Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Breaking down corporate secrecy in the Middle East: lessons from a successful “infomediary”

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the history of poor corporate transparency in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and show how one company, Zawya LLC, has succeeded in turning this persistent problem into a business opportunity by creating a successful information collection and dissemination business or “infomediary”. Design/methodology/approach – Through interviews with knowledgeable individuals, the author examines the techniques the Company has used to develop its corporate database in Lebanon, where much of its operations are now based, and elsewhere in the region.Findings – While government control and influence represents a major challenge to entrepreneurs throughout the Middle East, its nature varies considerably. The fundamental key to breaking down traditions of secrecy in both the private and public sector is to promote a virtuous circle of information provision and use. The success of “infomediaries” who do this is consistent with the concept of “self‐regulating sub.
Organized Labor, Democracy, and Life Satisfaction

In this paper we attempt to assess how labor unions affect cross-national variation in life satisfaction. We argue that cross-national differences in the extent of labor organization play a significant role in determining why citizens in some nations express greater subjective satisfaction with life than others. We examine this proposition using data on nations that cover the political and economic spectrum. To anticipate our findings, we show that individual union membership has a consistent positive effect on individual well-being. Our main focus, though, is the effects of the national level of union density on the general, overall level of satisfaction within a country, considering both union members and nonmembers. We find that union density is strongly associated with the general level of well-being but that this effect is conditioned, as we expect, by the level of democracy: in democratic countries, union density produces greater levels of life satisfaction, while in highly authoritarian settings, it appears to reduce satisfaction. In each case, these effects obtain for members and nonmembers alike, thus highlighting the importance of labor unions for the general, overall level of quality of life across nations.
Bioinformatic Identification and Expression Analysis of Banana MicroRNAs and Their Targets

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of endogenous non-coding small RNAs that play important roles in multiple biological processes by degrading targeted mRNAs or repressing mRNA translation. Thousands of miRNAs have been identified in many plant species, whereas only a limited number of miRNAs have been predicted in M. acuminata (A genome) and M. balbisiana (B genome). Here, previously known plant miRNAs were BLASTed against the Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) and Genomic Survey Sequence (GSS), a database of banana genes. A total of 32 potential miRNAs belonging to 13 miRNAs families were detected using a range of filtering criteria. 244 miRNA:target pairs were subsequently predicted, most of which encode transcription factors or enzymes that participate in the regulation of development, growth, metabolism, and other physiological processes. In order to validate the predicted miRNAs and the mutual relationship between miRNAs and their target genes, qRT-PCR was applied to detect the tissue-specific expression levels of 12 putative miRNAs and 6 target genes in roots, leaves, flowers, and fruits. This study provides some important information about banana pre-miRNAs, mature miRNAs, and miRNA target genes and these findings can be applied to future research of miRNA functions.
Self-service technology options and service quality: the case of online banking services

Despite the significant growth in the use of technology-based self-service options by organisations, there exists only limited research investigating the customer interactions with such service options. This study tests two of the service quality models proposed by Dabholkar using actual users of online banking services. Findings indicate that speed of delivery, ease of using online banking services, enjoyment and attitude towards technological products are important predictors of service quality. Service quality is also related positively to intentions to use, recommendation to others and to overall satisfaction. Some of the findings and implications for bank managers are discussed.
Public Sector Reforms and Service Quality Issues From the Perspective of the Small Island Developing States in the Pacific: A Case of Fiji

The purpose of this article is to compare service quality of the Fiji Islands Maritime Safety Administration (FIMSA) and the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF). Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 200 Fiji maritime industry stakeholders. Research findings identified FIMSA and MSAF service delivery misalignment with customer expectations; customer’ expectations exceeded perceived customer service experiences of FIMSA and MSAF; and, perceived customer service experiences of MSAF were noticeably better than those of FIMSA.
Inflation, debt, and indexation

These twelve essays cover topics on the frontier of indexation and practice, an often proposed and debated tool of economic policy. They range from highly theoretical discussions to practical experiences in Brazil and Europe. Rudiger Dombush is Ford International Professor of Economics at MIT. Mario Henrique Simonsen is Director of the Postgraduate School of Economics, Getulio Vargas Foundation, Rio de Janeiro and former Minister of Finance and Planning, Brazil.
Partial auction, pricing information and price adjustment in the IPO's aftermarket: an empirical study of TAIEX-listing firms

