Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Paradise lost? The case of technology-based small firms in New Zealand in the post-global financial crisis economic environment

In this paper, we draw on two studies that used face-to-face, qualitative interviews with technology-based small firms (TBSFs) and informal interviews with key informants. The interviews took place with two data-sets of TBSFs, the first with 20 firms in 2011 and the second with 34 agri-businesses in 2013. This study provides some temporal comparisons of the funding environment for TBSFs in New Zealand, but this is not a longitudinal study as the two data-sets were obtained from the recruitment of different firms. However, all the TBSFs were located in New Zealand, a small open economy with a limited domestic market, a population of 4.4 million, GDP per capita of US$32,260 (2010) and arguably an immature and limited financial infrastructure. This environment is complex for founding new businesses by technology-based entrepreneurs as developing and staying in New Zealand means accepting being a long distance from major overseas markets even though TBSFs have potential to be in global markets, in practice. Such TBSFs, therefore, face pressure to move overseas for markets and for finance and other resources; if successful they may make attractive takeover targets for overseas investors and MNCs. Despite these challenges, TBSFs have been promoted as key contributors to GDP and a way of filling the New Zealand productivity gap (compared with Australia and other developed nations). Although we find evidence of the development of embryonic regional and specialised business angel networks on the supply-side of finance, there is still a marked reluctance to undertake a search for external equity and evidence of discouraged borrowing and discouraged grant-based applications on the demand-side. New Zealand is sometimes described as ‘paradise’ (The use of this term often refers to a fondness for the high quality of life in New Zealand and its economic environment, not just the natural beauty of the country). due to its natural and outstanding beauty, but in our conclusions we suggest that the comparatively stable economic environment has not operated in favour of TBSFs.
Oxygen-Dependent Control of Respiratory Nitrate Reduction in Mycelium of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

ABSTRACT Several members of the obligately aerobic genus Streptomyces are able to reduce nitrate, catalyzed by Nar-type respiratory nitrate reductases. A unique feature of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) compared with other streptomycetes is that it synthesizes three nonredundant Nar enzymes. In this study, we show that Nar2 is the main Nar enzyme active in mycelium and could characterize the conditions governing its synthesis. Nar2 was present at low levels in aerobically cultivated mycelium, but synthesis was induced when cultures were grown under oxygen limitation. Growth in the presence of high oxygen concentrations prevented the induction of Nar2 synthesis. Equally, an abrupt shift from aerobiosis to anaerobiosis did not result in the immediate induction of Nar2 synthesis. This suggests that the synthesis of Nar2 is induced during a hypoxic downshift, probably to allow maintenance of a proton gradient during the transition to anaerobiosis. Although no Nar2 could be detected in freshly harvested mature spores, synthesis of the enzyme could be induced after long-term (several days) incubation of these resting spores under anaerobic conditions. Induction of Nar2 synthesis in spores was linked to transcriptional control. Nar2 activity in whole mycelium was strictly dependent on the presence of a putative nitrate transporter, NarK2. The oxygen-dependent inhibition of nitrate reduction by Nar2 was mediated by NarK2-dependent nitrate:nitrite antiport. This antiport mechanism likely prevents the accumulation of toxic nitrite in the cytoplasm. A deletion of the narK2 gene had no effect on Nar1-dependent nitrate reduction in resting spores. Together, our results indicate redox-dependent transcriptional and posttranslational control of nitrate reduction by Nar2.
The relationship between chronically disrupted sleep and healthcare use.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To determine whether chronic sleep deprivation, sleep disruption, sleepiness, insomnia, and OSA are associated with increased healthcare use in a community-based population. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS 6440 Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) participants recruited from ongoing cohort studies. INTERVENTIONS N/A. MEASUREMENTS Polysomnography results (Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI), percent of sleep time with oxyhemoglobin saturation below 90% (CT90), arousal index) as well as data on sleep related symptoms, medication use, and chronic illness. The indirect measure of predicted healthcare utilization was the modified Chronic Disease Score (CDS) calculated from medication data. RESULTS After adjustment for age, gender, BMI and study site, subjects in the highest quartiles of AHI, CT90 and Epworth score had CDS that were 6%-9% higher than the lowest quartiles. The adjusted mean CDS for subjects with sleep apnea was similar to that for subjects with hypertension, chronic bronchitis or asthma and 18% greater than the mean CDS for subjects without sleep apnea. Among subjects who did not have significant sleep-disordered breathing, complaints of insomnia, sleepiness, fatigue, and not getting enough sleep were associated with increased CDS. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated an association between subjective complaints of daytime sleepiness, inadequate sleep time, insomnia as well as objective measures of severity of SDB, and an indirect measure of healthcare utilization in a community-based sample. Though the percent increases in healthcare utilization observed were modest, the prevalence of these factors in the general population is high, and may therefore be associated with a substantial cost burden to the healthcare system.
Wealth effect from real estate and outbound travel demand: the Malaysian case

