Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Board Interlocking in Brazil: Directors' Participation in Multiple Companies and Its Effect on Firm Value and Profitability

ABSTRACT This article investigates the simultaneous participation of directors in 320 Brazilian-listed companies in 2001, 2003, and 2005. Our results show that interlocking directorates are a common practice in Brazil. Firm value is, on average, negatively impacted by interlocking directorships, especially in firms in which a majority of directors hold three or more board positions. We also find evidence of a nonlinear relationship between interlocking and return on assets, consistent with the hypothesis that low and moderate levels of this practice may be beneficial to a company, while a high degree of interconnectedness among directors is likely to hurt performance.
Position, leverage and opportunity: a typology of strategic logics linking resources with competitive advantage

The resource-based view's (RBVs) contribution toward understanding competitive advantage remains unfulfilled. A reason is the confounding of the concept of resources with RBVs strategic logic. We disentangle these by developing a typology of strategic logics (i.e., leverage, position, and opportunity) that specify alternative theoretical pathways linking resources with competitive advantage. We clarify their market assumptions, relevant performance objectives, and managerial challenges. Besides introducing the logic of opportunity, we indicate the central insight that competitive advantage stems from the linkages among resources, not just their attributes. Thus, while VRIN resources may be useful for creating advantage, they may be neither necessary nor sufficient for competitive advantage to ensue. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Partnering the Construction of a Swedish Pharmaceutical Plant: Case Study

In recent years increased interest in cooperative arrangements, such as partnering, has been noticeable in the construction industry in many countries. To facilitate cooperative relationships many aspects of the traditional procurement procedures need to be changed. The research presented in this paper offers an analysis that compares empirically observed partnering procurement procedures with conceptual prescriptions provided by a transaction cost economics framework. The empirical illustration shows that the case client has reduced the focus on price and authority and instead facilitated a relationship based on trust and cooperation, through procurement procedures involving joint specification, limited bid invitation, bid evaluation based on soft parameters, joint selection of subcontractors, standard contracts coupled with relational norms, usage of collaborative tools, and contractor self-control. The procurement procedures chosen result in a governance form rather similar to the one prescribed by the.
Statin use and risk of epilepsy

Objective: To examine the potential efficacy of hydroxymethyl-glutaryl–coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) in the prevention of epilepsy. Methods: This study was a population-based, nested case-control study among older adults in the province of Quebec, Canada. The primary cohort consisted of cardiovascular patients who had received a revascularization procedure. Within the cohort, those with the primary hospital diagnosis of epilepsy were identified (cases). Each case was matched to 10 controls by age and cohort entry time. Potential confounders were adjusted using a conditional logistic regression model. A sensitivity analysis was performed using propensity score matching. Results: The initial cohort consisted of 150,555 subjects. Within the cohort, 217 hospital-diagnosed cases of epilepsy and 2,170 corresponding controls were identified. The adjusted rate ratio (ARR) for epilepsy among current statin users was 0.65 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.46–0.92). The ARR for past users of statins was 0.72 (95% CI 0.39–1.30). No benefit was found for the control drug groups, including nonstatin cholesterol-lowering drugs, β-blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (1.00 [95% CI 0.45–2.20], 1.04 [95% CI 0.74–1.47], and 0.94 [95% CI 0.66–1.33]). Conclusions: These results suggest that statin use decreases the risk of hospitalization for epilepsy. Because of its observational nature, this study requires future research to confirm these intriguing findings.
Bridging the gap between tertiary education and work : situated learning in accountancy

ABSTRACT: In professions such as teaching, health sciences (medicine, nursing), and built environment, significant work-based learning through practica is an essential element before graduation. However, there is no such requirement in professional accounting education. This paper reports the findings of an exploratory qualitative case study of the implementation of a Workplace Learning Experience Program in Accountancy at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia. The interview-based study documents the responses of university students and graduates to this program. The study demonstrates that a 100-hour work placement in Accountancy can enhance student learning. It highlights the potential value of the application of sociocultural theories of learning, especially the concept of situated learning involving legitimate peripheral participation (Lave and Wenger 1991). This research adds to a small body of empirical accounting education literature relating to the benefits of work placements .
Experiments for Economic Policy Making

In this paper, we assess the scope and the specific contribution of laboratory experiments for economic policy making. We review experiments which have addressed a specific problem, institution, mechanism design or tool relevant in economic policy. We have two research questions. What type of policy questions can be addressed in the laboratory? And what is the specific value added of economic experiments for policy making. The survey contains experiments on competition policy, auctions, regulated markets, emission permits and macroeconomics.
Do Pacemakers Drive the Central Pattern Generator for Locomotion in Mammals?

