Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IMPROVING OPERATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH FIRM-LEVEL CLUSTERING: A CASE STUDY OF THE KWAZULU-NATAL BENCHMARKING CLUB

The Industrial Restructuring Project (IRP) was initiated at the beginning of 1996 as the KwaZulu-Natal Industrial Restructuring Project (KZN IRP). The project initially focused exclusively on KwaZuluNatal, but is now aimed at supporting industrial policy in South Africa at the national, provincial and local levels. It is facilitated by international experts and is based at the School of Development Studies, University of Natal Durban. The project has two important features. Firstly, it focuses on critical issues that are impacting on the competitiveness of manufacturing sectors that are under threat from increased international competition and the liberalisation of the South African trade regime. Secondly, it is action-oriented in design. The findings that have been generated have, for example, been presented to numerous industry stakeholders, including government, business associations and trade unions. The project consequently has the support of various regional and national stakeholders.
THE LOYAL CUSTOMERS’ PERCEPTION REGARDING THE ONLINE BUYING PROCESS

The purpose of the research is to investigate the Romanian online customers’ perception as regards to the process of buying products from the Internet. The research objectives are: (1) to identify the advantages and disadvantages of buying from the Internet; (2) to identify the reasons of buying from the Internet; (3) to identify the reasons of frequently buying from the same website. We employed a qualitative research method, based on depth interviews. It is an exploratory and instrumental research. The sample is represented by 30 Romanian online customers who frequently buy products from a specific website. The results show that the most important reasons for online shopping are: space accessibility, access convenience, evaluation convenience, delivery convenience, time saving and money saving. The motivations for repeating the purchase from the same website are: product quality, product diversity, quick delivery, easy to use, recommendations, good deals, safety, reputation and interactivity.
Improving supply chain performance through quality management in a global distribution environment

In the context of international logistics, benchmarking systems such as Quality Assurance Accreditation (QAA), Total Quality Management (TQM) and internal Composite Logistics Modelling (CLM) tools can be combined to maximise logistics efficiency. This paper assesses the contribution of TQM/CLM systems to performance enhancement in a global logistics environment by means of a survey of logistics companies and a case study of a global logistics service provider which uses both internal and external quality management systems and CLM techniques in order to provide optimal solutions for the global distribution of automotive components. It is shown that such techniques contribute positively to a company's internal efficiency and to its position in the market.
Neural-model based searching procedure for desired region boarder construction

Application of ANNs as a tool in proposed techniques has been developed. ANNs model of desired region's border allows to get more available information on the performance indices' behavior in the vicinity of the border. Enclosed in ANNs-model output calculation of recommended value for scanning step norm and of the performance indices gradient enables the use of ANNs-model as a source of important information under solving an interpolation and extrapolation problems. In the opposite of traditional approaches mostly based on approximations through preliminary stored experimental data files, proposed method exploits ANNs-model as an element of searching procedure via successive experimentation.
Where Does the Public Sector End and the Private Sector Begin?

The boundary between the public and private sectors can be defined on the basis of ownership of institutional units. Nonmarket government-owned entities and corporations that are owned or controlled by government units belong to the public sector. â€œEconomic ownershipâ€? is more important than majority ownership. Joint ventures, public-private partnerships, and social insurance funds (including for public employees) can be unambiguously allocated to the public or private sector on the basis of international public sector accounting standards. Boundary problems within the public sector are just as acute as those between the public and private sectors, mainly because of ambiguities in distinguishing â€œmarketâ€? from â€œnonmarketâ€? activities.
The Help that May Hurt: On the Link between Institutional Ownership and Cost of Debt Capital

Recent literature has documented a link between institutional equity ownership (IO) to cost of debt capital, and interpreted it as a corporate governance effect. However, separate literature has also interpreted IO as information asymmetry proxy. Given the heterogeneity among IO and their different association with corporate governance and information asymmetry effects, here we look at equity ownership by various types of institutional investors, which allows us to distinguish between the two effects. Based on a most update-to-date and comprehensive bond pricing data spanning the past 20 years, we find that yield spreads narrow (widen) with an increase in the equity institutional group that is more (less) sensitive to information asymmetry and is least (most) expected to help improve corporate governance. The contrasting patterns between yield spreads and various IO persist after controlling for potential endogeneity and other information asymmetry measures. Overall, our findings provide strong support for information asymmetry effect on cost of debt, and highlight the importance of distinguishing various types of institutional investors.
Entry strategies for international markets

