Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Manufacturing Sourcing Practices and Relationships

Product-sourcing practices can impact the competitiveness of an organization's products and services. Many sourcing practices exist and the challenge is to find the right practice, for the right product, at the right time. This paper describes a survey of 3,500 of UK companies, and reports on current and intended manufacturing sourcing practices; the associated decision-making processes; and, the principal motives behind sourcing decisions. Key findings demonstrate a strong and ambitious trend towards open, integrated relationships between manufacturers and their principal suppliers; sourcing decisions increasingly based on well-structured analysis of business needs and capabilities; and, the chief motivators being financial and market factors.
International Joint Ventures: Do they Enhance Shareholder Value?

Stock market reaction to the announcement of domestic joint ventures (JVs) has consistently elicited significant positive abnormal returns thus enhancing shareholder value upon announcement. However, the evidence relating to that of IJVs is mixed. Whilst some studies report of value enhancing effects, others report of negative abnormal returns (and some no significant effect at all). The reasons for this mixed reaction may be categorised into project-specific (sector), host country characteristics (location) and sponsor-specific factors. The global financial in 2008 (time) may also have a role to play in the magnitude of abnormal returns generated upon announcement. Using the traditional event study methodology in a 21-day event window (+10,-10), a market model event study is carried out for 394 IJVs announced between 2005 and 2010. This revealed that IJVs on average create value; however, they do not have a lasting effect on the market valuation. Nevertheless, it can be deduced that, JVs: whether domestic or international create value upon announcement. Further analyses suggest that sector and location were relevant in the creation of shareholder value. As expected there was significant difference between pre and post financial crisis abnormal returns with the former associated with significant positive returns. With the ability of event study to effectively measure the degree of disturbance of an event, the above findings are vital for key decision making in the international business context.
Molecular Mechanism of Huntington’s Disease — A Computational Perspective

Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a devastating autosomal dominanta neurodegenerative human disease for which there is currently no cure. HD is characterized by progressive motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms (Huntington 1872). The gene responsible for HD (HTT) encodes the ubiquitously expressed Huntingtin protein (Htt) (MacDonald et al. 1993) (Fig. 1). Human Htt is essential for brain development (Reiner et al. 2003), although its exact biological function is unknown. This protein is located mostly in the cytoplasm, but a small amount of Htt is also present in the nucleus (Kegel et al. 2002). Moreover, the protein can dynamically travel back and forth between the two cellular compartments (Kegel et al. 2002). Htt may be associated also with the plasma membrane, the endocytic and autophagic vesicles, the endosomal compartments, the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi apparatus, mitochondria and microtubules (Kegel et al. 2002; Caviston et al. 2007; Kegel et al. 2005; Rockabrand et al. 2007; Strehlow et al. 2007; Atwal et al. 2007). Htt is a large, multidomain protein (3144 aa and molecular weight 348 kDa) for which structural information at atomic resolution is not available (Zuccato et al. 2010). Htt has been proposed to be an elongated super-helical solenoid with a diameter of ∼ 200 A (Li et al. 2006) (Fig. 1). The bestcharacterized part of the protein is the Exon 1 (Ex1), which consists of the following regions: N17 (the 17-amino acid-long N-term), the variable polyQ stretch (less than 36 Qs in healthy individuals (Mangiarini et al. 1996)), and a polyProline (polyP)-rich region (Fig. 1). Ex1, with an extended polyQ tract (m-Ex1), is sufficient to cause HD-like pathology in animal models (Mangiarini et al. 1996). Moreover, expression of m-Ex1 is sufficient to cause the typical formation of Htt aggregates found in brains of HD patients (Mangiarini et al. 1996; Bates et al. 1998; Davies et al. 1997). Hence, investigations of structural, dynamical and kinetic properties of m-Ex1 may help to understand key aspects of the disease. The amino acids of N17 are highly conserved (100% similarity) in all vertebrate species (Tartari et al. 2008), and
The estimated macroeconomic effects of the Federal Reserve's large-scale Treasury purchase program

