Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparing Aspiration Models: The Role of Selective Attention

COMPARING ASPIRATION MODELS: THE ROLE OF SELECTIVE ATTENTION MARK WASHBURN College of Business Administration California State University, Long Beach Long Beach, CA 90840 PHILIP BROMILEY University of California, Irvine ABSTRACT Scholars have used various models of organizational aspirations where aspirations depend on prior performance and the performance of comparable firms. We extend the models to incorporate selective attention. Using direct aspiration measures on sales performance in an automotive manufacturer, we find selective attention influences aspiration levels. INTRODUCTION Aspirations refer to levels of outcomes that will satisfy the individual or organization. Research on aspirations continues to rely on Cyert and March's (1963) Behavioral Theory of the Firm (BTOF) that makes aspirations a function of past performance and social comparison. The many studies including measures of organizational aspirations differ substantially in their measures. Some measure aspirations as an average of social comparison and firm past performance (Greve 1998, Denrell and March 2001, Audia and Greve 2006), others use switching models of comparison and past performance (Bromiley 1991, Deephouse and Wiseman 2000), and others use separate social comparison and past performance aspiration variables (Greve, 2003, Iyer and Miller, 2008). Different specifications of aspiration models require different theoretical assumptions regarding information processing in organizations. Models creating a single aspiration level as an additive function of prior performance and social comparison assume firms do not switch attention between self and social comparison, and that firms combine these into a single aspiration. Models allowing both social and prior performance aspirations as separate variables assume firms have such separate reference points. Bromiley (2004) observes that the BTOF proposes firms have aspirations along several dimensions with attention focusing on the dimensions where performance falls below aspirations, yet few if any studies allow for such multiple dimensions. March and Shapira (1987) argue for attention switching within a single dimension of aspirations (performance). The representation of aspiration levels reflects theoretically important differences in models of how organizations handle performance feedback. In addition to theoretical issues, the different representations of aspirations can create confusion when trying to compare across studies that use different measures (and implicitly theories) of aspirations in models explaining firm behavior. We propose that some of the assumptions in these models merit re-consideration. The BTOF emphasizes selective attention where the firm attends to goals sequentially (see also Ocasio, 1997). However, the BTOF did not include a selective attention mechanism in the determination of aspirations themselves. We extend the concept of selective attention to argue
Comparing the use of computer-supported collaboration tools among university students with different life circumstances

The proportion of higher education students who integrate learning with various life circumstances such as employment or raising children is increasing. This study aims to compare whether and what kinds of differences exist between the perceived use of synchronous and asynchronous computer-mediated communication tools among university students with children or in full-time employment and students without these commitments. The data were collected in a Finnish University by the means of an online questionnaire. The results indicate that students with multiple commitments were using more virtual learning environments and less instant messaging (IM) especially when communicating with their peers. The low level of IM might be an indication of not being able to or not wanting to create close ties with their peer students. The practical implication of the study is that pedagogical choices should support different kinds of learning strategies. Students with multiple commitments, and especially students with children, should be encouraged and assisted to create stronger ties with their peers, if they are willing to do so.
Tailoring Piezoresistive Sensitivity of Multilayer Carbon Nanotube Composite Strain Sensors

In recent years, carbon nanotubes have been utilized for a variety of applications, including nanoelectronics and various types of sensors. In particular, researchers have sought to take advantage of the superior electrical properties of carbon nanotubes for fabricating novel strain sensors. This article presents a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)-polyelectrolyte (PE) composite thin film strain sensor fabricated with a layer-by-layer (LbL) process. Optimization of bulk SWNT-PE strain sensor properties is achieved by varying various LbL fabrication parameters, followed by characterization of strain-sensing electromechanical responses. A resistor and capacitor (RC)-circuit model is proposed and validated with electrical impedance spectroscopy to fit experimental results and to identify equivalent circuit element parameters sensitive to strain. Experimental results suggest consistent trends between SWNT and PE concentrations to strain sensor sensitivities. Simply by adjusting the weight fraction of SWNT solutions and film thickness, strain sensitivities between 0.1 and 1.8 have been achieved. While SWNT-PE strain sensitivity is lower than some metal-foil strain gauges ($2), the LbL method allows for precise tailoring of the properties (i.e., strain sensitivity, resistivity, among others) of a high-capacity (±10,000 μm m-1) homogeneous multilayer strain sensor.
Nathusius' pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus nathusii, Keyserling & Blasius 1839) breeding in Ireland

