Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What Does Investment-Cash Flow Sensitivity Really Measure? * An Investigation Using Worldwide Data

The answer to the above question appears to be ‘the firm’s cash flow situation. ’ Using firm-level data from thirty-five countries over the period 1998 through 2004, we attempt to uncover the nature of investment-cash flow sensitivity. Prior studies on U.S. firms report that investmentcash flow sensitivity is not a measure of financial constraint and is higher for firms of good financial status than for firms of poor financial status. We examine whether this observation can be generalized to the firms outside the U.S. Our empirical results suggest that investment-cash flow sensitivity is unlikely to be related to financial constraint, which confirms the results of prior studies on U.S. firms. However, unlike prior studies on U.S. firms, our results do not suggest that good financial status firms display relatively high investment-cash flow sensitivity. Our most important finding is that almost invariably across countries, investment-cash flow sensitivity is weak for firms with low cash flows while it is strong for firms with high cash flows. We propose that investment-cash flow sensitivity is a measure of the availability of the firm’s internal funds.
Triple/quadruple patterning layout decomposition via linear programming and iterative rounding

Abstract. As the feature size of the semiconductor technology scales down to 10 nm and beyond, multiple patterning lithography (MPL) has become one of the most practical candidates for lithography, along with other emerging technologies, such as extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL), e-beam lithography (EBL), and directed self-assembly. Due to the delay of EUVL and EBL, triple and even quadruple patterning is considered to be used for lower metal and contact layers with tight pitches. In the process of MPL, layout decomposition is the key design stage, where a layout is split into various parts and each part is manufactured through a separate mask. For metal layers, stitching may be allowed to resolve conflicts, whereas it is forbidden for contact and via layers. We focus on the application of layout decomposition where stitching is not allowed, such as for contact and via layers. We propose a linear programming (LP) and iterative rounding solving technique to reduce the number of nonintegers in the LP relaxation problem. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithms can provide high quality decomposition solutions efficiently while introducing as few conflicts as possible.
Connecting internal management systems in service organizations

Competing in the global economy demands of service companies to establish well‐designed and implemented internal management systems, according to internationally accepted management standards. ISO 9000 standards for quality and ISO 14000 standards for environmental management represent just two well‐established examples of many such standards to come in the near future. This paper addresses a lingering issue of integrating different internal management systems for synergy purposes. Benefits of developing and integrating management systems are illustrated, followed by a discussion of the system concept in a service context. System dynamics is used to illustrate interrelationships of objectives, resources and processes as main elements of service management systems. Subsequently, a systems approach was applied to restructure the ISO 9001 and ISO 9004‐2 quality assurance/management guidelines for services, as well as ISO 14001/ISO 14004 environmental management standards. Such restructured management systems can then be connected to form an integrated management system, together with ergonomics, financial, health, safety and other systems. Finally, examples of three service organizations that used a systems approach to integrate existing internal management systems are illustrated.
Institutional design of ecolabels: Sponsorship signals rule strength

Ecolabels are designed to help consumers identify environmentally superior products and services, however, they are not all created equal. Some ecolabels have strong rules that promote environmental improvements, while others have weaker rules that permit free-riding. Since information about ecolabel design and rule strength is typically not readily available at the point of purchase, consumers struggle to differentiate stronger ecolabels from weaker ones. We investigate whether ecolabel sponsorship is a signal that can help consumers distinguish among ecolabels according to the quality of their institutional design. Using data for 189 prominent ecolabels, we find that while most ecolabels have basic rules for environmental performance, monitoring, and conformance, the strength of these rules varies across labels according to sponsoring organization. Independent sponsors have the strongest ecolabel rules, followed by governments. Industry sponsored ecolabels have the weakest rule structures. Taken as a whole, these findings suggest that sponsorship may signal to consumers important information about whether an ecolabel is designed with rules that effectively condition firms to promote environmental performance outcomes.
pH-dependent Internalization of Muramyl Peptides from Early Endosomes Enables Nod1 and Nod2 Signaling*

