Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investment behavior and status quo bias of conventional and organic hog farmers: An experimental approach

Abstract Despite the economic benefits of organic farming, the conversion rates to this production method are low. The reasons for this reluctance are largely unknown; however, understanding this behavior is important for policy recommendations. Therefore, we experimentally investigate and compare the investment behavior of organic and conventional hog farmers. We examine whether the investment behavior depends on the organic or conventional farmers’ status quo of their production method. Our results show that farmers are more reluctant to invest in production methods they are not currently using compared with those already in use on their farm. Conventional, more risk-averse farmers, and those farmers holding a university degree, invest later in a hog barn. The results provide evidence that investment decisions depend on the status quo production method of a farmer and, thus, reveal that current subsidy structures may be ineffective in encouraging farmers to invest in production methods they are not currently using on their farms.
Ovsynch Plus protocol improves ovarian response in anovular Murrah buffaloes in low‐breeding season

The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of ovarian response and pregnancy rate in anovular buffaloes following Ovsynch and Ovsynch Plus protocols. Buffaloes (n = 55) were divided into two groups: Ovsynch group (n = 26): GnRH (10 μg, GnRH1) on Day 0, PGF2 α (25 mg) on Day 7, GnRH (10 μg, GnRH2) on Day 9; Ovsynch Plus group (n = 29): 500 IU equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) 72 hr (day -3) prior to Ovsynch protocol, followed by fixed timed artificial insemination (FTAI) 6 and 24 hr after GnRH2 injection in bot groups. Transrectal ultrasonography was performed daily, that is, from day 0 and -3 in Ovsynch and Ovsynch Plus group, respectively for ovarian response and pregnancy diagnosis at day 30 post-insemination. In Ovsynch Plus group, administration of eCG prior to GnRH1 increased (p < .001) the diameter (mm) of dominant follicle (DF) from 10.15 ± 0.26 to 12.23 ± 0.34 within 72 hr of treatment resulting higher ovulatory response to GnRH1. Ovulation after GnRH1 was higher (p < .01) in Ovsynch Plus group (96.6%) than Ovsynch group (61.5%). However, ovulation rate to GnRH2 was similar (p > .05) between groups (Ovsynch group: 76.9% vs. Ovsynch Plus group: 70.0%). Mean DF diameter (mm) that ovulated to both GnRHs was higher (p < .01) than non-ovulated counterparts in both groups (Ovsynch group: 10.80 ± 0.27 vs. 8.47 ± 0.53; Ovsynch Plus group: 11.99 ± 0.24 vs. 9.5 ± 0.63). Pregnancy was established in buffaloes which responded to both GnRHs, irrespective of groups, being higher (p = .52) in Ovsynch Plus group (34.5%) than Ovsynch group (23.1%), though non-significant. In summary, this study showed that eCG inclusion prior to Ovsynch regimen improves ovulatory response in anovular buffaloes during low-breeding season.
Looking for Leadership: Assessing the Case for Mayoral Control of Urban School Systems

Replacing boards of education conceived during the Progressive Era with mayoral control has been a popular reform strategy in urban districts such as Boston, Chicago, and New York City. A thorough review of the extant research, however, shows little evidence regarding its impact on governance, management, school organization, or teaching and learning. Looking beyond the K–12 sector suggests that there is some reason to believe that appointed boards can be more effective than elected ones at pursuing shared ends and resisting short‐term political pressure. This analysis explains the key political and organizational claims for and against mayoral control and considers the implications for governance reform. In the end, the author concludes that mayoral control is an uncertain bet and poses potential long‐term problems but—if designed thoughtfully—holds promise for deeply troubled urban school systems.
A closer relationship between working and learning? Employers and distance learners talk about developing work skills

Across Europe universities are expected to work more closely with employers to ensure that learners develop employability skills for the workplace. Policy discourse suggests that a closer relationship between universities and employers can act as a mechanism to develop employability skills more effectively. This article draws on a small qualitative case study which investigated the “Graduate@ Work” initiative undertaken by the Open University. These distance learners, sponsored by their SME employers, were already working and the research investigated employer and student understandings of the connections between employability skills, working and learning and whether facilitating a closer relationship between the university and employers would enable more effective learning in relation to the workplace.
Flexibility, performance and perceptions of job security: a comparison of East and West German employees in standard employment relationships

This article examines the determinants of perceived job security in German standard employment relationships (SER). Although SERs still dominate and shape the labour market, they have undergone several modifications in the recent past. Using survey data from 2006, the article examines how work organizations and particularly multiple workplace demands influence the perceived job security of employees in SERs. The article also asks whether − 20 years after reunification – structural and cultural differences still exist between East and West Germany. The results show that employees in East German SERs are more willing to accept flexibility and performance requirements. The article suggests that a new psychological contract has emerged, which promises long-term employment only if employees eventually meet the new workplace demands. Yet the overall lower job security of East Germans, fuelled by lower trust in their employers’ information policies, indicates the fragile nature of this arrangement.
Nanoscale Atoms in Solid-State Chemistry

