Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seasoned Equity Issues and Ownership Concentration in a Closely Held Market: An Alignment Effect Test Free from the Unobserved Firm Heterogeneity Problem

Opportunities for controlling shareholders to expropriate minority shareholders come largely from insider information. These opportunities and hence private benefits of control, largely under asymmetric information, can vary substantially across firms even within the same legal environment. As a result, this unobserved firm heterogeneity confounds the alignment effect of ownership concentration in reducing the private benefits. To control for this firm heterogeneity, we use a conditional test based on the valuation shocks of corporate financial decisions that have implications for private benefits. We find that in Hong Kong, rights offers signal large private benefits and control-diluting new issues signal small private benefits. This is consistent with a separating equilibrium suggested by recent research. We also find that controlling ownership cannot predict the flotation method choice but the SEO announcement returns are conditionally and significantly related to the level of controlling ownership (with a negative slope for rights issuers and a positive slope for new issuers). The conditional valuation shock patterns suggest a meaningful tradeoff between the incentives and the opportunities of controlling shareholders to both benefit and expropriate the minority shareholders.
Involvement of a Unique Carbohydrate-responsive Factor in the Glucose Regulation of Rat Liver Fatty-acid Synthase Gene Transcription*

Refeeding carbohydrate to fasted rats induces the transcription of genes encoding enzymes of fatty acid biosynthesis,e.g. fatty-acid synthase (FAS). Part of this transcriptional induction is mediated by insulin. An insulin response element has been described for the fatty-acid synthase gene region of −600 to +65, but the 2–3-fold increase in fatty-acid synthase promoter activity attributable to this region is small compared with the 20–30-fold induction in fatty-acid synthase gene transcription observed in fasted rats refed carbohydrate. We have previously reported that the fatty-acid synthase gene region between −7382 and −6970 was essential for achieving high in vivorates of gene transcription. The studies of the current report demonstrate that the region of −7382 to −6970 of the fatty-acid synthase gene contains a carbohydrate response element (CHO-REFAS) with a palindrome sequence (CATGTGn 5GGCGTG) that is nearly identical to the CHO-RE of the l-type pyruvate kinase and S14 genes. The glucose responsiveness imparted by CHO-REFAS was independent of insulin. Moreover, CHO-REFAS conferred glucose responsiveness to a heterologous promoter (i.e. l-type pyruvate kinase). Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that CHO-REFAS readily bound a unique hepatic ChoRF and that CHO-REFAS competed with the CHO-RE of thel-type pyruvate kinase and S14 genes for ChoRF binding. In vivo footprinting revealed that fasting reduced and refeeding increased ChoRF binding to CHO-REFAS. Thus, carbohydrate responsiveness of rat liver fatty-acid synthase appears to require both insulin and glucose signaling pathways. More importantly, a unique hepatic ChoRF has now been shown to recognize glucose responsive sequences that are common to three different genes: fatty-acid synthase, l-type pyruvate kinase, and S14.
Natural Disaster Plans and How They Need to be Fixed

Natural disasters have affected our history, affect our present, and will affect our future. Because of this our world needs to adapt. But disaster plans already established should include certain aspects that would limit the amount of damage inflicted by the disaster and the number of lives that are lost. The problem with the literature is that it does not cover what should be done to decrease the number of lives lost and limit the damage that could occur. The first thing that it needs is disaster epidemiologists. These are scientists that go back into the history of the area and make a disaster plan based on the types of and the severity of the disasters that affect that area. Another thing that is needed is a disaster management plan that includes all the criteria laid out by E.L. Quarentelli. This includes all that is needed to have a smooth operation in regards to disaster relief. The last thing needed is not necessarily written down but should be understood by the people affected; it is a humanist approach to life. They need to know that cooperation is one of the most important aspects of disaster relief. Without it there could be chaos and the previous two requirements would be wasted. With all of this established a case study on the relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina was examined to see what went wrong with that relief and how these requirements would help with that.
Design of AWG-based WDM-PON architecture With multicast capability

- A hybrid WDM/TDM PON architecture implemented by means of two cascaded Arrayed Waveguide Gratings (AWG) is presented. Using the Free Spectral Range (FSR) periodicity of AWGs we transmit unicast and multicast traffic on different wavelengths to each Optical Network Unit (ONU). The OLT is equipped with two laser stacks, a tunable one for unicast transmission and a fixed one for multicast transmission. Optical transmission tests demonstrate correct transmission at 2.5Gbps up to 30km.This proposed experimental set up is evaluated using optisystem software version 12.
Imposex induction in Stramonita haemastoma floridana (Conrad, 1837) (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Muricidae) submitted to an organotin-contaminated diet

