Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Green shipping management capability and firm performance in the container shipping industry

This study empirically identifies crucial green shipping management capability and examines its impact on firm performance using survey data collected from container shipping firms, including shipping companies and agencies. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis is performed to identify three critical green shipping management capability dimensions, namely, greener policy, greener ships, and greener suppliers. In this study, firm performance is categorized into environmental performance and financial performance. The results indicate that a greener policy has a direct and positive influence on both the greener ships and the greener suppliers factors. Greener ships and greener suppliers are found to have an indirect and positive influence on financial performance through environmental performance. Accordingly, this study suggests that container shipping managers could focus on organizational green shipping management capability, specifically regarding policies, ships, and suppliers, to improve their environmental and financial performance. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings for container shipping firms have been discussed.
Is gas-discharge plasma a new solution to the old problem of biofilm inactivation?

Conventional disinfection and sterilization methods are often ineffective with biofilms, which are ubiquitous, hard-to-destroy microbial communities embedded in a matrix mostly composed of exopolysaccharides. The use of gas-discharge plasmas represents an alternative method, since plasmas contain a mixture of charged particles, chemically reactive species and UV radiation, whose decontamination potential for free-living, planktonic micro-organisms is well established. In this study, biofilms were produced using Chromobacterium violaceum, a Gram-negative bacterium present in soil and water and used in this study as a model organism. Biofilms were subjected to an atmospheric pressure plasma jet for different exposure times. Our results show that 99.6 % of culturable cells are inactivated after a 5 min treatment. The survivor curve shows double-slope kinetics with a rapid initial decline in c.f. u. ml(-1) followed by a much slower decline with D values that are longer than those for the inactivation of planktonic organisms, suggesting a more complex inactivation mechanism for biofilms. DNA and ATP determinations together with atomic force microscopy and fluorescence microscopy show that non-culturable cells are still alive after short plasma exposure times. These results indicate the potential of plasma for biofilm inactivation and suggest that cells go through a sequential set of physiological and morphological changes before inactivation.
Examining the Global Digital Divide: A Cross- Country Analysis

Despite the development of the information society and the widespread diffusion of information technology, the disparities between groups of countries in terms of accessing and using information and communication technologies (ICTs) are still valuable. This disparity is defined as the term of digital divide. Although there are several different views about measuring the digital divide, in this study, International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) ICT key indicators are used to measure the global digital divide. The cross-sectional data are collected for 145 countries in the world, for year 2011. One-way ANOVA and regression analysis are applied as statistical methods to analyze global digital divide. According to the results, variables related to development levels, income levels, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) membership and continental differences are highly associated with the digital divide.
Recapitalization, Credit and Liquidity

This paper documents the characteristics of public recapitalizations of banks undertaken since 2008 and examines their relationship with bank lending. The analysis covers the 15 OECD countries whose banking sectors were most severely hit by the crisis and that provided the largest public bailouts relative to their national gross domestic product (GDP). We show that the design of the interventions varied considerably across banks and countries. Larger and higher loss-absorbing capital injections were targeted at weaker banks and at banks of ‘systemically relevant’ size, when the state of public finances allowed. Our results encourage theoretical research with respect to non-linear and potentially adverse effects of bailouts, as well as further investigation into the link between the loss absorbing properties of bank capital and loan growth. With respect to bank lending, we find that only large recapitalizations and infusions of common equity are associated with higher total regulatory capital ratios and sustained loan growth. We find no significant relationship between public capital provisions and interbank lending and challenge the view that local banks increase loan growth relatively more in response to a recapitalization. — Mike Mariathasan and Ouarda Merrouche
Health and Retirement among Older Workers

This paper investigates the causal relationship between ill-health and retirement among older working individuals. We represent the transition to retirement as a discrete-time hazard model using a stock-sample from the first five waves (2001- 2005) of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. Our results show that health plays an important role in individual retirement decisions and that negative shocks to health greatly increase the hazard of retirement, especially for men. This is true for both a measure of health limitations and a measure of latent health obtained using pooled ordered probit models, as well as for three alternative health shock measures. We also consider the effects of partners’ health and labour market status on an individual’s retirement decision. Our estimates suggest that partners’ characteristics do not significantly influence individual retirement choices.
On-line popularity monitoring method based on bloom filters and hash tables for differentiated traffic

Towards line speed and accurateness on-line content popularity monitoring on Content Centric Networking (CCN) routers, we propose a three-stage scheme based on Bloom filters and hash tables for differentiated traffic. At the first stage, we decide whether to deliver the content to the next stage depending on traffic types. The second stage consisting of Standard Bloom filters (SBF) and Counting Bloom filters (CBF) identifies the popular content. Meanwhile, a scalable sliding time window based monitoring scheme for different traffic types is proposed to implement frequent and real-time updates by the change of popularities. Hash tables according with sliding window are used to record the popularity at the third stage. Simulation results reveal that this method reaches a 40Gbps processing speed at lower error probability with less memory, and it is more sensitive to the change of popularity. Additionally, the architecture which can be implemented in CCN router is flexible and scalable.
A test of the purchasing power parity hypothesis

