Ultimate Control Research Articles

Gender diversity and financial statement fraud

This study investigates the role of gender diversity in fraud commission and detection with a view to identifying whether companies with more female corporate leaders are less likely to be involved in financial statement fraud. Using a bivariate probit model, the role of female corporate leaders in financial statement fraud commission and detection is examined for Chinese listed companies from 2007 to 2018. The representation of female corporate leaders increases the likelihood of fraud detection, thus reducing firms’ propensity to engage in fraud. The finding confirms that women are risk averse and more committed to ethical practices than men in corporate leadership positions. Moreover, this impact of gender diversity is contingent upon the nature of ultimate controllers of listed companies: more female representation in top leadership roles can mitigate fraud commission or detect fraud effectively in non-state-owned enterprises, but not in state-owned enterprises. In addition, the recent anti-corruption campaign initiated by Chinese President Jinping Xi is a powerful form of public governance. Female corporate leaders play a more positive role in mitigating fraud commission and detecting fraud commission in the post-campaign period than in the pre-campaign period.

Host-microbe interactions in cornea

Corneal infections result through interaction between microbes and host innate immune receptors. Damage to the cornea occurs as a result of microbial virulence factors and is often exacerbated by lack of a controlled host immune response; the latter contributing to bystander damage to corneal structure. Understanding mechanisms involved in host microbial interactions is critical to development of novel therapeutic targets, ultimate control of microbial pathogenesis, and restoration of tissue homeostasis. Studies on these interactions continue to provide exciting findings directly related to this ultimate goal.

Does political turnover affect corporate investment? Evidence from China

This paper adopts the dual perspectives of party/government officials and provincial/city officials to study the effect of political turnover on corporate investment in China. This paper finds that the turnover of both provincial party secretaries and city party secretaries inhibit corporate investment, while the turnover of governors and mayors have no effect on corporate investment. Investment irreversibility, not financial friction, is the mechanism through which local party secretaries' turnover reduces corporate investment. Moreover, ownership structure, the ultimate controller's hierarchy level, and the city's hierarchy level play moderating roles. The effects of provincial secretaries' turnover are more robust than those of city secretaries' turnover in additional tests and robustness checks.

Electron power absorption in micro atmospheric pressure plasma jets driven by tailored voltage waveforms in He/N2

In atmospheric pressure capacitively-coupled microplasma jets, voltage waveform tailoring (VWT) was demonstrated to provide ultimate control of the electron energy distribution function (EEDF), which allows us to enhance and adjust the generation of selected neutral species by controlling the electron power absorption dynamics. However, at the fundamental level, the physical origin of these effects of VWT remained unclear. Therefore, in this work, the electron power absorption dynamics is investigated in a He/N2 jet with a nitrogen concentration of 0.05% driven by a valleys voltage waveform at a base frequency of 13.56 MHz for different numbers of harmonics, using a self-consistent particle-in-cell simulation coupled with a spatio-temporally resolved analysis of the electron power absorption based on moments of the Boltzmann equation. Due to the local nature of the transport at atmospheric pressure, ohmic power absorption is dominant. Increasing the number of harmonics, due to the peculiar shape of the excitation waveform, the sheath collapse at the grounded electrode is shortened relative to the one at the powered electrode. As a consequence, and in order to ensure flux compensation of electrons and positive ions at this electrode, a high current is driven through the discharge at the time of this short sheath collapse. This current is primarily driven by a high ohmic electric field. Close to the grounded electrode, where the electron density is low and the electric field is therefore high, electrons are accelerated to high energies and strong ionization, as well as the formation of a local electron density maximum, are observed. This electron density maximum leads to a local ambipolar electric field that acts as an electric field reversal and accelerates electrons to even higher energies. These effects are understood in detail to fundamentally explain the unique potential of VWT for EEDF control in such plasmas.

