Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Product innovation among ICT technopreneurs in Malaysia

Purpose – The first purpose of this study is to discuss a brief review of the literature in product innovation, innovation strategies and resources. The second purpose is to present qualitative findings related to product innovation as well as their strategies and resources among ICT (information and communication technology) technopreneurs in the software sector of Malaysia.Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative study is a preliminary study to a larger empirical study. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with five ICT technopreneurs in Malaysia.Findings – The findings generate insights into the kind of market that ICT technopreneurs are in, the problems they are facing, their practices and opinions towards product innovation, and their strategies as well as the resources required.Research limitations/implications – One limitation of the work could be related to the small sample size.Practical implications – The findings imply that resource constraints, market factors such as market need, an.
Yield from stool testing of pediatric inpatients.

OBJECTIVES To quantify the yield from stool testing in pediatric inpatients and to identify criteria to test stool more deliberately without sacrificing diagnostic sensitivity. DESIGN A retrospective review was performed of all stool cultures, ova and parasite examinations, and Clostridium [correction of Clostridia] difficile toxin assays performed on pediatric inpatients, aged 3 days to 18 years, at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa, for 1 year. Medical records were reviewed for positive cases, each with 2 controls matched for age and test type. For this study, the term admission refers to the interval between the times each patient was admitted to and discharged from the hospital. Some patients had multiple stool tests sent to the laboratory during a single admission; some patients had more than 1 admission during the study period. Statistical analysis was performed using X2 analysis and the Student 2-tailed t test with a commercially available statistical software package (Statworks, Cricket Software, Philadelphia). RESULTS Of 250 patient admissions to the hospital for which stool was cultured, 7 cultures (2.8%) were positive. Of 63 patient admissions having ova and parasite testing, 1 (2%) had a positive result. Clostridium [correction of Clostridia] difficile toxin assays were performed on 40 patient admissions to the hospital, and 7 (18%) had a positive result. Only 18 (3.0%) of 598 of all test results reviewed were positive. Costs of negative test results totaled $26,084. More patients (71%) with positive stool cultures than control patients (21%) had a temperature higher than or equal to 38 degrees C (X2, P < .05); however, relying on this sign missed 29% of the children with bacterial infection. A white blood cell band count of at least 0.10 was 100% sensitive and 79% specific in identifying patients with positive stool culture. There was no statistically significant relationship between stool culture results and age, total white blood cell count or white blood cell segmented neutrophil count, and no relationship between C. difficile toxin assay results and any of the above characteristics. Clostridium [correction of Clostridia] difficile was the most common pathogen identified (6 of 9) in patients developing gastrointestinal symptoms after admission; however, Salmonella enteritidis and Shigella sonnei were also significant causes (3 of 9). CONCLUSIONS There is low yield from stool testing of pediatric inpatients: C. difficile toxin assay has the highest yield. Clostridium [correction of Clostridia] difficile testing is most valuable for children with nosocomial gastrointestinal symptoms although other bacterial pathogens do cause nosocomial symptoms in children. More selective stool testing could help us be more efficient with our patient care resources.
Firm Characteristics and the Pricing of Foreign Earnings of Us Multinational Firms

Prior research finds a positive relation between current changes in foreign earnings of US multinational firms and future stock returns. The cause of this relation is either (1) investors' mispricing of securities by underestimating the persistence of foreign earnings or (2) research design misspecifications (e.g., the researcher failing to control for cross-sectional differences in risk). The purpose of this study is to determine which of these two competing explanations is more likely. If the anomalous results are due to market mispricing, then the anomalous results should be more pronounced for firms that are followed by fewer well-informed, sophisticated investors and for firms that have foreign earnings that are more persistent than domestic earnings. If the anomaly is related to research design misspecification, then the existence of the anomaly is not expected to vary across these firm characteristics. The results are more consistent with the market mispricing hypothesis. Predicting the existence of the foreign earnings anomaly based on these firm-specific characteristics increases our understanding of the true nature of the anomaly. In addition, relating the foreign earnings anomaly to firm-specific characteristics provides relevant information to investors for firm valuation and helps to promote future academic research in the market's valuation of multinational firms' operations.
Theory and the Market after the Crisis: The Endogeneity of Financial Governance

The inheritance of contemporary financial economics invites us to consider financial stability as integral to a liberal market setting. The crisis however demonstrated that financial markets may prove highly dysfunctional in the absence of adequate mechanisms of regulation and governance. This implies that economic theory requires an enhanced understanding of the intersection of economic rationality with the rationality of governance. This article extends the insights of institutional economics to demonstrate that the emergence of the institutions of financial governance is endogenous to the utility-maximising behaviour of competing economic agents. Utility-maximising behaviour and conflict over the terms of competition in the market generate both the formal and informal institutions and processes of governance such as regulation and dispute settlement. The model is illustrated by the case of international finance, predicting forms of policy rent seeking in a market environment: private interests embedded in public policy processes simultaneously reshaped both market and governance in line with their own perceived utility functions. The model predicts that similar policy rent seeking will dominate the reform process. Successful reform will require a conceptual understanding of this link between governance and market competition, and appropriate changes in the nature of the policy process so as to reshape markets to avoid financial instability in the future.
The Climacteric Rise in Fruit Respiration as Controlled by Phosphorylative Coupling.

