Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rewarding relationships : a study of the interaction of employment relationships and employee rewards systems in two unionised private sector organisations

This study investigates the interactions between the employment relationship and the employee rewards system. There is an implied and broadly accepted connection between these aspects of organisational life, yet the connection has not been clearly developed within either the employment relations or employee rewards literature. Employment relations research commonly prioritises certain features: organisational context; parties’ ideologies; processes concerning the interaction of the parties; and outcomes of the relationship. This study attempts to be located in this tradition: it regards rewards as an outcome of the employment relationship. However, whilst many studies of this type have tended to emphasise the interaction of isolated features, this study attempts to theorise the nature of the interactions between the reward outcomes and the other features of the relationship in a holistic manner. The study begins from an ontologically realist view of the employment relationship and employee rewards; however, it also acknowledges that these social facts are interpreted by parties, and that these interpretations are significant. The study adopts many of the features of mainstream employment relations research, reflected in a pluralist theoretical perspective. A predominantly inductive, multi-method, case study research strategy is utilised, focussing upon two unionised, private sector, manufacturing organisations. Data is collected from the parties to the employment relationship using research instruments derived from two primary conceptual models: Walton & McKersie’s (1965) behavioural bargaining framework, and Gomez-Mejia and Balkin’s (1992) algorithmic-experiential model of rewards. Analysis of this data indicates substantial commonality between the cases and suggests a complex set of interactions between the features of the employment relationship and employee reward outcomes. Key findings indicate the importance of understanding parties’ reward preferences as they provide insight regarding: the formulation of parties’ ideologies; the effectiveness of processes; and the interpretation of reward outcomes.
Informed Traders and Price Variations in the Betting Market for Professional Basketball Games

This paper examines betting line changes from the opening to the closing of the point spread betting market on National Basketball Association games for evidence of informed trader betting. We show that within-betting period line changes significantly improve the accuracy of betting lines as forecasts of game outcomes. We examine individual line change magnitudes and show that these are directly and proportionately related to biases in opening lines. Further, line changes are of sufficient magnitude to remove these biases by the close of betting. We interpret these results as evidence that informed traders are influential in this market. Copyright The American Finance Association 1998.
Policy-Specific Information and Informal Agenda Power

In Gilligan and Krehbiel's models of procedural choice in legislatures, a committee exerts costly effort to acquire private information about an unknown state of the world. Subsequent work on expertise, delegation, and lobbying has largely followed this approach. In contrast, we develop a model of information as policy valence. We use our model to analyze a procedural choice game, focusing on the effect of transferability, i.e., the extent to which information acquired to implement one policy option can be used to implement a different policy option. We find that when information is transferable, as in Gilligan and Krehbiel's models, closed rules can induce committee specialization. However, when information is policy-space's, open rules are actually superior for inducing specialization. The reason for this surprising result is that a committee lacking formal agenda power has a greater incentive to exercise informal agenda power by exerting costly effort to generate high-valence legislation.
The Valuation Differences between Stock Option and Restricted Stock Grants for US Firms

In this study, we document a significant shift over the past several years from stock option-based compensation to restricted stock-based compensation. Additionally, we evaluate whether stock option grants and restricted stock grants result in similar valuation consequences for firms. We estimate cross-sectional valuation equations that include the value of stock option and restricted stock grants summed over the current and past two years, residual income, and book value of equity, after controlling for endogeneity. Consistent with prior research, our findings indicate that the market on average values stock option grants positively. However, in contrast to stock option grants, restricted stock grants are valued negatively. This result is consistent with restricted stock grants lacking the positive incentive effects of stock options and being viewed as a liability or expense to the firm.
Treatment adherence with vildagliptin compared to sulphonylurea as add-on to metformin in Muslim patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus fasting during Ramadan

