Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Managerial Careers and Business Strategies

This article examines the link between managers' careers and the strategic behavior of the companies they manage. We argue that despite the theoretical and practical importance of this topic for the strategic management of organizations, the results of research to date have been contradictory and confusing, partly because of two substantial gaps in the underpinning theory. Implicit theories about the impact of work history on managerial characteristics are not made explicit, and a conceptual bridge is needed between individual and organizational levels of analysis. Ideas from research on decision-making studies, top management team behavior, and the strategic management literature are reviewed to yield an integrative model that specifies a set of propositions defining a program of research designed to shed light on the nature of the link.
Privacy preserving disclosure of authenticated energy usage data

Fine-grained energy usage data made available by recent advancement of smart grid technologies benefit not only electricity utility companies but also customers. Nowadays customers can utilize various services by sharing their own energy usage data. At the same time, such utilization and sharing of electricity usage data with a variety of third party service providers may cause privacy concerns. In this paper, we discuss a privacy preserving mechanism for customers' sharing of energy usage data with third parties using non-interactive zero-knowledge proof systems. Under our scheme, a customer can, for each data sharing and disclosure, add noise to her electricity usage data without entirely losing verifiability of data authenticity, thereby retaining utility of data at third parties even for billing or accounting purposes.
Is the Balanced Scorecard Appropriate to Measure Intangible Resources

The main aim of this paper is to demonstrate that, by using the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) model in measuring intangibles, companies are using an ‘old’ model to measure ‘new’ factors.1 This demonstration is given from a theoretical point of view, by comparing the BSC and the Intellectual Capital (IC) measurement models in relation to four variables: the notion of firm, the notion of strategy, the relation between strategy and indicators, and the value creation process that underpins the BSC and IC models. The comparison is carried out by analyzing the BSC and IC literature. From the theoretical analysis of the two models, it emerges that only the IC advanced measurement models address the new assumptions regarding firms, strategy and value creation process. The main managerial implications of the paper are that efficient management of organizational resource assets requires an understanding of the role and the interdependencies of such assets in value creation dynamics, and this happens only using a model (i.e., an IC advanced measurement model) which highlights the direct as well as the indirect dependences between tangible resources and intangible resources and activities.
Capacitive Energy Conversion With Circuits Implementing a Rectangular Charge-Voltage Cycle—Part 1: Analysis of the Electrical Domain

Capacitive kinetic energy harvesters (KEH) employ conditioning circuits which achieve a dynamic biasing of the transducer's variable capacitor. This paper, composed of two articles Part 1 and Part 2, proposes a unified theory describing electrical and electromechanical properties of an important and wide class of conditioning circuits: those implementing a rectangular charge-voltage cycle. The article Part 1 introduces a basic configuration of conditioning circuit implementing an ideal rectangular QV cycle, and discusses its known practical implementations: the Roundy charge pump with different flyback mechanisms, and configurations based on the Bennet's doubler. In Part 1, the analysis is done in the electrical domain, without accounting for electromechanical coupling, while in Part 2, the full electromechanical system is analyzed. An optimization approach common to all configurations is proposed. A comparison is made between different topologies and operation modes, based on the maximal energy converted in one cycle under similar electrical and mechanical conditions. The last section discusses practical implementation of circuits with smart and adaptive behavior, and presents experimental results obtained with state-of-the art MEMS capacitive KEH devices.
Breast Cancer Cells Proliferation Is Regulated by Tyrosine Phosphatase SHP1 through c-jun N-Terminal Kinase and Cooperative Induction of RFX-1 and AP-4 Transcription Factors

In this study, we show that proliferation of breast cancer cells is suppressed by IGF-1–activated JNK MAPK pathway. The molecular mechanism by which c-jun-NH,-kinase (JNK) activation induces antiproliferative signals in IGF-1–stimulated breast cancer cells remains unknown. Tyrosine phosphatase SHP1 is known to negatively regulate signal transduction pathways activated by cell surface receptors including IGF-1. Moreover, SHP1 transcript and protein levels are increased in epithelial tumors. Therefore, we hypothesized that IGF-activated JNK induces expression of SHP1 in breast cancer cells. To further clarify the role of SHP1 in tumor growth, we correlated the proliferation rates of breast adenocarcinoma cells with SHP1 expression and JNK activation. We show that proliferation of serum- or IGF-1–stimulated breast adenocarcinoma cells is negatively regulated by SHP1 and show for the first time that IGF-1–activated JNK induces SHP1 expression in MCF-7 cells used as experimental model. In an attempt to understand the mechanism by which serum- or IGF-1–activated JNK induces SHP1 expression resulting in suppression of cell proliferation, we reveal for the first time that in serum- or IGF-1–stimulated breast cancer MCF-7 cells, JNK induces SHP1 expression through the binding of AP-4 and RFX-1 transcription factors to the epithelial tissue–specific SHP1 promoter. Overall, we show for the first time that IGF-1–stimulated proliferation of breast adenocarcinoma cells is negatively regulated by SHP1 through activation of JNK. Mol Cancer Res; 9(8); 1112–25. ©2011 AACR.
Repair of hand scars by a dilated deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap

