Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What are Firms? Evolution from Early Business Plans to Public Companies

We study how firm characteristics evolve from early business plan to initial public offering (IPO) to public company for 50 venture capital (VC) financed companies. We describe the financial performance, line of business, point(s) of differentiation, non-human capital assets, growth strategy, top management, and ownership structure. The most striking finding is that firm business lines or ideas remain remarkably stable from business plan through public company. Within those business lines, non-human capital aspects of the businesses are more stable than human capital aspects. In the cross-section, firms with more alienable assets experience more managerial turnover suggesting that specific people becomes less critical as firms establish non-human assets. We obtain qualitatively similar results to those in our primary sample for all non-financial start-up IPOs in 2004 - both VC- and non-VC backed. This suggests that our main results are not specific to the presence of a VC or to the time period. We discuss how our results relate to theories of the firm and to VC investment decisions.
Is that an opportunity? An attention model of top managers' opportunity beliefs for strategic action

Research summary: Exploiting opportunities is critical to a firm's competitive advantage. Not surprisingly, there has been considerable interest in the processes by which top managers allocate attention to potential opportunities. Although such investigations have largely focused on top‐down processes for allocating attention to the environment, some studies have explored bottom‐up processes. In this article, we consider both top‐down and bottom‐up processing to develop a model by which top managers form opportunity beliefs for strategic action depending on the allocation of transient and sustained attention. Specifically, this attentional model provides insights into how a top manager's attention is allocated to identify potential opportunities from environmental change and explores how different modes of attentional engagement impact the likelihood of forming beliefs about radical and incremental opportunities requiring strategic action. Managerial summary: Managers are interested in noticing and exploiting opportunities because the exploitation of an opportunity represents an important strategic action. Noticing and exploiting opportunities depends on how and where top managers allocate their attention. Managers can focus attention based on their knowledge and experience or as a result of something in the environment capturing their attention. In this paper, we consider both knowledge‐driven and environment‐driven processes for allocating attention to form opportunity beliefs. This opportunity belief arises from a two stage process. The first stage explains how a top manager identifies environmental changes as potential opportunities. The second stage explains how the top manager forms a belief that these identified environmental changes represent a radical or incremental opportunity worthy of exploitation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Frequency of hepatomegaly and splenomegaly in Nigerian patients with sickle cell disease.

BACKGROUND Hepatobiliary and splenic complications (amongst others) are common in sickle cell disease (SCD) as a consequence of the progressive injury resulting from repeated sickling of HbS red blood cells. OBJECTIVE To determine the degree and the frequency of persistent hepatomegaly and splenomegaly in relation to determinants of clinical severity in patients with SCD. METHODS Two hundred and twenty SCD patients in clinical steady state were assessed for the presence and the size of palpably enlarged spleen and liver. Patients with hepatomegaly or splenomegaly were re-assessed after three months. Average size was recorded as well as the electrophoresis pattern, age at asessment, sex and the haematocrit. These were compiled over one year RESULTS The mean age of the SCD patients was 24.7 (8.7) years. HbS and female subjects predominated, constituting 89% and 57% respectively. Females had statistically significantly higher mean age of years than males, (p < 0.001). Splenomegaly was present in 46 (21%) of SCD patients, of which 39 (84.8%) were HbSS, with a mean splenic size of 8.7 (7) cm. Out of the 220 SCD patients, hepatomegaly was present in 59%, with a mean size of 7.6 (6.5) cm. However, higher frequency and a significantly bigger size of hepatomegaly were found in patients with HbS than in those with HbSC. The mean age of 27.2 (10.9) years and the mean of PCV of 24.1 (4.9) in the 82 (37%) patients without hepatomegaly and splenomegaly were significantly higher (p = 0.001) than the general population of SCD patients studied. CONCLUSION Hepatomegaly of varying sizes occurs commonly in patients with HbS and probably connotes a severe clinical course. The aversions that there is predominance of HbS, survival advantage of females and the fact that HbSC fair better than HbS remain true.
Corporate Restructuring: Governance and Control Limits of the Internal Capital Market

Corporate restructuring that is sparked by the threat of a takeover provides evidence that corporate governance limits of large diversified (M-form) firms may exist. This paper proposes that poor corporate monitoring, which is due to atomistic ownership patterns and inadequate board of director governance, an emphasis on incentive compensation, and free cash flows, may lead to higher levels of diversification. If diversification results in loss of strategic control and poor performance, the threat of a takeover is likely to be related to the incidence of corporate restructuring. Corporate restructuring, in turn, is likely to (a) result in the correction of inadequate governance patterns, (b) create a more focused diversification strategy, (c) increase strategic control, (d) reduce reliance on bureaucratic control through reduced corporate staff, and (e) increase the performance of the firm and shareholder wealth.
Performance Determinants of Manufacturing Firms: Analysis from a Strategic Management Perspective

