Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
UK Company Board Structures and Corporate Performance: A Cohort Study of 1990s Ipos in the UK

The publication of the Cadbury and Hampel Reports in the UK drew attention to the concern with the 'proper' governance of organisations; and in particular the governance of public, quoted companies. This paper uses UK IPOs in 1990-1994 to establish a pattern of corporate board structure and qualifications and then considers the empirical issue of whether variant board structures and qualifications can be associated with the conduct and the performance of quoted companies. Specifically, it questions whether the structure and qualifications of boards and board members, the combination of the roles of chairman and chief executive in one individual and the numbers and independence of non-executive members of boards of directors can be shown to explain variation in corporate performance, growth, or survival. In exploring performance, the paper adopts a multi-dimensional perspective, addressing performance from several stakeholder perspectives, including those of shareholders (equity returns), employees (growth and salaries) and society. It concludes that the Cadbury Code of Practice has been inappropriate as a model for the boards of directors of emergent quoted businesses and that there is little evidence that the structure or qualifications of boards and board members are connected with subsequent performance.
Prospects for engineering HIV-specific antibodies for enhanced effector function and half-life

Purpose of reviewA wealth of recent animal model data suggests that as exciting possibilities for the use of antibodies in passive immunotherapy strategies continue to develop, it will be important to broadly consider how antibodies achieve anti-HIV-1 effect in vivo. Recent findingsBeyond neutralization breadth and potency, substantial evidence from natural infection, vaccination, and studies in animal models points to a critical role for antibody Fc receptor (FcR) engagement in reducing risk of infection, decreasing postinfection viremia, and delaying viral rebound. Supporting these findings in the setting of HIV, the clinical maturation of recombinant antibody therapeutics has reinforced the importance of Fc-driven activity in vivo across many disease settings, as well as opportunely resulted in the development and exploration of a number of engineered Fc sequence and glycosylation variants that possess differential binding to FcRs. Exploiting these variants as tools, the individual and concerted effects of antibody effector functions such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, antibody-dependent cell-mediated virus inhibition, phagocytosis, complement-dependent cytotoxicity, antibody half-life, and compartmentalization are now being explored. As exciting molecular therapies are advanced, these studies promise to provide insight into optimal in-vivo antibody activity profiles. SummaryCareful consideration of recent progress in understanding protective antibody activities in vivo can point toward how tailoring antibody activity via Fc domain modification may enable optimization of HIV prevention and eradication strategies.
Growth of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulata chemoautotrophically in darkness with H2 as the energy source

The phototrophic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulata was found to be capable of growing chemoautotrophically under aerobic conditions in darkness. Growth was strictly dependent on the presence of H2 as the source of energy and reducing power, O2 as the terminal electron acceptor for energy transduction, and CO2 as the sole carbon source; under optimal conditions the generation time was about 6 h. Chemoautotrophically grown cells showed a relatively high content of bacteriochlorophyll a and intracytoplasmic membranes (chromatophores). Experiments with various mutants of R. capsulata, affected in electron transport, indicate that either of the two terminal oxidases of this bacterium can participate in the energy-yielding oxidation of H2. The ability of R. capsulata to multiply in at least five different physiological growth modes suggests that it is one of the most metabolically versatile procaryotes known.
Drebrin a knockout eliminates the rapid form of homeostatic synaptic plasticity at excitatory synapses of intact adult cerebral cortex

