Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lone parents: unemployed or otherwise engaged?

This paper examines change and continuity in policy approaches to supporting lone parent families since 1997. The paper considers whether re-categorizing those lone parents not engaged with the labour market as 'unemployed' reopens old debates about who deserves financial support from the state. With lone parents placed in the 'potential worker' category the influence of a moral position advocating the inherent 'goodness' of an engagement with the paid labour market and the private nature of parental caring responsibility is explored. Some potential problems with the focus on employment are highlighted, in particular the specific challenges that lone parents may face when attempting to combine paid work with caring responsibilities.
The Effect of Environmental Management on Environmental Performance and Firm Performance in Taiwanese Maritime Firms

This paper aims to empirically examine the impact of environmental management on environmental performance and firm performance in Taiwanese maritime firms. Three critical environmental management dimensions were identified based on factor analysis: environmental management practices, environmental management auditing, and environmental management investment. A structural equation modelling (SEM) was performed to examine the effects of environmental management on environmental performance and firm performance. The results indicated that environmental management had significantly positive effects on environmental performance and firm performance. However, environmental performance was not found to be related to firm performance in this study.
Endothelin stimulates phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis through both PLC and PLD pathways in mesangial cells.

Endothelin (ET) is a recently characterized vasoconstrictor hormone that has potent effects on glomerular function. Many vasoconstrictors, like ET, that stimulate phospholipase C (PLC) hydrolysis of polyphosphoinositides also stimulate phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) hydrolysis via both PLC and phospholipase D (PLD) pathways. We have previously reported that ET stimulates a protein kinase C (PKC)-regulated, intracellular calcium-insensitive PLD activity that forms phosphatidic acid (PA) in rat mesangial cells (MC). We now ask whether ET-induced diglyceride (DG) production is also, in part, a result of either PLC- or PLD-induced hydrolysis of PtdCho. ET induced both a time- and dose-dependent stimulation in DG as measured by radioflux and mass assays. ET-stimulated DG production was still elevated even at time points where inositol polyphosphates had returned to basal levels. In addition, using [3H]choline-labeled cells, ET stimulated [3H]phosphocholine accumulation, suggesting a PLC-mediated hydrolysis of PtdCho. Stimulation of DG was unaffected by the presence of ethanol or propranolol, suggesting that ET-stimulated DG were not a result of a sequential PLD/PA phosphohydrolase activity. We further dissociated PtdCho-dependent PLC and PLD activities because, in contrast to ET-induced stimulation of PLD, the effect of ET on DG formation was mimicked with ionomycin and was inhibited with 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid but not ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid. ET stimulation of DG could not be mimicked by phorbol myristate acetate and was not blocked by PKC inhibition or depletion. Together, these data suggest that ET stimulates multiple signaling pathways in MC that hydrolyze PtdCho via separate PLC and PLD mechanisms. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Corporate Restructuring and the Consolidation of US Industry

This study examines the impact of corporate restructuring measured at the industry level on industry concentration in 695 four-digit U.S. industries in the basic, manufacturing, and services sectors between 1981 and 1989. The results show a modest increase in median industrial concentration in sample industries between 1981 and 1989. The authors find no evidence that selloffs of assets at the industry level through horizontal mergers, acquisitions, and interfirm asset sales increased U.S. industrial concentration during the 1980s. Copyright 1996 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Interfirm Cooperation Capability in the Context of Networking Family Firms: The Role of Power

This article is based on theoretical and empirical research exploring interfirm cooperation capability in the context of networking family firms by focusing on the role of power. By developing the model of interfirm cooperation capability this study seeks understanding of the concept of power on the affective, conative, and cognitive capabilities of networking family firms, and on the competitiveness of the network of family firms. The study suggests that the owner-managers need to have capabilities, such as knowledge and skills, motivation and volition (willpower) and “affection,” when using their personal and institutional power as it affects the model of interfirm cooperation capability.
Persistent Effects of Job Displacement: The Importance of Multiple Job Losses

This article examines the long-term wage and earnings losses of displaced workers, using longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Consistent with previous research, I find that the effects of displacement are quite persistent, with earnings and wages remaining approximately 9% below their expected levels 6 or more years after displacement. I then show that much of this persistence can be explained by additional job losses in the years following an initial displacement. Workers who avoid additional displacements have earnings and wage losses of 1% and 4% 6 or more years after job loss.
The Cross-Section of Realized Stock Returns: The Pre- Compustat Evidence

