The Discretionary Effect of CEOs and Board Chairs on Corporate Governance Structures

In this study we analyze the effect of latent managerial characteristics on corporate governance. We find that CEO and board chair fixed effects explain a significant portion of the variation in board size, board independence, and CEO-chair duality even after controlling for several firm characteristics and firm fixed effects. The effect of CEOs on corporate governance practices is attributable mainly to executives who simultaneously hold the position of CEO and board chair in the same firm. Our results do not show a decline in CEO discretionary influence on corporate governance after the enactment of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act and stock exchange governance regulations

Optical and Near-Infrared UBVRIJHK Photometry for the RR Lyrae stars in the Nearby Globular Cluster M4 (NGC 6121)

We present optical and near-infrared UBVRIJHK photometry of stars in the Galactic globular cluster M4 (NGC 6121) based upon a large corpus of observations obtained mainly from public astronomical archives. We concentrate on the RR Lyrae variable stars in the cluster, and make a particular effort to accurately reidentify the previously discovered variables. We have also discovered two new probable RR Lyrae variables in the M4 field: one of them by its position on the sky and its photometric properties is a probable member of the cluster, and the second is a probable background (bulge?) object. We provide accurate equatorial coordinates for all 47 stars identified as RR Lyraes, new photometric measurements for 46 of them, and new period estimates for 45. We have also derived accurate positions and mean photometry for 34 more stars previously identified as variable stars of other types, and for an additional five non-RR Lyrae variable stars identified for the first time here. We present optical and near-infrared color-magnitude diagrams for the cluster and show the locations of the variable stars in them. We present the Bailey (period-amplitude) diagrams and the period-frequency histogram for the RR Lyrae stars in M4 and compare them to the corresponding diagrams for M5 (NGC 5904). We conclude that the RR Lyrae populations in the two clusters are quite similar in all the relevant properties that we have considered. The mean periods, pulsation-mode ratios, and Bailey diagrams of these two clusters show support for the recently proposed "Oosterhoff-neutral" classification.Comment: 33 pages, 16 figures, 7 table