This brief examines an issue of current importance to the conduct of U.S. economic policy: how has the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) plan to purchase up to $600 billion of Treasury securities by June 30, 2011 affected the movement of inflation, GDP, and employment to more desirable medium-term and long-term levels? Following the FOMC's announcement of the plan on November 3, 2010, other events that potentially influence Treasury yields have been at play. To estimate the effects that the FOMC Treasury purchases may have on the goal of achieving more desirable levels of inflation and employment, the authors make use of different models to gauge the likely effect upon interest rates, the interest rate effects on real spending (GDP), and how changes in GDP may be affecting the employment rate.
Does Money Always Talk? Social Distance and Fairness in Online Referral Systems

Online referral incentive systems help attract new customers to firms by leveraging existing customers' social networks. Designing an appropriate referral incentive system by leveraging social commerce allows firms to enhance their customer base and increase sales. This study integrates the ultimatum game theory (fairness theory) with construal-level theory to hypothesize the role of monetary incentives (referral bonus) and social distance (friends versus acquaintances) in the performance of three competing designs for online referral incentive systems (i.e., rewarding only the proposer, rewarding only the responder, or dividing the reward equally between the two parties). A randomized field experiment was conducted in cooperation with a major online ticketing company to test the effects of the fairness of the split of the monetary incentive (equal split versus unequal split of the referral bonus) and social distance (friends versus acquaintances) between the proposer and the responder on the ultimate performance of online referral incentive systems (responder's acceptance of the proposer’s offer). Interestingly, our results show that for small social distance (friends), a "U" shaped relationship was observed between monetary incentive and referral performance, with referral performance not being affected by the referral bonus. In contrast, for a large social distance (mere acquaintances), an inverted "U" shaped relationship was observed between monetary incentives and referral performance, notably that a fair split of the referral bonus led to the highest referral performance. By studying the interaction effects of monetary incentives relative to social norms, our research contributes and has theoretical and practical implications for the ultimatum game and social commerce by showing that the pursuit of fairness is either useful or harmful for dyadic relationships that differ on their social distance.
Can midwives reduce postpartum psychological morbidity? A randomized trial.

BACKGROUND Women who are traumatized after childbirth find that listening, support, counseling, understanding, and explanation are the most useful treatments. However, little evidence is available from randomized trials of the relative efficacy of these treatments as a positive postnatal intervention. This study purpose was to examine if postnatal "debriefing" by midwives can reduce psychological morbidity after childbirth. METHOD A randomized trial was conducted in a regional teaching hospital in northwest England. One hundred and twenty postnatal primigravidas were allocated by sealed envelopes to receive the debriefing intervention (n = 56) or not (n = 58). The main outcome measure was the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale administered by postal questionnaire 3 weeks after delivery. The proportion of women in each group with anxiety and depression scores of more than 10 points were compared, using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS Women who received the intervention were less likely to have high anxiety and depression scores after delivery when compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS The support, counseling, understanding, and explanation given to women by midwives in the postnatal period provides benefits to psychological well-being. Maternity units have a responsibility to develop a service that offers all women the option of attending a session to discuss their labor.
Understanding local food shopping: Unpacking the ethical dimension

Abstract Analysing shopping in the local food sector is an area of contemporary consumer research that has received considerable interest in recent times. The significance of the topic relates not only to underlying consumer behaviour theory, but also to the perceived role of local food in environmentally responsible purchasing practices, and consequently sustainable food policies. However, previous empirical investigation of local food buying behaviour is limited, and this research extends current work through adopting a mixed methods approach that comprised qualitative focus groups with an online survey of consumers. Multivariate analysis techniques were utilised to identify a set of drivers of and inhibitors to local food buying. Following this, two types of local food buyers were distinguished based upon the reasons for buying/not buying, and these were further categorised using demographic and location variables. An integrated modelling process was then used to establish the effects of the different influences on behavioural intentions and actual buying behaviour. Results identified a complex range of outcomes which indicate that the ethical sustainability dimension of local food shopping does not positively affect consumer buying in this market. The implications for related areas of theory and the future marketing practices of local food suppliers and retailers are then considered.
Correlation of corneal acoustic and elastic properties in a canine eye model.