Physiological and nutritional constraints on zooplankton productivity due to eutrophication and climate change predicted using a resource-based modeling approach

Emerging evidence suggests that zooplankton production is affected by physiological and nutritional constraints due to climate change and eutrophication, which in turn could have broad implications for food-web dynamics and fisheries production. In this study, we developed a resource-based zooplankton production dynamics model that causally links freshwater cladoceran and copepod daily production-to-biomass (P/B) ratios with water temperature, phytoplankton biomass and community composition, and zooplankton feeding selectivity. This model was used to evaluate constraints on zooplankton growth under four hypothetical scenarios: involving natural plankton community seasonal succession; lake fertilization to enhance fisheries production; eutrophication; and climatic warming. Our novel modeling approach predicts zooplankton production is strongly dependent on seasonal variation in resource availability and quality, which results in more complex zooplankton dynamics than predicted by simpler temperature-dependent models. For mesotrophic and hypereutrophic lakes, our study suggests that the ultimate control over zooplankton P/B ratios shifts from physiological control during colder periods to strong resource control during warmer periods. Our resource-based model provides important insights into the nature of biophysical control of zooplankton under a changing climate that has crucial implications for food web energy transfer and fisheries production.

Involvement of Innate Immune Receptors in the Resolution of Acute Hepatitis B in Woodchucks.

The antiviral property of small agonist compounds activating pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), including toll-like and RIG-I receptors, have been preclinically evaluated and are currently tested in clinical trials against chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The involvement of other PRRs in modulating hepatitis B virus infection is less known. Thus, woodchucks with resolving acute hepatitis B (AHB) after infection with woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) were characterized as animals with normal or delayed resolution based on their kinetics of viremia and antigenemia, and the presence and expression of various PRRs were determined in both outcomes. While PRR expression was unchanged immediately after infection, most receptors were strongly upregulated during resolution in liver but not in blood. Besides well-known PRRs, including TLR7/8/9 and RIG-I, other less-characterized receptors, such as IFI16, ZBP1/DAI, AIM2, and NLRP3, displayed comparable or even higher expression. Compared to normal resolution, a 3–4-week lag in peak receptor expression and WHV-specific B- and T-cell responses were noted during delayed resolution. This suggested that PRR upregulation in woodchuck liver occurs when the mounting WHV replication reaches a certain level, and that multiple receptors are involved in the subsequent induction of antiviral immune responses. Liver enzyme elevations occurred early during normal resolution, indicating a faster induction of cytolytic mechanisms than in delayed resolution, and correlated with an increased expression of NK-cell and CD8 markers and cytolytic effector molecules. The peak liver enzyme level, however, was lower during delayed resolution, but hepatic inflammation was more pronounced and associated with a higher expression of cytolytic markers. Further comparison of PRR expression revealed that most receptors were significantly reduced in woodchucks with established and progressing CHB, and several RNA sensors more so than DNA sensors. This correlated with a lower expression of receptor adaptor and effector molecules, suggesting that persistent, high-level WHV replication interferes with PRR activation and is associated with a diminished antiviral immunity based on the reduced expression of immune cell markers, and absent WHV-specific B- and T-cell responses. Overall, the differential expression of PRRs during resolution and persistence of WHV infection emphasizes their importance in the ultimate viral control during AHB that is impaired during CHB.

RETHINKING LIMITS OF ANTI-MUSLIM HATRED AND DISCRIMINATION IN CONTEMPORARY GREECE

There has been a growing academic literature about Islam in the West since 9/11 while Islam per se is actually an old phenomenon in the continent of Europe. Even if Muslims enjoy a variety of religious rights, Islamophobia is on rise all over Europe. Regardless of states’ respect and inclusiveness towards Muslims, their sacred places such as mosques or cemeteries cannot escape from getting targeted by hate-motivated physical-discursive attacks and harassments. Generally speaking, any kind of anti-Muslim action is usually vehemently condemned by governmental officials. Nevertheless, many of those perpetrators of Islamophobic actions remain unidentified and are seldom persecuted effectively, which will assist in discouraging anti-Muslim bigotry and behavior in societies of Europe. In this respect, this study takes Greece as a case study and analyzes to what extent Islam has been incorporated in Greece. While doing so, it dwells both on historical and new Muslim groups so as to find answers to two primary questions. First, to what extent does Greece respect rights of Muslims residing in different parts of the country? Second, what does Islamophobia mean in the context of Greece? Doing so, this study argues that Greece has never allowed enjoyment of Muslims’ freedoms in full terms since its establishment as of this day. Rather, it has chosen to penetrate in their internal affairs via different ways, limit their religious liberties and finally have the ultimate control over fundamental issues of Islam and Muslims living across the country. Moreover, Greece has never applied for an establishment of an effective mechanism aiming to fight against anti-Muslim behavior depicted overtly or covertly by those belonging to different segments of the Greek society. Henceforth, it is predicted that a variety of issues centering around Islam and anti-Muslim practices in Greece will continue to be one of the hottest topics of discussion throughout the third decade of the new millennium in respect to the integration of Muslims with the predominantly Orthodox-Christian majority.

