Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Knowledge-oriented human resource configurations, the new product development learning process, and perceived new product performance

We propose a set of organizational efforts that can help companies accumulate and learn knowledge related to new product development (NPD) activities. We call it the NPD learning process and argue that a set of coherent human resource management (HRM) practices, termed knowledge-oriented human resource (HR) configuration, can facilitate the NPD learning process. Collecting survey data from Taiwan, we find that the knowledge-oriented HR configuration is positively related to the NPD learning process and that the NPD learning process is positively related to managers' perceived new product performance. This study contributes to the literature of strategic HRM and innovation management.
The brief neuropsychological battery for children: a screening tool for cognitive impairment in childhood and juvenile multiple sclerosis

Background A critical problem with neuropsychological assessment in children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis (MS) is the absence of a standardized, well-validated neuropsychological battery specifically tailored for detecting disease-related cognitive problems in this age range. Objective To develop a Brief Neuropsychological Battery for Children (BNBC) with MS. Methods We assessed cognitive functions in 61 patients with childhood and juvenile MS and 58 demographically matched healthy controls through an extensive neuropsychological battery. Results In MS patients, we found a proportion of cognitive impairment of 41%. In the BNBC, we included the tests with higher discriminating ability (the Selective Reminding Test, the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, the Trail Making Test, and the Vocabulary test from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children). The BNBC yielded a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 76%. Conclusion Our findings provide preliminary evidence of the usefulness of the BNBC as a screening tool for detecting cognitive impairment in childhood and juvenile MS cases.
MICRO-BUSINESS AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS

In situations of entrenched poverty micro-enterprises arguably offer women a way of supporting themselves and their families. However, while a large number of women start micro- enterprises, only a small number of these women are successful at generating a sustainable living from their micro-enterprise. Two questions thus arise: first, what resources and strategies enable some women to gain sustainable livelihoods from their micro-business, while others fail? Second, what social policies might assist other women living in poverty to earn sustainable livelihoods from their micro-business activity? Data from South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria suggest that social capital generated via membership in local community associations has no noticeable positive impact on the ability of women micro-entrepreneurs to generate sustainable livelihoods. On the contrary, women micro- entrepreneurs who are at the periphery of their communities and thus have greater space for autonomous action, but who are integrated into extra-local inter-community networks, are more likely to develop sustainable micro-enterprises. States and NGOs can assist women micro-entrepreneurs in earning sustainable livelihoods from their entrepreneurial activities by (a) integrating small communities into wider networks; and (b) by enhancing individual autonomy of women via the provision of childcare support, and emergency and regular medical care.
Crafted culture: governmental sculpting of modern Singapore and effects on business environments

The Singaporean government has enjoyed an astounding record of success based on its ability to attract MNCs and corresponding capital. Government‐led development has involved crafting a culture that will adapt to MNCs’ needs and to fast‐changing global environments in a restructured economy. The socially re‐engineered Singaporean culture appears hierarchical, disciplined, authoritarian and a showcase for technocratic management. Yet, further crafting of the Singaporean culture along the top‐down, technocratic model seems to result in a diminishing ability to produce creative, innovative and productive workers for the knowledge economy and the MNCs that dominate it. The authors sketch the ideological bases for Singapore’s crafted culture and explore Singapore’s distinctive characteristics as well as governmental policies that have molded this culture. They proceed to highlight specific governmental policies that are designing Singapore for the restructured, globalizing and fast‐changing knowledge economy; and discuss the competing model offered by Taiwan. Finally, the authors propose some implications for civic society and cultural change in Singapore.
Is economic value added more associated with stock return than accounting earnings? The UK evidence

Purpose – The paper seeks to examine the claim of EVA® advocates of its superiority as a financial metric compared with other measures. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a sample of 2,252 firm-year observations from the UK market and applies panel data regressions to test the relative information content of EVA and other accounting measures and the incremental information content of EVA components in explaining stock return. Findings – It is found that net operating profit after tax and net income outperform EVA and residual income in explaining stock return; it was also found that accruals and operating cash flow have significant incremental information content, while the accounting adjustments of EVA proponents have significantly less contribution in explaining stock return. Yet the paper concludes that other variables must be considered in order to capture the unexplained variation in stock return models. Research limitations/implications – Future research should include US and UK data in the same sample and examine whether the conclusions are maintained. Originality/value – For a set of cross-sectional time series data, ordinary least square (OLS) regressions produce biased results and inaccurate estimates of the parameters coefficients; however, this paper applies panel data regressions.
Taking Chances: The Effect that Growing Up on Welfare Has on the Risky Behavior of Young People

