Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Competing Technologies and Industry Evolution: The Benefits of Making Mistakes in the Flat Panel Display Industry

Managers at firms facing uncertain competing technologies evolving concurrently face a complex decision set, including options to invest in one technology or other, both technologies, or to wait to invest. This study investigates the role that experience, learning and timing play in affecting the firm-level pros and cons of each of these four strategies in a technological competition situation. Using a unique data set on the evolution of the global flat panel display industry, this study offers an example where firms that initially support the losing technology but later switch to the dominant technology actually exhibit the best performance. The study also suggests two simultaneous reasons for this advantage. First, there is a late mover advantage based on the timing of the technological commitments made by firms. Second, there is an early-mover advantage in broad technological learning that manifests as an increased ability to innovate, and this advantage is roughly one-third to one-half the size of the late mover advantage. Tracking the evolution of competition in flat panel displays, organizational decisions, and both product- and firm-level outcomes, this study provides insight into the competing factors that constrain and motivate managerial decision-making.
Physician attitudes toward regionalization of adult critical care: A national survey*

Objective: Regionalization has been proposed as a method to improve outcomes for patients with critical illness. We sought to determine intensivist physician attitudes and potential barriers to the regionalization of adult critical care. Design: Mail survey. Setting: United States. Subjects: Actively practicing physicians specializing in adult critical care, emergency medicine, or internal medicine listed in the 2008 American Medical Association Physician Masterfile (n = 1200). Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: There were 569 eligible respondents (effective response rate = 53.0%). Respondents were similar to nonrespondents. Fifty-nine percent of respondents thought their hospital would mainly receive patients under a regionalized system, and 30% thought their hospital would mainly send patients. Opinions were split about whether regionalization would improve overall patient survival (52% agreed) and healthcare efficiency (66% agreed). Specialists in anesthesiology and surgery-critical care, academic physicians, and physicians who perceived that they would mainly receive patients were more likely to believe that regionalization would improve outcomes and efficiency (p < 0.001). The most commonly endorsed barriers to regionalization were personal strain on patient's families (66% agreed), current lack of a strong central authority (64% agreed), and the potential to overwhelm capacity at large hospitals (55% agreed). Commonly endorsed strategies to implement regionalization included using objective criteria to determine eligibility for transfer (87% agreed), developing common information technology platforms across hospitals (86% agreed), and demonstrating in a clinical trial that regionalization is beneficial (81% agreed). Conclusions: Intensivist physicians have mixed opinions about regionalization, with little consensus about whether regionalization will improve outcomes. Most felt that regionalization will improve patient outcomes, but many expressed concerns about unintended adverse consequences. Respondents identified several barriers and potential implementation strategies that can help policymakers design a regionalized system of critical care in the United States.
Corporate Bond Markets in Asia

Corporate bond markets in Asia differ widely in size. Some primary markets have opened up to foreign issuers while others have relied on quasigovernment issuers. Secondary markets often suffer from illiquidity, due in varying degrees to narrow investor bases, inadequate microstructures and a lack of timely information about issuers.
Whose Job Is That? Saving the Biosphere Starts at Work

Research on sustainability programs within universities consistently emphasizes that sustainability requires a combination of factors so as to move beyond the significant-but-often-limited activities such as recycling and energy saving to achieve systemic implementation. This study applied Brennan and Binney’s 9Ps Framework for Organizational Sustainability to investigate sustainability practices of member universities of ACTS (Australian Campuses Towards Sustainability). A questionnaire based on qualitative research obtained data from 25 of the 27 member universities. Data analysis including descriptive statistics, ANOVA, correlation analysis, and gap analysis was used to determine the relationships between “importance” and “performance” of the behaviors under investigation. Over the 9Ps, 27 items were used to identify important aspects of environmental sustainability. The same items were assessed for whether or not these actions were being performed in the university. It was generally found that while many universities had policies in place, these were not being implemented and sustainability practices were not maintained. Significant differences were found between the aspects perceived to be important by the “expert” respondents and those actually being performed by staff. Management could use these findings to address the gap between importance and performance of sustainable practices. Further study to identify the specific barriers to widespread adoption of these sustainable initiatives is suggested.
Ecological observations on lasiurine bats in Iowa.