Prospective validation of an institutional treatment strategy for T1N0M0 glottic carcinoma

Abstract Introduction The aim of this study was to assess the validity of a treatment strategy for T1N0 glottic squamous cell carcinoma. Methods One hundred and seventeen patients were prospectively treated according to institutional guidelines. using 1) laser microsurgery (L) for exophytic tumor, limited to one vocal cord, without extension to the anterior commissure or the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage, 2) radiotherapy (RT) for large or infiltrative tumor reaching the anterior commissure or the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage, poor endoscopic exposure and cT1b or 3) partial laryngectomy (PL) for tumor infiltrating the anterior commissure. Ninety-five patients were treated with RT and 22 with surgery alone (S) [L:19; PL:3]. Results The 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were 81.5% and 97.1% (median follow-up: 73 months), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in OS or DSS between patients treated with RT or S (logrank test: p = 0.974 and 0.978). The 5-year ultimate local control rate reached 98.3%. The local control rate with larynx preservation was 94.9% with no difference between RT (94.7%) and S (95.5%) (χ2: p = 0.891). Continued smoking after RT was significantly associated with a lower 5-year OS (77.9% versus 87%), [HR 3.458; p = 0.043 (95%CI 1.010–11.837)]. Conclusions For patients with T1 glottic carcinoma, and based on our previous studies, these data prospectively confirm the oncologic validity of an institutional treatment strategy. Continued smoking after RT correlated with poor OS.

Firm innovation and ultimate control mechanism: Case of emerging market

This study analyzes the effect of control enhancing mechanisms (CEMs) on a firm's innovation activities. In the light of conflicting theoretical prophecies on the role of ultimate control, we analyze the ownership concentration by examining the cash flow and control rights deviation which embolden ultimate owners to expropriate. Empirical evidence suggests that CEMs have a negative effect on core and base innovation, although the effect is severe in intermediate aged firms and largest sized firms. These findings are robust in different specifications and have significant implications for policymakers.

Comparative Analysis: Intrusion Detection in Multi-Cloud Environment to Identify Way Forward

Cloud computing is the emerging platform that is covering individual and corporate needs swiftly. The spread of this global platform is ranging from infrastructure to various middleware, front-end and back- end services. At corporate level, another effective configuration of this phenomenon is multi-cloud environment, which is depicting the ultimate control of the end-user on engaging services from various cloud service providers depending on the service ranking, cost and availability. It is therefore, now very much desirable to have infrastructure services from one service provider while data services are performed on another cloud or having infrastructure services in a distributed environment on multiple clouds. Multi-cloud environment is closely linked with smartly configured security mechanism to ensure the security at rest and in transit. Intrusion detection at various levels and services of cloud platform is not an easy task and when it is spread over multiple clouds then the challenge becomes more complex and tedious. On the other side, managing and integrating a multi-cloud computing environment is also highly complex. From technical point of view, it requires experience and hi-tech skills to formulate sustainable integration between multiple clouds and a coherence among various services to provide an encapsulated platform for the end-user. As in a multicolor environment, the integration can be focused on Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) from various cloud service providers therefore an API-consistent cloud environment is required which leads to the security and more specifically intrusion detection. The problem arises when most of the existing network based intrusion detection systems are designed to deal with the known threats and attacks. These systems are dependent on a rule base that is sufficient to work in certain environment but in case of multi-cloud integration, such fixed rule bases and known-resilience becomes a point of concern. It is therefore, required to look at the intrusion detection system, which may adapt the environmental changes as well as can at least indicate the unknown / anomaly attacks or detection. Honeypot is a vibrant mechanism to divert attention of the unknown attackers and able to capture data to analyze the anomaly. Honeypots may not be so useful independently but along with an intrusion detection system; this mechanism works efficiently and provides tangible results. This research paper is focused on analyzing the multi-cloud environment, intrusion detection systems and the use of honeypots in the existing solutions to understand the possible configurations for effective results in making a sustainable, secure and scalable multi-cloud environment.