Homeostatic synaptic plasticity (HSP) is important for maintaining neurons' excitability within the dynamic range and for protecting neurons from unconstrained long‐term potentiation that can cause breakdown of synapse specificity (Turrigiano [2008] Cell 135:422–435). Knowledge of the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains incomplete, especially for the rapid form of HSP. To test whether HSP in adulthood depends on an F‐actin binding protein, drebrin A, mice deleted of the adult isoform of drebrin (DAKO) but retaining the embryonic isoform (drebrin E) were generated. HSP was assayed by determining whether the NR2A subunit of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptors (NMDARs) can rise rapidly within spines following the application of an NMDAR antagonist, D‐APV, onto the cortical surface. Electron microscopic immunocytochemistry revealed that, as expected, the D‐APV treatment of wild‐type (WT) mouse cortex increased the proportion of NR2A‐immunolabeled spines within 30 minutes relative to basal levels in hemispheres treated with an inactive enantiomer, L‐APV. This difference was significant at the postsynaptic membrane and postsynaptic density (i.e., synaptic junction) as well as at nonsynaptic sites within spines and was not accompanied by spine size changes. In contrast, the D‐APV treatment of DAKO brains did not augment NR2A labeling within the spine cytoplasm or at the synaptic junction, even though basal levels of NR2A were not significantly different from those of WT cortices. These findings indicate that drebrin A is required for the rapid (<30 minutes) form of HSP at excitatory synapses of adult cortices, whereas drebrin E is sufficient for maintaining basal NR2A levels within spines. J. Comp. Neurol. 517:105–121, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Visually Perceived Eye Level and Horizontal Midline of the Body Trunk Influenced by Optic Flow

The eye level and the horizontal midline of the body trunk can serve, respectively as references for judging the vertical and horizontal egocentric directions. We investigated whether the optic-flow pattern, which is the dynamic motion information generated when one moves in the visual world, can be used by the visual system to determine and calibrate these two references. Using a virtual-reality setup to generate the optic-flow pattern, we showed that judged elevation of the eye level and the azimuth of the horizontal midline of the body trunk are biased toward the positional placement of the focus of expansion (FOE) of the optic-flow pattern. Furthermore, for the vertical reference, prolonged viewing of an optic-flow pattern with lowered FOE not only causes a lowered judged eye level after removal of the optic-flow pattern, but also an overestimation of distance in the dark. This is equivalent to a reduction in the judged angular declination of the object after adaptation, indicating that the optic-flow information also plays a role in calibrating the extraretinal signals used to establish the vertical reference.
RESPONSE OF GLUTAMINE SYNTHETASE GENE TRANSCRIPTION AND ENZYME ACTIVITY TO EXTERNAL NITROGEN SOURCES IN THE DIATOM SKELETONEMA COSTATUM (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) 1

To understand the enhanced ability of marine diatoms to assimilate nitrogen (N), we measured changes in the transcript abundance and enzyme activity of glutamine synthetase (GS), one of the key enzymes that link carbon (C) and N metabolism, in the common diatom Skeletonema costatum (Greville) Cleve. Transcript abundance of glnII (the gene that encodes the GSII isoenzyme), measured by quantitative reverse transcriptase‐PCR, and total GS activity increased 2 to 3.5 times above background in the cells taking up nitrate (NO3−) but not the cells taking up ammonium (NH4+). A background level of glnII mRNA was maintained at a steady level up to 15 days of N starvation before decreasing to below detection after 21 days. These results confirm that transcription of glnII is induced to assimilate NH4+ derived from reduction of NO3−. Because of this role of GSII in diatoms assimilating NH4+ derived from NO3− reduction rather than from the environmental NH4+, quantification of glnII mRNA promises to be a useful indication of new production by phytoplankton.
Perioperative outcomes in minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass versus off-pump coronary artery bypass with sternotomy

