 7 days by means of osmotic pumps implanted s.c. Plasma PRL increased significantly in the pVIP-treated turkeys (p < 0.001). Although egg laying was not affected by the pVIP infusion, the mean oviduct weight decreased (p < 0.057). In experiment 2, saline or pVIP (30 or 60 ng/min) was infused into the third ventricle of laying turkeys for 12 days. Both pVIP treatments increased plasma PRL for 9 days (p < 0.05). The 30-ng pVIP/min infusion decreased nesting activity, plasma LH, ovary and oviduct weight, hypothalamic GnRH I, and anterior pituitary VIP receptors (p < 0.1). However, ovine PRL infusion (20.8 ng/min) into the same turkey flock increased nesting activity (p < 0.01). In conclusion, pVIP does not induce incubation behavior in laying turkeys.
Nuclear SDH 2-1 and SDH 2-2 Genes , Encoding the Iron-Sulfur Subunit of Mitochondrial Complex II in Arabidopsis , Have Distinct Cell-Specific Expression Patterns and Promoter Activities 1

Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiologı́a, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114–D, Santiago, Chile (A.E., G.L., I.G., L.H., X.J.); Unité Mixte de Recherche 0619-Physiologie et Biotechnologie Végétales, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique et Université Victor Segalen-Bordeaux II, Institut de Biologie Végétale Moléculaire Centre de Recherche-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique Bordeaux, 33883 Villenave d’Ornon cedex, France (A.E., A.M.); and Laboratoire de Réplication et Expression des Gènes Eucaryotes et Rétroviraux, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5097, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Université Victor Segalen-Bordeaux II, 33076 Bordeauxcedex, France (A.E., A.A.)
Using a heterogeneous multinomial probit model with a neural net extension to model brand choice

The multinomial probit model introduced here combines heterogeneity across households with flexibility of the (deterministic) utility function. To achieve flexibility deterministic utility is approximated by a neural net of the multilayer perceptron type. A Markov Chain Monte Carlo method serves to estimate heterogeneous multinomial probit models which fulfill economic restrictions on signs of (marginal) effects of predictors (e.g., negative for price). For empirical choice data the heterogeneous multinomial probit model extended by a multilayer perceptron clearly outperforms all the other models studied. Moreover, replacing homogeneous by heterogeneous reference price mechanisms and thus allowing price expectations to be formed differently across households also leads to better model performance. Mean utility differences and mean elasticities w.r. t. price and price deviation from reference price demonstrate that models with linear utility and nonlinear utility approximated by a multilayer perceptron lead to very different implications for managerial decision making. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.