Ionic Materials via Charged Clusters The formation of salts from atomic and small molecular ions could in principle be replicated with larger inorganic clusters. However, many clusters are stabilized by organic ligands that create a barrier for charge transfer reactions to create ions. Roy et al. (p. 157, published online 6 June; see the Perspective by Batail) now report that chromium, cobalt, and nickel selenide and telluride clusters form materials by charge transfer with C60. The Co and Cr clusters formed a layered structure analogous to CdI2, while the Ni cluster formed a structure related to NaCl. Inorganic clusters combine with C60 to form layers and three-dimensional ionic materials through charge transfer. [Also see Perspective by Batail] We describe a solid-state material formed from binary assembly of atomically precise molecular clusters. [Co6Se8(PEt3)6][C60]2 and [Cr6Te8(PEt3)6][C60]2 assembled into a superatomic relative of the cadmium iodide (CdI2) structure type. These solid-state materials showed activated electronic transport with activation energies of 100 to 150 millielectron volts. The more reducing cluster Ni9Te6(PEt3)8 transferred more charge to the fullerene and formed a rock-salt–related structure. In this material, the constituent clusters are able to interact electronically to produce a magnetically ordered phase at low temperature, akin to atoms in a solid-state compound.
The Role of Board of Directors in the Internationalisation Process of Small and Medium Sized Family Businesses

Internationalisation is one of the biggest challenges for family businesses. Although prosperous locally, many of these firms often face several difficulties in entering foreign markets. To date, there are contrasting results with respect to the internationalisation behaviour of family businesses and the role of boards of directors in this process. Adopting the resource-based view of the firm, the paper focuses on the determinants of the internationalisation pathways taken by family businesses. Basing on a sample of 146 small and medium sized Norwegian family businesses, we find that the board is an important strategic resource contributing to their international expansion. The results highlight the existence of various relationships between board member characteristics, board tasks performance and the export intensity. In particular, we find that family businesses with higher levels of non-family board members are more likely to be international. Moreover, we find that boards' involvement in advisory tasks contributes positively to the export intensity. The implications for theory and practice and future research directions are discussed.
Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Sensorimotor Function After Stroke: Standardized Training Procedure for Clinical Practice and Clinical Trials

Background and Purpose— Outcome measurement fidelity within and between sites of multi-site, randomized, clinical trials is an essential element to meaningful trial outcomes. As important are the methods developed for randomized, clinical trials that can have practical utility for clinical practice. A standardized measurement method and rater training program were developed for the total Fugl-Meyer motor and sensory assessments; inter-rater reliability was used to test program effectiveness. Methods— Fifteen individuals with hemiparetic stroke, 17 trained physical therapists across 5 regional clinical sites, and an expert rater participated in an inter-rater reliability study of the Fugl-Meyer motor (total, upper extremity, and lower extremity subscores) and sensory (total, light touch, and proprioception subscores) assessments. Results— Intra-rater reliability for the expert rater was high for the motor and sensory scores (range, 0.95–1.0). Inter-rater agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient, 2, 1) between expert and therapist raters was high for the motor scores (total, 0.98; upper extremity, 0.99; lower extremity, 0.91) and sensory scores (total, 0.93; light touch, 0.87; proprioception, 0.96). Conclusions— Standardized measurement methods and training of therapist assessors for a multi-site, rehabilitation, randomized, clinical trial resulted in high inter-rater reliability for the Fugl-Meyer motor and sensory assessments. Poststroke sensorimotor impairment severity can be reliably assessed for clinical practice or rehabilitation research with these methods.
Modelling heavy tails and skewness in film returns

The average of box-office revenue is dominated by extreme outcomes, with most films earning little and most revenues flowing to a few blockbusters. In this paper the skewness and heavy tails of film returns are formally modelled using skew-Normal and skew-t distributions. Logarithmic skew-Normal and skew-t models of the distribution of box-office revenue are fitted conditional on star actors and directors, budget, release pattern, genre, rating, and year of release. The estimates show significantly more skewness and heavier tails than the log-Normal distribution. It is also found that a wide theatrical release has a much smaller impact on box-office revenue when heavy tails and skewness are explicitly modelled.
Defining the strategic role of boards and measuring boards' effectiveness in strategy implementation