The ripening of fruit is accompanied by a group of physiological and chemical changes which are characteristic and moderately uniform as between different species of plants. Typical components of the ripening process are pectic transformations which lead to fruit softening, changes in fruit color, often with the disappearance of pigment such as chlorophyll and the appearance of new secondary pigments, changes in compounds responsible for taste or odor, transformation of reserve materials such as polysaccharides to simpler sugars, and finally, changes in the magnitude of the respiratory gas exchange. The respiration of many fruits after removal from the plant follows the general course shown for the avocado in figure 1 (1). Respiration drops slowly to a low point known as the preclimacteric minimum. At this point the fruit is still unripe. With the initiation of fruit ripening, rate of respiration rises from the preclimacteric minimum to the climacteric maximum. Edible maturity of the fruit coincides in many cases with the climacteric maximum in respiration, or follows this maximum by a few hours or days. Subsequent to the climacteric the respiratory rate drops steadily as the fruit passes into senescence. We have tried to get some insight into the process of fruit ripening by study of the factors which underlie the changing rate of respiration during the climacteric cycle. The sudden rise in respiration from the preclimacteric minimum to the climacteric maximum should become understandable if one could discover the factor or factors which limit respiratory rate at the preclimacteric minimum. We have therefore studied the factors which limit respiratory rate, and in particular, the factors which might by alteration or increase bring about increases in rate of respiration of preclimacteric fruit.
Expression of kinin B1 receptor in fresh or cultured rabbit aortic smooth muscle: role of NF-κB

pression of kinin B1 receptor in fresh or cultured rabbit aortic smooth muscle: role of NF-B. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 283: H227–H237, 2002. First published March 28, 2002; 10.1152/ajpheart.00978. 2001. —Kinin B1 receptor (B1R) expression and the importance of the transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)-B in this process were evaluated in models based on the rabbit aorta: freshly isolated tissue (postisolation induction) and cultured smooth muscle cells (SMCs). A 3-h incubation of freshly isolated tissues determined a sharp B1R mRNA increase (RT-PCR). Coincubation of tissues with a stimulus (interleukin-1, fetal bovine serum, epidermal growth factor, or cycloheximide) further increased mRNA levels. Cultured SMCs possessed a basal population of surface B1Rs ([ 3 H]Lysdes-Arg 9 -bradykinin binding) that was upregulated by treatments with the same set of stimuli (binding, mRNA, nuclear runon). Pharmacological inhibitors of NF-B (MG-132, BAY 11-7082, dexamethasone) or actinomycin D reduced the postisolation induction of B1Rs in fresh aortic tissue (contractility or mRNA) and the cytokine effect on cells (mRNA, binding). NF-B may be a common mediator of various stimuli that increase B1R gene transcription in the rabbit aorta, including tissue isolation, but cycloheximide also stabilizes B1R mRNA. The SMC models faithfully mimic the in vivo situation with regard to B1R regulation.
Worksite mental health interventions: a systematic review of economic evaluations

Objective To give an overview of the evidence on the cost-effectiveness (CE) and financial return of worksite mental health interventions. Methods A systematic search was conducted in relevant databases. Included economic evaluations were classified into two groups based on type of intervention: (1) aimed at prevention or treatment of mental health problems among workers or (2) aimed at return to work (RTW) for workers sick-listed from mental health problems. The quality of the included economic evaluations was assessed using the Consensus Health Economic Criteria list (CHEC-list). Results Ten economic evaluations were included in this systematic review. All four economic evaluations on the prevention or treatment of mental health problems found a positive cost-benefit ratio, although three of these studies had low to moderate methodological quality. In five out of six economic evaluation studies on RTW interventions, no favourable CE or cost-benefit balance was found. One study of moderate methodological quality reported on a positive CE balance. Conclusions Due to a limited number of economic evaluations on worksite mental health interventions of which a majority was lacking methodological quality or lacking evidence, only a tentative conclusion can be drawn from the results of this systematic review. Worksite interventions to prevent or treat mental health problems might be cost-effective, while those RTW interventions that included a full economic evaluation aimed at depressed employees do not seem to be cost-beneficial. More high-quality economic evaluation studies of effective worksite mental health interventions are needed to get more insight into the economic impact of worksite mental health interventions.
Some evidence on executives' views of corporate social responsibility