Using a database that is free of survivorship bias, this article finds that book-to-market equity, earnings yield, and cash flow yield have significant explanatory power with respect to the cross-section of realized stock returns during the period from July 1940 through June 1963. There is a strong January seasonal in the explanatory power of these variables, even though small stocks are, by construction, excluded from the sample. Copyright 1994 by American Finance Association.
The Relationship Between HRM Practices and Turnover Intentions

A cross-sectional study of the Virgin Island’s public sector was conducted to ascertain whether its human resource management (HRM) practices were related to the employees’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and intentions to leave. A quantitative approach was taken to evaluate employees’ perception of the organization’s HRM practices. Multivariate analysis demonstrated the following demographics: residence, gender, human resource (HR) staff, and supervisory/managerial positions were determining factors in the relationship. Residence correlated to turnover intentions (TIs); gender and supervisor/manager correlated to OCB, while being an HR staff correlated to the HRM factor, employee skill/organizational structure. The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that HRM practices did not predict OCB or TIs.
Evaluating firm training, effects on performance and labour demand

A quality-adjusted measure of labour is developed, where labour efficiency depends on firm training. This specification is integrated into a flexible neoclassical cost function, representing the firm's production technology. Unlike traditional production functions, the cost function does not constrain all inputs to be substitutes and it allows capital to be fixed in the short run. These features are found to be important in the evaluation of the indirect effects of training. Short-run indirect effects arise through the relative price mechanism; an increase in labour efficiency decreases the quality-adjusted price of labour. Long-run indirect effects stem from the equilibrium adjustment of the quasi-fixed capital stock. The methodology is illustrated by means of a small firm panel data set. The results show that previous analyses have been overly restrictive in assuming all inputs to be substitutes. E.g., labour and capital are found to be long-run complements, implying that training increases long run labour demand, although the short-run effect is negative. The training outcomes are imprecisely estimated, but indicate that cost savings and productivity gains can be substantial.
Exchange rate volatility and Irish-UK trade, 1979-1992

This study examines how exchange-rate volatility affected Ireland's exports to its most important trading partner, the United Kingdom, from 1979 to 1992. To ensure reliable inferences regarding income and price elasticities and the impact of exchange rate volatility on exports, the time series properties of the series used are investigated. The analysis here is conducted at both aggregate and 2-digit SITC Division levels since exchange rate volatility can reasonably be presumed to affect sectors differently. Since expectations matter for exchange rate determination real volatility was generated according to a first-order GARCH process. Both real and nominal volatility were important determinants for over 35% of Irish-UK trade, with positive effects predominating. This may be due to the nature of Irish firms operating in a small open economy where they have little option in dealing with increased exchange rate risk except to 'weather the storm' for fear of losing market share or facing costs of either exit, re-entry, or both.
Adaptive filters for transform domain edge detection

Edges or perceptible intensity transitions in digital imagery are identified from the zero-crossings of Laplacian of Gaussian (LOG) filtered images. Time or frequency-sampled LOG filters have been developed for the detection of edges in digital image data. The image is decomposed into overlapping subblocks and processed in the transform domain. In order to achieve accurate and efficient implementations, the discrete symmetric cosine transform (DSCT) of the input data is employed in conjunction with adaptive filters. The adaptive selection of the filter coefficients is based on the gradient criterion. For instance, in the case of the frequency-sampled LOG filter, the filter parameter is systematically varied to force the rejection of spurious edge classifications. In addition, the proposed algorithms easily extend to higher dimensions. This is useful where 3-D medical image data containing edge information has been corrupted by noise. This paper employs isotropic and non-isotropic filters to track edges in such images. The algorithm is implemented in 1-D, 2-D and 3-D and suitable examples will be presented.
Capital Structure and Innovation Strategy: A Study in the Brazilian Context

The modern theory of the capital structure has been the subject of a great amount of studies, since the publication of the famous article by Modigliani and Miller (1958) where they defended that, under certain circumstances, the leverage (relationship between equity capital and third party capital) used by companies would not have impact on its value. Throughout time several theories had been developed to explain how companies define their level of indebtedness; one of them attempts to explain how specific aspects of each organization influence its capital structure. This paper, based on research prepared and published by Jonathan P. O'Brien in the United States of America, evaluates for the Brazilian context the existence of empirical evidences of the occurrence of one of these particular aspects, innovation. The adoption of a competitive strategy based on innovation influences the financing structure of organizations. Innovative firms use, predominantly, equity capital and are forced to keep financial slack, since these firms are riskier. Of the three hypotheses proposed in this paper, two had not been corroborated by the statistical tests, while the other presented the results foreseen by the theory and compatible with other empirical studies on this subject.
IPO Underpricing and Insurance Against Legal Liability