Marine organisms are affected by organotin compounds due to the cumulative, deleterious effects of these latter. The most evident and well known consequence of organotin contamination is imposex, a hormonal disruption that causes a superimposition of sexual male features in females of prosobranchia neogastropod molluscs such as Stramonita haemastoma floridana. Molluscs accumulate organotins mainly because of their poor ability to eliminate TBT and DBT from their tissues. The aim of this study was to analyze organotin uptake by ingestion experimentally, using uncontaminated subjects (S. haemastoma floridana) fed with organotin-contaminated oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae). A total of 248 gastropods, distributed in 7 tanks with uncontaminated water and contaminated food, were used in this study, a control group being fed uncontaminated oysters. Every 15 days, the individuals of one of the tanks were examined for the presence of imposex. Development of imposex was measured using the VDSI, RPSI and RPLI indexes. The animals had already developed imposex within the first 15 days, all the indexes measured (RPLI, RPSI and VDSI) having increased significantly with duration of exposure, indicating that the animals were probablycontaminated by the food and had accumulated the pollutant. New paths of imposex development were also observed.
Sensitivity calculations and comparisons for shielded elliptical and circular birdcage coils

An analytical framework is presented which justifies the use of a confocal elliptical shield (previously adopted on empirical or numerical grounds) to limit the spatial extent of the radiofrequency (RF) field produced by an elliptical birdcage coil, while concurrently minimizing field inhomogeneities. From this analytical capability it is further shown that the relative linear mode geometric sensitivities depend only on the shield dimensions and can be readily evaluated, thus providing an upper bound to the improvement in signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) of the damped elliptical birdcage over a circular coil of similar dimensions. The mismatch in the linear mode sensitivities can also be evaluated, and a method for the design of an appropriate feed configuration that ensures quadrature operation is given. Magn Reson Med 47:364–371, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Particle Swarm Optimization for Cluster-Based Classification of Breast Cancer Data

The present invention provides a developing device for conducting image development with the use of a magnetic developer containing magnetic powder in a proportion not less than 20 wt. % and having a mean particle size not less than 5 microns and with a magnetic field of which flux density is not in excess of 950 gauss at the surface of the developer supporting member. Also the developing device is provided with developer leak preventing members, a developer recovering magnetic pole at an angular position theta 1 (<45 DEG ) downstream of the initial contact position of the preventing members with the developer supporting member and another magnetic pole at angular position theta 2 (< theta 1) upstream of the initial contact position.
Basic Cooperative Principles and Their Relationship to Selected Practices

This paper describes a set of basic cooperative principles adopted in a recent Agricultural Cooperative Service study and how these principles relate to various cooperative business practices and issues facing U.S. cooperative organizations. Three principles relating use of a cooperative to ownership, control, and distribution of benefits are outlined. The relationship of these principles to a number of topics, including cooperative membership and control, differential treatment programs, and cooperative finance, is examined.
How do private labels affect innovation in the food industry

There is a growing interest in private label products in the food industry and it has become an important strategy for food retailers to own and manage their own private label brands. Private labels have become a more popular topic to investigate, although so far, not much attention has been given towards the potential impacts private labels have on innovation. The focus of this thesis was therefore to analyze private label competition and the effects private labels have on innovation in the food industry. To approach this topic, an extensive literature review focusing on private labels, competition and innovation effect was performed. Empirical data was collected by interviews performed via the survey tool SurveyMonkey. In order to achieve a more in-depth data on the subject, two different surveys were distributed, one with relevant personnel from the food industry and one with experts from the academia. The key results in this thesis suggest that increases in private label shares could impede innovation within the food industry. The main reason for this is that private labels reduce the incentive for national brand manufacturers to invest resources in product development activities. The results from this thesis also imply that small manufacturers are especially vulnerable to increases in private label shares and that the development of "copycat" private labels could have a large negative effect on innovation in the food industry.
New developments in banking and finance