Novel Bloch wave excitation platform based on few-layer photonic crystal deposited on D-shaped optical fiber

With the goal of ultimate control over the light propagation, photonic crystals currently represent the primary building blocks for novel nanophotonic devices. Bloch surface waves (BSWs) in periodic dielectric multilayer structures with a surface defect is a well-known phenomenon, which implies new opportunities for controlling the light propagation and has many applications in the physical and biological science. However, most of the reported structures based on BSWs require depositing a large number of alternating layers or exploiting a large refractive index (RI) contrast between the materials constituting the multilayer structure, thereby increasing the complexity and costs of manufacturing. The combination of fiber–optic-based platforms with nanotechnology is opening the opportunity for the development of high-performance photonic devices that enhance the light-matter interaction in a strong way compared to other optical platforms. Here, we report a BSW-supporting platform that uses geometrically modified commercial optical fibers such as D-shaped optical fibers, where a few-layer structure is deposited on its flat surface using metal oxides with a moderate difference in RI. In this novel fiber optic platform, BSWs are excited through the evanescent field of the core-guided fundamental mode, which indicates that the structure proposed here can be used as a sensing probe, along with other intrinsic properties of fiber optic sensors, as lightness, multiplexing capacity and easiness of integration in an optical network. As a demonstration, fiber optic BSW excitation is shown to be suitable for measuring RI variations. The designed structure is easy to manufacture and could be adapted to a wide range of applications in the fields of telecommunications, environment, health, and material characterization.

Effect of Modeling Resins on Microhardness of Resin Composites.

Objectives This study was aimed to determine the effects of modeling resins on the surface microhardness of composites. Materials and Methods Six resin-based composites (Charisma Smart, Estellite Asteria, CeramX-One SphereTEC, Admira Fusion, Filtek Ultimate, and Clearfil Majesty Es-2) and three wetting agents (Modeling Liquid, Composite Primer, and Modeling Resin) were investigated. In all, 240 specimens were prepared, and wetting agents were applied prior to light curing in the experimental groups. After 24 hours, specimens were polished and Vickers microhardness (VHN) values were measured. Statistical Analysis Shapiro–Wilk and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for analyses ( p < 0.05). Results Both modeling resin and composites were determined to be effective factors ( p < 0.001). The control group showed the highest VHN (70.37 ± 7.94), followed by Modeling Liquid (64.68 ± 12.07), Composite Primer (59.84 ± 6.33), and Modeling Resin (58 ± 3.52 b ; p < 0.001). Filtek Ultimate showed the highest VHN (76.62 ± 9.78 c ), whereas Charisma Smart (58.87 ± 7.95), and Clearfil Majesty (67.27 ± 2.58) showed the lowest ( p < 0.001). Clearfil Majesty–Modeling Liquid (46.62 ± 5.33) and Charisma Smart–Composite Primer (50.81 ± 0.39) combinations showed the lowest VHN, whereas Filtek Ultimate–control (87.15 ± 2.12) and Filtek Ultimate–Modeling Liquid (84.24 ± 3.11) showed the highest ( p < 0.001). Conclusion All tested modeling resins decreased VHN value, and the amount of reduction varied among composites and wetting agents. It might be safer not to use wetting agents unless they are necessary.

