Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Mobile bi Capabilities in Mobile bi Success

While IS success research has gained considerable attention within academia in the past, understanding its constituents and the relationships among them has also emerged within professional fields. Since extant inquiries on the relationships among IS success dimensions have produced equivocal findings, the need to address IS success in the context of specific technologies has been regularly highlighted. Within business intelligence (BI) field one such pervasive technology gaining considerable attention is mobile BI (m-BI). Despite the recognized value that m-BI brings to firms, our understanding of the success of m-BI is limited. To address this gap, we conducted a quantitative study of key informants using m-BI, employing multiple data collection methods to understand what the key m-BI capabilities are and other success dimensions being perceived as important by users, and how they can be assessed. Our contribution to the BI and IT business value literature is twofold. First, our results highlight the users’ perceptions about m-BI capabilities that are deemed important for increasing satisfaction with m-BI and its use. Second, while these capabilities have a relatively high explanatory power for user satisfaction, their power to explain m-BI use is found to be rather low, suggesting there are other unobserved organizational characteristics importantly affecting m-BI usage behaviour, thus calling for further investigation.
Phonological similarity effects in Cantonese spoken-word processing

A Cantonese experiment is described in which the shadowing of spoken targets as a function of phonological similarity to either a succeeding prime (backward priming) or a preceding prime (forward priming) is investigated. In the backward priming conditions, alternations of onset, rime, or tone between prime and target produced inhibition, whereas in the forward priming conditions, alternations of tone led to facilitation. The results are discussed in terms of the processing and memory of Cantonese syllables.
Introduction: Do Compensation Policies Matter?

Excerpt] The papers in this volume should give the reader a sense of the exciting empirical research that has recently taken place on compensation-related issues. As a set, these papers considerably expand our empirical evidence on the effects of compensation policies. Several papers show that executive compensation is structured in a way that at least implicitly ties executive compensation changes to measures of corporate performance, and —crucially—that doing so leads to improved corporate performance (Leonard, Murphy/ Gibbons, Abowd). Others show that compensation systems that pay workers for performance, in the sense of providing explicit or implicit incentives for high levels of performance, can motivate individuals to increase their effort levels (Ehrenberg/Bognanno, Hamermesh, Asch, Kahn/Sherer). Still others show that high-wage policies do have some of the effects that proponents of efficiency wage theories claim for them (Krueger/ Groshen, Holzer). Finally, one shows that profit-sharing plans appear, at least weakly, to increase employment stability (Chelius/Smith).
Building Cultural Capability for Full-Spectrum Operations

Abstract : This report describes findings and recommendations from a research-based analysis on increasing linguistic and cultural capability in Army leaders and Soldiers. Findings from a workshop and literature review strongly support the role of culture-general skills and affect. In particular, interpersonal skills, non-ethnocentric attitudes, and openness emerged from workshop discussions and the literature as some of the most consistent contributors to success in cross-cultural settings. Workshop discussions also emphasized that cultural capability must be addressed throughout DOTMLPF and recommended that culture be incorporated at all levels of training and education. Findings from this analysis have contributed a research perspective to the development of a culture and language strategy at TRADOC. This research can further be used in identifying and prioritizing learning domains for education, training and leader development. Findings point to areas where existing training can be strengthened and to gaps that future training and education can address.
Effect of carbonate ion concentration and irradiance on calcification in foraminifera

Effect of carbonate ion concentration and irradiance on calcification in foraminifera F. Lombard, R. E. da Rocha, J. Bijma, and J.-P. Gattuso LSCE/IPSL, laboratoire CEA/CNRS/UVSQ, LSCE-Vallee, Bât. 12, avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette CEDEX, France Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany INSU-CNRS, Laboratoire d’Oceanographie de Villefranche-sur-mer, B.P. 28, 06234 Villefranche-sur-mer Cedex, France UPMC University of Paris 06, Observatoire Oceanologique de Villefranche-sur-mer, 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer, France currently at: DTU Aqua, Technical University of Denmark, Kavalergarden 6, 2920 Charlottenlund, Denmark Received: 27 July 2009 – Accepted: 10 August 2009 – Published: 1 September 2009 Correspondence to: F. Lombard (fla@aqua.dtu.dk) Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union.
Efavirenz alters mitochondrial respiratory function in cultured neuron and glial cell lines.

