Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Resource-based View of Innovativeness in Small Firms

The resource-based view is presented here as the theoretical framework for empirical research on the determinants of technological innovativeness in small firms. These determinants include the characteristics of the owner/manager (O/M) and the firm and some technological assets (resources and capabilities). Evidence based on case studies is used for the evaluation of their effect on innovativeness and their interaction. The study highlights the key role of the O/M and the importance of some of his/her characteristics. It also shows the impact of certain resources and capabilities. The O/M emerges as the orchestrator of resource accumulation and capability development in the innovative firms.
The Development of Euro Prices – Subjective Perception and Empirical Facts

This study compares consumers’ subjective price perceptions with official inflation data for the period from the euro cash changeover in 2002 to 2006. At an annual average of 1.7%, the overall rate of inflation has remained low over the past five years despite adverse effects exerted by external factors such as the marked increase in oil prices. In contrast, the prices of frequently purchased consumer goods and services, which people commonly use as price benchmarks, experienced an upward drift. This effect has been potentiated by psychological factors, e.g. price increases tend to fix themselves more firmly in people’s minds than price reductions (of which there have also been a considerable number). In addition, some groups within the population have yet to develop sufficiently firm value perceptions in euro and stop converting euro prices into schilling. Mentally comparing current euro prices with schilling prices that are more than five years old simply distorts the perception of inflation. Yet survey data show that consumers’ value perception is continually improving. The subjective impression of euro-induced inflation has therefore tended to lessen, and by the end of 2006, it was considerably lower than when euro cash was initially introduced. These developments give rise to the hope that people have largely overcome their impression of a “euro price shock” and that headline inflation and perceived inflation will again develop largely in concert in the future. This trend could be encouraged by increasing efforts to communicate price developments to the public.
Measuring the impacts of the integrating information systems on decision-making performance and organisational performance: an empirical study of the Taiwan semiconductor industry

There is currently a trend for companies to invest in Business Intelligence (BI) systems and integrate them with their original Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in order to enhance their management decision-making capability. Even though much attention has been paid to decision-making benefits of integrated systems in practice, limited academic research has investigated the issue of decision-making improvement. Therefore, the motivation for this paper is to examine the impact of integrated ERP and BI (abbreviated as ERPBI) systems on decision making and overall Organisational Performance (OP) and to explore the relationship between Decision-Making Performance (DMP) and OP. This study develops a multidimensional measurement instrument for assessing the impact of ERPBI systems on both decision-making and OP. A survey was conducted involving 108 companies in the semiconductor industry in Taiwan. The results of the survey indicate firstly, that ERPBI system usage in organisations is positively related to decision-making performance. Secondly, decision-making performance can mediate the effect of ERPBI system usage on OP. Thirdly, organisations using ERPBI systems achieve higher levels of decision-making and OP compared to organisations which only use ERP systems.
Association between Diet Quality and Adiposity in the Atlantic PATH Cohort

The aim of this study was to examine diet quality among participants in the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (PATH) cohort and to assess the association with adiposity. Data were collected from participants (n = 23,768) aged 35–69 years that were residents of the Atlantic Canadian provinces. Both measured and self-reported data were used to examine adiposity (including body mass index (BMI), abdominal obesity, waist-to-hip ratio and fat mass) and food frequency questionnaires were used to assess diet quality. Overall, diet quality was statistically different among provinces. Of concern, participants across all the provinces reported consuming only 1–2 servings of vegetables and 1–2 servings fruit per day. However, participants also reported some healthy dietary choices such as consuming more servings of whole grains than refined grains, and eating at fast food restaurants ≤1 per month. Significant differences in BMI, body weight, percentage body fat, and fat mass index were also observed among provinces. Adiposity measures were positively associated with consumption of meat/poultry, fish, snack food, sweeteners, diet soft drinks, and frequenting fast food restaurants, and inversely associated with consumption of whole grains and green tea. Although all four provinces are in the Atlantic region, diet quality vary greatly among provinces and are associated with adiposity.
The Economic Virtues of SRI and CSR