Astmaatikon kokemuksia potilasohjauksesta

Astma on yleisimpiä kansantautejamme. Lääkehoitoa vaativista pitkäaikaisista sairauksista se on kolmanneksi yleisin verenpainetaudin ja sepelvaltimotaudin jälkeen. Lasten pitkäaikaissairauksista astma on yleisin. Valtakunnallisessa astmaohjelmassa esitetyn arvion mukaan vaikea-asteista astmaa sairastaa kaikista potilaista 20 %, keski-vaikeaa 20 % ja lievää astmaa 60 %. Opinnäytetyön nimi on astmaatikon kokemuksia potilasohjauksesta. Opinnäytetyömme toimeksiantaja on Kainuun maakunta-kuntayhtymän keuhkosairauksien poliklinikka. Opinnäytetyömme tarkoituksena oli kar-toittaa, miten kyselyyn osallistuvat astmaatikot ovat sitoutuneita omahoitoon. Tavoitteenamme oli selvittää, miten potilaat saavat keuhkosairauksien poliklinikalla ohjausta astman omahoitoon, olivatko potilaat saaneet ohjausta riittävästi ja mihin asioihin he olisivat halunneet saada enemmän tietoa ja ohjausta. Opinnäytteemme tutkimuksellinen lähestymistapa oli kvalitatiivinen tutkimusote. Opinnäytetyön aineiston ke-ruumenetelmänä käytimme kyselyä. Kysely muodostui avoimista kysymyksistä, joilla haluttiin selvittää astmaati-kon omahoitoon sitoutumista ja potilasohjauksen laatua ja kokemuksia potilasohjauksesta. Kerätty aineisto analysoitiin sisällön analyysin avulla. Tulokset esitettiin eri astman hoitoon sisältyvien teemojen ylä- ja alakategorioina. Kyselyyn vastasi 13 vastaajaa (n = 13). Tuloksista kävi ilmi, että kyselyyn osallistuneet astmaatikot olivat pääosin tyytyväisiä saamansa potilasohjaukseen keuhkosairauksien poliklinikalla. Osalla vastaajista on astman hoito omasta jaksamisesta kiinni. Osa vastaajista tietää ja ymmärtää astman hoidon merkityksen terveydelle. Opinnäytetyömme tuloksia voidaan hyödyntää keuhkosairauksien poliklinikalla hoitotyön käytäntöön. Opinnäytetyömme tulokset antavat tietoa miten astmaa sairastavan potilasohjausta ja sen sisältöä voidaan jatkossa kehittää. Tulokset antavat tietoa potilasohjauksen kehittämistarpeista. Jatkotutkimusaiheena olisi hyvä selvittää sairaanhoitajien kokemuksia astmaa sairastavan potilasohjauksesta keuhkosairauksien poliklinikalla. Opinnäytetyö prosessin kautta olemme vahvistaneet sairaanhoitajan työssä tarvittavaa tiedollista ja taidollista ja asenteista osaamista jota voimme hyödyntää astmaa sairastavan kokonaishoitoon ja ohjaukseen. Prosessin kautta olemme saaneet vahvistuksen sille, miten tärkeä on sairaanhoitajan asenne ja osaaminen potilasohjaukseen.Asthma is one of the most common national diseases. Amongst long term diseases requiring medical treatment it is the third most common after arterial hypertension and coronary artery diseases. Among Childhood long term diseases asthma is the most common. According to an estimate provided by a nationwide asthmas program 20 % of all asthma patients suffer from severe asthma, 20 % from mildly severe and 60 % suffer from slight asthma. The name of this thesis is an Asthma Patient’s Experiences of Supervision. The commissioner of the thesis was the Joint Authority of the Kainuu Region and our working – life supervisor was the Pulmonary Diseases Outpatients’ Department. The purpose of this thesis was to clarify by survey how the asthma patients involved were committed to care for their asthma. The aim was to clarify whether patients had been provided with sufficient instruction and supervision and in what issues did they require further knowledge and instruction. The investigational approach of this thesis was qualitative, using a survey to collect data. The survey con-sisted of open questions intending to clarify how asthma patients are committed to care for asthma and to establish the quality of patient instruction and how patients experienced instruction. The collected ma-terial was analyzed using qualitative contents analysis. The results were presented in super and sub categories in different themes related to the care of asthma. 13 respondents took part in the survey (n=13).The results indicated that patients were mainly satisfied with instruction received in the Pulmonary Diseases Outpatients’ Department. For some of the respondents, the care of their asthma depended on how they were coping generally. Others understood and were aware of the significance of caring for their asthma to their health. The results of the thesis provide information on how patient instruction and its contents can be developed in the future. In the future, it would be appropriate to research how nurses experience the instruction and supervision of asthma patients in the Pulmonary Diseases Outpatients’ Department. The thesis process has strengthened the knowledge and skill-based competence as well as attitudes required in nursing, which we can use in the care and instruction of asthma patients. The process has confirmed how important attitude and competence is in patient instruction

Use of drug-eluting vs. bare-metal stents after an acute coronary syndrome in Portugal: The EURHOBOP study

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The interventional cardiologist chooses a specific stent type based on the risk-benefit profile for each case. In general, drug-eluting stents should be considered in all clinical conditions, except if there are concerns or contraindications for prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy. The aim of this work was to describe the use of bare-metal vs. drug-eluting stents in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after an acute coronary syndrome in Portuguese hospitals, according to patients' demographic and clinical characteristics and institutional characteristics. METHODS: Within the EURopean Hospital Benchmarking Processes (EURHOBOP) study, we retrospectively assessed 3009 consecutive patients in 10 Portuguese hospitals in 2009. Only patients with stents implanted during PCI (n=1194) were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 425 patients (36%) received a bare-metal stent and 769 patients (64%) received a drug-eluting stent. A history of previous PCI, current non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction, anterior descending artery as the infarct-related artery and being initially admitted to a hospital with a catheterization laboratory were associated with drug-eluting stent implantation. Age under 45 or over 80, anemia and previous anticoagulation and/or atrial fibrillation were associated with bare-metal stent use. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately two-thirds of patients received drug-eluting stents, which were less frequently implanted in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, aged over 80 years, female, with a previous history of stroke, anticoagulation and/or atrial fibrillation and anemia. Patients who had previously undergone PCI and those with the anterior descending artery as the infarct-related artery were more likely to receive a drug-eluting stent

Insetos associados às sementes e frutos de espécies da arborização de Curitiba, PR.

