Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Angels and venture capitalists in the initial public offering market

In this article, we examine angel investors and venture capital investors to determine how they interact in the market for small firm equity investment. We first generate a novel dataset of firms going through their initial public offerings and using the disclosures required by the Securities and Exchange Commission, classify firms having angel investors, venture capital investors, or both angel and venture capital investors. We find that the location, industry, and timing of firms backed by these different investor groups are strikingly different. We then compare the post-IPO operating performance of the firms in our sample for backed versus unbacked firms and find a significant difference for venture-backed firms, but not for angel-backed firms. For a subset of firms with angel and venture capital backing, we find some complementarities in the investment of angel and venture capital investors. However, on the whole, our results suggest that angel investors and venture capital investors serve different sets of firms who need to obtain outside equity financing.
Men's Housework, Women's Housework, and Second Births in Australia

Is gender inequality in unpaid work within households implicated in falling fertility rates? This paper investigates whether the likelihood couples with one child will have more children is affected by: (i) the amount of household labor they each perform or (ii) the way they divide household labor between themselves. Drawing a sample of partnered couples with one child (n = 573) from the longitudinal Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia survey, we conduct multivariate regression analysis and find the more housework that Australian women do, the less likely they are to have more children. Neither fathers' time allocation to housework, nor relative shares of housework, were found to have an effect on subsequent fertility. Thus, mothers' own domestic workloads negatively impacted upon fertility, but shares of housework did not.
The impact of director’s leadership style and gender on secondary school climate in Bangkok Metropolis, Thailand

The purpose of this research was to examine task-oriented and socially-oriented leadership patterns in public secondary school directors in Bangkok Metropolis, Thailand. This analysis was conducted to determine if leadership orientation as well as gender-based leadership behaviours were related to school climate. Surveys, questionnaires and interviews were used to obtain data from directors and teachers. Utilisation of cross case study research analysis and qualitative data indicated that gender based leadership traits, rather than administrator gender, appeared to be associated with school climate. This research suggests that an effective instructional leader, at the secondary level, is fundamental to the teaching and learning process. Quality educational leadership promotes positive school climates for teacher satisfaction and student achievement. Research studies have focused upon possible determinants for school climates.
MODELING OF THE EXCISE TAXATION INFLUENCE ON COMPONENTS OF HUMAN POTENTIAL

The purpose of the research is analysis of a model of influence of excise tax rate increase for tobacco products in Ukraine on financial indices of state funds, prevalence of tobacco smoking, and indices of society health. Due to the results of research, the author determined the opportunities of the excise tax for tobacco smoking prevalence regulation in Ukraine. The dynamics of changes of specific and ad valorem rates of the excise tax and the dynamics of its contribution to the revenues of the State Budget of Ukraine were analyzed. The author estimated the changes of tobacco smoking prevalence in Ukraine on the basis of an adapted imitation model under conditions of increase of excise tax rates to the level of rates of the European Union countries. The research shows the excise tax is an effective financial regulator of tobacco smoking prevalence in Ukraine and it influences a population health condition. Increase of the excise tax rates causes reduction of amounts of tobacco product consumption and decrease of the share of smoking adults. Gradual increase of the Ukrainian rates to the level of the EU before 2018 may allow pulling from 1.0 to 1.9 million of people through premature death. Aside from a positive social effect of health enhancement, increase of the share of excise tax within a structure of a retail price of tobacco products will positively influence the growth of tax incomings to the State Budget. Consequently, under the Ukrainian contemporary economic environment the excise tax is an effective financial regulator of tobacco smoking prevalence.
Sovereign Debt in the Americas: New Data and Stylized Facts

In this paper, we introduce the first comprehensive database on sovereign debt systematically compiled to ensure comparability, for all countries in the Americas, and use this new data to highlight the main stylized facts regarding sovereign debt for developing America in the last two decades. We find that debt ratios in developing America are comparable to those in developed countries and have remained stable since the late nineties. By contrast, the composition of debt in the region has changed significantly, shifting from foreign currency external to local currency domestic debt. This onshoring and dedollarization of sovereign debt, contrary to conventional wisdom, has not come at the expense of a shortening of maturities. Furthermore, we find that onshoring is correlated with the level economic development and country size, and with the presence of institutional investors.
Ethanol Production in Brazil: The Industrial Process and Its Impact on Yeast Fermentation

Luiz Carlos Basso1, Thiago Olitta Basso2,3 and Saul Nitsche Rocha4 1University of Sao Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Departamento de Ciencias Biologicas, Piracicaba (SP) 2University of Sao Paulo, Escola Politecnica, Departamento de Engenharia Quimica, Sao Paulo (SP) 3University of Sao Paulo Programa de Pos-Graduacao Inter-unidades em Biotecnologia, Sao Paulo (SP) 4Positivo University, Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Biotecnologia Industrial Curitiba (PR) Brazil
The effect of varying wavelength on subconjunctival scleral laser suture lysis in rabbits