In this paper, we analyze the effect that growing up in a family with a history of welfare receipt has on young people's engagement in a variety of social and health risks. Unique administrative data matched to survey data for 18‐year‐olds and their mothers allow us to evaluate the effect of welfare receipt over the course of a young person's childhood. Much of the apparent link between family welfare history and risk taking disappears once we control for the effects of family structure, mothers’ own risk taking, and mothers’ investments in their children. We find no evidence that growing up on welfare causes young people to engage in risky behavior.
Management of Noncardiac Chest Pain in Women

Noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) is very prevalent in the community. Although mortality remains low, morbidity and the financial implications are high, Women, especially those of middle age, should be thoroughly investigated as per current guidelines for coronary artery disease before labeling their chest pain as NCCP. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is the most common cause of NCCP; however other esophageal pathology including esophageal hypersensitivity, neuromuscular disease and eosinophilic esophagitis may also cause NCCP. Proton pump inhibitors are commonly used initially to manage NCCP, although patients who do not respond to this therapy require further investigation and differing treatment regimes. This article will focus on current knowledge regarding Gl tract-related NCCP management strategies.
Determinants of Job Search Intensity in Ghana

The success of individuals in securing employment requires a significant search effort. This article presents an empirical analysis of the determinants of job search intensity among a cross-section of workers in Accra, Ghana. Based on a sample of 404 workers drawn from 100 formal sector firms in Accra, we adopt the Poisson regression estimation technique to indicate that age, years of schooling, labour market experience, sex of household head, firm size and ethnic group significantly influence job search intensity. Measures to expose young job seekers to the world of work via internship and apprenticeship could accelerate their transition to employment. JEL Classification: J6; J21; J23
Quantifying and explaining changes in geographical inequality of infant mortality in England and Wales since the 1890s

This paper considers the changing spatial pattern of infant mortality in England and Wales over the last century for a constant area definition. The analysis proceeds at the level of registration districts as defined in the 1890s, generated using the British Isles Historical Geographical Information System. Infant mortality at this spatial definition is followed over four points in time, the most recent being the early 1990s. Using a variety of inequality measures, the analysis demonstrates a decline in relative small-area differentials in the chances of infant deaths up to 1958, but some resurgence since then. Regression methods are then used to evaluate the effect of available social variables, such as population density and housing conditions. The analysis incorporates adjustments for the sampling variability in what are often small counts of infant deaths by adopting pooling strength techniques. Urban-rural differentiation has followed the same evolution: it was most marked in the 1890s and reappears by the 1990s, after being reduced somewhat in the earliest years of the UK National Health Service. Differentials in infant mortality according to the housing quality and economic status of different registration districts also gain in importance in the twentieth century compared with the 1890s.
Quantifying Reuse in OSS: A Large-Scale Empirical Study

Reuse is an established software development practice, whose benefits have attracted the attention of researchers and practitioners. In order for software reuse to advance from an opportunistic activity to a well-defined, systematic state of practice, the reuse phenomenon should be empirically studied in a real-world environment. To this end, OSS projects consist a fitting context for this purpose. In this paper, the authors aim at assessing the: a strategy and intensity of reuse activities in OSS development, beffect of reuse activities on design quality, c modification of reuse decisions from a chronological viewpoint and d effect of these modifications on software design quality. In order to achieve these goals, the authors performed a large-scale embedded multi-case study on 1,111 Java projects, extracted from Google Code repository. The results of the case study provide a valuable insight on reuse processes in OSS development, that can be exploited by both researchers and practitioners.
Longitudinal robustness of variables predicting independent gait following severe middle cerebral artery stroke: a prospective cohort study