Preface Institutional Ownership in S & P Index Financial Corporations Parametric Interest Rate Risk Immunisation Management Buyout Consummation: An Analysis of Agency Costs, Corporate Governance, and Firm Characteristics Abstract Nature of Capital and Money Testing the Dynamic Implications of the Mixture of Distributions Model using Realised Volatility The Evolution of Direct Banking: Entry, Exit and Long-run Equilibrium Earnings Management and Internal Control Mechanisms: Evidence from Chilean Firms On Shareholder Value Analysis: Maximising and Satisfacing Paradigms Predicting Bank Performance: A Distributional Approach Board Composition following Large Bank Mergers Branch Expansion and Service in Retail Banking IPO Pricing in the Post-Bubble Era: Partial Adjustment Revisited Index.
Costing Methodologies and Cost Management Practices in the People's Republic of China

This paper presents the results of a study of costing methodologies and cost management practices utilized by companies in the People's Republic of China (PRC). We find that costing practices employed by companies, while occasionally reflecting prior practices, are now largely in conformance with the 2006 ASBE. Cost management practices are in a state of transition in the PRC - reflecting the techniques used under the prior planned economic system, but also showing the beginning of the adoption (and adaptation) of Western techniques.Going forward, management accountants in China need to blend the lessons learned from implementation of management planning and control systems under prior economic systems along with current Western techniques and methodologies in order to develop systems that are appropriate for their organizations.
Inhaled beclomethasone/formoterol in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a randomised controlled exploratory study

We hypothesise that inflammation plays a role in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and that the harm associated with corticosteroid-containing regimens in IPF may relate to local beneficial effects being counterbalanced by deleterious systemic effects [1, 2]. Topical lung delivery could improve the poise between risk and benefit. IPF biomarker improved by ICS/LABA http://ow.ly/CHub30gzHry
CDKN2A (p16INK4A) somatic and germline mutations

The cell cycle is composed of a series of steps that can be negatively or positively regulated by various factors. A group of low‐molecular‐weight proteins have recently been identified that specifically inhibit the function of cyclin‐dependent kinases in mammalian cells. Inactivation of the CDKN2A gene (also known as p16INK4A and MTS1) attracted considerable interest after it was mapped to 9p21, a locus for familial melanoma. In an effort to standardize the information regarding human CDKN2A mutations detected in cancers, a database with information of 146 point mutations has been created. Cancer type, origin of cells, specific mutation, amino acid change, literature citation, and other data are provided for each mutation entry. Studies of biochemical and biological functions of both wild‐type and mutant proteins are central to our understanding of the role of p16INK4a mutations in tumorigenesis, a summary of these studies is also included in the present update. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Advertising, Attention, and Stock Returns

This paper studies the effect of advertising on stock returns both in the short and in the long run. We find that a greater amount of advertising is associated with a larger stock return in the advertising year but a smaller stock return in the year subsequent to the advertising year, even after we control for other price predictors, such as size, book-to-market, and momentum. We conjecture that advertising affects stock returns by attracting investors’ attention to the firm’s stock. Stock price increases in the advertising year due to the attracted attention, but decreases in the subsequent year as the attracted attention wears out over time. We test this investor attention hypothesis and document consistent findings. We find that advertising increases a firm’s visibility among investors in the advertising year. We further find that the negative effect of advertising on the long-run reversal in stock returns is more pronounced if a firm attracts greater investor attention in the advertising year, or if investors face a larger cost of short selling the firm’s stock. It is also more pronounced for small firms, value firms, and firms with poor ex-ante stock or operating performance. Finally, we find that the effect of advertising on future stock returns is stronger when advertising increases compared to the case when advertising decreases.
Identification and Characterization of Pathogenic and Endophytic Fungal Species Associated with Pokkah Boeng Disease of Sugarcane

Pokkah Boeng is a serious disease of sugarcane, which can lead to devastating yield losses in crop-producing regions, including southern China. However, there is still uncertainty about the causal agent of the disease. Our aim was to isolate and characterize the pathogen through morphological, physiological, and molecular analyses. We isolated sugarcane-colonizing fungi in Fujian, China. Isolated fungi were first assessed for their cell wall degrading enzyme capabilities, and five isolates were identified for further analysis. Internal transcribed spacer sequencing revealed that these five strains are Fusarium, Alternaria, Phoma, Phomopsis, and Epicoccum. The Fusarium isolate was further identified as F. verticillioides after Calmodulin and EF-1α gene sequencing and microscopic morphology study. Pathogenicity assay confirmed that F. verticillioides was directly responsible for disease on sugarcane. Co-inoculation of F. verticillioides with other isolated fungi did not lead to a significant difference in disease severity, refuting the idea that other cellulolytic fungi can increase disease severity as an endophyte. This is the first report characterizing pathogenic F. verticillioides on sugarcane in southern China.
A MODEL OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR CREDENCE ATTRIBUTES

