Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The contingent effect of specific asset investments on joint action in manufacturer-supplier relationships: An empirical test of the moderating role of reciprocal asset investments, uncertainty, and trust

Prior research provides evidence that manufacturer investment of specific assets dedicated to a particular supplier (manufacturer asset specificity) is an antecedent of joint action in manufacturer-supplier relationships. The authors build on prior research to identify several variables that moderate the effect of manufacturer asset specificity o on joint action. Drawing from transaction cost analysis and relational exchange theory, the authors propose a conceptual model that explicates the moderating role of three contextual variables: specific asset investments by the supplier (reciprocal asset investments), manufacturer decision-making uncertainty, and manufacturer trust in the supplier. Consistent with their hypotheses, results from a survey of firms in three SIC codes show that decision-making uncertainty and trust enhance the effect of manufacturer asset specificity on joint action. Contrary to expectation, however, the moderating effect of reciprocal asset investments was not significant. Theoretical and managerial implications of the results are discussed.
Prosthetic use and functional and social outcome following major lower limb amputation

A total of 175 consecutive below and above-knee amputees sent to the prosthetic workshop in Helsinki for prosthetic fitting from 32 hospitals were reviewed to determine their functional ambulation and social adaptation. The average age of the patients was 62.2 years at the time of the prosthetic fitting. The mortality was 11% (19) during the first postoperative year. One-year postoperative information was obtained for 141 of the surviving patients (90%) by personal contact. At the time of the review, 68% of the amputees (96 patients) who had been fitted with a prosthesis made extensive and regular use of it. Half of all the above-knee amputees and 79% of the below-knee amputees used their prosthesis throughout the day or over seven hours a day. A total of 72% of the above-knee amputees (33/ 46) and 85% of the below-knee amputees (67/ 79) had useful ambulation, at least indoors. Of the 141 patients contacted, 124 (88%) lived in their own homes. The remaining 16 patients (11%) lived in apartment houses for the aged or old people's homes, A total of 48 amputees (34%) needed a regular home help.
Age differences in mobile service perceptions: comparison of Generation Y and baby boomers

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the effects of age on mobile service quality perceptions and its impact on perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty between two significant mobile service user segments – Generation Y and baby boomers.Design/methodology/approach – A multiple group structural equation modeling approach is utilized to assess the proposed model.Findings – The results identify the mobile service quality attributes that are important to Generation Y‐ers and baby boomers. The study also finds significant differences between the two groups in terms of the effect of perceived economic and emotional value on satisfaction.Research limitations/implications – A limitation lies in the measurement of service quality. Another limitation is different methods of data collection between two age groups. Future research is recommended to examine differences between other generations, between different ethnic groups, and other demographic variables.Practical implications – This study strongly suggest .
Novel formulation of the quadrupole equation for potential stellar gravitational-wave power estimation

A novel formulation of the quadrupole equation for potential stellar gravitational-wave power estimation is derived. The derivation commences with the classical Einstein quadrupole formalism and then utilizes Newton's second law to establish a simplified formulation involving the radius of gyration of a mass or system of masses involving a pair of massive stars either on orbit about one another, or otherwise separated, or a star with a dumbbell-like or aspherical mass distribution and an impulsive force acting on the mass or masses in order to estimate the power of a gravitational wave that is generated. A numerical example, based upon the well-known gravitational-wave power observed to be generated by PSR 1913+16, is utilized to test the formulation. Potential applications to stellar jets, including stellar-black-hole produced jets, are cited as examples of the potential applications of the novel quadrupole formulation. It is suggested that the gravitational waves, generated by the applications suggested, might be detected by the proposed space-based Laser Interferometer Space Antenna or LISA. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Gold, black gold, and farmland: should they all be part of your investment portfolio?