Locomotor disorders profoundly impact quality of life of patients with spinal cord injury. Understanding the neuronal networks responsible for locomotion remains a major challenge for neuroscientists and a fundamental prerequisite to overcome motor deficits. Although neuronal circuitry governing swimming activities in lower vertebrates has been studied in great details, determinants of walking activities in mammals remain elusive. The manuscript reviews some of the principles relevant to the functional organization of the mammalian locomotor network and mainly focuses on mechanisms involved in rhythmogenesis. Based on recent publications supplemented with new experimental data, the authors will specifically discuss a new working hypothesis in which pacemakers, cells characterized by inherent oscillatory properties, might be functionally integrated in the locomotor network in mammals.
Microbiostatic effect of murine-activated macrophages for Toxoplasma gondii. Role for synthesis of inorganic nitrogen oxides from L-arginine.

Recent studies show the importance of a single amino acid, L-arginine, as a necessary substrate for activated macrophage-mediated cytotoxic activity for tumor target cells and microbiostatic function for Cryptococcus neoformans. The present studies were carried out to determine the role of the L-arginine-dependent macrophage effector function on the microbiostatic effects of activated macrophages on the obligate intracellular protozoan, Toxoplasma gondii. A guanidino methylated derivative of L-arginine, NGmonomethyl-L-arginine (NGMMA), a competitive inhibitor of the L-arginine-dependent effector pathway, virtually abolished the normally potent microbiostatic effect of macrophages for Toxoplasma gondii after activation of the macrophages in vitro by IFN-gamma and LPS or in vivo by i.p. injection of killed Corynebacterium parvum. Addition of supplemental L-arginine to the culture medium overcame the capacity of NGMMA to block activated macrophage-mediated microbiostasis of Toxoplasma. The ability of NGMMA to inhibit the microbiostatic capacity of activated macrophages for Toxoplasma gondii correlated with almost total inhibition of synthesis of nitrite, nitrate, and L-citrulline from L-arginine. Therefore, as is the case for tumor target cells and C. neoformans, the synthesis of inorganic nitrogen oxides from a terminal guanidino nitrogen atom of L-arginine appears to be essential for murine cytotoxic activated macrophage mediated microbiostatic capacity for T. gondii.
Co-Fe metal/native-oxide multilayers: a new direction in soft magnetic thin film design II. Microscopic characteristics and interactions

Co/sub x/Fe/sub 100-x/ metal/native-oxide multilayer (MNOM) films exhibit soft magnetic properties, large magnetization, high resistivity, and a potential operating bandwidth of several gigahertz. These attractive characteristics are facilitated by ultrathin magnetic native oxide layers introduced to provide a high-resistivity barrier between nanocrystalline metal layers while preserving interlayer coupling and contributing to the net moment. This paper addresses several important features of the MNOM system from a microscopic perspective. The uniaxial anisotropy of MNOM thin films is discussed in detail and "exchange averaging" is invoked to account for its vanishingly small effective dispersion. The role of the native oxide in establishing interlayer exchange coupling is demonstrated, and a detailed account of the nature of the oxide is presented. In the Fe MNOM system, the oxide is shown to have a volume-averaged magnetization of 732(35) emu/cm/sup 3/, with a temperature dependence comparable to that of metallic Fe. The magnetism of this largely "interfacial" oxide is supported by the metal and collapses in the absence of the metal. The oxide retains a large net moment for Co fractions up to at least x=50, but oxide magnetism is lost at high Co fractions, coinciding with the loss of soft magnetic properties.
A Closed-Form GARCH Option Valuation Model

This paper develops a closed-form option valuation formula for a spot asset whose variance follows a GARCH(p, q) process that can be correlated with the returns of the spot asset. It provides the first readily computed option formula for a random volatility model that can be estimated and implemented solely on the basis of observables. The single lag version of this model contains Heston's (1993) stochastic volatility model as a continuous-time limit. Empirical analysis on S&P500 index options shows that the out-of-sample valuation errors from the single lag version of the GARCH model are substantially lower than the ad hoc Black-Scholes model of Dumas, Fleming and Whaley (1998) that uses a separate implied volatility for each option to fit to the smirk/smile in implied volatilities. The GARCH model remains superior even though the parameters of the GARCH model are held constant and volatility is filtered from the history of asset prices while the ad hoc Black-Scholes model is updated every period. The improvement is largely due to the ability of the GARCH model to simultaneously capture the correlation of volatility, with spot returns and the path dependence in volatility. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
From compliant to capable: balanced capacity development for local organisations