Advances in congenital Zika syndrome and its pathogenesis

<p indent=0mm>Zika virus (ZIKV), originally discovered in a sentinel rhesus monkey in Zika valley in Uganda in 1947, has long been viewed as a classical mosquito-borne flavivirus. Due to its association with only a mild and self-limiting illness, ZIKV was a neglected pathogen following <sc>60 years</sc> since its identification. However, this virus became a serious public health concern in 2015−2016 outbreak in the Americas because of its association with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). World Health Organization (WHO) declared the ZIKV outbreak a public health emergency of international concern in 2016. CZS is a pattern of birth defects found among fetuses and babies infected with ZIKV during pregnancy. The main clinical features of CZS are variable including severe microcephaly, decreased brain tissue, meningitis, damage to the back of the eye, hearing defects, arthrogryposis as well as hypertonia restricting body movement soon after birth. Benefiting from close collaboration of the international scientific community, intensive studies have been performed in development of experimental models to gain insights into the molecular basis of CZS in humans. These models include cultured neuroprogenitor stem cells, cortical organoids, especially mouse and nonhuman primate animal models which recapitulate many features of CZS in humans. Thanks to these models, questions related to how ZIKV infection causes congenital disease have been largely answered. For example, ZIKV was found to directly infects human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) of the cerebral cortex, resulting in reduced hNPC proliferation; ZIKV also exhibits tropism for microglia in the brain, leading to production of inflammatory cytokines that inhibit neuronal precursor cell proliferation and differentiation. Additionally, studies have suggested that ZIKV can infect and trigger inflammasome pathways and innate antiviral immune responses of glial cells. While remarkable progress has been made to explain the associated underlying mechanisms, many unanswered key questions remain as follows: (1) How is the placenta in different developmental stage susceptible to ZIKV infection? (2) How is ZIKV transmitted across the placenta to infect the fetus? (3) What is the neurodevelopmental sequelae of congenital infection? (4) How does pre-existing maternal flavivirus immunity impact pregnancy-associated disease? Overall, due to collaborative and multidisciplinary efforts, a large body of knowledge of ZIKV biology has been obtained that has deepened our understanding of the CZS and informed the development of candidate vaccines and therapies. The lessons we have learned from ZIKV could enable effective preparation for the ultimate control of emergence of new congenital viral diseases in the future.

Ultimate control in chemistry.

Controlling reactions between molecules is a major fundamental goal in chemistry and doing so on the level of individual quantum states is very challenging. Now, control over the reactant state and full characterization of the product-state distribution of an ultracold bimolecular reaction has been demonstrated.

The impact of ultimate controller’s ownership on cash dividend policy based on a comparative analysis between owner-management and professional-management modes

This study uses Chinese listed firms to examine the relation between the ultimate controller’s ownership and cash dividends under different allocation modes of management rights. The empirical results show that under the professional-management mode, the ultimate controller’s ownership and dividend payments form an inverted U-shaped relation which results from the ultimate controller’s monitoring and collusion with the executive. Under the owner-management mode, the ultimate controller’s ownership and dividend payment levels assume a U-shaped relation which is attributed to its interest encroachment and convergence effect. The shape flip from professional-management to owner-management is the result of the changing opportunity cost of the controller’s dividend payments.

Human hand as a powerless and multiplexed infrared light source for information decryption and complex signal generation

With the increasing pursuit of intelligent systems, the integration of human components into functional systems provides a promising route to the ultimate human-compatible intelligent systems. In this work, we explored the integration of the human hand as the powerless and multiplexed infrared (IR) light source in different functional systems. With the spontaneous IR radiation, the human hand provides a different option as an IR light source. Compared to engineered IR light sources, the human hand brings sustainability with no need of external power and also additional level of controllability to the functional systems. Besides the whole hand, each finger of the hand can also independently provide IR radiation, and the IR radiation from each finger can be selectively diffracted by specific gratings, which helps the hand serve as a multiplexed IR light source. Considering these advantages, we show that the human hand can be integrated into various engineered functional systems. The integration of hand in an encryption/decryption system enables both unclonable and multilevel information encryption/decryption. We also demonstrate the use of the hand in complex signal generation systems and its potential application in sign language recognition, which shows a simplified recognition process with a high level of accuracy and robustness. The use of the human hand as the IR light source provides an alternative sustainable solution that will not only reduce the power used but also help move forward the effort in the integration of human components into functional systems to increase the level of intelligence and achieve ultimate control of these systems.