Abstract This paper draws upon the concepts of organizational legitimacy, political economy of accounting and agency theory, and subsequently combines these with stakeholder analysis, in an attempt to analyse the attitudes towards their perceived social responsibility on the part of the executives of a small sample of large, UK companies. In the conceptual model developed, organizational legitimacy is perceived as a way of examining corporate behaviour, whereby a business is visualized as operating under a mandate from society, withdrawable were the organization be seen not to be doing the things society expects of it. There is, however, an alternative political economy of accounting view, suggesting corporate behaviour might be perceived as more proactive, with company directors attempting to ‘set the agenda’, such as to manipulate societal opinion towards a favourable view of corporate activity. Agency theory is then utilized in an attempt to establish the connection between organizations and the various interest groups with whom they interact, whilst, finally, stakeholder analysis is resorted to as a way of establishing the relevant societal interest groups to which businesses might either be considered ‘accountable’, or alternatively whose views they might wish to ‘manipulate’ favourably regarding their (i.e. corporate) actions. The underpinning theory, as delineated, is then examined for validity via interviews with executives representing eight prominent UK companies in four business sectors. The model outlined enables the nature of perceived accountability/influence by the company to be linked to perceived/manipulated stakeholder expectations of the company, with the tentative conclusion being reached that support can be found for both organizational legitimacy and political economy of accounting perspectives, although which predominates is impossible to determine.
Appreciative inquiry: more than just a fad?

Articles attesting to the positive effects of using a performance management technique known as appreciative inquiry are increasingly appearing in management literature. More detailed analysis reveals that little, if any, unambiguous evidence exists to support the claims of the proponents of appreciative inquiry and that the movement has many of the characteristics of a management fad. Despite this, the amount of anecdotal data on the benefits of appreciative inquiry suggest that future empirical investigation is warranted. Without such data gathering, appreciative inquiry risks becoming another management fad that promises much, but ultimately fails to deliver.
Sociedade, Estado e Administração Pública: Análise da Configuração Institucional dos Conselhos Gestores do Município de Lavras (MG)

Abstract The 1988 Federal Constitution highlighted management councils as resources vital to the sedimentation of decentralization and participation principles in public policies' systems. According to the participatory ideal, it is necessary to balance the relationships between citizens and governments. From democracy and public administration paradigms perspective, this means to promote deliberative and societal forms. Starting from these considerations, it was searched, in this article, to understand the role of councils in the development of two principles of societal administration: the political-institutional reinvention and participative-deliberative democracy. After observing twelve councils in Lavras, MG, it was concluded that these are consistent sources of political and institutional innovation. However, its efficacy is limited regarding the sedimentation of the local deliberative democracy. Deficits of information, the social non-association, the fragile connection between representatives and represented and the government opportunism work for this. Key words: Public administration, Management councils, Societal administration, Deliberative democracy, Public deliberation
Association between oral and general hygiene behaviours among Iranian adolescents.

PURPOSE To assess the association between oral and general hygiene behaviours in 12-year-old Iranians and the impact of sociodemographic and educational factors on the association. MATERIALS AND METHODS A representative random sample of 550 12-year-old Iranian adolescents from two deprived tribes answered a 41-item questionnaire on sociodemographic background, education and oral and general hygiene behaviours. The association between tooth cleaning frequency and other study outcome variables were tested using binary logistic regression. The sex differences in the study outcome variables were investigated using chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS The frequency of tooth cleaning was significantly associated with a general hygiene behaviour: frequency of taking a bath (OR 0.5; 95% CI: 0.3, 0.7). This association remained significant when sociodemographic factors and educational factors were added to the model both separately (P < 0.001) and together (P < 0.001). Girls were significantly more likely than boys to clean their teeth once or more times a day (OR 2.4; 95% CI: 1.7, 3.4). CONCLUSION Oral and a general hygiene behaviour were strongly associated. Oral, general and environmental hygiene programmes should use integrated approaches.
Measuring Structural Unemployment: Is there a Rough and Ready Answer?.`

In recent years, the OECD has measured the structural rate of unemployment by an indicator called the Non-Accelerating Wage Rate of Unemployment. The NAWRU-indicator is an important element in the policy analysis of the OECD. The rise in the estimated NAWRUs is also taken as evidence that Nordic unemployment, as well as unemployment in the rest of Europe, has increased due to a malfunctioning of labour markets. The paper presents stable empirical wage equations for Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden over the period 1964-1994, in sharp contrast to the increased NAWRU-estimates.
Monetary policy communication under inflation targeting: Do words speak louder than actions?

