Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corporate Sustainable Development: Testing a New Scale Based on the Mainland Chinese Context

According to the predominant corporate sustainable development (CSD) framework, this exploratory paper verifies that CSD construct can be modeled by integrating the dimensions of social, economic, and environmental development. We first developed and validated measurement scales for these three dimensions based on a survey of 314 managers in mainland China. Then, using structural equation modelling, we confirmed that the proposed model is valid. Therefore, our findings may allow researchers to explore CSD further, and practitioners to develop their understanding of CSD initiatives in organizations.
Interacting agents, spatial externalities and the evolution of residential land use patterns

We develop a model of land use conversion that incorporates local spillover effects among spatially distributed agents. The model is used to test the hypothesis that fragmented patterns of development in rural-urban fringe areas could be due to negative externalities that create a 'repelling' effect among residential land parcels. Identification of the hypothesized interaction effect is complicated by unobserved, spatially correlated heterogeneity. Using an identification strategy that bounds the interaction effect from above, we find empirical evidence that is consistent with a theory of negative interactions among recently developed residential subdivisions in exurban Maryland. The result offers an alternative explanation for low density sprawl to that which is frequently posited in the economics literature and one with potentially quite different efficiency implications. Copyright 2002, Oxford University Press.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I and Central Nervous System Development

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), a 70-amino acid-protein structurally similar to insulin, promotes cell proliferation and differentiation in multiple tissues. Most of its effects are mediated by the Type I IGF receptor (IGF-IR), a heterotetramer that has tyrosine kinase activity and phosphorylates insulin receptor substrates (IRS-1 and 2) which leads to the activation of two downstream signaling cascades: the MAP kinase and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (P3K) cascades. The growth-promoting effects of IGF-I are prominent in the nervous system, qualifying this molecule as a neurotrophin. Although the primary regulator of IGF-I expression is growth hormone (GH), the developmental expression of IGF-I in various tissues precedes that of GH, supporting an independent role of IGF-I in embryonic and fetal life [1]. This review will examine the effect of IGF-I on central nervous system (CNS) development. The specialized structure of the CNS is the product of a complex series of biological events which result from the interaction between the cells' genetic program and environmental influences. CNS development begins in the embryo with dorsal ectodermal cell proliferation to form the neural plate, and, with its closure, the neural tube, followed by the rapid division of pluripotential cells, their migration to the periphery of the neural tube, and differentiation into neural or glial cells. During the latter stages, cells form special structures such as nuclei, ganglia, cerebral cortical layers, and they also develop a network with their cytoplasmic extensions, neurites. Many more cells and connections are generated in fetal life than are found in the mature organism. This excessive production of some cell groups and neurites may compensate for tissue loss due to various injuries, and their selective elimination also constitutes an efficient way to organize the architecture of the CNS. This elimination is believed to be accomplished by apoptosis. The cells' intrinsic program for development includes the expression of various genes at different times. Environmental influences, such as extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules that attract or repel cells, afferent inputs, and target-derived diffusible molecules modify and modulate cellular behavior. IGF-I is among the molecules which affect several steps involved in development.
Auditory attention in autism spectrum disorder: An exploration of volumetric magnetic resonance imaging findings

ABSTRACT Studies have shown that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to perform significantly below typically developing individuals on standardized measures of attention, even when controlling for IQ. The current study sought to examine within ASD whether anatomical correlates of attention performance differed between those with average to above-average IQ (AIQ group) and those with low-average to borderline ability (LIQ group) as well as in comparison to typically developing controls (TDC). Using automated volumetric analyses, we examined regional volume of classic attention areas including the superior frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus in ASD AIQ (n = 38) and LIQ (n = 18) individuals along with 30 TDC. Auditory attention performance was assessed using subtests of the Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL) compared among the groups and then correlated with regional brain volumes. Analyses revealed group differences in attention. The three groups did not differ significantly on any auditory attention-related brain volumes; however, trends toward significant size–attention function interactions were observed. Negative correlations were found between the volume of the precuneus and auditory attention performance for the AIQ ASD group, indicating larger volume related to poorer performance. Implications for general attention functioning and dysfunctional neural connectivity in ASD are discussed.
Organizational Citizenship Behavior Research in Hospitality

