Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Labour Productivity in Auckland Firms

This paper examines labour productivity in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, using microdata from Statistics New Zealand's Prototype Longitudinal Business Database. It documents a sizeable productivity premium in Auckland, around half of which is due to industry composition. There is a cross sectional correlation between productivity and employment density, reflecting differences in both physical productivity and prices. This correlation is evident both within Auckland, and comparing Auckland with other areas. The relationship between changes in density and changes in productivity is less strong. The relationship between productivity and overall or own-industry employment density varies across industries, suggesting that the nature and extent of agglomeration benefits varies. Overall, localisation effects appear stronger than urbanisation, with productivity being more strongly related to own-industry density than to overall density.
Interests, Institutions and Industrial Relations

In the comparative politics literature there are two main approaches to the impact of international economic change on national policy patterns. The first - new institutionalism - has been very influential in comparative industrial relations scholarship. The second, which focuses on the role of interests, has been less prominent. Comparing industrial relations reform in Australia and New Zealand during the 1980s and 1990s, this paper argues that there are a number of limitations to an institutionalist approach and outlines a framework for the comparative study of the impact of international economic change on national patterns of industrial relations which integrates both institutionalist and interest-based approaches.
Evaluating scenarios for the evolutionary assembly of the brachiopod body plan

The fossil faunas of the Cambrian provide the only direct insight into the assembly of animal body plans. However, for many animal groups, their early fossil record is linked to disarticulated remains, interpretation of which is problematic since they possess few characters from which their affinity to phyla can be established and, indeed, few characters at all. One such group is the tommotiids, which has been interpreted, on the basis of skeletal anatomy, as a paraphyletic assemblage uniting brachiopods and phoronids, through the acquisition and subsequent modification, or loss, of an imbricated set of dorsal phosphatic sclerites. Here we present a reexamination of the fossil evidence uniting the tommotiids and brachiopods, supplemented with new anatomical data from synchrotron radiation X‐ray tomographic microscopy of key tommotiid taxa. The characters used to support the complex hypothesis of character evolution in the brachiopod stem lineage relies on scleritome reconstructions and inferred mode of life which themselves rely on brachiopods being chosen as the interpretative model. We advocate a more conservative interpretation of the affinity of these fossils, based a priori on their intrinsic properties, rather than the modern analogue in whose light they have been interpreted.
Do purchasing managers discriminate against supply firms owned and run by women?

Do purchasing managers discriminate against supply firms owned and run by women? Based on the literature on gender discrimination in business, we hypothesized that purchasing managers do discriminate against supply firms owned and run by women, but only when they are unfamiliar with the supply firm. We tested this hypothesis by conducting an experiment in which we manipulated three variables: gender of supply-firm owner/manager, gender of purchasing manager, and familiarity (purchasers’ familiarity versus no-familiarity with owner). This 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design generated four different scenarios that were administered to a sample of corporate purchasing managers in the United States (N = 272), who responded to questions pertaining to constructs from Ajzen's theory of planned behavior. The results of this experiment provided directional support for the hypothesis (that is, the results were not statistically significant). We explain these results and encourage future research on this topic.
Financial Rewards for Social Responsibility

This study empirically examines the effects of publicly traded U.S. restaurant companies' social responsibility activities on the following two financial performance measures: accounting performance (return on equity) and value performance (total shareholder return). Results show that responsibility activities have a U-shaped effect on accounting performance, whereas they have no impact on a firm's value performance. Those results imply that restaurant companies in the United States may increase their investment in socially responsible activities to improve their accounting performance over the long term. While the study did not investigate communication mechanisms, it may be that restaurant companies should promote their social responsibility activities to consumers (and the financial market) as a means of enhancing the effects of those activities on their value performance.
Scheduling and Admission Control in Power-Constrained OFDM Wireless Mesh Routers: Analysis and Optimization

We investigate the packet-level and the connection-level performances in a power-constrained (e.g., solar-powered) wireless mesh router with packet scheduling and admission control. The system model under consideration is compatible with the IEEE 802.16a standard with orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) air interface. In the medium access control (MAC) layer, transmission frames are grouped into super-frames and the allocation of subchannel and number of frames to each connection (i.e., scheduling) is performed to satisfy the traffic requirement of each connection and also the power supply constraint at a mesh router/802.16a base station (BS). A queueing analytical model based on discrete-time Markov chain (DTMC) is used to analyze the packet-level performances. Based on this scheduling, router capacity in terms of the maximum number of ongoing connections is obtained. Subsequently, a threshold-based admission control method is proposed for both relay and local connections in a router so that connection-level performances are satisfied. To this end, we optimize the admission control over multiple time periods in which the amount of supplied power and the traffic load at a mesh router are time-dependent.
International Equity Joint Ventures in Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire

Abstract This paper examines international equity joint ventures (IJVs) in West Africa, presenting data from 45 British and French alliances with local partners in Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire. A comparison with prior studies finds remarkable consistency in the characteristics of IJVs between firms from DCs and LDCs in the following dimensions: motives, instability, asymmetry in equity distribution, frequency of government association, source of CEO, autonomy in management. Differences in IJVs between developed and less developed countries appear cursory rather than fundamental and focus on MNEs' dissatisfaction with IJV performance, the control relationship, and level of equity.
Insulin Cells in Rat Whole‐Pancreas Isografts Display Heterogeneous Immunoreactivities and Ultrastructure

It has already been shown that insulin cells studied under experimental conditions exhibit differences in insulin immunoreactivity and insulin release. The aim of this study, therefore, was to investigate whether insulin cells themselves exhibit morphological abnormalities after transplantation. Insulin cells in rat pancreas isografts with preserved or suppressed exocrine secretion were studied immunocytochemically and ultrastructurally and compared with those of unoperated rats. In isografts with preserved exocrine secretion, cortical insulin cells connected to the exocrine parenchyma or to glucagon or somatostatin cells expressed mostly dense immunoreactivities for insulin and amylin. In addition, medullary insulin cells connected only to other insulin cells displayed faint immunoreactivities for both constituents as found in unoperated animals. After duct ligation, however, pancreatic ducts and elongated capillaries extended into the islets. Corresponding to the stages of islet fragmentation, the heterogeneity among insulin cells underwent changes and was finally abolished. Ultrastructurally, differences in the number of secretory granules paralleled the heterogeneity in insulin immunoreactivity. It is interesting to note that the heterogeneity among insulin cells is preserved after transplantation, indicating that this phenomenon might be of physiological relevance. The heterogeneity may implicate differences in insulin storage and release as found in insulin cells under normal conditions.
Does development reduce fatalities from natural disasters? New evidence for floods

Abstract We analyze the impact of development on flood fatalities using a new data set of 2,171 large floods in 92 countries between 1985 and 2008. Our results challenge the conventional wisdom that development results in fewer fatalities during natural disasters. Results indicating that higher income and better governance reduce fatalities during flood events do not hold up when unobserved country heterogeneity and within-country correlation of standard errors are taken into account. We find that income does have a significant, indirect effect on flood fatalities by affecting flood frequency and flood magnitude, but this effect is nonmonotonic, with net reductions in fatalities occurring only in lower income countries. We find little evidence that improved governance affects flood fatalities either directly or indirectly.
Current approach to masked hypertension: From diagnosis to clinical management

The term ‘masked hypertension phenomenon’ was first described by the late Professor Thomas Pickering and is commonly defined as having a normal clinic blood pressure (BP) but an elevated ‘out of office’ reading. In the main, these elevated readings have been provided through ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), but sometimes home BP monitoring is used. It is now largely accepted that ABPM gives a better classification of risk than clinic BP. Thus, the elevated ABPM levels should relate to higher cardiovascular risk, and it follows that these people may be regarded as being genuinely hypertensive and at higher cardiovascular risk. The problem for clinical practice is how to identify and manage these individuals. The phenomenon should be suspected in individuals who have had an elevated clinic BP at some time, in young individuals with normal or normal–high clinic BP who have early left ventricular hypertrophy, in individuals with a family history of hypertension in both parents, patients with multiple risks for cardiovascular disease and perhaps diabetic patients. Masked hypertension appears to be more prevalent in individuals of male gender, with younger age, higher heart rate, obesity or high cholesterol levels and in smokers. Those with masked hypertension are at higher risk of events such as stroke and have a higher prevalence of target organ damage, for example, nephropathy. In conclusion, most of the debate around this topic relates to its reliable identification. Given the higher ambulatory mean blood pressure values there is an increased cardiovascular risk making this diagnosis important.
How German employees of different ages conserve resources: perceived age discrimination and affective organizational commitment

The literature claims that perceived age discrimination functions as a stressor. Using conservation of resources theory, this paper examines the moderating effect of employees' age on the relationship between employees' perceived age discrimination and affective organizational commitment. We collected survey data from 1255 German employees. Results show a negative relationship between perceived age discrimination and affective organizational commitment. This relationship was stronger for older employees than for younger employees. Older employees appear to be more vulnerable to the stressor of perceived age discrimination and more motivated to conserve resources by reducing their affective organizational commitment than their younger colleagues. These findings have important implications for organizations' retention management in times of demographic change.
Urban Teacher Residency Models and Institutes of Higher Education: Implications for Teacher Preparation.

The Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ), in partnership with the Aspen Institute and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE),1 has been investigating the urban teacher residency (UTR) — an innovative response to the longstanding challenges of how to recruit, prepare, and retain bright and capable teachers for high-needs urban schools. Chicago’s Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) and the Boston Teacher Residency (BTR) Program are two of the nation’s most promising UTRs. In some respects UTRs represent a “third way” — addressing the weaknesses as well as incorporating the best of both traditional and alternative approaches to teacher education and certification. In brief, UTRs recruit teaching talent aggressively, with the supply and demand needs of local districts in mind. They also insist on extensive preparation, whereby recruits are paid a stipend while learning to teach in a full-year residency, under the watchful eye of expert K-12 teachers. Because the Residents are not fully responsible for teaching children, they have more quality time to take relevant pedagogical coursework “wrapped around” their intense student teaching experience. While both AUSL and BTR are relatively new programs, early studies on their graduates’ effectiveness and their high retention rates of 90 to 95 percent suggest these models hold great promise for preparing and supporting teachers in high-needs urban schools.
Development and in-vitro evaluation of sustained-release meclofenamic acid microspheres.

Meclofenamic acid (MFA) sustained-release microspheres were prepared by the solvent evaporation method using cellulose propionate (CP) polymer and acetone as the polymer solvent. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used as a channelling agent to improve the release properties of MFA at 1:2:1 drug to polymer to PEG ratio. The microspheres prepared at three different speeds (600, 800 and 1000 rpm) were characterized with regard to their surface morphology, average drug content, particle size distribution and release profiles in phosphate buffer, pH 8.0 at 37 degrees C. The microspheres were stored under accelerated conditions for 3 months and the effect of storage on the different characteristics was studied. Spherical particles with essentially smooth surface and few residual drug crystals on the surface were formed. Smaller particles were formed at higher agitation speeds. The release rate of MFA from these microspheres was not affected by the molecular weight of CP polymer. PEG 2000 was found to have a more enhancing effect on the rate of the release than PEG 4000. The physical properties of the microspheres and their release characteristics were not altered by storing the product at 40 degrees C/80% relative humidity (R.H.) for 3 months.
Regulatory Performance and Presidential Administration

This paper pursues a better understanding of regulatory independence by investigating the link between presidential administration and the performance of the independent regulatory commissions. The data are drawn from three independent commissions-the National Labor Relations Board, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission-and separate time-series analyses are conducted for periods covering the Truman years through 1977. Attention centers on whether and how the prevailing patterns of regulatory performance have been altered as different administrations have assumed formal charge of the government. The analysis suggests that regulatory behavior does shift across administrations, and that it varies systematically with presidential partisanship. Presidents apparently do achieve a measure of direction and control over the independent commissions.
Microfoundations: The Compatibility of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics

Preface Part I: Introduction 1. Points of entry 2. Development of the neo-Walrasian program 1930-60 3. The 4,87th reexamination of Keynes' system 4. The neo-Walrasian synthesis 5. General systemic coordination Part II: Introduction 6. Walrasian equilibrium models 7. Walrasian disequilibrium theory 8. Edgeworthian equilibrium 9. Edgeworth disequilibrium analysis Part III: 10. A brief conclusion Bibliography Index of names Subject index.
Top Management Compensation, Earnings Management and Default Risk: Insights from the Chinese Stock Market

China has sustained a rapid rate of economic growth and absorbed a great deal of foreign investment over the past decades. However, the laws pertaining to business in China have not kept up with China's market growth. For this reason, investors in the Chinese stock market must assess associated risks. We set out in this study to examine the relationships that exist between default risk, earnings management, and top management compensation of publicly-listed companies in the Chinese stock market, which is now considered the most important emerging market The results reveal a greater likelihood of default amongst larger discretionary accruals and lower top management compensation. In addition to studying the relationships which exist in the full sample, we also divide the sample into two sub-groups, based upon the signs of discretionary accruals, to investigate the likelihood of default We find higher default potential amongst firms only falling into the category of positive discretionary accruals. JEL: G14; G34; G35; M41
Teachers’ experiences of implementing the Further Education and Training (FET) Science Curriculum