PURPOSE To examine the correlation between corneal acoustic impedance and Young's modulus in a canine eye model. METHODS Twenty canine globes were recovered from healthy animals. Corneal acoustic impedance was measured in the intact globes using two methods: a quantitative ultrasound spectroscopy method and the reflection amplitude method. The intraocular pressure was maintained at 10 mm Hg during the ultrasound measurements. Corneal strips were then prepared for standard uniaxial tensile tests. Young's moduli at various strain levels and those at a loading level equivalent to that for ultrasound measurements were compared with the acoustic impedance of the same cornea. RESULTS The mean acoustic impedance of the canine corneas was 1.72 ± 0.05 MPa · s/m using the quantitative ultrasound spectroscopy method and 1.71 ± 0.04 MPa · s/m using the reflection amplitude method. Young's secant modulus was 1.07 ± 0.48 MPa at 1% strain and 2.01 ± 0.98 MPa at 5% strain, and the tangent modulus was 1.28 ± 0.69 and 3.16 ± 0.71 MPa, respectively. Significant linear correlations between acoustic impedance and Young's modulus (at 1%-5% strains) were found in the measured canine corneas. The correlation remained strong when comparing the two parameters measured under equivalent loading. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests a potentially strong correlation between corneal acoustic impedance and Young's modulus at low strain levels. If such correlation also exists in the human eye, it may allow the noninvasively determined acoustic impedance to be used as a surrogate for Young's modulus, which is difficult to obtain in vivo.
Business Relationships Dynamics and (In) Stability: A Comparative Case Study in Corporate Banking

This paper looks at the evolution of business banking relationships regarding the stability of the volume of trade between corporate clients and their banks. Ten cases of dyadic relationships were studied. For each relationship, we looked at the variations in trade volume both within calendar years (short periods of time) and throughout the duration of the relationship (long periods of time). Theses cases were compared in terms of their atmospheres (co-operation, accessibility, commitment, trust and conflict), the strength and the kind of bonds, and the existence (or not) of connected relationships. Both the bonds between clients and banks, and those to connected bank relationships seem to contribute to the stability of relationships. No relation was found between the stability of banking relationships and their atmospheres. Finally, ten factors were identified that can interfere with relationships for short periods of time: three factors concern the client (bargaining behaviour, power, and financial and economic situation), two factors concern the bank (personnel turnover and risk policy), and another two concern the economic transactions (cost, and financial and economic risk). Finally, three factors were ‘external’ to the relationships (connected relationships, market competitiveness, and sociopolitical/legal factors). Positive and negative impacts on relationships stability are also discussed.
External Hexagon and Internal Hexagon in Straight and Offset Implant Placement: Strain Gauge Analysis

Purpose:The objective of this in vitro study was to quantify the strain development of external hexagon and internal hexagon implant-supported partial prostheses in straight and offset implant placement configurations. Materials and Methods:Three external hexagon and 3 internal hexagon implants were embedded in the center of each polyurethane block. Four strain gauges were bonded on the surface of polyurethane. The 20 superstructure occlusal screws were tightened onto the Microunit abutments with a torque of 10 Ncm using the manufacturer's manual of torque-controlling device. Results:There were statistic significant differences in hexagonal type (P = 0.0210 < 0.05). There were nostatistic significant differences in placement configuration (P = 0.7483 > 0.05). The results showed fundamental differences between both conditions. Conclusion:Under the limited conditions of this study, the hexagon internal connection displayed higher values of microstrain than the hexagon external type implant placement. There was no evidence that there was an advantage of offset placement in reducing the strain around implant. There was no proof from this investigation that the straight placement generated higher microstrain than offset placement.
Dynamic Capital Structure Decisions: Evidence from Firms in an Emerging Economy

