Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reverse e‐auctions and supplier‐buyer relationships: an exploratory study

Purpose – Reverse e‐auctions are increasingly being used in business‐to‐business procurement and have been reported to yield significant price reductions for buyer firms. However, the adoption of online auction formats has raised many concerns among suppliers, often being criticized for damaging supplier‐buyer relationships and for being antithetical to what is currently regarded as good supply chain management. Against this background this paper aims to examine the reverse auction phenomenon in the UK packaging sector.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from the direct experiences of one large food‐packaging supplier, using case studies of reverse e‐auctions, and from exploratory interviews with other suppliers in the sector.Findings – While buyers are reaping significant short‐term price reductions, the benefits to suppliers are less obvious. In fact, little reference was detected to the often‐quoted reductions in overall transaction costs for either buyers or suppliers. However, most resp.
Performing Arts, the Economic Dilemma: a Study of Problems Common to Theater, Opera, Music and Dance

The Current State of Affairs: The organizations The cultural boom: a new look at the evidence The audience The performer, the composer, the playwright and the choreographer The financial state of the organizations The Trends and Their Analysis: Anatomy of the income gap Trends in over-all cost of performance Trends in performer salaries and other components of cost Factors affecting demand and earnings Ticket prices Trends in the income gap Sources of Financial Support: Contributions by individuals Private institutional support Government support in practice On the rationale of public support Prospects.
Winning Back Technology Disadopters: Testing a Technology Readoption Model in the Context of Mobile Internet Services

Abstract We investigate how information and communication technology (ICT) service providers can win back disadopters of an earlier generation of technology when a new technology generation appears on the market. Integrating prior research on consumers’ defensive bias, knowledge accessibility, diffusion of innovation, and technology adoption, we developed a model to predict disadopters’ intention to readopt a technology. We postulate that the primary reason for disadoption moderates the impacts of both the drivers of readoption (perceived superiority, effort expectancy, price value of the new technology generation, and social influence) and the characteristics of prior usage experience with the disadopted earlier technology generation (duration of disadoption, tenure with the old generation, and usage intensity of the old generation) on readoption intention. We tested our technology readoption model in the context of mobile Internet services. Data were collected from 274 disadopters of an earlier generation of mobile Internet services before the advent of the third generation (3G) technology. The results supported most of our hypotheses. These findings have significant theoretical and practical implications, especially for firms interested in winning back technology disadopters. Finally, we present an agenda for further research into technology readoption.
Governance Forms in Urban Public-Private Partnerships

ABSTRACT The article starts a conversation in the literature about the governance structures of certain kinds of collaboratives in public management: public-private partnerships. The findings come from the study of implemented partnerships for regeneration and management of city centres in the U.S. (Business Improvement Districts) and U.K. (Town Centre Management), and the introduction of urban regime theory. A three-ideal typology is built up, concerning the roles played by structures/design of the partnership, legal frameworks, incentives, evolution, competition, governance structures, and the ways all of these evolve. The conclusion is that public-private partnerships are constantly evolving and may assume “variable geometries” in response to the form of governance dominating their internal arrangements. Partnerships may be of various kinds: symbolic partnerships, in which hierarchical governance predominates; instrumental partnerships, which obey market rules; organic partnerships, where the predominant form of governance is network-based. The kind of PPP employed affects how the relationship between public and private organisations is managed.
Evaluation of psychoacoustic sound parameters for sonification

Sonification designers have little theory or experimental evidence to guide the design of data-to-sound mappings. Many mappings use acoustic representations of data values which do not correspond with the listener's perception of how that data value should sound during sonification. This research evaluates data-to-sound mappings that are based on psychoacoustic sensations, in an attempt to move towards using data-to-sound mappings that are aligned with the listener's perception of the data value's auditory connotations. Multiple psychoacoustic parameters were evaluated over two experiments, which were designed in the context of a domain-specific problem - detecting the level of focus of an astronomical image through auditory display. Recommendations for designing sonification systems with psychoacoustic sound parameters are presented based on our results.
Association of Antithrombin Activity with Plasma Aldosterone Concentration and Plasma Renin Activity in Pregnant Women

Objective. To test the hypothesis that the blood antithrombin (AT) activity is correlated with the plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), the plasma renin activity (PRA), and/or the PAC-to-PRA ratio during the late stage of pregnancy. Methods. The AT activity, PAC, and PRA were determined within 7 days prior to delivery in 47 women, consisting of 30 normotensive and 6 hypertensive women with singleton pregnancies and 11 normotensive women with twin pregnancies. Results. The median values of the 47 women were 86% of the normal activity level for the AT activity, 442 pg/mL for the PAC, 3.7 ng/mL/h for the PRA, and 108 pg/mL per ng/mL/h for the PAC-to-PRA ratio. Women with an AT activity ≤86% had a significantly lower PRA and a higher PAC-to-PRA ratio than women with an AT activity >86% (3.5 ± 3.0 vs. 6.6 ± 4.7 ng/mL/h for PRA, p = 0.008; 156 ± 109 vs. 97 ± 46 pg/mL per ng/h for PAC-to-PRA ratio, p = 0.021). The AT activity was significantly correlated positively with the PRA and negatively with the PAC-to-PRA ratio. Conclusions. The existence of a common pathophysiological background between a reduced AT activity and a reduced PRA during the late stage of pregnancy was suggested.
Race, Region, and Vote Choice in the 2008 Election: Implications for the Future of the Voting Rights Act

