Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dividend imputation in Australia: The value of franking credit balances

The growing level of undistributed franking credits held by Australian companies provides an important puzzle for finance theory. In 1987, the Australian Government set up a system of tax credits to address the problem of double taxation of dividends. Double taxation of dividends arises in a classical system when earnings are taxed at the corporate level at the corporate tax rate and again at shareholders level when dividends are taxed at the shareholders individual personal tax rate. In Australia, under the dividend imputation system, a tax credit equal to the Australian corporate tax paid on earnings is allowed to resident shareholders and it is attached to the dividends that Australian resident shareholders receive. This tax credit is called a dividend imputation credit, or a franking credit, and franking credits that remain undistributed at year-end are called franking credit balances. Franking credit balances accumulate over time where dividend distributions are not sufficient to allocate all of the available franking credit balance. At first glance it might be expected that companies would pay out all dividends that attract the franking credits as these are valuable in the hands of resident shareholders, yet considerable franking credit balances have accumulated for some companies. If franking credits are valuable to investors then some care needs to be taken in the way that companies and regulators treat franking credit balances. If franking credit balances are not valuable to shareholders then this finding has implications for equity market risk premium estimation, valuation of companies and determination of appropriate rates of return for regulated companies. Analysis is based on a sample of over 3000 company year observations, spanning the period 2001 to 2006, for companies that report franking credit balances in their annual reports. Fixed effects panel data analysis suggests that franking credits are valuable to the marginal shareholder in the smaller companies in the sample though there is little evidence of these balances being of value to marginal shareholders in the larger companies, specifically those that fall among the largest 100 listed companies. Further, while there is evidence that larger companies are more likely to accumulate franking credit balances over time smaller companies with concentrated shareholdings are less likely to accumulate these balances.
Depression and Anxiety in Patients with Epilepsy

The aim of this investigation was to study the interaction between depression/anxiety and epilepsy. One hundred fifty individuals with partial epilepsy, 70 with idiopathic generalized epilepsy, and 100 controls were administered two self-rating mood questionnaires (Zung and Stai) for the evaluation of depression and anxiety, respectively. The group with epilepsy was much more severely impaired than the controls according to both mood questionnaires; the patients with partial epilepsy, especially those with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), were more depressed and anxious than the patients with generalized epilepsy. The group with left TLE appeared to have the highest levels of depression and anxiety. The final results of our study confirmed that some mood disorders are common throughout the epilepsy population, especially in patients with left TLE. No correlation was noted between the frequency of seizures and onset of epilepsy and the results of the mood questionnaires. Moreover, no differences were found in depression and anxiety between males and females among both left focus and right focus epilepsy patients.
A Novel Phosphatidic Acid-Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase D2 Axis Is Essential for ERBB2 Signaling in Mammary Epithelial Cells*

Background: The role of protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTP) in ERBB2 signaling is undefined. Results: Phosphatidic acid (PA) activated PTPD2; inhibition of PA production or PTPD2 expression attenuated ERBB2-mediated morphological changes in mammary epithelial cells. Conclusion: The PLD2-PTPD2 axis is required for ERBB2 signaling. Significance: PA-regulated PTPD2 activity is a novel, positive element of ERBB2 signaling, which may offer a new therapeutic strategy in breast cancer. We used a loss-of-function screen to investigate the role of classical protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) in three-dimensional mammary epithelial cell morphogenesis and ERBB2 signaling. The study revealed a novel role for PTPD2 as a positive regulator of ERBB2 signaling. Suppression of PTPD2 attenuated the ERBB2-induced multiacinar phenotype in three-dimensional cultures specifically by inhibiting ERBB2-mediated loss of polarity and lumen filling. In contrast, overexpression of PTPD2 enhanced the ERBB2 phenotype. We also found that a lipid second messenger, phosphatidic acid, bound PTPD2 in vitro and enhanced its catalytic activity. Small molecule inhibitors of phospholipase D (PLD), an enzyme that produces phosphatidic acid in cells, also attenuated the ERBB2 phenotype. Exogenously added phosphatidic acid rescued the PLD-inhibition phenotype, but only when PTPD2 was present. These findings illustrate a novel pathway involving PTPD2 and the lipid second messenger phosphatidic acid that promotes ERBB2 function.
Immunotoxicity of the pyrethroid insecticides deltametrin and alpha-cypermetrin.