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to explore the potential role and the measurement of the effectiveness of boards of directors in strategy formulation and implementation – two aspects that have so far been left largely unaddressed by corporate governance research and practice.Design/methodology/approach – Based on insights from strategy process literature, the paper suggests that, by ensuring consistency between resource allocation processes and the firm's intended strategy, boards could fulfil a meaningful role in strategy implementation. The proposed outside‐in analysis of resource allocation decisions is illustrated by a single case study of a major Swiss pharmaceutical company.Findings – The proposed approach enables corporate governance scholars to look at how boards fulfil their role in strategy implementation from a perspective similar to that of financial analysts. It might thus be suited to complement existing methods in empirical corporate governance research.Practical implications – Th.
Empirical Analysis of the Determinants of Demand for Children in Jimma City, Ethiopia: An Application of Count Data Model

Using cross-section data on urban households from Jimma city, Southwestern Ethiopia, in this paper we apply the economic theory of consumer choice and examine some endogenous household characteristics that affect the demand for children among urban households in Ethiopia. Based on parameter estimates derived from a count data model, we also simulate the average number of children desired by a woman of median urban household characteristics and assess the extent to which an exogenously set population policy goal of lower fertility can be achieved. The results of our study indicate that enhancing paternal and maternal education, altering the economic value of children, increasing household income, and delaying the marriage age as important policy measures that should be pursued to reduce fertility. Institutional approaches that involve “faith-based initiatives” are also relevant. An important implication of the study is that by using measures that target these socio-economic variables via market incentives, fertility levels among urban households in Jimma and other urban areas of Ethiopia with similar demographic features can be reduced.
Modulation of H+-ATPase Activity by Fusicoccin in Plasma Membrane Vesicles from Oat (Avena sativa L.) Roots (A Comparison of Modulation by Fusicoccin, Trypsin, and Lysophosphatidylcholine)

The fungal phytotoxin fusicoccin affects various transport processes in the plasma membrane of plant cells. The plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.35) seems to be the primary target of fusicoccin action. The kinetics of the stimulation of the PM H+-ATPase by fusicoccin was studied in PM vesicles isolated from oat (Avena sativa cv Adamo) roots by aqueous two-phase partitioning. Considerable stimulation of activity was observed only when roots were treated with fusicoccin prior to the PM isolation. Fusicoccin treatment shifted the pH optimum of the ATPase toward more alkaline values and increased Vmax. No effects on Km were observed. Treatment with trypsin resulted in stimulation of ATPase activity in control vesicles but not in the fusicoccin-treated vesicles. The characteristics of stimulation by trypsin in control vesicles were comparable with those of stimulation by fusicoccin. This result and the change of the polypeptide pattern on western blots suggest the involvement of the C-terminal inhibitory domain in the fusicoccin signal transduction chain. On the other hand, stimulation by lyso-PC demonstrated other characteristics than stimulation by fusicoccin. Lyso-PC was able to stimulate ATPase activity at both acidic and alkaline pH values. Kinetic analysis of the pH dependency curves revealed different mechanisms for activation by fusicoccin and by lyso-PC. Whereas fusicoccin shifted the pH dependency of formation of phosphorylated intermediate to more alkaline values, lyso-PC seemed to increase dephosphorylation independently of pH.
A conceptual and empirical validation of the household lifecycle concept in South Africa

The family life cycle theory was used in the research as a tool for segmenting markets and developing marketing strategy. Households are not always family based and can take the form of single households, same gender households, and cohabiter-type households, each displaying distinctly different consumption behaviours. The researchers investigated whether the household life cycle theory is a valuable basis for segmentation in the South African environment. The results indicated that although the household life cycle theory has proven useful in differentiating between households in their consumption behaviour, it should not be used exclusively in segmenting markets due to the high level of within-stage heterogeneity. OPSOMMING Die gesinslewensikluskonsep is as ’n hulpmiddel gebruik in marksegmentering om bemarkingstrategiee te ontwikkel. Huishoudings is egter nie altyd gesins-gebaseerd nie en kan bestaan uit enkel-, dieselde geslag-, en saamblyhuishoudings wat elkeen merkbare verskille kan toon ten opsigte van verbruikspatrone. Ondersoek is gedoen oor die huishoudingslewensiklusteorie as basis vir marksegmentering in die Suid-Afrikaanse omgewing. Die resultate dui daarop dat ofskoon die huishoudingslewensiklus bruikbaar is om tussen huishoudings te differensieer in terme van verbruiksgedrag, die teorie nie uitsluitlik en in isolasie gebruik moet word nie vanwee die hoe vlak van binne-stadium verskillendheid.
Plant Closings and Exit Behaviour in Declining Industries

The plant closing and exit strategies of firms operating in a declining industry are examined. A dynamic, game-theoretic model is utilized. The perfectness criterion is used to restrict the set of Nash equilibria. There are two key equilibrium results. First, when firms have the same number of plants, high-cost plants close before lower-cost plants. Second, a larger firm (i.e., a firm operating more plants) begins closing plants before a smaller firm, as long as cost differences are not large. Copyright 1988 by The London School of Economics and Political Science.
What Do Economists Know About Crime?

