Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influencing role of social capital in the formation of entrepreneurial intention

This paper investigated the relationship between social capital and entrepreneurial intention using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). The study was carried out by means of a cross-sectional survey and included 329 final-year commerce students at a rural university in the Limpopo province. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The results show that social capital is significantly related to entrepreneurial intention, the attitude towards becoming an entrepreneur and perceived behavioural control. The findings indicate that the TPB is a valuable model for understanding the relationship between social capital and entrepreneurial intention. The results indicate that individuals are more likely to form intentions to start a business when they think that their decision to do so would be approved of by those close to them, when entrepreneurial activity is positively valued in the society, when they know other people who are entrepreneurs and successful entrepreneurs, and believe that they would be supported by those close to them when starting a business. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by shedding light on the role of social capital in the formation of entrepreneurial intention in a South African context.
Effects of a high-impedance screen on a dipole antenna

A high-impedance conductor with reflection coefficient magnitude near unity and appropriate phase would allow a parallel dipole to be closely spaced to the screen. Phase is critical; this paper examines the pattern, gain, and impedance properties of a dipole antenna located close to a high-impedance material. The material is idealized with a unity reflection coefficient and a variable phase angle from -/spl pi/ to +/spl pi/. An example uses a half-wave dipole-spaced wavelength from the material. For a phase angle around 135/spl deg/ the pattern is unstable and has a null at broadside. Gain varies from 10 to 0 dB. Input impedance varies widely with phase angle, presenting a mismatch loss situation. From these data an acceptable range of phase angle verses frequency can be inferred.
Application of a biochemical and clinical model to predict individual survival in patients with end-stage liver disease.

AIM To investigate the capability of a biochemical and clinical model, BioCliM, in predicting the survival of cirrhotic patients. METHODS We prospectively evaluated the survival of 172 cirrhotic patients. The model was constructed using clinical (ascites, encephalopathy and variceal bleeding) and biochemical (serum creatinine and serum total bilirubin) variables that were selected from a Cox proportional hazards model. It was applied to estimate 12-, 52- and 104-wk survival. The model's calibration using the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic was computed at 104 wk in a validation dataset. Finally, the model's validity was tested among an independent set of 85 patients who were stratified into 2 risk groups (low risk <or= 8 and high risk > 8). RESULTS In the validation cohort, all measures of fit, discrimination and calibration were improved when the biochemical and clinical model was used. The proposed model had better predictive values (c-statistic: 0.90, 0.91, 0.91) than the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) and Child-Pugh (CP) scores for 12-, 52- and 104-wk mortality, respectively. In addition, the Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) statistic revealed that the biochemical and clinical model (H-L, 4.69) is better calibrated than MELD (H-L, 17.06) and CP (H-L, 14.23). There were no significant differences between the observed and expected survival curves in the stratified risk groups (low risk, P = 0.61; high risk, P = 0.77). CONCLUSION Our data suggest that the proposed model is able to accurately predict survival in cirrhotic patients.
Corporate Credit and Monetary Policy: The Impact of Firm-Specific Characteristics on Financial Structure

This paper examines the impact of monetary policy on UK firms' access to bank and market finance when allowance is made for differences in firm-specific characteristics. A theoretical model determines the cut-off values for project profitability that would allow firms to access bank or market finance. This model predicts that specific characteristics in terms of size, age, risk and debt can make a firm more vulnerable to tightening credit when interest rates increase. Empirically, the paper shows, using a panel of 16,000 UK firm records over 10 years, that firms distributed according to their type (asset size, rating etc) do have differing access to bank lending and market finance. Small, young and risky firms are more significantly affected by tight monetary conditions than large, old and secure firms. The evidence is consistent with a credit channel, and demonstrates that there are distribution implications from tightening monetary policy.
Technology orientation, innovation and business performance: a study of Dubai SMEs

This study examines how technology orientation interacts with innovation to affect business performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in an emerging market, namely Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Survey data from 200 Dubai SMEs demonstrated, firstly, that technology orientation influenced innovation and did not have a significant and direct influence on business performance, and secondly, that innovation influenced business performance. Based on these findings, future research avenues are identified and managers of SMEs are advised to consider innovation as a mediating factor for technology orientation to achieve better business performance for their firms.
Automation of Classical QEEG Trending Methods for Early Detection of Delayed Cerebral Ischemia: More Work to Do