During the period August 8,1955 to June 30,1956, while engaged in wildlife rabies investigations at the Newton Field Station, 12 miles southwest of Newton, Baker County, Georgia, the writer took advantage of occasional opportunities to seek out and observe Lasiurine bats. Time was not available to regularly investigate all potential habitats, but several thousand trees in the major habitats (Norris: Distribution and populations of summer birds in Southwestern Georgia. Univ. of Ga. Press, 1951, pp. 1–67) and in the various orchard types were explored during this period. Bats were first discovered in two areas of similar habitat type in February, and these areas were frequently visited thereafter. Thirteen bats were captured, examined, banded and released. Other bats either escaped or were left undisturbed. A total of 23 bat/day observations were made: 21 Lasiurus seminolus , 1 Lasiurus b. borealis , 1 Dasypterus floridanus . Some bat duplication is included and possibly more than realized. Therefore, the actual number of bats observed is not known. The use in this paper of the names seminolus and floridanus does not imply that the author is convinced of the status of these forms. Habitat —The two areas regularly investigated were moss-laden oak hammocks, occurring in the Dougherty Plains section of the Upper Coastal Plain of southwestern Georgia, the climate of which is characterized by long, warm summers and short, mild winters. Average July daily temperatures range from 80.6 to 82.2°F. , average January temperatures from 48.2 to 52.4°. The average dates of first killing frosts are November 9–15, last killing frosts March 10–21. The average annual precipitation is 47.67 to 51.96 inches, being well distributed throughout the year but greatest in July and August, lightest in October and November. Oak hammock No. 1 is an area situated at the western edge of Camilla, Mitchell County, …
The relationship between corporate governance and financial performance: A study of insurance firms in kenya

ix ABBREVIATIONS . x CHAPTER ONE:INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Background to the Study . 1 Financial Performance . 5 1.1.2 Insurance Companies in Kenya . 6 1.1.3 Corporate Governance and Financial Performance . 7 1.2 Statement of the problem . 8 1.3 Objectives of the Study . 9 1.4 Significance of the study . 9 CHAPTER TWO:LITERATURE REVIEW . 11 2.
Telecommunications 2004: Business Strategy, HR Practices, and Performance

This national benchmarking report of the U.S. telecommunications services industry traces the tumultuous changes in management and workforce practices and performance in the sector over the last 5 years. This is a follow-up report to our 1998 study. At that time, when the industry was booming, we conducted a national survey of establishments in the industry. In 2003, we returned to do a second national survey of the industry, this time in a sector that was recovering from one of the worst recessions in its history.
Supermarket access and consumer well‐being

Purpose – To extend the research stream that, in the UK and USA has linked supermarket access to consumer diet by focusing on Pathmark, a supermarket chain that operates in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City.Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines the square footage allocated to fresh produce, fish, meats, snack foods, soft drinks and similar items in Pathmark's Harlem store, and the pricing and promotion of those various foods. It also reviews news accounts of the controversy leading to the selection of Pathmark as the operator of a second store in Harlem.Findings – The allocation of space to nutritious foods and to those with minimal nutritional value as well as the pricing and promotion of those goods at the Pathmark Harlem store is similar to that of suburban supermarkets. The debate over the second supermarket in Harlem further shows that community leaders, food activists, and neighborhood residents recognize that large chain supermarkets may be uniquely positioned to improve access to.
When Does a Stock Boycott Work? Evidence from a Clinical Study of the Sudan Divestment Campaign

A stock divestment campaign is a common strategy used by social activists to pressure corporations to abandon undesirable practices. However, evidence on the effectiveness of the strategy remains mixed. In this paper, we examine the effectiveness of an international stock boycott by studying a large sample of institutional investor transactions in four emerging market stocks targeted by the Sudan divestment campaign from 2001 to 2012. We find evidence of a negative relationship between the intensity of the campaign and the ownership breadth of the stocks, suggesting the effectiveness of the campaign in encouraging investors to divest from targeted companies. Additional analysis indicates that investors in countries that are sympathetic towards CSR activities are more responsive to the divestment campaign. Further, we find evidence consistent with higher campaign intensity being associated with more depressed stock prices. Finally, when performing qualitative content analyses of the annual reports and CSR reports, we find evidence about the effects of the campaign on the targeted companies’ corporate policies and activities in Sudan. In sum, our results support the effectiveness of the stock boycott.
Role of p300, a transcriptional coactivator, in signalling of TGF‐β

Smad proteins are novel transcriptional regulators mediating the signalling of the transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) superfamily. Coactivators such as p300/CBP promote transactivation by various transcription factors through a direct interaction with them. Adenoviral oncoprotein E1A, which binds p300, was shown to inhibit the signalling of TGF‐β. These findings raise the possibility that p300 may be involved in TGF‐β signalling.
Cadmium tolerance and antioxidative defenses in hairy roots of the cadmium hyperaccumulator, Thlaspi caerulescens.

