Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Kinetic Analysis of the Specific Host Response to a Murine Gammaherpesvirus

ABSTRACT Respiratory infection of BALB/c mice with the murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) induces the clonal expansion of virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) precursors (CTLp) in the regional, mediastinal lymph nodes (MLN). Some of these CTLps differentiate to become fully functional CTL effectors, which can be detected in both the lymphoid tissue and in the site of pathology in the lung. Though the lymph nodes and spleen harbor substantial populations of latently infected B cells for life, the level of virus-specific CTL activity decreases rapidly in all sites. The CD8+ CTLp numbers fall to background levels in the MLN within several months of the termination of the productive phase of MHV-68 infection in the respiratory epithelium but are maintained at relatively low frequency in the spleen. The continued presence of a gamma interferon-producing, MHV-68-specific CD4+ set can also be demonstrated in cultured spleen cells. The virus-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) response is slow to develop, with serum neutralizing antibody and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers continuing to rise for several months. The level of total serum IgG increases dramatically within 2 weeks of infection, probably as a consequence of polyclonal B-cell activation, and remains high. The immune response profile is clearly influenced by the persistence of this DNA virus.
Key stakeholders' interaction as a factor of product innovation: the case of Russia

The paper aims to investigate the nature of innovativeness through the lenses of the firm's cooperation with key internal and external stakeholders. The selection of key stakeholders and the measurement of their involvement in the development of innovations contribute to the identification of the main innovativeness profiles, whereas interaction with partners and effective interfunctional collaboration are seen as central differentiation criteria for the firm. The study of stakeholder involvement in innovation-related processes can discover vital sources of long-term competitive advantage and radically change a firm's business model. A company survey is used to analyse the current status of internal and interfirm cooperation within New Product Development (NPD) in Russia's emerging economy. The results provide empirical evidence on the share of firms involving internal and external stakeholders in product innovation activities and the level of success of interaction.
Resilient through the GFC and Beyond: What Drives Bank Profitability in Small, Open Pacific Economies?

Banks in open, small island economies of the Pacific have not only survived the Global Financial Crisis but remain highly profitable raising the question: what drives the strong profitability of banks in the region? This is the first study to systematically examine the determinants of bank profitability in a Pacific island context. Only one determinant—noninterest income—is significant. Policy makers can now obtain a deeper understanding of the components of this revenue item with a view to helping banks remain strong and stable through continuing global uncertainties.
A variable resolution feedback improving the performances of object detection and recognition

In order to improve the performances of object detection and recognition, a two-stage framework combined with variable resolution control strategy is proposed. The images in low resolution and high resolution are employed in object detection and object recognition, respectively. Meanwhile, a feedback mechanism used in two-stage framework is proved to effectively improve the performances of object detection. The results show that under low resolution, the accuracy of object detection based on fixed resolution 320 × 240 without feedback mechanism is 36.7%. However, the accuracy of object detection of the proposed method based on variable resolution increases to 95.3%. Under high resolution, compared with the method based on fixed resolution 1280 × 960 using the two-stage framework, the time consumption of the proposed method with variable resolution decreases by 51.4%, while keeping almost identical recognition accuracy.
External Knowledge and Innovation Performance in Clusters: Empirical Evidence from the Uruguay Software Cluster

The importance of geographic proximity for innovation has been widely stressed in the cluster literature. Yet, new insights from the inter-organisational network and cluster literatures underline the role of non-local linkages in enabling firms in networks to enhance learning and to innovate. This paper contributes to this literature by examining the importance of local and non-local knowledge networks for the innovation performance of firms in clusters. Our analysis is based on primary data from a survey of 95 software firms clustered in Montevideo, Uruguay. The results highlight that the most innovative firms in clusters heavily rely on non-local knowledge networks. Moreover, the number of indirect local ties to other firms is a better predictor of innovative performance than the number of direct local ties. Finally, our findings confirm the presence of knowledge gatekeepers in clusters and emphasise their role in enhancing innovation in clusters by absorbing knowledge from extra-cluster sources and diffusing it to other local firms.
Asylum policies in Europe: the transposition of the Return Directive 2008/115/EC in Germany, Italy and Sweden

