Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards a more systematic study of standalone corporate social and environmental: An exploratory pilot study of UK reporting

1 This paper relates to work undertaken for the ICAEW’s Information for Better Markets Conference in December 2005. Their financial support is gratefully acknowledged. 2 Without wishing to be either comprehensive or exclusive we are thinking particularly of the work of Carol Adams, Geoff Frost and Jeffrey Unerman here. Introduction We need no reminding of the considerable growth in (principally) voluntary social and environmental disclosure by (typically) the larger corporations over the last 15 years or so. As a few minutes with the SEAJ Reviews section of the CSEAR website will confirm, this growth has been accompanied by an equally significant growth in research into the phenomenon. A considerable proportion of this literature has been based upon corporate disclosures made in annual reports – and for all the usual reasons. It is unlikely that we have reached the end of productive analyses of annual report disclosures but it is probably the case that other, non-annual report, disclosures are of increasing importance. Increasing use of the web is attracting substantive research enquiry and we are hearing more calls for us to cast the disclosure net wider and/or to undertake archive work. However, it is with the “stand alone” reports: the free-standing (and typically but not exclusively hard copy) variously entitled reports (see below) we will focus upon in this short paper. In the years since 1990 (the year Norsk Hydro, British Airways and Noranda first produced stand alone reports) the rise in the number of voluntary standalone reports has been astonishing. (Astonishing, not least, in that nobody predicted (as far as we are aware) this growth or its longevity). Data from organisations such a Corporate Register, SustainAbility, TruCost and KPMG suggest that something in the region of 1500 standalone reports – including both web and hard copy – are produced annually in the world. The data also suggests that the upward trend in the number of organisations reporting which we have observed until now is beginning to flatten off. Equally, data is fairly unequivocal that the quality of the reports (other than perhaps those of the very best organisations) has risen little and, currently, shows little sign of doing so. Enthusiasm for the arrival of the standalones was, in all probability, fuelled by the apparent openness of some of the early reporting pioneers. This led, in turn, to a considerable (personal) optimism about the democratic potential for the initiative of voluntary social and environmental reporting. Indeed, the triple bottom line – for all its flaws – looked like a real possibility for a while. The flattening off of the numbers reporting, the failure to improve the quality of the reports plus the lack of any apparent widespread will amongst the corporate sector and its worker bees to seriously embrace accountability, transparency, social responsibility or sustainability leaves us much less excitable. We find ourselves with a body of data in the
Predictors Of Customer Loyalty To Mobile Service Provider In South Africa

In spite of the increasing research on consumer behaviour, there is a dearth of studies that have investigated the influence of mobile provider service quality in customer satisfaction regarding customer trust and loyalty in the African mobile communication context. Therefore, this study examines the relationships using a data set of 151 mobile service clients in Gauteng Province of South Africa. All the posited five hypotheses are supported. The results indicate that the relationships between mobile service quality-customer satisfaction, customer satisfaction-customer trust, customer satisfaction-customer intimacy, customer trust-customer loyalty, and customer intimacy-customer loyalty are positive in a significant way. The research paper discusses both academic and managerial implications of the results and future research directions are suggested.
A multi-frequency 4-terminal-pair AC bridge

A 4-terminal-pair AC bridge, capable of a relative uncertainty of 2/spl times/10/sup -9/, has been constructed at NIST. The bridge is a multi-ratio bridge (10:1, 2:1 and 1:1) and operates in the range from 100 to 2000 Hz. The design and initial testing of this bridge is described.
Effects of temperature and oxygen tension on oxygen consumption rates of nauplii of different Artemia strains

Effects of temperature and Po2 have been examined on rates of oxygen consumption ( a o 2 ) of nauplii of 5 difterents Artemia strains acclimated to 30 %OS. In 4 strains there were no significant differences in relations between Pho2 and temperature over the temperature ranges offered (15 to 35 "C). In 1 strain (Delta del Ebro), the temperature effect on h? 02 was much lower than in the other strains. Nauplii of all strains were able to maintain respiratory independence under hypoxic conditions down to a Pc of 30 to 40 Torr (15 to 20 ' C ) . The ability of the nauplii to maintain respiratory independence was reduced at higher temperatures. Nauplii from each of the strains were able to tolerate temperatures of up to 35 "C; at high temperatures Qlo values for Pho2 for 3 strains decreased; this may indicate that these nauplii were thermally stressed. Differences in temperature effects on metabolic rates of nauplii of the 5 strains are discussed in relation to the competitive abilities of the strains in their natural habitat.
An on-chip dual supply charge pump system for 45nm PD SOI eDRAM

