Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance Measurement of “Knights” and “Knaves”: Differences in Approaches and Impacts in British Countries after Devolution

Abstract Policies for publicly-financed health care in Britain have traditionally assumed that all the key players were “knights” who struggled to deliver the best possible services within the constraints of available resources, and hence if they failed to do so, needed extra resources. The Labour government elected in 1997 was confronted with a National Health Service in a parlous state, which following devolution became a challenge for four different territorial governments. The governments in Scotland and Wales used systems of performance measurement of hospitals that assumed “knightly” behaviour and were ineffective: the government in Scotland assumed that hospitals did not need to be held to account for performance measured by an intelligence system to identify and act on shortcomings; and the government in Wales assumed that, as hospitals would endeavour to achieve targets for waiting times, if they failed to so, they needed extra resources. Only England introduced a ranking system of performance measurement dominated by targets for waiting times that aimed to discriminate between “knights” and “knaves” and “name and shame”“failing” hospitals, which resulted in dramatic improvements in reported performance and gaming. Analysis of these different approaches to performance measurement of hospitals in Britain, and of ranking systems in the US, suggests that, for a system of performance measurement to have an impact, it needs to have potential to inflict reputational damage by producing information that is reliable, robust to criticism from the hospitals being assessed, understood in broad terms by the public, and published and widely disseminated.
Corporate Governance Ratings and Firm Performance

"We examine the corporate governance ratings provided by three premier US rating agencies and find that summary scores are generally poor predictors of primary and secondary measures of future firm performance. However, some component sub-ratings that focus on the eight key dimensions of dynamic governance structures provide more positive and reliable evidence of their information content in predicting the multiple dimensions of firm performance. These results reflect the recent observations by academic researchers and money managers that it is extremely difficult to distill all of the complex governance mechanisms into a single integrated, yet informative overall score. " Copyright (c) 2009 Financial Management Association International.
IL-12 Administration Reveals Diabetogenic T Cells in Genetically Resistant I-Eα-Transgenic Nonobese Diabetic Mice: Resistance to Autoimmune Diabetes Is Associated with Binding of Eα-Derived Peptides to the I-Ag7 Molecule1

Nonobese diabetic (NOD) and NOD-DRα transgenic (tg) mice, expressing Aαd:Aβg7 and Aαd:Aβg7 plus DRα:Eβg7 class II molecules, respectively, both develop insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), whereas NOD-Eα tg mice expressing Aαd:Aβg7 plus Eα:Eβg7 are protected. We show that IL-12 administration induces rapid IDDM onset in NOD-DRα but fails to provoke insulitis and diabetes in NOD-Eα tg mice. Nevertheless, T cells from IL-12-treated NOD-Eα tg mice secrete IFN-γ and transfer IDDM to NOD-SCID and NOD-Eα-SCID recipients, demonstrating the presence of peripheral diabetogenic Th1 cells in the protected mice. Surprisingly, regulatory cells were undetectable. Moreover, Eα:Eβg7 could substitute for DRα:Eβg7 in Ag presentation, arguing against mechanisms of protection involving capture of diabetogenic I-Ag7-restricted epitopes by Eα:Eβg7molecules. Interestingly, the expression of naturally processed epitopes derived from DRα- and Eα-chains bound to I-Ag7 is different in the two strains of tg mice, and the difference is enhanced by IL-12 administration. I-Ag7 molecules from both NOD-DRα and NOD-Eα tg mice present the conserved DRα/Eα 52-68 sequence, at high and low levels, respectively. In addition, only IDDM-resistant NOD-Eα tg mice possess APCs bearing Eα65-77/I-Ag7 complexes, which tolerize the specific T cells. This is associated with the selective inhibition of the response to insulinoma-associated protein 2 (IA-2), an autoantigen in IDDM. Our results support protective mechanisms based on I-Ag7 blockade by peptides unique to the Eα-chain, such as Eα65-77 and/or tolerance of diabetogenic T cells cross-reactive with Eα-peptide/I-Ag7 complexes.
The concept of hypercompetition—a new approach to strategic management in large multinational firms

• The common static approaches to strategic management do not fit the present rapidly changing environment. • D'Aveni in a recent book proposes tools and frameworks that meet the new economic realities, and a new 7-S model of strategic management. • The D'Aveni concepts are applied in this article to the electrotechnical industry, and in particular to the Asea Brown Boveri merger of 1988. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Determinants of the Capital Structure of Listed Australian Companies: The Financial Manager's Perspective

This paper reports the results of an investigation of financial managers' perceptions of the broad determinants of listed Australian company capital structure decisions. The research method involves a series of field interviews undertaken with the company secretaries and senior financial personnel of 48 listed Australian companies. The results are consistent with Donaldson's previously reported American findings, in that companies appear to follow a pecking order with respect to funding sources and also report policies of maintaining spare debt capacity.
A Simple and Strong Baseline: NAIST-NICT Neural Machine Translation System for WAT2017 English-Japanese Translation Task

