Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sentiment Traders & IPO Initial Returns

The distinct regulatory design of Indian IPOs permits an empirical evaluation of IPO underpricing models against those that model IPO initial returns as a consequence of overpricing. Characteristics of the Indian bookbuilding process allow us to study the timing and subscription patterns of different investor groups and to dissect IPO returns into two distinct components: one relating to pre-listing pricing by the underwriter and the other to the initial return from first day’s trade in the post-listing period. We find that a transparent bookbuilding process can alleviate the winner’s curse problem for retail investors but that does not eliminate IPO initial returns. Further, IPO initial returns persist but do not increase even if investment bankers are stripped of their discretionary allocation power. These results are not supportive of voluntary underpricing models. We find that the unmet demand of non-institutional investor groups is the primary driver of the IPO initial return. We consider these results to be supportive of the Derrien (2005) and Ljungqvist, Nanda and Singh (2006) models and consistent with the conclusions in Loffler, Panther and Theissen (2005) and Ljungqvist, Cornelli and Goldreich (2006).
The Theory and Practice of Customer Bonding

ABSTRACT In many markets, customer satisfaction with product and service is no longer enough to guarantee customer retention. Companies are finding that they must make efforts to bond customers to them for the long term through means other than the simple fulfillment of needs and wants. We supply detailed analyses of the customer bonding activities, both intuitive and strategically planned, of four companies. These strategies are considered in the light of the literature on customer attachment, bonding and commitment.
Platelets Release their Lysosomal Content In Vivo in Humans upon Activation

Summary Platelets contain, besides α- and δ-granules, lysosomes which store glycohydrolases able to degrade glycoproteins, glycolipids and glycosaminoglycans. While several studies have shown that α- and δ-granule secretion takes place “in vivo” in humans upon platelet activation, no data are available on the “in vivo” release of lysosomes. We have studied the release of platelet lysosomal contents “in vivo” in healthy volunteers at a localized site of platelet activation by measuring markers of lysosomal secretion in the blood oozing from a skin wound inflicted for the measurement of the bleeding-time. The levels of β-N-acetylhexosaminidase (Hex) were 13.1 ± 0.85 mU/ml in bleedingtime blood and 10.2 ± 0.66 mU/ml in plasma (p <0.001). Hex in serum was 16.4 ± 0.72 mU/ml. The levels of β-galactosidase were also higher in bleeding-time blood than in plasma (0.85 ± 0.07 mU/ml vs 0.4 ± 0.05 mU/ml, p <0.001). In bleeding-time blood collected at one minute intervals, Hex rose progressively consistent with ongoing platelet activation and flow-cytometry showed a progressive increase of the expression of LIMP and LAMP-2, two lysosomal associated proteins. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that platelet lysosomal glycohydrolases are released “in vivo” in humans upon platelet activation.
Multichannel integrated system for fast X-ray imaging applications

We present an integrated system based on a silicon strip detector and integrated circuits (IC) called RG64 for low energy X-ray imaging application. This system is used in fast position sensitive measurements with the possibility of selecting X-ray photons according their energy. The silicon strip detector used in this system has 128 strips with a pitch of 100 μm. The readout integrated circuit RG64 has 64-channel architecture and operates the single photon counting mode. Each channel is built of a charge sensitive amplifier with a second order shaper of 75 ns peaking time, two independent discriminators with an 8-bit offset correction circuit and two independent 20-bit counters with RAM memory buffers. The integrated circuit is optimized for low noise operation in with high frequency of input pulses. The equivalent noise charge of the circuit is equal to 126 el. rms (with 1 pF input load and 5 mW power consumption per single channel) and it operates up to 2 Mcps of average rate of input pulses. The mean gain in the multichannel IC is about 50 μV/el. and the effective threshold voltage spread for given energy calculated to the input is less than 7 el. rms.
Scientific Opinion on Arsenic in Food 1 EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain ( CONTAM )

Arsenic is a metalloid that occurs in different inorganic and organic forms, which are found in the environment both from natural occurrence and from anthropogenic activity. The inorganic forms of arsenic are more toxic as compared to the organic arsenic but so far most of the occurrence data in food collected in the framework of official food control are still reported as total arsenic without differentiating the various arsenic species. The need for speciation data is evident because several investigations have shown that especially in seafood most of the arsenic is present in organic forms that are less toxic. Consequently, a risk assessment not taking into account the different species but considering total arsenic as being present exclusively as inorganic arsenic would lead to a considerable overestimation of the health risk related to dietary arsenic exposure.
Analysis of the sources of Farm investment Credit in the Upper West region of Ghana