Introduction Surgical treatment of isolated left anterior descending coronary artery disease can be performed with either minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass via a left anterior thoracotomy (MIDCAB) or off-pump coronary artery bypass via a median sternotomy (OPCAB). Aim To compare the perioperative outcomes of patients undergoing MIDCAB or OPCAB surgery. Material and methods Patients who underwent either MIDCAB or OPCAB for isolated left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery disease between October 2013 and December 2015 were retrospectively evaluated. Operations were carried out by the same surgical team. Preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative data of the patients were recorded for analyses. Results Twenty-three patients (7 females, 16 males) underwent MIDCAB surgery, and 24 patients (4 female, 20 males) underwent OPCAB surgery. The two groups were comparable regarding preoperative patient characteristics. Duration of mechanical ventilation (5.1 ±0.7 h vs. 6.6 ±0.9 h), intensive care unit stay (19.4 ±2.5 h vs. 45.8 ±5.4 h) and hospital stay (4.3 ±0.4 days vs. 5.6 ±0.8 days) were significantly shorter in the MIDCAB group (p < 0.01). Patients in the OPCAB group required significantly more blood transfusions (1.83 ±0.38 units vs. 0.17 ±0.38 units) and fresh frozen plasma use (2.33 ±0.96 units vs. 0.69 ±0.76 units) (p < 0.01). Conversion to sternotomy was not required in the MIDCAB group. There was no mortality, conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass or serious complication in either group. Conclusions We believe that the MIDCAB technique is more advantageous than the OPCAB technique in the treatment of patients with a critical LAD lesion.
Magnetic anisotropies in ultrathin fcc Fe(001) films grown on Cu(001) substrates.

Brillouin light scattering and ferromagnetic resonance have been used to measure the magnetic‐field dependence of the magnon frequency at room temperature for three‐ monolayer‐thick films of fcc Fe(001) grown by means of molecular‐beam epitaxy on Cu(001) substrates. These films exhibit a strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy which causes the magnetization to be oriented perpendicular to the film plane in zero applied field. Four specimens were grown on copper substrates prepared using a chemical polishing technique which avoided the use of abrasives: This treatment greatly reduced the density of etch pits on the copper surface. The uniaxial anisotropies found for these specimens were very consistent and comparable to that previously measured for the best film grown on a mechanically polished copper substrate. There is evidence that substrate smoothness is improved and, hence, that the uniaxial anisotropy is increased when the substrate is covered with a few monolayers of epitaxial copper before the iron fil.
ECOLOGY OF RODENT-ASSOCIATED HANTAVIRUSES IN THE SOUTHERN CONE OF SOUTH AMERICA: ARGENTINA, CHILE, PARAGUAY, AND URUGUAY

Thirteen hantavirus genotypes, associated with at least 12 sigmodontine reservoir rodents, have been recognized in the four countries that represent the Southern Cone of South America. Host–virus relationships are not as well defined as in North America; several Southern Cone hantaviruses appear to share a common host and some viruses do not occur throughout the range of their host. Although hantavirus–host relationships in the Southern Cone are less strictly concordant with the single-host–single-virus pattern reported elsewhere, recent studies suggest that much of the ambiguity may result from an incomplete understanding of host and hantavirus systematics. Although some Southern Cone host species are habitat generalists, some sympatric species are habitat specialists, helping to explain how some strict host–virus pairings may be maintained. In some cases, host population densities were higher in peridomestic habitats and prevalence of hantavirus infection was higher in host populations in peridomestic habitats. Seasonal and multiyear patterns in climate and human disturbance affect host population densities, prevalence of infection, and disease risk to humans. Unusually high hantavirus antibody prevalence in indigenous human populations may be associated with frequent and close contact with host rodents. Ongoing studies are improving our understanding of hantavirus–host ecology and providing tools that may predict human risk.
The Effects of Leniency on Illegal Transactions: How (Not) to Fight Corruption

We study the consequences of 'leniency' - reduced legal sanctions for wrongdoers who spontaneously self-report to law enforcers - on corruption, drug dealing, and other forms of sequential, bilateral, illegal trade. We find that when not properly designed, leniency may be highly counterproductive. In reality leniency is typically "moderate," in the sense of only reducing, or at best cancelling the sanctions for the self-reporting party. Moderate leniency may greatly facilitate the enforcement of long-term illegal trade relations, and may even provide an effective enforcement mechanism for occasional (one-shot) illegal transactions, which would not be enforceable otherwise.
Do Corporate Governance Mechanisms Impact on Earnings Quality? Evidence from IFRS Adoption in European Union