This paper describes the details about the NAIST-NICT machine translation system for WAT2017 English-Japanese Scientific Paper Translation Task. The system consists of a language-independent tokenizer and an attentional encoder-decoder style neural machine translation model. According to the official results, our system achieves higher translation accuracy than any systems submitted previous campaigns despite simple model architecture.
Towards Better Understanding of Concrete Containing Recycled Concrete Aggregate

The effect of using recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) on the basic properties of normal concrete is studied. First, recycled aggregate properties have been determined and compared to those of normal aggregates. Except for absorption, there was not a significant difference between the two. Later, recycled aggregates were introduced in concrete mixes. In these mixes, natural coarse aggregate was partly or totally replaced by recycled aggregates. Results show that the use of recycled aggregates has an adverse effect on the workability and air content of fresh concrete. Depending on the water/cement ratio and on the percent of the normal aggregate replaced by RCA, the concrete strength is reduced by 5% to 25%, while the tensile strength is reduced by 4% to 14%. All results are compared with previous research. As new in this research, the paper introduces a simple formula for the prediction of the modulus of elasticity of RCA concrete. Furthermore, the paper shows the variation of the air content of RAC.
Affinity, Antipathy and Political Participation: How Our Concern For Others Makes Us Vote

Abstract. Some citizens differ in their levels of concern for the supporters of various parties. I demonstrate how such concerns can motivate citizens to vote. I first present a simple formal model that incorporates concern for others and election benefits to explain the decision to vote. By predicting substantial turnout, this model overcomes the “paradox of participation. ” I then verify the model empirically. I utilize a series dictator games in an online survey of more than 2000 Canadians to measure the concern of individuals for other partisans. I show how the preferences revealed in these games can predict the decision to vote in the face of several conventional controls. Taken together, the formal model and empirical results generate a more fulsome and satisfactory account of the decision to vote than an explanation which relies solely on duty. Résumé. Les citoyens ne se préoccupent pas tous des partisans des divers partis politiques. Je démontre comment de telles préoccupations peuvent motiver les citoyens à participer aux élections. Je présente d'abord un modèle formel qui explique la décision de voter en intégrant les préoccupations à l'égard des autres électeurs et les bénéfices associés à une élection. En prédisant une part substantielle de la participation, ce modèle surmonte le paradoxe de la participation électorale. Ensuite, le modèle est vérifié empiriquement. J'emploie à cette fin une série de jeux du dictateur insérés dans une enquête menée en ligne auprès de 2000 Canadiens afin de mesurer leur degré de préoccupation à l'égard des autres partisans. Je montre comment les préférences révélées dans ces jeux peuvent prédire la décision de voter. Ensemble, le modèle formel et les résultats empiriques produisent une explication plus éloquente et plus satisfaisante de la décision de voter lors d'une élection que les explications qui s'appuient seulement sur le sens du devoir.
Familias Sanas: An Intervention Designed to Increase Rates of Postpartum Visits among Latinas

Familias Sanas (Healthy Families) is an educational intervention implemented and tested with low-income, immigrant Latina mothers. The program was designed to reduce existing health disadvantages of Latinas by empowering them to take active part in the management of their health and by encouraging them to advocate for themselves. Familias Sanas was implemented at a prenatal clinic located at a major urban hospital in the southwestern U.S. The efficacy of the intervention was evaluated through a randomized control trial measuring the participants’ rate of postpartum visits and other relevant well-being measures. Initial findings show a significant effect of the intervention, with participants in the experimental group returning for their postpartum clinic visit at a higher rate in comparison with the control group. The results are discussed from a culturally specific perspective. Practice, policy, and research implications and recommendations are provided.
Interaction between ADH1B*3 and alcohol‐facilitating social environments in alcohol behaviors among college students of african descent