The New Global Economy: Challenges and Opportunities. Designing Entry Strategies for International Markets. Deciding on the International Product Candidate and Target Market. Entering International Markets Through Exports. Entering International Markets Through Licensing and Other Contractual Arrangements. Entering International Markets Through Investment. Deciding on the Right Entry Mode. Designing the International Marketing Plan. Designing and Managing Entry Strategies Across Cultural Differences. Designing Entry Strategies for Global Competetive Advantage in Multinational Enterprise Systems.
Broadband True-Time-Delay Circularly Polarized Reflectarray With Linearly Polarized Feed

We introduce a new technique for designing low-profile circularly polarized reflectarray antennas with ultrawideband, true-time-delay responses. The proposed reflectarray uses the unit cells of ground-plane-backed, anisotropic miniaturized-element frequency selective surfaces as its spatial time-delay units (TDUs). Each TDU is composed of a stack of nonresonant rectangular-shaped capacitive patches featuring asymmetric gap spacings and separated from one another by thin dielectric substrates. The TDUs are designed to provide a reflection phase difference of 90° between the horizontal and vertical components of the incident wave over a wide bandwidth. This way, a linearly polarized incident field is converted to a circularly polarized radiated wave. A device prototype that operates at X-band is designed, fabricated, and measured. Measurement results demonstrated that the reflectarray antenna provides a gain of 23.7 dB with variations less than 3 dB within the 8-12 GHz operating frequency range or equivalently 40% bandwidth. Time-domain measurement results demonstrate the suitability of this device for operation with wideband pulses. The reflectarray is also used in a multibeam antenna and it is shown that the structure provides a wide-angle scanning performance with a field of view of ±45°.
Proxy Advisors and Shareholder Engagement Evidence from Italian Say-on-Pay

Institutional investors are often criticized for their insufficient "engagement" with listed companies. Actually, information and other transaction costs limit their capacity to actively monitor investee firms, and to engage with their management. A partial solution is offered by Proxy Advisors (PAs), providing proxy voting services on a subscription basis. We use Say-On-Pay (SOP) in Italian listed firms to investigate PA activity and (institutional) shareholder voting behavior. Making use of a unique dataset, including information on how each shareholder voted in 2012, we analyze the behavior of different classes of shareholders and their relation with PA recommendations. Our main results can be summarized as follows: i) while shareholder dissent on SOP is low, in line with what happens in other developed countries, dissent by institutional investors is surprisingly high; ii) the voting behavior of institutional investors is strongly correlated with PA recommendations. The influence of PAs is higher on nonblockholders (mostly internationally diversified pension and mutual funds) than on blockholders; iii) preliminary estimates show that the influence of PAs in Italy is at least as strong as (and probably stronger than) that observed in the US. This is coherent with the weight of non-domestic institutions, which can be hardly expected to independently analyze thousands of firms; and it is especially so in Italy, where most listed firms may be classified as small/medium cap firms on a comparative basis; iv) institutional investors, however, do not take PA recommendations at face value, but focus on the specific reasons of concern underlined in the reports (in particular, on the structure and long-term value creation of the remuneration policy). Severance pay has, by far, the largest impact.
The Use of Tacit Knowledge and School Innovation in Malaysia Secondary School

The role of tacit knowledge in fostering organization innovation has increasingly gained interest many researchers. However, previous research dominating in the business sector. This study addresses these limitations by conceptualization in the academic setting. This study used the partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM) tool to test the relationship between the role of tacit knowledge among Malaysia secondary school principals and school innovation. Three types of skills used to measure tacit knowledge; cognitive skills, technical skills and social skills. As to measure school innovation, there are six latent variables; leadership, curriculum, co-curricular, student affairs, financial and structure and culture. Data from a questionnaire survey of 370 respondents from Sekolah Kebangsaan, Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil) were used to analyze the model. Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the relationships between all the variables and found that social skill was the most significant predictor of tacit knowledge while co-curricular was the most significant predictor to school innovation and the use of tacit knowledge has a significantly smaller impact on school innovation. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.11591/ijere.v3i1. 5329
Unique Institutions in Unique Places: A Look at the Effects of Occupational Licensing in Indian Country

Recent studies have shown that occupational licensing is an important, measurable, labor market institution associated with 18 percent higher wages. However, a gap in the research exists as it applies to American Indian Country. This gap is partially due to tribal sovereignty, which prevents uniform application of state level licensure laws from applying to American Indian Country. Our research sought to investigate this gap by employing a mixed methods approach. We first looked at the experiences of American Indians as it pertains to occupational licensing for mental health within the Minnesota Ojibwe Tribe, finding a gradual increase of licensure and an associated decrease in service complaints. Secondly, we examined the effects of occupational licensing and location (on American Indian Territory or not) for Non-Hispanic Whites and American Indians as well as by Gender. First, we found a positive effect on both labor force participation and earnings associated with licensing. Secondly, we saw a negative penalty on both labor force participation and earnings for living in a homeland. Thirdly, the effects of licensing with a Homeland are a significant only for women and white men. Our findings suggest that further research should be focused on the effects of licensing within an Indian Reservation instead of using a proxy such as the Homeland Variable. We also find that a close examination of winners and losers, focusing on barriers to entry, should take place. Finally, we find that labor force participation and earnings are not as great for American Indians as has been found for the broader population previously.
Extent and limitations of density-functional theory in describing magnetic systems