Abstract Objective: To assess treatment adherence to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor vildagliptin compared with sulphonylureas (SU) in Muslim patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were fasting during Ramadan in the UK. Research design and methods: This prospective, observational cohort study was conducted in four UK centres. Patients already taking vildagliptin (50 mg twice a day) or an SU as add-on therapy to metformin were followed up for ≤16 weeks. They were asked to record all missed doses of anti-diabetes medications. Results: Of the 72 patients enrolled (vildagliptin, n = 30; SU, n = 41; not allocated to treatment, n = 1), 59 (81.9%) completed the study (vildagliptin, n = 23; SU, n = 36), including one patient in the SU arm who completed but failed to provide information on missed doses; all patients in the SU arm were taking gliclazide. In the vildagliptin arm one patient (4.3%) missed a total of four doses while in the SU arm 10 patients (27.8%) missed a total of 266 doses (mean [SD] number of doses missed per patient: 26.6 [16.5]). The mean (SD) proportions of doses missed during fasting were 0.2% (0.9) and 10.4% (21.7) in the vildagliptin and SU arms, respectively, with a significant mean between-group difference of −10.2% (95% CI: −19.3%, −1.1%; p = 0.0292). There were no patients in the vildagliptin arm who missed more than 20% of OAD doses compared with 19.4% in the SU arm (p = 0.0358). Of the patients receiving an SU, 15 (42%) collectively reported 34 hypoglycaemic events (HEs) and one grade 2 HE; of these, fewer were non-adherent (n = 6, 40%) than adherent (n = 9, 60%). No patients reported HEs in the vildagliptin arm. Conclusion: During Ramadan fasting, treatment with vildagliptin resulted in better treatment adherence compared with SU in Muslim patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Study limitations are the sample size and the lack of diet and exercise data.
Europe and the economic crisis: forms of labour market adjustment and varieties of capitalism

The economic crisis that beset Europe in 2007 had a considerable impact on employment. Since 2008, unemployment has increased throughout Europe, but adjustment mechanisms affecting the labour market have varied from one country to another. By examining six representative European Union countries from the EU15, this article examines three types of adjustment involving segmentation, working hours and unemployment/underemployment. These adjustment systems, which originate from business strategy and which are partly supported by public policy measures, reflect the persistence of three varieties of capitalism in Europe.
On the Sustainability of the UK State Pension System in the Light of Population Ageing and Declining Fertility

As a result of population ageing and declining fertility, the UK state pension system is unlikely to continue to be able to deliver the current level of pensions without some combination of a higher state pension age and a steady inflow of young immigrant workers from abroad. However, with prudent economic management and continuing economic growth, the need for additional immigrants can be contained and modest real increases in pensions are also a possibility. Higher economic activity rates among older people, including deferred retirement, will to some extent compensate but not eliminate these pressures. If fertility picks up over the next few years, this will also help, but not until after 2030.
Expression of human GITRL on myeloid dendritic cells enhances their immunostimulatory function but does not abrogate the suppressive effect of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg) have been described as an important hurdle for immunotherapy. Engagement of glucocorticoid‐induced TNF receptor‐related protein (GITR) has emerged recently as an important mechanism to control the suppression of CD4+CD25+ Treg. Furthermore, it has been documented extensively that GITR ligation is costimulatory for naive and activated T cells in the murine setting. However, little is known about the role of the human GITR ligand (huGITRL). We wanted to explore whether huGITRL could enhance antigen‐specific T cell priming by dendritic cells (DC). First, we confirmed the endogenous expression of GITRL on HUVEC. We also detected GITRL expression on EBV‐B cell lines, whereas no GITRL expression was observed on human monocyte‐derived DC. Electroporation of GITRL mRNA in monocyte‐derived DC resulted in a strong and long‐lasting surface expression of GITRL. In contrast to data obtained in mice, no significant abrogation of Treg suppression by GITRL‐expressing human DC was observed. Consistent with our mouse data, we showed that huGITRL is costimulatory for responder T cells. Furthermore, we found that GITRL‐expressing DC primed increased numbers of Melan‐A‐specific CD8+ T cells. We conclude that although huGITRL is not capable of alleviating Treg suppression of responder T cells, huGITRL overexpression on monocyte‐derived DC enhances their capacity to induce antigen‐specific T cell responses. Thus, GITRL incorporation in DC might improve the antitumor immune response after vaccination.
Information technology, communication and networking in software companies of northern Finland

Information technology has extended and provided new possibilities for telecommunication and distance collaboration. This paper deals with social networking and communication in the process of software product development. Our study is based on a survey of small- and medium-sized software companies in northern Finland. The case location is interesting because it is a peripheral region, but at the same time one of the most successful regions in high technology in Europe. The main results indicate that social networks and the possibilities of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) play an important role in companies' activities, but physical proximity still has not lost its magnitude.
Western and Asian Customers' Perception Towards Chinese Restaurants in the United States