Objective: To determine within the first 10 weeks post onset the most robust variables in the prediction of recovery of independent gait at six months post stroke. Design: A prospective cohort study. Subjects: One hundred and one first ever ischaemic middle cerebral artery stroke patients. None of these patients were able to walk at onset and all suffered from a marked hemiplegia. Setting: Twenty-four determinants, possibly related to recovery of gait at six months, were measured within 14 days following stroke onset. Based on Functional Ambulation Categories (FAC) independent gait was classified into present (FAC ≥ 4) or absent (FAC < 4). Bivariate logistic regression analysis was used to select determinants. Only significant determinants during the entire 10-week period were used for further weekly multivariate logistic prediction modelling of independent gait at six months post stroke. Results: After six months post onset 62% (N = 63) regained independent gait. Age, Barthel Index, Trunk Control Test, Motricity Index of arm and leg, Brunnstrom Fugl-Meyer stage of leg motor recovery, and type of intervention were significant determinants in bivariate analysis, but age of patient and Barthel Index were the most robust determinants in the final prediction model. Weekly re-evaluation produced sensitivity values between 89% and 96% and specificity values between 53% and 62%. Conclusion: In initially non-ambulatory stroke patients age and Barthel Index were the most robust variables during the first 10-week poststroke period in the prediction of independent walking at six months. However, prediction of non-ambulation at six months proved to be less accurate.
Online purchase determinants: Is their effect moderated by direct experience?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating influence of direct online shopping experience in an e‐commerce context.Design/methodology/approach – The conceptual framework links attitudinal constructs such as price attractiveness, merchandise quality, service quality, time/effort costs, risk and enjoyment to future online purchase intentions. Purchasers and inquirers of a car insurance comparison website were approached by personalized email to participate in an online questionnaire. Multi‐group structural equation analysis was used to test for group differences in the structural weights.Findings – Compared to the purchasers, the inquirers were more concerned with the perceived enjoyment, risk and price attractiveness offered by the website, while caring less about time/effort savings. Inquirers were negatively influenced by the price attractiveness of their chosen insurance, which indicates that they were less likely to use the website for future transactions if they were satisfied wi.
Immuno‐stimulatory effects of bacterial‐derived plasmids depend on the nature of the antigen in intramuscular DNA inoculations

The CpG motifs of bacterial‐derived plasmids augment antigen‐specific immune responses and steer those responses towards the T helper 1 (Th1) type. In this study, we have addressed the immuno‐stimulatory effect of intramuscular co‐administration of CpG motifs containing vector DNA on the modulation of immune responses to the haemagglutinin (HA) and the nucleoprotein (NP) proteins of influenza virus. The co‐administration of vector DNA with a HA‐encoding plasmid DNA showed a significant enhancement in the total IgG response, the generation of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), and the T‐cell proliferative response. In the case of NP‐encoding plasmid DNA inoculations, the co‐administration of vector DNA slightly decreased the total IgG response, although the IgG2a/IgG1 ratio and the CTL responses to NP were significantly increased. These observations suggest that the immuno‐stimulatory effects of bacterial‐derived plasmids depend upon the nature of the co‐administered antigen.
Is the incidence of postoperative anastomotic leakage different between laparoscopic and open total mesorectal excision in patients with rectal cancer? A meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this meta-analysis was to assess whether the incidence of postoperative anastomotic leakage (PAL) was different between laparoscopic and open total mesorectal excision (TME) in patients with rectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS The PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, Wanfang and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were searched for selecting the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCT) on the incidence of PAL between laparoscopic and open TME for rectal cancer. The incidence rate of PAL was extracted from each of the individual study and pooled by the STATA-11.0 statistical software. RESULTS Six RCTs and 19 CCTs were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results indicated that no statistical difference of PAL rate was found between aparoscopic and open TME in patients with rectal cancer (odds ratio [OR] =0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.61-1.07, [P > 0.05]); The sub-group analysis when pooling the RCTs and CCTs respectively also indicated that there was no statistical difference of PAL rate between the laparoscopic and open TME (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.35-1.39, [P > 0.05] for RCTs and OR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.61-1.14, [P > 0.05]). CONCLUSION Based on present studies, laparoscopic TME does not increase the risk of PAL.
The Role of the Inner City in the Development of Manufacturing Industry

The first section of the paper surveys the evidence relating to the hypothesis that the inner city acts as a nursery for new manufacturing firms and shows that there is little direct confirmatory evidence. The second and third sections report on two research studies of new firm foundation in London. In the first study it is shown that few manufacturing firms have been set up in inner London in recent years, the majority being in the 'inner city industries' of printing, clothing, etc. In the second the founders of new manufacturing firms, not in the inner city industries, were located and interviewed to find out the reasons for their choice of location. The two studies together tend to refute the inner city nursery hypothesis.
International Spillover of Risk and Return among Major Banking Institutions: A Bivariate GARCH Model

Using the bivariate GARCH methodology, this study examines bank stock sensitivities to market, interest rate, and exchange rate, and investigates the spillover effects of interest rate volatility and unsystematic risk among the banking sectors of the United States and Japan, and the United States and Germany. Empirical results show that return-generating processes of the banking sectors considered can be properly described by GARCH models. Within this framework, banks are found to be highly sensitive to macroeconomic shocks such as the exchange rate and interest rate, with the latter exerting its impact at the volatility level. Moreover, stock volatilities in the banking sectors of the three countries are found to be highly interdependent. The direction and magnitude of the effects from interest rate volatility and unsystematic shocks in one country on other countries are sensitive to the origin of the shock, with the United States playing a leadership role. The findings have serious implications on international financial stability, international portfolio diversification, and policy formulation by central banks and fiscal authorities.
Asymmetric Adjustment of Commercial Bank Interest Rates in the Euro Area: An Empirical Investigation into Interest Rate Pass-Through

