Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Technological Innovation and Initial Public Offerings

This article shows how both technological and competitive risks affect the timing of private and initial public offerings in an emerging industry. Early private financing occurs in industries that are perceived to be risky, with high development costs and low probability of being displaced by technologically superior rivals. Early public financing occurs in industries perceived to be viable, with low development costs and low probability of displacement. Due to feedback effects between financial and product markets, the value of investors' proprietary information is greater in private than in initial public offerings. This has implications for underpricing. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
Innovativeness of Ceretto Aziende Vitivinicole: A First Investigation into a Wine Company

As the second greatest producer and largest exporter of wine, Italy has been impacted by the global economic crisis. This study investigates a long established and highly successful family owned and operated business in the wine sector and their ability to continuously innovate products, processes and target markets. This research is aimed at ascertaining whether effective firm management in the wine sector depends on the combination of internal and external innovation.
The relationship between the acid and alkaline phosphatase activity and the adherence of clinical isolates of Candida parapsilosis to human buccal epithelial cells

Candida parapsilosis is an emerging fungal pathogen implicated in many diseases, especially in compromised hosts. Candidal colonization and infection depends on the initial ability to adhere to host surfaces, which in turn depends upon the cell wall components and the allied structures of both the host and the fungus. Examination of a miscellaneous collection of 24 C. parapsilosis isolates, from both superficial and deep infections, for their potential pathogenic traits displayed a relationship between the phosphatase activity measured with p‐nitrophenol phosphate and adhesion of the yeasts to human buccal epithelial cells (BECs). Significant intraspecies differences were seen in both the alkaline and acid phosphatase activity as well as in their adhesion to BECs (p<0.0001). The acid phosphatase activity of the superficial isolates was significantly greater (152%) than that of the systemic isolates (p=0.0352). A highly significant positive correlation was also established between the yeast adhesion to BECs and both the acid (r=0.88, p<0.0001) and alkaline (r=0.9, p<0.0001) phosphatase activity. These relationships, described here for the first time, imply that phosphatases of Candida species may play a crucial role in potentiating their virulence.
Unbeatable Value Low-Price Guarantee: Collusive Mechanism or Advertising Strategy?

This paper investigates the effects of a low-price guarantee (price-beating guarantee) on the patterns of price setting of three supermarkets using micro-level price data. Following recent theoretical developments, the paper analyzes the ability of low-price guarantees to sustain anticompetitive prices. My empirical analysis suggests instead that this low-price guarantee may serve as an advertising device to signal low prices. The supermarket offering the low-price guarantee, aware of its price advantage in a subset of products, uses it to signal low prices to induce consumers to switch supermarkets.
Relationship outcomes as determinants of reputation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the basis of reputation building through a relationship approach in order to demonstrate that quality of relationships is a determinant of reputation.Design/methodology/approach – The research was conducted on three groups of stakeholders from a collection agency (a typical outsourcing firm) over a period of two years. A questionnaire was developed based on the work by public relations researchers on measuring relationship outcomes. Analysis consisted of descriptive statistics with means and standard deviations. A correlation analysis was performed to investigate the possible effects of a number of the questions on reputation.Findings – The findings from the study showed correlations between a number of the statements measuring the relationship outcomes and the firm's perception among its stakeholders. The most important finding in this study was the significant correlation between the firm's treatment of its clients' customers and the impact on the cl.
The optimal EV charging/discharging strategy in smart grid from a perspective of sharing-economy

There has been a desirable trend in recent years towards Electric Vehicles (EVs) contributing less air pollution and noise pollution than internal combustion engine vehicle. EV charging/discharging problem brings a new challenge to the power operation and control. In this paper, the charging/discharging problem is modelled by noncooperative game theory, the payoff function of this model not only maximizes the revenue of discharging activity, but also minimizes overall generation cost by decreasing electricity price on peak hours. The result of simulation illustrates that charging behaviors can shift the charging demand from peak hours to off-peak hours, while discharging behaviors can shave the peak loads in the parking periods.
Presence of neurotrophic factors in skeletal muscle correlates with survival of spinal cord motor neurons