Summary: The purpose of this study is to evaluate automated implementations of continuous EEG monitoring-based detection of delayed cerebral ischemia based on methods used in classical retrospective studies. We studied 95 patients with either Fisher 3 or Hunt Hess 4 to 5 aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage who were admitted to the Neurosciences ICU and underwent continuous EEG monitoring. We implemented several variations of two classical algorithms for automated detection of delayed cerebral ischemia based on decreases in alpha-delta ratio and relative alpha variability. Of 95 patients, 43 (45%) developed delayed cerebral ischemia. Our automated implementation of the classical alpha-delta ratio-based trending method resulted in a sensitivity and specificity (Se,Sp) of (80,27)%, compared with the values of (100,76)% reported in the classic study using similar methods in a nonautomated fashion. Our automated implementation of the classical relative alpha variability-based trending method yielded (Se,Sp) values of (65,43)%, compared with (100,46)% reported in the classic study using nonautomated analysis. Our findings suggest that improved methods to detect decreases in alpha-delta ratio and relative alpha variability are needed before an automated EEG-based early delayed cerebral ischemia detection system is ready for clinical use.
Measuring and Managing Consumer Sentiment in an Online Community Environment

As social media and virtual communities increase in popularity, the spread of word of mouth becomes easier, challenging firms to measure and manage the success of marketing initiatives in online community environments. This research examines how consumers react to firms' active participation in consumer-to-consumer conversations in an online community setting. The authors develop a tailored community-matched measure of consumer reaction (consumer sentiment) and analyze more than 115,000 consumer posts from ten online forums with active firm participation. The results indicate that consumers show diminishing returns to active firm engagement, which, at very high levels, can undermine consumer sentiment. Further subgroup analyses by conversation type indicate that these relationships hold for conversations that address consumers' functional needs but do not hold for conversations that address social needs. Finally, the results show diminishing returns to firm engagement for consumers primarily interested in product-related support but show no relationship for consumers primarily interested in inspiration and entertainment. These findings provide insights for marketing performance measurement and resource allocation in online communities.
One-input five-output voltage-mode universal biquadratic filter using single-ended OTAs

This paper presents a new high-input impedance electronically tunable voltage-mode universal filter with one input and five outputs employing eight single-ended operational transconductance amplifiers and two grounded capacitors. The proposed circuit can simultaneously realize voltage-mode low-pass, band-pass, high-pass, band-stop and all-pass filter without inverting-type input signals and component-matching conditions requirements. The natural frequency and the quality factor can be orthogonally controlled. The natural frequency can also be electronically tuned. The active and passive sensitivities of the circuit are low. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the theoretical analysis.
Noninvasive estimation of baroreflex sensitivity using pressure pulse amplification

Studies using peripheral pressure measurements have facilitated studies in identifying particular gain characteristics of baroreflex control loops. However, the baroreceptors are located in central regions of the arterial tree (aortic arch and carotid arteries) and are subjected to peak pressures that are different to those measured in peripheral locations (e.g., finger). The analysis presented shows that if the known transfer function properties between peripheral and central pressures are used to derive central pressure from peripheral measurements, the baroreflex gain characteristics can be calculated in terms of central aortic pressure changes. The results obtained by this method are markedly different than those calculated using peripheral pressure.
Iterative assembly of two separate polyketide chains by the same single-module bacterial polyketide synthase in the biosynthesis of HSAF.

Antifungal HSAF (heat-stable antifungal factor, dihydromaltophilin) is a polycyclic tetramate macrolactam from the biocontrol agent Lysobacter enzymogenes. Its biosynthetic gene cluster contains only a single-module polyketide synthase-nonribosomal peptide synthetase (PKS-NRPS), although two separate hexaketide chains are required to assemble the skeleton. To address the unusual biosynthetic mechanism, we expressed the biosynthetic genes in two "clean" strains of Streptomyces and showed the production of HSAF analogues and a polyene tetramate intermediate. We then expressed the PKS module in Escherichia coli and purified the enzyme. Upon incubation of the enzyme with acyl-coenzyme A and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), a polyene was detected in the tryptic acyl carrier protein (ACP). Finally, we incubated the polyene-PKS with the NRPS module in the presence of ornithine and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and we detected the same polyene tetramate as that in Streptomyces transformed with the PKS-NRPS alone. Together, our results provide evidence for an unusual iterative biosynthetic mechanism for bacterial polyketide-peptide natural products.
ARCHETYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS AND FAILURE.

Historical comparative analysis of General Electric and Westinghouse over twelve decades suggests that the two firms differed in several respects despite their comparable capabilities in the development of high technology. They played different roles in the emergent electrical industry and faced growth challenges in very distinct ways. The paper elaborates on Chandler's notion of organizational self-perpetuation, and advances the notion of organizational self-destruction. Inductive theoretical work on historical data advances two polar ideal types: the self-perpetuating and the self-destructing archetypes. Six dimensions of organizational responses to growth-related challenges characterize those archetypes: enterprising (the firm's willingness to take risks, as well as its willingness to search for ways of avoiding risk and still expand); related diversification promoting (kinds of motives inspiring the firm's expansion); change handling (strategic responses of firms that are likely to promote or preclude.
Differentiation between MHC‐restricted and non‐MHC‐restricted porcine cytolytic T lymphocytes

