Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strategic management: From informed conversation to academic discipline

The article discusses the book “Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors,” by Michael E. Porter. The author sees Porter's intellectual prowess in acknowledging the components of strategic management, and then focusing on a single objective of strategic management research and practice that would facilitate the development of the field without entirely abandoning concerns for stakeholders besides a firm's equity holders. The author praises Porter for helping the field understand the dependent variable of economic theory, focusing on the industry as the unit of analysis, and the role of social welfare in strategic research management and practice. Porter's approach to applying the structure, conduct, and performance paradigm is also mentioned as being greatly influential.
Public Administration and Public Affairs

Part 1 Paradigms of public administration: big democracy, big bureaucracy public administration's century in a quandary. Part 2 Public organizations - theories, concepts and people: the threads of organization theory concepts of organization theory people in public organizations. Part 3 Public management: the systems approach and management science public programme evaluation and productivity the budget - concepts and process managing human resources in the public sector. Part 4 Implementation: approaches to public policy and its implementation government contracting and the public authority intergovernmental administration toward a bureaucratic ethic.
Growth, development and chemical composition of the pig. IV. Relative growth of visceral organs.

The relative growth of the kidneys, spleen, liver, heart, lungs and G.I. tract were studied in a group of 90 pigs, serially slaughtered over a live weight range of 10 to 132 kilograms. The relationships between organ weights and body weight, body protein and body fat were examined by the allometric equation: Y = aXb, or in logarithmic terms: log Y = log a + b log X. The growth coefficients (b) of organ weights relative to body weight and body composition were similar for both sexes (P greater than .13), except that heart growth relative to body fat was significantly (P less than .04) higher for females (b = .54) than for castrated males (b = .50). A significant sex difference (P less than .05) in lung weight was also noted after adjustment to common body weight; there were no significant sex differences in organ weights after adjusting to common body protein and body fat. The spleen, heart and lungs grew at a faster rate relative to body weight and body composition than the kidneys, liver and digestive tract. The growth coefficients ranged from . 44 to . 87, indicating that the visceral organs develop at a slower rate relative to body weight and body composition.
Moderating Effect of Balanced Scorecard Measures Usage on Strategy-performance Relationship: An Empirical Study of Manufacturing Firms

This paper empirically examined the role of the balanced scorecard (BSC) measures usage as a potential moderator of the business strategy and performance relationship. Samples were taken from 120 manufacturing firms. Results of this study provide evidence that partially support the moderating effects of the BSC measures usage on the strength of the relationship between business strategy and firm performance.
The Resilient Voter: Moving Toward Closure in the Debate over Negative Campaigning and Turnout

The effect of negative campaigning on voter turnout has been a major focus of research in recent years. In a path-breaking analysis, Stephen Ansolabehere and Shanto Iyengar found that negative campaigning by Senate candidates significantly depresses turnout. Subsequent studies that emerged to challenge their analysis reached more optimistic findings. Determining who is right is difficult to establish because the methodology of these later studies differs so dramatically from the original study and because a strong theoretical case can be made for each type of finding. Through a careful examination and improvement of Ansolabehere and Iyengar's aggregate analysis of Senate campaigns, this article shows that their initial conclusions regarding the demobilizing effect of campaign attacks were premature. Even using Ansolabehere and Iyengar's own data, it appears that citizens are resilient to the onslaught of negative campaigning. This paper shows that the findings in the literature are not as contradictory as they initially appear, thereby moving it toward closure on this topic and clearing the way for a series of new research questions.
Visualization of BRI1 and BAK1(SERK3) Membrane Receptor Heterooligomers during Brassinosteroid Signaling1[W][OPEN]

Initiation of brassinosteroid signal transduction involves a small number of preassembled BRI1-BAK1(SERK3) heterooligomers. The leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE1 (BRI1) is the main ligand-perceiving receptor for brassinosteroids (BRs) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Binding of BRs to the ectodomain of plasma membrane (PM)-located BRI1 receptors initiates an intracellular signal transduction cascade that influences various aspects of plant growth and development. Even though the major components of BR signaling have been revealed and the PM was identified as the main site of BRI1 signaling activity, the very first steps of signal transmission are still elusive. Recently, it was shown that the initiation of BR signal transduction requires the interaction of BRI1 with its SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASE (SERK) coreceptors. In addition, the resolved structure of the BRI1 ectodomain suggested that BRI1-ASSOCIATED KINASE1 [BAK1](SERK3) may constitute a component of the ligand-perceiving receptor complex. Therefore, we investigated the spatial correlation between BRI1 and BAK1(SERK3) in the natural habitat of both leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases using comparative colocalization analysis and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. We show that activation of BR signaling by exogenous ligand application resulted in both elevated colocalization between BRI1 and BAK1(SERK3) and an about 50% increase of receptor heterooligomerization in the PM of live Arabidopsis root epidermal cells. However, large populations of BRI1 and BAK1(SERK3) colocalized independently of BRs. Moreover, we could visualize that approximately 7% of the BRI1 PM pool constitutively heterooligomerizes with BAK1(SERK3) in live root cells. We propose that only small populations of PM-located BRI1 and BAK1(SERK3) receptors participate in active BR signaling and that the initiation of downstream signal transduction involves preassembled BRI1-BAK1(SERK3) heterooligomers.
Public perception of drought and climate change in southeast England