Chinese food is one of the three most popular ethnic foods in the United States (U.S.). However, relative little research attention has been paid to this segment, especially in the areas of service quality and customer satisfaction. This study is conducted in a Chinese restaurant located in the midwestern U.S. The purpose of this study is threefold: to identify the determinant factors of customers' satisfaction, to determine the relationship between customers' satisfaction and revisit intention, and to examine the moderating effect of culture on these relationships. The study revealed that three aspects of Chinese restaurant service performance determine customers' overall satisfaction, and customers' overall satisfaction is a significant mediator of customers' revisit intention. Finally, culture moderated the relationship between employees' service performance and customers' overall satisfaction.
Intellectual capital accounting in the UK: A field study perspective

Accounting for intellectual capital is increasingly recognised to be one of the most fascinating and potentially far‐reaching challenges facing the accountancy profession. A growing literature, encompassing theoretical, empirical and practical elements, is currently emerging as researchers and practitioners endeavour to account for the hidden value that the intellectual capital concept denotes, and its pivotal role in the value creation process. To date, many of the most instructive advances have emanated from Scandinavia, reflecting these societies' sustained interest in necessity of accounting for the worth of employees, arguably the principal progenitor of intellectual capital accounting. Reports from a number of Australian, Canadian and European enquiries have added to the momentum of the intellectual capital accounting project, whilst affirming its links with contemporary debates about the information society, intangibles, knowledge management and business reporting. This paper reports and discusses some of the findings of a recently completed field study of intellectual capital accounting developments in the UK, funded by one of the professional accountancy bodies. Drawing on a series of semi‐structured interviews, it documents how senior managers in six knowledge‐based organisations view intellectual capital and related developments, their evolving attempts to respond to the challenges these present, and their progress in measuring and reporting their performance in these areas.
Effects of the Method of Preparation on the Compression, Mechanical, and Release Properties of Khaya Gum Matrices

A study has been made of the compression properties of khaya gum matrices and the effects of drug concentration and method of preparation of the material on the compression, mechanical and the drug release characteristics of the matrices. Khaya gum matrix tablets were prepared by direct compression and wet granulation methods. The compression properties of the formulations were assessed using the equations of Heckel and Kawakita. The mechanical properties of the tablets were evaluated using crushing strength and friability of the tablets, whereas the release properties of the tablets were evaluated by using the disintegration and dissolution times. The results obtained show that khaya gum deformed mainly by plastic deformation. The compression properties of the formulations were affected by the concentration of the drug and the method of preparation of the materials for compression. Tablets prepared by wet granulation showed faster onset and higher amount of plastic deformation during compression than those prepared by direct compression. Tablets containing dicalcium phosphate showed higher mechanical strength and disintegration and dissolution times. Wet granulation also increased the mechanical strength of the tablet without significantly affecting the drug release characteristics from the matrix tablets. Thus, the wet granulation method could be useful in the preparation of khaya gum matrix tablet with acceptable mechanical properties and drug release properties.
“Real” Poachers and Predators: Shades of Meaning in Local Understandings of Threats to Fisheries

This article explores the idea of multiple and contested notions of nature, natural resource management, and the implications for local involvement with conservation, within the context of attitudes toward poachers and other predators of fish in the Nemunas Delta area of Lithuania. Qualitative research methods are used to elicit local understandings of threats to fishing livelihoods and to unravel the ambiguities surrounding people's perceptions of, and attitudes toward, competitors for fish: human (poachers) and nonhuman (predators of fish, primarily birds). Neither poachers nor predators are classified as a simple category, unequivocally “bad ” or threatening. Rather, poaching and predation are represented by a multidimensional spectrum of acceptability based not only on the perceived threat to fish stocks but also on a sense of aesthetics, fairness, and identity. We conclude by examining the implications of this work for natural resource management, both in Lithuania and elsewhere.
Process Indicators of Quality Clinical Pharmacy Services During Transitions of Care