The main objective of this article is to relate business strategies of firms to their performances by studying largest manufacturing firms. The strategic concept is presented, then two other major concepts competition and performance and their linkage to strategy is discussed in detail. This is followed by the analysis of empirical studies on the determinants of firm financial performance. One of the key empirical observations made by traditional strategy case research was that firms within the same industry differ from one another, and that there seems to be an inertia associated with these differences.
Vaccine-Induced CD8+ T Cell-Dependent Suppression of Airway Hyperresponsiveness and Inflammation12

Suppressing the abnormalities associated with asthma has been difficult to accomplish using immunotherapy or vaccination once the disease is established. The effector cells necessary for effective immunization/vaccination and immunotherapy of asthma are also not well understood. Therefore, we vaccinated allergen (OVA)-sensitized mice to determine whether therapeutic immunization could suppress airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and inflammation and to identify key immune effector cells and cytokines. Mice were immunized with a vaccine comprised of Ag and cationic liposome-DNA complexes (CLDC), a vaccine which has previously been shown to elicit strong CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses and activation of Th1 immunity. We showed that immunization with the OVA-CLDC vaccine significantly suppressed AHR, eosinophilia, goblet cell metaplasia, and Th2 cytokine production. In contrast, immunization with CLDC alone suppressed eosinophilia and Th2 cytokine production, but failed to suppress AHR and goblet cell changes. Using adoptive transfer experiments, we found that suppression of AHR was mediated by Ag-specific CD8+ T cells and was dependent on IFN-γ production by the transferred T cells. Thus, we conclude that generation of strong, allergen-specific CD8+ T cell responses by immunization may be capable of suppressing AHR and allergic airway inflammation, even in previously sensitized and challenged mice.
"Dead Quasars" in Nearby Galaxies?

The nuclei of some galaxies undergo violent activity, quasars being the most extreme instances of this phenomenon. Such activity is probably short-lived compared to galactic lifetimes, and was most prevalent when the universe was only about one-fifth of its present age. A massive black hole seems the inevitable end point of such activity, and dead quasars should greatly outnumber active ones. In recent years, studies of stellar motions in the cores of several nearby galaxies indicate the presence of central dark masses which could be black holes. This article discusses how such evidence might be corroborated, and the potential implications for our understanding of active galaxies and black holes.
Microfinance Recipients’ Maximum Willingness to Pay for Microloans in Lahore

Charging high interest rates is important for any microfinance institution’s financial independence and sustainability. Optimal allocation of micro credits is when various amounts of loans are disbursed to those households that are willing and able to pay much needed high interest rate. This study attempts to measure the maximum amount microfinance recipients are willing to pay for purchasing a microloan. Using binary logit regression model for the most popular loan amounts, we observed that willingness to pay increased significantly if the recipient belonged to a female headed household. For higher loan levels, however, households with ‘joint’ household heads and additional factors such as higher income and lower expenditure became more important in raising the willingness to pay higher interest rate. Secondly, loan takers were willing to pay high if they invested in services/retail sector. Fixed effects model showed that for charging high interest rates, loans should be directed towards individual females, or those who have already purchased a loan and have strong savings pattern. Analysis also showed recipients were not interest-elastic.
Mental tasks selection method for a SVM-based BCI system

In this work, a study that analyzes the best combinations of mental tasks in a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) using a classifier based on Support Vector Machine (SVM) is presented. To that end, twelve mental tasks of different nature are analyzed and the results of the classification for the combinations of two, three and four tasks are obtained. Four volunteers performed registers of the twelve tasks. The main goal is to find the combination of more than three mental tasks that obtains the higher reliability to apply it in future complex applications that require the use of more than three mental control commands. After a selection procedure, the results obtained show higher success percentages and important differences according to the nature of the mental tasks, which suggest that it is possible to differentiate with enough reliability between more than three mental tasks using the methodology proposed.
Fifteen years after a ferry disaster: clinical interviews and survivors’ self-assessment of their experience

