Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
00-06 Alliance Formation Issues for Knowledge-Based Enterprises

Interfirm collaboration among knowledge intensive firms is increasing as a result of accelerating competition, falling regulatory barriers, and rising customer expectations. Resource dependency theory is used to position knowledge as the key resource for the knowledge-based enterprise (KBE) and to examine the suitability of alliances as a mode of knowledge acquisition and exchange, contrasted particularly with merger and acquisition. The alliance and knowledge literatures are reviewed and particular attention is paid to the critical alliance formation stage. This stage is reviewed against a research model that posits firm performance in knowledge creation arises from a number of factors, including the motivation for an alliance, partner firm characteristics (the ability to develop and sustain valuable resources; absorptive capacity; combinative capability; experience with alliances; and appropriate design for knowledge exchange), the development of operating structures and norms, and the choice of alliance structure. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research. Introduction The challenges of accelerating competition, falling regulatory barriers, and rising customer expectations have led many companies to improve their competitiveness by combining resources explained the trend toward the use of interfirm collaboration in terms that every manager can understand: " [gaining] competitive advantage increasingly depends not only on a company's internal capabilities, but also on the types of its alliances and the scope of its relationships with other companies. " The incidence of alliance formation rose at some 25% per annum for the first half of the 1990s (Bleeke and Ernst, 1995) and there is little evidence to suggest that rate has diminished.
Is entrepreneurial competency and business success relationship contingent upon business environment

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to evaluate the effect of entrepreneurial competencies and the moderating effect of business environment on business success in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 212 Malaysian SME owner‐founders participated in this study. The structural equation modeling (SEM) procedure was used to test the proposed model.Findings – The results showed that entrepreneurial competencies were strong predictors of business success in SMEs in Malaysia. It was also found that the association between entrepreneurial competencies and business success was more strongly evident in hostile and dynamic environments than in more benign and stable environments.Research limitations/implications – Self‐report was used as the source of all data. This approach, even though criticised by some, was deemed necessary because of difficulties associated with the independent assessment of each of these variables. Nevertheless, future studies sh.
A multi finger electromagnetic actuator apparatus for biomechanical studies on the hand

The focus of this thesis was on the design and construction of a multi-finger haptic device powered by electromechanical voice-coil actuators. Five actuators were designed and constructed and a position and force feedback control system was implemented for each. The maximum continuous force output for each actuator ranged from 12-16 N, which is about 15%-30% of the maximum force that can be exerted by an individual finger. The bandwidth of the controlled actuators ranged from 0.7 Hz to 1.7 Hz, the steady-state error was zero, and the overshoot ranged from 3.5% to 7.7%. Four actuators were constructed into an array, with finger contact points 23 mm apart. Additional structures, such as finger holders and a wrist rest, were developed to complete the human interface. With further modifications, the multi-finger apparatus can be used to conduct biomechanical and perceptual studies of the human hand. Thesis Supervisor: Lynette A. Jones Title: Principal Research Scientist in Mechanical Engineering
On MMSE properties of optimal codes for the Gaussian wiretap channel

This work examines the properties of “good” codes for the scalar Gaussian wiretap channel that achieve the maximum level of equivocation. Specifically, the minimum mean-square error (MMSE) behavior of these codes is explored as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). It is first shown that reliable decoding of the codeword at the legitimate receiver and at the eavesdropper, conditioned on the transmitted message, is a necessary and sufficient condition for an optimally secure code sequence. Moreover, it is observed that a stochastic encoder is required for any code sequence with rate below the channel point-to-point capacity. Then, for code sequences attaining the maximum level of equivocation, it is shown that their codebook sequences must resemble “good” point-to-point, capacity achieving, code sequences. Finally, it is shown that the mapping over such “good” codebook sequences that produces a maximum equivocation code must saturate the eavesdropper. These results support several “rules of thumb” in the design of capacity achieving codes for the Gaussian wiretap.
Whole-blood and plasma amino acid analysis: gas-liquid and cation-exchange chromatography compared.