The introduction of the Return Directive 2008/115/EC was the first directive of the European Union, which established common minimum standards on returning third country nationals to their country of origin. By transposing this directive, the process of Europeanization applies, as EU legislation is downloaded on the EU Member States. The consequences of Europeanization can result in policy convergence or, vice versa, divergence. In this respect, policy convergence is essential for the EU to respond with a common voice towards the rising numbers of asylum seekers and the protection of human rights of third country nationals. In order to see whether asylum policies present a trend towards policy convergence, the transposition of the Return Directive 2008/115/EC is compared to the national asylum legislations of Germany, Italy and Sweden. The time of investigation includes the period from 2008-2012. By means of that, the similarities and differences are evaluated. In this regard, it is concluded whether the transposition of asylum policies leads to policy convergence in these countries. The analysis reveals that Germany and Sweden present similar outcomes, while Italy shows the opposite. Thus, the process of Europeanization can be said to have partial impact on the policy convergence of asylum policies.
A geographic view of expansion choices by U.S. firms in China

abstract How does geography matter for explaining the location patterns of U.S. companies in China? We combine insights from the literature on economic geography and spatial interdependence in foreign direct investment (FDI) activity to provide a comparative analysis using both sectoral regression results and maps that illustrate patterns in the data. We use a unique sample of publicly traded U.S. firms that announced expansion of operations into China between 1980 and 2005. Regression results show that, relative to the tertiary sector, firm characteristics matter more for primary sector firms, whereas province characteristics matter more for secondary sector firms. Additionally, our GIS analysis reveals a high level of locational concentration and differences in provincial characteristics over time. Overall, we find that combining GIS methods with FDI data can provide a richer picture of economic activity that is highly accessible to both academics and practitioners.
Analysis of Raman lidar and radiosonde measurements from the AWEX-G field campaign and its relation to Aqua validation

[1] Early work within the Aqua validation activity revealed there to be large differences in water vapor measurement accuracy among the various technologies in use for providing validation data. The validation measurements were made at globally distributed sites making it difficult to isolate the sources of the apparent measurement differences among the various sensors, which included both Raman lidar and radiosonde. Because of this, the AIRS Water Vapor Experiment–Ground (AWEX-G) was held in October-November 2003 with the goal of bringing validation technologies to a common site for intercomparison and resolving the measurement discrepancies. Using the University of Colorado Cryogenic Frostpoint Hygrometer (CFH) as the water vapor reference, the AWEX-G field campaign permitted correction techniques to be validated for Raman lidar, Vaisala RS80-H and RS90/92 that significantly improve the absolute accuracy of water vapor measurements from these systems particularly in the upper troposphere. Mean comparisons of radiosondes and lidar are performed demonstrating agreement between corrected sensors and the CFH to generally within 5% thereby providing data of sufficient accuracy for Aqua validation purposes. Examples of the use of the correction techniques in radiance and retrieval comparisons are provided and discussed.
A Comment on Empirical Estimation of Patterns of Shocks Utilizing the VAR Methodology on Developing Countries

What is a countr y’s optimal choice of an exchange rate regime? One avenue which has gained prominence is the Optimum Currency Area criteria of pattems of shocks which suggests that a flexible exchange rate may be less costly for regions who face asymmetric shocks, since they are forced to have conflicting policy responses, and vice versa.1 While there are a number of methodologies to calculate the pattems of shocks, the VAR methodology, which results from a technique introduced in Bayoumi and Eichengreen a[1992, 1994]; B&E from now onn, may be at present one of the most popular. In the estimation of their model the authors have introduced some “over-identifying conditions”2 (called OIC from now on) which confirm the validity of their decomposition.
Investigating the overhead costs in construction projects in Palestine

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the overhead costs of construction contractors at the Gaza Strip, Palestine, specifically the level of contractors' awareness of the concept of overhead cost, their perception of main components of overhead cost, percentage of overhead to total project cost, method used to manage and control overhead cost, and reasons for increasing overhead cost.Design/methodology/approach – In the research 40 contractors classified under the Palestinian Contractors Union (PCU) and United Nation Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) list were surveyed.Findings – The findings indicate that the majority of contractors are aware of overhead costs in construction projects. The staff wages are the highest overhead costs component. The currency exchange rates, inflation, increase in financial costs among others lead to increase in overhead costs. The findings illustrate that the overhead costs are on average 11.1 percent of the total project cost. Controlling and managing overhead costs are consi.
REGIONAL EARNINGS AND UNEMPLOYMENT ‐ A SIMULTANEOUS APPROACH