This paper analyses the financing decisions of publicly traded companies in Turkey by estimating a dynamic capital structure model and using a panel of 227 industrial firms during the period 1990 to 2002. The approach adopted in this study allows for unobserved time-invariant firm heterogeneity and the endogeneity of regressors. We observe that growth opportunities, size, profitability and asset structure of firms exert an impact on financial decisions of firms. However, the results reported in this paper are not in line with the traditional view that there should be a positive relationship between leverage and firm size. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the dynamic nature of the capital structure decisions of firms should not be neglected.
Gender Difference in the Knowledge and Adoption of Educational Technology by Faculty: The Case of a Business School in Jamaica

This paper seeks to inform our understanding of the role played by gender in the process of educational technology adoption in a business school in Jamaica. Gender difference studies in educational research are becoming popular but there are few studies in this domain in higher education, especially with respect to faculty. The research examines the expertise of faculty in educational technologies, as well as their adoption and non-adoption in using these technologies in teaching and learning. The study found that males accounted for 62% of faculty exhibiting high levels of expertise in educational technologies in comparison to 38% for the females. The level of adoption for males was statistically higher than females. In addition, the main enhancer was found to be “educational technologies have the potential to enhance teaching and learning” and the main barriers, “there is no reward from administration for using educational technologies in teaching”. The study reinforces the need for further research to assist with the formulation and implementation of the national policy on using educational technologies to enhance teaching and learning in Jamaica.
ClC‐3B, a novel ClC‐3 splicing variant that interacts with EBP50 and facilitates expression of CFTR‐regulated ORCC

We have cloned ClC‐3B, a novel alternative splicing variant of ClC‐3 (ClC‐3A) that is expressed predominantly in epithelial cells. ClC‐3B has a different, slightly longer C‐terminal end than ClC‐3A and contains a consensus motif for binding to the second PDZ (PSD95/Dlg/ZO‐1) domain of the epithelium‐specific scaffolding protein EBP50. Both in vitro and in vivo binding assays demonstrate interaction between ClC‐3B and EBP50. C127 mouse mammary epithelial cells transfected with ClC‐3B alone showed diffuse immunoreactivity for ClC‐3B in the cytoplasmic region. In contrast, when EBP50 was cotransfected with ClC‐3B, strong immunoreactivity for ClC‐3B appeared at the leading edges of membrane ruffles. Patch‐clamp experiments revealed that cotransfection of ClC‐3B and EBP50 resulted in a remarkable increase in outwardly rectifying Cl– channel (ORCC) activities at the leading edges of membrane ruffles in C127 cells. The electrophysiological properties of the ClC‐3B‐induced ORCCs are similar to those of ORCCs described in native epithelial cells. When cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) was cotransfected with ClC‐3B and EBP50, ClC‐3B‐dependent ORCCs were activated via the protein kinase A‐dependent pathway. These findings indicate that ClC‐3B is itself a CFTR‐regulated ORCC molecule or its activator.
CS 264 : Beyond Worst-Case Analysis Lecture # 7 : Exact Recovery in Perturbation-Stable Minimum Cut Instances ∗

