Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of body reserves at farrowing on the reproductive performance of first-litter sows

The level of body reserves in first-litter sows was manipulated by giving gilts one of three levels (high (H), medium (M) or low (L)) of food from selection (44 kg live weight) to parturition. The aim of this experiment was either to maintain or to mobilize these reserves during lactation (31·4 days) by feeding sows to appetite (high (H)) or 2·0 kg/day (low (L)). When the level of body reserves was increased prior to farrowing (171 kg live weight, 32 mm backfat) sows had a lower voluntary food intake during lactation than those animals that farrowed with a low level of body reserves (126 kg live weight, 20 mm backfat) (H-H v. L-H, 3·4 v. 4·9 kg/day; P P
The impact of IFRS 8 on disclosure practices of Jordanian listed companies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the segmental information disclosures of Jordanian companies under IFRS 8 for 2009 with disclosures under IAS 14R for 2008.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 109 Jordanian companies is used in this research. A disclosure index checklist was constructed to assess the segmental information provided by the sample companies. In particular, the checklist collected information about: the number of segments reported; the number and type of segmental items published; the geographic segment definitions (areas) used; and the identity of the chief operating decision maker (CODM). Findings – The results suggest that segmental disclosures under IFRS 8 have increased compared to the information published under IAS 14R. There is an increase in the number of companies disclosing segmental information while the number of business and geographic segments for which information is provided rose under IFRS 8. Items required under the previous standard (IAS 14R) are still.
Corporate Governance and Firm Cash Holdings

We examine the relation between the management of cash holdings and corporate governance. We find that firms with weaker corporate governance have smaller cash reserves. Further tests suggest that these firms dissipate their cash reserves more quickly than do managers of firms with stronger governance, and that rather than investing internally, they spend the cash primarily on acquisitions. The investment of cash by weakly governed managers reduces future profitability, an effect that is priced into those firms' stocks. We conclude that self-interested managers choose to spend cash quickly rather than gain flexibility through stockpiling it. This suggests that the expected discipline costs of visibly accumulating excess cash reserves are high. Our results, which contrast with recent research on the cross-country relation between shareholder rights and cash holdings, help explain how country level shareholder rights interact with firm-level agency problems and shareholder power.
Corporate Governance of Banks and Other Financial Institutions after the Financial Crisis

Corporate governance of banks and other financial institutions differs considerably from general corporate governance. For financial institutions, the scope of corporate governance goes beyond the shareholders (equity governance) to include debtholders, insurance policy holders and other creditors (debt governance). From the perspective of the supervision of financial institutions, debt governance is the primary governance concern. Equity governance and debt governance face partly parallel and partly divergent interests of management, shareholders, debtholders and other creditors, and supervisors. Failures in the corporate governance of banks and other financial institutions contributed to the financial crisis. Corporate law reforms are less suited to achieve better governance of financial institutions, strengthening supervisory law requirements is more promising. Prominent proposals include clearer separation of the management and control function, possibly by a two-tier board as for Swiss and Belgian banks; establishment of a separate risk committee of the board or an independent chief risk offi cer; dealing with the problem of complex or opaque structure and organisation; and group-wide corporate governance in single entities as well as in the group. Appropriate supervisory law requirements are needed for the internal procedures of banks and other financial institutions, specifi cally for risk management, internal control and compliance, and internal and external auditing. Supervisory fit and proper tests for the board, the management and major shareholders are useful. Qualifi cations and experience of board members of banks and other financial institutions are more important than independence, though having a number of independent directors is useful. These and other requirements of the regulation and supervision of banks and other financial institutions concerning better governance are demanding and even severe, but are necessary for regulated industries such as financial institutions. However, the temptation to let them spill over indiscriminately to the corporate governance of the firm must be strictly resisted. This article analyses the economic, legal and comparative research and covers the reforms by the European Commission, the European Banking Authority, CDR IV and Solvency II up to mid-2013.
Validation of Marketing Performance Model for Service Industries in Korea

Abstract This study, following the tradition of Philip Kotler's (1977) marketing effectiveness model, attempted to revise the model to measure marketing effectiveness and performance and to offer managerial implications. Employees from nineteen Korean firms, 9 service firms were surveyed in this study to assess their marketing performance. As a result of confirmatory factor analyses, respondents showed different conceptualization of the major concepts inherent in service firms. In an attempt to verify the major factors affecting marketing performance, a structural equation model was performed on selected marketing performance factors, marketing capability (composed of product power, place power, promotion power and price power) and customer satisfaction. The result indicated that, for service firms, customer orientation, marketing information, marketing strategy, and marketing personnel were significant factors. The comparison of averaged scores for marketing effectiveness, marketing capability, and customer satisfaction revealed that service firms were superior to manufacturing firms in marketing personnel, marketing capability and customer satisfaction.
Acculturation of Knowledge Management Initiative in Commercial Banks: The Case of Malaysia