ABSTRACT Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) are discretionary workplace behaviors not recognized directly by a formal reward system; yet they promote effective functioning in the organization. Exhibition of OCBs has been linked to improved organizational performance and employee performance evaluation scores. Although approximately 200 articles have been published since the term OCB was first coined in 1983, fewer than a dozen articles have appeared in the area of hospitality. This article discusses various theories underlying OCB research, summarizes OCB research in hospitality, and suggests future research directions for OCB research in the hospitality industry.
A Novel Approach to Recovery of Function of Mutant Proteins by Slowing Down Translation*

Background: Current strategies to alleviate protein misfolding include manipulation of chaperones, proteasomes, or autophagy. Results: Mild translation inhibition disproportionally blocked production of misfolded proteins and improved mutant CFTR function. Conclusion: Slowing down translation improves folding of newly synthesized proteins in mammalian cells and recovers mutant protein function. Significance: Attenuation of translation could be a novel approach to treatment of protein-misfolding disorders. Protein homeostasis depends on a balance of translation, folding, and degradation. Here, we demonstrate that mild inhibition of translation results in a dramatic and disproportional reduction in production of misfolded polypeptides in mammalian cells, suggesting an improved folding of newly synthesized proteins. Indeed, inhibition of translation elongation, which slightly attenuated levels of a copepod GFP mutant protein, significantly enhanced its function. In contrast, inhibition of translation initiation had minimal effects on copepod GFP folding. On the other hand, mild suppression of either translation elongation or initiation corrected folding defects of the disease-associated cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mutant F508del. We propose that modulation of translation can be used as a novel approach to improve overall proteostasis in mammalian cells, as well as functions of disease-associated mutant proteins with folding deficiencies.
Pathogenesis of H9N2 virus in Chukar partridges

Low-pathogenic avian influenza virus (H9N2) is circulating in the poultry industry of many countries in the Middle East and Asia, causing serious economic damage. In this study the clinical signs, antibody response, viral shedding and efficacy of oil emulsion vaccines in Chukar partridges were investigated until 9 days post inoculation (d.p.i.). Seventy-five Chukar partridges (Alectoris chukar) were divided randomly in three groups of challenged (Group C), vaccinated and challenged (Group VC) and control (non-vaccinated and non-challenged [Group NC]), 25 birds/group. Groups C and VC were inoculated with 0.4 ml allantoic fluid containing 107 median embryo infective dose/bird of A/Chicken/Iran/772/1998(H9N2) avian influenza virus. Clinical signs, antibody response, viral shedding and vaccine efficacy were evaluated and compared among these groups over 9 days. Clinical signs such as coughing and sneezing with depression and decreased feed and water consumption were observed in Group C. In Group VC only a slight decrease in food and water consumption was observed. Both Groups C and VC showed maximum antibody titre at 9 d.p.i. At 1 d.p.i. the virus was detected from all tissues in challenged group, but the virus was not detected from the spleen and caecal tonsil of Group VC. Group C showed the longest period of viral shedding in the trachea and kidney.
Loss of genetic variability in a hatchery strain of Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) revealed by sequence data of the mitochondrial DNA control region and microsatellite markers

Comparisons of the levels of genetic variation within and between a hatchery F 1 (FAR, n=116) of Senegalese sole, Solea senegalensis , and its wild donor population (ATL, n = 26), both native to the SW Atlantic coast of the Iberian peninsula, as well as between the wild donor population and a wild western Mediterranean sample (MED, n=18), were carried out by characterizing 412 base pairs of the nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial DNA control region I, and six polymorphic microsatellite loci. FAR showed a substantial loss of genetic variability (haplotypic diversity, h=0.49±0.066; nucleotide diversity, π=0.006±0.004; private allelic richness, pAg=0.28) to its donor population ATL (h=0.69±0.114; π=0.009±0.006; pAg=1.21). Pairwise F ST values of microsatellite data were highly significant (P ST and F ST values between ATL and MED were highly significant (P < 0.0001) with mtDNA CR-I (0.228) and with microsatellite data (0.095), respectively. While loss of genetic variability in FAR could be associated with the sampling error when the broodstock was established, the results of parental and sibship inference suggest that most of these losses can be attributed to a high variance in reproductive success among members of the broodstock, particularly among females.
Institutional Ownership and Income Smoothing by Japanese Banks Through Loan Loss Provisions