The present study examines the introduction of partial auction on speed of price adjustment in the Initial Public Offering's (IPO) aftermarket in Taiwan. From a paired comparison between before/after introducing partial auction sub-samples of the IPO firms, as expected, it is found that the average trading days of stock prices needed for reaching equilibrium is significantly smaller in the ‘issues after introducing partial auction’ sub-period, when compared with the ‘issues before introducing partial auction’ sub-period. Within the post-partial-auction sub-period, it is found that the average trading days of stock prices needed for reaching equilibrium is somewhat smaller in the ‘issues with partial auction’ subgroup when compared with the ‘issues without partial auction’ subgroup, but, when the observation period is extended to 3 months, the difference as expected disappears. More importantly, the average number of days of completing adjustment for both ‘issues with partial auction’ and ‘issues without partial auction’ subgroups are shortened as a result of the introduction of partial auction when compared with their counterpart in the pre-partial-auction sub-period. When ‘firm size’ and ‘book-to-market ratio’ are added in company with three other explanatory variables in a regression analysis, the inference that the introduction of the partial auction speeds up the price adjustment in the aftermarket remains intact. The present study therefore concludes that the speed of adjustment quickens after introducing auctions mechanism into Taiwan IPO market.
Swimming Performance and Haematological Variables in Splenectomized Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus Mykiss

Haematological variables were measured during aerobic swimming (45–55% of U crit ) and at critical swimming velocity ( U crit ) in acutely splenectomized and sham-operated rainbow trout. There was no correlation between haematocrit (Hct) and U crit in either group of fish. The control values for the haematological variables did not differ significantly between the two groups of fish. Some haematological variables changed during aerobic swimming and at U crit , but there were no significant differences between the two groups for any of the variables. Arterial blood oxygen tension was significantly reduced at U crit . Arterial blood oxygen content (Ca O O2 ) was maintained in sham-operated fish because the Hct increased significantly. However, in the splenectomized animals, Ca O O2 decreased (compared to control values) during aerobic swimming and at U crit because the Hct did not change. Plasma concentrations of lactate and catecholamines were elevated only at U crit . We provide evidence of a graded spleen contraction during aerobic swimming.
New Employee Relations Strategies in Britain:Towards Individualism or Partnership?

This article addresses the themes of individualism, partnership and collectivism in British industrial relations by reporting on a detailed three-year case-study-based research project. Drawing on this data set, we offer insights into practical developments in contemporary workplaces and into the thinking of managers and employee representatives as they attempt to steer new paths in their relations. In particular, we examine what happens in practice when senior management teams, in previously collectivized organizations, set out with the explicit intent of shifting the balance of emphasis towards more "individualized" relations with employees and/or to devise new "partnership" arrangements.
The Effects of Customer Relationships and Social Capital on Firm Performance: A Chinese Business Illustration

The authors use the resource-based view of the firm to frame the direct, relative, and synergistic effects of three firm relational resources (i.e., customer relationships, business-partner social capital, and governing-agency social capital) on firm performance (strategic and financial) in a sample of 262 businesses that operate in metropolitan Chinese cities. Although the findings indicate that all three relational resources enhance performance, they also indicate that customer relationships are the primary drivers of strategic and financial performance and that business partnerships and governing-agency social capital have a synergistic influence. In addition, the results indicate that the influences of these resources are moderated by domestic or international firm ownership. The authors discuss the implications for academics and practitioners.
Book Review: Industrial Relations Theory: Understanding European Trade Unionism: Between Market, Class and Society

Understanding European Trade Unionism is a well-written, thought-provoking book. Those familiar with Richard Hyman's writings will recognize this book's argument as the logical extension and synthesis of his past work. The book's central thesis is that European trade unionism (and, by implication, trade unionism elsewhere) is undergoing an ideological crisis that is undermining its power base, causing, or at least contributing to, labor's long decline. At the root of this ideological crisis, Hyman argues, is the decline of unions as "schools of war" in class struggle. Hyman does not regard unions purely, or even mainly, as agents of class struggle. Rather, he identifies three roughly co-equal roles for them. First, unions are economic actors, seeking to improve the welfare of their members through industrial strength and collective bargaining. Second, they are "social partners," and as such are an essential part of stable, democratic societies. Third, they are vehicles for class struggle, fighting the commodification of labor under capitalism. All unions are all three of these things, in some combination, although each facet is more or less evident at different
Optimal Design of Means Tested Retirement Benefits

Design of welfare benefits is a tricky business. In this regard, James Meade believed that it is important to avoid excessive distortions to the price of labour. He also recognised that means testing is a useful way of limiting the 'hideously expensive' cost of universal benefits provision; he conjectured that a 50% claw-back rate might be appropriate. We use a rational agent model to explore the welfare effects of alternative retirement benefits arrangements in the UK. Our analysis supports an extensive role for means testing, consistent with Meade's conjecture, and highlights the distortions associated with alternative methods of benefits financing. Copyright © The Author(s). Journal compilation © Royal Economic Society 2009.
Circadian variation of fatigue in both patients with paralytic poliomyelitis and post-polio syndrome.