Control system of 4-DOF palletizing robot based on improved R control multi-objective trajectory planning

To realize efficient palletizing robot trajectory planning and ensure ultimate robot control system universality and extensibility, the B-spline trajectory planning algorithm is used to establish a palletizing robot control system and the system is tested and analyzed. Simultaneously, to improve trajectory planning speeds, R control trajectory planning is used. Through improved algorithm design, a trajectory interpolation algorithm is established. The robot control system is based on R-dominated multi-objective trajectory planning. System stack function testing and system accuracy testing are conducted in a production environment. During palletizing function testing, the system’s single-step code packet time is stable at approximately 5.8 s and the average evolutionary algebra for each layer ranges between 32.49 and 45.66, which can save trajectory planning time. During system accuracy testing, the palletizing robot system’s repeated positioning accuracy is tested. The repeated positioning accuracy error is currently 10−1 mm and is mainly caused by friction and the machining process. By studying the control system of a four-degrees-of-freedom (4-DOF) palletizing robot based on the trajectory planning algorithm, the design predictions and effects are realized, thus providing a reference for more efficient future palletizing robot design. Although the working process still has some shortcomings, the research has major practical significance.

Achmea versus the Rule of Law: CJEU’s Dogmatic Dismissal of Investors’ Rights in Backsliding Member States of the European Union

We demonstrate that the CJEU’s Achmea judgment has resulted in significantly more damage beyond the termination of intra-EU BITs. It made the application of EU law difficult, if not impossible. Indeed, it has opened the floodgate to deficient judicial protection in the face of structural backsliding of the rule of law in some EU Member States. While the motives of the CJEU and by extension the European Commission to safeguard their ultimate control over the internal market by exclusively relying on the preliminary ruling system of integrated European judiciary may be understandable, they cannot serve as a credible justification for the long-term consequences of disempowering investors in the name of an ideological stance regarding EU judiciary, which cannot work in the backsliding Member States, where the ‘integration of the EU’s judiciary’ could stand for the absence of independent adjudication. Consequently, the Achmea judgment and post-Achmea developments such as the recently signed Termination Agreement to terminate the intra-EU BITs have been leading to significant—possibly irreparable in the short- to medium-term—lowering of the procedural and substantive protection standards for European investors in times when they are in need of more rather than less protection.

The lab of the future is now

After making gradual inroads in drug and materials discovery in recent years, artificial intelligence is suddenly appearing in a new light. Autonomous labs that link AI-based data analysis to robotic synthesis and validation are being demonstrated in both academia and industry. These labs prefigure a new work environment in which machines perform many of the traditional functions of researchers. Proponents argue that this self-driven R&D environment will enhance the efforts of multidisciplinary scientists, who will maintain ultimate control. Chemical and drug firms are taking a serious look at what may be the lab of the future. The laboratory of the future is a visionary concept: a goal that evolves as technology advances. Predictions are made, skeptics respond, and the vision reboots. The future offers few guarantees. But it also tends to develop over time rather than spring up, shockingly new, overnight. The lab of the future, Platonic ideal that it

Multimodality treatment including whole pleura radiation therapy for DICER1-associated pediatric pleuropulmonary blastoma.

Limited data are available regarding radiation therapy in pediatric pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB). We report the case of a 3-year-old girl with type II PPB successfully treated with trimodality therapy including multiagent chemotherapy, resection, and whole pleura radiation therapy. While longer follow-up is required to confirm ultimate local tumor control and long-term post-treatment sequelae, currently 3.5years following therapy, she is well, without recurrent disease or observable toxicity. The goal of this report is to add our experience to the literature regarding PPB, its management, and treatment, as prospective randomized controlled trials are not feasible due to the rarity of this disease.