Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Conflict and its governance in horizontal cooperations of logistics service providers

Purpose – Horizontal cooperations of logistics service providers (LSPs) have become important for LSPs within the last decades. Owing to the high complexity of these cooperations as observed by Schmoltzi and Wallenburg, the potential for conflict is inherent. This research, therefore, aims to investigate how nature (dysfunctional vs functional) and extent of conflict impact the outcome of these cooperations. Further, the roles of formal and relational governance mechanisms in influencing conflict are analyzed. Design/methodology/approach – The research is empirical in nature and employs a theory-driven, confirmatory approach. It utilizes large-scale survey data of German LSPs, which are analyzed using multivariate statistical methods. Findings – The research shows that governance mechanisms impact the extent and functionality of conflict: relational governance lowers the extent of conflict and leads to higher functionality of conflicts, while formal governance increases the extent of conflict. Moreover, i.
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene copy number detection in non‐small‐cell lung cancer; a comparison of fluorescence in situ hybridization and chromogenic in situ hybridization

Aims: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an important target for anticancer therapy. In non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC), mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain of EGFR and EGFR gene copy number have been demonstrated to identify patients most likely to benefit from EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. EGFR gene copy number has been assessed mainly by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), a method requiring the use of a fluorescence microscope and often hampered by the rapid fading of the fluorescent signal. These limitations of FISH can be overcome by using chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH). To test the applicability of CISH for EGFR gene copy number testing in NSCLC, a comparison of CISH and FISH was performed.
Are statin medications safe in patients with ALS?

Statin medications for elevated cholesterol are one of the most commonly prescribed medications worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine if statin medications affect the rate of disease progression, the severity and frequency of muscle cramping, and serum CK levels in patients with ALS. We conducted a prospective cohort study in patients diagnosed with ALS with statin medication as the predetermined exposure variable and the rate of decline of the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) as the primary outcome. One hundred and sixty-four consecutive patients with laboratory supported probable, clinically probable, or clinically definite ALS were evaluated from January 2006 to September 2007. Thirty-two patients (20%) were taking statin medications and 132 were in the control group. After adjusting for covariates, we found a highly significant increase in the rate of decline in the ALSFRS-R for the statin group (1.71 units/month) compared to the control group (1.05 units/month, p<0.0001) representing a 63% increase in the rate of functional decline. Patients on statin therapy also reported a significant increase in muscle cramp frequency and severity (p<0.0001). This study has demonstrated a strong association between statin medications and an increased rate of functional decline and muscle cramping in patients with ALS. Although this association does not prove a causal relationship, it is prudent to exercise caution and discuss discontinuation or replacement of statin medications in patients with ALS.
Differentially conserved transcriptomic response to adversity related to self-rated health in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis

Self-rated health (SRH) is considered a strong indicator of well-being and clinical health status and has been linked to inflammatory markers. The objective of this work was to examine how self-rated physical health (SRPH) and mental health (SRMH) influence the immune system through the regulation of a stress-related gene expression profile known as the ‘conserved transcriptional response to adversity’ (CTRA), which involves the up-regulation of pro-inflammatory genes and down-regulation of genes involved in type I interferon (IFN) response and antibody synthesis. CTRA expression data were derived from genome-wide transcriptional data on purified monocytes in 1264 adult participants from the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis. SRPH and SRMH were assessed through the SF-12 questionnaire. Multiple linear regression models were used to determine the association between the composite score of the CTRA subsets and SRPH and SRMH. Higher scores of SRPH and SRMH were associated with an increased expression of the overall CTRA profile. The individual gene subsets analysis did not reveal an increased expression of pro-inflammatory genes in persons with lower scores of SRH. However, we observed that higher scores of SRPH positively modulate the immune response through the up-regulation of both type I interferon response and antibody synthesis-related genes, while better scores of SRMH were associated with a down-regulation of genes involved in antibody synthesis. The significant association between SRH and a gene expression profile related to type I IFN response and antibody synthesis suggests that SRH may be linked to the immunocompetence status. Impact statement In this work, we evaluated for the first time how self-rated mental (SRMH) and physical health (SRPH) influence the immune response at the molecular level in a large multi-ethnic cohort. We observed that both SRMH and SRPH are related to immunocompetence status. These findings indicated that the link between how we perceive our health and poorer health outcomes could be explained by alterations in the immune response by shifting the expression of genes related to the type I IFN response and antibody synthesis.
Optimal Social-Networking Strategy Is a Function of Socioeconomic Conditions