BACKGROUND The NNRTI efavirenz is among the most widely employed antiretroviral drugs. Although it is considered safe, efavirenz has been linked with several adverse effects including neurological manifestations, which appear in the majority of the patients on efavirenz-containing regimens. The molecular mechanisms responsible for these manifestations are not understood, but mounting evidence points to altered brain bioenergetics. METHODS We evaluated the effect of short-term efavirenz treatment on the mitochondrial respiratory function of cultured glioblastoma and differentiated neuroblastoma cell lines using a Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer. RESULTS Incubation with efavirenz provoked a significant and concentration-dependent decrease in basal respiration and specifically in ATP production-coupled O2 consumption in both SH-SY5Y and U-251MG cells, with the effect being more pronounced in the latter. In contrast, efavirenz did not alter mitochondrial proton leakage in either of the cell types. Efavirenz led to a decrease in the respiratory control ratio as well as to a reduction in the maximal respiration rate and spare respiratory capacity in both U-251MG and SH-SY5Y cells, the former cells being more susceptible. CONCLUSIONS These findings reveal that efavirenz specifically alters mitochondrial respiration, which is of relevance for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the efavirenz-associated neurological effects that have been recorded in clinical situations.
Minimum Wages and Teenagers' Enrollment-Employment Outcomes: A Multinomial Logit Model

This paper tests the hypothesis that the effect of minimum wage legislation on teenagers' education decisions is asymmetrical across family income classes, with the legislation inducing children from low-income families to reduce their levels of schooling and children from higher-income families to increase their educational attainment. We use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS) and exploit the fact that, although the minimum wage is fixed at a point in time, its value relative to adult wages varies across areas. Multinomial logit models of teenagers' enrollment-employment outcomes are estimated. The hypothesis appears to be confirmed for white teens; however, the evidence for nonwhites is more ambiguous.
Dynamic Competitive Economies with Complete Markets and Collateral Constraints

In this paper we examine the competitive equilibria of a dynamic stochastic economy with complete markets and collateral constraints. We show that, provided both the set of asset payoffs and collateral levels are sufficiently rich, the equilibrium allocations with sequential trades and collateral constraints are equivalent to those obtained in Arrow-Debreu markets subject to a series of appropriate limited pledgeability constraints. We provide sufficient conditions for equilibria to be Pareto efficient and show that when collateral is scarce equilibria are also often constrained inefficient, in the sense that imposing tighter borrowing restrictions can make everybody in the economy better off. We derive sufficient conditions for the existence of Markov equilibria and show that they typically have finite support when there are two agents' types. The model is then tractable and its equilibria can be computed with arbitrary accuracy. We carry outon this basis a quantitative assessment of the risk sharing and efficiency properties ofequilibria.
Exploration of the Association between Obesity and Semen Quality in a 7630 Male Population

This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI), other anthropometric indexes and semen quality in a general male population in Taiwan. In this cross-sectional cohort study, the study cohort consisted of 7941 healthy male individuals aged 18 years or older who participated in a standard medical screening program run by a private firm from January 2008 to May 2013. Semen parameters including sperm concentration (SC), total sperm motility (TSM), progressive motility (PRM), and normal sperm morphology (NSM) were recorded. Anthropometric indexes including BMI, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and body fat percentage were measured. A total of 7630 men were enrolled for the final analysis, of whom 68.5% had a normal weight distribution and 31.4% were overweight or obese. Total sperm motility, progressive motility, normal sperm morphology and sperm concentration showed a statistically linear decline with increasing age (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p = 0.004). Sperm concentration showed a significantly negatively linear association with BMI (p = 0.005), and normal sperm morphology showed an inverse association with BMI and waist-to-height ratio (p < 0.001 and p = 0.004). The prevalence of abnormal total sperm motility, progressive motility, normal sperm morphology and sperm concentration increased with increasing age (p = 0.011, p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p = 0.002). Lower normal sperm morphology and sperm concentration were associated with increasing body adiposity (p<0.05). No relationship between obesity and sperm motility was identified.
The Parliamentary Conservative Party : the leadership elections of William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith

The aim of this research is to investigate the post1997 Parliamentary Conservative Party, with particular attention placed upon the Conservative Party leadership election of 1997 and 2001. The thesis uses these two leadership elections as a lens which can be utilised to focus upon and analyse the ideological disputations of contemporary British Conservatism. This is done by identifying the voting behaviour of Conservative parliamentarians in the two leadership elections and then by putting forwards a systemic explanation of the candidates’ support. Three sets of variables are tested. First, the thesis analyses socio-economic variables (i.e. the occupational and educational background of conservative parliamentarians). Second, the research considers the candidates’ support in relation to electoral and political variables (i.e. electoral vulnerability, political insider / outsider status, age and experience). Finally the research will evaluate the candidates’ support with regard to the ideological disposition of the candidates and their supporters. This requires an extensive exploration of the attitudes of Conservative parliamentarians with regard to the dominant ideological divides within contemporary post- Thatcherite Conservatism – economic policy (wet / dry), European policy (europhile / eurosceptic), and social, sexual and moral attitudes (social liberalism / social conservatism). By analysing the patterns of voting in relation to social background, political attributes and ideological disposition the thesis locates and interprets the differing motivational influences on voting behaviour. The thesis argues the ideological disposition of the candidates and their supporters was the crucial factor in both the leadership elections. The final round of the 1997 leadership election was a straight ideological battle between the europhile and eurosceptic wings of the parliamentary Conservative Party. This benefited the eurosceptic William Hague at the expense of the europhile Kenneth Clarke. In 2001 both Clarke and Portillo attracted support from across the ideological spectrum of the parliamentary party, suggesting that a section of the parliamentary party had moved away from ideologically driven voting behaviour. However, Iain Duncan Smith reaching the final ballot was due to the support of an ideologically cohesive group of traditional Thatcherite MPs and indicative of the continued significance of ideology on the direction of the Conservative party.
A population-based study of the costs of care for community-acquired pneumonia

In a population-based study, the consumption of resources for treating adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia was determined. During a 2‐yr period, all cases with a clinical and radiological suspicion of community-acquired pneumonia that occurred in patients aged >14 yrs in a community of 74,610 inhabitants were investigated prospectively. Of 292 cases with a suspicion of community-acquired pneumonia, 224 were included (18.5% misdiagnoses). The mean number of visits per patient was 4.5 (72% in the primary care setting). Inpatient care was recommended in 59.8% of cases; after discharge, 44% of patients were managed in outpatient clinics. The mean direct cost of pneumonia treated in the hospital setting was (euros)1,553, whereas the mean cost of cases treated as outpatients was 196. A total of 15.7% of admissions were considered inappropriate and the length of stay could have been reduced by 3.5 days in the most severe cases. A reduction in inappropriate admissions and lengths of hospital stay would result in a decrease in cost of 17.4%. Community-acquired pneumonia in Maresme, Spain, occurs at a low incidence, although with a high percentage of hospitalisations (in part inappropriate), resulting in considerable costs.
Does global meat consumption follow an environmental Kuznets curve?

Abstract In this article, we use data on meat consumption, per capita income, and other socioeconomic variables for 150 countries to determine whether data support the hypothesis that per capita meat consumption follows a Kuznets-style inverted U-curve. In other words, as nations increase their real per capita incomes, while individuals at first consume more meat, ultimately, over time and with increased income, do they moderate their consumption? Our results signal that although there is evidence of a Kuznets relationship, the income at which our data suggests a deceleration of meat is large enough that for many countries this deceleration will not be reached in the foreseeable future. In a cross-section sample of low-income countries, we find no evidence of a Kuznets relationship. In a cross-section sample of high-income countries, we do find a potential Kuznets relationship and a deceleration of meat consumption at a per capita income of US$49,848. In the full panel-data sample combining high- and low-income countries, including data on land area and urbanization, our results suggest an inflection point in meat consumption at an income of US$36,375, still quite high for any realistic impact. Thus, our results highlight that effectively decelerating the global demand for meat may require aggressive and potentially controversial policy interventions, which, while leaving individuals with less choice, would address the otherwise devastating environmental impacts of increasing meat consumption.
Plant Information Systems, Manufacturing Capabilities, and Plant Performance

Firms have been investing over $5 billion a year in recent years on new information technology and software in their manufacturing plants. In this study, we develop a conceptual model based on the theory of dynamic capabilities to study how manufacturing plants realize improvements in plant performance by leveraging plant information systems to enable implementation of advanced manufacturing capabilities. We develop hypotheses about relationships between information systems, their impact on manufacturing practices, and the overall impact on plant performance. Analysis of survey data from 1,077 U.S. manufacturing plants provides empirical support for the dynamic capabilities model and suggests that manufacturing capabilities mediate the impact of information systems on plant performance. Our results underscore the importance of manufacturing and organizational capabilities in studying the impact of IT on manufacturing plant productivity, and provide a sharper theoretical lens to evaluate their impact.
Conventional bank and Islamic banking as institutions: similarities and differences