The election of an African American as President of the United States has raised questions as to the continued relevance and even constitutionality of various provisions of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). Barack Obama’s apparent success among whites in 2008 has caused some to question the background conditions of racially polarized voting that are key to litigation under Section 2 of the VRA. His success in certain states, such as Virginia, has also raised doubts about the formula for coverage of jurisdictions under Section 5 of the VRA. This Article examines the data from the 2008 primary and general election to assess, in particular, the geographic patterns of racial differences in voting behavior. The data suggest that significant differences remain between whites and racial minorities and between jurisdictions that are covered and not covered by Section 5 of the VRA. These differences remain even when controlling for partisanship, ideology and a host of other politically relevant variables. The Article discusses the implications of President Obama’s election for legal conceptions of racially polarized voting and for decisions concerning which jurisdictions Section 5 ought to cover.
Inflation, output and stock prices: Evidence from Latin America.

Research in economics and finance documents a puzzling negative relationship between stock returns and inflation rate in markets of industrialized economies. The present study investigates this relationship for the developing markets of Peru and Chile. Fama's model of linkages between inflation and real economic activity constitutes the theoretical framework of this paper. The study tests whether the negative relationship between equity returns and inflation is a result of a 'proxy effect', namely, a negative relationship between inflation and real economic activity. The evidence for Peru and Chile does not provide strong support for Fama's hypothesis. It is shown that the negative relationship between the real stock returns and unexpected inflation persists after purging inflation of the effects of the real economic activity. The long-run equilibrium between stock prices and general price levels is weak, as indicated by the findings of the Johansen and Juselius co-integration tests. However, in both economies, stock prices and general price levels seem to show a strong long-run equilibrium with the real economic activity. These findings suggest that in the long-run, Fama's propositions A and B are supported for Peru and Chile. The disparity between traditional regression and co-integration test results suggest that it may be prudent to re-examine the proxy effect in the framework of a long-run relationship before denying its validity. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Correlates of Co-Sourcing/Out-Sourcing of Internal Audit Activities

SUMMARY: I use responses from 1,059 chief audit executives (CAEs) of organizations located in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the U.K./Ireland, and the U.S. to investigate several correlates of co-sourcing and/or outsourcing (hereafter, simply “outsourcing”) of internal audit activities. An important finding of the study is that audit committee involvement is positively and significantly associated with outsourcing of internal audit activities. Interactions of audit committee involvement with organization size and location generally indicate that medium and large international/multinational organizations with audit committee involvement outsource more than medium and large local/national organizations with no audit committee involvement. Analysis of control variables produces significance for an inverse relationship between outsourcing and value-added activities of the internal audit function, and for positive relationships between outsourcing and missing skill set and audit staff vacancies.
Salinimicrobium gaetbulicola sp. nov., isolated from tidal flat sediment.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-flagellated, non-gliding and short rod- or rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated BB-My20(T), was isolated from tidal flat sediment taken from the southern coast of Korea. Strain BB-My20(T) grew optimally at 37 °C, at pH 7.0-7.5 and in the presence of 2 % (w/v) NaCl. A phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain BB-My20(T) fell within the clade comprising Salinimicrobium species, joining Salinimicrobium catena HY1(T), with which it had a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity value of 97.4 %. It exhibited 95.4-96.9 % sequence similarity to the type strains of other members of the genus Salinimicrobium. Strain BB-My20(T) contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and iso-C(15 : 0), anteiso-C(15 : 0) and iso-C(17 : 0) 3-OH as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids detected in strain BB-My20(T) and S. catena JCM 14015(T) were phosphatidylethanolamine and one unidentified lipid. The DNA G+C content of strain BB-My20(T) was 45.1 mol% and its mean DNA-DNA relatedness value with S. catena JCM 14015(T) was 4.5 %. Differential phenotypic properties, together with its phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain BB-My20(T) can be distinguished from the four recognized species of the genus Salinimicrobium. On the basis of the data presented, strain BB-My20(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Salinimicrobium, for which the name Salinimicrobium gaetbulicola sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is BB-My20(T) ( = KCTC 23579(T) = CCUG 60898(T)).
Hydrogenosomes and Mitosomes: Conservation and Evolution of Functions 1