textabstractFinancial markets and company managers are increasingly acknowledging the concepts of socially responsible investing (SRI) and corporate social responsibility (CSR), but not without reservations. These hesitations are largely attributable to ongoing debates about a potential conflict between social responsibility goals and the traditional financial objectives of investors and companies. This thesis bundles six empirical studies that deepen our understanding of the economic value of SRI and CSR. Several empirical questions underlie these studies, such as: do CSR practices improve a firm’s profitability? Do financial markets value corporate social responsibility? Do SRI criteria constrain investment portfolio optimization, or do they help investors in their hunt for underpriced securities? This thesis shows that SRI and CSR can be studied in new ways to answer these questions. We examine unique SRI stock portfolios with superior return/risk profiles, and provide a fresh look at strategies for investors in SRI mutual funds. By analyzing a wide range of pathways that lead CSR to interrelated measures of corporate financial performance, we further explain whether CSR carries value-relevant information. Taken together, the six studies discuss the channels of transmission from CSR to operating performance, the cost of capital, firm value, analysts’ earnings expectations, and stock return. The conclusions from this dissertation are that (i) integrating SRI criteria into portfolio construction does not negatively affect investment performance; (ii) investors can use information on firms’ eco-efficiency to make investment decisions that improve the return/risk profile of their portfolios; (iii) common CSR attributes, such as corporate environmental responsibility, and human capital management, have a significant association with traditional measures of corporate performance. We recommend making CSR salient to investors in the form of extra-financial information, with an emphasis on environmental, social, and corporate governance themes.
Examining Application of Lintner’s Dividend Model in Indian Banking Industry

The present paper is an attempt to re-examine the applicability of Lintner’s (1956) dividend policy in banking sector in India. The banks, listed on any of the Stock Exchange in India, constitute the sample for the present study. Here, a cross-sectional analysis have been carried out from the year 1996 to 2006 across ownership pattern of banks in India. The results are found in line with the Lintner model. The findings offer evidence that the dividend policy of Public Sector Banks (PSBs) is more stable than that of Private Banks (PBs). The results indicate that the major determinants of current dividend are lagged dividend and the current earnings in case of both PSBs and PBs. The above evidence is almost similar to those markets in developed countries such as the US. The study is also found giving support to the argument of ‘information content of dividend’ in the context of dividend proceeds. Hence, dividend policy can be used as a signaling device by the managements of banks.
Staphylococcus aureus clumping factor B (ClfB) promotes adherence to human type I cytokeratin 10: implications for nasal colonization

Staphylococcus aureus is an important cause of sepsis in both community and hospital settings, a major risk factor for which is nasal carriage of the bacterium. Eradication of carriage by topical antibiotics reduces sepsis rates in high‐risk individuals, an important strategy for the reduction of nosocomial infection in targeted patient populations. Understanding the mechanisms by which S. aureus adheres to nasal epithelial cells in vivo may lead to alternative methods of decolonization that do not rely on sustained antimicrobial susceptibility. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the S. aureus surface‐expressed protein, clumping factor B (ClfB), promotes adherence to immobilized epidermal cytokeratins in vitro. By expressing a range of S. aureus adhesins on the surface of the heterologous host Lactococcus lactis, we demonstrated that adherence to epidermal cytokeratins was conferred by ClfB. Adherence of wild‐type S. aureus was inhibited by recombinant ClfB protein or anti‐ClfB antibodies, and S. aureus mutants defective in ClfB adhered poorly to epidermal cytokeratins. Expression of ClfB promoted adherence of L. lactis to human desquamated nasal epithelial cells, and a mutant of S. aureus defective in ClfB had reduced adherence compared with wild type. ClfB also promoted adherence of L. lactis cells to a human keratinocyte cell line. Cytokeratin 10 molecules were shown by flow cytometry to be exposed on the surface of both desquamated nasal epithelial cells and keratinocytes. Cytokeratin 10 was also detected on the surface of desquamated human nasal cells using immunofluorescence, and recombinant ClfB protein was shown to bind to cytokeratin K10 extracted from these cells. We also showed that ClfB is transcribed by S. aureus in the human nares. We propose that ClfB is a major determinant in S. aureus nasal colonization.
Analysis of Blogs and Microblogs: A Case Study of Chinese Bloggers Sharing Their Hong Kong Travel Experiences

Blogs and microblogs became popular in recent years among people who would like to share their travel experiences online. This is a phenomenon which marketers are interested in but know very little about. This exploratory study analyzes blog and microblog contents created by mainland Chinese visitors sharing their Hong Kong experiences, with the objective of gaining insights into how bloggers communicate their travel experiences and how this could help market a destination. Three hundred blog posts and 300 microblog posts are analyzed. Research results indicate a generally positive image of Hong Kong as a destination among the mainland Chinese bloggers. The study also profiles the bloggers by their usage pattern and identifies opportunities for using the social media for destination marketing purpose. While the case study is about Hong Kong, the research method and blogging patterns identified would also apply in other destination situations.
Military Intervention Decisions Regarding Humanitarian Crises

Factors that may affect public support or opposition to U.S. military intervention in humanitarian crises around the world are examined to determine the impact of foreign policy frames on individual risk propensity. The source of the foreign policy frames, type of humanitarian crisis, location of the crisis and race/ethnicity/religion of the endangered population, tolerable ratios of U.S. lives saved/lost to foreign citizens saved/lost, and probability of casualty-free success are also investigated.
Concentração industrial no Brasil no período 1996-2001: uma análise por meio do índice de Ellison e Glaeser (1994)