Initial public offerings (IPOs) of equity are typically underpriced on the day of the offering. A frequently mentioned explanation for this puzzling phenomenon relies on issuers' desire to avoid legal liabilities under federal securities laws for misstatements in the offering prospectus or registration statement. According to this "lawsuit avoidance hypothesis," large positive returns from offer price to early after market trading reduce (i) the probability of a lawsuit, (ii) the conditional probability of an adverse judgment if a lawsuit is filed, and (iii) the amount of damages in the event of an adverse judgment.
Theory of pulse-train amplification without patterning effects in quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifiers

A theory for pulse amplification and saturation in quantum dot (QD) semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) is developed. In particular, the maximum bit rate at which a data stream of pulses can be amplified without significant patterning effects is investigated. Simple expressions are derived that clearly show the dependence of the maximum bit rate on material and device parameters. A comparative analysis of QD, quantum well (QW), and bulk SOAs shows that QD SOAs may have superior properties; calculations predict patterning-free amplification up to bit rates of /spl sim/150-200 Gb/s with pulse output energies of /spl sim/0.2-0.4 pJ. The superiority of QD SOAs is based on: 1) the faster achievement of the regime of maximum gain in QD SOAs compared to QW and bulk SOAs and 2) the lower effective cross section of photon-carrier interaction in QDs.
On multi-scale piecewise stationary spectral analysis of speech signals for robust ASR

A £xed scale (typically 25ms) short time spectral analysis of speech signals, which are inherently multi-scale in nature [7] (typically vowels last for 40-80ms while stops last for 10-20ms), is clearly sub-optimal for time-frequency resolution. In this work, we detect piecewise quasi-stationary speech segments based on the likelihood of that segment which in turn is estimated from the linear prediction (LP) residual error. A window size equal in length to that of the detected quasistationary segment is used to obtain its spectral estimate. Such an approach adaptively chooses the largest possible window size such that the signal remains quasistationary within this window and excludes the adjoining quasi-stationary segments from this window. In experiments, it is shown that the proposed multi-scale piecewise stationary spectral analysis based features improve recognition accuracy in clean conditions when compared directly to features based on £xed scale spectral analysis.
A Review and Integration of Empirical Research on Materiality: Two Decades Later

There has been a renewed interest in the concept of materiality motivated by concerns at the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act, and the Auditing Standards Board and International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board issuance of proposed standards on materiality. This paper: (1) reviews and integrates the empirical research on materiality since 1982, and (2) suggests some implications of this research for audit practice and research. The review indicates that while many issues related to materiality have been addressed by prior research, a number of new and important areas are in need of further examination.
Current practices of engineering change management in UK manufacturing industries

The management of engineering changes (ECs) entails serious resource implications in all manufacturing companies, because nearly all the functions of the organisations will be involved. Indeed, these functions may be the sources and also the victims of ECs. Manufacturing companies have to cater for these ECs by adjusting their activities constantly. The robustness of manufacturing can be crippled by ineffective and inefficient management of ECs, irrespective of the advances in manufacturing technologies. This paper studies the current industrial practices in managing ECs in the UK manufacturing industries. The study draws reference from a comprehensive investigation carried out in 1996 within 100 UK manufacturing companies. Numerous aspects have been examined, including the systems, organisations, activities, influential factors, strategies, techniques, and computer aids. One major concern is the balance between the effectiveness and efficiency of the engineering change management (ECM) system. The findings reveal that guidelines for good ECM practices are required for the majority of the companies involved in the study. The study has also shown clearly that ECM has not attracted sufficient attention in research despite its industrial relevance.
THE CYTOLOGIC DEMONSTRATION OF β-GLUCURONIDASE EMPLOYING NAPHTHOL AS-BI GLUCURONIDE AND HEXAZONIUM PARAROSANILIN; A PRELIMINARY REPORT

The preparation of a new substrate for β-glucuronidase, naphthol AS-BI β-d-glucuronide, has been described. The potassium salt of naphthol AS-BI and acetobromomethyl glucuronate were reacted in ethanol. Unreacted anilide was removed and deacetylation and deesterification were carried out with barium hydroxide. The barium salt of naphthol AS-BI glucuronide was separated and was then converted to free acid. The compound has an elemental analysis which agrees with the theoretical one. It has also been possible to devise a satisfactory cytochemical technique for the in situ demonstration of β-glucuronidase employing sodium salt of naphthol AS-BI glucuronide and hexazonium pararosanilin. The optimal staining reaction was obtained with 0.25 mM substrate and 1.8 mM diazo reagent at pH 5.2 in 20 to 30 minutes at 37°C for rat liver and kidney. The brilliant red dye was visualized at the site of enzyme activity mostly as discrete granules. A brief discussion concerned the evaluation of the present method as a cytochemical technique for the demonstration of β-glucuronidase.
A Framework for Stop-Loss Analysis on Trading Strategies