The synthetic pyrethroids deltametrin and alpha-cypermetrin were studied for effects on the immune system in 28-day studies in F344 male rats. Sixteen rats per group were dosed with either deltametrin 0, 1, 5, or 10 mg/kg body wt. /day or alpha-cypermertin 0, 4, 8, or 12 mg/kg body wt. /day in soy bean oil by gavage. Haematology, bone marrow cell counts, tests for natural killer (NK) cell activity and mitogen response (Con A and STM) as well as quantitation of lymphocyte subpopulations were performed. Spleen cells from immunized animals (six animals/group) were tested for antibody production (SRBC-PFC). Volumes of lymphoid compartments of mesenteric lymph nodes and thymus were estimated using stereological methods. In the deltametrin study an effect was found in the groups receiving 5 or 10 mg/kg body wt. The effects were: increased weight of mesenterial lymph nodes, decreased thymus weight in immunized animals and an increase in numbers of SRBC-PFC and splenic NK cell activity. An effect on relative adrenal weight was seen in the 10 mg/kg body wt. group. No severe effects on the immune system was found. The lowest effect level of alpha-cypermetrin was 12 mg/kg body wt. /day based on increased relative adrenal weight.
The problems and path thinking of China's rural logistics development.

This paper introduces seasonal characteristic, scattered characteristic and diversified characteristic of rural logistics in China, developing rural logistics is significant to increasing farmers' income, promoting life quality, reducing cost of agricultural products, increasing job opportunities and quickening the process of urbanization. This paper also analyzes the Status quo and existing problems of China's rural logistics as follows. China's rural logistics, with late start and great logistics aggregate, develops rapidly; the main body of rural logistics has a trend of diversification; the informatization develops rapidly. But there are some problems, for example, the infrastructure of rural logistics is backward; the informatization level is low; the development degree of main body of market is low; there is a shortage of talents; the technological level is low. The countermeasures are p a forward to promote the development of rural logistics in China as follows: strengthen infrastructure construction of rural logistics in China; reinforce the construction of rural informatization; foster me main body of market of rural logistics in China; vigorously foster talents of modern rural logistics; promote technological level of rural logistics.
A continuous analyzer for soluble anionic constituents and ammonium in atmospheric particulate matter.

A new continuous soluble particle collector (PC) that does not use steam is described. Preceded by a denuder and interfaced with an ion chromatograph, this compact collector (3 in. o.d., approximately 5 in. total height) permits collection and continuous extraction of soluble components in atmospheric particulate matter. The PC is mounted atop a parallel plate wetted denuder for removal of soluble gases. The soluble gas denuded air enters the PC through an inlet. One version of the PC contained an integral cyclone-like inlet. For this device, penetration of particles as a function of size was characterized. In the simpler design, the sampled air enters the PC through a nozzle, and deionized water flows through a capillary tube placed close to the exit side of the nozzle by Venturi action or is forcibly pumped. Some growth of the aerosol occurs in the highly humid mist-chamber environment, but the dominant aerosol capture mechanism involves capture by the water film that forms on the hydrophobic PTFE membrane filter that constitutes the top of the PC and the airflow exit. Water drops coalesce on the filter and fall below into a purpose-machined cavity equipped with a liquid sensor. The water and the dissolved constituents are aspirated by a pump onto serial cation and anion preconcentrator columns. NH4+ captured by the cation preconcentrator is eluted with NaOH and is passed across an asymmetric membrane device. NH3 diffuses from the alkaline donor stream into a deionized water flowing countercurrent; the conductivity of the latter provides a measure of ammonium. The anions on the anion preconcentrator column are eluted and measured by a fully automated ion chromatography system. The total system thus provides automated semicontinuous measurement of soluble anions and ammonium. With a 15 min analytical cycle and a sampling rate of 5 L/min, the limit of detection (LOD) for ammonium is 8 ng/m3 and those for sulfate, nitrate, and oxalate are < or = 0.1 ng/m3. The system has been extensively field tested.
Comparative fund flows for Malaysian Islamic and conventional domestic managed equity funds

Existing studies find that investors in socially responsible investments (SRI) (also known as sustainable, socially conscious, or ethical investment) exhibit different investment behaviour in comparison to conventional investors. This potentially also holds with Islamic investment, a unique form of SRI based on Shariah (Islamic law). This paper presents empirical evidence on the fund flow–performance relationship of Islamic equity fund (IEF) investors in comparison with conventional equity fund (CEF) investors. Using panel data on a large sample of Malaysian domestic equity funds from 2001 to 2009, the results provide evidence that IEF investors care about fund performance in much the same way as CEF investors. There is also weak evidence that IEF investors are more responsive towards poor performing funds by withdrawing money from these funds. When choosing funds based on other fund attributes, IEF investors again exhibit similar behaviour to CEF investors, investing more money into younger, larger, riskier funds as well as funds with higher expense ratios and turnover. We find that the market index has a negative influence in money flows such that investors consider market volatility as an opportunity and increase investment when market has not been doing well. The implications for Malaysian fund management are as follows. First, IEF investors appear to undertake rational investment decision making and thus fund managers managing IEF funds cannot expect a free ride because of the presence of Islamic principles in their construction. Second, bearish markets may be an opportunity for fund managers to increase funds under management as investors actively choose to invest funds in well-diversified
Gains to Merging Firms and Their Rivals: Evidence from Canada