Can traditional investors improve financial performance by adding a farmland real estate investment trust (F-REIT), gold and oil to their investment portfolios? This study shows that for the period 1972â€“2011, financial performance was significantly improved with the addition of F-REIT, gold and oil to a portfolio of traditional investments of T-bills, bonds, stocks and REITs. A Canadian F-REIT is considered relatively low risk, enters the efficient portfolios at low to medium risk levels and adds the most financial improvement to medium risk portfolios. Gold and Oil are higher risk assets with no dividend yield but because of their low correlations with other assets, they are able to reduce portfolio risk and add significant financial improvement in all portfolios.
Influencing corporations through shareholder activism : the case of three NGO-led campaigns in the UK

Modern day corporations are not only economically and politically powerful, but they also have a significant impact on society and the environment. Due to their relevance, once solely focused on government, non-governmental organisations are increasingly engaging in private politics and making corporations the targets of their campaigns. The recent economic crisis has highlighted the role of the financial market for changing corporate actions and, as a result, shareholder activism – a campaigning tactic which is comparatively new, has rapidly grown in popularity among the third sector community. The term can be defined as the use of ownership rights to actively shape corporate policy and behaviour. The research is based on three campaign case studies which provide a detailed exploration of how UK-based NGOs use various shareholder activist strategies to realise their campaign objectives: the campaign against Vedanta Resources‟ operations in India, the campaign against Shell‟s involvement in the Niger Delta, and the Tax Justice campaign targeting FTSE 100 companies. Based on the premise that companies should consider the interests of different stakeholders, the main aim is to explore the shareholder activist strategies used by NGOs, to determine their impact on the investor community and the targeted companies, and to examine what are the main challenges faced by campaigning organisations. The study adopts a multi-method qualitative approach encompassing participant observation, semi-structured interviews and document analysis. It draws on a wide range of literature to explain and build upon the findings – social science literature, but also social movement, pressure group and financial accounting literature. It has been discovered that shareholder activism can potentially be a very effective tactic and that NGOs‟ use of this strategy is on the rise – NGO share campaigns more than doubled in the period 2003-2013 compared to 1990-2002. One of the main conclusions is that NGOs are increasingly using business case arguments when engaging with companies and investors as this method enhances campaign effectiveness. Based on the case study findings, a theoretical model which attempts to explain the factors contributing to the overall impact of campaigns has been developed. The findings also have implications about the nature of corporate governance and the democratisation of business. Shareholder activism has been seen as a tool which democratises corporations through opening the door to private politics to a wider range of stakeholders such as citizens, pension savers, and voluntary organisations. In addition, the nature of a „successful‟ campaign has been reinvented and it has been suggested that the overall impact of an intervention should be regarded from a „delayed gratification‟ point of view and the symbolic outcomes of campaigns should not be discarded as irrelevant
Corporate Governance, IPO Underpricing and Long-Term Performance of Listed Firms in China

This is an empirical study that examines the underpricing and aftermarket long-term performance of IPOs in China and IPO underpricing. Corporate governance aspects that may play a role in IPOs, such as ownership structure and external directors, are studied. The study show that firms with higher initial IPO returns are valued more highly by investors - day-one, ten and 21 returns are correlated with long-term performance. Furthermore, the study finds that the ownership structure has a bearing on corporate governance - both foreign and legal person ownership have a positive influence on long-run performance. Management ownership may moderate State influences, but do not influence legal persons’. Conversely, State ownership has a negative bearing. Outside directors have no significant influence, nor has the issue stock exchange. The underwriter has a positive relationship with day-ten and 21 returns only. Larger firms and firms with growth potential are considered more highly by the market. Thus the study demonstrates that firms with higher initial IPO returns are valued more highly by investors long-term, as are firms with foreign and legal person holdings - the market expects these to enhance performance long-term. Management ownership is valued when associated with State ownership. Larger firms are considered more highly by the IPO market in China. The findings demonstrate that initial IPO returns influence the market value long-term and that the ownership structure has a measurable bearing on long-term performance. In particular, firms with foreign holdings are considered more highly by the IPO market.
Selection and critical success factors in successful ERP implementation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors that contribute to the successful implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in manufacturing firms. Design/methodology/approach – The qualitative research method was used to study six diverse manufacturing firms in Virginia. A semi-structure method of data collection was used for the analysis. Findings – The ERP software has emerged as a key enabler of system integration in organizations to reduce redundancy, improve efficiency, productivity and performance. Firms implement ERP not only to improve operations efficiency but to be more responsive to the customer needs in the global economy. The findings provide insights on the factors that these large and global manufacturing firms consider to be important to the success of ERP implementation and utilization. Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to large manufacturing firms and does not consider service industries or small and medium enterprises. Practical i.
Chilean Wines: A Successful Image