The purchasing power parity (PPP) hypothesis is examined in the case of less developed countries. Although the issue has been debated extensively in the context of the developed countries, there has hardly been any study using the experience of the less developed countries. Quarterly data from four countries is used for the period 1961:1—1990:4 and hardly any evidence is found of the hypothesis. A special test (namely, a cointegration test), designed for the hypothesis, has been implemented.
Analyst Forecast Errors and Stock Price Behavior Near the Earnings Announcement Dates of LIFO Adopters

Ricks [1982] found that stock returns near the earnings disclosure dates of 1974 LIFO adopters were negative and significantly lower than returns near the earnings disclosure dates of firms not using LIFO. Given that firms adopting LIFO in 1974 were voluntarily switching to an accounting method providing often significant tax savings, it is not obvious why investors would have reacted negatively. Nor is it likely that investors were unaware of many of the firms' LIFO adoption decisions. This study presents evidence suggesting that the negative excess returns observed by Ricks [1982] were associated with, and possibly due to, analysts' systematic overestimates of earnings of firms adopting LIFO in 1974. We are aware of no previous study documenting systematic errors in analysts' earnings forecasts conditional on a voluntary accounting method change.
Longitudinal study of levodopa in Parkinson's disease: Effects of the advanced disease phase

Thirty‐four patients have been studied from the time of initiation of pharmacological treatment in a long‐term prospective study of levodopa effects and disease progression in Parkinson's disease. Objective motor scoring of the response to levodopa in defined off states was performed every 3 years. The mean time from the initiation of levodopa treatment to the most recent measurements was 18.2 years. Of 8 patients who are still alive, only 3 had none of the features of the advanced disease phase (dementia, hallucinations, frequent falling). Off‐phase motor function worsened at a yearly rate of 1.9% of the maximum disability score, although the plots of the serial scores showed that the magnitude of the levodopa response is well preserved. There was little difference in the rate of progression between patients with tremor‐dominant and non‐tremor‐dominant motor subtypes. Those who developed dementia had more rapid deterioration of motor scores, with significantly worse off‐phase (P = .008) and on‐phase (P = .03) motor function. A graph of serial scores of patients who have died, aligned for time of death, showed an upward curving trend of motor disability in the last 5 years of the disease course. Its advanced phase may reveal that Parkinson's disease has an exponential pattern of progression. © 2013 Movement Disorder Society
Correlative super-resolution imaging of RNA polymerase distribution and dynamics, bacterial membrane and chromosomal structure in Escherichia coli

We demonstrate correlative super-resolution PALM, PAINT and dSTORM imaging of RNA polymerase, membrane and chromosomal DNA in fixed E. coli. This protocol allows the combination of precise structural information of the nucleoid (dSTORM) with quantitative super-resolution imaging (PALM) of interacting proteins. The spatial distribution and organization of RNA polymerase and DNA are visualized in bacterial cells grown at doubling times of 25 or 44 min. We observe that RNA polymerase is concentrated at the edge of the highly structured nucleoid during fast growth, whereas it is found more evenly distributed during medium-fast growth. In both conditions, the nucleoid shows densely packed areas which appear to be inaccessible to RNA polymerase. This finding is confirmed by live-cell tracking of RNA polymerase and subsequent imaging of the respective nucleoids using a protocol for fast fixation on-the-slide.
Tasks and Opportunities within Indian Families

This paper uses the Indian Time Use Survey (1999) to document gender inequalities in adult and child tasks and to focus on an important determinant of the opportunities of children – the resources invested in their education. Specifically, we examine the school attendance of boys and girls and the relative probability that Indian children will receive informal parental instruction or assistance with learning at home. We document gender inequities in the allocation of household tasks among adults and children but we find little evidence of gender favouritism in human capital investment. In rural areas school attendance falls off much more rapidly with age for girls, but in urban areas in India the school attendance of boys and girls is essentially the same. In both urban and rural areas gender is statistically insignificant as a correlate of the prevalence or the allocation of parental instruction time.
Optical cavity-assisted broadband optical transparency of a plasmonic metal film