i Opsomming. ii Acknowledgements. iii Table of contents. iv List of tables.v List of figures. vi Chapter 1: Overview of the study 1.1Introduction. 1 1.1 Historical background. 3 1.1.1 Drawbacks of the apartheid curriculum. 3 1.1.2 The shift to the NCS for FET. 4 1.2 Problem statement. 6 1.3 Research Question/s. 9 1.4 Purpose of the study. 10 1.5 Scope of the study. 11 1.6 Literature review. 11 1.6. 1 Theoretical framework. 12 1.6. 2 Impact of the NCS on the teachers’ lived world. 12 1.6. 3 Phenomenology.13 1.7 Research design and methodology. 14 1.7. 1 Method and methodology. 14 1.7. 2 Sampling. 15 1.7. 3 Data gathering techniques. 16 1.7. 4 Interviews. 16 1.7. 5 Questioning techniques. 19 1.7. 6 Field notes. 19 1.7. 7 Data storage.20 1.8 Credibility and reliability of the data. 20 1.10 Ethical considerations. 21 1.9 Significance of the study. 21 1.10 The structure of the thesis. 23 1.13 Summary. 24 Chapter 2: Theoretical framework 2.
The Fundamental Determinants of Competitiveness in African Countries

This study investigates the drivers of competitiveness in African economies. While the macroeconomic perspective focuses on the behavior of the real effective exchange rate (REER), and the international competition framework emphasizes export market shares (EXPS), the business strategy framework emphasizes high-value production by means of domestic and foreign factors in a way that is consistent with global supply chains. In this paper, we assess competitiveness in the business strategy framework through a Trade-Weighted Value added index (TWV). The empirical section estimates fixed effects models explaining the measures of competitiveness by a set of factors using a panel dataset of African countries during 1980-2010. The results show that the TWV is the most consistent with the framework underlying the Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) in comparison with the other measures. Evidence based on the TWV suggests that the CFA franc zone economies are not less competitive than their sub-Saharan African counterparts as the exchange rate framework suggests. Indeed, movements in the REER are the least connected to the components of the GCR. The evidence also suggests that although there is no one-size-fits-all prescription for improving competitiveness in African economies, human capital stands out as a fundamental driver. In terms of policy, African states need to invest importantly in human capital, maintain a stable macroeconomic framework, while actively pursuing a number of regional and structural-context specific non-price competitiveness enhancing policies.
Perceived Privacy and Perceived Security and Their Effects on Trust, Risk, and User Intentions

This article seeks to review and consolidate existing research modeling the relationships between perceived privacy, security, and consumer intention to use Web-based services such as on-line shopping. This is a crucial area to understand since many consumers are still reluctant to use on-line services due to perceived risk and trust issues. Recent headlines highlighting major privacy and security breaches by firms such as Winners have further inflamed concerns. Past research, however, has focused only on narrowly defined components of the overall picture, such as the link between security and trust. This paper therefore seeks to consolidate their models, creating a single overarching model, which is proposed as a starting point for future research.
Constraints Faced by the Developmental Officials in Implementation of District Poverty Initiative Project (DPIP)

An investigation was carried out to identify the constraints affecting the performance of developmental officials working in the District Poverty Initiative Project (DPIP). The study was conducted in Rajasmand and Baran districts of Rajasthan. Total thirty four developmental officials were interviewed as sample for the study. The study had established administrative, technical, operational, and financial constraints. Frequent transfer of staff from one project to another, illiteracy among the beneficiary farmers caused problems, inadequate number of staff at field level and large area of jurisdiction under a single supervisor and lack of transport facilities for project personnel to visit the project area due to financial shortage were pointed out as the most serious constraints faced by developmental officials. Based on these constraints, some possible suggestions were made for augmenting their role in effective implementation of second phase of District Poverty Initiative Project (DPIP) or other development
Global value chains: from governance to governmentality?

Abstract One of the main preoccupations of global value chain (GVC) analysis has been how value chains are governed and by which types of firms. Most current conceptualizations distinguish between different types of GVC governance and see them as effects of given distributions of attributes between firms along chains. The governmentality literature instead sees economic governance primarily in terms of invoked models of practice, and interprets it through economic agents’ descriptions of their own governing (or governed) practices. Drawing on the specialized magazines, training manuals and professional journals that served purchasing practitioners in US manufacturing, this article draws attention to the hitherto unexplored role of expert knowledge and practices in GVC governance. At the same time, it highlights that the governmentality literature glosses over problems associated with the actual implementation and effectiveness of expert practices. The article concludes by reflecting on the theoretical implications of such an analysis for both the GVC and the governmentality literatures.