Banks merger and financial liberalization has urged that banks’ operation to be based on knowledge. It is deem crucial to identify the adoption of knowledge management initiative in Malaysian commercial banks particularly on Procurement and Empowerment of knowledge; Training and Mentorship; Communication; and Incentives. A survey employing questionnaires was carried out involving all 10 domestic commercial banks focussing on Human Resource Management units. Procurement and empowerment of knowledge (four aspects), training and mentorship (six aspects), communication (three aspects), and incentives (two aspects) were examined. It is evident that knowledge management practices do exist in all of the investigated aspects. The study reveals that banks do procure and utilise knowledge from their industrial associations, competitors, customers, and suppliers and also encourage staff to pursue education by giving incentives such as reimburse the fees for job-related courses. With respect to communication, written documents such as training manuals, job procedures and practices, and articles depicting organizational knowledge are addressed. In addition, financial and non-financial incentives are also practiced which indicate that incentives are also within the concern. It is believed, this study would motivate banks in Malaysia to acknowledge the knowledge management initiative as a new activity to embark on.
Service Lives of R&D Assets: comparing survey and patent based approaches

Research and Development (R&D) is recognised as an asset in the System of National Accounts (SNA) 2008 (United Nations, 2009) and European System of Accounts (ESA) 2010 (European Union, 2013). This creates not only a need to accurately estimate R&D investment but also a need for representative estimates of the period over which R&D assets remain in the capital stock – the service lives of R&D assets. After a brief background on R&D asset lives, this paper builds upon previous ONS research (Ker, 2013) using further service life data collected via the 2012 Business Enterprise R&D (BERD) survey alongside the data from 2011. These results are compared to estimates derived from Patent administration data. The strengths and limitations of these different sources, and the methods that may be applied to them, are also discussed.
System and operational effectiveness alignment: The case of e-government in Saudi Arabia

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the alignment between technological innovation effectiveness and operational effectiveness after the implementation of e-government applications in the government sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Quantitative data was gathered through a survey instrument in government organizations that have recently implemented e-government systems. The preliminary findings from the hypothesised theoretical model as results of the application of structural equation modelling suggest that there is no predictive relationship of the user satisfaction dimension on operational effectiveness. However, there is a significant predictive relationship of the qualities of the system, information and service on operational effectiveness. Another important finding of this research is that the quality of the system and the quality of information have no impact on user satisfaction. However, the quality of service scored the highest and had significant impact on user satisfaction.
Exploring the prevalence of skin tears and skin properties related to skin tears in elderly patients at a long‐term medical facility in Japan

The identification of appropriate skin tear prevention guidelines for the elderly requires clinicians to focus on local risk factors such as structural alterations of the epidermis and dermis related to skin tears. The aim of this cross‐sectional study is to explore the prevalence of skin tears and to explore skin properties related to skin tears in elderly Japanese patients at a long‐term medical facility. After doing the prevalence study, 18 participants with skin tears and 18 without were recruited and an evaluation of their skin properties using 20‐MHz ultrasonography, skin blotting and also Corneometer CM‐825, Skin‐pH‐meterPH905, VapoMeter, Moisture Meter‐D and CutometerMPA580 was undertaken. A total of 410 patients were examined, the median age was 87 years and 73·2% were women. The prevalence of skin tears was 3·9%, and 50% of skin tears occurred on the dorsal forearm. The changes in skin properties associated with skin tears included increased low‐echogenic pixels (LEP) by 20‐MHz ultrasonography, decreased type IV collagen and matrix metalloproteinase‐2, and increased tumour necrosis factor‐α by skin blotting. In conclusion, this study suggests that increased dermal LEP, including solar elastosis, may represent a risk factor for skin tears; this indicates that skin tear risk factors might not only represent chronological ageing but also photoageing.
Marketing communications in the classroom: The parents' view

Cause-related marketing (CRM) has become an integral part of companies' corporate communications programmes. Under the umbrella of CRM many companies choose to build partnerships specifically with education establishments. These activities are called In-School Marketing (ISM). This study explores parents' attitudes and behaviours towards ISM as key stakeholders in the process. It focuses specifically on how they assess the value of schemes, whether they have concerns about commercial involvement in their schools and how the diffusion of ISM has affected their expectations. The study found that parents were generally positive about commercial involvement in their schools. However, their attitudes and expectations of ISM were evolving and their evaluative criteria had become more complex. The key factors affecting their evaluation were the company's ethical reputation, perceived motivation for the involvement and approach taken. They were less concerned about detrimental effects on their children but this was mediated by their trust in the head teacher as gatekeeper. Key implications are that whilst parents are open to ISM, they are increasingly demanding that it is provided on their terms. Whilst sales promotional ISM schemes may have been acceptable and effective in the past, this may not be the case in future.
Liquid Assets, Illiquid Assets and Sunspots