This study uses quarterly data from Malaysia (2000–2011) to examine the relationship between the wealth effect from real estate (WERE) and outbound tourism while controlling for other relevant outbound tourism determinants. By applying time-series cointegration regressions, the results show that WERE has a positive and significant impact on Malaysian outbound travel demand. Then, we exclude the departures for business purposes from the total departures in order to have a better understanding of the impact of WERE on the consumption of a luxury good like international travel for leisure purposes. Similarly, we find that WERE increases Malaysian international travels for leisure purposes. The findings provide some implications for Malaysian policy-makers as well as tourism and travel agents.
Broadcast Network Television, 1955-2003: The Pursuit of Advertising and the Decline of Diversity

Over the past 30 years, scholars have turned to economic models to analyze diversity in the media marketplace (De Jong & Bates, 1991; Dominick & Pearce, 1976; Entman & Wildman, 1992; Grant, 1994; Litman, 1979; van der Wurff & van Cuilenburg, 2001). In using these methodologies, the overwhelming conclusion is that diversity is declining. In particular, the traditional broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) have seen steady erosion in viewer options. Trying to find a reason for this decline has been difficult, though scholars attempt to draw conclusions between the suppliers of programming and the types of programs produced (Beebe, 1977; Einstein, 2004; Levin, 1971), that is, source diversity, or between the number of outlets and the types of programs produced (Chan-Olmsted, 1996; Grant, 1994; Li & Chiang, 2001; Owen, 1978), that is, outlet diversity. Intuitively, increasing the number of people creating programming should increase the types of programming produced. Similarly, providing producers with more channels for their programming should create additional opportunities for creating a variety of options for viewers. However, in study after study, this has not been the case. Napoli (1999), after reviewing a plethora of diversity studies, concludes that there has been no definitive relationship established between source diversity and the programming produced. As for outlet diversity, researchers (De Jong & Bates, 1991; Le Duc, 1982) explain that increasing the number of services does not necessarily increase diversity, because new outlets often offer the same types of programs as established ones. Research in audience behavior also indiTHE JOURNAL OF MEDIA ECONOMICS, 17(2), 145–155 Copyright © 2004, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Imperfect Information and Investor Inferences From Housing Price Dynamics

We examine characteristics of housing price dynamics that may be consistent with rational learning and not simply irrational feedback trading. We find significant patterns of temporal and spatial diffusion that are more amenable to explanations that allow for rational components. First, we execute our tests not simply on housing price changes, but on town-by-town differentials from regional average price changes. Second, we find significant relationships with own and neighboring town differentials, but not with control groups of non-neighboring towns. Third, we find that population density, a proxy for scale economies in information production, accelerates the diffusion process. Test were performed on quarterly data for large samples from Connecticut and the San Francisco area, employing method of moments estimators. Copyright American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association.
Education Implications of the Changing Role of Accountants: Perceptions of Practitioners, Academics and Students

This paper investigates the premise that the role of accountants has changed in recent times, and considers the implications for future accounting education. A review of the current literature was undertaken to determine the contemporary understanding of accounting roles and the possible impacts of this on the skills needed by accounting graduates to be successful in the workplace. The literature review also considered personal characteristics that are expected to be beneficial to the accountants of the future. A pilot survey was undertaken to ascertain the different perceptions of three participant groups in relation to the changing role of accountants and the efficacy of university education in preparing students for graduate employment. These groups consisted of accounting academics and students within the University of Wollongong, and practitioners from the surrounding area. Results were analysed using parametric statistics to develop an overall picture of the sample, and non-parametric statistics to discern differences in perceptions between the target groups. The preliminary findings indicate that there is a difference in these perceptions, with practitioners being the group that most strongly believe that accounting education providers need to adapt their programs to meet the expanding requirements of the profession. However, academics are more concerned with the need to provide the essential skills for a well-rounded education, and a foundation for the development of lifelong learning.
Specification Problems with Information Content of Earnings: Revisions and Rationality of Expectations and Self-Selection Bias