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Although alcohol-facilitating social environmental factors, such as alcohol offers and high perceived peer drinking norms, have been extensively studied as determinants of college drinking, their role among college students of African descent remains understudied. Furthermore, gene-environment interaction research suggests that the effects of alcohol-facilitating environments may differ as a function of genetic factors. Specifically, the alcohol dehydrogenase gene's ADH1B*3 allele, found almost exclusively in persons of African descent, may modulate the association of risky social environments with alcohol behaviors. The current study examined whether the ADH1B*3 allele attenuated the relationship between alcohol-facilitating environments (ie, alcohol offers and perceived peer drinking norms) and alcohol behaviors. METHOD Participants were 241 undergraduate students who self-identified as being of African descent (mean age = 20 years [SD = 4.11]; 66% female). RESULTS Significant interaction effects of ADH1B*3 with alcohol offers were found on alcohol use frequency (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.14) and on drinking consequences (IRR = 1.21). ADH1B*3 also interacted with perceived peer norms on drinking consequences (IRR = 1.41). Carriers of the ADH1B*3 allele drank less frequently and experienced fewer negative consequences than non-carriers when exposed to lower levels of alcohol offers and perceived peer drinking. In contrast, in high alcohol-facilitating environments, no protective genetic effect was observed. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that ADH1B*3 may protect college students of African descent against alcohol outcomes, although only in low alcohol-facilitating environments. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE Findings add to the growing body of knowledge regarding genetic and social determinants of alcohol behaviors among college students of African descent. (Am J Addict 2017;26:349-356).
Written Feedback, Student Writing, and Institutional Policies: Implications for Novice Teacher Development

This study analyzes the methods that teachers employ in written feedback to student writing and how the policies of the program and the teachers’ embodied histories influence the strategies used. Data were gathered from 2 novice teachers as they taught their first graduate-level ESL writing course and consist of the teachers’ feedback in addition to interviews and personal narratives. Participants were educated in the same MA TESOL program and taught the same course; however, striking similarities and differences in their written feedback indicate identity and personal history are as important as program policies in determining the methods and content of the feedback. Implications for novice teacher development are that reflective teaching should include reflections on both beliefs and classroom practices to identify misalignments between the two.
The Association Between an Electric Pump Loan Program and the Timing of Requests for Formula by Working Mothers in WIC

An electric pump loan program designed to facilitate breastfeeding for low-income mothers returning to full-time work was evaluated. All mothers were WIC participants in the Los Angeles area. Electric pump loans were made until the infant's first birthday or until the mother requested formula from WIC. Information was provided to employers on supporting breastfeeding in the workplace. A subsample of mothers who received an electric pump on return to full-time work was compared with counterparts in a wait list control group. Mothers who received an electric pump as soon as requested did not request formula until 8.8 months on average, whereas those who did not receive an electric pump requested formula on average at 4.8 months (P < .0001). Mothers who received an electric pump when requested were 5.5 (95% CI 2.0-15.1) times as likely as mothers who did not receive an electric pump to not request formula at 6 months. J Hum Lact. 24(2):150-158. Evaluamos un programa de préstamo de bombas eléctricas para facilitar la lactancia materna a mujeres de bajos recursos económicos que regresan a su trabajo de tiempo completo. Todas las madres son participantes en el programa WIC en el área de Los Ángeles. El programa de préstamo de bombas eléctricas se hizo hasta que el bebe cumple un año de edad o hasta que la madre solicita formula de WIC. Se dio la información a los empleadores que apoyan la lactancia materna en el trabajo. Comparamos los grupos de madres que recibieron las bombas eléctricas al volver a su trabajo de tiempo completo en contraste con aquellas en la lista de espera del grupo control. Las madres que recibieron la bomba eléctrica al solicitarla no pidieron formula hasta los 8.8 meses en promedio, mientras que aquellas que no recibieron la bomba eléctrica solicitaron formula a los 4.8% meses (P < .0001) en promedio. Las madres que recibieron una bomba eléctrica cuando la pidieron no solicitaron formula en 5.5 (95% CI 2.0-15.1) veces mas que aquellas que no recibieron la bomba eléctrica a los 6 meses.
On Lawsuits, Corporate Governance, and Directors' and Officers' Liability Insurance

We examine whether information about firms' directors' and officers' (D&O) liability insurance coverage provides insights into the likelihood of shareholder lawsuits. Using Canadian firms, we find evidence that firms with D&O insurance coverage are more likely to be sued and that the likelihood of litigation increases with increased coverage. These findings are consistent with managerial opportunism or moral hazard related to the insurance purchase decision. We also find that higher premiums are associated with the likelihood of litigation, indicating that insurers price this behavior. Taken together, the findings suggest that coverage and premium levels have the potential to convey information about lawsuit likelihood, and a firm's governance quality, to the marketplace.
Being Realistic about Urban Growth

ABSTRACT: This paper distinguishes between cities experiencing high rates of growth and those growing more slowly and argues that it is critically important to take rates of growth into consideration in policy making. Using the examples of Vancouver and Winnipeg, we explore the economic, physical, and political differences associated with their different rates of growth and consider the policy implications of these differences. We critically compare policies pursued by the two cities in five areas: economic development, infrastructure and services, land use, planning for growth, and housing. We argue that both slow and rapid growth have advantages and disadvantages but that policy, especially in slow-growth centers, is often dictated not by a sober assessment of opportunities and constraints but by an unreasoning pursuit of growth at all costs. This pursuit has engendered a way of thinking about urban policy that has affected both city governance and academic urban studies literature.
The effect of added weights on joint actions in the vertical jump.