To determine which combination of skeletal muscle‐derived neurotrophic factors may be important for the survival of specific subpopulations of developing spinal cord motor neurons, we used Myf5 and MyoD (myogenic regulatory factors) knockouts, containing differentially committed myogenic precursor cells (MPCc) and immunohistochemistry against several muscle‐secreted neurotrophic factors. At the peak of motor neuron cell death, skeletal muscle development is delayed in the back and body wall muscles of Myf5−/− embryos and in the limb muscles of MyoD−/− embryos. We hypothesized that, if the skeletal muscle was indeed an important source of survival factors for motor neurons, the back, the abdominal wall, and the forelimb MPCs of Myf5−/− or MyoD−/− embryos should produce at least some neurotrophic factors necessary for the survival of motor neurons. In this report, we demonstrate that (1) different MPCs lacking Myf5, MyoD, or Myf5/MyoD have different capabilities in providing factors potentially required for the survival of motor neurons and intramuscular nerve branching, (2) MPCs in double‐mutant embryos do not contain neurotrophic factors in the absence of myogenic specification, and (3) different subpopulations of MPCs contain different combinations of neurotrophic factors potentially required for the survival of the specific subpopulations of innervating motor neurons. Developmental Dynamics 234:659–669, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Impact of Tax Regimes on International Trade Patterns

This paper discusses the trade implications of value‐added taxes (VATs) that refund domestic taxes paid by exporters of domestic production while imposing taxes on imports of foreign production. VATs are used by over 140 countries of the world, including every member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development except the United States. An investigation of the implications of border‐adjustable taxes on the U.S. trade balance suggests that VATs positively affect trade competitiveness but with differing impacts by sector. These results do not necessarily extend to the conclusion that a U.S. VAT would increase U.S. exports; such a prediction requires economic forecasting and appropriate simulations. The present results do imply that the adoption of VATs by other countries appears to have benefited U.S. trade. Panel data over 20 years, 29 industries, and 145 countries is used to conduct the analysis.
Financial wealth effect: evidence from threshold estimation

Using Hansen's (1999) threshold estimation technique and Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data set for the waves of 2001, 2003 and 2005, we estimate the effects of the fluctuations in financial wealth on the consumption behaviour of households for different endogenously determined income groups. We found a threshold income level of almost $130 000, below which the financial wealth effect is insignificant, and above which the effect is 0.004.
The Role of PET-CT in the Clinical Management of Oesophageal Cancer

Oesophageal cancer, once a relatively rare form of cancer, with a non-uniform geographical distribution, is the sixth most common cause of cancer related death in UK for 2005 (1-3). By the time of presentation, only 24-31% of patients are suitable for curative surgical resection and the overall 5-year survival is 20-30% (2, 4). PET-CT, a new staging modality is said to improve patient selection, by the detection of metastatic disease, which is not readily identifiable by other imaging modalities. Recent published literature demonstrates an ever-evolving role for PET-CT in the management of various cancer types. PET-CT is not only used as a staging tool but can be used to assess early response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy (5). PET-CT can also be employed to identify disease recurrence, often detecting sites of relapse, before any other imaging modality (6). Additionally, metabolic parameters determined from the PET-CT study can provide prognostic information for individual patients (7). The aim of this chapter is to provide the reader with an introduction to PET-CT, covering cellular metabolism, imaging of glucose metabolism, imaging protocols and the utility of standard uptake value. Following this, we will provide a pertinent review of the current published literature on the prognostic potential of standard uptake value of PET-CT in the management of oesophageal cancer and its ability to supplement the TNM classification. Finally, we will include future applications of PET-CT, including its role as a measure of tumour response following neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, and other de novo techniques currently being considered in the field of PET-CT.
Testing the Expectations Hypothesis on the Term Structure of Volatilities in Foreign Exchange Options

This article tests the expectations hypothesis in the term structure of volatilities in foreign exchange options. In particular, it addresses whether long-dated volatility quotes are consistent with expected future short-dated volatility quotes, assuming rational expectations. For options observed daily from December 1, 1989 to August 31, 1992 on dollar exchange rates against the pound, mark, yen, and Swiss franc, the authors are unable to reject the expectations hypothesis in the great majority of cases. The current spread between long- and short-dated volatility rates proves to be a significant predictor of the direction of future short-dated rates. Copyright 1995 by American Finance Association.
Textpresso text mining : semi-automated curation of protein subcellular localization using the Gene Ontology ’ s Cellular Component Ontology

Manual curation of experimental data from the biomedical literature is expensive and time-consuming; however, most biological knowledge bases still rely heavily on manual curation for data extraction and entry. We have developed and actively use a category-based information retrieval and extraction system for curating C. elegans proteins to the Gene Ontology's Cellular Component Ontology. The system’s core components are the Textpresso full text database and index, a support vector machine (SVM) classifier for the presence of expression pattern data in a paper as well as a specificallydesigned semantic category search. All automatically extracted information is presented to a curator for validation in a userfriendly web-based interface.
Beyond Rhetoric to Understanding Determinants of Wind Turbine Support and Conflict in Two Ontario, Canada Communities

