Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Looking back, going forward: reflecting on research into the SME internationalisation process

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the past decade's research into small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises, internationalisation 1999‐2009 and compare the findings to a previous review 1989‐1998 to see if research directions suggested then have been followed or not.Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents observations from a content analysis of papers fitting key criteria and comparing conceptual, empirical and methodological approaches.Findings – Progress has been made in some areas, for example, global and cross‐cultural coverage, multi‐sector and multi‐method approaches but in other ways there is more work to be done, for example, relevance to policy makers and longitudinal studies.Research limitations/implications – This work evaluates the contribution of relevant work 1999‐2009 and once again sets challenges for future research directions.Practical implications – The review provides a research agenda for the future.Originality/value – The value is in the reflective nature of the a.
“While stocks last!” Impact of framing on consumers' perception of sales promotions

This paper investigates the impact of framing through the use of a vague scarcity restriction (“while stocks last”) on consumers' perception of promotional offers involving different claim formats (tensile price claim such as “save up to 60 percent” versus non‐tensile price claim such as “save 60 percent”) and different amount of price discounts. The findings show that framing the sales offer with such a vague scarcity restriction and using a tensile claims format improve the consumers' perceived informational value of the offer, only if exaggerated price discounts are involved. This study also confirms earlier studies' findings on the effects of exaggerated price discounts and tensile claims on consumers' perceived savings and information value of sales promotional offers. Managerial implications are discussed.
Entrepreneurship Development in Nigeria: A Review

Empirical researchers and policy makers have shown increasing interest in entrepreneurship and its association with economic development. In the literature, a good number of studies have established positive relationship between entrepreneurship and employment generation, poverty alleviation and economic development. It is for this reason that various governments in Nigeria over the past three decades implemented a number of policies and programmes aimed at addressing the high rate of unemployment, wide-spread poverty and low level of economic development. Unfortunately, the various policies and programmes have failed to achieve the desired results. This paper attempts to identify the causal factors that militate against the effectiveness of government efforts at entrepreneurship development. Major government programmes are examined to identify inherent weaknesses. Supported by empirical and theoretical literature, this paper asserts that the treatment of all small businesses as entrepreneurial constrains the development of entrepreneurship in Nigeria and in other developing economies, as policies and programmes are implemented across the board. It canvasses a distinctive categorization to distinguish entrepreneurial firms from non-entrepreneurial small businesses and the development and implementation of policies and strategies that are suitable for each class of small businesses. While all small businesses need support, entrepreneurial firms need higher level of support to enable them play their catalytic role in employment generation and economic development. Other group of challenges identified by empirical studies, which militate against the development of small businesses, entrepreneurial and non-entrepreneurial, should be properly addressed. These include environmental hazards, infrastructural inadequacies, high level of insecurity and the incidence of wide-spread corruption.
Investigating Information Adoption Tendencies Based on Restaurants’ User-Generated Content Utilizing a Modified Information Adoption Model

Social media has boosted information sharing and user-generated content. Consequently, many restaurant goers rely on online reviews for dining recommendations. This study adds to the sparse literature on the influence of review extremeness, source credibility, website quality, and information usefulness on information adoption. Most notably, a modified information adoption model with the addition of website quality was tested in the context of restaurant review websites. Respondents answered survey questions based on what they saw in a simulated restaurant review website, which depicted one of eight scenarios. Results showed that the more negative a review, the more useful it is perceived to be. Perceived source credibility of the review writer was positively related to the perceived information usefulness. The only component of website quality that played a significant role in determining information adoption tendency of the review readers was the quality of the information disseminated in the website. Lastly, information usefulness also was positively related to information adoption.
Percutaneous Intramedullary Decompression, Curettage, and Grafting With Medical-Grade Calcium Sulfate Pellets for Unicameral Bone Cysts in Children: A New Minimally Invasive Technique