This paper examines the association between institutional ownership and income smoothing through bank loan loss provisions for a sample of Japanese banks during the period 1991–1999. We find that as the percentage of institutional ownership of banks increases, income smoothing via loan loss provisions increases. Additional tests show that there is a significant positive relationship between the extent of income smoothing and the percentage ownership of banks by domestic financial institutions and affiliated (keiretsu) institutions. Consistent with the idea that foreign institutional holders do not play an important role in the corporate governance of Japanese banks, we do not find a significant association between foreign institutional ownership and the extent of income smoothing. Our results imply that institutional owners may play a different role in monitoring income smoothing during the recessionary period in Japan from the normal economic periods studied in most prior studies.
V(D)J recombination coding junction formation without DNA homology: processing of coding termini

Coding junction formation in V(D)J recombination generates diversity in the antigen recognition structures of immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor molecules by combining processes of deletion of terminal coding sequences and addition of nucleotides prior to joining. We have examined the role of coding end DNA composition in junction formation with plasmid substrates containing defined homopolymers flanking the recombination signal sequence elements. We found that coding junctions formed efficiently with or without terminal DNA homology. The extent of junctional deletion was conserved independent of coding ends with increased, partial, or no DNA homology. Interestingly, G/C homopolymer coding ends showed reduced deletion regardless of DNA homology. Therefore, DNA homology cannot be the primary determinant that stabilizes coding end structures for processing and joining.
Russian Privatization and Corporate Governance: What Went Wrong?

In Russia and elsewhere, proponents of rapid, mass privatization of state-owned enterprises (ourselves among them) hoped that the profit incentives unleashed by privatization would soon revive faltering, centrally planned economies. The revival didn't happen. We offer here some partial explanations. First, rapid mass privatization is likely to lead to massive self-dealing by managers and controlling shareholders unless (implausibly in the initial transition from central planning to markets) a country has a good infrastructure for controlling self-dealing. Russia accelerated the self-dealing process by selling control of its largest enterprises cheaply to crooks, who transferred their skimming talents to the enterprises they acquired, and used their wealth to further corrupt the government and block reforms that might constrain their actions. Second, profit incentives to restructure privatized businesses and create new ones can be swamped by the burden on business imposed by a combination of (among other things) a punitive tax system, official corruption, organized crime, and an unfriendly bureaucracy. Third, while self-dealing will still occur (though perhaps to a lesser extent) if state enterprises aren't privatized, since self-dealing accompanies privatization, it politically discredits privatization as a reform strategy and can undercut longer-term reforms. A principal lesson: developing the institutions to control self-dealing is central to successful privatization of large firms.
"Delivering the Male": Sports, Canadian Television, and the Making of TSN

Abstract: The Sports Network (TSN) is a 24-hour all-sports specialty programming service that is widely distributed in the Canadian cable television system. In eight years of operation, TSN has achieved significant financial success following a pragmatic market plan conceived in the face of the technological, regulatory, and market conditions of sports and Canadian broadcasting in the early 1980s. This paper examines critically the market strategy of TSN in light of these conditions, and evaluates some of the impacts of this strategy on TSN's programming, as well as some implications of the changing regulatory environment of the 1990s for the network's continued operation. Resume: TSN (The Sports Network) est une chaine specialisee dans la diffusion d'emissions sportives 24 heures par jour, qui est largement distribuee sur le reseau canadien du câble de television. Au cours de ses huit annees de fonctionnement, TSN a remporte un grand succes financier grâce a une habile strategie de mise en marche concue en fonction des conditions du marche, de la reglementation et de la technologie touchant les sports et la telediffusion au Canada au debut des annees 1980. Cet article analyse de maniere critique la strategie de marketing de TSN en regard de ces conditions et evalue son impact sur la programmation de TSN. L'auteur analyse egalement certaines consequences sur la poursuite des activites de la chaine du changement dans l'univers de la reglementation au cours des annees 1990.
International new ventures localised in incubators - markets, resources and dynamic environment

Compared to previous studies of born-globals, international new ventures (INVs) etc., this paper focuses on export activities at an even earlier stage of firm development. The paper investigates incubatees' export and markets, dynamic environment and organisational resources using correlation matrix, regression analyses and factor analyses. Our study confirms that the literature describing that export activities may be a way to develop INVs is also true for INV localised in incubators. However, we were only able to partly confirm that firms are more likely to focus on international markets if they perceive their markets to be competitive and fast developing. Contrastively, the export decision seems to be based on market analyses as well as created copyrights, patents and licenses. This paper contributes to the underdeveloped part of the incubator literature dealing with how incubators could help their incubatees when aiming for international markets.
Outside Directors with a Stake: The Linchpin in Improving Governance