We describe the most westerly known maternity colony of Nathusius’ pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus nathusii). The bats were identified by using morphometric measurements and analysis of time-expanded echolocation and social calls. The roost, containing approximately 150 individuals, was located in a mid 19th century farm stable block and store house situated in parkland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The roost was visited on 30 April, 1 May and 22 June 1997. Over this period, 11 bats were caught: one adult male, five pregnant females, four lactating females and a juvenile male. Direct observation of behaviour patterns suggests that mating groups of P. nathusii may occur in Ireland as late as May. The migratory nature of this species is discussed.
Effect of Cohesion on the Curvilinear Relationship Between Team Efficacy and Performance

Research has generally supported a linear positive relationship between team efficacy and team performance. More recent theories and research suggest, however, that teams can become overly efficacious and team efficacy may exhibit nonlinear relationships with outcomes. The current study investigates the possibility that team efficacy is associated with decreases in team performance when the level of team efficacy is excessively high or low. This study further suggests that cohesion is an important contextual factor that may affect the curvilinear relationship between team efficacy and performance such that high levels of cohesion will magnify the curvilinear relationship whereas low levels of cohesion will flatten the curvilinear pattern. Hypotheses were tested using 324 employees in 34 work teams. Results demonstrate that the curvilinear relationship between team efficacy and team performance was strongest when cohesion was high; the relationship flattened when cohesion was low. Implications and limitations are discussed.
Anisotropy and Dynamic Ranges in Effective Properties of Sheared Nematic Polymer Nanocomposites

Nematic, or liquid‐crystalline, polymer nanocomposites (NPNCs) are composed of large aspect ratio, rod‐like or platelet, rigid macromolecules in a matrix or solvent, which itself may be aqueous or polymeric. NPNCs are engineered for high‐performance material applications, ranging across mechanical, electrical, piezoelectric, thermal, and barrier properties. The rods or platelets possess enormous property contrasts relative to the solvent, yet the composite properties are strongly affected by the orientational distribution of the nanophase. Nematic polymer film processing flows are shear‐dominated, for which orientational distributions are well known to be highly sensitive to shear rate and volume fraction of the nematogens, with unsteady response being the most expected outcome at typical low shear rates and volume fractions. The focus of this article is a determination of the ranges of anisotropy and dynamic fluctuations in effective properties arising from orientational probability distribution functions generated by steady shear of NPNC monodomains. We combine numerical databases for sheared monodomain distributions[1,2] of thin rod or platelet dispersions together with homogenization theory for low‐volume‐fraction spheroidal inclusions[3] to calculate effective conductivity tensors of steady and oscillatory sheared mesophases. We then extract maximum scalar conductivity enhancement and anisotropy for each type of sheared monodomain (flow‐aligned, tumbling, kayaking, and chaotic).
FORECASTING EARNINGS GROWTH USING FUNDAMENTALS

Four fundamental statistics shareholders’ equity, net income, ordinary dividends and price are used to explain and derive predictions of changes in earnings. The model is tested on samples drawn from British, French and German industrial and commercial firms reporting during the period 1987-1995. Using regressions, scaled by equity, the four fundamentals are found to have considerable explanatory power for changes in net income over the subsequent two years. Using parameter estimates derived from the previous year, forecasts are found to have significant predictive ability for both the magnitude and direction of the earnings changes. The predictive ability of the model, directly derived from the Ohlson (1995) specification, seems to contrast favourably with the performance of earlier U.S. based studies (Ou and Penman 1989a&b), which took an agnostic approach to selecting explanatory variables, and with financial analysts’ forecasts for European countries (including those in our sample) when made at similar forecast horizons (Capstaff et al. 1998).
The Episteme of Knowledge Civilisation

The paper starts with a discussion of the concept of knowledge society, economy or civilization, while stressing possible different interpretations of several issues: the reasons of emergence of knowledge societies, the issue of perceiving knowledge as capacity of action versus perceiving it as intellectual heritage of humanity, the issue of public versus private ownership of knowledge as the source of the basic socio-economic conflict of the knowledge civilization era. In general, these differences of perception rely on different epistemic assumptions and axioms, even on different hermeneutical horizons. After these preliminary discussions, the paper proceeds to a short review of recent advancements in micro-theories of knowledge creation, in particular, related to the COE Program Technology Creation Based on Knowledge Science in JAIST. This is followed by comments on the role of technology in the knowledge civilisation era. Main attention is paid to the need for and a proposal of a new episteme for the knowledge civilisation era, called evolutionary constructive objectivism. The paper is concluded by indications of possible use of theories of knowledge creation in stimulating regional innovation.
How localized are age-related effects on neuropsychological measures?

