Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strategic Timing and Proactiveness of Organizations

textabstractAn enduring notion in strategy and organization theory literature is that firms succeed and survive as long as a strategic fit exists between strategy, structure, processes, competencies, and resources on the one hand and opportunities and threats arising in the external environment on the other hand. Maintaining strategic fit over time requires that firms undertake appropriate change to reflect changing environmental conditions and shape the environment to their advantage. This dissertation focuses on the crucial yet under-researched temporal dimension of the adaptive and proactive actions organizations take to achieve fit in dynamic environments and develops current knowledge on the outcomes and determinants of proactive strategic behavior in the domain of strategic entrepreneurship. Findings from the four studies composing this dissertation indicate that (1) potential absorptive capacity plays an important role in aligning organizational and environmental rates of change over time; (2) a proactive strategic timing orientation can either enable or hamper positive performance outcomes of exploratory and exploitative innovations under different levels of environmental dynamism; (3) work design characteristics are important levers for proactive strategic behavior of firms in dynamic environments and are thus a potential driver of an organization’s ability to influence and manipulate its environment; (4) strategic timing, together with knowledge intensity and prior experience, should be considered a crucial factor in offshoring decisions aimed at cost reductions. Jointly, these results underscore the need to systematically address temporalities in strategic management and entrepreneurship research from a dynamic contingency perspective. In particular, this dissertation calls for further research on the outcomes and determinants of proactive strategic behavior at the firm level, as well as within the organization. Indeed, proactive behaviors are a driving force in entrepreneurship and economic value creation and as such are crucial to the development and advancement of society.
An Empirical Assessment of Service Quality of Cellular Mobile Telephone Operators in Pakistan

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the dimensions of users’ perceived service quality of cellular mobile telephone operators in Pakistan. Research design / methodology: A structured questionnaire, covering SERVQUAL dimensions of tangible, reliability, assurance, empathy, responsiveness, and additional dimensions of network quality and convenience, was used to measure mobile phone users’ perception about service quality. Convenience sample of 800 mobile phone users was used to collect the data. Confirmatory factor and multiple regression analysis were conducted. Finding: The adapted SERVQUAL with additional dimensions was found to be a valid instrument to measure service quality in mobile phone services. The dimensions of tangible, assurance, responsiveness, empathy, convenience, and network quality found to have positive and statistically significant relationship with mobile phone users’ perceived service quality. Convenience and network quality dimensions found to be relatively most important dimensions affecting users’ perception. The dimension of reliability did not reflect significant effect on customers’ perception of quality. Research limitations/implications: Convenience sample was used to measure mobile phone users’ perception of service quality. Practical implications: SERVQUAL is a valid instrument to measure service quality in cellular mobile telephone operators in Pakistan. Inclusion of additional dimensions and items make it more comprehensive for application in telecommunication services. The dimensions of network quality, convenience, and reliability are important aspects that need managerial attention to attract and retain customers. The regulators in telecommunication industry should take appropriate measure to include these dimensions in undertaking objective assessment of quality of service of cellular mobile telephone operators in Pakistan in safeguarding customers’ interest. Originality/value: Few studies on cellular mobile phone users’ perception of service quality using SERVQUAL, and additional dimensions of convenience and network quality has been carried out in Pakistan. The current study has improved the understanding of mobile phone users’ perception of quality for mobile phone operators, and regulators, beside its practical implications for telecommunication industry in Pakistan. Key Words: Customer service quality, SERVQUAL, Mobile communication service, Pakistan
What is a formal method

A formal method is a mathematically-based technique used in Computer Science to describe properties of hardware and/or software systems. It provides a framework within which large, complex systems may be specified, developed, and verified in a systematic rather than ad hoc manner. A method is formal if it has a sound mathematical basis, typically given by a formal specification language. A formal method is only a method, rather than an isolated mathematical entity in itself, because of a number of pragmatic considerations: who uses it, what it is used for, when it is used
Clearance of endotoxin from blood of rabbits injected with staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome toxin-1