Several treatment options exist for unicameral bone cysts (UBCs), including observation, steroid injection, bone marrow injection, and curettage and bone grafting. These are all associated with high recurrence rates, persistence, and occasional complications. Newer techniques have been described, most with variable success and only short follow-up reported. Because of these factors, a new minimally invasive percutaneous technique was developed for the treatment of UBCs in children. Twenty-eight children with UBCs who underwent percutaneous intramedullary decompression, curettage, and grafting with medical-grade calcium sulfate (MGCS) pellets by the senior author (J.P.D.) between April 2000 and April 2003 were analyzed as part of a pediatric musculoskeletal tumor registry at a large tertiary children's hospital. Four patients were lost to follow-up, and the remaining 24 patients had an average follow-up of 21.9 months (range 4-48 months). Twelve patients were followed for at least 24 months. Six of the 24 children had received previous treatment of their UBC, most often at an outside institution. Follow-up was performed through clinical evaluation and radiographic review. Postoperative radiographs at most recent follow-up showed complete healing, defined as more than 95% opacification, in 22 of 24 patients (91.7%). One patient (4.2%) demonstrated partial healing, defined as 80% to 95% opacification. One patient had less than 80% radiographic healing (4.2%). All 24 patients returned to full activities and were asymptomatic at most recent follow-up. The only complication noted was a superficial suture abscess that occurred in one patient; this resolved with local treatment measures. The new minimally invasive technique of percutaneous intramedullary decompression, curettage, and grafting with MGCS pellets demonstrates favorable results with low complication and recurrence rates compared with conventional techniques. The role of intramedullary decompression as a part of this percutaneous technique is discussed.
Computer-Aided Peer Review of Writing

Classes that require writing assignments commonly engage students in some form of peer review. Such reviews can profit from two computer applications: news groups and specialized communication client software. In a recent survey, a majority of the students who conducted peer reviews in a business writing class found the activities useful and worthy of repeating in future semesters. But they suggested that faculty provide more guidelines and topics to enhance the substance of the review, train students more directly in the computer applications, and allot more time to conduct the reviews at a comfortable pace.
A Dose‐Response Study of Intrathecal Morphine: Efficacy, Duration, Optimal Dose, and Side Effects

&NA; JACOBSON L, CHABAL C, BRODY MC. A dose‐response study of intrathecal morphine: efficacy, duration, optimal dose, and side effects. Anesth Analg 1988;67:1082‐8. We performed a double‐blind study of the dose‐response relationship of intrathecal morphine (0, 0.3, 1, and 2.5 mg) for postoperative pain relief in 33 subjects who underwent total knee or hip replacement surgery. Assessments commenced 1 hour after the opioid injection, which was given at the end of surgery, and continued for 24 hours. Pain measurements, supplementary analgesia requirements, and adverse effects were recorded. Intrathecal morphine provided effective, long‐lasting pain relief. All doses delayed the initial perception of discomfort (T‐Pain) and also post‐poned the onset of severe pain requiring analgetic supplementation (T‐Morphine) (1.25 hours control with placebo injections; > 20 hours with intrathecal morphine 0.3, 1, and 2.5 mg; P < 0.05). Although 0.3 mg usually provided good analgesia it was unsatisfactory in three of 10 patients (30%), whereas 1 and 2.5 mg were absolutely reliable. Respiratory depression (increased Paco2), common after the administration of 1 or 2.5 mg intrathecal morphine, was slow in onset and prolonged. The respiratory depression after 2.5 mg was more profound than after 1 mg, and produced apnea necessitating large‐dose naloxone therapy. Pruritus was unique to intrathecal morphine administration, but nausea, vomiting, and urinary retention were common in all the groups. We conclude that no ideal dose of intrathecal morphine exists because, even with small quantities, minor adverse effects are evident. Doses between 0.3 and 1 mg, however, should provide good analgesia free from the major complication, respiratory depression.
Taxation and Corporate Investment: A q-Theory Approach