We analyzed for free amino acids in normal human venous plasma and whole blood by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) and by the standard cation-exchange technique.The semi-automatically prepared n-propyl N-acetyl derivatives were used for GLC. Using this method, we found higher concentrations in whole blood than in plasma for glycine, leucine, threonine, serine, aspartic #{224}cid/asparagine, methionine, and glutamic aqid/glutamin#{233}. The sum of the 17 amino acids measured in whole blood exceeded that inplasma by 592 mol/L, corresponding to an intracellular free amino acid concentration approximately one-third of that in plasma. The bulk of this difference (464 tmol/L) was accounted for by glycine, aspartic acid/asparagine, and glutamic acid/glutamine. When a group of samples was analyzed both by GLC and by ion-exchange we saw four consistent discrepancies, clearly exceeding analytical variation. For both whole blood and plasma, values for leucine and serine were higher by GLC, whereas values for glycine and tyrosine were lower by GLC. The observed differences ranged from 17.5 to 44.5%, and all were highly significant. Neither the reasons for these discrepancies nor the true values for the amino acids in question are known. The good agreement between GLC and ion-exchange chromatography for most of the measured amino acids suggests that the choice of methodology can be based primarily on considerations of start-up costs and speed of analysis.
Institutional Delivery and Satisfaction among Indigenous and Poor Women in Guatemala, Mexico, and Panama

Indigenous women in Mesoamerica experience disproportionately high maternal mortality rates and are less likely to have institutional deliveries. Identifying correlates of institutional delivery, and satisfaction with institutional deliveries, may help improve facility utilization and health outcomes in this population. We used baseline surveys from the Salud Mesoamérica Initiative to analyze data from 10,895 indigenous and non-indigenous women in Guatemala and Mexico (Chiapas State) and indigenous women in Panama. We created multivariable Poisson regression models for indigenous (Guatemala, Mexico, Panama) and non-indigenous (Guatemala, Mexico) women to identify correlates of institutional delivery and satisfaction. Compared to their non-indigenous peers, indigenous women were substantially less likely to have an institutional delivery (15.2% vs. 41.5% in Guatemala (P<0.001), 29.1% vs. 73.9% in Mexico (P<0.001), and 70.3% among indigenous Panamanian women). Indigenous women who had at least one antenatal care visit were more than 90% more likely to have an institutional delivery (adjusted risk ratio (aRR) = 1.94, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.44–2.61), compared to those who had no visits. Indigenous women who were advised to give birth in a health facility (aRR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.18–1.81), primiparous (aRR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.24–1.68), informed that she should have a Caesarean section (aRR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.21–1.63), and had a secondary or higher level of education (aRR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.04–1.79) also had substantially higher likelihoods of institutional delivery. Satisfaction among indigenous women was associated with being able to be accompanied by a community health worker (aRR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.05–1.26) and facility staff speaking an indigenous language (aRR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.02–1.19). Additional effort should be exerted to increase utilization of birthing facilities by indigenous and poor women in the region. Improving access to antenatal care and opportunities for higher-level education may increase institutional delivery rates, and providing culturally adapted services may improve satisfaction.
Sustainable urban water supply in south India: Desalination, efficiency improvement, or rainwater harvesting?

Indian megacities face severe water supply problems owing to factors ranging from growing population to high municipal pipe leakage rates; no Indian city provides 24/7 water supply. Current approaches to addressing the problem have been “utility centric,” overlooking the significance of decentralized activities by consumers, groundwater extraction via private wells, and aquifer recharge by rainwater harvesting. We propose a framework that makes it possible to evaluate a wider range of centralized and decentralized policies than previously considered. The framework was used to simulate water supply and demand in a simulation model of Chennai, India. Three very different policies, supply augmentation, efficiency improvement, and rainwater harvesting, were evaluated using the model. The model results showed that none of the three policies perfectly satisfied our criteria of efficiency, reliability, equity, financial viability, and revenue generation. Instead, a combination of rainwater harvesting and efficiency improvement best meets these criteria.
Policy Implications of a Behavioural Economics Analysis of Land Use Determinants in Rural Scotland

The paper analyses the land use behaviour of Scottish land managers and the factors influencing it in the current context of the EU rural land use policies. The analysis employs a frequently used behavioural economics method, namely structural equation modelling (SEM). Central to the empirical analysis in this paper is a cross-section database containing data collected in May to June 2009 through telephone interviews of 600 land managers in Scotland. The model tests and estimates the relationships between land use behaviour, i.e., behavioural intentions to change the size of business/holding, and several of its a priori determinants found significant in the scientific literature. The results indicate that a stronger propensity to change size of their businesses is exhibited by younger land managers who intend to pass their land on to family, with larger land size and stronger attitudes towards increasing it, with lower percentage of their income made up from Government support, who are less likely to have perceived changes in regulation and input/output prices as having an impact on their business, who discuss and plan changes in size of business with their banks/building societies, and frequently access sources of information to help with their strategic decisions.
Severe Pulmonary Hypertension Caused by Smoldering Plasma Cell Myeloma: An Autopsy Case of POEMS Syndrome

