Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Project Valuation Under Incomplete Capital Markets: The Case of Non-Diversified Entrepreneurs

Traditional project valuation usually overlooks the important risk analysis process because it relies in the complete market assumption. In a complete market it will be possible to either find twin securities or elaborate a dynamic investment portfolio to replicate the project risk and payoff in every state of nature at any moment in the future. Furthermore, since one assumes well-diversified investors what matters is the project value as if it were traded in the capital market. Unfortunately, the assumption of complete markets hardly holds in reality, especially in emerging markets full of illiquid securities and where financial mechanisms such as short sales or buying on margin are prohibited or non-existent in practice. In this work one assumes incomplete markets and designs a risk analysis procedure that can be applied whenever there is no tradable benchmark in two situations: when investors hold a well-diversified investment portfolio and when investors are non-diversified entrepreneurs. The former case is important because during the last decade there has been an increase of foreign direct investment in emerging economies, so some global diversified entrepreneurs have put their money in these markets. The latter case is especially important for emerging markets where a high proportion of total enterprises are family business or are owned by a single non-diversified entrepreneur. In either case it is possible to use a clear cut investment rule, such as the Net Present Value, but there is no a single market value for the project. In the case of global diversified investors it is just one possible value and for non-diversified entrepreneurs what matters is the project value given the project total risk that they face.
Factors Related to Self-Reported Health Status in Low Income Midlife Women

Transition throughout midlife can affect women’s perception of their health status. Multiple factors are potentially related to self-reported health status (SRHS), but it was not clear what factors are related to SRHS for midlife women, especially those with low income. This study examined factors related to SRHS in low income midlife women over time. A multi-step linear regression of longitudinal Medicaid Managed Care (MMC) data (n = 310) from July 2000 through November 2006 was used. Participants completed SRHS at initial (baseline) enrollment into MMC (T1), with a second assessment completed 11 to 23 months later for those retaining MMC eligibility (T2). Results indicated that disability and number of medical conditions were the factors most related to SRHS. SRHS scores differed significantly between non-disabled and disabled women. For disabled women, SRHS improved significantly between T1 and T2 (p < .001), but not for non-disabled women. Those with lower SRHS scores used community agencies more often. Further studies of SRHS and health-related factors are needed as SRHS is frequently an indicator of population health. Greater evidenced-based knowledge of SRHS in midlife women will inform preventive interventions for this population.
More than just a name above the shop: a comparison of the branding strategies of two UK fashion retailers

UK fashion retailing is characterised by high levels of market concentration, centralisation and outlet standardisation. In the pursuit of market share, the multiple fashion retailers are implementing branding strategies that aim to differentiate their product offer and reinforce their market positioning. Empirical research, via key informant interviews, examined the branding decisions of two multiple fashion retailers and established four main methods of brand differentiation.
Shape Up: An Eye-Tracking Study of Preschoolers’ Shape Name Processing and Spatial Development

Learning the names of geometric shapes is at the intersection of early spatial, mathematical, and language skills, all important for school-readiness and predictors of later abilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We investigated whether socioeconomic status (SES) influenced children’s processing of shape names and whether differences in processing were predictive of later spatial skills. Three-year-olds (N = 79) with mothers of varying education levels participated in an eye-tracking task that required them to look at named shapes. Lower SES children took longer to fixate target shapes and spent less time looking at them than higher SES children. Gaze variables measured at age 3 were predictive of spatial skills measured at age 5 even though the spatial measures did not require shape-related vocabulary. Early efficiency in the processing of shape names may contribute to the development of a foundation for spatial learning in the preschool years.
Antioxidant vitamin levels in sickle cell disorders.

BACKGROUND Sickle cell disorder is a haemoglobinopathy prevalent in the Vidharbha region of Maharashtra, central India. With recent evidence of oxidative stress in sickle haemoglobinopathy, a possible deficiency of antioxidant vitamins was suspected. METHODS We measured plasma vitamin E, vitamin C and beta-carotene levels in persons with heterozygous (n=80) and homozygous sickle cell state (n=20), and suitable healthy controls for these groups (n=100 and 66, respectively) in a community-based study in the villages near our institution. RESULTS Subjects with heterozygous sickle cell trait had lower vitamin E levels than their respective controls (p < 0.05). Subjects with homozygous sickle cell disease had lower levels of all three vitamins (p < 0.05). Vitamins E and C levels showed a significant positive correlation in both forms of sickle cell disorder. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that there is depletion of the antioxidant vitamins, particularly in severe forms of sickle cell disorder. A trial of administration of therapeutic doses of vitamin E in this condition is warranted.
IL‐10 gene polymorphism and herpesvirus infections