ABSTRACT. The field studying unusual mitochondria in microbial eukaryotes has come full circle. Some 10–15 years ago it had the evangelical task of informing the wider scientific community that not all eukaryotes had mitochondria. Advances in the field indicated that although some protists might not have mitochondria, the presence of genes of mitochondrial ancestry suggested their lineage once had. The subsequent discovery of mitochondrial compartments in all supposedly amitochondriate protists studied so far indicates that all eukaryotes do have mitochondria indeed. This assertion has fuelled novel eukaryotic origin theories and weakened others. But what do we know about these unusual mitochondria from anaerobic protists? Have they all converged onto similar roles? Iron–sulphur cluster assembly is often hailed as the unifying feature of these organelles. However, the iron–sulphur protein that is so important that a complete organelle is being maintained has not been identified. Is it to be expected that all unusual mitochondria perform the same physiological role? These organelles have been found in numerous protists occupying different ecological niches. Different selection pressures operate on different organisms so there is no reason to suspect that their mitochondria should all be the same.
The Butz-Ward Fertility Model in the Light of More Recent Data

In this study, the Butz and Ward (B-W) estimates from their article, "The Emergence of Countercyclical U.S. Fertility" (1979), are updated using their original sources, and then compared against data drawn from the March Current Population Survey (CPS). The results indicate little similarity between the original B-W estimates of the female hourly wage, and the CPS time series. In particular, the CPS time series show that much of the "dramatic increase" in the female hourly wage in the 1960s as estimated by B-W, resulted from the use of a sharply downward trending series in average hours worked in retail-which contradicts the actual pattern for married women. Estimates of the B-W model using the new CPS series don't work, either in terms of signs or in significance of variables. In addition, even using the original B-W data their model no longer fits in the period after about 1954. These results, seen in the context of more recent work, suggest the need for a more general framework for testing the New Home Economics model of fertility-a framework which allows at least for a changing income effect of the female wage-and a need for more caution in assuming that we are witnessing an emergence of countercyclical fertility.
Hypervariability of Nucleolus Organizer Regions in Bengal Slow Lorises, Nycticebus bengalensis (Primates, Lorisidae)

Slow lorises are a cryptic species complex, and thus genetic markers are needed to identify distinct evolutionary lineages or species. We examined the nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) of Bengal slow lorises (Nycticebus bengalensis) using FISH with 18S rDNA (rDNA-FISH) and silver nitrate staining (Ag-NOR stain). Ten individuals of the putatively single species N. bengalensis showed higher variability in localization than 3 other congeners, though their overall karyotypes were similar. The rDNA-FISH analysis detected a total of 18 loci, in contrast to previous studies of other slow loris species that revealed far fewer (6-10) loci. Eight of the 18 loci detected in the present analysis were found to be semi-stable localizations at 4 different chromosomes, while 10 were found to be unstable localizations at 5 other chromosomes. The semi-stable locations showed occasional presence/absence of variations for rDNA-FISH, and unstable locations were polymorphic among individuals, contributing to the higher variability of NORs in this taxon. We hypothesize that the larger numbers of rDNA loci found in N. bengalensis were introduced by genomic dispersion through ectopic recombination in association with terminal regions including rDNA. Such differences are potentially very powerful chromosomal markers to be used in species identification and conservation.
Credit Scoring: Statistical Issues and Evidence from Credit-Bureau Files

Although credit scoring offers benefits to lenders and borrowers, its use raises important statistical issues that may affect the ability of scoring systems to accurately quantify an individual's credit risk. The evidence from a national sample of credit-bureau records suggests that concerns about omitted-variable bias may be justified, as local economic factors show significant correlations with credit scores. Copyright American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association.
Assessing the Dimensionality of the Singhapakdi, Vitell, and Kraft Measure of Moral Intensity

In a sample of 105 students, the dimensionality of a moral intensity scale developed by Singhapakdi, Vitell, and Kraft in 1996 was assessed. Principal components analysis yielded a one-factor solution across 10 ethics scenarios, indicating that moral intensity may be treated as a unidimensional construct in some situations.
Chinese leisure tourists: perceptions and satisfaction with Australia.