Among business organizations, farm enterprises predominate in rural areas in Ghana. Successive governments have made several efforts to provide agricultural credit to farmers. However, farm enterprises in the Upper West Region are still faced with the challenge of accessing credit. The study therefore, sought to identify: the sources from which farmers access credit, test the hypothesis that average credit allocated to farmers is independent of the source of credit and ascertain the extent of credit allocation to the farm sector. Data were obtained from a survey conducted by the International Food Programme and Research Institute. Descriptive statistics and Analysis of Variance test were the methods of analysis. The Primary data were basically collected from two hundred and fifty (250) food crop farmers selected using a multistage sampling procedure. The study points out that sources of farm investment credit in the region are mainly informal. Average amount of credit given to farmers is independent of the source of credit. Famers allocate credit resources to activities they considered important. It is recommended that any policy aim at increasing the value of farm investment credit to farmers should concentrate on the informal sources. All credit resources should be converted to physical inputs and other services and delivered to farmers to minimize credit diversion from the farm sector.
Regulatory incentives as a moderator of determinants for the adoption of Malaysian food safety system

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contribution of regulatory incentives offered by regulators as a moderator variable enhancing adoption of Malaysian food safety system (MeSTI). Design/methodology/approach – Structural equation modelling (SEM) with partial least square (PLS) was used to examine the determinants of MeSTI adoption in food industry. Findings – Responses to a questionnaire were collected from 89 firms, and statistical results confirmed that organizational factors (top management support and perceived technical competent) and scheme factors (perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use) have significant influence upon MeSTI adoption. While environment factors (perceived industry pressure and perceived government pressure) and expected factors (expected social legitimacy and expected economic competitiveness) did not have significant impact on MeSTI adoption. Regulatory incentives the government offered had no moderating effect on the relationships of the determinants studied. Practical implications – Although many companies remain unfamiliar or have limited knowledge of MeSTI, the respondents surveyed herein, which were small and medium enterprises (SMEs), argued that MeSTI was very helpful in controlling food safety standards in Malaysia. Government or non-government regulatory agencies should promote and encourage food industry compliance with the Malaysian food safety certification. Governments also need to rethink and redesign current regulatory incentives offers to the food industry, which often have no direct impact on the companies’ business. Originality/value – Though many factors potentially could influence the industry to adopt a food safety scheme, the moderating effect of regulatory incentives is an interesting area to study in relationship to its potential effects to adopt food safety standards and practices. In some extent, this serves as a yardstick for measuring the impact of voluntary compliance and points to future directions for what should occur in the future.
An examination of the relationship between trust, commitment and relationship quality

Attempts to examine the concepts of trust and commitment, on two levels of retail relationships: the salesperson level as well as the store level, and test their impact on relationship quality. Based on a review of the literature, a conceptual model has been developed that links trust and commitment to relationship quality. A number of research hypotheses have been formulated to examine the relationships proposed. The paper presents the model developed and discusses some empirical findings from a survey of 1,261 shoppers in a departmental store setting in Victoria, Australia. In particular, the two levels of relationships (salesperson and store level) are examined from the customer’s perspective, using structural equation modelling (LISREL VIII). Concludes with a discussion of the implications of the study and provides directions for future research.
No Board Left Behind: Perceptions of Local Board Governance Standards by Superintendents and Chairpersons.

This nonexperimental survey research investigated whether enrollment, location, expenditures, percentage of free and reduced lunch and percentage of minority students influenced Georgia’s superintendent and board chairperson satisfaction. In addition, this study investigated whether respondents’ satisfaction could predict student achievement. Finally, this study investigated whether superintendents valued professional standards differently than board chairpersons. Findings revealed a great deal of satisfaction held and agreement between superintendents and board chairpersons, but no significant difference in satisfaction levels based on district enrollment, percentage of minority students, or district location. Board chairpersons of districts with higher percentages of students receiving free and reduced lunch were significantly less satisfied than board chairpersons of districts with lower percentages of students receiving free and reduced lunch. Board chairperson satisfaction significantly predicted student achievement and graduation rate. Finally, results illustrated superintendents ranked the importance of ethics significantly higher than board chairpersons.
Control Mechanisms and the Relationship Life Cycle: Implications for Safeguarding Specific Investments and Developing Commitment