The American College of Clinical Pharmacy charged the Public and Professional Relations Committee to develop a short white paper describing quality measures of clinical pharmacists' patient care services in transitional care settings. Transitional care describes patient movement from one health care setting or service to another. Care transitions are associated with an increased risk of adverse events for patients. Pharmacists play an important role in ensuring that medication errors and adverse events are minimized during these transitions, largely through the reconciliation of medications and assurance of continuity of care. Quality measures are often divided into three domains: structure, process, and outcome. Given the typical nature of the pharmacist's role, process indicators are best suited to evaluate quality clinical pharmacist services. However, process indicators relevant to pharmacists' activities are not yet fully described in the literature. The committee searched available literature describing quality measures that are directly influenced by the pharmacist during care transitions. This white paper describes these process indicators as quality measures of clinical pharmacists' services, identifies the transitional settings and activities to which they are most applicable, and provides the published sources from which indicators were derived. For process indicators that could not be found in published sources, we propose relevant measures that can be adapted for use in a given setting. As pharmacists become more involved in diverse and emerging patient care areas such as transitional care, it will be critical that they use these types of measures to document the quality of new services and reinforce the need for pharmacist participation during transitions of care.
Market Strategies and Performance of Western Firms in Eastern Europe

Abstract This study reports findings of a survey including 139 Finnish and 97 Austrian companies active in Eastern Europe. The study focuses on two major areas in the firm's business activities in Eastern Europe, namely on market strategies-the timing of market entry, market selection, entry modes and motives-and company performance. The number of market entries has increased after the transition, but the majority of business activities still take place in geographically-close countries. Companies have gradually started to use more high-commitment modes of operation, but contrary to our expectations, high commitment modes were also frequently used in more unstable markets. Company performance in Russia and especially in other countries of Eastern Europe was in general clearly lower than in domestic markets and foreign markets in general. Against expectations, firm size, dependence on international markets, length of operation, and mode of operation in Eastern Europe did not significantly influence the performance. However, firms which concentrated on Russian markets on a continuous basis performed much better than other firms.
Reduced synthesis of pp60src and expression of the transformation-related phenotype in interferon-treated Rous sarcoma virus-transformed rat cells

Treatment of Rous sarcoma virus-transformed rat cells with rat interferon-alpha (specific activity, 10(6) U/mg of protein) for 24 h caused a 50% reduction in intracellular pp60src-associated protein kinase activity. Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease digestion of pp60src, derived from 32P-labeled monolayer cultures incubated with or without interferon, revealed no differences either in the phosphopeptide pattern or in the phosphoserine-phosphotyrosine ratio. However, [3H]leucine pulse-labeling experiments showed that the synthesis of pp60src was reduced by 42 to 48%, relative to the level of bulk protein synthesis, in the interferon-treated cultures. Rat interferon-alpha also reduced the growth rate of Rous sarcoma virus-transformed rat cells in a dose-dependent manner over a 72-h period. The decrease in growth rate was accompanied by increases in the thickness and number of actin fibers per cell and by a decline in intracellular tyrosine phosphorylation by pp60src. The results suggest that interferon can inhibit the expression of the transformation-related phenotype by selectively reducing the synthesis of the Rous sarcoma virus transforming gene product. However, the interferon effects on the cytoskeletal organization and proliferation of Rous sarcoma virus-transformed cells may be due at least in part to the predominance of interferon-induced phenotypic changes over those caused by pp60src.
Common Stock Returns and the Business Cycle

Abel's (1998) intertemporal asset pricing model implies that the autocorrelation pattern in expected returns reflects that observed in output growth rates. Consequently, by using the observed autocorrelation properties of macroeconomic data, we are able to provide univariate tests with power to detect deviations from the stationary random walk model over the post-World War II sample period. After regressing excess returns against industrial production's cyclical component, these univariate tests provide little evidence of serial correlation in the resultant residuals, confirming the presence of a business cycle effect in excess returns. However, our multivariate analysis concludes that while the business cycle contributes to these deviationsf rom the stationary random walk model, predictable long term swings in expected returns arising from variable trends in macroeconomic data still remains.
Black on Brown

The most important and illuminating early writing on Brown v. Bd. of Education is a nine-page essay by Charles Black. Black memorably shows that segregation was a crucial part of a racial caste system. At the same time, he cuts through legal abstractions that made it difficult to answer the question whether the Court's decision was sufficiently "neutral. " At the same time, Black's argument suffers from two serious problems: formalism and institution-blindness. Black writes as if his interpretation of the equal protection clause can be simply read off the clause, and he does not engage the complex institutional problems that were raised by the Court's decision. Nonetheless, the legal culture needs more voices like Black's.