Nod1 and Nod2 are members of the Nod-like receptor family that detect intracellular bacterial peptidoglycan-derived muramyl peptides. The biological effects of muramyl peptides have been described for over three decades, but the mechanism underlying their internalization to the cytosol remains unclear. Using the human epithelial cell line HEK293T as a model system, we demonstrate here that Nod1-activating ligands entered cells through endocytosis, most likely by the clathrin-coated pit pathway, as internalization was dynamin-dependent but not inhibited by methyl-β-cyclodextrin. In the endocytic pathway, the cytosolic internalization of Nod1 ligands was pH-dependent, occurred prior to the acidification mediated by the vacuolar ATPase, and was optimal at pH ranging from 5.5 to 6. Similarly, the Nod2 ligand MDP was internalized into host cytosol through a similar pathway with optimal pH for internalization ranging from 5.5 to 6.5. Moreover, Nod1-activating muramyl peptides likely required processing by endosomal enzymes, prior to transport into the cytosol, suggesting the existence of a sterically gated endosomal transporter for Nod1 ligands. In support for this, we identified a role for SLC15A4, an oligopeptide transporter expressed in early endosomes, in Nod1-dependent NF-κB signaling. Interestingly, SLC15A4 expression was also up-regulated in colonic biopsies from patients with inflammatory bowel disease, a disorder associated with mutations in Nod1 and Nod2. Together, our results shed light on the mechanisms by which muramyl peptides get access to the host cytosol, where they are detected by Nod1 and Nod2, and might have implications for the understanding of human diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Dimensions of brand performance: Challenges for marketing management and managerial accountancy

This paper evaluates a range of inherent conflicts characteristic of the marketing/accounting interface. It addresses the problems which accountants face when budgeting expenditures for brand management or when attempting to assess the value of brand equity. Dimensions of brand performance are outlined, as are the management processes underpinning their creation and sustenance. A brand value budgeting perspective is proposed which integrates these processes within a framework linking marketing assets to the generation of cumulative strategic value.
Decision support oriented sales forecasting methods

Forecast accuracy is not always a good criterion by which to evaluate alternative sales forecasting methods. Accurate forecasts do not always lead to desirable management policies. The paper gives two examples of this in practice, one in which short term sales forecasts are used for operational planning purposes, and the other in which long term sales forecasts are used for strategic company planning. In each case the most accurate forecasts do not give the best plans and alternative criteria to accuracy are proposed and shown to perform better. Conclusions are drawn regarding evaluation criteria for alternative sales forecasting methods within a planning context and also regarding the position of the forecasting function within an organisation.
Why cows die on dairies

On-farm death of adult dairy cows is a significant problem for both economic and animal welfare reasons. Adult cow mortality losses on dairies have increased in recent years. These losses and their causes are not carefully monitored or evaluated on most dairies, leaving producers and veterinarians without the information needed to manage them. The reasons cows die are multiple and complex, necessitating an improved approach to diagnosis, information management and analysis.
The role of surgery in the multimodal treatment of primary gastric non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas a report of 76 cases and review of the literature

Seventy‐six patients with primary gastric non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas (PGL) were diagnosed, and 75 were treated between 1975 and 1985. According to the Working Formulation 22 patients had low‐grade malignant histologic subtypes, 27 intermediate‐grade, and 27 high‐grade. Twenty‐four cases were diagnosed by endoscopic biopsies, 52 through laparotomy biopsies. Forty‐five underwent subtotal or total gastric resection; seven were considered unresectable at laparotomy; 23 did not undergo surgery because of the high operative risk, mainly due to advanced age and coexisting diseases; and one died of myocardial infarction a few days after admission, before starting therapy. All patients who did not undergo laparotomy were staged with bipedal lymphangiography or abdominal ultrasonography and/or computed tomography. Stage, evaluated according to the criteria of Musshoff, was I or II1 in 16 cases, II2 in five, and IV in the remaining 55. Treatment modalities included surgery (S), chemotherapy (CT), radiotherapy (RT), and combinations thereof in the following proportions: only S in ten cases, S + CT in 32 cases, S + RT in one case, S + CT + RT in two cases, CT only in 25 cases, CT + RT in five cases. No substantial differences in response to therapy and in survival were found in relation to the different treatments. Ten‐year survival was 43% in Stage I or II and 20% in Stage IV. Of the 45 resected patients, five postoperative deaths were recorded (11%). No bleeding or perforations were observed in the 30 unresected patients, and survival of such cases compared with that of the resected ones. These findings, together with data from the literature, suggest that some of the advantages claimed for surgery in PGL (debulking and abatement of the risk of perforation or hemorrhage during CT or RT) have been overestimated in relation to the intrinsic surgical risk and to the possibility of anticancer therapy. Gastric resection may still be unavoidable as a diagnostic procedure in a minority of cases and may represent the primary therapeutic procedure in clinically assessed early‐stage and low‐risk patients, but it cannot be considered mandatory whenever possible merely for debulking purposes or to obviate possible perforation or hemorrhage. The CT and/or RT can be effective in unresected and even bulky cases, providing minimal risk of severe hemorrhage or perforation.
Innovation in the Public Sector: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda

This article brings together empirical academic research on public sector innovation. Via a systematic literature review, we investigate 181 articles and books on public sector innovation, published between 1990 and 2014. These studies are analysed based on the following themes: (1) the definitions of innovation, (2) innovation types, (3) goals of innovation, (4) antecedents of innovation and (5) outcomes of innovation. Based upon this analysis, we develop an empirically based framework of potentially important antecedents and effects of public sector innovation. We put forward three future research suggestions: (1) more variety in methods: moving from a qualitative dominance to using other methods, such as surveys, experiments and multi-method approaches; (2) emphasize theory development and testing as studies are often theory-poor; and (3) conduct more cross-national and cross-sectoral studies, linking for instance different governance and state traditions to the development and effects of public sector innovation.
Novel angle quantization index modulation scheme for image watermarking

In this paper, we propose a new angle quantization index modulation (AQIM) method, called the difference AQIM (DAQIM) method. The proposed method aims to improve the watermarking performance against gain attacks. Unlike the original AQIM method [1], the DAQIM method quantizes the difference of the two angles instead of the angles themselves. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms both the AQIM and the gradient direction watermarking (GDWM) [2] methods in terms of document-to-watermark ratio (DWR).
Dabigatran Etexilate A New Oral Thrombin Inhibitor

L ong-term oral anticoagulation is indicated for several cardiovascular diseases, including the prevention of cardiac thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), 1 mechanical heart valves, 2 and acute myocardial infarc-tion (MI), 3 as well as the secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE). 4 of prothrombin (factor II) by the prothrombinase complex (factor Xa and its cofactor, factor Va) leads to the generation of thrombin (factor IIa). Thrombin converts ﬁbrinogen to ﬁbrin and provides positive feedback through activation of factors V, VIII, and XI in the coagulation cascade. Factors Va, VIIIa, and XIa promote the production of additional thrombin, which leads to cross-linkage of ﬁbrin strands and the formation of a hemostatic plug. Thrombin also activates platelets through cleavage of the platelet membrane–bound protease-activated receptors 1, 3, and 4. Factor Xa inhibitors block the conversion of prothrombin (factor II) to thrombin (factor IIa) by factor Xa incorporated within the prothrombinase complex (the complex of factor Xa and factor Va bound to the activated platelet surface). Thrombin inhibitors block thrombin-mediated conversion of ﬁbrin. These drugs also block thrombin-mediated feedback activation of factors V and VIII. Modiﬁed from Eriksson et al. 13 (cid:3) mol/L peaks). 51 One study has demonstrated that ximelagatran in concentrations of 10 (cid:3) mol/L increases membrane fluidity by changing membrane lipid composition in human hepatocytes in vitro, whereas melagatran does not. 52 In contrast, esterases that convert dabigatran etexilate to its active including dabigatran etexilate
INTERNAL CUSTOMER JOB SATISFACTION AND ROLE OF TQM PRACTICES

In Pakistan, industry both in manufacturing and industrial sector is facing a number of internal as well as external challenges to sustain and maintain their survival. Quality is the only way that enables them to face these challenges by utilizing the available talent to gain the competitive edge. This study aims to investigate the relationship between total quality management (TQM) practices and internal customer (employees) satisfaction at workplace. TQM focuses on delivering quality and innovative product or services at the lowest cost first time and every time to their external customers (directly affected by company’s products) but it cannot be achieved without the satisfaction of internal customers’ means employees of the organization. Five most common and basic TQM practices were selected from the available literature; Leadership role, training and education, empowerment, reward and recognition, employees involvement and cooperation and teamwork for this study. Only ISO implemented service and manufacturing organizations were selected for this study.
Palliative Wound Care: Principles of Care

Home care nursing occurs in a complex care environment. Nurses working in this setting care for a wide array of individuals who often are sicker and more complex than ever before. The high prevalence of wounds among these individuals requires that home care nurses have a certain level of knowledge to provide excellent care. Many times, individuals with wounds do not have the capacity to heal or are burdened with numerous symptoms affecting quality of life. In these cases, the home care nurse must understand concepts of palliative wound care to alleviate symptoms with the goal of improving quality of life.
Nurses Working in Makkah Region Public Hospitals , Saudi Arabia