Este trabalho trata da concentracao espacial da industria de transformacao brasileira em nivel de divisoes e grupos da Classificacao Nacional das Atividades Economicas (CNAE), nos anos de 1996 e 2001. Para a analise do nivel de concentracao foi utilizado o indice de Ellison e Glaeser (1994) e seus componentes. Os resultados mostram que ocorreu diminuicao no grau de concentracao medio, com a maioria das divisoes e grupos industriais tendo suas concentracoes reduzidas durante o periodo estudado. Alem disso, constatou-se uma relativa estabilidade na distribuicao dos setores mais e menos concentrados, apesar de se ter verificado uma variacao significativa da concentracao dentro de cada segmento, especialmente entre os menos concentrados. Finalmente, verificou-se que a concentracao tende a ser maior nos setores com maior conteudo tecnologico e menor nas atividades da industria tradicional.
Exploring TQM's impact on the causal linkage between manufacturing objective and organizational performance

Abstract Total quality management (TQM) has been recognized as a competitive advantage for a firm's success. Nonetheless, little of the literature has mentioned TQM's influence on the causal linkages between manufacturing objective and organizational performance. Thus, this paper aims to explore the patterns of TQM practice and manufacturing objective as well as their associations with organizational performance improvement by using stepwise regression and canonical correlation analysis. Case studies were also performed to demonstrate our results. The result supports the strong linkages of TQM and manufacturing objective as well as organizational performance. In particular, under distinct TQM practice groups, the manufacturing objective attainment performs differently when it is pursuing organizational performance. This study concludes that for high TQM practice firms, flexibility and delivery time are currently what TQM contributes most for pursuing organizational performance. Otherwise, in order to compensate the disadvantages of other manufacturing objectives, low TQM practice firms should foster their service quality so that their organizational performance can be improved.
Apathy is associated with white matter abnormalities in anterior, medial brain regions in persons with HIV infection

Apathy is a relatively common psychiatric syndrome in HIV infection, but little is known about its neural correlates. In the present study, we examined the associations between apathy and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) indices in key frontal white matter regions in the thalamocorticostriatal circuit, which has been implicated in the expression of apathy. Nineteen participants with HIV infection and 19 demographically comparable seronegative comparison subjects completed the Apathy subscale of the Frontal Systems Behavioral Scale as a part of a comprehensive neuropsychiatric research evaluation. When compared to the seronegative participants, the HIV+ group had significantly more frontal white matter abnormalities. Within HIV+ persons, and as predicted, higher ratings of apathy were associated with greater white matter alterations in the anterior corona radiata, genu, and orbital medial prefrontal cortex. The associations between white matter alterations and apathy were independent of depression and were stronger among participants with lower current cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) counts. All told, these findings indicate that apathy is independently associated with white matter abnormalities in anterior, medial brain regions in persons infected with HIV, particularly in the setting of lower current immune functioning, which may have implications for antiretroviral therapy.
Do We Really Know that Flexible Exchange Rates Facilitate Current Account Adjustment?

This paper examines the relationship between the exchange rate regime and the pace of current account adjustment. The panel data set we refer to includes 11 catching-up countries from central, eastern and south-eastern Europe between 1994 and 2007. The exchange rate regime is measured by a continuous z-score measure of exchange rate volatility proposed by Gosh, Gulde and Wolf (2003). Based on a basic autoregression estimation, the results indicate that a more flexible exchange rate regime significantly enhances the rate of current account adjustment.
Modeling a Chimera: The Balance of Power Revisited

While we have heard relatively little in recent years about the so-called balance of power theory, it continues to hold an important if not predominant place in the international politics literature. However, notwithstanding the insightful analyses of Haas (1953) and Claude (1962). there remains considerable ambiguity in the concepts and related theories of these discussions. The assumption of the present paper is that a more formal analytic approach may help clarify some of these issues. Following the course begun with Chattcrji's (1972) formal explication of balance of power discussions, we propose a somewhat different interpretation. The balance of power theory will be presented using the technique of optimal control theory. ' Balance of power is modeled as a specific foreign policy pursued by a particular nation, U. In addition, the model specifies U's assumptions about the behavior of the other n system members and its assumptions about when wars will occur. Because of differences in the literature, we will consider two assumptions about when wars occur. We then consider two questions which we believe are a t the very heart of many discussions found in the balance of power literature: the impact on the system's war propensity of two parameters, (1) the size of the system, and (2) the specific foreign policy adopted.z
Outcome of Antiviral Immunity in the Liver Is Shaped by the Level of Antigen Expressed in Infected Hepatocytes