Abstract We have investigated the mapping of several deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEAP) vessels in each patient, the effect of tissue expansion on the variation in the diameter of the DIEAP vessel, and the clinical effect of repair of hand scars by applying a dilated DIEAP flap. From 2000 to 2009, we did some research on this flap using a Doppler probe and computed tomographic (CT) angiography, and found that the inferior epigastric arteries are distributed between 4 cm above the umbilicus and 8 cm below the umbilicus. Most of the vessels are distributed in zones I, II, and III according to the Rand zonal approach. The arteries were rarely found in zone IV, and there was a relatively dense distribution of perforators in the nearby umbilical plane. Most of the biggest perforators were located in the peripheral umbilicus, and the mean (SD) diameter of perforator vessels was increased by 33% (8)% after expansion. The dilated DIEAP flap was used to treat 18 cases of hand scars. After the operation, 16 flaps survived; the two that did not, had slight blood flow defects in the distal portion of the flap, and the overall effects of the treatment were good. After the DIEAP flaps had been expanded for a long time, blood supply and the area of the flap are increased. The flap generated by this method is thin, has good resistance, and a nice appearance, and is therefor a better method for treating wounds of the hand and arm, and claw hand.
Closely related antibody receptors exploit fundamentally different strategies for steroid recognition

Molecular recognition by the adaptive immune system relies on specific high-affinity antibody receptors that are generated from a restricted set of starting sequences through homologous recombination and somatic mutation. The steroid binding antibody DB3 and the catalytic Diels–Alderase antibody 1E9 derive from the same germ line sequences but exhibit very distinct specificities and functions. However, mutation of only two of the 36 sequence differences in the variable domains, LeuH47Trp and ArgH100Trp, converts 1E9 into a high-affinity steroid receptor with a ligand recognition profile similar to DB3. To understand how these changes switch binding specificity and function, we determined the crystal structures of the 1E9 LeuH47Trp/ArgH100Trp double mutant (1E9dm) as an unliganded Fab at 2.05 Å resolution and in complex with two configurationally distinct steroids at 2.40 and 2.85 Å. Surprisingly, despite the functional mimicry of DB3, 1E9dm employs a distinct steroid binding mechanism. Extensive structural rearrangements occur in the combining site, where residue H47 acts as a specificity switch and H100 adapts to different ligands. Unlike DB3, 1E9dm does not use alternative binding pockets or different sets of hydrogen-bonding interactions to bind configurationally distinct steroids. Rather, the different steroids are inserted more deeply into the 1E9dm combining site, creating more hydrophobic contacts that energetically compensate for the lack of hydrogen bonds. These findings demonstrate how subtle mutations within an existing molecular scaffold can dramatically modulate the function of immune receptors by inducing unanticipated, but compensating, mechanisms of ligand interaction.
Home Range and Parasite Diversity in Mammals

Parasite diversity among and within host species is not solely the result of random processes; rather, it depends on a suite of physiological or ecological host traits as well as environmental factors. Because most macroparasites exhibit life cycles that include infective stages off the definitive host and that rely on host movements for dissemination, parasite acquisition by a host depends largely on hosts being present in a given area where and when infective stages are present. Consequently, host ranging pattern may have a major influence on parasite diversity. Larger home range size is hypothesized to be associated with higher parasite species richness because hosts living in large home ranges should encounter a greater diversity of habitats and other host individuals, which in turn may favor infection by a great diversity of parasite species. By focusing on helminths in wild mammals, we show that an increase in home range area does not lead to an increase in parasite diversity in ungulates and, moreover, that it is associated with a decrease in parasite species richness in carnivores and in glires (rodents and lagomorphs). We also show that home range size is negatively correlated with host density in mammals after correcting both variables for host body mass. We discuss these results from an epidemiological perspective.
The impact of seasonal demand fluctuations on service network design of container feeder lines

