Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Divestiture announcements in Australia : causes and consequences

This study examines 663 divestiture announcements in Australia from 1987 to 1997. Such Australian data allow independent tests of numerous hypotheses documented in comparable studies on U.S. data. Valuation effects in response to such announcements are consistently, however weakly, positive for both the divesting parents and the acquiring firms. Different causes and motives to divest are investigated. Empirical results support that high leverage, poor prior performance, low profitability, and increasing geographic focus are likely causes for management to divest, and lead to positive market reaction. Findings are consistent with both the financial distress and the bankruptcy avoidance hypotheses documented in the corporate restructuring literature. For long-term consequences, empirical evidence suggests that divestitures present viable and prevalent tools for firms to restructure in response to a decline in operating performance. Firms that adopt divestitures following years of deterioration, such as increasing leverage, decreasing performance and decreasing profitability, could experience some sort of turnarounds in the years following the operational actions. As for the acquiring firms, market reaction indicates that acquiring for synergistic gains, both geographically and industry-wise, are more justifiable acquisitions than those acquiring a target unlikely to yield synergistic gains. In many ways, this study reassures the effectiveness of divestitures and the importance of business similarity and geographic proximity in corporate restructuring considerations. %%%%CityU Call Number: HD2746.6. L85 2007%%%%%%%%%%%%x, 226 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.
Re-Establishment of Flow in Peritoneal Dialysis Catheters Using the Endoluminal FAS Brush

Editor: The fibrin analysis system (FAS) brush (FAS Medical, Middlesex, England) has been studied in our unit as an innovative alternative to traditional approaches to restoring flow to hemodialysis (HD) central venous catheters (CVCs) (1). This study concluded that the FAS brush is a useful intervention for unblocking and improving flow in HD CVCs and we now utilize the brush regularly in HD CVC management. The success of the HD CVC study prompted us to explore further applications for the brush. The FAS brush has subsequently been trialled in the management of peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter occlusion. The FAS brush was first used in the following case. The patient was a 50-year-old female overseas visitor who had a straight, adult, double-cuff PD catheter inserted for the treatment of end-stage renal failure due to diabetic nephropathy. A HD CVC was inserted at the same time and HD was attended for 1 week. Hemodialysis was poorly tolerated and intermittent PD was initiated early. On commencement of intermittent PD, there was poor flow in and out of the catheter and this was not improved by repositioning or flushing. Abdominal x ray confirmed that the patient was severely constipated and an enema was attended. There was a good result from the enema but this did not improve catheter flow. It was decided to try urokinase, and if this were not successful, the catheter would be replaced the following day. The FAS brush was suggested as an alternative to urokinase to improve the flow from the catheter. On the advice of FAS Medical representatives, an RC6080 brush was chosen. The brush was used as per the company’s suggested protocol and resulted in the release of a 12-cm long fibrin plug. Intermittent PD was recommenced and the patient attended continuous ambulatory PD training with no further flow problems. The FAS brush is a metal wire with a brush tip composed of nylon bristles (see Figure 1). The brush can be passed through the entire length of the catheter from hub to tip. Using aseptic technique, the brush is connected to the hub of the catheter and passed through the lumen. The brush is then withdrawn. A 20-mL syringe is connected and the catheter contents aspirated. If brushing is successful, the catheter is flushed and dialysis commenced. There have been no complications in our use of the FAS brush in PD catheters. The risk of peritonitis caused by the dislodgment and washing of biofilm into the peritoneal cavity is reduced by the aspiration of at least 20 mL of the debris from within the catheter before any fluid is instilled. Since our initial success, there have been six cases in which we have used the FAS brush to unblock or improve the flow from PD catheters. Brushing was not successful in two cases. One patient had flow prob-
Can otolith elemental chemistry retrospectively track migrations in fully marine fishes?