Abstract Cinematographic records were taken of 17 males during the performance of the vertical jump under four conditions of weighting; namely: no additional weight, and additions of 6, 12, and 18 pounds. Decreases in maximal angular velocity and increases in range of motion and time of the joint actions of the hip, knee, and ankle were noted with increasing amounts of weight. Significant decreases were obtained in the V/t ratio at the hip and knee joints with increasing amounts of weight. If one assumes a constant available force, these adjustments are consistent with an increase in mass (weight) according to the formula F = m V/t.
THE BALTIC STATES AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION

At first glance it may appear that Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania belong in a separate post-communist transitional category from the pace-setting former peo­ ple's republics of East Central Europe such as Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic. As union republics of the USSR, the Baltic states were fully integrated into the Soviet political and economic system with virtually no opportunity for exercising autonomy in policymaking. Moscow's centralized control was evident in all phases of life, especially in the social policy of promoting massive in-migration of non-Baits that resulted in sweeping changes in ethnic composition during the decades of Soviet rule. Nevertheless, it is striking that the political and eco­ nomic transition in the Baltic states during the 1990s most closely paralleled that of the Visegrad countries rather than that of other former Soviet republics.1 His­ torically, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania had experienced Central European, espe­ cially German and Polish, political and cultural hegemony, and they constituted the most Westernized and modernized parts of the USSR. Unlike other Soviet republics, they also benefitted from two crucial decades of independence during the 1920s and 1930s. It is thus no accident that the Baltic states played a key role in the collapse of the Soviet Union, particularly through the activism of such mass organizations as the Popular Fronts of Estonia and Latvia as well as Sajudis in Lithuania, all of which drew inspiration from East European models, especially Solidarity and the Prague Spring. The most significant difference between the Baltic states and the countries of East Central Europe in the twentieth century has been the greater geopolitical vulnerability in the Baltic case, as reflected in their location and size, although their current security concerns may well be mitigated by growing European and international integration. The following overview will stress the commonalities in the Baltic experience in the 1990s, but it also impor­ tant to bear in mind the distinctive profile of each country. The restoration of Baltic independence in August 1991 was the culmination of a long process that began more than five years earlier with demonstrations organ­ ized by the Latvian human rights group Helsinki '86.2 The East Central European events of 1989, especially in Hungary and Poland, and the withering away of the
International Entrepreneurship and Capability Development—Qualitative Evidence and Future Research Directions

In this article, we explore how new capabilities emerge and solidify in new ventures that are faced with fundamental uncertainty from their environment. To do so, we draw from the organizational and entrepreneurial literature on cognition and capabilities. Using initial qualitative evidence from a multifirm study in the context of new venture internationalization, we develop a cognition–based model of capability emergence in new ventures. Our findings extend the capability development and learning implications of internationalization to the fundamental character of organizing processes in start–ups. Moreover, we derive avenues for future entrepreneurship research on the origins and evolution of capabilities in new ventures.
Antibacterial efficacy of sodium hypochlorite with a novel sonic agitation device.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of 3% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) with sonic agitation devices. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty extracted human single-rooted teeth were collected. Canals were prepared up to Profile #35/0.06. Forty teeth were inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis and incubated for 24 hours. The teeth were then divided into five groups based on the agitation device used. Group 1- was agitated with EndoActivator. Group 2 was agitated with Waterpik Power Flosser. In Group 3, Waterpik flosser was used with a nickel-titanium file. Group 4 (positive control) was not subjected to any agitation, and Group 5 -was the negative control. Superficial and deep dentinal shavings were collected from coronal and apical halves and sowed in brain heart infusion (BHI) agar to evaluate colony-forming units (CFU/mL). RESULTS Krusal Wallis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Mann-Whitney U test showed that Group 3 showed a smaller number of CFUs/mL Group 2 showed a relatively greater number of CFU/mL. The deep apical dentin areas showed more number of CFUs relative to other sites. CONCLUSION The nickel-titanium file attached to the Waterpik Power Flosser system was found to be as effective as the EndoActivator in antibacterial efficacy against E.faecalis.
Divorce, Fertility and the Shot Gun Marriage

Total fertility declined in states that introduced unilateral divorce, which makes dissolution of marriage easier. Also the ratio of out-of-wedlock fertility over total declined. We suggest an explanation (and provide supportive evidence for it) based upon the effect of divorce laws on the probability of entering and exiting marriage. Women planning to have children marry more easily with an easier "exit option" from marriage. Thus, more children are born in the first years of marriage, while the total marital fertility does not change, probably as a result of an increase in divorces and marital instability.