This study was undertaken to examine some of the properties of staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) with regard to the clearance of endotoxin from blood. The concentration of endotoxin in blood was measured by using a chromogenic limulus test and modified perchloric acid method. When TSST-1, which produces fever in rabbits, was injected (100 ng/ml or 100 micrograms/ml per kg) intravenously (i.v.) into the animals, no measurable level of endotoxin was detected in the blood. In control animals, which were given 5 micrograms of endotoxin per ml per kg i.v. , endotoxin could be detected in the blood at rapidly declining levels. These results suggested that TSST-1 might not lead bacterial endotoxin from other body sites into the blood. When the animals were given TSST-1 (1 to 100 ng/ml per kg) i.v. and then endotoxin (5 micrograms/ml per kg) i.v. 4 h later, endotoxin was detected in the blood at a high level, depending on the dose of TSST-1 injected. These results showed that TSST-1 inhibited the clearance of endotoxin in the blood; this clearance is thought to be mainly done by the reticuloendothelial system. In the animals given TSST-1 (100 ng/ml per kg) and endotoxin (5 micrograms/ml per kg) simultaneously, the endotoxin level in the blood was found to be higher than that in control animals given endotoxin only but lower than that in the animals given TSST-1 and then endotoxin at the same doses.
Efficacy and Safety of Clopidogrel 600 mg Administered Pre-Hospitally to Improve Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction (CIPAMI): Study Rationale and Design

Clopidogrel, in combination with acetylsalicylic acid, has become a mainstay of the pharmacological therapy for patients with acute coronary syndromes, especially in those undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). While a series of studies has shown that pre-treatment with a loading dose of clopidogrel 300 or 600 mg prior to PCI is effective in reducing cardiovascular complications, the optimal dose and timing in various patient groups is still unclear. The primary objective of the present randomized, open-label Clopidogrel to Improve Primary percutaneous coronary Intervention in Acute Myocardial Infarction (CIPAMI) study is to evaluate the efficacy and the safety of a 600 mg loading dose of clopidogrel in addition to standard acetylsalicylic acid/heparin treatment in the pre-hospital setting in 654 patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction scheduled for primary PCI. The primary efficacy endpoint is the TIMI 2/3 patency of the infarct-related artery immediately prior to PCI. The rationale, design and methods of this study are described.
Information Technology and Customer Orientation: A Study of Direct, Mediated, and Interactive Linkages

This study investigates whether and how information technology (IT) is linked to a firm's ability to understand and fulfil customer needs, i.e. customer orientation. IT alone or in tandem with other strategic resources may enable businesses to process market intelligence and coordinate organisational responses to meet evolving buyer preferences. Based on a survey of senior marketing managers and PLS path model analyses, we learned that greater IT capabilities are associated with higher customer orientation but in mediated and interactive ways with marketing information quality and organisational trust. These and other findings largely supported the conceptual model. An implication is that while IT capabilities can help firms be more customer-focused, other critical resources must also be present.
Farmers’ Attitude Towards Post-Harvest Issues of Horticultural Crops

Attitude as a component of human behavior is the pre-requisite for any action, which plays a dominant role in adoption of new post-harvest technologies. The present study was conducted in Ludhiana district of Punjab state to examine the farmers’ attitude towards post-harvest issues of horticultural crops. A Likert-type-scale was developed, which consisted of 14-items. The survey instrument contained three sections namely environmental, technological and economic aspects. Data were solicited by personal interview method from eighty horticultural crop growers. Study reveals that farmers’ had positive attitude towards post-harvest aspects of horticultural crops. The following measures have been recommended to boost-up and commercialization of post-harvest technologies: (i) organization of small farmers into groups or associations at block level (ii) emphasis on market-driven and decentralized extension system (iii) shifting of paradigm towards high-value enterprises and diversification (iv) organization of need-based and skill oriented trainings (v) popularization of post-harvest technologies by mass media, and (vi) informal education of farmers at village level.
Quality of milk from cows of the Moldavian type of Black & White and Red Estonian breeds.

The study’s objectives consists of appreciating the influence of Black & White and Red Estonian breeds on the quality of cows’ milk. Researches had been held at the cattle farm from the Technological Experimental Station „Maximovca”, at the Scientifical Practical Institute of Biotechnology in Zootechny and Veterinary Medicine. Milk samples had been collected in the day of milking control. The milk analysis had been made in the laboratory quality of animal products evaluation at the Department of Animal Husbandry of the State Agrarian University of Moldova, by using the ultrasonic analyzer “Lactoscan”. There had been appreciated the content’s parameters of fat, protein, non-fat solids, lactose, density, freezing point, amount of added water, pH, temperature and the conductivity in the fresh milk. In breed Black & White it had been got the milk content 4.1% of fat, 8.9% of non-fat solids, 4.7% of lactose, but in Red Estonian breed the collected milk had correspondingly the following indices: 4.8%, 9.2%, 4.9%. It had been proved the possibility of obtaining milk with a superior quality yin both breeds, but in Red Estonian breed the milk the content of fat was higher, as well non-fat solids and lactose. It is recommended to use the analyzer «Lactoscan» for the acquisition of milk as a raw material.
Effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy in Spanish cohorts of HIV seroconverters: differences by transmission category