Otolith microchemistry can provide valuable information about stock structure and mixing patterns when the magnitude of environmental differences among areas is greater than the cumulative influence of any vital effects. Here, the current understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing element incorporation into the otolith is reviewed. Hard and soft acid and base (HSAB) theory is employed to explore the differences in chemical behaviours, distributions and affinities between elements. Hard acid cations (e.g. Mg(2+) , Li(+) and Ba(2+) ) tend to be less physiologically influenced and accepted more readily into the otolith crystal lattice but are relatively homogeneous in seawater. Soft acid cations (e.g. Zn(2+) and Cu(2+) ) on the other hand, exhibit more varied distributions in seawater, but are more likely to be bound to blood proteins and less available for uptake into the otolith. The factors influencing the geographical distribution of elements in the sea, and their incorporation into the otoliths of marine fishes are reviewed. Particular emphasis is placed on examining physiological processes, including gonad development, on the uptake of elements commonly used in population studies, notably Sr. Finally, case studies are presented that either directly or indirectly compare population structuring or movements inferred by otolith elemental fingerprints with the patterns indicated by additional, alternative proxies. The main obstacle currently limiting the application of otolith elemental microchemistry to infer movements of marine fishes appears to lie in the largely homogeneous distribution of those elements most reliably measured in the otolith. Evolving technologies will improve the discriminatory power of otolith chemistry by allowing measurement of spatially explicit, low level elements; however, for the time being, the combination of otolith minor and trace element fingerprints with alternative proxies and stable isotopic ratios can greatly extend the scope of migration studies. Among the otolith elements that routinely occur above instrument detection limits, Ba, Mn and Li were deemed the most likely to prove reliable geographic markers in marine species.
Modelling and Control Design of Pitch-Controlled Variable Speed Wind Turbines

In the past decade, many problems related to energy factors (oil crisis), ecological aspects (climatic change), electric demand (significant growth) and financial/regulatory restrictions of wholesale markets have arisen worldwide. These difficulties, far from finding effective solutions, are continuously increasing, which suggests the need of technological alternatives to assure their solution. Under these circumstances, distributed or dispersed generation (DG) arises as the technological alternative with the ability of giving an effective solution to such difficulties. Distributed generation consists of generating electricity as near as possible of the consumption site, in fact like it was made in the beginnings of the electric industry, but now incorporating the advantages of the modern technology. Here it is consolidated the idea of using clean non-conventional technologies of generation that use renewable energy sources (RESs) that do not cause environmental pollution, such as wind, photovoltaic, wave, hydraulic, and more sophisticated systems based on hydrogen. The main advantages of using RESs as DG systems are the elimination of harmful emissions and inexhaustible resources of the primary energy (Heier, 2006). Medium to large grid-connected wind turbine generators (WTGs) are particularly becoming today the most important and fastest growing form of electricity generation among the renewable technologies. They attract interest as one of the most cost-effective ways to generate electricity from RESs (Guerrero, et al., 2010). Indeed, this RES technology started in the eighties with a few tens of kW power capacity to date with multi-MW size wind turbines that are being installed. This trend is expected to be increased in the near future, sustained by the cost competitiveness of wind power technology and the development of new power electronics technologies, new circuit topologies and control strategies. These profits include the strong support provided by governments of different countries, as investment subsidies and incentives that impact directly on the commercial acceptance of wind turbine generators. The growing number of distributed generators, particularly based on wind power systems, brings new challenges to the operation and management of the power distribution system, especially when the intermittent energy source constitutes a significant part of the total system capacity (Rahman, 2003). Under this scenario, the power electronic technology plays an important role in the integration of DG into the electrical grid since the DG system is subject to requirements related not only to the RES itself but also to its effects on the power
EEG hyperscanning study of inter-brain synchrony during cooperative and competitive interaction

Social cognition is the study of how people interact with each other in a social situation. An effective interaction would require higher degree of cognitive involvement between the participants and consequently, an enhanced synchrony between their neural mechanisms. In this study, twelve pairs of subjects interacted with each other via a cognitively engaging experimental paradigm in which they either competed or cooperated with each other for performing a task. While they were performing the task we incorporated electroencephalographic (EEG) hyperscanning techniques by simultaneously recording the EEG activities of the interacting subjects. We quantified these interactions by computing the inter-brain synchrony (IBS) and studied the changes in IBS under different experimental conditions. We found that the inter-brain synchrony between the subjects was significantly higher when they cooperated with each other as compared to the competitive scenario. Furthermore, we found that IBS was significantly enhanced when the subjects were physically separated i.e. they cooperated via an intranet network. In this work, we have demonstrated how EEG hyperscanning technique can be employed to study inter-brain synchronization under different conditions.
Research and design of inspection of LR6 battery negative surface scratches online defects based on computer vision

According to the scratch defection of battery is caused by the manufacturing process and other causal factors during product, the paper proposes a method for battery surface defects detection based on machine vision. In order to obtain high-quality picture of the battery, the detection system using CMOS industrial cameras, and ring light source is designed and used; with the use of segmentation algorithm based on Canny edge defects, surface defects on the surface of battery cathode, and the scratch defection is defected through the calculation of scratch defects. It is found that the method of using a ring light source for imaging the battery cathode and through the scratch defect segmentation and extraction, the scratch defect Inspection is realized better.
Stereotactic localization with magnetic resonance imaging: a phantom study to compare the accuracy obtained using two-dimensional and three-dimensional data acquisitions.

