Corporate Governance and Corporate Performance: Evidence from Jordanian Family and Non-Family Firms

Corporate governance and corporate performance are two concepts that have been extensively examined in finance and management literature. However, most studies have been conducted in developed countries, particularly the UK and the US, while there is relatively little work carried out on the Middle East, specifically Jordan. Many Jordanian companies are characterised by concentrated ownership (generally family firms), which forms a considerable part of its economy (ROSC Jordan, 2004). Few researchers have examined family firms’ performance from a corporate governance perspective. This study investigates the influence of corporate governance on the performance of Jordanian family and non-family firms from 2009 to 2015, employing agency theory and resource-dependency theory to investigate the relationship between corporate governance and performance of family and non-family firms. Agency theory is concerned with problem of agency between principals and agents as well as principals and principals, which undermines value maximisation. Due to complexity within the corporate governance and performance phenomena, agency theory is supplemented with predictions from resource dependence theory, since this theory asserts that the resources provided by the shareholders and the directors are likely to improve performance. It has been suggested that the board of directors and ownership structure are effective corporate governance mechanisms to improve firm performance. Multivariate pooled-OLS regression analyses were the main tool of analysis. Secondary data obtained from published firm annual reports, firm financial reports and the Thomson One database was analysed to test the effect that board of directors and ownership structure have on corporate performance and the performance of family firms. To ensure confidence in these estimates, this thesis uses two-stage least squares (2SLS) to address the issues of endogeneity. The focus of the investigation was firms listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE). The dataset is a panel of all firms on the ASE from 2009 to 2015, excluding financial firms with a sample of 103 firms, including 56 family-firms (about 55%) and 47 non-family firms. Major findings include (i) board mechanisms; board size, independent directors and family CEO negatively influence family firm performance while CEO duality tends to have a positive effect on performance, (ii) female board member, ownership concentration and local institutional investors have no effect on corporate performance, (iii) in non-family firms, there are positive relationships between governance mechanisms (independent directors and local institutional investors) and corporate performance. However, board size and concentrated ownership have no effect on performance, (iv) female board member has a negative effect, and (v) the proportion of foreign shareholders has a positive effect on the performance of family and non-family firms. Overall, there is a difference between the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on family and non-family firms’ performance. In terms of practical implications, this study illustrates (i) The importance of corporate governance in the broader sense, especially in emerging economies such as Jordan, where ownership is concentrated in Jordanian companies; (ii) signs policymakers and regulatory bodies can use to monitor companies that are more likely to confiscate investors and/or introduce governance problems; (iii) a potentially productive method for professional investors to select companies with superior governance structures and performance to improve returns on their investments, particularly in the long term

A gene encoding a SHINE1/WAX INDUCER1 transcription factor controls cuticular wax in barley

All land plants seal their above ground body parts with a lipid-rich hydrophobic barrier called the cuticle to protect themselves from dehydration and other terrestrial threats. Mutational studies in several model species have identified multiple loci regulating cuticular metabolism and development. Of particular importance are the eceriferum (cer) mutants characterized by a loss of cuticular wax. Some barley cer mutants, including cer-x, show defects in the distinctive β-diketone-enriched wax bloom on reproductive stage leaf sheaths, stems, and spikes. We exploited extensive allelic populations, near-isogenic lines, and powerful genotyping platforms to identify variation in the HvWAX INDUCER1 (HvWIN1) gene, encoding a SHINE transcription factor, as underlying cer-x. Comparing the cer-x allelic glossy sheath4.l Bowman Near Isogenic Line BW407 to cv. Bowman revealed an increased cuticular permeability in tissues showing reduced accumulation of β-diketones and altered cuticular metabolic gene expression in BW407. Analyses across the barley pangenome and hundreds of exome-capture datasets revealed high sequence conservation of HvWIN1 and two non-synonymous variants exclusive to the cultivated germplasm. Taken together, we suggest that variation in HvWIN1 controls multiple cuticular features in barley