The primary goal of the current study was to examine the degree of independence of the age-related influences on measures sometimes postulated to be sensitive to functioning in different regions of the brain. It is often assumed that levels of performance on different cognitive measures and the age-related effects on those measures are determined by separate and distinct mechanisms. In the case of measures from neuropsychological tests, the discovery of selective impairments by individuals with damage in particular regions of the brain has led to the inference that various brain structures are specialized for different types of processing. When combined with results indicating age-related deficits on those measures, these findings have led to speculation that certain regions of the brain are more sensitive to age-related decline than others. For example, at different times it has been suggested that the
Cyclicality of Credit Supply: Firm Level Evidence

Theory predicts that there is a close link between bank credit supply and the evolution of the business cycle. Yet fluctuations in bank-loan supply have been hard to quantify in the time-series. While loan issuance falls in recessions, it is not clear if this is due to demand or supply. We address this question by studying firms' substitution between bank debt and non-bank debt (public bonds) using firm-level data. Any firm that raises new debt must have a positive demand for external funds. Conditional on issuance of new debt, we interpret firm's switching from loans to bonds as a contraction in bank credit supply. We find strong evidence of substitution from loans to bonds at times characterized by tight lending standards, high levels of non-performing loans and loan allowances, low bank share prices and tight monetary policy. The bank-to-bond substitution can only be measured for firms with access to bond markets. However, we show that this substitution behavior has strong predictive power for bank borrowing and investments by small, out-of-sample firms. We consider and reject several alternative explanations of our findings.
An Update on Treatment of Drug-Induced Liver Injury

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) has been linked to more than 1,000 medications and remains the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States. Here, we review the most current literature regarding treatment and make recommendations for the management of this relatively common disease. Since treatment of DILI remains largely elusive, recent studies have attempted to define new management strategies for these difficult patients. Early diagnosis and withdrawal of the suspected medication is the mainstay of treatment of DILI. For acetaminophen and Amanita mushroom poisoning, there are specific therapies in use. Finally, there are other possible management modalities for DILI, including corticosteroids and ursodeoxycholic acid.
A computational study of the inertial lift on a sphere in a linear shear ̄ ow ®

The shear induced inertial migration of a rigid sphere has been studies computationally by simulating the ̄ow around a rigid sphere with a Fourier ®nite volume technique. The values of the lift force obtained by ̄ow simulation have been compared with those predicted by asymptotic analyses for rotating and non-rotating spheres. # 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
The structure and repertoire of small interfering RNAs in Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis reveal diversification in the trypanosomatid RNAi pathway

Among trypanosomatid protozoa the mechanism of RNA interference (RNAi) has been investigated in Trypanosoma brucei and to a lesser extent in Leishmania braziliensis. Although these two parasitic organisms belong to the same family, they are evolutionarily distantly related raising questions about the conservation of the RNAi pathway. Here we carried out an in‐depth analysis of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) associated with L. braziliensis Argonaute1 (LbrAGO1). In contrast to T. brucei, Leishmania siRNAs are sensitive to 3′ end oxidation, indicating the absence of blocking groups, and the Leishmania genome does not code for a HEN1 RNA 2′‐O‐methyltransferase, which modifies small RNA 3′ ends. Consistent with this observation, ∼ 20% of siRNA 3′ ends carry non‐templated uridines. Thus siRNA biogenesis, and most likely their metabolism, is different in these organisms. Similarly to T. brucei, putative mobile elements and repeats constitute the major Leishmania siRNA‐producing loci and AGO1 ablation leads to accumulation of long transcripts derived from putative mobile elements. However, contrary to T. brucei, no siRNAs were detected from other genomic regions with the potential to form double‐stranded RNA, namely sites of convergent transcription and inverted repeats. Thus, our results indicate that organism‐specific diversification has occurred in the RNAi pathway during evolution of the trypanosomatid lineage.
Model construction and verification of a BLDC motor using MATLAB/SIMULINK and FPGA control

This paper presents the model construction of a brushless DC motor via MATLAB/SIMULINK and FPGA control, so that one can evaluate the performance of the BLDC motor control with various control schemes using MATLAB/SIMULINK. The constructed model consists of a BLDC motor dynamics block, a Hall-sensor signals generation block, a back-emf block, and a PWM-generation logic block. In order to evaluate the model, various cases of simulation studies are carried out. The control and PWM-generation logic block then can be transferred to digital hardware circuit in VHDL hardware description language for co-simulation verification in the MATLAB/SIMULINK and ModelSim environment. Experiment results by using FPGA control are also obtained to verify the correctness of the constructed BLDC model.
On 'Parts' and 'Wholes' of Adaptive Behavior: Functional Modularity and Diachronic Structure in Recurrent Neural Robot Controllers