In this paper, I first show that liquid assets make risk-averse agents better off by eliminating multiple equilibria and thus eliminating speculation based on nonfundamentals. I then show that illiquid assets make risk-averse agents worse off by enlarging the set of economies (or agent preferences) that give rise to sunspot equilibria. In addition, my results show that with illiquid assets, nonfundamental volatility results as follows: In order to smooth consumption, some agents endogenously create private claims backed by these illiquid capital assets. These claims have multiple price equilibria, and their fluctuating prices cause the prices of the illiquid capital assets to fluctuate as well. The excess volatility makes all risk-averse agents worse off (in a Pareto sense). My model also shows equilibrium idiosyncratic risk bearing in illiquid asset markets by certain segments of the population which should be of concern to regulators and policy makers. For example, in real estate markets, there is a role for government intervention and for government-supplied liquidity and for its active management.
An Integrated Model of Service Experience, Emotions, Satisfaction, and Price Acceptance: An Empirical Analysis in the Chinese Hospitality Industry

This study investigated the relationships between service experience, emotions, satisfaction, and price acceptance in Chinese resort hotels. A self-administered survey was used to collect the data from respondents. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed to customers at resort hotels in three cities of China; 170 were returned representing a response rate of 34%. The results of this study show a significant relationship between service experience and emotions, jointly influencing customer satisfaction, which influences price acceptance of customers. These results indicate that management of resort hotels need to consider how the physical environment, interaction with employees, and other customers within resort hotels can be managed in order to satisfy the customers emotionally, which will lead them to accept premium prices charged by resort hotels. This study would enable resort hotels to have a better understanding of how a great experience and positive emotions influences customer satisfaction and price acceptance.
Natural History of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Implanted at or after the Age of 70 years in a Veteran Population: A Single Center Study.

Background The median age of patients in major Implantable Cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)trials (MUSTT, MADIT-I, MADIT-II, and SCD-HeFT) was 63-67 years; with only 11% ≥70 years. There is little follow-up data on patients over 70 years of age who received an ICD for primary/secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death, particularly for veterans. Objective The aim of this study was to study the natural history of ICD implantation for veterans over 70 years of age. Methods We retrospectively reviewed single center ICD data in 216 patients with a mean age at implantation 76 ± 4 years. The ICD indication was primary prevention in 161 patients and secondary prevention in 55 patients. The ICD indication was unavailable in 4 patients. Results Mean duration of follow up was 1686 ± 1244 days during which 114 (52%) patients died. Of these, 31% died without receiving any appropriate ICD therapy. Overall, 60/216 (28%) received appropriate therapy and 28/216 (13%) received inappropriate therapy. Patients who had ICD implantation for secondary prophylaxis had statistically more (p= 0.02) appropriate therapies compared to patients who had ICD implantation for primary prevention. Indication for implantation and hypertension predicted appropriate therapy, while age at the time of implantation and presence of atrial fibrillation predicted inappropriate therapies. Overall, 7.7% had device related complications. Conclusions Although 28% septuagenarians in this study received appropriate ICD therapy, they had high rates of mortality, inappropriate therapy, and device complications. ICD implantation in the elderly merits individualized consideration, with higher benefit for secondary prevention.
How Important is Corporate Governance?

We examine the relation between a broad set of corporate governance indicators and various measures of managerial decision making and organizational performance. Using a sample of 2,106 firms, we distill 39 structural measures of corporate governance (e.g., board characteristics, stock ownership, institutional ownership, activist stock ownership, existence of debt-holders, mix of executive compensation, and anti-takeover variables) into 14 governance constructs using principal components analysis. We find that these 14 constructs are related to operating performance, have a somewhat mixed association with abnormal accruals, Tobin's Q, and excess stock returns, and little relation to class action lawsuits and accounting restatements.
Chaotic Dynamics Characteristic Analysis for Matrix Converter

The unstable oscillation of autonomous dynamic system of a matrix converter (MC) is studied based on nonlinear dynamic theory, and its chaotic characteristic is analyzed. Analysis based on the fundamental-harmonic nonlinear state equations shows that the system loses stability via a Hopf bifurcation. The behavior of the system near the critical power is examined through simulation. The trajectories obtained by the fundamental-harmonic nonlinear state equations show some typical chaotic characteristics such as extreme sensitivity to initial values and self-similarity. Power density spectrum and Lyapunov exponents of the MC are obtained from simulation results. Finally, the trajectories drawn based on experimental data show some behaviors very similar to those from simulation results, which implies a possible chaotic status in the electrical drive system fed by MC.
Do Hedge Funds Provide Liquidity? Evidence From Their Trades