Plant species capable of hyperaccumulating heavy metals are of considerable interest for phytoremediation and phytomining. This work aims to identify the role of antioxidative metabolism in heavy metal tolerance in the Cd hyperaccumulator, Thlaspi caerulescens. Hairy roots of T. caerulescens and the non-hyperaccumulator, Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco), were used to test the effects of high Cd environments. In the absence of Cd, endogenous activities of catalase were two to three orders of magnitude higher in T. caerulescens than in N. tabacum. T. caerulescens roots also contained significantly higher endogenous superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione concentrations. Exposure to 20 ppm (178 microM) Cd prevented growth of N. tabacum roots and increased hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) levels by a factor of five relative to cultures without Cd. In contrast, growth was maintained in T. caerulescens, and H(2)O(2) concentrations were controlled to low, nontoxic levels in association with a strong catalase induction response. Treatment of roots with the glutathione synthesis inhibitor, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), exacerbated H(2)O(2) accumulation in Cd-treated N. tabacum, but had a relatively minor effect on H(2)O(2) levels and did not reduce Cd tolerance in T. caerulescens. Lipid peroxidation was increased by Cd treatment in both the hyperaccumulator and non-hyperaccumulator roots. This work demonstrates that metal-induced oxidative stress occurs in hyperaccumulator tissues even though growth is unaffected by the presence of heavy metals. It also suggests that superior antioxidative defenses, particularly catalase activity, may play an important role in the hyperaccumulator phenotype of T. caerulescens.
The impact of business regulations on bank performance in the European Union (2000-2010)

This thesis examines the impact of several types of business regulations on bank performance, as measured by cost efficiency, in the EU economies over the 2000-2010 periods. First we investigate the impact of credit, labour and business regulation on the performance of the banking systems of the EU-10. The regulation indices are sourced from the Fraser Index of Economic Freedom (Gwartney et. al, 2012). In further analysis, we decompose the credit regulation variable in its components (private ownership of banks, foreign bank competition, private sector credit, limitations from interest rate controls and regulations) in order to find which type of credit regulation is more important for performance. Second, we examine the impact of several type of business regulations derived from the “Doing Business” project of the World Bank on bank performance as measured by cost efficiency in the EU-10 economies. More specifically we use regulation indices related to: i) starting a business, ii) getting credit, iii) paying taxes, iv) enforcing contracts, v) resolving insolvency, vi) protecting investors, and vii) employing workers. We put special emphasis on regulations related to “getting credit”, “paying taxes” and “starting a business” as the first type is directly relevant to the banking sector while the next two on the top of the EU agenda. In further analysis we investigate if the impact of business regulation on bank performance is influenced by institutional quality as measured by rule of law and corruption variables. Third, we assess the impact of different types of labour regulation on bank performance, as measured by cost efficiency, in the five countries of the eurozone periphery (Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain) over the 2000-2010 periods. We source the labour regulation variables from the Fraser Index of Economic Freedom (Gwartney et. al, 2012) and from the Employment Protection Index produced by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In further analysis we investigate if the impact of labour regulation on bank performance is influenced by the country-level law enforcement capacity. Finally, some conclusions are provided along with limitations of this research and an agenda for future work.
EFFECT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION POLICIES ON TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION AMONGST MICRO AND SMALL ENTERPRISES IN KENYA

The Kenya’s economic recovery strategy for wealth and employment creation recognizes the great role that Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) sector play in wealth generation, employment creation and poverty reduction. Consequently, the government has put in place policies and promotional programmes aimed at improving the Kenyan economy through promotion of Micro and Small Enterprises. Among these, the government has invested a lot in enhancing technical capabilities amongst its youth who are expected to start MSES for self employment after graduation. These capabilities come in form of information and skills- technical, managerial and institutional – that allow productive enterprises to utilize equipment and technology efficiently. The purpose of technology is to improve productivity of enterprises, and enhance the quality of goods produced by enterprises to help them with-stand local and international competition. However, despite all these efforts, the competitiveness and growth prospects of MSEs fall below the levels required to meet challenges of increasing and changing basis for competition. The objectives were to determine the effect of technical and entrepreneurial education and provision of youth development fund on technology adoption among MSEs in Kenya. A descriptive research design was used. Stratified random sampling technique was employed to select the sample. Data was analyzed using the Excel computer software. It was found that access to credit and inadequate institutional capacity to support adaptation and absorption of modern technologies still remain the main impediments to growth and sustainability of the MSES. The recommendations were that MSEs need to be provided with adequate finances, tools and equipment coupled with field visits to industries and performing MSES for benchmarking and to upgrade their business skills.
Stewardship value of `distorted' accounting disclosures