In the two studies reported here, we examined the relation among residential mobility, economic conditions, and optimal social-networking strategy. In Study 1, a computer simulation showed that regardless of economic conditions, having a broad social network with weak friendship ties is advantageous when friends are likely to move away. By contrast, having a small social network with deep friendship ties is advantageous when the economy is unstable but friends are not likely to move away. In Study 2, we examined the validity of the computer simulation using a sample of American adults. Results were consistent with the simulation: American adults living in a zip code where people are residentially stable but economically challenged were happier if they had a narrow but deep social network, whereas in other socioeconomic conditions, people were generally happier if they had a broad but shallow networking strategy. Together, our studies demonstrate that the optimal social-networking strategy varies as a function of socioeconomic conditions.
Effect of phylloquinone supplementation on biochemical markers of vitamin K status and bone turnover in postmenopausal women

While current intakes of phylloquinone (vitamin K1) in many populations are believed to be sufficient to maintain normal blood coagulation, these may be insufficient to cover the requirements for optimal bone metabolism. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of increasing phylloquinone intakes above the usual dietary intake for 6 weeks on biochemical markers of vitamin K status and bone turnover in postmenopausal women. Thirty-one postmenopausal women completed this 3 × 6-week randomised cross-over study, in which volunteers were supplemented with 0 (placebo), 200, and 500 μg phylloquinone/d. In addition, the volunteers were given 10 μg vitamin D3/d throughout the study period. With increasing phylloquinone intake, the concentration of serum γ-carboxylated and under-γ-carboxylated osteocalcin was significantly increased and decreased, respectively, in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0·001). Mean serum phylloquinone concentration was significantly (P < 0·001) higher with daily supplementation with 500 μg phylloquinone/d compared with that during either of the placebo or 200 μg phylloquinone/d supplementation periods, which did not differ (P = 0·15). Serum total osteocalcin was significantly (P < 0·001) increased in response to daily supplementation with 500 (but not 200) μg phylloquinone compared with placebo. Serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase as well as the urinary markers of bone resorption (N-telopeptide cross-links of collagen, pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline) and urinary γ-carboxyglutamate were unaffected by phylloquinone supplementation. In conclusion, while daily supplementation with 200 and 500 μg phylloquinone/d for 6 weeks increased vitamin K status in postmenopausal women, it had no effect on bone turnover.
Integrating the R&D and Patent Functions: Implications for New Product Performance

This paper examines the impact of cross-functional integration between the research and development (R&D) and the patent functions on new product development (NPD) performance. The attitudinal (collaboration) and the behavioral (contributions of the patent function to NPD) dimension of cross-functional integration between the R&D and the patent functions are distinguished. It is also investigated if the level of innovativeness moderates the relationship between the attitudinal and the behavioral dimension of cross-functional integration between the R&D and the patent department and NPD performance. The four hypotheses are tested based on a multi-informant sample of 101 NPD projects which are nested within 72 technology-based firms or strategic business units from multiple industries in Germany. The results show that the attitudinal and the behavioral dimensions of cross-functional integration between the R&D and the patent functions have a significant and positive impact on NPD performance. This lends empirical support for the notion expressed in the literature that certain managerial capabilities are important for understanding the effect of patenting on appropriability outcomes such as value creation and performance. The level of cross-functional integration between the patent and the R&D functions appears to be one of these critical patent management capabilities that affect the returns from investments into patents. There is support for the hypothesis that the context matters for the effect of cross-functional integration between the R&D and the patent functions on NPD performance. In line with the initial hypothesis, the level of innovativeness positively moderates the impact of the behavioral dimension of cross-functional integration between the R&D and the patent department on NPD performance. In contrast to the initial hypothesis, the findings reveal no moderating effect of the level of innovativeness on the link between the attitudinal dimension of cross-functional integration between the R&D and the patent department and NPD performance. This implies that joint objectives and an open and trustful working relationship between the R&D and the patent functions are not sufficient for achieving higher NPD performance if firms aim to develop very innovative products. In the case of highly innovative products, the actual behavior, that is, the specific contributions of the patent department to the NPD project, matters. Overall, these findings have important implications for improving performance by means of effectively integrating the patent and the R&D functions during NPD.
In vivo evaluation of the safety of adenovirus-mediated transfer of the human cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator cDNA to the lung.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a common, fatal hereditary disease resulting from mutations of the human cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene in which epithelial cells throughout the body manifest altered regulation of apical membrane chloride secretion. Although the disease affects multiple organs throughout the body, over 90% of patients die of complications of the lung involvement. The feasibility of adenovirus-derived vectors for in vivo delivery of the human CFTR cDNA to treat the pulmonary component of CF is currently being evaluated using in vitro and in vivo approaches. Defining the therapeutic window between biological efficacy and toxicity is an important part of this work. Here we present data regarding the preclinical evaluation of the safety of in vivo delivery of the human CFTR cDNA to the cotton rat airway epithelium using the replication-deficient adenoviral vector Av1Cf2 or a similar vector, Av1LacZ4, expressing the Escherichia coli LacZ gene as a histologic marker. Gene transfer to the respiratory epithelium was efficient, as demonstrated by in situ hybridization and histochemical staining. Administration of these vectors resulted in a mild, transient, dose-dependent cellular inflammatory response similar in character to that seen with adenovirus 5 (Ad5), but far less in intensity, which was not associated with structural lung damage or mortality. Av1Cf2 DNA sequences were easily detected in the lung after pulmonary administration, but could not be demonstrated in organs other than the lung. These preclinical observations suggest that adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to the airway epithelium can be achieved efficiently, but is accompanied by a dose- and time-dependent inflammation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Effects of Dividend Taxes on Equity Prices: A Re-examination of the 1997 UK Tax Reform