How to strengthen local capacity through donor-funded projects remains opaque. Using the European Centre for Development Policy Management's core capabilities model to examine a project engaging local organisations, we identify capabilities differentiating performance and gains from project participation. The studied organisations were often weak in capabilities important for successfully working with local governments. Some strengthened capacity, but improvements were concentrated in capabilities related to complying with donors’ requirements rather than capabilities enhancing performance. We question assumptions underlying programme designs based on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's donor-country cooperation principles, and offer suggestions for balancing capacity gains to sustain independent local organisations.
A Netnography of Goal Pursuit in Retirement Travel

ing, Checking & Refining Establishing themes and transforming codes to themes; Sorting data and abstracting similar phrases, common sequences and distinct differences; Checking, refining and polishing the coding system. Theme Coding: Categorizing & Conceptualizing Examining and conceptualizing the commonalities, differences, patterns and relationships. Theorizing the data in order to align the research objectives of the study.
Job Design in the Presence of Career Concerns

We reconsider the job design theory of Holmstrom and Milgrom to include career concerns. When agents are motivated by their reputation, the discretion to pursue outside activities plays an integral part in the incentive scheme. Discretion can be a useful instrument to enhance incentives and prevent the adverse selection of low‐ability agents. We argue that these synergies are useful in explaining, among other examples, the employment of US faculty members and of physicians in dual health care systems.
Iowa Gambling Task Impairment Is Not Specific To Ventromedial Prefrontal Lesions

Prior research suggests that the Iowa Gambling task is performed poorly by individuals with lesions in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC). The current study investigated whether impaired performance in individuals with frontal lobe damage is determined by the existence of VMPFC lesions. A total of 14 participants with VMPFC lesions and 6 participants with frontal lesions not involving the VMPFC region were compared. Both the VMPFC and non-VMPFC groups made significantly more disadvantageous card selections than healthy comparison participants. While these findings suggest that frontal lesions impair Iowa Gambling task performance, they do not support the claim of a specific association between Iowa Gambling task impairment and VMPFC lesions.
Debt and Macroeconomic Stability: An Overview of the Literature and Some Empirics

How does debt affect macroeconomic stability? The answer to this question has important implications, because both public and private debt levels have reached historic highs across the OECD. While accumulating debt can help smooth real activity, at high levels debt creates weaknesses in corporate, household and government balance sheets. High debt levels can create vulnerabilities, which amplify and transmit macroeconomic and asset price shocks across the economy and internationally. The empirical evidence shows that high debt levels impair the ability of households and enterprises to smooth consumption and investment and of governments to cushion adverse shocks. The empirical evidence also suggests that when private sector debt levels, particularly for households, rise above trend the likelihood of recession increases. Furthermore, when debt levels are high, recessions tend to be more severe. Dette et stabilite macroeconomique: apercu general des etudes existantes et faits constates Quels sont les effets de l’endettement sur la stabilite macroeconomique ? La reponse a cette question a des consequences importantes car les niveaux d’endettement publics et prives atteignent des sommets historiques dans les pays de l’OCDE. S’il est vrai que l’accumulation de dettes peut aider a lisser l’activite reelle, un endettement eleve affaiblit les bilans des entreprises, des menages et de l’Etat. Un fort endettement peut etre a l’origine de vulnerabilites, qui amplifient et repercutent les chocs macroeconomiques et les variations des prix des actifs dans l’economie et au plan international. L’experience montre que des niveaux eleves d’endettement limitent la possibilite pour les menages et les entreprises de lisser leur consommation et leurs investissements et, pour les gouvernements, d’amortir les chocs defavorables. Les donnees d’observations semblent aussi indiquer que lorsque la dette du secteur prive, en particulier celle des menages, depasse la tendance, la probabilite de recession s’accroit. Par ailleurs, lorsque les niveaux d’endettement sont eleves, les recessions sont generalement plus severes.
Ambidextrous Organizations: Managing Evolutionary and Revolutionary Change

Organizations evolve through periods of incremental or evolutionary change punctuated by discontinuous or revolutionary change. The challenge for managers is to adapt the culture and strategy of their organizations to its current environment, but to do so in a way that does not undermine its ability to adjust to radical changes in that environment. They must, in other words, create an ambidextrous organization—one capable of simultaneously pursuing both incremental and discontinuous innovation.
Innovation and Small Firms’ Growth Prospects: Relational Proximity and Knowledge Dynamics in a Low-tech Industry

The paper tests the hypothesis that innovation activity determines the growth prospects of small low-tech firms. Innovation here is analysed as a function of a firm's knowledge base and the relational proximity processes it is involved in. Analysis refers to small and medium- sized enterprises in tourism under the premise that important insights might be provided as regards to the functioning of innovation processes in low-tech industries.
Neighborhood environment profiles for physical activity among older adults.