Biological Effects of He-Ne Laser on Human Blood

يهدف هذا البحث لدراسة تأثير إشعاع الليزر على خصائص دم الإنسان. تفاعل الليزر مع المواد الحيوية أهم مجالات الأبحاث في الفيزياء الطبية. في هذه ا لدراسة، جمعت عينات الدم البشرى السليم في الظروف المختبرية القياسية. شععت عينات الدم عن طريق ليزر الهيليوم نيون النبضي ( الطول الموجي = 632.8 نانومتر، وبقدرة = 3.2 مللي وات) لفترات زمنيه مختلفه (10، 15، 20، 25 و 30 ) دقيقه ومن ثم درس طيف الإمتصاص للعينات بإستخدام جهاز مطيافية الأشعه فوق البنفسجيه وجهاز تحليل الدم (CBC). وقورنت مع عينات لم تعرض للتشعيع كمجموعة ضابطة. أظهرت نتائج التحليل الطيفي حدوث تغيير في طيف الإمتصاص للعينات المششعة بالليزر حيث أوضحت الدراسة علاقة طردية ما بين كل من معامل الامتصاص و معامل التمدد ومعامل التشتت و زيادة جرعة أو زمن التعرض لأشعة الليزر، أما معامل الانكسار والموصلية الكهربائية فقد لوحظت علاقة عكسية بعد الدقيقة 20 و زمن التعرض لأشعة الليزر . أما نتائج تحليل الدم أظهرت تغير في مكونات و خصائص الدم حيث تناقص عدد كريات الدم الحمراء بشكل ملحوظ مع زيادة زمن التعرض لشعاع الليزر، أما بالنسبة لكريات الدم البيضاء تناقص عددها بزيادة الزمن ، ولوحظت زياده في عدد الصفائح الدمويه عند الدقيقه 15 وتناقصت بعدها في الدقيقه 20 و25 وتزايد مره اخرى عند الدقيقه 30، ولوحظ تزايد وتناقص بشكل عشوائي في الهموقلوبين ومعدل الترسيب. خلصت الدراسه الي أن التعرض لأشعة الليزر يحدث تأثيرا واضحا في خصائص ومكونات الدم التي درست

تقييم تطبيق الكادر التمريضي لمعايير سلامة المريض في أقسام الإسعاف والعناية المشددة في مشفى تشرين الجامعي في مدينة اللاذقية

تقييم تطبيق الكادر التمريضي لمعايير سلامة المريض في أقسام الإسعاف والعناية المشددة في مشفى تشرين الجامعي في مدينة اللاذقية علاء محمود طويل عبدالله خليفه قنبر يعرّف مفهوم سلامة المرضى بأنه جميع الاحتياطات والإجراءات التقنية والطبية الساعية لحماية المرضى من كافة المخاطر، وتأمين الوقاية من كافة الأخطار قبل وقوعها كلما أمكن ذلك، وإيجاد بيئة آمنة وخالية من جميع أنواع المخاطر والأمراض التي تهدد حياة وصحة المرضى في كل أقسام المستشفى , لذلك هدفت هذه الدراسة الوصفية ذات التصميم المسحي المقطعي إلى تقييم مدى تطبيق الكادر التمريضي لمعايير سلامة المريض في أقسام الإسعاف والعناية المشددة في مشفى تشرين الجامعي في مدينة اللاذقية ، حيث تم اختيار (42) ممرض/ة بطريقة العينة المتاحة، كما قام الباحث بتقييم جميع أفراد العينة لمدة ثلاثة أيام من خلال (قائمة تحقق) تم تطويرها من قبله ، وأظهرت النتائج أن مستوى تطبيق الكادر التمريضي كان بمستوى جيد ، وأكثر المعايير تطبيقاً كان معياري أمان المريض والسلامة البيئية ، كما تبين وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في تطبيق معايير سلامة المريض حسب المؤهل العلمي ، وأوصت الدراسة بضرورة التقييم المستمر للكادر التمريضي حول تطبيق معايير سلامة المريض وعقد دورات تعريفية وتدريبية حول تطبيق المعايير ، وإجراء دراسات مشابهة على شريحة أوسع من كوادر التمريض في المشافي الحكومية والخاصة . The concept of patient safety is defined as all precautions and technical and medical procedures to protect patients from all risks, to prevent all hazards before they occur and to create a safe environment free of all types of risks and diseases that threaten the lives and health of patients throughout the hospital ,Therefore, this descriptive study was designed with a sectional design to evaluate the extent to which the nursing staff applied patient safety standards in the departments of ambulances and intensive care at Tishreen University Hospital in Lattakia, where 42 nurses were chosen according to the available sample ,The researcher evaluated all the sample for three days through a checklist developed by him, The results showed that the level of application of the nursing staff to the patient safety standards was at a good level. The most standard criteria applied were the patient safety and environmental safety standards, and there were statistically significant differences in the application of the criteria according to the scientific qualification . The study recommended the continuous evaluation of nursing staff on the application of patient safety standards, the holding of induction and training courses on the application of standards, and similar studies on a wider scale, including government and private hospitals

