An experimental study of condensate was performed by exposing a sheet of glass, cooled at its bottom edge, to an enclosure with a controlled environment. The air in the enclosure was maintained at a constant relative humidity (RH) and a constant dry bulb temperature (Tdb). Experiments were conducted at Tdb = 22.1°C and RH of 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, and 50%. It was found that the time until initial condensation run-off was sensitive to low RH (RH = 30%, 35%, 40%) and insensitive to high RH (RH = 45%, 50%). Time until run-off decreased with increasing RH. It was found that, at first, condensation run-off occurred near the bottom of the glass and left one to believe that the remaining condensate was in steady state with the enclosure. Over a 16 hour period however, it was found that the condensation run-off front, in every case, progressed upward to include the entire condensate area. Similar to time of initial run-off, speed of condensation front movement increased with RH and was also insensitive at high RH. A summary plot showing run-off front position is presented. This chart can be used to predict initial run-off and front progression at the bottom edge of any window if the surface temperature profile is known.

When a privately-held firm goes public through an IPO ¡]initial public offering¡^, the ownership structure of the IPO firm would change due to external equity financing. The ownership structure is related to the firm performance with respect to the corporate finance theory. Therefore, we agree that the relationship between the ownership structure and IPO long-run performance is worth examining. With respect to the corporate control and agency theory, we investigate the effect of the increase of insider ownership on the performance of IPO firms. We show that the increase of board ownership deteriorates the long-run performance of IPO firms. However, the increase of the institutional ownership improves IPO long-run performance. Basically, the agency theory implies that there exists positive relations between the insider ownership and performance and between the institutional ownership and performance. However, the corporate control theory agrees that the higher the insider ownership, the poorer the performance of the firms. Therefore, our results show that the institutional ownership can mitigate the agency problem while the role of corporate control subsumes the agency problem with respect to the insider ownership.

ABSTRACT Prior relative studies document that the mean initial returns of IPOs is significantly positive. Yet, several researches find that the positive abnormal returns appear to be a short-run phenomenon, and the long-run performance of IPOs is poor even negative. Based on a sample of 151 Taiwan IPO firms issued form 1991 to 1996, this study employ the Fama-French three factors model to measure the expected returns of securities. Consistent with predictions, the empirical results show positive short-run returns and a negative long run returns. Meanwhile, there is a negative relationship between institutional ownership and the holding period abnormal returns aftermarket. The conclusion is consistent with the concerns of long-term profitability of institutional investors, as they used to buy low for the benefits of long-term profits. This study also examines the influential factors of institutional ownership. The findings indicate that both firm size and insiders are significantly positive related to institutional ownership. However, neither managerial ownership nor debt is related to institutional ownership. On the other hand, there is significantly negative relationship between stock dividend and institutional ownership, except the second year. At the initial and the first month, cash dividend is negative related to institutional ownership, and industry dummy variable (electronic industry or not) is positive related to institutional ownership. Besides, there is no relationship between cash dividend and institutional ownership, nor was there any relationship between industry dummy variable and institutional ownership. According to the findings, most institutional investors want to maintain the diversification and long-term profits of the portfolio investment.

Abstract By using Tobit model to remove price limit regulation from the limited price data, this study analyzes the IPO aftermarket¡¦s rationality using a sample of 362 stocks which conducted IPO between 1991 and 1998 in Taiwan stock markets. Two market efficiency hypotheses were examined: the efficient markets hypothesis (EMH) and the hypothesis of efficiently learning market (ELM). The later relaxed EMH by letting prior beliefs to be unspecified. Risk was valued by market portfolio return, market model, and an alteration of Fama-French three-factor model. Tobit model is used to remove price limits in case of limit-move day. In addition to examining the hypotheses of market efficiency, this study also explores cross-section and time-series return patterns. We are interested in the effect of competitive bidding on market efficiency, the role of SEO on IPOs long-run performance, the implication of heavy issuance return pattern, and momentum and mean reversion. The results show that our IPO sample does learn rationally from information in the sense of ELM in conjunction with market model or thee-factor model. The cross-section and time-series results indicate that market is not ¡¥overreaction¡¦ or ¡¥fad¡¦, but learning sequentially and cautiously. Thus, the IPOs long-run anomalies disappear in our sample if model is properly defined.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 1990. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 1997. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 219-230). Also available online.