THE PAST DECADE has witnessed increasing concern over the level of business capital formation in the United States. By some measures there has been a sharp decline in the rate of capital forma:tion, accompanied by a drastic reduction in the stock market's valuation of corporate assets. Measured in 1981 dollars, the Dow Jones average stood at almost 2000 in 1965. This decline in investment and market valuation has occurred in conjunction with the substantial changes in the effective taxation of capital income brought on by inflation. Although causal links among these developments have not been clearly established, a consensus in favor of some sort of tax incentive for business capital formation has emerged. At present, however, there is no solid basis for assessing the likely impact of any given menu of tax policies on the level of investment or on the distribution of income.
Biometric solutions for today's travel security problems.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the applicability of biometric systems in travel and explain how they can be used in response to today's increasing security problems.Design/methodology/approach – This research is conceptual. Its analysis is based on an extensive review of literature on biometric systems.Findings – Biometric systems can improve travel security without compromising consumer value, convenience, and privacy. Deployment of various applications of biometric systems (i.e. immigration/visitor management systems, trusted traveler programs) improve specific aspects of travel security. Biometric systems present challenges, associated with consumers' perceptions of system functionality, privacy, trust, and anxiety, which must be examined in the context of consumer adoption. To achieve synergy in travel information technology and provide benefits to all stakeholders, biometric systems must seamlessly integrate with other travel technologies, both intra‐firm and inter‐firm.Research li.
Pro‐environmental products: marketing influence on consumer purchase decision

Purpose – The objective of this paper is to investigate if marketing and branding techniques can help establish green brands and introduce greener patterns of consumption into contemporary lifestyles in the current context where environmentally friendly products are increasingly available.Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews consumer behaviour and advertising to identify how consumers are persuaded to opt for greener products. It reports the results of a consumer product survey using a questionnaire based on the Dunlap and van Liere HEP‐NEP environmental survey and the Roper Starch Worldwide environmental behaviour survey. The respondents were 52 mothers who shop at supermarkets.Findings – The results show a correlation between consumer confidence in the performance of green products and their pro‐environmental beliefs in general. The findings suggest that most consumers cannot easily identify greener products (apart from cleaning products) although they would favour products manufactured by g.
Corporate Diversification, Managerial Ownership, and Firm Value: Evidence from the Thai Financial Crisis

This study investigates whether corporate diversification in Thailand led to value creation or destruction. The evidence shows that, like studies in developed countries, companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), on average, experience a value loss of more than 10% through their corporate diversification. The results suggest that the value loss due to diversification stems from the presence of agency costs. The Asian Financial Crisis did not alter the propensity of Thai firms to diversify and that the level of managerial ownership in a firm is not affected by the Crisis.
Trainers profile and training management in selected agricultural training organizations in Hyderabad, India

Training is a planned and systematically organized effort to increase and update knowledge, improve skills, inculcate attitude, and strengthen capabilities and capacities of individuals so that they would be more productive, effective and meaningful in their pursuits. Training is a plan, procedure or mechanism for meeting the goals of individuals as well as organizational mandate. It is a systematic development of attitude and behaviour pattern required from an individual in order to perform a given task or job adequately and effectively. Training management is the process to carry out different activities under three different phases, namely planning phase, implementation phase and evaluation phase. These activities involve training needs assessment, training plan development, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and follow up of training programmes by the trainers to bring desirable changes in the behaviour of trainees in the stipulated time frame. In spite of its crucial importance in agricultural development, training has not been systematically studied to understand its various management facets and their contribution to training effectiveness. With this background, the present investigation was carried out with the following specific objectives: i) To study the profile characteristics of the trainers and their training management abilities and ii) To study different dimensions of training management in agricultural training organizations. The study was conducted using ex-post facto research design. Survey questionnaire was used for data collection. Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh state in India is known as ‘training capital’ of India’ as it is home to national and international training institutions across sectors including agriculture. Five national agricultural training organizations, namely National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), National Institute of Rural development (NIRD), National Plant Protection Training Institute 2 (NPPTI) and Extension Education Institute (EEI)
On the fate of sexual traits under asexuality