We re-examine the extent to which personal taxes on dividends are capitalised into the equity prices of domestic firms, using data from around the time of the 1997 UK dividend tax reform, which removed a significant tax credit for an important group of investors: UK pension funds. The tax-adjusted CAPM suggests that the impact should depend on an average of dividend tax rates across all investors, and that UK pension funds should reduce their holdings of the previously tax-favoured asset: UK equities. Given that UK pension funds are small relative to the total size of the world capital market, a small open economy-type argument implies that the main effect of the reform would be to reduce UK pension funds’ ownership of UK equities, with little impact on the price of UK equities. We present evidence which is consistent with these hypotheses. We discuss why previous research (Bell and Jenkinson, 2002) reached the different conclusion that this tax reform had a large negative impact on UK share prices.
Order of entry and performance in new markets

A prevalent view among both academics and managers is that pioneers enjoy an enduring advantage over all later market entrants. The study reported in this paper tests this assertion by comparing the behavior and performance of three entrant categories—namely, pioneers, early followers and late entrants. A population ecology model is used to develop a set of hypotheses and these are tested on samples of start-up and adolescent businesses from the PIMS data base. The results show the three entrant categories to have significantly different strategic profiles and performance levels, with pioneers tending, on the average, to outperform later entrants.
Dual effect of cobra cardiotoxin on vascular smooth muscle and endothelium.

AIM To assess the cytotoxic effects of cobra cardiotoxin (CTX) on rat aorta. METHODS Measure of contractility of aortic rings with or without endothelium. RESULTS In endothelium-intact rings, CTX 10 mumol.L-1 induced a transient relaxation followed by a sustained contraction. Removal of the endothelium or pre-incubation of the rings with NO synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) abolished the transient relaxation but did not affect the magnitude of the contractile response induced by CTX. CTX itself induced contraction of vascular smooth muscle but also reduced contractions induced by phenylephrine (PhE) or KCl stimulation in a concentration-dependent manner. Contraction induced by CTX was dependent on the external Ca2+ concentration. Maximal contractile response to CTX was obtained in medium containing Ca2+ 1 mmol.L-1. This response decreased with higher Ca2+ concentration and disappeared when Ca2+ 7 mmol.L-1, organic and inorganic calcium channel blockers were present in the external solution before CTX addition. In preparations with the endothelium intact and incubated with CTX, relaxation by acetylcholine (ACh) stimulation of the tension induced by PhE was decreased. Endothelium-dependent relaxation to ACh was preserved when Ca2+ 5 mmol.L-1 was added to the medium prior to CTX. CONCLUSION CTX first triggers the release of NO from the endothelium which results in muscle relaxation, and then causes smooth muscle contraction, Ca2+ and Ca2+ channel blockers prevented the effect of CTX.
Cloud-Point Phenomena in Wormlike Micellar Systems Containing Cationic Surfactant and Salt

Cationic surfactants with an erucyl (C22, monounsaturated) tail display unusual phase behavior in aqueous solution as a function of temperature and added salt concentration. Low amounts of salts with binding counterions such as sodium tosylate (NaTos) lead to highly viscoelastic wormlike micellar solutions. With further addition of salt, the viscosity decreases, and the solutions cloud on heating (i.e., exhibit lower consolute phase behavior). The cloud-point temperature and the zero-shear viscosity η0 pass in parallel through minima as a function of NaTos concentration. Cloud-point behavior is seen over a wider range of salt concentrations in the case of sodium salicylate (NaSal), which has an even stronger binding counterion. In the case of a weakly binding salt (NaCl), phase transitions are observed only at much higher salt contents, and the phase behavior is predominantly of the upper consolute type. Light and neutron scattering data show evidence of critical concentration fluctuations near the cloud .
Comparison of the system of rice intensification (SRI), recommended practices, and farmers' methods of rice (Oryza sativa L.) production in the humid tropics of Kerala, India.