Abstract We studied laser suture lysis of subconjunctival scleral sutures in a rabbit eye using selected wavelengths from a dye and diode laser to determine which wavelength caused the least conjunctival damage. We found an oval shaped area of coagulation necrosis surrounding the suture track in the conjunctival substantia propria measuring in depth 61.0 μ for 488 + 514 nm (blue‐green), 105.7 μ for 514 nm (green), 148.3 μ for 630 nm (red), and 29.0 μ with 780 + 830 nm (infrared) wavelengths. No observable damage was noted with 585 nm (yellow) or 610 nm (orange) wavelengths. The energy intensity required for suture lysis was similar across each wavelength studied. No damage was observed in the sclera or conjunctival epithelium. These findings suggest that using the yellow or orange wavelength, when performing laser suture lysis clinically, potentially may limit conjunctival damage.
On cultural change: Using the competing values framework to help leaders execute a transformational strategy

This article describes how the Competing Values Framework (Quinn, 1988) can be used to assess an organization's existing and desired culture and how one organization consultant uses the assessments of an organization's existing and desired cultures to bring about major cultural changes. A process is described that assesses what leaders or leadership teams mean when they say they want to change the culture of their organization, what benefits they expect to accrue from the desired cultural change, what action steps they will take to achieve the desired cultural change, and how evaluation can be carried out to assess whether culture change has actually been achieved. © 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Qualifications Framework in New Zealand: reproducing existing inequalities or disrupting the positional conflict for credentials

Abstract This article draws on neo-Weberian 'Positional Conflict Theory' to theorise the recent introduction in New Zealand of a National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) as an attempt by the Labour-led coalition to change the way the competition for positional advantage is organised. It is argued that the NCEA is unlikely to significantly alter the nature of positional competition. The NCEA is part of a Qualifications Framework chat seeks to provide ladders of opportunity for working-class students. The impact of the NCEA on positional competition is discussed in relation to the proposed Matriculation Diploma in the United Kingdom. The position of those who have traditionally fared poorly in formal examinations is analysed through their involvement in a market-led training system developed by the State to replace traditional working class networks for gaining jobs. This system clearly works for some students but the question remains as to whether this is a selection mechanism for low-skill jobs rather than advantaging all young, working-class people.
Myxoxanthophyll Is Required for Normal Cell Wall Structure and Thylakoid Organization in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6803

ABSTRACT Myxoxanthophyll is a carotenoid glycoside in cyanobacteria that is of unknown biological significance. The sugar moiety of myxoxanthophyll in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 was identified as dimethyl fucose. The open reading frame sll1213 encoding a fucose synthetase orthologue was deleted to probe the role of fucose and to determine the biological significance of myxoxanthophyll in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803. Upon deletion of sll1213, a pleiotropic phenotype was obtained: when propagated at 0.5 μmol photons m−2 s−1, photomixotrophic growth of cells lacking sll1213 was poor. When grown at 40 μmol photons m−2 s−1, growth was comparable to that of the wild type, but cells showed a severe reduction in or loss of the glycocalyx (S-layer). As a consequence, cells aggregated in liquid as well as on plates. At both light intensities, new carotenoid glycosides accumulated, but myxoxanthophyll was absent. New carotenoid glycosides may be a consequence of less-specific glycosylation reactions that gained prominence upon the disappearance of the native sugar moiety (fucose) of myxoxanthophyll. In the mutant, the N-storage compound cyanophycin accumulated, and the organization of thylakoid membranes was altered. Altered cell wall structure and thylakoid membrane organization and increased cyanophycin accumulation were also observed for Δslr0940K, a strain lacking ζ-carotene desaturase and thereby all carotenoids but retaining fucose. Therefore, lack of myxoxanthophyll and not simply of fucose results in most of the phenotypic effects described here. It is concluded that myxoxanthophyll contributes significantly to the vigor of cyanobacteria, as it stabilizes thylakoid membranes and is critical for S-layer formation.
Neurotrophins improve neuromuscular transmission in the adult rat diaphragm