We present an on-chip word line (WL) dual supply system for server class embedded DRAM (eDRAM) applications. The design consists of switched capacitor charge pumps, voltage regulators, reference and clock circuits. Charge pump engines feature efficient charge transfer and energy conversion, boosting unregulated rails to 1.8x supply. At vdd=1 V, regulated high (1.5 to 1.7 V) and low (-0.3 to -0.6 V) levels ensure WL overdrive and cell turn-off, respectively, with rippling <plusmn35 mV and maintenance power <780 muW/2Mb-DRAM. The system supports >2 GHz AC array access and can endure excessive DC load.
Fleet Standardisation and Airline Performance

We develop three new measures for fleet standardization in order to estimate its impact on airline costs and profitability. Using panel data for 28 U.S. airlines over the period 1999 to 2009, we find that fleet standardization, as expected, leads to lower unit costs. However, after controlling for the downward effect of standardization on unit cost, fleet standardization is negatively related to profit margin. Our findings provide quantitative evidence of the trade-off between the costs and benefits from fleet commonality. Although it has been widely accepted that airlines can benefit from cost savings in flight operations and maintenance with a more standardized fleet, the potential negative revenue impacts from fleet standardization have generally been overlooked.
Hydration Effects on the Stability of Calcium Carbonate Pre-Nucleation Species

Recent experimental evidence and computer modeling have shown that the crystallization of a range of minerals does not necessarily follow classical models and theories. In several systems, liquid precursors, stable pre-nucleation clusters and amorphous phases precede the nucleation and growth of stable mineral phases. However, little is known on the effect of background ionic species on the formation and stability of pre-nucleation species formed in aqueous solutions. Here, we present a systematic study on the effect of a range of background ions on the crystallization of solid phases in the CaCO3-H2O system, which has been thoroughly studied due to its technical and mineralogical importance, and is known to undergo non-classical crystallization pathways. The induction time for the onset of calcium carbonate nucleation and effective critical supersaturation are systematically higher in the presence of background ions with decreasing ionic radii. We propose that the stabilization of water molecules in the pre-nucleation clusters by background ions can explain these results. The stabilization of solvation water hinders cluster dehydration, which is an essential step for precipitation. This hypothesis is corroborated by the observed correlation between parameters such as the macroscopic equilibrium constant for the formation of calcium/carbonate ion associates, the induction time, and the ionic radius of the background ions in the solution. Overall, these results provide new evidence supporting the hypothesis that pre-nucleation cluster dehydration is the rate-controlling step for calcium carbonate precipitation.
The Probability of Default, Excessive Risk, and Executive Compensation: A Study of Financial Services Firms from 1995 to 2008

The financial crisis of 2008 has many causes, with the role of executive compensation in creating excessive risk taking being frequently cited in the press and by policy makers as a leading candidate. The evidence for or against is scarce. This paper assembles panel data on 117 financial firms from 1995 through 2008, using the financial crisis as a type of ‘stress test’ experiment to determine the relation of equity-based incentives on the probability of default. After estimating default probabilities using a Heston-Nandi specification, we apply a dynamic panel model to estimate statistically the effect of compensation on default risk. The results indicate uniformly that equity-based pay (i.e. restricted stock and options) increases the probability of default, while non-equity pay (i.e. cash bonuses) decreases it. The results are robust across all specifications estimated.
Lean Six Sigma at Statistics Netherlands

At Statistics Netherlands (SN) we have embarked mid 2014 on a large institute-wide program to implement Lean Six Sigma (LSS) as the standard method for optimizing operational processes. In general, the points mentioned by McSweeney and Moore [3] are very familiar to us; both intentions and the first striking results but also the issues we encounter. In particular we recognize the importance of the support of the director general and the senior management, LSS has at SN. The combination of a bottom up (enthusiastic belts) and top down (committed management) approach was very fruitful for SN. In the following comments we will complete the picture of the use of LSS in a statistical agency from our experiences. The goal of introducing Lean Six Sigma at SN is to enable the organisation to carry out process improvement of operational processes in a structured manner and to build a culture of continuous improvement in which process optimization is obvious and routine. Process improvement should make a significant contribution in coping with the efficiency targets, and being able, despite these budget cuts, to keep up quality and free up resources for modernisation. To this end, a training and awareness program of 15 Black Belts, 80 Green Belts, 175 Orange Belts and 80 Champion Belts has been commissioned and is being executed in “waves” of about 4 months. The trainings program will run well into 2016. Basic principle is that education and practice go hand in hand.
ALTERNATIVE WORK ARRANGEMENTS Job Stress, Well-being, and Work Attitudes among Employees with Different Employment Contracts