Droughts occur as a natural feature of many climates. Several southern areas of the UK experienced water stress during 2004–2006 because of low water availability and high water demand. Climate change scenarios suggest that drought frequency could increase here in the future. This will increase the competition for water across all sectors. Understanding people's perceptions of drought and climate change is likely to be an important factor for sustainable water management by pointing to barriers to behavioural change. A mixed methodology study using questionnaires and focus groups was conducted in the Anglian and southern regions of the UK to explore public perceptions of drought and climate change. Respondents attributed the 2004–2006 regional drought to lower than average rainfall. Water-intensive lifestyles, a growth in population, increasing housing developments, leaking pipes and the privatization of water companies were also implicated. The majority of respondents claimed to change their behaviour to conserve water during 2006. Regarding the future, and under a number of different scenarios, people were more inclined to accept restrictions than agree to pay more to ensure the supply of water. They were concerned about climate change and recognized that more frequent water shortages may be one of the impacts, but this concern did not necessarily translate into action. Barriers to engagement with climate change and water-efficient behaviour included a lack of accessible information, a lack of knowledge regarding the integration of environmental spheres, a lack of resources, and a perceived lack of institutional engagement. The barriers identified appear to pose a major challenge to successful adaptation to climate change.
Hypoxia and expression of the proapoptotic regulator BNIP3 in cervical cancer

Hypoxia plays a major role in the malignant progression of tumors. Here, we investigate the expression of Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B 19 kd-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3), a proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member, and its relationship to hypoxia in cervical cancer cell lines and clinical samples of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer cell lines were grown under hypoxia or normoxia, and BNIP3 mRNA expression was examined by Northern blot analysis. In 50 patients with cervical cancer, intratumoral oxygen measurement with the Eppendorf electrode and needle biopsies of the tumor were performed. The obtained tissue was subsequently analyzed by immunohistochemistry with an anti-BNIP3 antibody. Cervical cancer tissue collected upon surgery was used for Northern blot analysis of in vivo BNIP3 mRNA expression. BNIP3 mRNA is strongly induced under hypoxic conditions in all cervical cancer cell lines investigated. Furthermore, Northern blot analysis revealed that BNIP3 mRNA is expressed in cervical cancer tissue. Using immunohistochemistry, we demonstrated that BNIP3 protein is expressed in 82% of the investigated cervical cancers and that more advanced tumor stages showed significantly stronger BNIP3 expression. However, we observed no correlation between BNIP3 expression and intratumoral hypoxia. In conclusion, BNIP3 is expressed in different cervical cancer cell lines as well as in clinical samples of cervical cancer. Although BNIP3 is clearly hypoxia-inducible in vitro, our results suggest additional mechanisms of BNIP3 regulation in vivo. Our findings therefore highlight a discrepancy between in vitro models of tumor hypoxia and the complexity of human cancer.
The Use of Derivatives in Slovenian Non-Financial Firms: Is Financial Risk Already Well Managed?

Recent research about the financial behaviour of Slovenian firms has documented enterprise risk management as being one of its weakest areas. The goal of this article is to present insights into financial risk management, i.e. into the extent of the use of derivatives in the largest Slovenian firms and the related practices. The results are confronted with the same types of characteristics of US and German firms although being much larger) revealed in comparable studies. These firms provide relevant benchmarks for assessing the development gap since they operate in more advanced financial environments and are therefore expected to have much more refined approaches to the use of derivatives than Slovenian firms. A survey points to the much smaller extent of the use of derivatives by Slovenian firms. There is a substantial gap, especially in the area of risk management policies (e.g. documentation, reporting, counterparty risk, valuation etc.).
Impact of tobacco on glutathione S transferase gene loci of Indian ethnics.