Neurotrophins modulate acute and sustained synaptic plasticity. In cultured Xenopus laevis neuromuscular junctions, neurotrophins improve neuromuscular transmission. Whether this influence exists at the mammalian neuromuscular junction is unknown. We hypothesized that neurotrophins improve neuromuscular transmission at neuromuscular junctions of adult rat diaphragm muscle fibers. A diaphragm muscle—phrenic nerve preparation was used to determine the effects of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin‐4 (NT‐4) and K252a [tyrosine kinase (Trk) receptor inhibitor] on the extent of neuromuscular transmission failure induced by repetitive nerve stimulation. We found significant enhancement of neuromuscular transmission with BDNF or NT‐4 treatment, whereas K252a treatment worsened neuromuscular transmission. In contrast, diaphragm muscle contractile and fatigue properties were unaffected by neurotrophin or K252a treatment. These results demonstrate that BDNF and NT‐4 improve synaptic transmission in the adult rat diaphragm muscle, likely in a Trk‐dependent fashion. Neurotrophins may constitute a novel therapeutic target to improve neuromuscular function in the diaphragm. Muscle Nerve 29: 381–386, 2004
Effects of government funding on R&D performance leading to commercialisation

This paper draws on data obtained from a questionnaire survey conducted for the 242 private R&D projects supported by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation), Japan’s public management organisation promoting R&D, to explore how dependence on government support affects processes of private R&D projects and, in turn, the performance and commercialisation of developed technologies. Our analyses show that projects receiving more than a half of their entire R&D expenditures from NEDO tend to be isolated from in-house departments. Such isolation, derived mainly from the projects’ unique positions in ‘double dependence’ structures, negatively affects project performance, especially those related to commercialisation, in two ways. First, high dependence on government resources prevents project members from interacting with people outside the project within the company. This inhibits project members from effectively leveraging internal resources –both technological and human– to overcome technological problems. Secondly, such high dependence weakens internal controls over project activities. This causes delayed development of marketable technologies and makes it difficult for projects to achieve justification for further investment required for commercialisation. Our findings suggest that for successful R&D leading to commercialisation, both companies and public funding agencies should encourage projects to maintain close relationships with other internal departments.
Product Differentiation and Multiproduct Strategies

This paper analyzes the price-setting behavior of multiproduct firms in a differentiated product market. While some companies adopt the strategy of independent Product Managers, others take price decisions centrally. We investigate what role the demand structure plays in the optimal organizational arrangement. It results endogenous and characterized in terms of conjectural variations. Show the strategy of coordinated Product Managers is always profitable, in the case of market segmentation. Differently, under market interlacing, the strategy of relying on competitive product managers is profitable when monopolistic competition arises. It may be profitable with oligopolistic competition under some (not very restrictive) assumptions.
Device limitations and light-soaking effects in CZTSSe and CZTGeSSe

Advancements in thin film Cu2ZnSn(SxSe1-x)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells have recently achieved power conversion efficiencies >;10%, indicating the potential of this low cost, earth abundant material system as a viable alternative to CIGS and CdTe absorbers [1]. Understanding the limitations in this material system is essential for further advancements in device performance. This work demonstrates the importance of the CdS/CZTSSe interface and conduction band alignment for improving the performance of CZTSSe solar cells. Through incorporation of germanium into CZTSSe, a material with tunable band gap and conduction band level can be achieved. Comparing Cu2Zn(SnyGe1-y)(SxSe1-x) (CZTGeSSe) with standard CZTSSe devices allows for characterization of device limitations as a function of band gap and the conduction band offset at the CdS/CZTSSe interface. This work characterizes the effect of Ge incorporation on recombination, series resistance, and quantum efficiency in CZTSSe.
Role of radial fibers in controlling the onset of myelination

Recent in vitro study showed that astrocytes induce oligodendrocyte processes to adhere to axons. However, the role of astrocytes in myelination in vivo remains unknown. We have, therefore, conducted a study to clarify the possible involvement of astrocytes during the initial myelination process. In newborn mice, the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a marker for astrocytes, was restricted to a few fibrous architectures in the subventricular zone (SVZ), but we did not observe any GFAP‐positive astrocytes. Prior to the onset of myelination, GFAP became transiently expressed in the cells with radial fibers elongating from the SVZ to the pia of cerebral cortex, and myelin‐associated glycoprotein (MAG)‐positive premyelinating oligodendrocytes appeared as neighbors to them, with the processes attaching to radial fibers, but not to axons. These GFAP‐positive “radial” cells lost their fibrous architecture and became typical GFAP‐positive astrocytes at about 10 days postnatally, when myelination set in, indicating that the disappearance of radial fibers coordinates with the initiation of myelination. From these results, we propose that premyelinating oligodendrocytes are in contact with radial fibers rather than axons and that the cytoarchitectural transformation of radial fibers into astrocytes is involved substantially in controlling the onset of initial myelination. Our proposal was further confirmed by GFAP‐deficient mice, in which the disappearance of these radial fibers and the initiation of myelination were delayed in parallel. Our findings together suggest that myelination in vivo is in concert with astrocytic differentiation, involving radial fibers therein, rather than being a mere axon–oligodendrocyte interaction. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evolution of Killer Cell Ig-Like Receptor (KIR) Genes: Definition of an Orangutan KIR Haplotype Reveals Expansion of Lineage III KIR Associated with the Emergence of MHC-C1

Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) MHC-C appears less evolved than human HLA-C: Popy-C is not fixed and its alleles encode only one (C1) of the two motifs for killer cell Ig-like receptor (KIR) ligands. To assess the structure and complexity of the orangutan KIR locus, the complete nucleotide sequence of an orangutan KIR haplotype was determined. The PopyKIR locus is flanked by LILR and FCAR and consists of seven genes and pseudogenes, two novel and five corresponding to known cDNA. Distinguishing all KIRs in this rapidly evolving KIR locus from the KIR3DX1 gene is an LTR33A/MLT1D element in intron 3. These two forms of KIR represent lineages that originated by duplication of a common ancestor. The conserved, framework regions of primate KIR loci comprise the 5′ part of a lineage V KIR, the 3′ part of a pseudogene, the complete 2DL4 gene, and the 3′ part of a lineage II KIR. Although previously defined PopyKIR2DL4 alleles contain premature termination codons, the sequenced haplotype’s PopyKIR2DL4 allele encodes a full-length protein. A model for KIR evolution is proposed. Distinguishing the orangutan KIR haplotype from the proposed common ancestor of primate KIR haplotypes is an increased number to give three lineage III KIR genes in the centromeric part of the locus, the site for most human lineage III genes encoding HLA-C specific KIR. Thus, expansion of lineage III KIR is associated with emergence of MHC-C.
Robust Fault Reconstruction for LPV Systems Using Sliding Mode Observers

This paper presents a robust FDI scheme using a sliding mode observer based on an LPV system, with fault reconstruction capability. Both actuator and sensor fault reconstruction schemes are considered which possess robustness against a certain class of uncertainty and corrupted measurements. For actuator fault reconstruction, the input distribution matrix (associated with the actuators being monitored) is factorized into fixed and varying components. LMIs are used to design the key observer parameters in order to minimize the effect of uncertainty and measurement corruption on the fault reconstruction signal. The faults are reconstructed using the output error injection signal associated with the nonlinear term of the sliding mode observer. For sensor fault reconstruction, the idea is to re-formulate the problem into an actuator fault reconstruction scenario so that the same design procedure can be applied. This is achieved by augmenting the original system with the filtered sensors being monitored. Simulations using a full nonlinear model of a large transport aircraft are presented, and show good fault reconstruction performance.
Virtual Schools: Improving Outcomes for Students with Disabilities.

Individual and social benefits accrue when high school graduation rates increase. One approach to increasing graduation rates is to design learning environments that serve students with disabilities through the 5Cs known to increase school completion: connect, climate, control, curriculum, and caring community. Virtual school programs align with the 5Cs, as demonstrated by virtual schools that have closed achievement gaps and increased completion rates among students with disabilities. Key features of these programs are described, with the national standards for quality online teaching and courses exemplified by each. Strategies are offered for increasing success of students with disabilities in virtual schools.
Leucopenia as an adverse reaction to carbamazepine therapy

Carbamazepine is a commonly used anticonvulsant agent, particularly in the management of partial seizures. Because of the low incidence of adverse effects associated with this drug, these are often ignored or forgotten. The cases of two patients in whom neutropenia has developed after prolonged therapy with carbamazepine, which illustrate the dose‐related nature of this adverse reaction, are reported.
Target Company Cross-Border Effects in Acquisitions into the UK

We analyse the abnormal returns to target shareholders in cross-border and domestic acquisitions of UK companies. The cross-border effect during the bid month is small (0.84%), although cross-border targets gain significantly more than domestic targets during the months surrounding the bid. We find no evidence for the level of abnormal returns in cross-border acquisitions to be associated with market access or exchange rate effects, and only limited support for an international diversification effect. However, the cross-border effect appears to be associated with significant payment effects, and there is no significant residual cross-border effect once various bid characteristics are controlled for.
The “hidden” history of accounting in Japan: a historical examination of the relationship between Japanese women and accounting

Although historical studies of accounting in Japan have broadened in scope, little is known about how accounting is implicated in the social role and position of Japanese women and how it has historically influenced gender relationships in Japan. This article explores the changing relationship between women and accounting in Japan across five historical periods, drawing on a range of literature relating to the historical role and position of women in Japan, socio-historical studies of Japanese business enterprises and the family, and studies of household accounting. The study reveals that accounting has been an instrument of the state in the social construction of gendered roles and women's position in society. It also shows that women in Japan have proactively responded to their accounting role, using it to help enhance their political power as consumers. Accounting has played a significant role in shaping the lives of Japanese women and has been a way for them to build on their feminine identity.