This study examines how the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) environment affects gains to merging firms and their industry rivals. Using a large sample of Canadian acquisitions announcements from 1994 to 2009, we find that during M&A, the shareholders of Canadian merging firms experience indeed wealth creation. Consistent with the signaling hypothesis, we find that the stock price of acquiring firms’ rivals is more favorable after a dormant period within a specific industry. We also find that in line with the competitive advantage hypothesis, the stock price of target firms’ rivals is negative when the industry has a high degree of concentration.
ENERGY COST OF AMBULATION IN THE TRAUMATIC PARAPLEGIC

The effect of exercise programs on isometric tension and 10 repetition maximum (RM) of upper extremity muscles in paraplegic patients has been examined in recent studies (1, 2). Peak values in strength were attained after 4 to 7 wecks of a training program. Although factors related Lo strength are of importance, endurance and oxygen consumption in the paraplegic may be equally significant in determining the level of function which can be reached. Few investigations have, however, been carried on from this standpoint. Numerous studies have been carried out rclative to energy expenditure during the performance of standardized activities while walking on level ground ( 3 ) , ascending or descending stairs (4), or performing various daily living activities (5), and occupational therapy activities (6). The energy cost of various activities has been examincd in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (7) and in those with poliomyelitis (8). Bard and Ralston studied the energy expenditure of hemiparetic patients and amputees during ambulation (9), and determined the effect of variations in rate of ambulation, and of various prosthetic and orthotic devices. Gordon and Vanderwalde measured the oxygen consumption during ambulation in patients who had become paraplegic as a result of poliomyelitis, cerebral palsy, or trauma t o the spinal cord (10). These patients had been ambulating for a minimal period of 30 months. At speeds of 88 feet (27 meters) per minute the total oxygen requirement was 4 to 6 times the basal
The Impact of Human Resource Accounting on the Personnel Selection Process: an Empirical Study.

The increasingly complex business environment requires increased investments by firms in human re­ sources, In response to this requirement, the accounting profession has undertaken a reexamination of the treatment accorded investments in human re­ sources. Present treatment requires the expensing of the cost of human resource investments in the period incurred rather than in the period expired. This violation of the matching principle, along with the considered change to current value accounting, has prompted accounting researchers to development models for the purpose of determining the cost and value of human resources. The human resource accounting models developed to date are alleged to provide information useful for internal decision making. The primary purpose of this study is to determine the impact of human resource accounting information on the personnel selection decision. The experiment utilized a randomly selected sample of the membership of the American Society for Personnel Administration. This organization of pro­ fessionals, which endorsed the study through its
The Impact of Professional Ethics on Financial Reporting Quality

This research aims to study the impact of professional ethics on promoting quality of financial reporting. The statistical population in this study includes 440 listed companies in Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) in 2010. Using Krejcie and Morgan's table for determining sample size, 205 companies were selected as the statistical sample and a 24-item questionnaire was designed to study professional ethics and qualitative characteristics of financial reporting based on code of ethics of International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and qualitative characteristics of financial reporting of International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), then the questionnaires were distributed among the financial managers of companies. For testing the hypothesis, relevant statistical tests such as the Spearman's correlation coefficient and other required tests were used. The data collected was analyzed using the SPSS statistical package. The results pointed to statistically significant relationship between professional ethics and quality of financial reporting.
Decision support for operational ERP systems implementation in small and medium enterprises

Today organisations, due to increased competition, globalisation and cost saving, are seeking ways to improve their operational effectiveness and sustain their competitive advantage through effective deployment of available resources and strategically implementing business processes. It is observed that incorporating new developments in information technology with core business processes results in enhanced functioning and improved services to customers. To benefit from the available IT support, organisations are adopting application software, such as ERP systems, to improve operation efficiency and productivity. ERP system is primarily implemented to integrate business processes and enhance productivity. However, ERP system comes with a high price tag, implementation complexities, and prerequisite changes in how organisation and its staff functions. Implementing ERP is a challenging task for SMEs since it consumes a major portion of limited resources and carries a high risk of causing adverse consequences. To overcome the implementation challenges and assist SMEs in ERP implementation, an integrated decision support system for ERP implementation (DSS_ERP) is developed in this research. This decision support system consists of analytical regression models, a simulation model and nonlinear programming models, and it enables SMEs to identify the resources requirements for achieving the predetermined goals prior to ERP implementation. The key contribution from this research are: i) the DSS_ERP offers an analytical models to monitor the implementation progress and cost consumed by each critical success factor (CSF) during the implementation against time; ii) it assists in determining the priorities of CSFs, based on which it facilitates decision makings on resource allocations to achieve the predetermined target; iii) and it can be applied to evaluate the impacts of changes to the resources allocations.
A low cost and high reliability true random number generator based on resistive random access memory