This lecture makes explicit a theme introduced surreptitiously last lecture: exact recovery. The genre of question in this sequence of lectures is: for an algorithm A of interest, for which inputs does A solve the problem exactly? For example, last lecture, we proved that the single-link++ algorithm recovers the optimal solution in every 2-stable k-median instance. We generally think of the algorithm A above as either: (i) an already-implemented algorithm that is available to us, such as a linear programming solver; or (ii) a relatively simple algorithm that we have a good understanding of and could code up easily. The reason is that, in practice, designing or implementing a new algorithm from scratch is often a last resort. It is usually far preferable if something in the current algorithmic toolbox is good enough, at least for the problem instances relevant to the application. The exact recovery results in this sequence of lectures develop theoretical guarantees that correspond well to this style of thinking. This lecture covers another case study on exact recovery, for a graph cut problem. We’ll retain from last lecture the definition of γ-perturbation-stable instances and the flavor of the problems studied, as cut problems can be thought of as a type of clustering problem. What will be different is the algorithm studied — linear programming rather than a more elementary algorithm.
Evaluation of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato seroprevalencein the province of Bolu, Turkey.

BACKGROUND/AIM The aim of the present study was to determine the seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in the city center and the province of Bolu, Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS A stratified sampling method was used to determine the study population. A total of 196 blood samples were collected. A questionnaire was completed by each participant in the study. ELISA was performed and positive serologic results were confirmed using western blotting. Data were analyzed statistically using the chi-square test. RESULTS Seropositivity rates of B. burgdorferi IgM and IgG were determined as 14.8% (29/196) and 13.7% (27/196) respectively by ELISA. A total of nine serum samples (4.6%) were found positive for IgG, and seven samples (3.8%) were positive for IgM according to western blotting. Seropositivity rates were found to be higher in people living in rural areas (11.1%), in women (8.3%), in people who were illiterate (10.0%), in people engaged in agriculture (10.8%), and in the age group of 40-60 years (10.0%). No statistically significant difference was found between seropositivity rates and survey data. CONCLUSION The seroprevalence of Lyme disease was determined in our region. Detection of endemic regions of Lyme disease with determination of seropositivity rates will increase the awareness among clinicians about this disease.
Lomofungin, a new broad spectrum antibiotic. Isolation and characterization.

Lomofungin is a new antibiotic which is extracted from the fermentation broth of Streptomyces lomondensis var. lomondensis with methyl ethyl ketone and purified by crystallization. It is an acidic olive-yellow colored compound with a molecular formula C15H10N2O6 and a molecular weight of 314. It exhibits ultraviolet and visible absorption maxima at 221, 270, 311, 375 and 439 mju in 0.01 N methanolic hydrochloric acid, and at 239, 265, 299, 342, 478 in 0.01 N aqueous sodium hydroxide. Lomofungin does not melt below 320°C. It is soluble in dimethylformamide, alkaline water, acidic acetone and acidic methyl ethyl ketone but only slightly soluble in water, methanol, cyclohexane, acetone, ether or ethyl acetate. This paper describes the isolation and characterization of the new crystalline antibiotic, lomofungin, which is produced in the broth of Streptomyces lomondensis var. lomondensis. Its production and biological properties are described by Johnson
Does Higher Concordance in Monozygotic Twins Than in Dizygotic Twins Suggest a Genetic Component?

It is widely regarded that twins can be used as a natural experiment to subject hypotheses to empirical testing regarding the contributions of genetic factors to phenotypic variability in human traits, especially behavioral traits. In genetic epidemiology, a higher concordance rate in monozygotic (MZ) twins than in dizygotic (DZ) twins is often taken as prima facie evidence for a genetic component. While twins studies have been used to estimate the contributions of genetic factors to phenotypic variability in human traits, the corresponding methodology that allows the estimation entails several crucial assumptions. The most critical is that MZ and DZ twins are equally similar environmentally. Although MZ twins are genetically more similar than DZ twins, they are often environmentally more similar. This paper demonstrates that, even in the complete absence of any genetic factor and of any biases, the greater environmental similarity alone in MZ twins can result in higher concordance rate in MZ twins than in DZ twins. This is especially true when there are multiple environmental factors, which may have multiple exposure levels and/or interact strongly, although each of them may be of low risk. This may serve as a sobering antidote to the uncritical reliance on twin studies without examining the validity of the underlying assumptions.