This paper examines three possible specification problems with the research on information content of earnings disclosure. The first deals with the extent to which contemporaneous prediction errors are good surrogates for revisions of future earnings expectations and, hence, distributions of cash flows. This problem is elucidated by evaluating analysts' revisions of future earnings expectations as "relevant omitted variables. "The results show that the quality of such surrogation is high in the first quarter but low in the second. The second problem concrns the degree to which analysts' earnings forecasts are good surrogates for the market's own earnings expectations. Unbiasedness and orthogonality are the two properties examined. Although analysts' forecasts satisfy the unbiasedness property, the necessary condition of orthogonality is not satisfied. Hence, analysts' earnings forecasts are not Muthian rational expectations (i.e., they are not good surrogates for market forecasts). Consequently, the explanatory power of known empirical results is likely to be understated.The third specification issue is the significance of the self-selection bias resulting from endogenous partitioning of samples into, say, good- and bad-news portfolios. The Heckman-Lee method of correcting for this type of selection (truncation) bias is applied.The results show significant self-selection bias in both quarters but more so in the first than in the second quarter. Although applying the correction for this sample did not alter the general inferences, it did alter the marginal contribution of each explanatory variable and the explanatory power of the models.The results indicate that the information news about quarterly earnings is not homogeneous across different quarters in a fiscal period. The possibility that a "quarter effect" exists needs further investigation.
Weekend Effects on Stock Returns: A Note

SOME RESEARCHERS HAVE APPARENTLY been surprised to discover that the distribution of stock returns depends on the day of the week. ' Kenneth French [3], for example, in testing whether daily stock returns are generated by a trading time or calendar time hypothesis, provided convincing evidence of a negative market return on Mondays. As French carefully notes, this finding runs counter to both hypotheses, since a trading time view would have expected stock returns equal on different days, and a calendar time view would have higher expected returns on Monday to compensate for the longer holding period. In this paper we offer a partial explanation for the apparently puzzling discovery of different daily returns. We argue that the expected stock returns as measured, for example, from closing to closing prices, should depend on the day of the week. In general, we argue that the expected returns on Mondays should be lower than would be implied simply by a trading time or calendar time model, and the returns on Fridays should be higher. In addition, we anticipate that holidays will have complex effects on stock returns on other days of the week. Our argument is based on the delay between trading and settlements in stocks and in clearing checks. The explanation that we offer for different measured daily returns does not contradict the efficient market hypothesis, as correctly adjusted expected returns should not differ according to the day of the week.
Path-dependent options: extending the Monte Carlo simulation approach

Monte Carlo simulation has been used to value options since Boyle's seminal paper. Monte Carlo simulation, however, has not been used to its fullest extent for option valuation because of the belief that the method is not feasible for American-style options. This paper demonstrates how to incorporate optimal early exercise in the Monte Carlo method of valuing options by linking forward-moving simulation and the backward-moving recursion of dynamic programming through an iterative search process. To demonstrate the potential of this method, we use it to value American-style options on the average price or Asian options. The computational experience reveals a flexible valuation technique with potential for application to a range of securities and financial decision problems.
NEONATAL SEIZURES ETIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL DIFFERENTIATION

The fits occurring from birth to the end of neonatal period is commonly referred as Neonatal seizures; this period is one of the most important period in life time, which is susceptible for the development of seizures. The small injury in the form of mechanical malhandling to the highest genetic or congenital disorders will manifest in the form of seizures, which may become the etiology for long standing seizures. This study focuses mainly the etiological factors which may contribute for the development of neonatal seizures and clinical differentiation of the same.
Global Forest Transition: Prospects for an End to Deforestation

Although global rates of tropical deforestation remain alarmingly high, they have decreased over the period 2000–2010, and a handful of tropical developing countries have recently been through a forest transition—a shift from net deforestation to net reforestation. This review synthesizes existing knowledge on the occurrence, causes, and ecological impacts of forest transitions and examines the prospects and policy options for a global forest transition. The ecological quality of forest transitions depends on multiple factors, including the importance of natural forest regeneration versus plantations. Given an increased competition for productive land between different land uses, a global forest transition will require major technological and policy innovations to supply wood and agricultural products. In the globalization era, national strategies aimed at forest protection and sustainable use of forest resources may have unintended effects abroad owing to a displacement of land use across countries. Decisions by consumers combined with certification schemes and moratoriums have an increasing influence on the fate of forests.
Macrophages: A minimally invasive tool for monitoring collagen VI myopathies