The literature concerning local opposition to wind turbine developments has relatively few case studies exploring the felt impacts of people living with turbines in their daily lives. Aitken even suggests that such residents are subtly or overtly cast as deviants in the current literature. Our mixed-methods, grounded-theory case study of two communities in Ontario, Canada provides insights about such residents though twenty-six face-to-face in-depth interviews, 152 questionnaires, and basic spatial analysis involving locals who have been living with operating turbines for several years. Despite being neighbours the communities differ on several measures including the spatial clustering of turbines. Opposition is significantly predicted by: Health, siting process, economic benefits, and visual aesthetic variables. Though a majority supports the turbines we focus on the interplay of that majority with those experiencing negative impacts, particularly related to health. We highlight an asymmetry of impacts at the local level on those who oppose turbines, which is supported by rhetorical conflict at multiple scales. The findings point to the need for greater attention to mitigating impacts, including conflict, by understanding how siting policies interact with social processes at the local level.
Towards Rule of Law in China: Experiences in the Last Two Decades

Nineteen seventy-eight was a significant year for China because that year China initiated economic reforms and adopted the open-door policy. Twenty years have passed since then and China has undergone unprecedented changes in its society. The Chinese legal system is no exception. This article attempts to review and examine the legal developments during the twenty years from 1978 to 1998, to examine the extent to which the goal of rule of law has been realised and will be realised in China. After the Communist Party of China founded the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the mainland in 1949, the process of establishing a socialist legal system in China began. The development of the PRC’s legal system is commonly divided into four periods before the economic reform and opendoor policy: the period of the establishment of the legal system (1949-53), the period of the development of the legal system (1954-56), the period when the process of development of the legal system encountered various problems (1957-65), and the period when the legal system was severely undermined (1966-76). ’ In fact, the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) was a political and social catastrophe, which not only undermined but destroyed
Effects of some organic acids and salts on microbial fermentation in the digestive tract of piglets estimated using an in vitro gas production technique

An in vitro gas production technique was used to screen different organic acids (formic, propionic, lactic, citric, and fumaric acid), organic salts (calcium formate, potassium sorbate, and sodium benzoate), and inorganic phosphoric acid for their ability to modulate microbial fermentation in the digestive tract of piglets. For the incubation, 40 ml of culture medium (53% buffer, 45% frozen ileal digesta, and 2% fresh faeces) was dispensed in vessels containing 5 ml of buffer, 0.5 g of feed, and 20 µl of liquid or 20 mg of solid acidifiers. Gas production was measured every 15 min during the 24 h incubation at 39°C, and a Gompertz bacterial growth model was applied to the gas production data. Formic acid was the only acid that reduced the maximum rate of gas production (µm) compared to that in the control treatment (P 0.05). When investigating formic-acid-based mixtures that contained 1–5% of potassium sorbate and/or sodium benzoate, the estimated parameters for the Gompertz growth model did not differ from those for treatments with plain formic acid (P > 0.05). However, concentrations of total volatile fatty acids, acetic acid, propionic acid, and n-butyric acid were reduced by all the mixtures (P 0.05). In conclusion, organic acids and salts were found to differ in their ability to modulate microbial fermentation in the digestive tract of piglets. Mixing formic acid with potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate changed fermentation patterns, and the possibility to use them to enhance the antimicrobial effect of formic acid should be investigated further in vivo.
Five-year followup of rheumatoid arthritis patients after early treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs versus treatment according to the pyramid approach in the first year.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the clinical advantages observed after 1 year in a randomized controlled clinical trial, in which 2 treatment strategies were compared (the early disease-modifying antirheumatic drug [DMARD] approach versus the pyramid approach), persist after 5 years. METHODS In this study, 238 patients with recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were randomized to either the pyramid group (n = 56) or the early DMARD group (n = 182). Patients assigned to the pyramid group received nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs for at least 1 year after inclusion (the mean +/- SD lag time until first prescription of a DMARD was 14 +/- 9 months). Patients in the early DMARD group were treated with a DMARD immediately after inclusion. RESULTS After 5 years, data were available for 44 patients in the pyramid group (79%) and 145 patients in the early DMARD group (80%). No prolongation of the clinical advantages in favor of the early DMARD group, as observed after the first year, was demonstrated. Nevertheless, a significantly shorter delay time until complete response and a higher number of patients with overall clinically relevant improvement at several assessment points were observed in the early DMARD group compared with the pyramid group. CONCLUSION The clinical results in favor of the early DMARD group, as observed after the first year, were not as evident after 5 years. This indicates that a more aggressive treatment approach in early RA is required, and that treatment should be continued for a prolonged period of time, in order to maintain the advantages obtained in the first year.
Myristoylation and differential palmitoylation of the HCK protein-tyrosine kinases govern their attachment to membranes and association with caveolae