Customer demand in global supply networks is highly uncertain due to unexpected global and local economic conditions and, in addition, affected by seasonal demand fluctuations for final products. Therefore, in maritime transportation the design of short-sea shipping services for containerized goods has to prove its economic efficiency under varying conditions of transportation demand. Since liner shipping involves significant capital investments and huge daily operating costs, the appropriate design of the service network is crucial for the profitability of the container feeder lines. Usually, quantitative models for shipping network design are based on deterministic forecasts, which are prone to errors caused by uncertainty factors and structural changes in the development of demand. This paper puts special emphasis on the impact of seasonal demand fluctuations on the structure of the related H&S networks, the capacity of the fleet operating within the network, the deployment of ship types as well as on the associated routes of the ships. A simulation and artificial neural network based forecasting framework is developed to support the design of service networks of short-sea shipping lines. The proposed methodology has been tested for a feeder liner shipping service in the East Mediterranean and Black Sea region. Numerical results show that seasonal demand fluctuations have vital impact on the network design of container feeder lines.
Rules Versus Discretion in Bank Lending Decisions

This paper analyzes the importance of discretion in bank lending decisions. We use a unique dataset of more than 1 million loan applications to customers of German savings banks and can observe accept and reject decisions as well as loan performance. We document that discretion is widespread and economically significant, in particular for customers with an existing relationship with their bank and medium credit quality. This discretion is based on soft information mainly for customers with no credit history (e.g. younger customers) and on hard information mainly for customers with a given credit history (e.g. with significant use of their credit lines). Finally, we find no evidence that loans approved based on the loan officer’s discretion perform any differently than other loans. These results help us in better understanding the loan making process and thus to shed light on an important, open question of interest to academicians, banks, consumers and regulators.
Rhesus Macaque Polyclonal and Monoclonal Antibodies Inhibit Simian Immunodeficiency Virus in the Presence of Human or Autologous Rhesus Effector Cells

ABSTRACT Although antibodies can prevent or modulate lentivirus infections in nonhuman primates, the biological functions of antibody responsible for such effects are not known. We sought to determine the role of antibody-dependent cell-mediated virus inhibition (ADCVI), an antibody function that inhibits virus yield from infected cells in the presence of Fc receptor-bearing effector cells, in preventing or controlling SIVmac251 infection in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Using CEMx174 cells infected with simian immunodeficiency virus mac251 (SIVmac251), both polyclonal and monoclonal anti-SIV antibodies were capable of potent virus inhibition in the presence of human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) effector cells. In the absence of effector cells, virus inhibition was generally very poor. PBMCs from healthy rhesus macaques were also capable of mediating virus inhibition either against SIVmac251-infected CEMx174 cells or against infected, autologous rhesus target cells. We identified both CD14+ cells and, to a lesser extent, CD8+ cells as the effector cell population in the rhesus PBMCs. Finally, pooled, nonneutralizing SIV-antibody-positive serum, shown in a previous study to prevent infection of neonatal macaques after oral SIVmac251 challenge, had potent virus-inhibitory activity in the presence of effector cells; intact immunoglobulin G, rather than F(ab′)2, was required for such activity. This is the first demonstration of both humoral and cellular ADCVI functions in the macaque-SIV model. ADCVI activity in nonneutralizing serum that prevents SIV infection suggests that ADCVI may be a protective immune function. Finally, our data underscore the potential importance of Fc-Fc receptor interactions in mediating biological activities of antibody.
Hybrid ABC/PSO to solve travelling salesman problem

In this paper, we present a hybrid optimisation algorithm with artificial bee colony ABC and particle swarm optimisation PSO. Due to the fast convergent speed, PSO is the main methodology of this hybrid algorithm, as well as ABC is used to optimise the parameters. To investigate the performance, it is applied to solve travelling salesman problem. Simulation results show it is effective.
Market Crashes and Institutional Trading

This study provides direct evidence on the channel through which liquidity risk can serve as a priced systematic risk factor for asset prices. We examine institutional trading in U.S. equities focusing on the financial crisis of 2007-08 to test several theoretical models on liquidity and trader behavior. Institutional traders experienced a dramatic increase in trading cost and higher uncertainty in execution price during the crisis. Consistent with theoretical predictions, we observe significant variation in the impact of the crisis on individual stock liquidity and a more pronounced impact for smaller, volatile, and high (ex-ante) liquidity beta stocks. Importantly, institutions tilt their selling activity toward less liquidity-sensitive stocks, suggesting such securities serve as a liquidity hedge for institutions in a downturn. We find that funding liquidity, as measured by trader margins, cost of funds, fund flows and market volatility impacts aggregate market liquidity. Remarkably, some institutional traders benefited from market conditions during the crisis. The best trading desks improve their performance while the performance of the worst trading desks deteriorates. Overall, market quality in 2008 is comparable to market quality observed in 1999, suggesting that liquidity improvements achieved over the last decade vanished during the crisis.
Letter from the Special Issue Editor