In recent years, numerous governance experts and activist investors have argued that outside directors should hold significant stakes in the companies they oversee. So far, however, systematic evidence that outside directors' holdings are actually associated with subsequent corporate performance has been scarce. This article provides such evidence. It examines a sample of companies that significantly outperformed their business sectors (in shareholder returns) over a 10-year period (Stars) and a matched sample of companies that underperformed their sectors during the same period (Laggards). At the outset of the 10-year period—before their performance diverged—the outside directors of the Star companies held substantially more equity (about four to five times more) than did the directors of the Laggard companies. Then, as the Stars outpaced the Laggards in performance, the disparity in director holdings grew even wider. The results strongly suggest that directors with a meaningful stake are a pivotal factor in improved governance. The article concludes with a proposal for a new approach for getting equity into directors' hands—a stock purchase matching fund for each director—that overcomes the drawbacks of currently prevailing approaches.
Family firms' risk perception: empirical evidence on the internationalization process

Purpose – This paper has as its aim to research the factors affecting the risk perceived by family firm executives in relation to international activity.Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines the factors which can modify risk perception, placing special emphasis on those arising from the coincidence of ownership and management in family businesses.Findings – Focus on the international commitment assumed by family firms and using a sample of 92 Spanish family companies, this paper shows that risk perception decreases with the presence of the first generation and the size of these organisations. Additionally, it has been found that the risk perceived is higher when the firm advances in its international commitment level.Practical implications – If family firms know the factors which can affect the risk perceived about international activity, they will stand a better chance to handle them properly with a view to move forward in their internationalisation process.Originality/value – An effort is mad.
Effect of Price Information and Promotion on Click-Through Rates for Internet Banners

SUMMARY The area of Internet advertising research has, up to now, focused mostly on banner size, placement and media planning factors. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of price information and promotion in banner ads on the click-through rate (CTR), which can be a predictor of product interest and potential purchase behavior. The study of a database including about 1200 ad insertions reveals that neither price nor promotional information has a direct effect on CTR. But interactions between mention of price or promotion and type of placement are significant.
Barriers to seeking treatment for major depression

The purpose of this study was to examine the reasons people with an episode of Major Depression do or do not seek treatment for the episode. We interviewed 101 persons who met criteria for an RDC Major Depressive episode that lasted at least 4 weeks within 3 years of the interview date, exploring in detail the reasons they gave for seeking or not seeking treatment. GAS ratings indicated that all subjects were moderately impaired at the time of the episode. We found that 55% of the subjects did not seek treatment for this episode, while 45% did. Significant predictors of treatment seeking included a history of prior treatment, higher education, and greater episode length. Non‐seekers felt they could handle the episode themselves, did not consider it serious or did not recognize it as an illness. Seekers on the other hand felt the episode was too painful and lasted too long and caused significant disruption in their interpersonal relationships and role functioning. We discuss the implications of these findings in terms of the importance of continued educational efforts to encourage treatment seeking as well as the need for further research to explore the manner in which people decide that affective signs and symptoms have reached a threshold that leads to treatment seeking. Depression and Anxiety 4:273–278, 1996/1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bilateral Forward Contracts and Spot Prices

Allaz and Vila (1993) have shown that forward markets could mitigate market power and improve efficiency. This paper shows that efficiency-improving effect of forward markets is sensitive to the assumption that market participants behave like rational expectations agents when forecasting prices. The existence of forward contracts could increase spot prices and hurt efficiency if buyers engage in bilateral forward contracts and forward rates are influenced by historic prices. These findings have important policy implications for the electricity industry.
New Institutional Economics' contribution to strategic groups analysis

Rather than consider the two broad strands of strategic group research-performance-based and behavior-based studies-as competing approaches, we argue that they relate to complementary levels of analysis. We present a four-level framework for analyzing structures within industries drawn from New Institutional Economics (NIE) which covers different approaches to strategic group formation from institutional isomorphism and embeddedness through to the firm-level effects of certain resource deployments. We apply an institutional approach to a case study of the Australian banking industry and supplement this with a quantitative approach based around key strategic variables. This analysis suggests that distinct groups have emerged due to the institutional environment and the different regulatory environments experienced by various banks in the industry. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.