The POEMS syndrome (coined to refer to polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, and skin changes) is a rare variant of plasma cell disorders with multiple systemic manifestations. Recently, pulmonary hypertension (PH) has become established as a complication, but pathological studies of this condition are scarce and the detailed pathogenesis remains to be elucidated. We present herein a case of a 49-year-old woman who was diagnosed as having idiopathic PH and was treated in accordance. However, she eventually died of respiratory failure and an autopsy revealed the presence of smoldering plasma cell myeloma and multiple organomegaly in addition to severe PH. The latter was attributed to stenosis and occlusion of the arterioles of the lungs due to marked plasma cell proliferation, quite different from the histology of idiopathic PH. From these findings, together with the clinical details, we concluded that the patient's PH was a complication of the POEMS syndrome. This case showed a unique pulmonary vascular pathology featuring plasma cell proliferation and it provides clues towards understanding the pathogenesis with this background.
Examination of dispositions and practices in diversity: the impact of a teacher education course promoting culturally and responsive pedagogy

EXAMINATION OF DISPOSITIONS AND PRACTICES IN DIVERSITY: THE IMPACT OF A TEACHER EDUCATION COURSE PROMOTING CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PEDAGOGY by DEUSLENE LEITE BASTOS December 2011 Advisor: Dr. Karen L. Tonso Major: Curriculum and Instruction Degree: Doctor of Education Assimilation ideology guiding teachers and policy makers to mainstream immigrant children into the American schools has prevailed in spite of pluralists' efforts for reform schools to provide more opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse students. Research shows a need to change assimilation driven policies and practices which are harmful to students into a reconstructivist ideology that has shown to be more conducive for the application of culturally responsive teaching. Teacher education courses aimed to prepare teacher candidates for diverse classrooms have shown limitations due to abundant focus on theory or lack of elements in course work that are known to produce change in teachers' beliefs and practices. Conducted by a former teacher education professor who was an immigrant student, this study examines the impact of a teacher education course promoting culturally responsive pedagogy by comparing five course takers with 6 non-course takers.
Asynchronous Operation of Bufferless Crossbars

It is widely believed that bufferless crossbar switches with virtual-output queues (VOQ) at their inputs can only operate when their input-output connections are reconfigured in synchrony, i.e. only under fixed-size cell traffic. Packet-mode scheduling has been studied, but, again, assuming that all packets consist of an integer number of cells, where the scheduling time coincides with the cell time. We show that bufferless crossbars can operate directly on variable-size packets, with input-output connections being made and torn down asynchronously with respect to each other. Although such operation can initially be thought of as an extension of packet-mode scheduling, the critical difference is that now the scheduling time is much longer than packet-size granularity. We study a transformation of the well-known iSLIP scheduling algorithm to asynchronous mode of operation, and we show by simulation that it can be adapted to yield throughput close to 100% under a range of workloads. The overall result is an efficient scheduling operation, with the added advantages of eliminating (a) packet fragmentation overhead (no partially filled cells), and (b) packet reassembly in the egress datapath.
Swift, simple, effective justice? Examining the use and impact of penalty notices for disorder

This thesis examines the use and impact of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs). Introduced under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, these police-issued fines (of £60 or £90) have become part of the mainstay of the criminal justice system. Over 1.25 million PNDs have been issued, yet despite their widespread application, little is known about their use. The overarching aim of this research is therefore to shed light on this under-researched police power and examine how PNDs are used (in what circumstances and against whom). The organising structure for the research derives from an inductive analysis of the relevant parliamentary debates, consultation papers and White Papers on PNDs. This provides a thematic framework (detailing the aims of, and the concerns regarding, PNDs) to assess the use and impact of this power. The empirical research adopted a mixed-methods approach. Police observations and an analysis of PND tickets explored how PNDs were used in practice in one police force whereas surveys and interviews with PND recipients examined their perceptions and experiences of this power. The findings confirm concerns that PNDs disproportionately impact upon certain groups and offer the potential for police officers to punish people who challenge their authority. This questions the legitimacy of this power. The findings also question the adequacy of the defence that recipients’ rights are protected by their retention of the right to request a trial. A ‘right’ many view as an ineffective means to challenge (what they often saw as officers’ unfair) decisions to issue them with a PND. This research provides a much-needed insight into the use of PNDs that is of value to the police, policy makers and academics. The thesis concludes by proposing amendments to the PND system to address some of the concerns raised by this power, and indeed by this research.
An Empirical Investigation of the Impact of Dividend Policy on the Performance of Firms in Developing Economies: Evidence from Listed Firms in Nigeria