A high reliability system for the generation of truly random numbers, based on Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM) has been proposed. The circuit is using the random telegraph noise (RTN) in RRAM cell as a source of noise to force more jitter into the oscillators. Because these RTN signals from the RRAM cells are much larger than that in the MOSFET and thermal noise in a resistor, then the preamplifier is not required. A prototype chip has been fabricated in SMIC 0.18um standard CMOS logic process. The test results show that the features of the proposed true random number generator (TRNG) fulfill the NIST tests for randomness.
Economic assessment of differential-quality water demands from a metropolis and its peri-urban environments

Resource sustainability, range and size of project operation and the level of acceptability will influence the success of innovative change in behaviour in using scarce natural resources such as surface water and groundwater. This paper looks at a combination of water demand, public choice and financial sustainability of water supply augmentation in Delhi, India, in both planned urban and unplanned peri-urban areas having differing levels of planning and resource availability. The preference heterogeneity of different households for water supply scenarios differentiated by their "quality" (potable or non-potable) and "source" (surface water or groundwater) is examined through choice experiment (CE), using an iterative bidding game. It is argued that more attention must be paid to diverging perceptions of the quality and availability of water and how it should be accessed and delivered to maintain both the resource sustainability and acceptance by the public.
Conditional Probability and the Cognitive Science of Conditional Reasoning

This paper addresses the apparent mismatch between the normative and descriptive literatures in the cognitive science of conditional reasoning. Descriptive psychological theories still regard material implication as the normative theory of the conditional. However, over the last 20 years in the philosophy of language and logic the idea that material implication can account for everyday indicative conditionals has been subject to severe criticism. The majority view is now apparently in favour of a subjective conditional probability interpretation. A comparative model fitting exercise is presented that shows that a conditional probability model can explain as much of the data on abstract indicative conditional reasoning tasks as psychological theories that supplement material implication with various rationally unjustified processing assumptions. Consequently, when people are asked to solve laboratory reasoning tasks, they can be seen as simply generalising their everyday probabilistic reasoning strategies to this novel context.
Reduction of stroke mortality in the Tuzla region, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the frequency, gender and age distribution, risk factors, and hospital mortality of different types of hospitalized patients with stroke. METHODS In this retrospective study, we analyzed the hospital records of 3864 patients with first-ever stroke admitted to the Department of Neurology, University Clinical Center Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from January 2001 to December 2005. RESULTS Out of the total number of patients, 2833 (73.3%) had ischemic stroke (IS) 612 (15.8%) intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), 163 (4.2%) subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and 256 (6.6%) had unknown stroke. The mean age was 68+/-10 years in females, and 65+/-11 years in males (p=0.000). Overall, there were 2045 (53%) women (p=0.000). Women suffered from cardioembolic stroke more than men (21.7% versus 15.6%, p=0.000), and men were more affected by atherothrombotic stroke (37.4% versus 31.6%, p=0.000). The leading stroke risk factors were hypertension (70%), heart diseases (40%), smoking (28%), and diabetes mellitus (21%). The total hospital mortality was 29.6%, and hospital mortality in patients with IS was 20.6%, ICH 43.8%, and SAH 26.4%. CONCLUSION Women are older than men in all types of stroke. The leading risk factors for both genders are hypertension and heart diseases. The hospital mortality rate is lower than 30%.
Robust statistics for automated quality assessment of road network data based on VHR images

A method is explored to assess the quality of road network data based on image information in a reliable and accurate way. In the field of geography, an accuracy assessment method, called buffer-overlay-statistics, is known to assess the spatial quality of a line data set by using another line data set of higher spatial accuracy. Here, the method is adapted to assess the quality of a line data set based on image information rather than vector data. The average displacement accuracy measure is redefined, such that it is able to take into account line detection errors (fragmentation and noise). Experiments are conducted on artificial data showing how road extraction out of very high resolution satellite images can be used to asses the spatial accuracy of an existing road vector database.