Our study extends the traditional pass-through literature by incorporating an error correction mechanism that is based on cointegration analyses allowing for structural breaks and symmetric as well as for a variety of asymmetric adjustment mechanisms. While some results of earlier pass-through studies regarding an asymmetric monetary transmission mechanism within the Euro area are confirmed, our study provides evidence that not only the speed of adjustment differs but that the nature of the adjustment process itself is heterogeneous across countries. Therefore, our analysis provides a deeper insight into the differential workings of the financial markets across Europe.
Measuring the Effect of Weather on Tourism

Limited research has focused on the impacts of weather on tourist arrivals and participation in activities. This research uses Westland, New Zealand, as a case study to analyze the impact of weather on intra-annual seasonality and inter-annual variation in visitor nights. Further, a scenic flight operation and a visitor center in the township of Franz Josef serve as case studies to quantify the impact of weather parameters on the number of flights and visitation. The results show that seasonality in Westland is largely driven by temperature; however, variability in visitor nights across years does not seem to be influenced by weather conditions. Both the scenic flight operation and visitation to the visitor center are measurably impacted on by daily weather. This research provides information for destination managers in Westland on weather-related impacts on tourism, and potential changes in the future under the scenario of warming temperatures and increasing precipitation.
Accruals and Future Stock Returns: Tests of the Naïve Investor Hypothesis

We explore whether the association between accruals and future returns documented by Sloan (1996) is due to fixation by naïve investors on the total amount of reported earnings without regard for the relative magnitude of the accrual and cash flow components. Contrary to the predictions of the naïve investor hypothesis, we find that the predictive ability of accruals for subsequent annual returns and for quarterly earnings announcement stock returns is not lower for large firms or for firms followed more by analysts or held more by institutions. Further, we find that the ability of accruals to predict future returns does not seem to depend on stock price or transaction volume, measures of transaction costs, also contrary to predictions of the naïve investor hypothesis. These results are robust to regression and hedge portfolio tests. We conclude that the predictive ability of accruals for subsequent returns does not seem to be due to the inability of market participants to understand value-relevant information.
Does the Mode of Entry into Teaching Matter in Teacher Retention? A Discrete-Time Survival Analysis Modeling of New York City Public School Teachers.

Does the Mode of Entry into Teaching Matter in Teacher Retention? A Discrete-Time Survival Analysis Modeling of New York City Public School Teachers Charles Olufemi Ogundimu This dissertation examines whether the mode of entry into K-12 public school teaching has any implications on teacher retention. Teacher retention is important because it is an important precursor to teacher quality, which has been shown to positively impact student performance. However, teacher turnover can seriously threaten teacher retention. Additionally, teacher turnover is associated with serious economic and non-economic costs. To this end, it may benefit schools and school districts to pay particular attention to hiring and retaining their teachers, especially the quality ones, for the long haul. Current teacher labor markets literature is deficient in serious analytical frameworks for understanding longitudinal cohort retention comparisons of traditional and nontraditional teachers, as well as analysis of quit behaviors that focus on when a teacher is at the greatest risk of quitting. My research endeavors to bridge this gap. Using a large-scale administrative data set comprising cohorts of traditional and nontraditional teachers from the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), I used discrete-time survival analysis modeling, specifically, the Cox Proportional Hazards (PH) model, to analyze the quit and retention patterns of cohorts of teachers from traditional and nontraditional sources over a six-year period. I found similar retention patterns between the two groups with notable peculiar patterns for the nontraditional group. The data suggests that entry routes into K-12 public school teaching, the year of entry into teaching, individual age, sex, ethnicity, subject taught, and school level can be important predictors of retention.
Preparing for ABET EC 2000: Research-Based Assessment Methods and Processes*

On-going research on outcome-based assessment processes conducted by a multidisciplinary team from five major universities is described. The research has been guided, in large part, by ABET’s innovative criteria—EC 2000. The paper provides examples of several by-products of this research that have been applied in the engineering education environment. The reader is exposed to strategies for objective setting, an attribute database for use in defining student learning outcomes, and examples of technology-enabled systems that provide constituents with timely results. Specific assessment methodologies currently embedded in triangulation and validation experiments are described.