Powerful suppliers often require retailers to make significant idiosyncratic investments to improve coordination between organizations and to enhance the supplier's presence in the end market. The authors examine how a retailer might better manage the hold-up potential of these transaction-specific investments (TSIs) through the use of three control mechanisms: supplier's TSIs, the development of relational norms, and the use of explicit contracts. Moreover, the authors consider the time-dependent nature of these mechanisms by observing their effects on commitment over the course of a relationship life cycle. The results indicate that (1) a retailer's TSIs have a negative effect on its perceptions of supplier commitment; (2) a supplier's TSIs and relational norms increase the retailer's perception of supplier commitment, whereas explicit contracts are associated with perceptions of lower supplier commitment; and (3) each of the three control mechanisms moderates the negative impact of retailer investments on perceptions of supplier commitment contingent on the relationship phase. Specifically, bilateral TSIs enhance commitment in the exploration phase and a positive effect during the decline phase. The results also indicate that the retailer's perceptions of supplier commitment are positively related to its evaluation of supplier performance and satisfaction and negatively related to conflict.
Empirical Research on the Level of Earnings Management for A-share Companies and B-share Companies before and after the Abolishment of Duplicate Auditing Institution

The change of difference in earnings management between A-share market and B-share market before and after the abolishment of the mandatory duplicate auditing institution in 2007 with the tool of Jones model and modified Jones model to calculate discretional accruals is focus on,and the samples are constituted by listed companies in A-share market and B-share market in the period of 2001 and 2009.The result shows that before the abolishment of the institution,the level of earnings management for B-share market is significantly lower than that of the A-share market,while after the abolishment of the institution,the difference gets narrower and less significant.The mandatory duplicate auditing institution in China from the view of earnings management has been contributed to the research.
Measuring policy-driven innovation in energy efficiency

Innovation plays a crucial role in the transition towards a sustainable energy system. In order to simultaneously achieve the objectives of sustainability, energy security and competitiveness of the European economy, various energy policies are active. In recent years, the effect of energy policies on both technological and non-organisational innovations has gained interest. However, the complexity of the systems renders it difficult to disentangle the innovation effects of energy and innovation policies. Here, we outline a unifying framework based on the notion of technological innovation systems. It distinguishes between different phases of the innovation process, actors and functions in the innovation systems and allows studying the effects of policies on these in a systematic fashion. We apply our framework to case studies from the field of energy efficiency in industry for a technological and organisational innovation. Our results help to organise previous research findings and to identify gaps for further studies.
What Makes It Green? The Role of Centrality of Green Attributes in Evaluations of the Greenness of Products

An increasing body of research addresses consumers' green product purchasing behavior, and yet little work has examined how consumers form perceptions of the greenness of products in the first place. Drawing on theories of attribute centrality (the degree to which an attribute is integral in defining an object), the authors argue that products with identical environmental benefits will be judged more or less green depending on whether the benefit stems from a central versus a peripheral attribute. They present four studies that support the hypotheses and explore factors that influence the effect of central attributes, including product category membership and integration of the green attribute with other elements of the product. They include controls for firm motivations and importance of the attribute to the individual consumer. The authors conclude the article with managerial and public policy implications, such as advice for firms on where to make green investments for maximum consumer impact and insight for public policy makers on the need for consumer assistance in objectively evaluating products with identical environmental benefits that achieve those benefits in different ways.
SUBTHALAMOTOMY IN TREATMENT OF PARKINSONIAN TREMOR.

I N THE neurosurg ica l t r e a t m e n t of p a r k i n son ian t r emor , a m a j o r ques t ion to be ,answered is, where is t h e o p t i m u m si te of t a r g e t for t he lesion? T h e p resen t s t u d y is an a t t e m p t to e v a l u a t e t he pos te r ior ven t ro l a t e r a l a r ea of t h e t ha l amus , in te rna l capsule , med ia l region of t h e globus pa l l idus a n d pos te r io r s u b t h a l a m u s . T h e c o m p a r a t i v e va lue of lesions in these s t ruc tu res was de te r mined b y (1) no t i ng differences in r educ t ion of t r e m o r assoc ia ted wi th inser t ion of elect rodes , and (~) a compar i son of t he a m o u n t of r ad io f r equency electr ical energy (expressed as B o y l e t i m e factor) necessa ry to o b t a i n over 75 per cen t r educ t ion in t r emor . T h e p r i m a r y ob j ec t i ve of this p r e sen t a t i on is to d e m o n s t r a t e t h a t lesions in the pos te r io r s u b t h a l a m u s a re t he mos t efficient for r educing pa rk in son i an t remor .
Theories in sustainable supply chain management: a structured literature review