Purpose - – The aim of this paper is to discuss the similarities and differences of both conventional and Islamic financial institutions from various institutional perspectives. Design/methodology/approach - – This conceptual paper describes the insights held by the financial institution theory which is discussed from the perspectives of the economics of the financial institution, legal environment, the political aspect of an institution, the philosophical underpinning, the components of institution and also the ethical role of institution. Then, this paper will proceed to justify the similarities and differences that have been observed between both institutions. Findings - – Discussions in this paper will reveal that specifically specific similarity is prevalent on the nature of the supervisory role. The differences between both institutions from the aspects of business organization, economic roles and law of origin have also been found. Research limitations/implications - – The similarities and differences that are established on both institutions will affect the structure of the financial contract and the design of financial systems. Originality/value - – The paper will contribute a new knowledge specifically on the design of the Islamic financial contract based on Shariah law at the initial phase.
NBER WORKING PAPER SERIES EXPLAINING THE RISE IN EDUCATIONAL GRADIENTS IN MORTALITY

The long-standing inverse relationship between education and mortality strengthened substantially later in the 20th century. This paper examines the reasons for this increase. We show that behavioral risk factors are not of primary importance. Smoking has declined more for the better educated, but not enough to explain the trend. Obesity has risen at similar rates across education groups, and control of blood pressure and cholesterol has increased fairly uniformly as well. Rather, our results show that the mortality returns to risk factors, and conditional on risk factors, the return to education, have grown over time. David M. Cutler Department of Economics Harvard University 1875 Cambridge Street Cambridge, MA 02138 and NBER dcutler@harvard.edu Fabian Lange Department of Economics Yale University P.O. Box 208269 New Haven, CT 06520-8269 fabian.lange@yale.edu Ellen Meara Department of Health Care Policy Harvard Medical School 180 Longwood Avenue Boston, MA 02115-5899 and NBER meara@hcp.med.harvard.edu Seth Richards Department of Economics University of Pennsylvania 3718 Locust Walk Philadelphia, PA 19104 serichar@econ.upenn. edu Christopher J. Ruhm Department of Economics Bryan School, UNCG P.O. Box 26165 Greensboro, NC 27402-6165 and NBER chrisruhm@uncg.edu
Sectoral Money Demand Models for the Euro Area Based on a Common Set of Determinants

Empirical money demand analysis undertaken at the aggregate level may obscure behavioural differences between the financial, non-financial corporation and household sectors. Looking at the individual and more homogenous sectors may allow more clearly interpretable empirical relationships between money holding, scale variables and opportunity costs to be estimated. Two possible approaches can be taken to address this issue: aggregate and sectoral money holdings are explained either by a common set of determinant variables or by specific determinants, which may differ across sectors. In this analysis, the first approach has been chosen in order to highlight the different elasticities of the long-run money demand with respect to a common set of macroeconomic determinants and thereby to allow comparison of the model for the aggregate M3 with corresponding models for households, non-financial corporations and non-monetary financial intermediaries. This paper presents results for cointegrated VAR systems estimated over a sample of quarterly data from 1991 to 2005. A SUR system is estimated to cross-check the robustness of the findings and to analyse the importance of common shocks across sectors. JEL Classification: E41, C32, E59
Obama's Race: The 2008 Election and the Dream of a Post-Racial America

Barack Obama's presidential victory naturally led people to believe that the United States might finally be moving into a post-racial era. "Obama's Race" - and its eye-opening account of the role played by race in the election - paints a dramatically different picture. The authors argue that the 2008 election was more polarized by racial attitudes than any other presidential election on record - and perhaps more significantly, that there were two sides to this racialization: resentful opposition to and racially liberal support for Obama. As Obama's campaign was given a boost in the primaries from racial liberals that extended well beyond that usually offered to ideologically similar white candidates, Hillary Clinton lost much of her long-standing support and instead became the preferred candidate of Democratic racial conservatives. Time and again, voters' racial predispositions trumped their ideological preferences as John McCain - seldom described as conservative in matters of race - became the darling of racial conservatives from both parties. Hard-hitting and sure to be controversial, "Obama's Race" will be both praised and criticized - but certainly not ignored.
Mutant Superoxide Dismutase-1-Linked Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Molecular Mechanisms of Neuronal Death and Protection

Mutations in human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD) cause ∼20% of cases of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS). We investigated the mechanism of mutant SOD-induced neuronal degeneration by expressing wild-type and mutant SODs in neuronal cells by means of infection with replication-deficient recombinant adenoviruses. Expression of two FALS-related mutant SODs (A4V and V148G) caused death of differentiated PC12 cells, superior cervical ganglion neurons, and hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Cell death included many features typical of apoptosis. Death could be prevented by copper (Cu2+) chelators, Bcl-2, glutathione, vitamin E, and inhibitors of caspases. Mutant SOD-expressing PC12 cells had higher rates of superoxide (O2−) production under a variety of conditions. The results support the hypothesis that mutant SOD induced-neurodegeneration is associated with disturbances of neuronal free radical homeostasis.