Genetics has an important role in resistance to various infections and it also may modify the clinical picture of an infectious disease. Here, we briefly review our recent data demonstrating that the polymorphism of the IL‐10 gene is associated with resistance to some common herpesviruses and, additionally, that this same gene is involved in the regulation of the severity of the infection and in the reactivation process. J. Med. Virol. 70:S48–S50, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
International Diversification, Product Strategy, And Firm Value:Evidence From Korea

Existing studies showed inconsistent results for the relationship between international diversification (ID) and firm value. Thus, we primarily examine whether each MNCs product strategy moderates the relationship between ID and firm value. The results show that MNCs product strategy moderates the relationship between ID and firm value as measured by Tobins Q. Specifically, a positive relationship exists between ID and firm value in the firm group pursuing a cost leadership strategy, whereas a negative relationship exists between the same variables in the firm group pursuing a differentiation strategy, suggesting that the strategic fit between product strategy and ID is likely an important factor in the relationship between ID and firm value. Our results remain robust after conducting sensitivity analyses using the price-to-book value (PBR) ratio and individual components of composite ID measures. Accordingly, we conclude that a cost leadership strategy of Korean MNCs is more likely to have a competitive advantage in a foreign market than a differentiation strategy. This study primarily contributes to the literature on ID in that it provides the first evidence on the relationship between ID and firm value that takes into account an MNCs product strategy using the strategic fit perspective .
Web-Based Recruitment: Strategies for Attracting LGBT Employees

Organizations are interested in workforce diversity for a variety of reasons. One way to foster employee diversity is through the use of targeted recruitment practices. While this topic has received attention in the literature, most of the work has examined the effectiveness of recruiting people whose minority status is apparent. Thus, the goal of this research is to explore the effectiveness of recruitment strategies targeted toward individuals whose minority status is not immediately obvious, namely lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adults. Two specific recruitment strategies were used: providing information about domestic partner benefits and providing information about community partnerships. The results of this study suggest that the targeted recruitment strategies were equally effective in eliciting higher levels of perceived P–O fit and organizational attraction among a sample of LGBT adults. These findings suggest that organizations can effectively use targeted recruiting to influence LGBT people’s perceptions of organizations. Future research can help identify whether targeted recruitment has a negative impact on straight people’s perceptions of organizations that use recruitment strategies targeted toward members of the LGBT community.
EFFECTS OF OUTSOURCING ON AN ORGANIZATION'S PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY OF KENYA REVENUE AUTHORITY NAIROBI CUSTOMS STATION

Outsourcing has been adopted widely in the world as a strategy to gain competitive advantage. Companies are increasingly seeking outside firms to perform activities previously conducted in – house in order to achieve time, process and cost advantages. The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of outsourcing on an organization’s performance: a case study of Kenya Revenue Authority Nairobi Customs Station. The specific objectives were to establish the influence of cost of operation, time saving in outsourcing, quality of service operation, business agility operation in outsourcing on an organization’s performance. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The study targeted 15 procurement officers, 17 financial officers, 386 custom department staff and 50 support staff working in Kenya Revenue Authority, Nairobi Customs station. The study used census sampling to collect data from all 15 procurement officer, 17 financial officers and 50 support staff. The study randomly sampled 10% of the 386 custom department staff to involve 38 staffs. Stratified sampling was used to obtain a sample of 120 respondents from four sections of the Kenya Revenue Authority customs station. Reliability analysis was done through piloting the instrument at the KRA headquarters. Cronbach alpha coefficient was used to test reliability. Validity was ensured through discussion with the experts including supervisors and colleagues. Primary data was collected and analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques and then presented using narratives, tables and graphs. Secondary data was also obtained from journals and the Kenya Revenue Authority data base. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as Pearson’s correlation were used. This assisted in determining the level of influence the independent variables have on the dependent variable. The findings indicated that outsourcing positively increases on the performance of organizations, it reduces costs of operation, time saving, quality of service and finally the affects positively business agility operation. Therefore, the rate of organizational performance as a result of outsourcing is high in both short and long- term and many business executives are committed to attach their success to the outsourcing process. At the end of the study, the study provides variable insight to firms on how effective the outsourcing can be, as performance management tool. Policy makers
Competitive Capabilities of a Technology Born Global