BACKGROUND Tobacco contains agents which generate various potent DNA adducts that can cause gene mutations. Production of DNA adducts may be neutralized by glutathione S transferase (GST) along with other phase I and phase II enzyme systems. The existence of null type of GST among the population increases the susceptibility to various disorders and diseases. The present study focuses on the impact of high tobacco usage and possible null type mutation in GST loci. METHODS Genotypes of GST were detected by multiplex polymerase chain reaction in unrelated 504 volunteers of high tobacco using natives of Gujarat. Allelic frequencies were calculated using Statistical Package for Social Studies-16 software. Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) was calculated using Chi square test. Two sided Fisher's significance test was used to compare allelic frequencies of different populations. RESULTS The frequency of homozygous null genotype of GSTM1 and GSTT1 were 20% (95% CI 16.7-23.9) and 35.5% (95% CI 31.4-39.9) respectively. The GSTM1 and GSTT1 null allele frequency distribution in the Gujarat population was significantly deviating from HWE. GSTT1 null frequency of Gujaratians was significantly higher and different to all reported low tobacco using Indian ethnics, while GSTM1 was not differing significantly. CONCLUSION Tobacco usage significantly influences the rate of mutation and frequency of GSTT1 and M1 null types among the habituates. The rate of mutation in GSTT1 loci was an undeviating response to the dose of tobacco usage among the population. This mutational impact of tobacco on GSTT1 postulates the possible gene - environment interaction and selection of null genotype among the subjects to prone them under susceptible status for various cancers and even worst to cure the population with GSTT1 dependent drugs.
Accounting for Sub Governments

The article begins by comparing the use of terms such as policy community and sub government by different authors and in different (JS. and UK) political science traditions. Although accepting the major body of work that points to the erosion of sub governments, the authors argue that too much emphasis on the complexity and volatility of policy making masks underlying tendencies to stability and bargaining The need for the resolution of conflict both leads to perennial attempts to reconstruct islands of stability and to attempts to "solve" unique disputes by adopting some of the features that have been traditionally associated with sub governments. The authors identify the key characteristics of stable arrangements and attempt to explain their evolution by identifying the benefits of these arrangements for policy makers.
Deep determinants of economic growth

A survey of the recent literature on cross country development reveals that there is an agreement on the key role played by institutions in explaining variation in the level of income per capita. Rodrik et al. (NBER Working Paper No. w8119, February, 2002) goes further to argue the primacy of institutions over integration and geography in a level accounting framework. The robustness of this result is checked by changing the dependent variable from level to growth and find that the same holds true.
Moving to High Quality of Life

The U.S. population has been migrating to places with high perceived quality of life. A calibrated general-equilibrium model shows that such migration follows from broad-based technological progress. Rising national wages increase demand for consumption amenities. Under a baseline parameterization, a place with amenities for which individuals would pay 5 percent of their income grows 0.3 percent faster than an otherwise identical place. Productivity is shown to be a decreasingly important determinant of local population. The faster growth of high-amenity places is considerably strengthened if they have low initial equilibrium population density underpinned by low relative productivity. Places with identical amenities asymptotically converge to an identical population density, regardless of their relative productivity levels. An implication is that the high growth rates of high-amenity localities should eventually taper off. >
Revisiting the Impact of Participative Decision Making on Public Employee Retention

A large body of management research has linked participation by employees in organizational decision making to employee-level outcomes such as job satisfaction, with nearly all studies finding positive associations. This study questions whether the impact of employee policy influence on employee-level outcomes is contingent on management effectiveness, hypothesizing that employee outcomes may be negatively affected by the exercise of influence if participation is facilitated poorly or comes in response to a void created by inadequate organizational management. Focusing specifically on employee turnover in a nationwide sample of 6,300 public schools, the study finds strong evidence of an interactive effect. While employees are less likely to turn over under effective managers regardless of their degree of organizational policy influence, under ineffective managers turnover increases as employees’ perceived influence increases. Results suggest that investment in management competence may be a necessary precondition for some public organizations to benefit from increasing participation.
An Empirical Evaluation of The Effects of R&D Subsidies

R&D subsidies are a common tool of technology policy, but little is known about the effects they have on the behavior of firms. This paper presents evidence on the effects that R&D subsidies have on the R&D effort of recipients, and on the probability that a firm will participate in a program granting R&D subsidies. The empirical model consists of a system of equations: a participation equation; and an R&D effort equation. Endogeneity of public funding is controlled for. Estimates are obtained with a cross-section sample of Spanish firms. The main findings are that: 1) small firms are more likely to obtain a subsidy than large firms, probably reflecting one of the public agency's goals; 2) overall, public funding induces more private effort, but for some firms (30% of participants) full crowding out effects cannot be ruled out, and 3) firm size remains related to effort, whether or not a firm gets public funding.
Children with influenza A infection: treatment with rimantadine.