This study primarily explores the impact of International Financial Reporting Standards mandatory adoption on accruals quality in the United Kingdom and Germany from 2001 to 2009. Besides accounting standard, we argue that the effectiveness of corporate governance mechanisms could be used as a proxy for preparer incentive in financial reporting and therefore should be recognised as a determinant of accruals quality. This study operationalizes preparer incentive using a self-constructed corporate governance score (CGS) which measures the effectiveness of adopted corporate governance mechanisms on firm level. We examine the joint impact of accounting standard and preparer incentive on accruals quality using a stepwise method. Our results suggest that IFRS alone generally improves accruals quality in the post-adoption period. Furthermore, IFRS and effective governance mechanisms are substitutes in improving accruals quality in shareholder-oriented economy, whereas they are partial complements in stakeholder-oriented economy. The contribution is threefold. First, it provides evidence to the debate of accounting standard versus preparer incentive on accounting quality as initiated in Ball et al. (2003) by conducting a joint test of the two determinants for accruals quality. Second, we construct CGS based on manually collected data and follow Jones et al.’s (2008) suggestion to incorporate it in the modified Dechow and Dichev (2002) model to improve its explanatory power. Third, we investigate the role of preparer incentive in accruals quality under different legal/accounting settings. Our findings are of particular importance to accounting standard setters. The empirical evidence documented in this study can facilitate standard setter’s policy-making regarding the controversy about whether adopting high quality accounting standard is sufficient to improve financial reporting quality.
Resolution-Preserving Two-Look Despeckling of SAR Images

An improved two-look processing is presented to despeckle synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. The azimuth spectrum is halved after a constant phase is removed. Each half is extrapolated conjugate symmetrically to form a full-band azimuth spectrum, and the full-band azimuth spectrum is used to generate a look. Then, the two looks are averaged incoherently to obtain a two-look image. In this algorithm, not only the speckle is suppressed but also the resolution is preserved
Ant trails - an example for robots to follow?

In order to operate effectively in their variable and unstructured real world environment insects employ many strategies. Generating and detecting odours is the basis of several of these strategies. It seems certain that similar techniques can be implemented to improve the competence of robotic systems. This paper describes a project to investigate transferring the pheromone trail tracking capabilities of ants to robotic systems. A robotic ant has been built and equipped with a pair of odour sensing 'antennae'. This system has been programmed with a trail following algorithm observed in the ant Lasius fuliginosus. The design of this robot, the control algorithm and results of odour trail following experiments are presented.
Gender Differences in Mall Shopping : a Study of Shopping Behaviour of an Emerging Nation

Fast developments in the food retailing industry have led to growth of shopping malls, particularly in the large cities of Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this study is to compare men and women for differences in mall shopping. Using empirical research, this paper examines differences between the genders associated with mall patronage. Based on a survey of 513 shoppers across Saudi Arabia, the study finds significant differences in shopping behaviour. The paper discusses the findings and makes recommendations to mall operators.
What Factors Work in Selecting Funds? Evidence from the European Offshore Market

While published literature has largely concentrated on the performance persistence phenomenon, research is sparse in regards to the determinants of investment performance. In this paper, Standard & Poor's makes a strong effort to establish robust results by comparing the performance of different fund portfolios formed based upon qualitative and quantitative fund factors, and providing an economically meaningful measure of the magnitude of the relation between performance and attributes. On the qualitative factors side, for developed equities and bonds funds, larger funds tend to outperform smaller funds as economies of scale dominates market liquidity. Funds with lower expense ratios tend to provide better risk-adjusted performance compared to their higher expense counterparts. On the quantitative factors side, Jensen alpha and information ratio tend to do the best job in predicting future fund performance. Superior performance is a short-lived phenomenon that is observable only when funds are selected and sampled frequently. Therefore, fund selection framework should focus more on finding an appropriate mix of factors that successfully predict fund outperformance over shorter time periods, rather than focus on finding fund managers that consistently outperform over longer time periods.
Pressure Drop across Artificially Induced Stenoses in the Femoral Arteries of Dogs