The liver bears unique immune properties that support both immune tolerance and immunity, but the mechanisms responsible for clearance versus persistence of virus‐infected hepatocytes remain unclear. Here, we dissect the factors determining the outcome of antiviral immunity using recombinant adenoviruses that reflect the hepatropism and hepatrophism of hepatitis viruses. We generated replication‐deficient adenoviruses with equimolar expression of ovalbumin, luciferase, and green fluorescent protein driven by a strong ubiquitous cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter (Ad‐CMV‐GOL) or by 100‐fold weaker, yet hepatocyte‐specific, transthyretin (TTR) promoter (Ad‐TTR‐GOL). Using in vivo bioluminescence to quantitatively and dynamically image luciferase activity, we demonstrated that Ad‐TTR‐GOL infection always persists, whereas Ad‐CMV‐GOL infection is always cleared, independent of the number of infected hepatocytes. Failure to clear Ad‐TTR‐GOL infection involved mechanisms acting during initiation as well as execution of antigen‐specific immunity. First, hepatocyte‐restricted antigen expression led to delayed and curtailed T‐cell expansion—10,000‐fold after Ad‐CMV‐GOL versus 150‐fold after Ad‐TTR‐GOL‐infection. Second, CD8 T‐cells primed toward antigens selectively expressed by hepatocytes showed high PD‐1/Tim‐3/LAG‐3/CTLA‐4/CD160 expression levels similar to that seen in chronic hepatitis B. Third, Ad‐TTR‐GOL but not Ad‐CMV‐GOL‐infected hepatocytes escaped being killed by effector T‐cells while still inducing high PD‐1/Tim‐3/LAG‐3/CTLA‐4/CD160 expression, indicating different thresholds of T‐cell receptor signaling relevant for triggering effector functions compared with exhaustion. Conclusion: Our study identifies deficits in the generation of CD8 T‐cell immunity toward hepatocyte‐expressed antigens and escape of infected hepatocytes expressing low viral antigen levels from effector T‐cell killing as independent factors promoting viral persistence. This highlights the importance of addressing both the restauration of CD8 T‐cell dysfunction and overcoming local hurdles of effector T‐cell function to eliminate virus‐infected hepatocytes.
Validity of instruments for measuring autonomy and control over nursing practice.

PURPOSE To review the psychometric properties and evaluate the estimates of validity of commonly used instruments to measure autonomy and control over nursing practice. DESIGN Literature review and evaluation of psychometric properties. METHODS Nursing research reports published in English in peer-reviewed journals between 1990 and 2007 were examined. Psychometric properties and the actual instrument were reviewed to determine validity for measuring autonomy and control over nursing practice. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS Instruments used to measure autonomy and control over nursing practice are frequently imprecise or inaccurate for measuring the concept of interest. Valid instruments are available to allow measurement of the concepts of clinical autonomy, work autonomy, and control over nursing practice. Clear definitions and valid measures are helpful when communicating and synthesizing nursing knowledge concerning these concepts. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Evaluating the validity of instruments for measuring clinical autonomy, work autonomy, and control over nursing practice can be helpful when organizing and synthesizing the literature related to these concepts, so that strategies to improve professional practice environments becomes more clear.
Estimating Potential Output with a Multivariate Filter

This paper develops a simple model for measuring potential output that uses data on inflation, unemployment, and capacity utilization. We apply the model to 10 countries, in addition to the United States and the euro area. While there is a substantial amount of uncertainty around our estimates, we find that the financial crisis has resulted in a reduction in potential output.
Cathedrals in the Desert? Transnationals, Corporate Strategy and Locality in Wroc ^ aw

HARDY J. (1998) Cathedrals in the desert? Transnationals, corporate strategy and locality in Wroc ^ aw, Reg. Studies 32, 639-652. This paper examines the relationship between the strategy and restructuring of transnational corporations, patterns of foreign direct investment and the transformation of the regions of East and Central Europe. Different views of the impact of foreign direct investment are interrogated by taking a case study approach which focuses on 12 significant brownfield and greenfield investments in the Wroc ^ aw region of Poland. The paper examines the relationship between their mode of entry and institutional engagement. Economic impacts are explored through looking at both the internal restructuring of firms and the wider linkages created in the local region. The paper concludes that, whilst the internal impact on individual firms has been marked, local linkages are not significant. Questions are raised about the effects of competition on indigenous firms. It is suggested that FDI has .
The effect of environmental regulation on green technology innovation through supply chain integration

This article examines the effect of environmental regulation on green technology innovation through the supply chain integration, using a multi-industry sample of manufacturing organisations. Building from the literature, this study establishes the research framework consisting of seven factors – environmental regulation, market opportunity, external competition pressure, resource-based supply chain integration, network embeddedness, technology-related capacity and green technology innovation. This study employs regression analysis and structural equation model to verify the eight hypotheses. Overall, the findings support all hypotheses but the last, H7; that is, network embeddedness is not directly related to green technology innovation. Although environmental regulatory influence may vary across industries, this study provides insights about the important role of supply chain as green technology providers in a regulatory process.