Introduction: Collagen VI expression was tested in peripheral blood macrophages from patients with collagen VI–related myopathies and compared with muscle biopsy. Methods: RNA and protein studies were performed in blood macrophages from 5 patients previously diagnosed with either Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD) or Bethlem myopathy (BM). The full spectrum of possible genotypes was considered, including both dominant and recessive UCMD and BM cases. Results: In the dominant BM patient, no collagen VI alterations were detectable in macrophages or muscle biopsy. In the remaining patients, the protein defect caused by the selected mutations, as well as the transcriptional abnormalities, were readily detectable in macrophages, at levels comparable to those observed in muscle biopsy samples and cultured skin fibroblasts. Conclusions: Our data support the suitability of peripheral blood macrophages as a reliable, minimally invasive tool for supplementing or replacing muscle/skin biopsies in the diagnosis and monitoring of collagen VI–related myopathies. Muscle Nerve 44: 80–84, 2011.
Internal relationships: Linking practitioner literature and relationship marketing theory

Purpose – Practitioners argue that the way they treat their employees has an impact on firm success. However, they frequently do not equate this with relationship building. On the other hand, the academic relationship marketing literature does highlight internal relationships as having an important impact on external customer relationships. However, this relationship suffers from a lack of academic empirical evidence. Neither seems to recognize the knowledge of the other leading to incongruence between marketing theory and practice. The purpose of this paper is to bring the two literature streams together demonstrating that the practitioners are talking about, and practising, relationship marketing. Design/methodology/approach – Exploration and comparison of the academic and practitioner literature bases to elaborate on the value of relationship building within organizations. Findings – Competitive advantage can be attained through development of a relationship‐building culture which includes building relationships inside the organization as well as customer relationships. In fact, successful customer relationships rely on successful internal relationships. Research implications/implications – A broad research agenda is outlined for understanding the nature of internal relationships and their impact on a firm's success. Practical implications – Organizational success can be gained through building strong internal relationships and the development of a relationship‐building organizational culture. Originality/value – Links practitioner cases and reflections to the concept of relationship marketing, demonstrating further how relationship marketing activities provide a competitive advantage.
Evolution of Employment Centers in Seoul

The objectives of this study are to identify employment centers in Seoul for 1981, 1991, and 1996 and to examine the dynamics of urban spatial structure. We found that Seoul has experienced polycentric spatial transformation since 1981, having one major center (CBD) and two subâ€“centers. Like most Western cities, Seoul has experienced significant CBD decline during 1981â€“1996. Employment share of the CBD has decreased dramatically from 34.5% in 1981 to 17% in 1996, and absolute number of employment in the CBD has decreased by about 170,000 during 1981â€“1996. As two subâ€“centers have emerged since 1981, the role of the CBD as a provider of highâ€“order services such as FIRE has shifted into the subâ€“centers. We also found that the polycentric urban form in Seoul makes average commuting distance longer.
Treatment choices and experiences in attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder: relations to parents' beliefs and attributions.

BACKGROUND Despite their potential to influence treatment decisions, parents' beliefs and attitudes regarding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have not been widely studied. This research examined relations between parents' beliefs and attitudes and their experiences with different treatments for their children's ADHD. METHODS Canadian parents of 73, 5- to 13-year-old, boys with ADHD completed questionnaires measuring beliefs about ADHD, attributions for ADHD behaviours, and treatment experiences. RESULTS Parents reported using primarily behaviour management and stimulant medications in treating ADHD. Approximately half of the families also used diet/vitamin therapies. Parents were knowledgeable about ADHD and held generally accurate beliefs. They saw ADHD symptoms as predominantly internal to the child and as relatively enduring and pervasive. Parents' beliefs were related to their use of different treatments and parents who used less empirically supported treatments were more likely to see ADHD behaviours as internal to the child, enduring and pervasive. CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight the importance of assessing parents' use of alternate treatments for ADHD and the potential role of parents' beliefs and attributions in shaping treatment choices.
Organizational Support for Employees: Encouraging Creative Ideas for Environmental Sustainability

The environmental sustainability of businesses depends largely on employees9 creative environmental ideas and innovative solutions to environmental problems. This article analyzes how companies that want to improve their environmental performance can increase their employees9 willingness to eco-innovate. Results of an employee survey show that supportive behaviors from line managers significantly increase the probability that employees will try environmental initiatives. Even in firms that have sustainable development policies, line managers are less supportive when managing environmental issues compared to managing other business issues. Stated environmental policies may not have much of a direct influence on employees9 willingness to eco-innovate. This article shows how firms can encourage line managers to adopt behaviors that employees perceive to be supportive of environmental actions, and it indicates which behaviors and policies are most effective at supporting environmental innovations.