This article introduces a performance analysis framework whereby the impact of a stop-loss rule on trading strategies can be analyzed efficiently. To analyze the risk–return trade-off, risk is measured by the maximum unrealized loss over the holding period of the position (MUL) and return is measured by the profit and loss of the position (P&L).
HIV biological variability unveiled: frequent isolations and chimeric receptors reveal unprecedented variation of coreceptor use

Objective: To follow the evolution of coreceptor use in HIV-1-infected individuals with varying rates of disease progression. Methods: The coreceptor use of 278 sequential HIV-1 isolates from 23 individuals was tested by infection of two human cell lines, U87.CD4 and GHOST(3), expressing CD4 and CCR1, CCR2b, CCR3, CCR5, CXCR4, CXCR6 or BOB. Differences in coreceptor use were further dissected by testing chimeric coreceptors constructed by exchanging successively larger parts of CCR5 for corresponding regions of CXCR4. Results: Three patterns of coreceptor use were distinguished: no evolution, evolution to CXCR4 use, and fluctuation. No evolution with stable CCR5 use (R5 phenotype) was linked to slow progression over 8–10 years in four patients. CXCR4-using virus was present from the onset (five patients) or appeared during clinical progression in all other patients, while taking zidovudine or didanosine monotherapy. The fluctuating pattern of coreceptor use, defined as reappearance of virus with R5 phenotype, was observed in five patients and, interestingly, followed initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy in three of these. Monotropic R5 or X4 viruses were more selective in chimeric receptor use than R5X4 or multitropic viruses. Most importantly, the efficiency of chimeric receptor use increased over time. Conclusion: The increase in efficiency of chimeric receptor use allows a new interpretation of evolution of HIV-1 coreceptor use. Evolution could be a continuous process that may lead to changes in the way a coreceptor is used, with the potential of profound alteration in signalling at that receptor.
Mapping constrained optimization problems to penalty parameters: An empirical study

Penalty function method is one of the most popular used Constraint Handling Techniques for Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) solution selecting, whose performance is mainly determined by penalty parameters. This paper tries to study the penalty parameter from the aspect of problem characteristics, i.e., to construct a corresponding relationship between the problems and the penalty parameters. The experimental results confirm the relationship, which provides valuable reference for future algorithm design.
The Adequacy of Speculation in Agricultural Futures Markets: Too Much of a Good Thing?

This paper revisits the “adequacy of speculation” debate in agricultural futures markets using the positions held by index funds in the Commitment of Traders reports. Index fund positions were a relatively stable percentage of total open interest from 2006-2008. Traditional speculative measures do not show any material shifts over the sample period. Even after adjusting speculative indices for commodity index fund positions, values are within the historical ranges reported in prior research. One implication is that long-only index funds may be beneficial in markets traditionally dominated by short hedging.
An evaluation of exchange rate models by carry trade

We evaluate the effectiveness of economic fundamentals in enhancing profit of carry trades. We simulate carry trades in Japanese yen and Swiss franc against six target currencies based on forecasts of exchange rate models of economic fundamentals. The performance results are compared against those of the benchmark random walk and AR (1) models. We find that carry trades perform better in risk-adjusted returns and produce less downside risk in the exchange rate models of economic fundamentals. Particularly, the best improvement in profit to carry trades comes when the economic fundamentals are used in a factor-augmented regression framework where the factor is time-varying and derived from the fundamentals. The result is robust for different time periods and after controlling for transaction costs. Key words: Exchange rate models, Japanese yen and Swiss franc, carry trade, currency risk premium.
The Returns to Higher Education in Britain: Evidence From a British Cohort

We use British birth cohort panel data to examine the impact that degree level qualifications and other higher education qualifications have on the earnings of individuals in the medium to longer term. We compare the outcomes of these individuals with those of individuals who had the prospect of undertaking Higher Education but chose not to. Our approach involves "matching" these individuals according to observed characteristics which we have in the data such as ability, family background and demographics and then comparing outcomes between individuals who proved to HE and otherwise identical individuals who had the opportunity but did not.