Since the early 1980s, rapidly internationalizing start-ups have captured attention of the academia, media and institutions. These ’born global’ firms seem to disregard the traditionally established views of firm internationalization. In spite of the significant resource limitations, they manage to reach international markets rapidly and keep their competitive position in the long term, running against international players of various sizes with different levels of resource availability. A great majority of research so far has focused on the early start-up and rapid internationalisation stage of born globals’ development. The question of how these firms uphold a competitive advantage in the long term with their limited resources and a small size, while operating in various countries, remains under-researched. The purpose of this dissertation, therefore, has been to describe and explain the organisational factors and processes that serve as the sources of competitive advantage of technology-based born globals in the long term. The view that knowledge-based capabilities are the key sources of competitive advantage of born globals has been accepted. A longitudinal process study of one successful Danish technology born global has been undertaken over the period of 3.5 years to define and research in detail the key capabilities that have been critical to the firm’s competitive advantage in the long term. The R&D-related, alliance, branding and managerial capabilities have been investigated in separate articles. This dissertation contributes to the field of international entrepreneurship, as well as to the fields of each functional capability in the study: R&D and innovation management, alliance management, brand management, managerial capabilities, knowledge management, and organisational learning.
Investigaciones de Historia Económica - Economic History Research Female labour force participation rates in the 19th Century Andalusia: Antequera

This article studies the female labour force participation rates in a town of East Andalusia, Antequera, in the middle of the 19th century. Our data come from the 1857 census registers. We have composed a database including 27,184 inhabitants. Our analysis shows that the censuses underestimate the female labour force participation. We establish the impact of the demand factors: A local economy with a relati-vely stronger presence of the secondary and tertiary sector, especially the textile sector; and the supply factors: Life cycles, marital status, and number of children. This study concludes that the female activity rates are about 30%, and the 2 most important occupations are domestic service and textile industry. The local perspective shows that the demand factors have a strong inﬂuence.
Paradoxical Behavior of Neuromedin U in Isolated Smooth Muscle Cells and Intact Tissue

Neuromedin U (NmU) is a neuropeptide showing high levels of structural conservation across different species. Since its discovery in 1985, NmU has been implicated in numerous physiological roles, including smooth muscle contraction, energy homeostasis, stress, intestinal ion transport, pronociception, and circadian rhythm. Two G-protein-coupled receptors have been identified for NmU and cloned from humans, rats, and mice. Recombinantly expressed NmU receptors couple to both Gαq/11 and Gαi G-proteins, and NmU binds essentially irreversibly, preventing signaling to repetitive applications of NmU. However, it is unclear whether these properties reflect those of endogenously expressed NmU receptors or how these properties influence the functional consequences of NmU receptor signaling. Here, we have explored the signaling by rat NmU receptors expressed endogenously in cultured rat colonic smooth muscle cells and explore the functional consequence of this signaling by investigating the NmU-mediated contraction of ex vivo rat colonic smooth muscle preparations. We demonstrate that endogenous rat NmU receptors couple to both Gαq/11 and Gαi G-proteins. Furthermore, we show complex patterns of Ca2+ signaling, including oscillations, and provide evidence of essentially irreversible binding of NmU to smooth muscle cells. Challenge of either circular or longitudinal rat isolated colonic smooth muscle preparations with NmU resulted in robust contractions. Stimulation was direct, and paradoxically, repetitive applications of NmU mediated repetitive contractions with no evidence of desensitization, highlighting a major discrepancy in the behavior of NmU in single cells and in intact tissues. The reason for this discrepancy is presently unknown.
Verbal Naming Test for Use with Older Adults: Development and Initial Validation

Abstract Naming or word-finding tasks are a mainstay of the typical neuropsychological evaluation, particularly with older adults. However, many older adults have significant visual impairment and there are currently no such word-finding tasks developed for use with older visually impaired populations. This study presents a verbal, non-visual measure of word-finding for use in the evaluation of older adults with possible dysnomia. Stimuli were chosen based on their frequency of usage in everyday spoken language. A 60-item scale was created and given to 131 older Veterans. Rasch analyses were conducted and differential item functioning assessed to eliminate poorly-performing items. The final 55-item scale had a coefficient alpha of 0.84 and correlated with the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery Naming test, r=0.84, p<. 01, Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Category Fluency, r=0.45, p<. 01, and the D-KEFS Letter Fluency, r=0.40, p<. 01. ROC analyses found the measure to have sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 85% for detecting dysnomia. Patients with dysnomia performed worse on the measure than patients with intact word-finding, t(84)=8.2, p<. 001. Patients with no cognitive impairment performed significantly better than patients with mild cognitive impairment, who performed significantly better than patients with dementia. This new measure shows promise in the neuropsychological evaluation of word-finding ability in older adults with or without visual impairment. Future directions include the development of a shorter version and the generation of additional normative data. (JINS, 2015, 21, 1–10)
Strategic challenges for the marketing of services internationally