Resumo

Weak Galactic Halo--Fornax dSph Connection from RR Lyrae Stars

For the first time accurate pulsation properties of the ancient variable stars of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph) are discussed in the broad context of galaxy formation and evolution. Homogeneous multi-band $BVI$ optical photometry of spanning {\it twenty} years has allowed us to identify and characterize more than 1400 RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) in this galaxy. Roughly 70\% are new discoveries. We investigate the period-amplitude distribution and find that Fornax shows a lack of High Amplitude (A_V\gsim0.75 mag) Short Period fundamental-mode RRLs (P\lsim0.48 d, HASPs). These objects occur in stellar populations more metal-rich than [Fe/H]$\sim$-1.5 and they are common in the Galactic halo (Halo) and in globulars. This evidence suggests that old (age older than 10 Gyr) Fornax stars are relatively metal-poor. A detailed statistical analysis of the role of the present-day Fornax dSph in reproducing the Halo period distribution shows that it can account for only a few to 20\% of the Halo when combined with RRLs in massive dwarf galaxies (Sagittarius dSph, Large Magellanic Cloud). This finding indicates that Fornax-like systems played a minor role in building up the Halo when compared with massive dwarfs. We also discuss the occurrence of HASPs in connection with the luminosity and the early chemical composition of nearby dwarf galaxies. We find that, independently of their individual star formation histories, bright (M_V\lsim-13.5 mag) galaxies have HASPs, whereas faint ones (M_V\gsim-11 mag) do not. Interestingly enough, Fornax belongs to a luminosity range (--11$<$M$_V<$--13.5 mag) in which the occurrence of HASPs appears to be correlated with the early star formation and chemical enrichment of the host galaxy.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, A&A, accepte

Impact of distance determinations on Galactic structure. II. Old tracers

Here we review the efforts of a number of recent results that use old tracers to understand the build up of the Galaxy. Details that lead directly to using these old tracers to measure distances are discussed. We concentrate on the following: (1) the structure and evolution of the Galactic bulge and inner Galaxy constrained from the dynamics of individual stars residing therein; (2) the spatial structure of the old Galactic bulge through photometric observations of RR Lyrae-type stars; (3) the three\--dimensional structure, stellar density, mass, chemical composition, and age of the Milky Way bulge as traced by its old stellar populations; (4) an overview of RR Lyrae stars known in the ultra-faint dwarfs and their relation to the Galactic halo; and (5) different approaches for estimating absolute and relative cluster ages.Comment: Review article, 80 pages (25 figures); Space Science Reviews, in press (chapter of a special collection resulting from the May 2016 ISSI-BJ workshop on Astronomical Distance Determination in the Space Age

Glueball Regge trajectories from gauge/string duality and the Pomeron

The spectrum of light baryons and mesons has been reproduced recently by Brodsky and Teramond from a holographic dual to QCD inspired in the AdS/CFT correspondence. They associate fluctuations about the AdS geometry with four dimensional angular momenta of the dual QCD states. We use a similar approach to estimate masses of glueball states with different spins and their excitations. We consider Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions and find approximate linear Regge trajectories for these glueballs. In particular the Neumann case is consistent with the Pomeron trajectory.Comment: In this revised version we made some additional remarks on the text. We also included 2 more references. The glueball spectrum and Regge trajectories are unchanged. 10 pages, 2 eps figure

Nilpotent Symmetries For Matter Fields In Non-Abelian Gauge Theory: Augmented Superfield Formalism

In the framework of superfield approach to Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) formalism, the derivation of the (anti-)BRST nilpotent symmetries for the matter fields, present in any arbitrary interacting gauge theory, has been a long-standing problem. In our present investigation, the local, covariant, continuous and off-shell nilpotent (anti-)BRST symmetry transformations for the Dirac fields $(\psi, \bar\psi)$ are derived in the framework of the augmented superfield formulation where the four $(3 + 1)$-dimensional (4D) interacting non-Abelian gauge theory is considered on the six $(4 + 2)$-dimensional supermanifold parametrized by the four even spacetime coordinates $x^\mu$ and a couple of odd elements ($\theta$ and $\bar\theta$) of the Grassmann algebra. The requirement of the invariance of the matter (super)currents and the horizontality condition on the (super)manifolds leads to the derivation of the nilpotent symmetries for the matter fields as well as the gauge- and the (anti-)ghost fields of the theory in the general scheme of the augmented superfield formalism.Comment: LaTeX file, 16 pages, printing mistakes in the second paragraph of `Introduction' corrected, a footnote added, these modifications submitted as ``erratum'' to IJMPA in the final for