The immune system of swine is unique in that the expression of CD4 and CD8 antigens defines four subpopulations of resting extrathymic T lymphocytes. Beyond phenotypic differences to other species, porcine T lymphocytes, particularly when derived from infected animals, are known to show high non‐specific cytolytic in vitro activity. Here we describe the putative porcine CD6 antigen (workshop CD6; wCD6) which enables a phenotypic separation of T lymphocytes responsible for major histocompatibility complex (MHC)‐restricted and non‐MHC‐restricted cytotoxicity. The putative porcine CD6 analogue, wCD6, a protein with a molecular mass of 110000, shows high specificity for T lymphocytes and is neither expressed on B lymphocytes nor on cells of the myeloid lineage. In the extrathymic T‐lymphocyte compartment wCD6 characterizes two T‐lymphocyte fractions: wCD6+ T lymphocytes including both CD4+ T‐helper cell subpopulations (CD4+CD8− and CD4+CD8+) and within the CD4−CD8+ fraction cells with high CD8 antigen density. In contrast the CD4−CD8− γ/Δ T‐cell receptor (TCR) subset and CD4−CD8+ cells with low CD8 antigen density are included in the wCD6− T‐lymphocyte fraction. Functional studies with separated wCD6 fractions revealed that the wCD6− cells can be characterized by spontaneous and non‐MHC restricted cytolytic activity, whereas the wCD6+ T lymphocytes are responsible for MHC‐restricted T‐cell functions. Thus, the porcine wCD6 is an important antigen to discriminate between MHC‐restricted and non‐MHC‐restricted cytotoxicity.
Catastrophe Risk Transfer

We provide a novel explanation for the low volume of securitization in catastrophe risk transfer. Insurers' risk transfer choices trade off the lower signaling costs of reinsurance against the additional costs of reinsurance stemming from reinsurers' market power, higher costs of capital, and monitoring costs. In equilibrium, the lowest risk insurers choose reinsurance, while intermediate and high risk insurers choose partial and full securitization, respectively. An increase in the loss size increases the average risk of insurers who choose securitization. Consequently, catastrophe risks, which are characterized by low frequency-high severity losses, are only securitized by very high risk insurers.
Prison Field Trips: Can White-Collar Criminals Positively Affect the Ethical and Legal Behavior of Marketing and MBA Students?

Marketing educators bear some responsibility for teaching ethics and legal issues to their students. Visits to white-collar criminals in a federal prison camp are one method of achieving this task. This article develops and empirically assesses ten objectives for such a visit by MBA and undergraduate marketing classes. Undergraduates rated the experience higher on “helped me see that I am vulnerable to temptation to do the wrong thing” and “encouraged me to avoid making poor ethical decisions” than graduate students, while graduate students rated “helped make the course more relevant” higher. Also, students with less work experience gained a greater appreciation for the importance of business ethics as a result of the visit. There were no differences in terms of age or gender. Implications of the findings, future research suggestions, and implementation guidelines for those interested in taking their students on a prison visit are provided.
Exogenous Heat Shock Protein gp96 Ameliorates CD4+CD62L+ T-Cell–mediated Transfer Colitis

Background:The heat shock protein gp96 is an endoplasmic reticulum chaperone involved in endoplasmic reticulum stress reactions. gp96 binds antigens and is secreted into extracellular space on cell stress. After reinternalization by antigen presenting cells, antigens can be transferred to major histocompatibility complex molecules. In recent studies, we found induction of gp96 during differentiation of intestinal macrophages, whereas it was absent in intestinal macrophages of patients with Crohn's disease. Methods:To study immuno-modulating effects of gp96 in T-cell transfer colitis BALB/c donor mice were injected with 2 × 100 &mgr;g gp96. After 1 week, 2.5 × 105 CD4+CD62L+ cells were isolated from spleens and injected into severe combined immunodeficiency recipients. Another group received cells from untreated donors and was treated with 100 &mgr;g gp96 after transfer. Control groups received cells from untreated donors, or buffer alone. Results:After transfer of CD4+CD62L+ T cells from gp96-pretreated donors, mice (TBT gp96) showed an initial weight loss, but after 3 weeks, they recovered and reached the starting weight after 5 weeks. Mice treated with gp96 after transfer (TAT gp96) showed a delayed weight loss in comparison with the CD4+CD62L+ group. The histological scores in CD4+CD62L+ mice were 2.6 ± 0.1, in TBT gp96 mice 1.3 ± 0.3 (CD4+CD62L+ versus TBT gp96: P < 0.05) and in mice treated after transfer 1.9 ± 0.1 (CD4+CD62L+ versus TAT gp96: P < 0.05). Conclusions:These findings indicate an essential role of gp96 in the maintenance of tolerance against luminal antigens in the intestinal mucosa. The absence of gp96 in intestinal macrophages of patients with Crohn's disease might provoke loss of this tolerance mediating mechanism.
Strategic flexibility in open innovation – designing business models for open source software