Background: Saudi Arabia has over many decades relied exclusively on the recruitment of expatriate nurses to service its hospitals. Whilst Saudi nurses have been increasing in numbers, it is important that they be satisfied with their jobs in order to maintain and retain the National Nursing Workforce in Saudi Arabia. This research study explored the job satisfaction levels of Saudi national nurses working in three main public hospitals in the Makkah region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A descriptive, explorative study used a mixed-method design to capture the job satisfaction levels of Saudi nurses working in three public hospitals in order to identify the factors that influence levels of job satisfaction among them. Data were collected from 272 Saudi national nurses who were surveyed to identify which factors they believe led to job satisfaction. Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory has been utilised as the theoretical framework to guide this study. Results: This study found that Saudi nurses working in public hospitals were not satisfied with their jobs. The finding in this study indicated that more female Saudi nurses were dissatisfied with their jobs than the male nurses. Nurses who are dependent adults, and who have worked in public hospitals for a period of 5-10 years were dissatisfied with their jobs. Furthermore, nurses who have experience of 4-10 years in nursing were also dissatisfied. Conclusion: The findings of this study will provide insights that may influence recruiting, retaining, and increasing the number of female and male Saudi nationals who study nursing, subsequently alleviating the shortage and bringing stability to the Saudi nursing workforce in public hospitals. [Mohammed Alshmemri, Lina Shahwan-Akl and Phillip Maude. Job Satisfaction of Saudi Nurses Working in Makkah Region Public Hospitals, Saudi Arabia. Life Sci J 2016;13(12):22-33]. ISSN: 1097-8135 (Print) / ISSN: 2372-613X (Online). http://www.lifesciencesite. com. 5. doi:10.7537/marslsj131216.05.
Antibacterial and antifungal analysis of crude extracts from the leaves of Callistemon viminalis.

Antimicrobial resistance is a major cause of significant morbidity and mortality globally. Ethnomedicine provides avenues for identification of compounds with antimicrobial properties and potential new antibiotics. Callistemon viminalis is an ethnomedicinal plant used in Jamaica to treat intestinal illnesses. Methanol, hexane and aqueous extracts of Callistemon viminalis were tested against eight common bacteria and a single fungus of medical importance using a quantitative agar well diffusion test and tube dilution assay. All plant extracts showed antimicrobial activities against the selected microorganisms; the methanol extracts were most effective. The aqueous extract on the other hand, was very effective as a bactericidal agent against the intestinal pathogens. These results support the ethnomedicinal claim that C. viminalis is an effective treatment for bacterial causes of intestinal illnesses.
Lurking as an Active Participation Process: A Longitudinal Investigation of Engagement with an Online Cancer Support Group

To better understand participation in computer-mediated social support (CMSS) groups for breast cancer patients, this study examines two overarching questions of (1) who are posters, lurkers, or nonusers and (2) what role do these different types of engagement play in explaining psychosocial health outcomes? This study incorporates the comprehensive model of information seeking and two competing models of social enhancement and social compensation, as well as the literature on lurking and posting behaviors in online groups to answer research questions. Our findings suggest that patterns of engagement in a CMSS group differed according to patients’ sociodemographic characteristics and psychosocial factors. In addition, we found that lurkers had a higher level of perceived functional well-being than posters at 3 months post baseline. Theoretical and practical implications for effective online cancer support group campaigns are discussed.
Corporate Social Responsibility: A Corporate Marketing Perspective

Purpose: The main goal of this paper is to provide an integrative understanding of corporate social responsibility (CSR) from a corporate marketing perspective, highlighting the critical role of CSR in effective corporate marketing strategies.Design/methodology/approach: The paper is conceptual and draws on the social identification, organisational identity and corporate marketing literatures from the European and American schools of thought.Findings: The paper integrates and builds on extant thinking in corporate marketing and CSR to provide an identity-based conceptualization of CSR. Based on this, it positions CSR as an optimal managerial tool for promoting alignment between multiple corporate identities (e.g., internal, external), which ultimately leads to key benefits for the company.Originality/value: The paper is the first to highlight the unique role of CSR in being able to align multiple corporate identities. Furthermore, the paper threads together diverse perspectives on corporate identity and marketing to highlight the potential role of CSR in effective corporate marketing.
Fear of falling in patients with stroke: a reliability study

Objective: To examine the scaling properties and test–retest reliability of an expanded version of the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) and to compare group differences in the scores. The expanded version focuses on more basic, primary activities of daily living (ADL), which makes the scale more suitable for subjects with moderate to low functional ability, e.g. patients with stroke. Design: A test–retest reliability study with one group convenience sample. Setting: Two day-care units: a rehabilitation unit and a geriatric rehabilitation unit. Subjects: A volunteer sample of 30 patients (mean age 65 years, SD 11 years) who had sustained stroke between 5 and 84 months prior to the investigation. Main outcome measure: A 13-activity questionnaire (the Swedish modification of the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES(S)) comprising the 10 activities of the original FES and three additional activities was used. Falls efficacy was rated on a 10-point visual analogue scale for each activity on two occasions, 5–22 (mean 10, Md 7) days apart. Results: The overall test–retest reliability of the FES(S) was high (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.97). The ICC for the personal ADL (items 1–6) scores was 0.93 and for the instrumental ADL (items 8–13) 0.97. ICC for the individual items ranged from 0.76 to 0.97. Conclusions: On the basis of these preliminary findings, the FES(S) appears to have acceptable test–retest reliability. The test may be a reasonable addition for assessing stroke patients with balance disturbances and risk for falls.