OBJECTIVES To explore among older adults whether multivariate neighborhood profiles were associated with physical activity (PA) and BMI. METHODS Adults (66-97 years) were recruited from Baltimore-Washington, DC (n=360), and Seattle-King County, Washington (n=368), regions. Latent profile analyses were conducted using the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale. ANCOVA models tested for criterion validity of profiles by examining relationships to PA and BMI. RESULTS Neighborhood profiles differed significantly by as much as 10 minutes/day for moderate-to-vigorous PA, 1.1 hours/week for walking for errands, and almost 50 minutes/week for leisure PA. CONCLUSIONS Environmental variables resulted in meaningful neighborhood patterns that explained large differences in seniors' health outcomes.
Uncertainty aversion and preference for randomization

Individuals exhibit preferences for randomization if they prefer random mixtures of two bets to each of the involved bets. Such preferences underpin various models of uncertainty aversion. However, it has to our knowledge not been empirically investigated whether uncertainty-averse decision makers indeed exhibit such preferences. Here, we examine the relationship experimentally. We find that uncertainty aversion is not positively associated with preferences for randomization. Moreover, we observe a puzzling behavior that is not predicted: a non-negligible number of uncertain-averse subjects seem to dislike randomization.
Immigration policy prior to the 1930s: labor markets policy interactions and globalization backlash.

Entry to the New World was gradually closed to immigrants after the 1870s just as restrictions were also imposed upon international trade. With the end of the First World War the world economy entered a period of de-globalization and policy antagonism toward factor and goods mobility. This article uses the available theory to identify the fundamental factors which underlie changes in immigration policy and to clarify the differences between market and non-market influences. In addition the article explores the extent to which policy responded to the impact of immigrants on labor markets and the extent to which it tried instead to anticipate those impacts by reacting to the quantity and quality of immigrants. The article then assesses the impact of foreign immigration policies upon domestic immigration policies specifically investigating which countries were most sensitive to immigration policies elsewhere in the New World and to what extent the US set the pace for other countries. Trade policy was important as countries tried to respond to escalating tariffs elsewhere.
Herstatin, an autoinhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor family, blocks the intracranial growth of glioblastoma.

PURPOSE Herstatin, an autoinhibitor of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor family, was evaluated for efficacy against human glioblastoma in vitro and in vivo in a rat intracranial model. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Glioblastoma controlled by EGF receptor (EGFR; U87MG) or by the truncated mutant, DeltaEGFR (U87MG/Delta), were transfected with Herstatin and evaluated for in vitro and in vivo growth in nude rat brain. Cells treated with purified Herstatin in vitro were evaluated for growth and signal transduction. RESULTS Herstatin expression prevented tumor formation by U87MG and purified Herstatin inhibited their growth in vitro in a dose-responsive fashion, whereas in vivo and in vitro growth of U87MG/Delta was resistant to Herstatin. Inhibition of U87MG growth correlated with suppressed EGF activation of EGFR and of Akt but not mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways, whereas DeltaEGFR activity and intracellular signaling in U87MG/Delta were unaffected by Herstatin treatment. CONCLUSIONS Herstatin may have utility against glioblastoma driven by the EGFR but not the mutant DeltaEGFR. Blockade of Akt but not the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling cascade appears to be critical for suppression of intracranial tumor growth.
An Analysis of Nutritional Label Use in the Southern United States

Results from a random telephone survey of 1,421 grocery shoppers in the South suggest that 80 percent of them used food labels when making food purchasing decisions. Overall, shoppers used the information on fat content more frequently than any other labeling information. Label and attribute use were found to be statistically significantly associated with age, educational level, gender, household composition, household income, marital status, and race.
Postnatal Experiences and Genetic Effects on Squirrel Monkey Social Affinities and Emotional Distress

Most nonhuman primate research on risk factors underlying vulnerability to stress has focused on early psychosocial experiences in various species of macaques. To test for genetic and experiential effects on emotional vulnerability in randomly bred squirrel monkeys, here we combined a paternal half-sibling analysis with three postnatal rearing protocols that altered aspects of maternal availability. In one condition offspring were periodically removed from natal groups, whereas differences in maternal availability were produced in two other conditions by manipulating the effort required of lactating mothers to successfully locate food. After completion of these protocols at 21 weeks of age, social affinities, maternal separation induced peep-calls, and plasma levels of cortisol were assessed from 29 to 37 weeks of age. Significant postnatal rearing effects and the lowest heritabilities were detected in peak elevations of cortisol measured 1 day after the removal of mothers from otherwise undisturbed groups. Individual differences in cortisol 3-7 days later revealed negligible postnatal rearing effects and the highest heritabilities (h(2) approximately. 70), as offspring sired by certain fathers failed to return to the preseparation level found in undisturbed natal groups. Paternal half-siblings that responded with long lasting increases in cortisol spent more time near their mother in undisturbed groups and exhibited long-lasting increases in separation induced peep-calls. These findings concur with human twin studies that suggest genetic and experiential factors contribute to individual differences in vulnerability to emotional distress.