Right mini-thoracotomy versus median sternotomy for mitral valve replacement

Background: The advantages of minimally invasive mitral valve surgery over the conventional approach is still debated. This study aimed to evaluate early outcomes after mitral valve replacement (MVR) using the right mini-thoracotomy (RMT) versus median sternotomy (MS). Methods: We prospectively included 60 patients who had MVR from May 2015 to June 2017. We classified patients into two groups; Group A (n= 30) had RMT, and Group B (n= 30) had MS. Postoperative pain score, wound satisfaction, and clinical and echocardiographic outcomes were compared between both groups. Results: The mean age was 39.90 ± 12.34 years in Group A and 45.75 ± 13.10 years in Group B (p= 0.08). Preoperative and echocardiographic data showed no statistical significance difference between the groups. Group A had longer aortic cross-clamp (118.85 ± 40.56 vs. 70.75 ± 24.81 minutes, p<0.001) and cardiopulmonary bypass times (186.70 ± 67.44 vs. 104.65 ± 42.60 minutes, p<0.001).  Group B had more blood loss (565 ± 344.3 vs. 241.5 ±89.16 ml/24 hours, p<0.001). The median pain score was 1 (range: 1- 3) in Group A and 4 (2- 8) in Group B (p<0.001), and the median wound satisfaction was 1.5 (1- 4) in Group A and 4 (1- 7) in Group B (p<0.001).  Wound infection occurred in 1 (3.3%) patient in Group A and 6 (20%) patients in Group B (p=0.04). Conclusion: Mitral valve replacement through the right mini-thoracotomy could be a safe alternative to median sternotomy. The right mini-thoracotomy was associated with longer operative times but better pain and wound satisfaction scores and lower wound infection

The Combination of Amoxicillin-Clavulanic Acid and Ketoconazole in the Treatment of Madurella mycetomatis Eumycetoma and Staphylococcus aureus Co-infection

Eumycetoma is a chronic progressive disabling and destructive inflammatory disease which is commonly caused by the fungus Madurella mycetomatis. It is characterized by the formation of multiple discharging sinuses. It is usually treated by antifungal agents but it is assumed that the therapeutic efficiency of these agents is reduced by the co-existence of Staphylococcus aureus co-infection developing in these sinuses. This prospective study was conducted to investigate the safety, efficacy and clinical outcome of combined antibiotic and antifungal therapy in eumycetoma patients with superimposed Staphylococcus aureus infection. The study enrolled 337 patients with confirmed M. mycetomatis eumycetoma and S. aureus co-infection. Patients were allocated into three groups; 142 patients received amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and ketoconazole, 93 patients received ciprofloxacin and ketoconazole and 102 patients received ketoconazole only. The study showed that, patients who received amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and ketoconazole treatment had an overall better clinical outcome compared to those who had combined ciprofloxacin and ketoconazole or to those who received ketoconazol

Structural modification along nuclear tracks of proton and heavy ions in poly(allyl diglycol carbonate) detectors

博士（工学）神戸大

<i>APETALA2</i> functions as a temporal factor together with <i>BLADE-ON-PETIOLE2</i> and <i>MADS29</i> to control flower and grain development in barley

Cereal grain develops from fertilised florets. Alterations in floret and grain development greatly influence grain yield and quality. Despite this, little is known about the underlying genetic control of these processes, especially in key temperate cereals such as barley and wheat. Using a combination of near-isogenic mutant comparisons, gene editing and genetic analyses, we reveal that HvAPETALA2 (HvAP2) controls floret organ identity, floret boundaries, and maternal tissue differentiation and elimination during grain development. These new roles of HvAP2 correlate with changes in grain size and HvAP2-dependent expression of specific HvMADS-box genes, including the B-sister gene, HvMADS29 Consistent with this, gene editing demonstrates that HvMADS29 shares roles with HvAP2 in maternal tissue differentiation. We also discovered that a gain-of-function HvAP2 allele masks changes in floret organ identity and grain size due to loss of barley LAXATUM.A/ BLADE-ON-PETIOLE2 (HvBOP2) gene function. Taken together, we reveal novel, pleiotropic roles and regulatory interactions for an APETALA2-like gene controlling floret and grain development in a temperate cereal.Jennifer R. Shoesmith, Charles Ugochukwu Solomon, Xiujuan Yang, Laura G. Wilkinson, Scott Sheldrick, Ewan van Eijden ... et al

Conserved signalling components coordinate epidermal patterning and cuticle deposition in barley

Faced with terrestrial threats, land plants seal their aerial surfaces with a lipid-rich cuticle. To breathe, plants interrupt their cuticles with adjustable epidermal pores, called stomata, that regulate gas exchange, and develop other specialised epidermal cells such as defensive hairs. Mechanisms coordinating epidermal features remain poorly understood. Addressing this, we studied two loci whose allelic variation causes both cuticular wax-deficiency and misarranged stomata in barley, identifying the underlying genes, Cer-g/ HvYDA1, encoding a YODA-like (YDA) MAPKKK, and Cer-s/ HvBRX-Solo, encoding a single BREVIS-RADIX (BRX) domain protein. Both genes control cuticular integrity, the spacing and identity of epidermal cells, and barley’s distinctive epicuticular wax blooms, as well as stomatal patterning in elevated CO(2) conditions. Genetic analyses revealed epistatic and modifying relationships between HvYDA1 and HvBRX-Solo, intimating that their products participate in interacting pathway(s) linking epidermal patterning with cuticular properties in barley. This may represent a mechanism for coordinating multiple adaptive features of the land plant epidermis in a cultivated cereal