Field experiments were conducted to compare the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) with the best management recommendations and farmers’ practices of rice ( Oryza sativa L.) production. The experimental variables included combinations of seedling number and age (10 day-old single vs. 20 day-old two seedlings per hill), spacing (25 x 25 cm vs. 20 x 15 cm), irrigation (intermittent irrigation vs. continuous flooding), and weed control (cono-weeding vs. manual weeding) treatments, besides farmers’ practice (control). The trial was laid out in completely randomized factorial design, replicated thrice. Highest grain yield (4467 kg ha–1) and net returns (Rs 17745 ha–1) were obtained for the suite of best management practices (planting two 20 days-old seedlings hill–1 at 20 x15 cm + intermittent irrigation and cono-weeding). Yield under SRI management (planting 10 day-old single seedlings at 25 x 25 cm + intermittent irrigation and cono-weeding: 3326 kg ha–1) was lower than that of recommended practices (20 day-old two seedlings at 20 x15cm+continuous irrigation and hand weeding: 4310 kg ha–1) but was greater than that of farmers’ practices (2643 kg ha–1). Planting 10 day-old single seedlings at 25 x 25 cm spacing had little impact on yield under the experimental conditions. Although intermittent irrigation and continuous flooding were statistically at par, cono-weeding reduced the labour required for weeding by 35 man-days ha–1 and labour cost by Rs 3125 ha–1. Farmers’ participatory evaluation revealed that planting of one or two young seedlings hill–1 at specified spacing and employing conoweeding and intermittent irrigation are economically viable technologies.
An Examination of the Stockholder Response to Corporate Religiosity and Religiosity's Effects on Operational and Financial Reporting Quality

Religion has been shown to influence decision makers at both the individual and business level. In this paper, I examine the stockholder response to corporate religiosity and religiosity’s effects on operational and financial reporting quality. Industry adjusted return on assets and industry adjusted accruals are my measures for operational and financial reporting quality, respectively. Using religiosity data from Dyreng, Mayew, and Williams, I evaluate the 1999 and 2006 mean stock returns by degree of religiosity and return on assets and by degree of religiosity and accruals earnings management. I find that stockholders favor the least religious companies with the highest level of operational efficiency and the highest level of accruals earnings management in 1999. My results show that stockholders continue to favor the least religious companies with the highest level of accruals earnings management in 2006 but at a decreasing rate. My results also show that stockholders begin to favor the most religious companies with the highest level of operational efficiency in 2006. In this paper, I also examine corporate religiosity by industry and auditor client base. My results reveal the most and least religious industries and the auditors with the most and least religious client bases. Collectively, my study provides new evidence and continues the discussion of the effects of corporate religiosity in the United States.
The Financing of R&D and Innovation

Evidence on the "funding gap" for investment innovation is surveyed. The focus is on financial market reasons for underinvestment that exist even when externality-induced underinvestment is absent. We conclude that while small and new innovative firms experience high costs of capital that are only partly mitigated by the presence of venture capital, the evidence for high costs of R&D capital for large firms is mixed. Nevertheless, large established firms do appear to prefer internal funds for financing such investments and they manage their cash flow to ensure this. Evidence shows that there are limits to venture capital as a solution to the funding gap, especially in countries where public equity markets for VC exit are not highly developed. We conclude by suggesting areas for further research.
Post-Takeover Effects on Thai Bidding Firms

This study features an analysis of takeover effects on the Thai stock market and focuses on the impact on bidding firms. The study is motivated by the paucity of studies of Thai bidding firms as well as the lack of information about their long-term performance. The measures used for abnormal return measurement and for significance testing include a matched reference portfolio control and bootstrapped skewness-adjusted t-statistics. The findings are consistent with past studies, including those in the U.S., U.K. and Australia and also supportive of the survey studies by Jensen and Ruback (1983), Agrawal and Jaffe (1999), Bruner (2002) and Campa and Hernando (2004). Takeover announcements ultimately result in significant and negative abnormal returns over the following period (+1,+16) months, varying from -4% to -6%, and -0.20% (monthly) for the bidding firm's shareholders.
Isolation of Methyl Parathion-Degrading Strain M6 and Cloning of the Methyl Parathion Hydrolase Gene

ABSTRACT A degradative bacterium, M6, was isolated and presumptively identified as Plesiomonas sp. strain M6 was able to hydrolyze methyl parathion to p-nitrophenol. A novel organophosphate hydrolase gene designated mpd was selected from its genomic library prepared by shotgun cloning. The nucleotide sequence of the mpd gene was determined. The gene could be effectively expressed in Esherichia coli.