We theoretically present a powerful method to achieve a continuous metal film structure with broadband optical transparency via introducing a dielectric Fabry–Pérot (FP) cavity. An incident optical field could be efficiently coupled and confined with the strong localized plasmons by the non-close-packed plasmonic crystal at the input part and could then become re-radiated output via the transmission channel supported by the dielectric cavity. The formed photonic-plasmonic system could therefore make the seamless metal film structure have a superior near-unity transparency (up to 97%) response and a broadband transparent spectrum with bandwidth >245 nm (with transmittance >90%) in the optical regime. The observed optical properties of the proposed structure can be highly tuned via varying the structural parameters. Based on the colloidal assembly method, the proposed plasmonic crystal can be fabricated in a large area. In addition, the achieved optical transparency can be retained in the extremely roughed metal film structure. Thereby, the findings could offer a feasible way to achieve a broadband transparent metal film structure and hold potential applications in transparent electrodes, touch screens and interactive electronics.
The Reality of Patients Requiring Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation: A Retrospective Multicenter Cohort Study

Context: The number of patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) has increased over the last decade, generating a large population of chronically ill patients. Objective: To establish the incidence of PMV in four Intensive Care Units (ICUs), and to report different characteristics, hospital outcomes, and the impact of costs and services of PMV patients (mechanical ventilation dependency = 21 days) compared with non-PMV patients (mechanical ventilation dependency < 21 days). Design, Setting, and Patients: A retrospective multicenter cohort study, including all patients admitted to four ICUs. Main Outcome Measures: Length of stay in the ICU, hospital, complications during ICU stay, and ICU and hospital mortality. Results: During study period, there were 5,287 admission episodes to the ICUs. Forty-one point five percent of these patients needed ventilatory support (n=2,197), and 218 met criteria for PMV (9.9%). Some complications developed during ICU stay, such as muscle weakness, pressure ulcers, bacterial nosocomial sepsis, candidemia, pulmonary embolism, and hyperactive delirium, were associated with a significantly higher risk of PMV. PMV patients had a significant increase in ICU mortality (absolute difference=14.2%, p<0.001), and in hospital mortality (absolute difference=19.1%, p<0.001); PMV group spent more days in the hospital after ICU discharge (26.9 Â± 29.3 vs. 10.3 Â± 20.4, p<0.001) and with higher costs. Conclusions: the classification of chronically critically ill patients according to the definition of PMV adopted by our study (mechanical ventilation dependency =21 days) identified patients with high risk for complications during ICU stay, high ICU and hospital stay, high death rates, as well as higher costs.
Composition and variation of noise recorded at the Yellowknife Seismic Array, 1991–2007

[1] We analyze seismic noise recorded on the 18 short-period, vertical component seismometers of the Yellowknife Seismic Array (YKA). YKA has an aperture of 23 km and is sited on cratonic lithosphere in an area with low cultural noise. These properties make it ideal for studying natural seismic noise at periods of 1–3 s. We calculated frequency-wave number spectra in this band for over 6,000 time windows that were extracted once per day for 17 years (1991–2007). Slowness analysis reveals a rich variety of seismic phases originating from distinct source regions: Rg waves from the Great Slave Lake; Lg waves from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans; and teleseismic P waves from the north Pacific and equatorial mid-Atlantic regions. The surface wave energy is generated along coastlines, while the body wave energy is generated at least in part in deep-water, pelagic regions. Surface waves tend to dominate at the longer periods and, just as in earthquake seismograms, Lg is the most prominent arrival. Although the periods we study are slightly shorter than the classic double-frequency microseismic band of 4–10 s, the noise at YKA has clear seasonal behavior that is consistent with the ocean wave climate in the Northern Hemisphere. The temporal variation of most of the noise sources can be well fit using just two Fourier components: yearly and biyearly terms that combine to give a fast rise in microseismic power from mid-June through mid-October, followed by a gradual decline. The exception is the Rg energy from the Great Slave Lake, which shows a sharp drop in noise power over a 2-week period in November as the lake freezes. The Lg noise from the east has a small but statistically significant positive slope, perhaps implying increased ocean wave activity in the North Atlantic over the last 17 years.
The entrepreneurship of resource-based theory

This paper examines the relationship between resource-based theory and entrepreneurship and develops insights that advance the boundaries of resource-based theory and begin to address important questions in entrepreneurship. We extend the boundaries of resource-based theory to include the cognitive ability of individual entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs have individual-specific resources that facilitate the recognition of new opportunities and the assembling of resources for the venture. By focusing on resources, from opportunity recognition to the ability to organize these resources into a firm and then to the creation of heterogeneous outputs through the firm that are superior to the market, we help identify issues that begin to address the distinctive domain of entrepreneurship.
Searching for the picture: forecasting UK cinema admissions using Google Trends data

This article investigates whether Google Trends search information can improve forecasts of cinema admissions. Using monthly data for the United Kingdom for the period 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2008, we examine various forecasting models that incorporate Google Trends search information. We find clear evidence that Google Trends data on searches relevant to cinema visits (as opposed to searches for specific films) do have the potential to increase the accuracy of cinema admissions forecasting models.
Diarrhoea and Suboptimal Feeding Practices in Nigeria: Evidence from the National Household Surveys.