Since the mid-1990s there has been a dramatic increase in the number of Chinese visitors to Australia, making China a significant inbound market. This study sought to ascertain how Chinese visitors' perception of Australia changed as a result of their visit. It also examined Chinese visitors' satisfaction across a range of tourism experiences. Research data was collected from 380 Chinese visitors and it was found that �food,� "shopping,� and tour itinerary" were areas where Australia underperformed on satisfaction. A gap between pre- and posttrip perceptions was detected and it was found that meeting visitors expectation of quality, variety, and accessibility-related aspects was particularly important in achieving greater satisfaction. The research findings offer Australian tourism operators and marketers an insight into the Chinese visitor's trip experience and satisfaction.
Visualization of tumor vessels in hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose: to assess the visualization of tumor vessels in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by power Doppler sonography. Material and Methods: We examined 40 patients with 47 HCC lesions by means of power Doppler sonography and compared its visualization of tumor vessels with those of color Doppler and angiography. Results: in 38 (81%) of the 47 lesions, power Doppler sonography improved the visualization of tumor vessels compared with color Doppler sonography; in the remaining lesions no significant difference was noted. in lesions located within 7 cm in depth, there was no significant difference between power Doppler sonography and angiography. in 10 (83%) out of 12 small (≤2 cm in diameter) lesions and in 11 (85%) out of 13 hypovascular lesions, power Doppler sonography performed considerably better than angiography. in deeper-seated lesions, however, angiography was significantly superior to power Doppler sonography. Conclusion: Power Doppler sonography is more sensitive in detecting the fine tumor vessels in most HCCs than color Doppler sonography. in addition, power Doppler sonography can replace angiography in evaluating tumor vascularity in HCCs except in lesions that are deep-seated or located near the heart. in these lesions, angiography can complement power Doppler sonography in demonstrating tumor vessels.
Going‐Concern Status, Earnings Persistence, and Informativeness of Earnings*

Valuation theory recognizes that the relation between earnings innovations and changes in security valuation is increasing in the persistence of the earnings innovations. Analyses in this article reveal that the present value of revisions in expected future benefits is a function of the length of revision horizon, suggesting that earnings persistence is determined in part by an entity's going concern status. These analyses predict an inverse relation between earnings informativeness and an entity's probability of termination. Drawing on a sample of quarterly earnings and returns data from more than 1,500 distinct firms for the period 1981-1990, a statistically significant inverse relation is documented between an entity's probability of termination and the informativeness of earnings -- the latter measured as the coefficient from a regression of returns on earnings. Further empirical analyses reveal that this result is a pervasive economic phenomenon not attributable to extreme conditions or other prevailing explanations of earnings informativeness. This inference is robust to variations in research design, including measurement of earnings informativeness and termination probability and alternative specifications of the relation between returns and earnings. Consequently, the evidence in this article is consistent with a fundamental role for an entity's going concern status in determining the usefulness of earnings.
Effect of Tomato Pomace and Fibrolytic Enzyme on Egg Production and Egg Quality

This study was designed to determine effect of supplemented tomato pomace and fobrolytic enzyme on egg production and egg quality. A total of 40 CP brown laying hens (95 week old) were used in completely randomized design in 2x2 factorial arrangement with or without enzyme supplementation. Four dietary treatments included: Control (C), Fibrolytic enzyme (FE), 10% Tomato pomace (TP), and Fibrolytic enzyme + 10 % Tomato pomace (FE+TP). Each of the four dietary treatments was fed up to 30 days (10 birds/treatment). Live performance, egg production, egg weight and quality were determined for whole period. Dietary treatments had no effect (P>0.05) on live performance, egg weight, yolk color, and egg production. Therefore, laying hens fed diets with fibrolytic enzyme were significantly (P<0.05) increased yolk weight (17.37 g) as compared to other treatments. Additional of dietary tomato pomace had reduced capital costs for egg production. Keywords—Hen, Tomato Pomace, Fibrolytic Enzyme, Egg Quality.
Structural requirements for antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties of apolipoprotein A-I mimetic peptides Published, JLR Papers in Press, June 14, 2007.

Recently, attention has been focused on pharmacological treatments that increase HDL cholesterol to prevent coronary artery disease. Despite three decades of extensive research of human apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), the major protein component of HDL, the molecular basis for its antiatherogenic and anti-inflammatory functions remain elusive. Another protein component of HDL, apoA-II, has structural features similar to those of apoA-I but does not possess atheroprotective properties. To understand the molecular basis for the effectiveness of apoA-I, we used model synthetic peptides. We designed analogs of the class A amphipathic helical motif in apoA-I that is responsible for solubilizing phospholipids. None of these analogs has sequence homology to apoA-I, but all are similar in their lipid-associating structural motifs. Although all of these peptide analogs interact with phospholipids to form peptide:lipid complexes, the biological properties of these analogs are different. Physical-chemical and NMR studies of these peptides have enabled the delineation of structural requirements for atheroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties in these peptides. It has been shown that peptides that interact strongly with lipid acyl chains do not have antiatherogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. In contrast, peptides that associate close to the lipid head group (and hence do not interact strongly with the lipid acyl chain) are antiatherogenic and anti-inflammatory. Understanding the structure and function of apoA-I and HDL through studies of the amphipathic helix motif may lead to peptide-based therapies for inhibiting atherosclerosis and other related inflammatory lipid disorders.