OBJECTIVE It was to evaluate the degree of fatigue in patients with paralytic poliomyelitis (PP) and with post-polio syndrome (PPS), and correlate it with parameters of sleep and the circadian cycle. METHODS Thirty patients, 17 female (56.7%), participated in the study: they answered the Revised Piper Fatigue Scale and performed a nocturnal polysomnographic study. Eleven had PP (mean age±standard deviation of 47.9±6.4 years), and 19 had PPS (mean age±standard deviation of 46.4±5.6 years). RESULTS Our study showed that fatigue was worse in the afternoon in the PP Group and had a progressive increase throughout the day in the PPS Group. We also observed compromised quality of sleep in both groups, but no statically significant difference was found in the sleep parameters measured by polysomnography. CONCLUSION Fatigue has a well-defined circadian variation, especially in PPS Group. Poor sleep quality is associated with fatigue and, therefore, sleep disturbances should be evaluated and treated in this group of PPS.
Euroscepticism and the radical right: domestic strategies and party system dynamics

The thesis analyses the phenomenon of party-based Euroscepticism with specific reference to radical right parties. It provides a bridge between the literatures on party behaviour, radical right parties and the study of Euroscepticism. Challenging the notion that parties belonging to the same party family display similar positions on European integration, it argues that radical right parties do not adopt a uniform EU stance. By putting forward a typology of radical right Euroscepticism, the thesis establishes that radical right European positions differ in terms of content, strength and motivation. In explaining this divergence, the thesis adopts a framework of party strategic behaviour and argues that party positions on Europe are related to the endogeneity of the party system and the dynamics of inter party competition. In particular, the thesis shows that a radical right party’s position on European integration as well as the way in which it accommodates the European issue in its discourse is a function of the party’s wider agenda in the national party system. The latter is developed with reference to (1) party type and (2) its predominant aims and objectives at the domestic level. The thesis demonstrates that the European issue is integral to the radical right’s discursive toolkit but the ways in which the party chooses to debate the issue and/or politicise it largely depend on the national context. This thesis employs a nested research design as a mixed methods strategy joining the study of the wider universe of European radical right parties with intensive case study qualitative analysis. It commences with an overview of the general patterns and dynamics of radical right Euroscepticism both across Europe and within the political arenas where the three party case studies operate. It proceeds by providing an in depth study of three radical right parties during the period 1999-2009, including the French National Front, the Greek Popular Orthodox Rally and the Italian National Alliance.
The utility of Medicare claims data for measuring cancer stage.

BACKGROUND The validity of using claims data for measuring tumor stage, one of the most important determinants of choice of therapy and long-term survival, is unknown. OBJECTIVES To determine the relative accuracy of both inpatient and hospital Outpatient Medicare claims for measuring the stage of disease of six commonly diagnosed cancers. RESEARCH DESIGN Analysis of a database linking Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry data and Medicare claims in patients aged 65 years with cancer. SUBJECTS Three hundred twenty thousand, six hundred and thirty seven cases of invasive breast, colorectal, endometrial, lung, pancreatic, and prostate cancers diagnosed between 1984 and 1993. MEASURES Using SEER files as the "gold standard," concordance with Medicare claims, as well as sensitivity and positive predictive value of coding for each stage was measured. RESULTS Although Medicare data correctly categorized local, regional, and distant stage tumors in 97%, 33%, and 65%, respectively, the data substantially overestimated the proportion of localized tumors and underestimated the rate of regional stage disease. The highest concordance was observed for breast and colorectal cancer. However, the sensitivity and positive predictive values were never simultaneously 80% within one stage of a specific cancer. The accuracy of coding for stage in Outpatient files was inferior to inpatient data. CONCLUSIONS With few exceptions, Medicare claims have limited utility as a measure of cancer stage. If tumor registry data are not available, investigators should consider the trade offs in sensitivity and predictive value when considering a study that will use claims data.
Consumer knowledge, consumption, and willingness to pay for organic tomatoes

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to analyze the levels of knowledge and consumption of organic tomatoes in Spain, and their influence in consumer willingness to pay for this type of food.Design/methodology/approach – The data used in this work come from a survey of 361 Spanish consumers. The paper analyzes the levels of consumption and the knowledge of organic foods, proposing a contingent valuation exercise for organic tomatoes. The Hanemann model is used to estimate the average and maximum willingness to pay for this product. A multivariate logit model was calculated, with different starting prices and variables derived from a cluster analysis of consumers.Findings – Three distinct groups of consumers were identified, and their willingness to pay for organic tomatoes was modeled using contingent valuation. The results clearly show a generalized lack of knowledge of organic products and the confusion caused by the proliferation of labels. A clear relationship was also observed between consumers' le.
Trichoderma reesei alpha-1,2-mannosidase: structural basis for the cleavage of four consecutive mannose residues.