This paper explores the massive growth in New World Wines and in particular more recently in Chilean Wines over recent years. It analyses a number of factors influencing this trend, including price, taste, distribution and so on, yet highlights one important aspect is the on‐shelf impact of New World, and in particular, Chilean Wines. This evaluation of the on‐the‐shelf impact of Chilean wines would appear to support the hypothesis that at least part of the current success of Chilean wines is concerned with image, particularly on‐the‐shelf image in an era of the global brand. As Old World Wine producers copy the modern dynamic image of the New World Wines and in particular Chilean Wines, will the Chilean Wines be identifiable on the shelf or will on‐the‐shelf image reflect price rather than country?
X‐linked adrenoleukodystrophy in Spain. Identification of 26 novel mutations in the ABCD1 gene in 80 patients. Improvement of genetic counseling in 162 relative females

In this study, we analyzed the ABCD1 gene in 80 X‐linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X‐ALD) patients from 62 unrelated families. We identified 53 different mutations, of which 26 are novel and two are non‐pathogenic sequence variants (L516L and 3′UTR, 2246C/G) that have been previously described. The Spanish population had significant allelic heterogeneity, in which most of the mutations were exclusive to a single family 47/53 (88.7%). Only six mutations (Y174S, G277R, FsE471, R518Q, P543L, and R554H) were found in more than one family. Mutations G277R, P543L, and R554H were the most frequent, each of them being found in three patients (5%). Intra‐familiar phenotype variability was observed in most of the families, but in one, with the novel mutation R120P, only the adult mild phenotype was present (five hemizygous family members). We detected 80 heterozygous women by mutation analysis, but only 78 of them showed increased very‐long‐chain fatty acid levels. In conclusion, this study extends the spectrum of mutations in X‐ALD and facilitates the identification of heterozygous females. Our results are also consistent with previous studies reporting the difficulty of predicting genotype–phenotype correlation.
A Study of Impact of Ownership Structure and Disclosure Quality on Information Asymmetry in Iran

Executive Summary Capital market uses financial information with high disclosure quality, and this information can influence capital market decision-making. Corporate governance research shows that ownership structure can influence financial reporting quality, and thus play an effective role in capital market decision-making. The main purpose of the current study is to examine the impact of ownership structure and disclosure quality on the information asymmetry phenomenon among the listed companies on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE). Ownership structure (including ownership concentration and institutional ownership) and disclosure quality (including reliability and timeliness) are considered as independent variables, and their impact is examined on the dependent variable (information asymmetry). Consistent with extant literature, bid-ask spread is used as a proxy variable for information asymmetry. The statistical results, based on data collected from 102 listed companies on the TSE during 2007–2014, revealed positive impact of ownership structure and negative impact of disclosure quality on information asymmetry. These results show that information asymmetry is less in firms that published more reliable and timely information, and is more in firms with more concentrated ownership structure, higher institutional ownership, and lower disclosure quality. In other words, reliability and timeliness of information have a positive role in stock price identification and close-up views of the buyer and seller in TSE. Findings of this article can assist accounting researchers and theoreticians in comparing real world facts with hypotheses developed with respect to ownership structure, disclosure quality, and information asymmetry. By increasing transparency in the capital markets, market participants, decision-makers, financial analysts, and potential investors are aided in their analysis of plans for investments in financial assets.
Heterologous Co-Expression of Human Cytochrome P450 1A2 and Polymorphic Forms of N-Acetyltransferase 2 for Studies on Aromatic Amines in V79 Chinese Hamster Cells