Background Disasters yield increased rates of psychological disorders decades later. Other consequences, however, have received little attention in the past. Objective We aimed to examine diagnostic status and survivors’ views on disaster-related consequences and social support. Methods A mixed-methods approach was used with 22 survivors (of 49 eligible) 15 years after a ferry disaster. Data collection included audiotaped interviews with open-ended questions and diagnostic assessment of Axis-I disorders. Results The post-disaster incidence was 54% (12/22) for Axis-I disorders, and 45% (10/22) for full or subsyndromal posttraumatic stress disorder. Thematic analysis revealed that survivor perception of the long-term consequences included positive (character change) and negative aspects (being ascribed a survivor identity). Participants’ sought social support for several years, yet many felt hindered by experiential dissimilarity and distress of significant others. Conclusions Axis-I disorders were prevalent, but not salient to survivors’ perceptions in the long-term. Post-disaster interventions need to attend to common barriers to support.
Effects of three adhesion boosters on the shear bond strength of new and rebonded brackets--an in vitro study.

AIM To evaluate the effects of three adhesion boosters--All-Bond 2, Enhance LC, and Ortho Solo--on the shear bond strength of new and rebonded (previously debonded) brackets. METHODS One hundred new and 100 sandblasted debonded brackets were bonded to 200 extracted human premolars and divided into eight groups. RESULTS The new brackets/Ortho Solo group yielded the highest bond strength, followed by the new brackets/All-Bond 2 and the new brackets/Enhance LC groups. During rebonding, Ortho Solo improved the bond strength significantly; however, All-Bond 2 and Enhance LC did not. CONCLUSION (1) Bond strength is significantly improved when new brackets are bonded with an adhesion booster; (2) without any adhesion booster, sandblasted rebonded brackets yield a significantly lower bond strength than new brackets; (3) Enhance LC failed to improve the bond strength of rebonded brackets; (4) Ortho Solo increased the bond strength of rebonded brackets significantly; and (5) brackets rebonded with Ortho Solo yielded comparable bond strength as new brackets without any adhesion booster.
Market Concentration and Competition in Vietnamese Banking Sector

Vietnamese banking system has been playing a vital role in the development and economic growth since the economic renewal campaign namely “Doi Moi” in 1986. However, since the global financial crisis, financial and banking system has been under stress, exposing much weaknesses, severely affecting the whole economy. Additionally, the wave of financial liberalization raise questions about the competitiveness of Vietnamese commercial banks in the competition with the foreigners. The main purpose of this paper is to measure the market concentration using Hirschman-Herfindahl index (HHI) and test for the market competition in Vietnamese banking sector under Panzar – Rossse approach by an unbalanced panel data of 33 commercial banks for the period from 2004 to 2013. Vietnamese banking sector is found to be high-concentration although it is experiencing a decreasing trend. The test for market competition indicate a monopolistic behavior of Vietnamese commercial banks. No surprising, the state-owned commercial banks and foreign banks are found to be superior in the competition with joint-stock commercial banks and domestic banks respectively. In addition, the foreign investment in banks seem to increase competitiveness of a commercial bank.
A Contemporary Literature Review of Corporate Governance: An Overview

This paper attempts to explain how corporate governance, especially in the context of the agency problem, can be efficiently solved by internal control and external force. Internal control mainly focuses on the audit community and board of directors while the external force consists of law regulation and merger and acquisitions (M&A). Additionally, the paper provides further analysis and discussion on the recent development of corporate governance in emerging global markets, especially China and India. The study finds that corporate governance, with efficient internal control procedures in place and a cooperative attitude with the restrictions of legal regulation, is the best way to provide protection to investors.
ESSAYS ON THE ECONOMICS OF ELECTRONIC COMMERCE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Time flies! Four years went away like a snap of the fingers. Yet, it has been a happy, fruitful journey, with outstanding education from which I will continuously derive benefits and cheerful memories that I will always cherish in my life time. Along this journey, many people and friends stood by my side, providing me guidance, help, and supports. I would like to take the chance to acknowledge them for helping me during my doctoral work. I would especially like to thank Han Zhang, my advisor, for his guidance and commitment. It has been a pleasure to work with him, whose patience and support helped me overcome many crisis situations and finish this dissertation. I am also extremely grateful for the advice, help, and generosity I received from Haizheng Li, my advisor during my study in the master's program in economics. He leaded me to develop independent thinking and continually stimulated my scientific thinking. It has been fun to study and work together! Finally, I would like to thank my family for their supports and patience. Without them, I will not be possible to achieve the great milestone.
The effect of alpha-linolenic acid on glycemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes

Background: Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) have been shown to reduce type 2 diabetes (T2DM) risk and improve insulin responsiveness in T2DM subjects, but whether the plant sources of omega-3 PUFA (alpha-linolenic acid [ALA]) have an effect on glycemic control requires further investigation. Methods: The parameters of interest were glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting blood insulin (FBI), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), fructosamine, and glycated albumin. A comprehensive search was conducted with MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) ≥1 month in duration that compared diets enriched in ALA with usual diets on glycemic parameters. For each study, the risk of bias as well as the study quality was assessed. Using the statistical software RevMan (v5.3), data were pooled using the generic inverse method with random effects model, and final results were expressed as mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Heterogeneity was assessed by the Cochran Q statistic and quantified by the I2 statistic. Results: A total of 8 trials (N = 212) were included in the meta-analysis. Compared to a control diet, a median dose of 4.4 g/day of ALA intake for a median duration of 3 months did not affect HbA1c (%) (MD = –.01; [95%: –.32, .31], P = .96). A median ALA dose of 5.4 g/day did not lower FBG (MD = .07; [95% CI: –.61, .76], P = .84) or FBI (MD = 7.03, [95% CI: –5.84, 19.89], P = .28). Summary effect estimates were generally compromised by considerable and unexplained heterogeneity (I2 ≥75%). In the subgroup analysis of continuous predictors, a reduction in HbA1c (%) and FBG (mmol/L) was significantly associated with an increased intake of ALA. Further adjustment for Publication Bias using Duval and Tweedie's trim-and-fill analysis provided an adjusted, significant MD of –. 25 (95% CI: –.38, –.12; P <.001) for HbA1c (%). Conclusions: ALA-enriched diets did not affect HbA1c, FBG, or FBI. The scarce number of existing RCTs and the presence of heterogeneity in our meta-analysis limit the ability to make firm conclusions about ALA in T2DM management. The potential for ALA to have dose-dependent effects warrants further research in this area.
The deep fascia and retinacula of the equine forelimb – structure and innervation

Recent advances in human fascia research have shed new light on the role of the fascial network in movement perception and coordination, transmission of muscle force, and integrative function in body biomechanics. Evolutionary adaptations of equine musculoskeletal apparatus that assure effective terrestrial locomotion are employed in equestrianism, resulting in the wide variety of movements in performing horses, from sophisticated dressage to jumping and high‐speed racing. The high importance of horse motion efficiency in the present‐day equine industry indicates the significance of scientific knowledge of the structure and physiology of equine fasciae. In this study, we investigated the structure and innervation of the deep fascia of the equine forelimb by means of anatomical dissection, histology and immunohistochemistry. Macroscopically, the deep fascia appears as a dense, glossy and whitish lamina of connective tissue continuous with its fibrous reinforcements represented by extensor and flexor retinacula. According to the results of our histological examination, the general structure of the equine forelimb fascia corresponds to the characteristics of the human deep fasciae of the limbs. Although we did find specific features in all sample types, the general composition of all examined fascial tissues follows roughly the same scheme. It is composed of dense, closely packed collagen fibers organized in layers of thick fibrous bundles with sparse elastic fibers. This compact tissue is covered from both internal and external sides by loosely woven laminae of areolar connective tissue where elastic fibers are mixed with collagen. Numerous blood vessels running within the loose connective tissue contribute to the formation of regular vascular network throughout the compact layer of the deep fascia and retinacula. We found nerve fibers of different calibers in all samples analyzed. The fibers are numerous in the areolar connective tissue and near the blood vessels but scarce in the compact layers of collagen. We did not observe any Ruffini, Pacini or Golgi‐Mazzoni corpuscles. In conclusion, the multilayered composition of compact bundles of collagen, sparse elastic fibers in the deep fascia and continuous transition into retinacula probably facilitate resistance to gravitational forces and volume changes during muscle contraction as well as transmission of muscle force during movement. However, further research focused on innervation is needed to clarify whether the deep fascia of the equine forelimb plays a role in proprioception and movement coordination.
Customer Lifetime Network Value

Today, people are increasingly connected and extensively interact with each other using technology-enabled media. Hence, customer s are more frequently exposed to social influence of other customers when making purchase decisions. However, established approaches for customer valuat ion most widely neglect network effects based on social influence leading to a misallocation of resour ces. Therefore, following a design-oriented approach, this paper develops a model fo r customer valuation referred to as the customer lifetime network value (CLNV) incorporating an integrated network perspective. By considering the net networ k contribution of customers, the CLNV reallocates values between customers based on social influence without changing the overall network value, that is, a firm’s cust omer equity. Using a real-world dataset of a European online social network, we demonstrate and evaluate the applicability of the CLNV. We show that the CLNV enables a sound determination of both individual customers’ value and firm’s customer eq uity and supports thorough customer segmentation.