SYNOPSIS AND INTRODUCTION: An issue of fundamental importance to accountants concerns the qualities possessed by, or that should be possessed by, accounting information. The usual intuition is that any distortion of accounting numbers relative to the true underlying cash flows of the firm is generally undesirable from the standpoint of investors. Indeed, among the primary qualitative characteristics of accounting information championed by the FASB in their conceptual framework is reliability, which is defined as "the quality of information that gives assurance that it is reasonably free of error and bias and is a faithful representation" (emphasis added). Normative statements about the desirable qualities of accounting information are often problematic since such information typically serves multiple purposes. For example, Gjesdal (1981) identifies a decision-making role and a stewardship role for accounting information and shows that the two needs may not be served equally well. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that "distorted" accounting information may actually be preferred if the focus is on the stewardship value of accounting information. "Distorted" accounting information is characterized as information signals that are biased relative to the expected value of the firm or that measure the value of the firm with error (white noise). Bias and noise are meant to be representative of the many inadequacies usually attributed to accounting information. Current Generally Accepted Accounting Principles prevent or delay the recognition of certain assets and liabilities and their income statement counterparts, generating what may be thought of as bias. For example, the asymmetric recognition of certain gains and losses, accounting for R&D and advertising expenditures, and the absence of information about customers and suppliers in current financial statements imply that the consequences of certain current managerial activities are not reflected in accounting information. This is bias. Similarly, current Gener-
Pengaruh Pengungkapan Sustainability Report terhadap Profitabilitas Perusahaan Manufaktur yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia Periode 2009-2012

The problems discussed in this research is whether the disclosure of Sustainability Report, had the effect of both partial and simultaneous to that company profitability is measured by Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE). The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is an influence Disclosure Sustainability Report, had the effect of partially divided into three elements, which are the disclosure of economic, environmental, and social and simultaneously to Profitability in Manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange in the period 2009 - 2012. The population in this study is a manufacturing company that is listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in the period 2009-2012. And for continuing research, empirically taking samples with a purposive sampling method and also the company that publishes Sustainability Report on the companys website. The data of this study are secondary data, by collecting the required information from the company, that is financial statements from www.idx. co.id and Sustainability reports from the companys website. Data analysis techniques used in this research is to use multiple regression analysis using SPSS 20. The test results indicate that the variable does not affect the economic performance and significant to the companys ROA and ROE. Environmental performance variable has no effect and no significant effect on ROA but positive and significant effect on ROE company. Social performance variables and significant negative effect on ROA and has no effect and no significant effect on ROE company. The conclusion is the only social variables has effect on ROA and environmental variables has efect on ROE.
Interaction between the phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor, tadalafil and 2 alpha-blockers, doxazosin and tamsulosin in healthy normotensive men.

PURPOSE Tadalafil, a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, is effective therapy for erectile dysfunction (ED). Men with ED have a high incidence of comorbid conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Although phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors are safe when administered with most medications, sildenafil given with doxazosin and vardenafil given with terazosin evoke orthostatic hypotension in some patients. We examined the hemodynamic interactions of tadalafil with the alpha-blockers doxazosin and tamsulosin. MATERIALS AND METHODS In separate double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized crossover studies (18 patients in each study) we evaluated the hemodynamic effects of doxazosin 8 mg with tadalafil 20 mg, and tamsulosin 0.4 mg with tadalafil 10 and 20 mg. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate were recorded before dosing and for 24 hours after dosing. RESULTS Tadalafil 20 mg augmented the hypotensive effect of doxazosin by producing a mean maximal decrease in standing systolic BP (SBP) that was significantly greater than placebo (a mean difference of 9.8 mm Hg). Analysis of BP outliers showed that the number of subjects with a standing SBP of less than 85 mm Hg was greater after doxazosin plus tadalafil (28%) versus doxazosin plus placebo (6%). In subjects on tamsulosin, tadalafil 10 and 20 mg produced mean maximal decreases in standing SBP that were similar to placebo (mean difference of 1.7 and 2.3 mm Hg, respectively). No subject taking tamsulosin had a decrease in standing SBP less than 85 mm Hg. CONCLUSIONS Tadalafil augmented the hypotensive effects of doxazosin but had little hemodynamic interaction with tamsulosin. In patients taking tadalafil for ED, tamsulosin 0.4 mg may be given for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Performance Management : The New Realities

Introduction Part 1 Foundations of Performance Management Part 2 Performance Management in Action Part 3 Applications of Performance Management Part 4 Performance Management Processes Part 5 Developing and Maintaining Performance Management Part 6 Conclusions Appendices A The questionnaire B The attitude survey C Performance management documentation D Suppliers of 360-feedback consultancy and software