Environmental shifts and life‐history changes may result in formerly adaptive traits becoming non‐functional or maladaptive. In the absence of pleiotropy and other constraints, such traits may decay as a consequence of neutral mutation accumulation or selective processes, highlighting the importance of natural selection for adaptations. A suite of traits are expected to lose their adaptive function in asexual organisms derived from sexual ancestors, and the many independent transitions to asexuality allow for comparative studies of parallel trait maintenance versus decay. In addition, because certain traits, notably male‐specific traits, are usually not exposed to selection under asexuality, their decay would have to occur as a consequence of drift. Selective processes could drive the decay of traits associated with costs, which may be the case for the majority of sexual traits expressed in females. We review the fate of male and female sexual traits in 93 animal lineages characterized by asexual reproduction, covering a broad taxon range including molluscs, arachnids, diplopods, crustaceans and eleven different hexapod orders. Many asexual lineages are still able occasionally to produce males. These asexually produced males are often largely or even fully functional, revealing that major developmental pathways can remain quiescent and functional over extended time periods. By contrast, for asexual females, there is a parallel and rapid decay of sexual traits, especially of traits related to mate attraction and location, as expected given the considerable costs often associated with the expression of these traits. The level of decay of female sexual traits, in addition to asexual females being unable to fertilize their eggs, would severely impede reversals to sexual reproduction, even in recently derived asexual lineages. More generally, the parallel maintenance versus decay of different trait types across diverse asexual lineages suggests that neutral traits display little or no decay even after extended periods under relaxed selection, while extensive decay for selected traits occurs extremely quickly. These patterns also highlight that adaptations can fix rapidly in natural populations of asexual organisms, in spite of their mode of reproduction.
Functional Neuroimaging Studies of Patients

Functional imaging has, since the 1980s, generated considerable evidence about the relationship between structure and function in the normal human brain. This approach is complementary to the more traditional lesion-based method, and has some advantages. For example, assumptions are not made about the contributions made by white or grey matter lesions (both common after stroke). Functional imaging has several disadvantages (not the least of which is that the data acquired are crucially dependent on the designs and baselines used) and thus the research community has not abandoned the neuropsychological perspective. Indeed the two branches can produce converging evidence of systems involved in classical neuropsychological syndromes. For example, a role for left lateral occipital cortex in pure alexia has been demonstrated with functional imaging of a healthy control group and a detailed study of a pure alexic patient (Leff et al., 2001). Functional imaging has also been proposed as a tool for investigating patient populations, and here it has the potential to inform our understanding in several genuinely novel ways, which are addressed in the papers in this special issue. The two theoretical papers (Price and Friston, 2002; Romero et al., 2002) both expressly outline the advantages of functional imaging studies of patients. Price and Friston (2002), while keeping limitations of functional imaging in mind, also determine the ways that functional imaging studies of patients can help our understanding of the normal brain. They argue that the use of tasks that patients can perform can help to establish which brain regions are necessary for a particular function, and the way that this might inform the existence of multiple (degenerate) systems in the human brain. In contrast (although not necessarily contradiction), Romero et al. (2002) emphasize the way that only functional imaging can establish the neural basis of recovery after brain injury, ideally with a view to serial scans of the same patients, but also with studies of chronic patients. This is undoubtedly an invaluable application of the methodology, as there is no other measure available to indicate, with precision, where there is neural reorganization after injury (if indeed there is such plasticity). In agreement with this, we have recently demonstrated that functional imaging of chronic patients with
Contractual Heterogeneity in Strategic Alliances

We investigate firms' alliance design choices by examining alliances as multifaceted contractual forms. The analysis explores the contractual heterogeneity underlying alternative governance structures for alliances, the bundling of different contractual provisions, and the dimensionality of the contractual completeness construct. The empirical evidence indicates that the complexity of collaborative agreements ­in terms of the number and stringency of provisions­ is greater for alliances that are strategically important and that involve high levels of asset specificity. Factor analysis of tetrachoric correlations among eight contractual provisions reveals two distinct dimensions of contractual completeness. Partners with prior collaborative relationships tend to institute fewer contractual provisions for monitoring and control of an alliance. Relative to open-ended contractual agreements, time-bound alliances tend to rely less heavily on such provisions, but more so on safeguards concerning confidential and proprietary information, alliance termination, and the adjudication of disputes by third parties.
Phosphorus and boron diffusion gettering of iron in monocrystalline silicon

We have studied experimentally the phosphorus diffusion gettering (PDG) of iron in monocrystalline silicon at the temperature range of 650–800 °C. Our results fill the lack of data at low temperatures so that we can obtain a reliable segregation coefficient for iron between a phosphorus diffused layer and bulk silicon. The improved segregation coefficient is verified by time dependent PDG simulations. Comparison of the PDG to boron diffusion gettering (BDG) in the same temperature range shows PDG to be only slightly more effective than BDG. In general, we found that BDG requires more carefully designed processing conditions than PDG to reach a high gettering efficiency.