This paper discusses the issue of self-organized modularity for adaptive robot behavior. In particular we introduce the concept of functional modularity through diachronic structure in recurrent neural robot control mechanisms. We demonstrate how behavioral adaptivity through quasi-modularity at a functional level can be realized in monoli thic recurrent neurocontrollers through context-dependent use of firstand higher-order feedback, i.e. without actual modules in the conventional sense.
Plasma and Dietary Antioxidant Status as Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Review of Human Studies

Extensive evidence has demonstrated that many antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids and polyphenols have protective effects in preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD), a chronic disease that is mediated by oxidative stress and inflammation. This review focuses on evidence from prospective cohort studies and clinical trials in regard to the associations between plasma/dietary antioxidants and cardiovascular events. Long-term, large-scale, population-based cohort studies have found that higher levels of serum albumin, bilirubin, glutathione, vitamin E, vitamin C, and carotenoids were associated with a lower risk of CVD. Evidence from the cohort studies in regard to dietary antioxidants also supported the protective effects of dietary vitamin E, vitamin C, carotenoids, and polyphenols on CVD risk. However, results from large randomized controlled trials did not support long-term use of single antioxidant supplements for CVD prevention due to their null or even adverse effects on major cardiovascular events or cancer. Diet quality indexes that consider overall diet quality rather than single nutrients have been drawing increasing attention. Cohort studies and intervention studies that focused on diet patterns such as high total antioxidant capacity have documented protective effects on CVD risk. This review provides a perspective for future studies that investigate antioxidant intake and risk of CVD.
Candidates of z ≃ 5.5-7 Galaxies in the Hubble Space Telescope Ultra Deep Field

We report results from our z ≃ 5.5-7 galaxy search in the Hubble Space Telescope Ultra Deep Field (UDF). Using the 400 orbit of Advanced Camera for Surveys data, we found 108 plausible 5.5 ≤ z ≤ 6.5 (or z ≃ 6 for short) candidates to mAB(z850) = 30.0 mag. The contamination to the sample, due to either image artifacts or known types of astronomical objects, is likely negligible. The inferred surface densities of z ≃ 6 galaxies are consistent with our earlier predictions from mAB(z850) = 26.5 to 28.5 mag. After correcting for detection incompleteness, the counts of z ≃ 6 candidates to mAB(z850) = 29.2 mag suggest that the faint-end slope of the galaxy luminosity function (LF) at this redshift is likely between α = -1.8 and -1.9, which is sufficient to account for the entire Lyman photon budget necessary to complete the reionization of the universe at z ≃ 6. We also searched for z ≃ 6.5-7 candidates using the UDF Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer data and have found four candidates to a magnitude of J110 = 27.2. However, the infrared colors of three candidates cannot be easily explained by galaxies in this redshift range. We tentatively derive an upper limit to the cumulative surface density of galaxies at z ≃ 7 of 0.36 arcmin-2 to a magnitude of J110 = 26.6, which suggests a noticeable drop in the LF amplitude from z ≃ 6 to z ≃ 7.
Italian Validation of Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Version for Adolescents and Young Adults (SAS-SV)

Objectives: To establish a valid and reliable translated version of Smartphone Addiction Scale for adolescent (SAS-SV) in Italian languages. It is a 10-item, monodimensional, self-administered questionnaire, which was validated using a large Korean sample. Methods: We reported the linguistic validation process and the metric validity of the Italian version of SAS-SV in the Italy. The sample consisted of 633 adolescents and young adults, recruited from High Public School and University in Italy, with a mean age of 18 years. The validation process consisted in forward-backward translation, and factor structure testing. Results: Results showed a good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .79) and an almost acceptable factor structure. Conclusion: A valid and reliable Smartphone Addiction Scale in Short Version was developed which can be used for research and clinical assessment of adolescents and young adults with smartphone addiction.
Introduction to Boosting : Origin , Practice and Recent Developments

In this review, we will introduce the audience to the notion o f b osting, which has become one of the most successful techniques in machine lear ning and statistical modeling today. We will review its historical origin in comp utational learning theory, as well as more recent developments that relate it to oth er notions in statistics (e.g. gradient boosting), and discuss some recent theoreti cal developments. We will also touch upon its wide usage and successes in practica l applications.