The paper provides significant evidence of limits of arbitrage in the hedge fund sector. Using unique data on institutional transactions, we show that the price impact of hedge fund trades increases when aggregate conditions deteriorate. The finding is consistent with arbitrageurs’ withdrawal from liquidity provision following a tightening in funding liquidity. Compared to other institutions, hedge funds display the largest sensitivity of trading costs to aggregate conditions. We pin down this effect to a subset of hedge funds that are more exposed to funding constraints because of their leverage, lack of share restrictions, asset illiquidity, low reputational capital, and trading style. Value-based trading strategies demand liquidity in bad times, whereas momentum strategies provide liquidity. Lastly, a decrease in hedge fund trading intensity predicts a widening of the bid-ask spread at the stock-level, while other institutions’ trading activity does not seem to matter for market liquidity. JEL classification: G20, G23
Challenges of Industrial Restructuring in a Globalizing World: Implications for Small- and Medium- scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Asia

Restructuring of global industries, for example, through the emergence of ‘international production networks’ (IPN), is posing new challenges to developing economies in Asia. Expectations and strategies based on the historically unprecedented East Asian success with industrial development need to be adjusted in light of changing conditions. In particular, the requirements for firms to effectively access global markets and upgrade their position in global industries are becoming increasingly complex and demanding. The capacity to master and upgrade production processes is necessary, but no longer sufficient for accessing international markets for sustained income growth. This is posing significant challenges for firms — and economies — in the region, particularly for SMEs, which face special constraints. Taskoriented cooperation among groups of SMEs in the form of industry cluster and networks can provide an effective response to competitive pressures in global markets. This poses challenges to both firms and governments: to implement effective collaborative strategies and programmes, and to strengthen supporting institutions, particularly at the industry and local community level.
Molecular Mechanisms of β2-Adrenergic Receptor Function and Regulation

It is now clear that the β2-adrenergic receptor continuously oscillates between various conformations in the basal state, and that agonists act to stabilize one or more conformations. It is conceivable that synthetic agonists might be engineered to preferentially confine the receptor to certain conformations deemed clinically important while having a less stabilizing effect on unwanted conformations. In addition, studies of genetically engineered mice have revealed previously unrecognized cross-talk between the β2-receptor and phospholipase C, such that removal of the primary dilating pathway results in downregulation of constrictive pathways and overactivity of the dilating pathway increases the contractile response. These results indicate a dynamic interaction between β2-receptor activity and Gq-coupled receptors that constrict the airway. Potentially, then, during chronic β-agonist therapy, expression of phospholipase C is increased, the functions of Gq-coupled constrictive receptors are enhanced, and there may be an increased tendency for clinical decompensation due to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease triggers. Antagonists to these receptors might be able to act synergistically with chronic β-agonists to block the effect of phospholipase C. Alternatively, perhaps novel phospholipase C antagonists would provide the most efficacious approach to blocking the physiologic sequelae of cross-talk between the β2-receptor and phospholipase C.
Studies on Human Body Composition during the First 4 Months of Life Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Isotope Dilution

Assessing body composition during infancy requires data for the so-called reference infant. Currently available data for this purpose need to be updated and extended using methods based on principles different from those used previously to define the reference infant. Thus, magnetic resonance imaging was applied to full-term healthy boys (n = 25) and girls (n = 21), 4–131 d old, to estimate adipose tissue volume (ATV) and the amounts of s.c. and non-s.c. adipose tissue (AT). Total body water was estimated using isotope dilution. Total body fat (TBF), fat free weight (FFW) and the degree of hydration in FFW were calculated. Increases in weight, TBF, and FFW with age agreed with current reference data, although when compared with the reference, a slightly more rapid increase in % TBF was observed for boys. The degree of hydration in FFW was 78.9 ± 4.5% (n = 45). Both sexes showed significant increases with age in s.c. ATV (14.7 and 13.0 mL/d for boys and girls, respectively) and in non-s.c. ATV (1.58 and 1.26 mL/d, respectively). Subcutaneous ATV was 90.5 ± 1.8% (boys) and 91.1 ± 1.9% (girls) of total ATV. In conclusion, a pronounced increase with age in the amount of AT was demonstrated involving a considerable gain in s.c. fat during early life. Except for % TBF in boys, changes in body composition with age agreed with current reference data.