Symptoms in patients receiving dialysis are common and associated with impaired quality of life. Symptoms are a top research priority because effective therapies are lacking and even with appropriate diagnosis and treatment, residual symptoms often persist. Clinical trials in the setting of kidney disease are challenging to conduct and as a result, nephrology lags behind other specialties regarding the degree to which clinical trials inform the care of patients with kidney disease, including those receiving dialysis. The studies in this thesis inform the design of randomized controlled trials with regards to run-in periods and the treatment of symptoms in patients with kidney disease. Chapter 2 describes a meta-epidemiologic study of the frequency, setting and purposes of run-in periods in parallel randomized controlled trials of self-administered medications for chronic diseases in adults. Chapter 3 is a study within a trial of an international randomized controlled trial that compares spironolactone to placebo for the prevention of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in dialysis. It compares the ability of a 3-week study visit in addition to a 7-week study visit during an active-run-in period to identify and exclude participants with non-adherence. Chapter 4 is a protocol for a randomized placebo controlled crossover trial of low fixed dose pharmacologic therapy for restless legs syndrome in hemodialysis that includes a placebo run-in period for adherence and tolerability. Chapter 5 is a survey of Canadian nephrologists regarding the use of cannabinoids for symptom management in patients with kidney disease and support for their use in clinical trials. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The purpose of this study was to describe kinematic changes that occur during an actual marathon. We hypothesized that (1) certain running kinematic measures would change between miles 5 and 25 of a marathon and (2) fast runners would demonstrate smaller changes than slow runners. Subjects (n = 179) were selected according to finish time (Range = 2:20:47 to 5:30:10). Two high-speed cameras were used to measure sagittal-plane kinematics at miles 5 and 25 of the marathon. The dependent variables were stride length, ground time, peak knee flexion during support and swing, and peak hip flexion and extension during swing. Two-tailed paired t-tests were used to compare dependent variables between miles 5 and 25 for all subjects, and regression analyses were used to determine whether faster runners exhibited smaller changes (between miles 5 and 25) than slower runners. For all runners, every dependent variable changed significantly between miles 5 and 25 (p < 0.001). Stride length increased 1.3%, ground time increased 13.1%, peak knee flexion during support decreased 3.2%, and peak hip extension, knee flexion, and hip flexion during swing decreased 27.9%, increased 4.3%, and increased 7.4%, respectively (p<0.001). Among these significant changes, all runners generally changed the same from miles 5 to 25 except that fast runners decreased peak knee flexion during support less than the slow runners (p < 0.002). We believe these kinematic changes were an attempt by all runners (fast and slow) to decrease energy expenditure and enhance performance at the late stage of the race. The fact that fast runners maintained knee flexion during support more consistently might be due to their condition on the race day. Strengthening of knee extensor muscles may facilitate increased knee flexion during support throughout a marathon.

Yes / Fretting wear has a significant influence on wire rope fatigue life when in cyclic bending, particularly for crossed-wire contacts, where the interfacial motion of the surfaces is complex and multi-axial. To simulate these contacts in a controlled manner, a laboratory-scale, crossed-cylinder, reciprocating fretting wear test was developed. A broad range of contemporary lubrication technologies were evaluated using this method and a systematic multivariate statistical analysis was performed to identify the most significant lubrication-related parameters with respect to these fretting wear conditions. Wear area increase per slip cycle was the most relevant measure of wear damage, as this captured the influence of changes in the fretting wear regime during the test. The ability of a lubricant to reduce damaging fretting wear during the run-in phase was the biggest influence on long-term fretting wear, particularly for grease-lubricated contacts.