Objective: To evaluate the population effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in HIV progression and determine the heterogeneity of the effect of HAART in GEMES (Spanish multicenter study of seroconverters). Design: Multicenter cohort study. Methods: Data from 1091 persons with well-documented HIV seroconversion dates from 1980s to January 2000 were analysed. Risk of AIDS and death in subjects with same duration of HIV infection were compared in different calendar periods; before 1992, 1992–1995 (reference), 1996–1997, 1998 and 1999 with Kaplan–Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards models, allowing for late entry, fitting calendar period as time-dependent covariate and adjusting for transmission category, age and gender. Results: Statistically significant reductions in the risk of AIDS were first observed in 1998 [hazard ratio (HR), 0.59; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.35–1.01] becoming more pronounced in 1999 (HR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.24–0.84). Reduction in the risk of death was seen in 1997, though only reached borderline significance in 1999 (HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.26–1.07). Progression to AIDS and death was slower in women (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.46–0.99 and HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.33–0.87, respectively). Compared with men who have sex with men (MSM), intravenous drug users (IDU) had lower reductions in the risk of AIDS and death. Conclusions: Reductions in incidence of AIDS and death in GEMES are seen after 1998 and 1999, respectively, compared with 1992–1995, being more pronounced in MSM compared with IDU, the commonest category in Spain.
Constraints to sustainable development of rubber industry in Nigeria: A case study of Delta State

This paper discusses the constraints to sustainable development of the rubber industry in Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was administered to 150 farmers in four Local Government Areas in Delta state. Frequency counts and percentages were used to analyse the data collected. The findings revealed that lack of inputs, lack of credit facilities, high production cost are some of the constraints to sustainable development. The study also revealed among others the causes of the constraints, which include high lending interest rate, diversion of loan by farmers, low exchange rate of the Naira and old age of the rubber trees. On the socio­–economic characteristics of the farmers, it was discovered that the older farmers (over 49 years old) were more involved in rubber production with 79 percent accounting for a low level of education. The study concluded that provision of credit facility and availability of farm inputs are pathways to sustainable development in the rubber industry. Keywords : Constraints; sustainable; rubber; industry Moor Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 7 (1&2) 2006 pp. 42-48
Incentives for relocating to regional Australia: estimates using a choice experiment

How individual and job characteristics are related to a willingness to move location for work is the focus of this study, which is unique in that it estimates the monetary value of incentives required. A discrete choice experiment analyses the stated preferences of a sample of people from two states in Australia. The findings indicate that some groups require a wage incentive to move, while others do not. Policies promoting geographic labour mobility are more likely to succeed if demand-side factors such as the skills and experience that employers need are taken into account.
Analysts’ recommendations and the market impact of the valuation methods

Despite its importance, the informative value of the analysts’ valuation methods has not been thoroughly examined in the literature. Such an issue is relevant with regard to the concerns on analysts’ objectivity. We test whether investors’ reaction is jointly influenced by recommendations and target revisions and mainly by valuation method used because it summarizes the information considered to be relevant by the analysts. We analyse the market reaction to recommendation revisions with an event study methodology, calculating market-adjusted abnormal returns at the report release date. We run regressions to test the market impact of recommendations and target price revisions, as well as their interaction, and we then focus on testing several models to discern market reaction to distinct valuation methods. We show that market reaction is influenced by the valuation methods used in their reports. The majority of previous studies relying on commercial databases report the market reaction in relation to analysts’ recommendations, target prices or earnings forecasts, often overlooking the content of the reports and the methodology used therein. This is due to an information constraint of commercial databases, normally including only the above-mentioned synthetic variables. A notable exception is Asquith, Mikhail, and Au (2005) who find no relation between the market reaction and the valuation methods used by analysts. Compared to Asquith et al. (2005), our research uses a larger database and finds a different result. We show the market reacts differently to distinct valuation methods, without favouring the theoretically more correct ones based on discounting cash flows. We also find that the market reaction is larger when the analysts support their recommendation with more than one valuation method. Our research shows that the market pays attention to the content of the reports and analysts can be more influential when they use more valuation methodologies to cross-check their estimates.
Multiple Intelligences, the Mozart Effect, and Emotional Intelligence: A Critical Review