Purpose – This paper seeks to explore how market orientation facilitates the strategic flexibility of business models grounded in open innovation. The authors suggest that the new paradigm of open innovation may impact a firm's adaptability and responsiveness under conditions of environmental flux. However, extending innovation capacity by opening the innovation process poses major challenges for firms. The aims of this study are to explore the characteristics of open innovation activity and to contemplate the role of strategic flexibility in the design of business models based upon open innovation.Design/methodology/approach – The study draws upon a qualitative research approach through a longitudinal case study in the field of open source software (OSS). The empirical case illustrates how an OSS firm utilizes signals in its environment to flexibly alter its business model.Findings – A business model that embodies open innovation raises dilemmas between open and closed innovation paradigms. However, the .
Fuzzy logic control for lateral vehicle guidance

A fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is designed and implemented in real time on a Toyota Celica test vehicle to achieve control of the lateral motion of the vehicle. The structure of FLC is modularized as feedback, preview, and gain scheduling rule bases. The parameters of FLC are tuned manually using information from the characteristics of human driving operation and existing controllers. Three feedback FLCs with different feedback variables are designed. A fuzzy preview rule base is developed to utilize preview information regarding the upcoming radii of curvature. Also, a gain scheduling rule base is designed to choose the appropriate controller based on the velocity of the vehicle. These fuzzy logic control strategies are implemented on the test vehicle which follows automatically a multiple curved track using discrete magnetic markers on the roadway and magnetometers on the vehicle as a lateral error reference/sensing system. The experimental test results of the FLCs, which are designed based on an implicit model of the vehicle, are shown, and a comparison is made to similar tests conducted using the frequency shaped LQ controller as well as PID controller, both are designed based on an explicit model of the vehicle. <<ETX>>
Market Reaction to Actual Share Repurchase in Malaysia

This paper examines share price reaction surrounding actual sharerepurchases made by Malaysian listed firms from 2001 until 2005.Using event study methodology and the market model, the evidenceindicates that a significant increase in share prices occurs in a threedayperiod beginning from the repurchase day. We also findevidence that there is a general price decline in the pre‐purchaseperiod that suggests that firms made their repurchase after a periodof consecutive price declines. This evidence clearly indicates theexistence of a signalling effect and is consistent with theundervaluation hypothesis. It also indicates that the share repurchaseprogramme can be used as an effective tool for price stabilisation.Keywords: Open Market Repurchase, Signalling Hypothesis, ShareRepurchase
Consumer confusion from own brand lookalikes: An exploratory investigation

Lookalikes are a new generation of own brand products that have similar packaging and labelling characteristics to leading branded products. Their current success and proliferation (in Britain) has raised ethical and legal issues about whether they confuse consumers. A set of factors that foster or inhibit consumer confusion adapted from a framework on consumer confusion, were tested on a sample of 50 shoppers at the end of their shopping visit. No incidents of consumers having falsely bought a lookalike product were identified. However, low‐price products subject to impulse buying were found to be more likely to confuse shoppers. Additionally, elderly and impulsive shoppers appear to be more susceptible to confusion. Thus, effective brand identification or confusion‐protection strategies are more important for the above sets of products and shoppers. However, future research should concentrate on what extent consumers infer “misleading” that the original brand attributes are similar to the lookalike bran.
An Empirical Study on The Impact of Environmental Uncertainty on The Lean Practices of Small Manufacturing Firms - A Supply Chain Perspective

Supply chain management is the buzz word in today’s business world. All efforts are being made to improve supply chain, practices so that the chain can be well integrated. This is the only way the firms can jointly respond to the whims and fancies of the final customer. This research Paper is a study of the impact of logistics practices of small manufacturing firms on the integration of the supply chain. The scope of the research is the small manufacturing industries in Coimbatore district. A sample of 75 firms has been selected from a list of 792 firms who are members of Coimbatore District Small Scale Industries Association of India. The environmental uncertainty and the lean practices of these firms have been measured using instruments that have already been validated in similar research papers. Structural equation modeling has been used to empirically validate the hypothesis proposed in the paper. This is one of the first research initiatives on empirical testing of supply chain models in Indian scenario. The reliability of the constructs has been. tested using SPSS package (resulting in purified scales) and the validities have been tested using Visual PLS package. The hypothesis proposed that environmental uncertainty influences the lean practices of a firm has been validated using Visual PLS package. This paper goes a long way in emphasizing the impact of environmental uncertainty on the lean practices followed by small manufacturing firms.