The Bulletin of the Technical Committee on Data Engineering is published quarterly and is distributed to all TC members. Its scope includes the design, implementation, modelling, theory and application of database systems and their technology. Letters, conference information, and news should be sent to the Editor-in-Chief. Papers for each issue are solicited by and should be sent to the Associate Editor responsible for the issue. Opinions expressed in contributions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the TC on Data Engineering, the IEEE Computer Society, or the authors' organizations. Membership in the TC on Data Engineering (http: www. is open to all current members of the IEEE Computer Society who are interested in database systems. The TC on Data Engineering held an election for TC chair. Below is the text of a message from NIchelle Schoultz reporting on the results of the election. I would like to congratulate Betty Salzberg on her re-election as TC chair. Betty Salzberg has been elected as the 2000 Chair for TCDE. She was elected by a unanimous decision, with a total of 8 members voting. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me nschoultz@computer.org Thank you. The world of the world wide web is undergoing explosive growth. An important element of that growth is the emergence of electronic commerce as a significant factor in the global economy. Indeed, while it is sometimes hard to understand the stock market, the valuations of companies that have a presence in the e-commerce sector have exploded, while the stock market valuations of more traditional companies have languished. It does not take a genius to understand that e-commerce is having and will continue to have an enormous impact the world economy. Elke Rundensteiner has assembled a collection of articles for this issue that emphasizes the database technology role in e-commerce. Included in the issue are papers from the academic community, industrial research, and industry. The issue provides a valuable snapshot on what is going on in this rapidly changing world. I'd like to thank Elke for her fine choice of topic and her very successful effort on this issue. I want to thank her as well for her efforts throughout her tenure as an editor of the Bulletin. Careful readers will note that the inside front cover now includes our two new editors, Sunita Sarawagi and Alon Levy. If you …
On the concept of a universal audit of quality and environmental management systems

There is a definite trend in industry today toward the integration of internal management systems (MSs), including those for managing quality, environment, health and safety, and social accountability. The standards describing the minimum requirements for such systems have been made largely compatible, but are not yet fully aligned or integrated. Apart from several national standards for integrated quality, environment and safety MSs, the world has yet to see a corresponding and internationally accepted guideline. In contrast, integrative standardization activities in the realm of MS auditing are proceeding in full force, with the introduction of the pioneering ISO 19011 guideline for quality and environmental auditing expected soon. This paper focuses on the concepts, principles and practices of a truly generic audit, applicable for the evaluation of diverse aspects of organizational performance against the criteria stated in MS standards. A universal audit model based on the systems approach and several important questions regarding the compatibility and integration of the current auditing schemes are discussed. These issues include the ability of integrated audits to foster unification of supported MSs, as well as different strategies for the development of a universal audit guideline (UAG) and integration of function-specific audits. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment.
Determining consignment inventory strategy for a vendor and multiple buyers using a hybrid metaheuristic algorithm

This paper considers a centralized supply chain with consignment inventory (CI) system, where a vendor keeps a finished product and supplies it at the same price to multiple buyers. CI is a process where the buyer pays with delay for the goods supplied by the vendor. Considering the time value of money, this study compares two types of delay in payment in CI, which have been rarely considered (real use and order to order). Furthermore, two different metaheuristic algorithms, genetic algorithm (GA) and a hybrid algorithm, containing GA and particle swarm optimization algorithm, are used to maximize the supply chain net profit and calculate the proper values. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to examine the effects of each parameter on the total net profit. Moreover, by applying a paired t-test, a comparison is made between two types of CI system and also between GA and the hybrid algorithm.
TRANSFORMING EXPERIENCE GOOD INTO SEARCH GOOD: HOW VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE MAY CHANGE THE INTERNET ADVERTISING MARKET?

Prior research indicates that goods contain either search or experience attributes and those that are categorized as search goods may induce more product information search efforts prior to purchase. Considering the low search cost online, search goods could easily prompt even more search efforts. However the experiment results of this study indicate an interesting finding that seem to go against this projection by showing more search efforts (including online advertisements click-throughs and searching time) for experience goods than for search goods. Explanations to the finding which in part echoing Klein’s (1998) proposition of virtual experience are provided and implications for online advertising are drawn.
Retail Productivity: Concept and Analysis for an Emerging Retail Sector

In this study, there are three major objectives. Firstly, I intend to conceptualize the construct 'Retail Productivity' and develop a model to measure it from the existing literature. Secondly, I want to validate it with appropriate industry feedback to establish its usability in current retail scenario and emerging economies. Finally, I want to extend the theoretical and practical (on-field) dimension of retail productivity academically and develop few propositions as directions for this line of study further.