We develop a model of the impact of food quality management systems (QMS) on competitiveness and markets. QMS seek to control the quality of a product as determined by the array of individual attributes it possesses. To date only a few studies have attempted to better understand the effect of the introduction of quality management systems. No model has been introduced which captures the interactions within the supply chain and at the interface with consumers when these systems are introduced.
Growth by Merger - A long-term analysis of GlaxoSmithKline

In the present circumstances, the most debatable issue is Merger & Acquisition (MA which is very critical for the companies and shareholders. The objective of the thesis is to evaluate the performance of GlaxoSmithKline in the context of a merger. It is a study to understand & analyze the growth of merged company. The main purpose is to reveal whether; merger deliver value and achieved expectations? Pre and post merger analysis has been conducted by applying different key performance indicators such as sales & net earnings growth, relationship between revenue & operating expenses, RD but the growth trend is slow as per expectations and not in line with motives of merger set prior to the merger of GlaxoWellcome and SmithKline Beecham.
Modeling of latent structure of indomethacin solid dispersion tablet using Bayesian networks

Background: When designing pharmaceutical products, the relationships between causal factors and pharmaceutical responses are intricate. A Bayesian network (BN) was used to clarify the latent structure underlying the causal factors and pharmaceutical responses of a tablet containing solid dispersion (SD) of indomethacin (IMC). Method: IMC, a poorly water-soluble drug, was tested with polyvinylpyrrolidone as the carrier polymer. Tablets containing a SD or a physical mixture of IMC, different quantities of magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, and low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose, and subjected to different compression force were selected as the causal factors. The pharmaceutical responses were the dissolution properties and tensile strength before and after the accelerated test and a similarity factor, which was used as an index of the storage stability. Result: BN models were constructed based on three measurement criteria for the appropriateness of the graph structure. Of these, the BN model based on Akaike’s information criterion was similar to the results for the analysis of variance. To quantitatively estimate the causal relationships underlying the latent structure in this system, conditional probability distributions were inferred from the BN model. The responses were accurately predicted using the BN model, as reflected in the high correlation coefficients in a leave-one-out cross-validation procedure. Conclusion: The BN technique provides a better understanding of the latent structure underlying causal factors and responses.
Bacterial pathogens and death during the 1918 influenza pandemic.

To the Editor: A review of recut lung-tissue specimens and published autopsy series from the 1918 influenza pandemic suggests that secondary bacterial pneumonia1 was an important cause of death, consistent with our preliminary analysis of antemortem blood cultures and the time to death of the patients.2 We review here studies that reported more than 10 sterile-site antemortem cultures from adults with pneumonia and those without pneumonia in an extensive archive of articles about the 1918 pandemic in any language (www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/Flu/1918/bibliography.htm). Bacteria were recovered in only a few blood cultures for patients who had influenza but not pneumonia (mean among all .
Consumer Processing of Product Trial and the Influence of Prior Advertising: A Structural Modeling Approach

A major goal of this study is to develop and test a structural model of trial processing to help marketers and researchers better understand the dynamics of this important stage in the purchase process. No such model exists, even though prior research has demonstrated that product trial can be an important determinant of brand beliefs and attitudes. Accordingly, the authors develop a general model of how consumers process and respond to trial experiences. This trial model then is integrated with a well-known advertising model to trace how (1) consumers react when both types of information are available and (2) advertising achieves its influence on trial perceptions. The authors estimate these models for two products that vary significantly in the diagnosticity of the trial experience and discuss implications for marketing research and practice.
Vesical Urothelium and New Concepts

Vesical urothelium was long considered to simply be a protection barrier, which passively separates the urinary content from the underlying smooth muscle and the blood stream. Recent observations, though, have pointed out that vesical urothelium cells have clear active and sensory functions, in response to various physical and chemical stimuli. Among these characteristics are the expression of several neurotransmitters and receptors: Acetylcholine, Nitric Oxide, VIP, CGRP, NKA, SP and cholinergic, vanilloid, purinergic, and tachykinin receptors. Urothelium-produced neurotransmitters are likely supposed to act through a receptor stimulation of the afferent nerve fibers within the sub-urothelial spaces. Sub-urothelial myofibroblasts are considered to play a mediation role between urothelium-produced neurotransmitters and the underlying receptors. According to these observations, a pharmacologic modulation, directly affecting the urothelium, can be hypothesized.