In this paper we evaluate what economists have learned over the past 40 years about the determinants of crime. We base our evaluation on two kinds of evidence: an examination of aggregate data over long time periods and across countries, and a critical review of the literature. We argue that economists know little about the empirically relevant determinants of crime. Even hypotheses that find some support in U.S. data for recent decades are inconsistent with data over longer horizons or across countries. This conclusion applies both to policy variables like arrest rates or capital punishment and to less conventional factors such as abortion or gun laws. The hypothesis that drug prohibition generates violence, however, is generally consistent with the long times-series and cross-country facts. This analysis is also consistent with a broader perspective in which government policies that affect the nature and amount of dispute resolution play an important role in determining violence.
Reaching and Acquiring Valuable Resources: The Entrepreneur's Use of Brokerage, Cohesion, and Embeddedness

Entrepreneurs have two key aims in managing their ego–networks: extending reach to valuable resources and facilitating resource acquisition. This study provides a synthesis of the brokerage, cohesion, and embeddedness literatures to develop and present a multilevel theoretical framework and analytical model that treat both aims jointly. It makes three contributions. First, it highlights a trade–off that entrepreneurs face in allocating their available networking time and energy while pursuing these two aims. Second, it explores the central role of two types of embeddedness—relational and structural—in resolving this trade–off. Third, it helps entrepreneurs decide when to embed a particular dyadic connection relationally or structurally. We show that entrepreneurs can better balance their dual aim by structurally embedding some ties rather than trying to relationally embed all. The resultant network is one that meshes characteristics of brokerage and cohesive ego–network structures.
Cellular FLICE-inhibitory Protein Splice Variants Inhibit Different Steps of Caspase-8 Activation at the CD95 Death-inducing Signaling Complex*

Upon stimulation, CD95 (APO-1/Fas) recruits the adapter molecule FADD/MORT1, procaspase-8, and the cellular FLICE-inhibitory proteins (c-FLIP) into the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC). According to the induced proximity model, procaspase-8 is activated in the DISC in an autoproteolytic manner by two subsequent cleavage steps. c-FLIP proteins exist as a long (c-FLIPL) and a short (c-FLIPS) splice variant, both of them capable of protecting cells from death receptor-mediated apoptosis. In stably transfected BJAB cells, both c-FLIPS and c-FLIPL block procaspase-8 activation at the DISC. However, cleavage is blocked at different steps. c-FLIPL allows the first cleavage step of procaspase-8, leading to the generation of the p10 subunit. In contrast, c-FLIPS completely inhibits cleavage of procaspase-8. Interestingly, p43-c-FLIPL lacking the p12 subunit also prevents cleavage of procaspase-8. In contrast, a nonprocessable mutant of c-FLIPL allows the first cleavage of procaspase-8. In conclusion, both c-FLIP proteins prevent caspase-8 activation at different levels of procaspase-8 processing at the DISC. Our results indicate that c-FLIPL induces a conformation of procaspase-8 that allows partial but not complete proteolytical processing, whereas in contrast c-FLIPS even prevents partial procaspase-8 activation at the DISC.
Saudi Arabian IPOs and Privatized Firms Profitability

A sample of 21 privatized and IPO Saudi firms has been examined in this paper. Consistent with the relative literature on privatization and IPOs, we have documented two contrasting outcomes. First, we found that Saudi State Owned Enterprises SOEs and the private joint stock companies are showing a large improvement after-IPO as compared to the pre-IPO financial performance. On the contrary, we found a financial performance deterioration among the family owned businesses or the limited liability type of firms after the IPO compared to the pre-IPO level as measured by the return on assets (ROA) and return on sales (ROS).
Bank Seniority and Corporate Debt Restructuring

This paper analyzes the role of priority on lenders' behavior during the process of financial distress. A bank with a senior claim at the onset of financial distress benefits from a strong bargaining power in subsequent debt restructurings and can exploit this enhanced power to hold up other claimants (the firm and junior lenders). The senior bank's opportunistic behavior has various consequences. First, it allows the senior bank with an initial impaired claim to rule out repayment risk. The concentration of liquidation rights in the hands of the bank also leads to more favorable debt restructurings for low-quality borrowers. The impact of seniority on the bank's incentive to monitor is more ambiguous. If senior banks have incentives to monitor at an interim date in order to hasten liquidation, we show that nonsenior banks may have incentives to monitor in order to outstrip other lenders with equal standing. On the contrary, the ex post strong bargaining power of a senior bank might lower its incentives to monitor at the early stages of financial distress. More generally, the results of our model are consistent with Franks and Sussman (2003) who show the opportunistic behavior of banks towards distressed firms in a pro-creditor environment.