This paper assesses the effectiveness of monetary policy communication of the Central Bank of Turkey (CBT) by quantifying the information content of the policy statements released right after the monthly Monetary Policy Committee meetings. First, we quantify the signal regarding the next interest rate decision and ask whether communication improves predictability. Our findings suggest that the role of statements in predicting the next policy move have strengthened following the adoption of full-fledged inflation targeting (IT) regime. Second, we identify the surprise component of policy communication directly from market commentaries and assess its impact on the term structure of interest rates. We find that the response of the yield curve to policy statements have become highly significant for the unanticipated changes in the monetary policy communication, especially after the implementation of the IT. We also compare the yield curve impact of the surprise component of policy decisions (actions) with the surprises in policy communication (words). Our results suggest that the relative importance of communication in driving market yields have increased through time.
Consumption Risk in Futures Markets

IN RECENT EMPIRICAL research examining commodity futures price changes in the Sharpe (1964)-Lintner (1965) capital asset pricing model framework, Dusak (1973), Grauer (1977), and Bodie and Rosansky (1979) found that virtually all commodity futures price changes examined had no systematic risk. That is, each author found that commodity futures prices had market "betas" that were insignificantly different from zero when estimated from historical data. If a commodity futures contract has no real systematic risk, then its price should neither tend to increase nor decrease as it matures, according to the CAPM.1 In a study of price changes in 25 commodity futures markets over the 1947-1965 period, Rockwell found that futures prices increased on an average by approximately 4% per year. Dusak found that price changes in 3 grains over the 19521967 period were near zero on average, which was consistent with the CAPM, given her risk estimates for the grains. Grauer found positive price changes on average from 1959-1974 in his 14-commodity study, but they were not statistically different from zero. Most recently, Bodie and Rosansky examined "excess returns" during the 1950-1976 period for a portfolio of 23 futures contracts. The excess returns on the futures portfolio were the same size as the excess returns on common stocks over the same period-approximately 9.5%. Both stocks and futures had average excess returns that were more than twice their standard errors. The Bodie-Rosansky results were not consistent with the CAPM, since the betas of most of their commodities and of their benchmark portfolio were negative when measured relative to the SP more importantly
EGYPTIAN STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES: A SECTOR IN TRANSITION

Despite the increasing world‐wide preference for free market economies, many developing nations (DNs) still have a significant public sector. Egypt, for one, still has about 70 percent of total national investment under the control of State‐owned enterprises (SOEs); quite an improvement over the sixties and early seventies when this ratio was 90 percent (Handussa, 1989). Judging by the rate of change since the declaration of the open‐door policy in 1974, it is wise to assume that SOEs will continue to play a dominant role in the Egyptian economy for the foreseeable future.
Efficiency Measure from Dynamic Stochastic Production Frontier: Application to Tunisian Textile, Clothing, and Leather Industries

Abstract This paper adresses the measurement of technical efficiency of textile, clothing, and leather (TCL) industries in Tunisia through a panel data estimation of a dynamic translog production frontier. It provides a perspective on productivity and efficiency that should be instructive to a developing economy which will face substantial competitive pressure along the gradual economic liberalisation process. The importance of TCL industries in Tunisian manufacturing sector is a reason for obtaining more knowledge of productivity and efficiency for this key industry. Dynamic is introduced to reflect the production consequences of the adjustment costs, which are associated with changes in factor inputs. Estimation of a dynamic error components model is considered using the system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator suggested by Arellano and Bover (1995), Another look at the instrumental–variable estimation of error–components models, J. Econometrics68:29–51) and Blundell and Bond (Blundell, R., Bond, S. (1998a), Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models. J. Econometrics87:115–143; Blundell, R. , Bond, S. (1998b), GMM estimation with persistent panel data: an application to production functions, Paper presented at the Eighth International Conference on Panel Data, Goteborg University). Our study evaluates the sensitivity of the results, particularly of the efficiency measures, to different specifications. Firm‐specific time‐invariant technical efficiency is obtained using the Schmidt and Sickles (Schmidt, P., Sickles, R. C. (1984). Production frontiers and panel data. J. Bus. Econ. Stat.2:367–374) approach after estimating the dynamic frontier. We stress the importance of allowing for lags in adjustment of output to inputs and of controlling for time‐invariant variables when estimating firm‐specific efficiency. The results suggest that the system GMM estimation of the dynamic specification produces the most accurate parameter estimates and technical efficiency measure. Mean efficiency scores is of 68%. Policy implications of the results are outlined.