In recent years there has been increased employer use of alternative forms of employment contracts to supplement more traditional employment arrangements. Using data from Swedish health-care workers (N=711; 86% women), this study compares full-time and part-time permanent employees with contingent workers and sets out to answer the following questions: Do workers on non-traditional work schedules experience more or less (1) job related role stress, (2) involvement in the organization, and (3) well-being? Contingent workers were found to experience more job insecurity and role ambiguity but also lower levels of somatic complaints as compared to core employees. On a general level, contingent workers expressed levels of job involvement and organizational commitment almost comparable to full-time employees while part-time workers held less favorable work attitudes. The results also revealed gender differences among contingent workers -women on temporary contracts expressed substantially more job insecurity and somatic complaints but also felt more involved in their jobs and more committed to the organization than men. Given that there exists a variety of contingent employment arrangements and that the occupational status of these differ, additional research is needed to increase our understanding of the consequences of different forms of alternative work arrangements.
Price Search in the Retail Grocery Market

The literature has produced an incomplete understanding of factors explaining the variance in price search in markets in which search is a regularly occurring activity. The authors develop a model of price search in the retail grocery industry by expanding the classic cost-benefit model and integrating psychosocial returns and concepts from human capital theory. The results indicate that prior investment search and market mavenism explain significant amounts of variance in price- and specials-related search, respectively, beyond that accounted for by economic costs and returns. The authors further explore the habitual nature of price search in this industry, consider the implications of the social value of price-specials information, and discuss the indirect impact of demographic characteristics. They consider implications for pricing strategy and competition, including reasons why previous research has found that executives overestimate consumer price search.
Use of videotapes for viewing at home to inform choice in Down syndrome screening: a randomised controlled trial

A randomised trial was carried out to assess the effect of a Down syndrome screening video on test uptake, knowledge and psychological stress. A total of 2000 women referred for antenatal care were allocated to two equal groups: one to be sent a video to their home, before their hospital booking visit, and a control group. All women also received screening information in the form of a leaflet before booking and from a midwife at booking. The video had no effect on the screening uptake rate: 638/993 (64.2%) and 652/1007 (64.7%) in the video and control groups, respectively. Women were requested to return the video for reuse in other pregnancies and 612 (62%) did so. A subset of 1200 women were selected to be posted at 17–19 weeks' gestation a self‐completed questionnaire to assess the psychological endpoints. Knowledge of screening was increased in the video group with a mean score of 7.3 compared with 6.7 in the controls, a statistically significant difference (t=3.24, p=0.0005). There were no significant differences between the groups in specific worries about abnormalities in the baby, and general anxiety. We conclude that a video can increase knowledge without affecting the uptake of the test, or psychological stress. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PERFORMANCE EVALUATING FRAMEWORK OF AN INTEGRATED GOAL-RELATED TRANSPORT POLICY

This study constructs a comprehensive framework for analyzing and evaluating the performance of urban transport policies. The content of urban transport policies can be classified into four interrelated categories: investment, pricing, regulation and subsidy. These four categories are combined as policy elements to generate policy alternatives. A case study of a second biggest city in Taiwan building a new MRT system is considered. To simulate the interrelationship among these four policy elements, the result shows that an integrated goal-related transport policy with four elements is required, and is more effective than single element to pick up the public transport market share.
Nonlinear statistical modeling of large-signal device behavior

A novel technique for modeling the nonlinear statistics of large- and small-signal device model parameters is proposed. It features transformation of individual random variables and introduces a new criterion for optimum statistical variable transformation based on Quantile-Quantile plots. Subsequently, multivariant methods are applied to build an inherently nonlinear statistical model. The models are easily implemented into current CAD tools and are suited to accurately predict yield in the presence of process variations and process shifts. Results for devices and MMIC circuits operated under small- and large signal excitation validate the accuracy of the method.
Effects of mutual fund advertising disclosures on investor information processing and decision-making

Purpose – This research aims to examine the effects of financial services advertising disclosures by pairing a content analysis documenting how mandatory financial disclosures are presented in mutual fund advertisements with a between-subjects experiment assessing whether inclusion of the disclosures influences consumer responses to advertisement, brand and company evaluations. Design/methodology/approach – This research examines the effects of financial services advertising disclosures by pairing a content analysis documenting how mandatory financial disclosures are presented in mutual fund advertisements with a between-subjects experiment assessing whether the inclusion of the disclosures influences consumer responses to the ad, brand and company. Findings – The findings show more positive consumer responses for perceived advertising responsibility, recall, and cognitive response as well as higher risk perception when consumers are exposed to the financial disclosures in mutual fund advertisements. Also.
De-Mystifying the U.S. News Rankings: How to Understand What Matters, What Doesn't and What You can Actually Do About It