For the past decade, the marketing of services internationally has been the fastest growing segment of global trade, important to developed and developing countries alike. Yet during this same timeframe, despite numerous calls for more research in international services marketing, there exists a paucity of research. In this viewpoint, the authors offer 11 strategic challenges designed to foster further theoretical development in the area of international services marketing. Additionally, five specific areas of neglect are identified and recommendations for future research are offered.
Erroneous reading of information in chipless RFID tags

Chipless RFID tags are designed as arrays of planar or uniplanar resonators. These tags should be as small as possible to increase their attraction. On the other hand the closer are particular resonators located the tighter is their coupling. This coupling prevents the reader from proper reading the coded information. This is due to detuning of particular resonant frequencies of resonators and due to changing levels of the resonant peaks. Finally some compromise must be done in the tag design. For error-less reading of information coded by the presence/absence of resonant peaks in the RCS response the proper choice of scatterer topology and their arrangement has significant importance. Simple and efficient way of checking the suitability of particular resonators is presented.
The impact of relation-specific investment on channel relationship performance: evidence from China

This study attempts to uncover the mechanisms underlying the impact of relation-specific investment (RSI) on channel relationship performance. We distinguish between property-based RSI and knowledge-based RSI, which are argued to rely on different mediating paths to facilitate relationship performance. Specifically, property-based RSI stimulates formal contract, whereas knowledge-based RSI generates relational trust and relationship learning. However, relational trust exerts an adverse influence on the effectiveness of relationship learning. Results from an empirical study conducted in the context of China's marketing channel basically support the proposed model. Practically, this study suggests that in China's current marketing channels, channel members should prioritize knowledge-based RSI when making RSI into channels and pay special attention to relational trust cultivated by RSI.
Risk Management in Client Acceptance Decisions

This paper examines whether risk‐management strategies (specifically, the use of specialist personnel and higher billing rates) moderate the effect of risk on client acceptance decisions, thereby assisting auditors in bringing prospective client relationships to acceptable risk/return levels. We propose a conceptual model of the client acceptance decision process, and use archival data on one firm's actual client acceptance decisions to test the model. Our results demonstrate the selective use of risk‐management strategies in the client acceptance decision, based on the nature of the risks present for each particular client. Specifically, plans to charge a higher billing rate are associated with a reduction in the negative relationship between client acceptance likelihood and both going‐concern risk and public trading status, and plans to assign specialist personnel are associated with a reduction in the negative relationship between client acceptance likelihood and both fraud risk and error risk. Therefo.
The Relationship among Guestroom Renovation, Customer Satisfaction, and Profitability

ABSTRACT This study identifies a negatively correlated relationship between the time elapsed since a hotel's last rooms renovation and overall guest satisfaction, using a secondary dataset of 46 hotels operated under various sub-brands of a major hotel company. The study also identifies a relationship among guest satisfaction scores and common measures of revenue and profitability. In the ongoing discussions between hotel operators and hotel owners regarding capital expenditures, the impact on guest satisfaction should be an important consideration as this study indicates that there is an implicit positive relationship between a recently renovated hotel and higher guest satisfaction scores and profit.
Contraception in Women With IDDM: An epidemiological study

OBJECTIVE To study whether suitable contraceptive methods to women with diabetes mellitus in fact are applied. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A questionnaire survey on the use of contraceptives in all 18-to-49-yr-old women (n = 261) with IDDM in Funen County, Denmark, and an age-comparable control group, (n = 287) was performed. Data were collected from 1987 to 1990. Response was achieved from 94% diabetic women and 88% control subjects. RESULTS The overall use of contraception in diabetic women (77.1%) was almost identical to that of control subjects (73.6%). Compared with control subjects, significantly fewer diabetic women were using the OCP (P < 0.005) and partner sterilization (P < 0.05), whereas more diabetic women were sterilized (P < 0.0005). Among diabetic contraceptive users, the IUD, female sterilization, condoms, and the OCP each accounted for roughly 20%. Diabetic women using the OCP were predominantly young, and most had never been pregnant; ∼ 20% of them used high-dose formulations. Sterilization was frequently used by older diabetic women, and most of these women had 2 or more children; 27% of the diabetic women using an IUD were nulligravidae. Further, 18% used a method with an unsuitable high failure rate. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that diabetic women are not sufficiently advised concerning use of contraception.