V79 Chinese hamster cells were genetically engineered for the stable co-expression of human cytochrome P450 1A2 and the polymorphic N-acetyltransferase 2 alleles *4, *5B, *6A and *13, in order to generate an in vitro tool for studying the metabolism-dependent toxicity of aromatic amines. N-acetyltransferase 2*4-encoding cDNA was generated by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with defined primers from the genomic DNA of a human liver donor homozygous for *4, and served as a template to generate the *5B, *6A and *13 isoforms by site-directed mutagenesis. Human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2-encoding cDNA was generated by the PCR from genomic DNA of the recombinant V79MZh1A2 cell line. All the cDNAs were inserted into a CMV promotor-containing plasmid in conjunction with the selectable marker genes, neomycin and hydromycin. The recombinant expression plasmids were transfected for stable integration into the genomic DNA of the V79 cells. Several cellular clones were obtained and checked for the genomic integration of intact cDNAs with the PCR on the genomic DNA of the recombinant cells. Stable expression was confirmed by the reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) on RNA preparations. Metabolic function was tested with ethoxyresorufin as a marker substrate for CYP1A2, and 2-aminofluorene and N-sulphametazine for N-acetyltransferase activity, and compared to data obtained from biological samples. 7-Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activities ranged from 0.2 to 4pmol resorufin/min/mg total protein. The N-acetylation of sulphametazine ranged from 0.07 to 1.7nmol N-acetyl-sulphametazine/mg total protein/min. Selected clones showing activities in the range of physiological activities were submitted to metabolism-dependent mutagenicity studies. In particular, the polymorphism-dependent N-acetylation of 2-aminofluorene and the role of CYP1A2 and N-acetyltransferase in the mutagenicity of 2-aminofluorene, were investigated. Surprisingly, the mutagenicity of 2-aminofluorene is dramatically reduced in V79 cells co-expressing CYP1A2 and N-acetyltransferase, compared to V79 cells expressing CYP1A2 only, pointing to a significant species-dependent difference in the metabolic activation of aromatic amines between rats and humans.
HER2-Associated Radioresistance of Breast Cancer Stem Cells Isolated from HER2-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Purpose: To understand the role of HER2-associated signaling network in breast cancer stem cells (BCSC) using radioresistant breast cancer cells and clinical recurrent breast cancers to evaluate HER2-targeted therapy as a tumor eliminating strategy for recurrent HER2−/low breast cancers. Experimental Design: HER2-expressing BCSCs (HER2+/CD44+/CD24−/low) were isolated from radiation-treated breast cancer MCF7 cells and in vivo irradiated MCF7 xenograft tumors. Tumor aggressiveness and radioresistance were analyzed by gap filling, Matrigel invasion, tumor-sphere formation, and clonogenic survival assays. The HER2/CD44 feature was analyzed in 40 primary and recurrent breast cancer specimens. Protein expression profiling in HER2+/CD44+/CD24−/low versus HER2−/CD44+/CD24−/low BCSCs was conducted with two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) and high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS-MS) analysis and HER2-mediated signaling network was generated by MetaCore program. Results: Compared with HER2-negative BCSCs, HER2+/CD44+/CD24−/low cells showed elevated aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity and aggressiveness tested by Matrigel invasion, tumor sphere formation, and in vivo tumorigenesis. The enhanced aggressive phenotype and radioresistance of the HER2+/CD44+/CD24−/low cells were markedly reduced by inhibition of HER2 via siRNA or Herceptin treatments. Clinical breast cancer specimens revealed that cells coexpressing HER2 and CD44 were more frequently detected in recurrent (84.6%) than primary tumors (57.1%). In addition, 2-D DIGE and HPLC/MS-MS of HER2+/CD44+/CD24−/low versus HER2−/CD44+/CD24−/low BCSCs reported a unique HER2-associated protein profile including effectors involved in tumor metastasis, apoptosis, mitochondrial function, and DNA repair. A specific feature of HER2–STAT3 network was identified. Conclusion: This study provides the evidence that HER2-mediated prosurvival signaling network is responsible for the aggressive phenotype of BCSCs that could be targeted to control the therapy-resistant HER2−/low breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 18(24); 6634–47. ©2012 AACR.
Vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation (VGAM) in the fetus: retrospective analysis of perinatal prognostic indicators in a two‐center series of 49 cases

Vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation (VGAM) is a rare fetal anomaly, the neurological outcome of which can be good with appropriate perinatal management. However, most fetal series are too small to allow reliable statistical assessment of potential prognostic indicators. Our aim was to assess, in a two‐center series of 49 cases, the prognostic value of several prenatal variables, in order to identify possible prenatal indicators of poor outcome, in terms of mortality and cerebral disability.
Factors Explaining the Extent of Use of Management Accounting Practices in Malaysian Medium Firms

There is little recent empirical research relating to what factors affected the use of specific management accounting practices in SMEs context. This research addresses the omission and report the findings derived from a survey of Malaysian firms in SME sector. Based on the 110 Malaysian medium firms in the manufacturing sector, the study indicates that size of the firm, intensity of market competition; commitment of owner/manager of firm and advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) have significant influence on the use of certain management accounting practices i.e costing system and performance evaluation system. The some use of more sophisticated MAPs (decision support system and strategic management accounting) is largely associated with the commitment of owner/manager. This research provides support for a contingency based explanation for the extent of use of MAPs and identifies new variable such as commitment of owner/manager as one of a key factor that affect the extent of use of management accounting practices in Malaysian medium firms.