ABSTRACT College rankings present challenges and opportunities for higher education marketers. Statistical analysis of data on the national universities reveals which measures are associated with peer assessment scores, whether it is possible to influence the score, and what underlying factors are present. Marketers can use the findings to counsel senior leaders and position their institutions more effectively with key constituencies.
Gene silencing of CCD7 and CCD8 in Phelipanche aegyptiaca by tobacco rattle virus system retarded the parasite development on the host

Strigolactones are phytohormones that stimulate seed germination of parasitic plants including Phelipanche aegyptiaca. Strigolactones are derived from carotenoids via a pathway involving the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases CCD7 and CCD8. We report here identification of PaCCD7 and PaCCD8 orthologous genes from P. aegyptiaca. Expression analysis of PaCCD7 and PaCCD8 genes showed significant variation in their transcript levels in seeds and tubercles of P. aegyptiaca at different developmental stages. These two parasitic PaCCD7 and PaCCD8 genes were silenced in P. aegyptiaca using a trans-silencing approach in Nicotiana benthamiana. The transient knock-down of PaCCD7 and PaCCD8 inhibited tubercle development and the infestation process in host plants. Our results suggest an important role of the strigolactone associated genes (PaCCD7 and PaCCD8) in the parasite life cycle.
Protection against Shiga Toxin 1 Challenge by Immunization of Mice with Purified Mutant Shiga Toxin 1

ABSTRACT Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1) of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 was cloned, and four mutant Stx1s were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis with PCR. The wild-type and mutant Stx1s with amino acid replacements at positions 167 and 170 of the A subunit were purified by one-step affinity chromatography with commercially available Globotriose Fractogel, and the mutant Stxs were used for the immunization of mice. The mutant toxins were nontoxic to Vero cells in vitro and to mice in vivo and induced the immunoglobulin G antibody against the wild-type Stx1, which neutralized the cytotoxicity of Stx1. The induced antibody titers depended on the mutation at position 170 of the A subunit. The mice immunized with the mutant Stx1s were protected against a challenge of approximately 100 times the 50% lethal dose of the wild-type Stx1, suggesting that the mutant toxins are good candidates for toxoid vaccines for infection by Stx1-producing E. coli.
Trust in the Online Gambling Industry: We Don't Trust You, But Please Take Our Money

The relationship between the trust that online consumers have in a website and their corresponding website usage is well documented in the e-commerce arena. However, the relationship between trust and usage in the growing online gambling industry may challenge the well documented link between consumer trust and website usage. In this research, we question the notion that trust plays a key role in influencing onsite gambling intentions. We argue that trust is not a good predictor for a web visitor’s intentions of gambling online and that trust does not need to be present in the online gambling transaction. The proposed theoretical model integrates trust, and the individual’s pathological gambling classification into the theory of reasoned behavior (TRA). The expected diminished role of trust in regards to online gambling challenges the traditional view of thinking that trust is essential in ecommerce environments. The impact of trust may be more environment or industry specific than previously thought. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Identifying Users with Atypical Preferences to Anticipate Inaccurate Recommendations

The social approach in recommender systems relies on the hypothesis that users' preferences are coherent between users. To recommend a user some items, it uses the preferences of other users, who have preferences similar to those of this user. Although this approach has shown to produce on average high quality recommendations , which makes it the most commonly used approach, some users are not satisfied. Being able to anticipate if a recommender will provide a given user with inaccurate recommendations, would be a major advantage. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid in the literature to studying this particular point. In this work, we assume that a part of the users who are not satisfied do not respect the assumption made by the social approach of recommendation: their preferences are not coherent with those of others; they have atypical preferences. We propose measures to identify these users, upstream of the recommendation process, based on their profile only (their preferences). The experiments conducted on a state of the art corpus show that these measures allow to identify reliably a subset of users with atypical preferences, who will get inaccurate recommendations.
Practitioners' Views on Elder Mistreatment Research Priorities: Recommendations From a Research-to-Practice Consensus Conference

This article presents recommendations from expert practitioners and researchers regarding future directions for research on elder abuse prevention. Using the Research-to-Practice Consensus Workshop model, participants critiqued academic research on the prevention of elder mistreatment and identified practice-based suggestions for a research agenda on this topic. The practitioners' critique resulted in 10 key recommendations for future research that include the following priority areas: defining elder abuse, providing researchers with access to victims and abusers, determining the best approaches in treating abusers, exploiting existing data sets, identifying risk factors, understanding the impact of cultural factors, improving program evaluation, establishing how cognitive impairment affects legal investigations, promoting studies of financial and medical forensics, and improving professional reporting and training. It is hoped that these recommendations will help guide future research in such a way as to make it more applicable to community practice.