Treatment with rimantadine of influenza in children and the potential development of resistance in clinical isolates associated with therapy have not been previously studied. We compared rimantadine to acetaminophen therapy in a controlled, double-blind study of 91 children with influenza-like illness. Of 69 children with proven influenza A/H3N2 infection, 37 received rimantadine and 32 received acetaminophen for five days. Children receiving rimantadine showed significantly greater reduction in fever and improvement in daily scores for symptoms and severity of illness during the first three days. Viral shedding also diminished significantly during the first two days but subsequently increased such that by days 6 and 7 the proportion of children shedding virus, as well as the quantity of virus shed, was significantly greater in the rimantadine group. During the seven-day study, of the 22 children in the rimantadine group with serial isolates tested, ten (45.5%) had resistant isolates compared with two (12.5%) of those with serial isolates in the acetaminophen group (P less than .03). Thus, of the total 37 children in the rimantadine group, 27% were found to have resistant isolated compared with 6% in the total group receiving acetaminophen (P less than .04). Furthermore, the mean inhibitory concentration of rimantadine increased with time in the rimantadine group (r = .4, P = .002) but not in the acetaminophen group. Rimantadine therapy, thus, appears to be significantly more effective than acetaminophen in ameliorating the clinical signs and symptoms of influenza in children. Treatment with rimantadine was also associated with increased viral shedding after the medication was discontinued and with the development of resistance in the clinical isolates, the significance of which is unknown.
TWO PATHS, ONE GOAL: STUDENT SUCCESS EXAMINING STUDENT AFFAIRS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND FOR-PROFIT POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS

In the 21st century, the potential for opportunities to obtain an education has become a reality and as a result, many students are embarking on a journey of social mobility and are assimilating into the milieu of higher learning. Affordability, accessibility, and program types are factors that have historically made public community colleges the primary option for students as they aspired to obtain higher education. However, with the rapid growth of for-profit post-secondary institutions offering similar programs, flexible hours, and accelerated degree options, students who would have traditionally enrolled at a public community college are now choosing to attend a for-profit post-secondary institution. Despite the myriad of educational opportunities, the higher education system is in a state of crisis, yet being challenged by President Obama to once again lead the world in terms of college completers. As the community college and for-profit post-secondary sectors contend with budget shortfalls, increased scrutiny, and the challenge to increase completion rates, the division of student affairs may need to explore additional options and strategies to maintain its core mission: helping students succeed. There is substantial research available regarding the effectiveness and efficiency efforts of the student and academic affairs divisions. However, research that compares the community college student affairs division with the for-profit post-secondary institutions is relatively non-existent. This mixed-method study seeks to bridge the gap in literature and to provide an examination of the roles, functions, and organizational structure of Student
Efficacy and Safety of Deferasirox in Pediatric Patients of Thalassemia at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Abstract Objective: To evaluate efficacy, safety and utilization pattern of deferasirox in paediatric patients of transfusion dependant β Thalassemia Major at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Gujarat. Materials and Methods: This observational, prospective-retrospective, single centre, continuous study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital among paediatric patients of transfusion dependent β Thalassemia Major. Patients treated with deferasirox for not more than 12 weeks were enrolled. Details of blood transfusions, relevant investigations performed every 3 weeks and 3 months and drugs used were recorded in a pretested case record form. Parents were provided with a diary to record the details of ADRs. Data were analyzed for demographic characteristics, number and mean volume of blood transfusions, changes in serum ferritin and iron levels, number and types of ADRs and progression, causality, severity and preventability of ADRs. Results: Of the 60 patients enrolled, one patient was lost to follow up and four withdrew their consent. Of the remaining 55 patients, 36 were boys and 19 were girls (mean age: 6 ± 3.14 years), including patients of 1-3 years (11), 4-6 years (24), 7-10 years (12) and 11-12 years (8). Thirty six patients were born of consanguineous marriages. Adherence to blood transfusion guidelines and deferasirox prescribing and administration guidelines was observed. A serial and significant decrease in mean serum ferritin and serum iron at 3 weeks and 3 months with deferasirox treatment was observed in all age groups except that of 11-12 years. A total of 117 ADRs were observed in 52 patients from 19498 doses, most common being diarrhea (24), raised serum creatinine (15), raised hepatic enzymes (14), abdominal pain (14) and rashes (14). A reduction in dose was required in 32 cases, while a temporary stoppage was indicated in 41 cases. Deferasirox was the possible and probable cause of 65 and 51 ADRs respectively as assessed by WHO-UMC scale. Majority of ADRs were definitely preventable and mild in nature. Conclusion: β Thalassemia Major is more common in males. A rational prescribing of deferasirox was observed. Deferasirox effectively reduced serum ferritin and serum iron levels in these patients.