OBJECTIVE To compare the accuracy of stereotactic localization using magnetic resonance imaging (Siemens 1.5-T Magnetom; Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) with two-dimensional and three-dimensional data acquisition techniques. METHODS A phantom study was performed in which the coordinates of an array of rods were determined from images in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional studies and compared with measured values in a series of transverse, coronal, and sagittal images. RESULTS The results demonstrated a distinct advantage in using three-dimensional acquisition; an error greater than 2 mm was identified in only 0.8% of the imaged volume, compared with 12% of the imaged volume in the two-dimensional study. CONCLUSION The results indicated that more accurate stereotactic localization is achieved with a three-dimensional acquisition.
From the Intent to the Growth of Manufacturing SMEs: An Empirical Study of Strategic Configurations

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. From the intent to the growth of manufacturing SMEs: an empirical study of strategic configurations Louis Raymond, Josée St-Pierre, Bruno Fabi, Richard Lacoursière
The Legal and Regulatory Environment of the Third Sector

The third sector, comprising a vast array of organisations that are neither part of government nor formed primarily to generate a profit for owners, is an important part of a well-functioning society. Governments can assist the development of a strong and sustainable third sector by ensuring there is a supportive legal and regulatory environment This article suggests ways in which well-framed laws and regulations can help the third sector. Then, drawing on Australian examples, it goes on to indicate how a badly managed legal and regulatory environment can damage the third sector. It concludes that even if the legal environment is supportive, it will be ineffective if the wider policy environment is hostile toward the third sector. A lesson for third sector organisations is that they must work together to ensure a favourable legal, regulatory and policy environment.
A spectrophotometric micromethod for determining erythrocyte protoporphyrin-IX in whole blood or erythrocytes

Abstract An increased concentration of erythrocyte protoporphyrin-IX in whole blood or erythrocytes is a valuable diagnostic indicator for acquired porphyrias, e.g., iron deficiency anemia and lead poisoning, and for inherited porphyrias. We developed a spectrophotometric micromethod for determining erythrocyte protoporphyrin-IX. In this method, exhaustive release of erythrocyte porphyrins is achieved using hydroquinone and formic acid. The clean-up procedure for 50μL of whole blood or erythrocytes covers three steps of liquid/liquid solvent partition: two partitions using diethyl and diisopropyl ether and HCl 2.5mol/L, and one buffered step using ammonium formate. Determinations of erythrocyte protoporphyrin-IX are possible by: (a) absorption using three wavelengths, Rimington's constant and a millimolar absorptivity coefficient mɛ 408.8=294.3L·mmol -1·cm -1 according to With; and (b) 2nd derivative, which is linked to mɛ 408.8. Determination of erythrocyte protoporphyrin-IX using a 2nd derivative algorithm showed better spectral resolution and higher sensitivity at a five-fold lower detection limit compared to absorption. Within-run precision of medium and high levels was found for absorption and for 2nd derivative with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 1.4–1.9% (n=10). Total precision evaluated was CV=2.5–8.3% (n=20). Levels of reference intervals could only be measured using the 2nd derivative (CV 2.9%). Linearity was proved to E=1.0. Recoveries of protoporphyrin-IX ranged from 95.3% to 103.0%. Method comparison was carried out using a fluorimetric reference method (Piomelli). Reference intervals for gender groups are discussed.
Template matching tracking method based on target decomposition

In order to improve the tracking performance of the target in complex circumstances, a novel template matching tracking method is proposed by decomposing the target into multiple sub-targets with the distinguishing features. The tracked target contains multiple areas which can be decomposed into multiple sub-targets. Each sub-target is tracked separately by the template matching algorithm. The error locations of sub-targets can be corrected according to the relative positions among all the sub-targets. The correct tracking results can be obtained by the error correction as long as some of the sub-targets are located correctly. Experimental results show that the method proposed in this paper can be adaptive to the scaling and occlusion of the target.
Super-resolution pulse compression techniques for radar subsurface imaging

In this paper the super resolution pulse compression technique is proposed for radar subsurface imaging. Radar signals transmitted by antenna system are reflected by the terrain surface and subsurface of the radar illumination area. The resolution of radar surface and subsurface imaging using normal pulse compression algorithms is limited by the bandwidth of the transmitted signal, and depends on the sharpness of the signal's auto correlation function. For obtaining high resolution radar surface and subsurface imaging with limited data, the super resolution pulse compression method is implemented in this paper. The results of simulation and measurement by using this method can support the proposal.
Acute thioproline poisoning.

Thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (A.T.C.) has been marketed in France since 1964 for the treatment of hepatic and biliary disorders. [Hepalidine (Riker Lab.): Packs of 20 tablets, each containing 100 mg. Thiobiline (Riker Lab.): Packs of 20 vials, each containing 100 mg. ] As early as 1970, both the Paris and Marseilles Poison Control Centres had emphasized the toxicity of this drug which induces convulsions in children subject of overdosage [1]. Brugarolas and Gosalvez have recently suggested the use of A.T. C. in the treatment of epidermoid carcinoma. They believe that the drug causes reverse transformation of tumor cells to normal ones [2]. If its efficiency is confirmed, A.T. C. should soon be very widely used and therefore its therapeutic risk needs to be clarified.
Past and Future Applications of CYP450-Genetic Polymorphisms for Biomonitoring of Environmental Toxicants

Cytochrome P450s (CYPs) are a huge gene superfamily of heme enzymes involved in xenobioitc as well as endobiotic metabolism. They play a critical role in adaptation to environmental changes for survival of living organisms. In addition, the huge environmental loads of human-made chemicals are biotransformed into bioactive or detoxified forms by CYPs. Thus, CYPs have been used for biomonitoring of environmental pollutants, screening of their metabolisms and exploring remedy. In particular, the induction or inhibition of CYPs has been applied to exposure monitoring of environmental toxicants, which are biotransformed by CYPs. This review considers past and future applications of CYP-genetic polymorphisms as susceptibility biomarkers for biomonitoring. Furthermore, we suggest the needs for further understanding of the characteristics of each CYP isozyme, consideration of real-life exposures such as mixed contamination with various chemicals, and incorporation of the presence of other phase I and phase II enzymes, for proper applications of CYP polymorphisms on biomonitoring.
An international review of head and spinal cord injuries in alpine skiing and snowboarding

Background: Alpine skiing and snowboarding are popular winter activities worldwide, enjoyed by participants of all ages and skill levels. There is some evidence that the incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) in these activities may be increasing. These injuries can cause death or severe debilitation, both physically and emotionally, and also result in enormous financial burden to society. Indeed, TBI is the leading cause of death and catastrophic injury in the skiing and snowboarding population. Furthermore, there are severe limitations to therapeutic interventions to restore neurological function after TBI and SCI, and thus the emphasis must be on prevention. Objectives: (1) To examine the worldwide epidemiology of TBI and SCI in skiing and snowboarding; (2) to describe and examine the effectiveness of prevention strategies to reduce the incidence of TBI and SCI in skiing and snowboarding. Search strategy: Searches were performed on a variety of databases to identify articles relevant to catastrophic central nervous system injury in skiing and snowboarding. The databases included PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, CDSR, ACP Journal Club, DARE, CCTR, SportDiscus, CINAHL, and Advanced Google searches. Selection criteria and data collection: After initial prescreening, articles included in the review required epidemiological data on SCI, TBI, or both. Articles had to be directly associated with the topic of skiing and/or snowboarding and published between January 1990 and December 2004. Results: 24 relevant articles, from 10 different countries, were identified. They indicate that the incidence of TBI and SCI in skiing and snowboarding is increasing. The increases coincide with the development and acceptance of acrobatic and high-speed activities on the mountains. There is evidence that helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 22–60%. Head injuries are the most common cause of death among skiers and snowboarders, and young male snowboarders are especially at risk of death from head injury. Conclusions: There should be enhanced promotion of injury prevention that includes the use of helmets and emphasizes the skier’s and snowboarder’s responsibility code.
Konaklama işletmelerinin yönetim yapılarının web tabanlı pazarlama faaliyetlerine etkisi üzerine bir araştırma

The main objective of this descriptive study is to find out whether the managerial structures of hospitality firms have an effect on activities of web-based marketing. The firms taken as sample for the study comprise the ones in "hotel guide" with three, four and five stars with web sites. An on-line questionnaire form was prepared to gather the data and was sent to the e-mail addresses of the 461 hospitality firms. Through the computer software developed, data base was formed as the mails were sent back. In the analysis of the data SPSS package program was used and findings obtained as the result of the analyses performed were interpreted. Analyses, on the other hand, were conducted using Chi-square and cross- table test techniques. The conclusion drawn from the study was that the characteristics of the hospitality firms, whether they are independent, local chain or international chain, has partial effects over their activities of web-based marketing. The main resources of the study were comprised of data from the hospitality firms as well as foreign and local reviews on tourism, the internet and marketing.