This paper presents an econometric analysis of the interaction between regional unemployment and regional earnings in Britain. A two-equation error-correction model of regional earnings and unemployment determination is estimated on data for 1972 to 1988 inclusive. The wage equation relates regional earnings to unemployment, long-term unemployment, and indices of living costs both including and excluding housing costs. The unemployment equation relates regional unemployment to earnings and real output. Higher relative unemployment and lower regional living costs both lead to lower regional earnings; however, increases in regional earnings and decreases in regional output lead to increased relative unemployment. Copyright 1992 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Validating the dimensionality of Porter et al.'s measurement of organizational commitment in a non-Western culture setting

The present study seeks to validate the dimensionality of the measurement of organizational commitment construct as conceptualized by Porter and his colleagues, using a confirmatory factor analysis. Two independent samples drawn from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were used in this study. The first sample consisted of 430 employees, while the second sample consisted of 567 employees. The empirical results suggest that the fifteen-item Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ), as conceptualized by Porter and his colleagues, is a multi-dimensional measure of organizational commitment. The findings of the present study corroborate those of a number of Western studies, despite the fact that it was carried out in a non-Western setting which differs in many ways from the Western settings. The results of this study could be applicable in cultures similar to that of the UAE. Limitations, implications and lines of future research are discussed.
Holiday users of the Internet - ease of use, functionality and novelty.

This study is based upon a sample of 517 international visitors to New Zealand. It suggests that Internet usage is based upon perceived usefulness and ease of system use. Of additional importance is user confidence about system security. Functional issues of purchasing seem to take priority over information search as users become more familiar with web pages. An additional finding is that entertainment needs are arguably better met by other Internet functions than those provided by destination web pages. Novelty on the Net is perhaps sought from specific sources, and not from the Net generally. Implications are discussed for both measurement and marketing. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Community College Funding and its Association to Nontraditional Students

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Corporate Community Involvement: a case for regulatory reform

The central thesis of this paper is that Corporate Community Involvement (CCI) is not a neutral activity with positive and mutual benefits for all involved. Rather, it is a much more complex activity which may also have negative impacts. Using Donaldson and Preston’s (1995) explanatory model of the stakeholding concept as a framework, this paper explores: (1) the practice of CCI in the UK (with some reference to US experience from which UK firms have drawn extensively), (2) the grounds on which it is justified, and (3) the material consequences of such activity for corporate governance. It concludes by arguing that there is a case for a review of the law on CCI to assess the need for fuller public disclosure so as to allow shareholders and other interested groups the opportunity to assess the impact and effectiveness of CCI more thoroughly.
Turnover Premium, Foreign Institutional Ownership, and Time- Varying Risk Premium in Taiwan Equity Markets

The low turnover premium found in U.S. equity markets is also found in Taiwan market, unlike the mixed evidence for other stylized effects such as size, book-to-market ratio and momentum. Consistent with investor overconfidence hypothesis proposed by Odean (1998, 1999), the percentage of foreign institutional shareholdings in a stock is found to vary inversely with turnover premium. This inverse relation is robust to the influence of other forces that may interact with turnover rate, such as market capitalization, book-to-market ratio and 6-month past returns, respectively. Time-varying risk premium, particularly in low turnover-low foreign institutional shareholdings percentage portfolio, provides partial explanation for the phenomenon, but the inverse relation persists after risk adjustment by models such as unconditional CAPM, Fama-French three factor model and conditional CAPM.
CEO Overpayment and Dismissal: The Role of Attribution and Attention

Manuscript Type: Empirical.Research Question/Issue: This study investigates the moderating role of CEO overpayment on the relationship between firm performance and CEO dismissal. We also examine how contextual factors, including compensation disclosure regulation, firm index status, and firm age, influence board attention and attribution, and consequently affect the sensitivity of CEO dismissal to firm performance.Research Findings/Insights: Using a sample of Chinese listed firms between 2002 and 2011, we find that overpaid CEOs are associated with a larger likelihood of dismissal in case of poor firm performance compared to their underpaid counterparts. In addition, CEO overpayment has a larger influence on the turnover‐performance relationship when executive compensation disclosure is mandatory, when a firm is index‐included, or younger. Theoretical/Academic Implications: This study provides empirical support for attribution theory and the attention‐based view. Built on the concept of bounded rationality, it demonstrates that board sense‐making and causal attributions affect the CEO dismissal decision. Our study also sheds light on the influence of situational cues on shaping board attention and subsequent corporate governance decisions. Practitioner/Policy Implications. This study offers insights to policymakers interested in enhancing the design of corporate governance mechanisms by paying attention to cognitive processes in the boardroom.
Forecasting intraday volatility and VaR using multiplicative component GARCH model