BACKGROUND Globally, Nigeria has the largest burden of infectious diseases (including diarrhoea). Optimal feeding practices have been well-documented to protect against diarrhoea in other contexts; but this benefit has not been broadly studied in Nigeria. The study aimed to examine the association between diarrhoea and childhood feeding practices to provide country-specific evidence. METHOD Data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey for the period spanning 1999-2013 were used. Prevalence of diarrhoea by infant and young child feeding indicators was estimated, and the association between diarrhoea and childhood feeding indicators was examined using multilevel regression analyses. RESULTS Prevalence of diarrhoea was higher among children whose mothers did not initiate breast feeding within the first hour of birth, infants who were not exclusively breastfed, and infants who were prematurely introduced to complementary foods. Early initiation of breast feeding was significantly associated with lower risk of diarrhoea (RR 0.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63, 0.74). Exclusively breastfed infants were less likely to develop diarrhoea compared to non-exclusively breastfed infants (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.44, 0.86). Predominant breast feeding was significantly associated with a lower risk of diarrhoea (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.54, 0.80). Bottle feeding and introduction of complementary foods were associated with a higher risk of diarrhoea. CONCLUSION Early initiation of breast feeding as well as exclusive and predominant breast feeding protect against diarrhoea in Nigeria, while bottle feeding and introduction of complementary foods were risk factors for diarrhoea. Community- and facility-based initiatives are needed to improve feeding practices, and to reduce diarrhoea prevalence in Nigeria.
Draft Genome Sequences of Two Pairs of Human Intestinal Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum Strains, 44B and 1-6B and 35B and 2-2B, Consecutively Isolated from Two Children after a 5-Year Time Period

ABSTRACT We report the genome sequences of four isolates of a human gut symbiont, Bifidobacterium longum. Strains 44B and 35B were isolated from two 1-year-old infants, while 1-6B and 2-2B were isolated from the same children 5 years later. The sequences permit investigations of factors enabling long-term colonization of bifidobacteria.
Self-perceived employability: development and validation of a scale

Purpose – Employability concerns the extent to which people possess the skills and other attributes to find and stay in work of the kind they want. It is thought by many to be a key goal for individuals to aim for in managing their careers, and for organisations to foster in workforces. The purpose of this paper is to report on the development of a self‐report measure of individuals' perceived employability. It also seeks to examine its construct validity and correlates.Design/methodology/approach – Based on the analysis of relevant literature, this study developed 16 items which were intended collectively to reflect employability within and outside the person's current organisation, based on his or her personal and occupational attributes. This study administered these items by questionnaire to 200 human resources professionals in the UK, along with established measures of career success and professional commitment, as well as questions reflecting demographic variables.Findings – This article retained 11.
A gap between total prostate-specific antigen and the sum of free prostate-specific antigen plus alpha1-antichymotrypsin-prostate- specific antigen in patients with prostate carcinoma but not in those with benign prostate hyperplasia.

Aproximately 70–90% of the total serum prostate-specific antigen (t-PSA) in serum is complexed to α1-antichymotrypsin (ACT), whereas 10–30% of t-PSA is not bound to serum proteins and is called free PSA (f-PSA). The determination of f-PSA and the calculation of the ratio of free to total PSA has proven to be a promising tool for differentiating between prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), because the ratio is lower in PCa than in BPH (1)(2). Although the determination of ACT-PSA would have the analytical advantage of measuring the major and not the minimal portion and the clinical advantage of measuring the portion of serum PSA apparently directly related to PCa (3)(4)(5), overrecovery problems related to interferences with the ACT-cathepsin G complex for ACT-PSA assays are obstructive to accurate ACT-PSA measurement (6). Thus, it is generally assumed that the sum of f-PSA plus ACT-PSA yields t-PSA, whereas the small amounts of PSA being bound to other proteins such as α1-antitrypsin and protein C may be neglected. However, there is no information concerning whether the occurrence of minor forms of PSA is different between patients with PCa and those with BPH. We have now studied this problem by using a reliable ACT-PSA assay. t-PSA, f-PSA, and ACT-PSA were measured on an ES immunoanalyzer (Boehringer Mannheim GmbH). The principle of the tests is based on the one-step (for t-PSA; cat. no. 1555332) and/or two-step (for f-PSA, cat. no. 1776444; for ACT-PSA, a research assay) sandwich technique. For the determination of t-PSA, samples (calibrators, patient samples, and control materials) are incubated together with biotinylated mouse monoclonal anti-t-PSA antibody (mAb M10) solution and horseradish peroxidase-labeled mouse anti-PSA conjugate in streptavidin-coated plastic tubes. For the determination of f-PSA and ACT-PSA, the newly developed assay, samples …