The process of N-glycosylation of eukaryotic proteins involves a range of host enzymes that delete or add saccharide monomers. While endoplasmic reticulum (E.R.) mannosidases cleave only one mannose to produce the Man8B isomer, an alpha-1,2-mannosidase from Trichoderma reesei can sequentially cleave all four 1,2-linked mannose sugars from a Man(9)GlcNAc(2) oligosaccharide, a feature reminiscent of the activity of Golgi mannosidases. We now report the structure of the T. reesei enzyme at 2.37 A resolution. The enzyme folds as an (alpha alpha)(7) barrel. The substrate-binding site of the T. reesei mannosidase differs appreciably from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae enzyme. In the former, shorter loops at the surface allow substrate protein to come closer to the catalytic site. There is more internal space available, so that different oligosaccharide conformations are sterically allowed in the T. reesei alpha-1,2-mannosidase.
The Impression Management Techniques of Tour Leaders in Group Package Tour Service Encounters

ABSTRACT For group package tour settings, tour leaders may consciously or unconsciously utilize impression techniques to interact with groups. This study examines the impression behaviors of tour leaders based on a framework of five discrete techniques of impression management (ingratiation, self-promotion, exemplification, supplication, and intimidation). The findings of this study indicate the impressions of tour leaders as perceived by tourists can influence the personal interaction quality. Furthermore, the personal interaction quality can subsequently influence the repurchase intention of tourists, word-of-mouth communication, as well as the reputation of tour operators. The implications for tour operators and directions for future research are also discussed.
TOWARDS THE UNIVERSAL CARE COURSE MODEL

ABSTRACT The principle aim is to analyse care policies and mothers' employment patterns in Austria in comparison with The Netherlands and Sweden. While Sweden fosters a Universal Breadwinner Model, Austrian policies set incentives for mothers to organize private care for their children for a relatively long period of time, similar to the Caregiver Parity model. The Netherlands, approaching the Universal Caregiver model, support part-time integration into the labour market, combined with private part-time caring facilities for the children. The cross-national comparative approach has been adopted throughout the description of care policies and the data analysis, using the European Social Survey. Drawing on the strong cross-national differences in policies and employment patterns, we outline the main principles of a Universal Care Course (UCC). The model addresses questions about how to achieve the ideal of a smooth transition between work and care in a gender-sensitive way.
Enhancing the quality of VET in Hong Kong: recent reforms and new initiatives in widening participation in tertiary qualifications

As elsewhere, vocational education and training (VET) has a poor image in Hong Kong. To remove the stigma, the Vocational Training Council of Hong Kong embarked on pro‐active strategic planning to make it more relevant and cost‐effective, exposed long and widely held myths that VET is for dullards which leads only to low‐paid and low‐status jobs, provided a through‐train education system to ensure that VET is no longer an educational cul‐de‐sac, and sought external accreditation aggressively. Though it is early days, there is strong evidence that these strategies have worked.
Estratégias financeiras empresariais para criação e destruição de valor

A criacao de valor e o principal objetivo empresarial, porem, ela so ocorre quando os retornos obtidos em investimentos excedem o custo do capital investido. Embora hajam outras variaveis envolvidas, as medidas financeiras sao importantes na criacao de valor, principalmente por serem, em geral, facilmente mensuraveis e permitirem previsoes futuras. O objetivo deste artigo foi identificar quais indices financeiros influenciam na criacao e destruicao de valor das empresas, mensurada pelos seus EVAs (Valor Economico Adicionado). Para tanto, utilizou-se a regressao logistica como tecnica de analise, a qual permitiu a estimacao de uma equacao de criacao/destruicao de valor. Essa equacao se mostrou bastante significativa e apresentou, como indices que influenciaram na criacao de valor, a capacidade de geracao de lucros, o retorno do ativo total, o retorno sobre capital proprio e o indice de endividamento geral, e apresentou, como indices que influenciaram na destruicao de valor, o indice de liquidez geral.