We use the multiplicative component GARCH model (mcsGARCH) to decompose the volatility of high-frequency returns of CSI 300 index into three components, namely the daily, the diurnal and the stochastic intraday volatilities. As expected, the diurnal volatility features an important intraday seasonality. Surprisingly due to the unique ‘T + 1 trading rule’ in Chinese stock market, the diurnal volatility of the 5-minute returns of CSI 300 index does not show a U-shaped pattern as in European and American stock markets. Moreover, we investigate the out-of-sample performance of the mcsGARCH model in forecasting the intraday volatility of the CSI 300 index. The results show that the mcsGARCH model performs well in Chinese stock market.
How Value Creation and Relationship Quality Coalignment Affects a Firm's Performance: An Empirical Analysis

This study intends to contribute to a better understanding of how value creation coaligns with relationship quality and how this coalignment affects a firm's performance. To examine this question a theoretical framework is developed following a configuration theory approach. The unit of analysis is the dyadic relationship between manufacturers and their main distributor. The empirical results reveal that not all the manufacturers have the same orientation towards their creation of value for the main distributor and that the coalignment between their creation of value for the main distributor and the dimensions of relationship quality yields stronger distributor loyalty. This was not the case, however, with manufacturer's business performance for which no such relationship was found.
Book-to-Market across Firm Size, Exchange, and Seasonality: Is There an Effect?

Abstract Fama and French (1992) report that size and the book-to-market ratio capture the cross-sectional variation of average stock returns for the universe of NYSE, Amex, and Nasdaq securities. This paper, in providing an exhaustive exploration of book-to-market across the dimensions of firm size, exchange listing, and calendar seasonally, reports that Fama and French's empirical findings are driven by two features of the data: a January seasonal in the book-to-market effect, and exceptionally low returns on small, young, growth stocks. In the largest size quintile of all firms (accounting for 73% of the total market value of all publicly traded firms), book-to-market has no significant explanatory power on the cross-section of realized returns during the 1963–1995 period. Thus, book-to-market as such would have less importance to money managers than the literature would have led us to believe.
Perceived practice change in Australian doctors as a result of medicolegal concerns

TO THE EDITOR: Nash and colleagues have produced another report on medicolegal matters and Australian doctors. This report, and one that preceded it in 2009, are derived from responses to a questionnaire from nearly 3000 doctors. The survey showed that 65% of respondents had been involved in “medicolegal matters”. From a mass of data, the authors conclude that medicolegal concerns impact on doctors’ practice of medicine. As potential benefits of medicolegal matters, they list improved communication of risk to patients, disclosure of diagnostic uncertainty, and better methods to track test results and non-attenders. Negative impacts included increased referral to specialists, ordering more tests, and seeing fewer patients. The authors recommend targeted training in patient safety and medicolegal aspects of practice to help doctors to be “better informed”. However, as 65% of the group had been involved in medicolegal matters, it seems unlikely they need to be better informed about them. In the title and throughout the article, there is much emphasis on the word “perceived”. With this heavy emphasis on perception, it might be thought that the key finding was that fear of a medicolegal matter was greater than the reality. In fact, the reverse was found. Of those who had experienced medicolegal matters, 46% had considered retiring early, 39% considered giving up medicine and 38% considered reducing hours of work. The respective figures for those who had not experienced medicolegal matters were 29%, 22% and 21%. The difference was highly significant. An inescapable conclusion is that medicolegal matters result in large numbers of demoralised doctors. The reality is worse than the perception. Unfortunately, the obvious question — What was the outcome of the medicolegal matter? — was not included in the survey. Given the numbers involved, it seems likely that for many doctors, although the outcome was favourable, the process had a profoundly negative effect on their work. Forty-one per cent now regard every patient as a potential litigant. A logical response to these data might have been to ask: (1) Could there be a problem with the way medicolegal matters are conducted? and (2) Is the demoralisation of a large percentage of the medical workforce good for society? Neither question was asked here. This is perhaps not surprising as, in their previous article, the authors questioned, without embarrassment and on the basis of a questionnaire, whether “psychiatric morbidity in doctors is a cause or effect of the medicolegal process”. This study is “one of the largest [of its kind] in the world”. Sadly, the authors’ negativity towards doctors and their unquestioning allegiance to current medicolegal practice have greatly diminished its value.