This study investigates the possible impact of dividend policy on the value and performance of firms in developing economies. The data sample for this study is drawn from 81 firms listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange during the period 2001 to 2010. The study employed the panel data regression model to analyze the data and to investigate the possible link among the variables identified. The result of the investigation provides empirical evidence to support the view that dividend policy is relevant in explaining the value and performance of firms in developing economies, especially listed firms on the Nigeria Stock Exchange. The findings revealed a significant positive impact of dividend payout on the performance of firms, measured as return on assets and return on equity. Also, the analysis revealed that firm’s dividend policy has a significant positive correlation with the firm’s profitability, proxied by return on assets. The finding confirms the proposition that dividend policy is an important determinant of firm performance. The study suggests policies that may help to improve the value and performance of the firm while contributing to shareholders’ wealth maximization.
Modeling the Currency Forward Risk Premium: Theory and Evidence

There is a huge literature on the existence of risk premia in the foreign exchange markets and its influence in explaining the divergence between the forward exchange rate and the subsequently realised spot exchange rate. In this paper, we seek to model directly the risk premium as a mean-reverting diffusion process. This is done by making use of the spot-forward price relationship and assuming a geometric Brownian process for the spot exchange rate. We are able to obtain a stochastic differential equation system for the spot exchange rate, the forward exchange rate and the risk premium which we estimate using Kalman filtering techniques. The model is then applied to the French Franc/USD and Japanese Yen/USD exchange rates from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 1998. For both currencies our main findings show (I) the persistence of substantial positive time variation in the forward risk premium and its alternating regimes; and (ii) the presence of a term structure of the forward risk premia.
Where is the wealth of nations? : measuring capital for the 21st century

The book presents estimates of total wealth for nearly 120 countries, using economic theory to decompose the wealth of a nation into its component pieces: produced capital, natural resources and human resources. The wealth estimates aims to provide a unique opportunity to look at economic management from a broader and comprehensive perspective. The book's basic tenet is that economic development can be conceived as a process of portfolio management, so that sustainability becomes an integral part of economic policy making. The rigorous analysis, presented in accessible format, tackles issues such as growth, development and equity. This publication is organized in four sections. The first part introduces the wealth estimates and highlights the main facts on the level and composition of wealth across countries. The second part analyzes changes in wealth and how they matter for economic policy. The third part deals with the level of wealth, its composition and links to growth and inequality. The fourth part reviews existing applications of resource and environmental accounting.
Consensus and dissension among Mexican economists

This article identifies areas of agreement and disagreement among Mexican economists in relation to key issues of economics, on the basis of a survey of 360 members of the profession. The propositions eliciting the greatest consensus included: equity in income distribution, vigorous use of antitrust and consumer protection laws and the use of countercyclical fiscal policies. The most contentious issues were: private investment in the energy sector, the determinants of inflation, the minimum wage as a cause of unemployment and the objectives to be pursued by an independent central bank.
Product Mix and Cost Disaggregation: A Reinterpretation of the Economics of Higher Education

This paper attempts to separate undergraduate, graduate, and research costs at the university. Since the proportion of resources allocated to each of these activities varies systematically across time and institutions, this disaggregation alters our cross-sectional and intertemporal picture of productivity, net benefits, and subsidies in higher education. Real undergraduate costs are shown to be much lower than previously assumed and the social rate of return higher; educational "productivity" has been rising through time, contrary to popular belief. Undergraduate education is now a profitable "production" activity at universities, used to subsidize their "consumption" of loss-making graduate education. Community college teaching is more costly and heavily subsidized than university teaching of lower-division students.
A Fully Transparent Flexible Sensor for Cryogenic Temperatures Based on High Strength Metallurgical Graphene

Low-temperature electronics operating in below zero temperatures or even below the lower limit of the common −65 to 125 °C temperature range are essential in medical diagnostics, in space exploration and aviation, in processing and storage of food and mainly in scientific research, like superconducting materials engineering and their applications—superconducting magnets, superconducting energy storage, and magnetic levitation systems. Such electronic devices demand special approach to the materials used in passive elements and sensors. The main goal of this work was the implementation of a fully transparent, flexible cryogenic temperature sensor with graphene structures as sensing element. Electrodes were made of transparent ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) or ITO/Ag/ITO conductive layers by laser ablation and finally encapsulated in a polymer coating. A helium closed-cycle cryostat has been used in measurements of the electrical properties of these graphene-based temperature sensors under cryogenic conditions. The sensors were repeatedly cooled from room temperature to cryogenic temperature. Graphene structures were characterized using Raman spectroscopy. The observation of the resistance changes as a function of temperature indicates the potential use of graphene layers in the construction of temperature sensors. The temperature characteristics of the analyzed graphene sensors exhibit no clear anomalies or strong non-linearity in the entire studied temperature range (as compared to the typical carbon sensor).