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate theoretical perspectives in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) and contributes to understanding the current state of research in the field and its future development. Design/methodology/approach – This paper conducts a structured literature review and aims at mapping the use of theories in the field. The authors assess the current state of research, looking in more details at popular theories, and propose possible future avenues for the field to develop. Findings – Theory-building efforts in SSCM remain scarce, with the predominance of a few popular imported macro theories (resource-based view (RBV), stakeholder theory and institutional theory) having implications on the conceptualisation of SSCM and the topics researched to date. More theoretical contributions can potentially emerge from the adoption of original methodologies, the investigation of under-explored aspects of SSCM and the testing of recently developed frameworks. Research limitat.
Genetic variation of the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), among populations from Serbia and neighbouring countries, as inferred from COI sequence variability

Abstract The greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood, 1856 (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is an invasive and highly polyphagous phloem-feeding pest of vegetables and ornamentals. Trialeurodes vaporariorum causes serious damage due to direct feeding and transmits several important plant viruses. Excessive use of insecticides has resulted in significantly reduced levels of susceptibility of various T. vaporariorum populations. To determine the genetic variability within and among populations of T. vaporariorum from Serbia and to explore their genetic relatedness with other T. vaporariorum populations, we analysed the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequences of 16 populations from Serbia and six neighbouring countries: Montenegro (three populations), Macedonia (one population) and Croatia (two populations), for a total of 198 analysed specimens. A low overall level of sequence divergence and only five variable nucleotides and six haplotypes were found. The most frequent haplotype, H1, was identified in all Serbian populations and in all specimens from distant localities in Croatia and Macedonia. The COI sequence data that was retrieved from GenBank and the data from our study indicated that H1 is the most globally widespread T. vaporariorum haplotype. A lack of spatial genetic structure among the studied T. vaporariorum populations, as well as two demographic tests that we performed (Tajima's D value and Fu's Fs statistics), indicate a recent colonisation event and population growth. Phylogenetic analyses of the COI haplotypes in this study and other T. vaporariorum haplotypes that were retrieved from GenBank were performed using Bayesian inference and median-joining (MJ) network analysis. Two major haplogroups with only a single unique nucleotide difference were found: haplogroup 1 (containing the five Serbian haplotypes and those previously identified in India, China, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Reunion and the USA) and haplogroup 3 (containing the single Serbian haplotype H3 and haplotypes from Costa Rica, the USA and Spanish Canary Islands). Collectively, our data indicate a rather limited value of COI as a genetic marker for discrimination between different T. vaporariorum populations in the investigated area. Possible explanations for the observed lack of COI sequence variability, such as specific genetics of biological invasion and/or the influence of bacterial symbionts that manipulate insect reproduction, are discussed.
Toward an innovation policy for Pakistan

This policy paper aims to assist policy makers, as they develop the Pakistan Innovation Policy, with an independent assessment of where Pakistan stands now, an international perspective on policy priorities, a review of policy options and some implementation and institutional perspectives. The paper begins with a review of the key lessons of international experience together with a study of key international benchmarks. It takes a look at the ecosystem approach which maps the effectiveness of all the various players in innovation and also reviews progress against 12 triple helix critical success factors. The possible policy options are then enumerated and evaluated for relevance. Finally, some perspectives are provided on how to move the innovation agenda forward.
Vascular Damage after Fractionated Whole-Brain Irradiation in Rats

Abstract Brown, W. R. , Thore, C. R. , Moody, D. M. , Robbins, M. E. and Wheeler, K. T. Vascular Damage after Fractionated Whole-Brain Irradiation in Rats. Radiat. Res. 164, 662–668 (2005). Whole-brain irradiation of animals and humans has been reported to lead to late delayed structural (vascular damage, demyelination, white matter necrosis) and functional (cognitive impairment) alterations. However, most of the experimental data on late delayed radiation-induced brain injury have been generated with large single doses or short fractionation schemes that may provide a less accurate indication of the events that occur after clinical whole-brain radiotherapy. The pilot study reported here investigates cerebral vascular pathology in male Fischer 344 rats after whole-brain irradiation with a fractionated total dose of 137Cs γ rays that is expected to be biologically similar to that given to brain tumor patients. The brains of young adult rats (4 months old) were irradiated with a total dose of 40 Gy, given as eight 5-Gy fractions twice per week for 4 weeks. Brain capillary and arteriole pathology was studied using an alkaline phosphatase enzyme histochemistry method; vessel density and length were quantified using a stereology method with computerized image processing and analysis. Vessel density and length were unchanged 24 h after the last dose, but at 10 weeks postirradiation, both were substantially decreased. After 20 weeks, the rate of decline in the vessel density and length in irradiated rats was similar to that in unirradiated age-matched controls. No gross gliosis or demyelination was observed 12 months postirradiation using conventional histopathology techniques. We suggest that the early (10-week) and persistent vascular damage that occurs after a prolonged whole-brain irradiation fractionation scheme may play an important role in the development of late delayed radiation-induced brain injury.