The performance of density-functional theory to solve the exact, nonrelativistic, many-electron problem for magnetic systems has been explored in a new implementation imposing space and spin symmetry constraints, as in ab initio wave function theory. Calculations on selected systems representative of organic diradicals, molecular magnets and antiferromagnetic solids carried out with and without these constraints lead to contradictory results, which provide numerical illustration on this usually obviated problem. It is concluded that the present exchange-correlation functionals provide reasonable numerical results although for the wrong physical reasons, thus evidencing the need for continued search for more accurate expressions.
Exercise capacity, respiratory mechanics and posture in mouth breathers

Abstract Chronic and persistent mouth or oral breathing (OB) has been associated with postural changes. Although posture changes in OB causes decreased respiratory muscle strength, reduced chest expansion and impaired pulmonary ventilation with consequences in the exercise capacity, few studies have verified all these assumptions. Objective To evaluate exercise tolerance, respiratory muscle strength and body posture in oral breathing (OB) compared with nasal breathing (NB) children. Material and method A cross-sectional contemporary cohort study that included OB and NB children aged 8-11 years old. Children with obesity, asthma, chronic respiratory diseases, neurological and orthopedic disorders, and cardiac conditions were excluded. All participants underwent a postural assessment, maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), the six-minute walk test (6MWT), and otorhinolaryngologic evaluation. Results There were 107 children (45 OB and 62 NB). There was an association between abnormal cervical posture and breathing pattern: 36 (80.0%) OB and 30 (48.4%) NB presented abnormal head posture (OR=4.27 [95% CI: 1.63-11,42], p<0.001). The mean MIP and MEP were lower in OB (p=0.003 and p=0.004). Conclusion OB children had cervical spine postural changes and decreased respiratory muscle strength compared with NB.
Cytochrome c Oxidase-deficient Patients Have Distinct Subunit Assembly Profiles*

Cytochrome c oxidase (COX) deficiency is the most common respiratory chain defect in childhood and is clinically heterogeneous. We report a study of six patients with COX deficiencies. Two of the patients had as yet undefined defects, three patients had Surf-1 mutations, and one patient had a 15-base pair deletion in the COX III subunit. We show that quantitative measurements of steady-state levels of subunits by monoclonal antibody reactivity, when used in combination with a discontinuous sucrose gradient methods, provide an improved diagnosis of COX deficiencies by distinguishing between kinetic, stability, and assembly defects. The two mutants of undefined etiology had a full complement of subunits with one stable and the other partially unstable to detergent solubilization. Both are likely to carry mutations in nuclear-encoded subunits of the complex. The three Surf-1 mutants and the COX III mutant each had reduced steady-state levels of subunits but variable associations of the residual subunits. This information, as well as aiding in diagnosis, helps in understanding the genotype-phenotype relationships of COX deficiencies and provides insight into the mechanism of assembly of the enzyme complex.
Minimally Invasive Distal Metatarsal Metaphyseal Osteotomy of the Lesser Toes: Learning Curve

Background. Minimally invasive surgery has a shorter surgical time, and in this study we focus on minimally invasive distal metatarsal metaphyseal osteotomy (DMMO). The operation seems to be less complex but requires a high learning curve. We report on our first patients to underline the need for extensive training and great awareness for the risks in the early learning stages. Methods. We evaluated 27 patients (mean age = 60.9 years) with a mean follow-up time of 7.2 months. Indication was metatarsalgia, intractable plantar keratosis, and the (sub-)luxation of the metatarsophalangeal joint. Clinical results were evaluated with the 12-item Short Form (SF-12), Foot Function Index (FFI), Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Score (AOFAS). Radiographs and pedobarographic analysis were obtained. Results. Scores ranged closely to standard value (AOFAS 88.07 points; FFI 93%; FAAM 36.4 points; SF-12 31.27 points). Pedobarography showed significant differences in several forefoot areas. We encountered nonunion/malunion and necrosis of the metatarsal head. Conclusions. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the need for intensive training before practicing DMMO. Results show that minimally invasive DMMO requires a high learning curve. Correct handling of the burr is associated with a lot of training. Wrong handling can lead to nonunion/malunion or necrosis. Levels of Evidence: Therapeutic, Level IV: Case series
Imperialist Competitive Algorithm for AUV Path Planning in a Variable Ocean

An imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) is introduced for solving the optimal path planning problem for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) operating in turbulent, cluttered, and uncertain environments. ICA is a new sociopolitically inspired global search metaheuristic based on a form of competition between “imperialist” forces and opposing colonies. In this study, ICA is applied to optimize the coordinates of a set of control points for generating a curved spline path. The ICA-based path planner is tested to find an optimal trajectory for an AUV navigating through a variable ocean environment in the presence of an irregularly shaped underwater terrain. The genetic algorithm (GA) and quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (QPSO) are described and evaluated with the ICA for the path optimization problem. Simulation results show that the proposed ICA approach is able to obtain a more optimized trajectory than the GA- or QPSO-based methods. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate the robustness and superiority of the proposed ICA scheme compared with the GA and QPSO schemes.
Communication Costs and the Internal Organisation of Multi�?Plant Businesses: Evidence from the Impact of the French High�?Speed Rail

We document the impact of travel time between affiliates and headquarters of geographically dispersed corporate groups on the management of such business organizations. Theory suggests that the easier circulation of managers might facilitate the transmission of information between production plants and headquarters, thus fostering growth and functional specialization (on production activities) at remote affiliates and decreasing operational costs at the group level. We test these predictions on the population of French corporate groups, using the expansion of the High Speed Rail network as an arguably exogenous shock on internal travel times. Results are most pronounced in the service industries, where information to be transmitted is arguably softer (Petersen and Rajan, 2002): we estimate that HSR induced the creation of one production job for the average affiliate in these industries (against 0.2 job in retail, trade or manufacturing industries), and the shift of around one managerial job from affiliate to HQ. These results are robust to alternative identification strategies addressing the problem of the endogenous placement of the HSR infrastructure (use of high-dimensional fixed effects controlling for local and affiliate-level shocks as in Giroud, 2013 and evidence from un-realized lines as in Donaldson, 2014). At the group level, descriptive regressions suggest that the impact on the operational profit margin is around 0.5 percentage points in most industries.
Kalman Filter Estimation of New Product Diffusion Models

The authors introduce a new estimation procedure, Augmented Kalman Filter with Continuous State and Discrete Observations (AKF(C-D)), for estimating diffusion models. This method is directly applicable to differential diffusion models without imposing constraints on the model structure or the nature of the unknown parameters. It provides a systematic way to incorporate prior knowledge about the likely values of unknown parameters and updates the estimates when new data become available. The authors compare AKF(C-D) empirically with five other estimation procedures, demonstrating AKF(C-D)'s superior prediction performance. As an extension to the basic AKF(C-D) approach, they also develop a parallel-filters procedure for estimating diffusion models when there is uncertainty about diffusion model structure or prior distributions of the unknown parameters.
Translational delivery of Cool Little Kids to prevent child internalising problems: Randomised controlled trial

Objective: To determine whether a population-delivered parenting programme assists in preventing internalising problems at school entry for preschool children at-risk with temperamental inhibition. Methods: Design: a randomised controlled trial was used. Setting: the setting was 307 preschool services across eight socioeconomically diverse government areas in Melbourne, Australia. Participants: a total of 545 parents of inhibited 4-year-old children: 498 retained at 1-year follow up. Early intervention: Cool Little Kids parenting group programme was implemented. Primary outcomes: the primary outcomes were child DSM-IV anxiety disorders (assessor blind) and internalising problems. Secondary outcomes: the secondary outcomes were parenting practices and parent mental health. Results: At 1-year follow up (mean (standard deviation) age = 5.8 (0.4) years), there was little difference in anxiety disorders between the intervention and control arms (44.2% vs 50.2%; adjusted odds ratio = 0.86, 95% confidence interval = [0.60, 1.25], p = 0.427). Internalising problems were reduced in the intervention arm (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: abnormal – 24.2% vs 33.0%; adjusted odds ratio = 0.56, 95% confidence interval = [0.35, 0.89], p = 0.014; symptoms – mean (standard deviation) = 2.5 (2.0) vs 2.9 (2.2); adjusted mean difference = –0.47, 95% confidence interval = [–0.81, –0.13], p = 0.006). Parents’ participation in the intervention was modest (29.4% attended most groups, 20.5% used skills most of the time during the year). A priori interaction tests suggested that for children with anxious parents, the intervention reduced anxiety disorders and internalising symptoms after 1 year. Conclusion: Offering Cool Little Kids across the population for inhibited preschoolers does not impact population outcomes after 1 year. Effects may be emerging for inhibited children at highest risk with parent anxiety. Trial outcomes will continue into mid-childhood.