Stenoses were artificially induced in 13 large mongrel dogs by implanting small hollow cylindrical plugs in their femoral arteries. The instantaneous pressure drop across the stenosis and the flow rate were measured for a series of stenoses varying in severity from 52.3 to 92.2%. Mean pressure drops ranged from approximately 2 to 30 mm Hg with peak pressure drops ranging from 9 to 53 mm Hg. The pressure drop could be estimated from a relatively simple equation that was originally developed for flow through model stenoses. With this equation, the effects of several factors that contribute to the pressure drop, including stenosis size and shape, artery lumen diameter, blood density, blood viscosity, and velocity and acceleration of flow, could be clearly delineated. For severe stenoses, unsteady flow effects were small, and flow could be treated as quasi-steady. Calculations based on data obtained from the dog experiments revealed that the mean pressure drop across a stenosis increased nonlinearly with percent stenosis and showed quantitatively that the value of critical stenosis decreased with increasing demand for blood flow.
Internet/Cyberculture/ Digital Culture/New Media/ Fill-in-the-Blank Studies

For the time being, it appears as though the largest umbrella underneath which many of us would huddle is called internet studies. While simultaneously drawing and building from other, older research streams (computers and composition, computer-supported cooperative work, hyper/ cybertext theory, and human–computer interaction, to name just a few) – and waiting for others to join, follow, or contest – internet studies (also labeled studies of cyberculture, digital culture, information society, or new media) continues to grow as what can only be called a meta-field of study. The meta-field’s development and directions, coupled with attention towards the affiliations that its members do and do not make, constitute an important and interesting site of intellectual, academic, and political work. All the signifying elements of academic legitimacy – or alternatively what might be called discipline-building – are in place. There are both online and offline centers and organizations, such as the following:
Role Tuning between Caregiver and Care Receiver during Discharge Transition: An Illustration of Role Function Mode in Roy’s Adaptation Theory

The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual framework to explain the interaction between the caregiver and the care receiver during the discharge transition. Data from face-to-face interviews with 12 care receivers and 16 caregivers were subjected to constant comparative analysis. Findings revealed that role tuning was the process used by caregivers and care receivers to achieve a harmonious pattern of caregiving and care receiving during the transition from hospital to home. This empirical finding can illustrate the concept of role function mode in the Roy adaptation theory and sensitize healthcare providers to the needs of the families during the discharge transition.
Insulin-like Growth Factor I Prevents Mannitol-induced Degradation of Focal Adhesion Kinase and Akt*

In our laboratory, we are interested in hyperosmolarity-induced apoptosis in neuronal cells. We have shown that high concentrations of glucose or mannitol induce apoptotic cell death in dorsal root ganglia in culture and in SH-SY5Y and SH-EP human neuroblastoma cells. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase that has a critical role for transmitting integrin-mediated-signals. In this study, we report that hyperosmolar treatment mediates FAK dephosphorylation and cleavage, which is prevented by insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) treatment. Mannitol treatment of SH-EP cells transfected with vector (SH-EP/pSFFV) results in concentration- and time-dependent dephosphorylation and degradation of FAK. Dephosphorylation and degradation of FAK are tightly correlated with apoptotic morphological changes, including the disruption of actin stress fibers, the loss of focal adhesion sites, membrane blebbing, and cell detachment. Treatment of SH-EP/pSFFV cells with IGF-I or transfection of IGF-I receptor prevents these changes. Treatment of cells with pharmacologic inhibitors of the mitogen-activated protein kinase or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathways does not affect mannitol-induced FAK dephosphorylation and degradation. However, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase is necessary for IGF-I-mediated protection against FAK alteration. Mannitol treatment also results in the degradation of Akt. Mannitol induces the activation of caspases-3 and -9 in a time course similar to the dephosphorylation and degradation of FAK. Treatment of the cells with ZVAD, a general caspase inhibitor, blocks the mannitol-induced FAK and Akt degradation as well as cell detachment and apoptosis. These results suggest that one of the pathways of mannitol-mediated apoptosis is through the degradation of FAK and Akt and that IGF-I protects the cells from apoptosis by blocking the activation of caspases, which may be responsible for the loss of FAK and Akt.