This article reviews evidence for multiple intelligences theory, the Mozart effect theory, and emotional intelligence theory and argues that despite their wide currency in education these theories lack adequate empirical support and should not be the basis for educational practice. Each theory is compared to theory counterparts in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience that have better empirical support. The article considers possible reasons for the appeal of these 3 theories and concludes with a brief rationale for examining theories of cognition in the light of cognitive neuroscience research findings.
Post‐adoption online shopping continuance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine post‐adoption usage of the internet as a shopping channel. It aims to examine the effects of innovation attributes on post‐adoption shopping behaviours to determine whether factors predicting initial adoption will be effective in predicting post‐adoption. It also aims to examine the links between two usage patterns (purchasing experience product versus search product) and online shopping continuance. The paper also seeks to compare strength of identified links among innovation attributes, online purchase behaviors and online shopping continuance.Design/methodology/approach – An online survey of a national sample of online shoppers identifies online purchase behaviours for search and purchase goods; data are analysed using structural equation modelling to test the proposed model and the hypotheses.Findings – The analysis finds support for the proposed research model and indicates that experience product purchasing has the most salient effect on online shopp.
Clinical study on safety of adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation in both donors and recipients.

AIM To investigate the safety of adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (A-A LDLT) in both donors and recipients. METHODS From January 2002 to July 2006, 50 cases of A-A LDLT were performed at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, consisting of 47 cases using right lobe graft without middle hepatic vein (MHV), and 3 cases using dual grafts (one case using two left lobe, 2 using one right lobe and one left lobe). The most common diagnoses were hepatitis B liver cirrosis, 30 (60%) cases; and hepatocellular carcinoma, 15 (30%) cases in adult recipients. Among them, 10 cases had the model of end-stage liver disease (MELD) with a score of more than 25. Donor screening consisted of reconstruction of the hepatic blood vessels and biliary system with 3-dimension computed tomography and volumetry of whole liver and right liver volume. Various improved surgical techniques were adopted in the procedures for both donors and recipients. RESULTS Forty-nine right lobes and 3 left lobes (2 left lobe grafts for 1 recipient, 1 left lobe graft for 1 recipient who had received right lobe graft donated by relative living donor) were obtained from 52 living donors. The 49 right lobe grafts, without MHV, weighed 400 g-850 g (media 550 g), and the ratio of graft volume to recipient standard liver volume (GV/SLV) ranged from 31.74% to 71.68% (mean 45.35%). All donors' remnant liver volume was over 35% of the whole liver volume. There was no donor mortality. With a follow-up of 2-52 mo (media 9 mo), among 50 adult recipients, complications occurred in 13 (26%) cases and 4 (8%) died postoperatively within 3 mo. Their 1-year actual survival rate was 92%. CONCLUSION When preoperative CT volumetry shows volume of remnant liver is more than 35%, the ratio of right lobe graft to recipients standard liver volume exceeding 40%, A-A LDLT using right lobe graft without MHV should be a very safe procedure for both donors and recipients, otherwise dual grafts liver transplantation should be considered.
Studies on the genus Basidiobolus with reclassification of the species pathogenic for man.

The etiologic agent of human subcutaneous phycomycosis was found to be a species of Basidiobolus which is characterized by the lack of a distinctive odor, by being able to grow well at human body temperature and in having smooth-walled zygospores. These features separate it from the saprophyte, B. ranarum, which has a distinctive odor, does not grow well at 37°C. and has rough-walled zygospores. It is separated from B. haptosporus on the basis that this saprophyte is not well-adapted for growth at human body temperature. B. magnus and B. microsporus possess other distinctly differing morphological features. The pattern is considered by the authors to be of the same species as B. meristosporus, a thermotolerant fungus which does not differ significantly in morphology from the human pathogen.
Intergrated Approach to Health Promotion: The South African Schools’ Role

This research sought to examine the schools’ role in integrated health promotion. The key focus was on the understanding of the integrated policies and the implications of practical implementation of such policies in schools. This research was explorative in nature and involved a stratified sample of 16 participants from one of the municipalities under Sedibeng District Municipality. The findings revealed that the schools’ ineffectiveness in their role is a barrier to efficient health services by health teams. There is lack of coordination and collaboration of health services due to lack of training and accountability. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014. v5n20p1713
Optimal Monetary Policy in a ‘ Sudden Stop ’

During the Asian financial crises, interest rates were raised immediately, and then reduced sharply. We describe an environment in which this is the optimal monetary policy. ∗Northwestern University and Tilburg University. †Northwestern University, and NBER. ‡International Monetary Fund. §Braggion thanks the European Central Bank-Research Department for its hospitality. Christiano is grateful for the financial support of a National Science Foundation grant to the National Bureau of Economic Research. The authors are grateful for the advice and comments of Klaus Adam, Narayana Kocherlakota, Andrew Scott, Jaume Ventura and Michael Woodford. The results reported in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the International Monetary Fund.