The human proto-oncogene HCK encodes two versions of a protein-tyrosine kinase, with molecular weights of 59,000 (p59hck) and 61,000 (p61hck). The two proteins arise from a single mRNA by alternative initiations of translation. In this study, we explored the functions of these proteins by determining their locations within cells and by characterizing lipid modifications required for the proteins to reach those locations. We found that p59hck is entirely associated with cellular membranes, including the organelles known as caveolae; in contrast, only a portion of p61hck is situated on membranes, and none is detectable in preparations of caveolae. These distinctions can be attributed to differential modification of the two HCK proteins with fatty acids. Both proteins are at least in part myristoylated, p59hck more so than p61hck. In addition, however, p59hck is palmitoylated on cysteine 3 in the protein. Palmitoylation of the protein requires prior myristoylation and, in turn, is required for targeting to caveolae. These findings are in accord with recent reports for other members of the SRC family of protein-tyrosine kinases. Taken together, the results suggest that HCK and several of its relatives may participate in the functions of caveolae, which apparently include the transduction of signals across the plasma membrane to the interior of the cell.
Multidimensional success criteria and expectations for treatment of chronic pain: the patient perspective.

OBJECTIVE The study's primary objective is to define treatment success from the patient perspective across four domains (pain, fatigue, emotional distress, interference with daily activities) using the Patient Centered Outcomes Questionnaire (PCOQ). Secondary objectives include examination of patient expectations for treatment across domains and derivation of patient subgroups based on PCOQ responses. DESIGN Cross-sectional. Setting. University of Florida or affiliated pain clinics. Patients. Participants were 110 patients seeking treatment for chronic pain who completed the PCOQ before their routine medical appointment. RESULTS Patients reported moderate usual levels of pain (mean = 6.1), fatigue (mean = 5.9), distress (mean = 5.5), and interference (mean = 6.4). Patients considered a mean reduction in pain of 3.4 points (56%) to represent treatment success. Mean reductions in fatigue, distress, and interference of 3.35 points (57%), 3.64 points (65%), and 4.3 points (68%), respectively, also signified treatment success. Analyses revealed patients expected their level of interference following treatment (mean = 2.6) to be higher than their success criterion for interference (mean = 2.0). Cluster analysis of PCOQ responses revealed a three-cluster solution. Differences were obtained among clusters on demographic and pain-related variables. CONCLUSIONS Patients might require larger reductions in pain than has previously been reported in the literature as "meaningful" for them to consider treatment successful. Patients did not expect treatment to meet their criterion for success in the interference domain, suggesting patients' success criteria and treatment expectations might differ for some domains. The finding of patient subgroups has implications for treatment matching.
Conceptual Framework for Governance in Land Administration 1

SUMMARY In this new millennium, governance has gained significant attention on the global development agenda and is often considered a fourth dimension of sustainable development, adding to economic, social and environmental dimensions. Implementation strategies to address sustainable development aspirations and to meet Millennium Development Goals must be tailored to address varying development needs. Mobilizing the land sector is considered a principle focus for poverty reduction and a key development strategy in many countries. Land administration and management systems in particular, are responsible for providing tenure security and access to land for all. In addition these can provide accessible and equitable systems to mobilize land resources that ultimately assist in the alleviation of poverty. Good governance within land administration and land management institutions is essential for sustainable development both in terms of operational longevity, equitable stakeholder participation and benefits, and consistency in law and policy implementation. Land administration is often perceived as one of the most corrupt sectors in public administration. Land itself, considered a primary source of wealth, often becomes the trading medium and motivation for political issues, economic and power gains, and self fulfilling interests. The need to ensure there is good governance in land administration is thus very important. A key theme in the land sector among development professionals, policy makers and academics, is how to address governance within land administration. Current research and a draft Conceptual Framework design are presented in this paper to contribute to on-going discussion and provide a tool for focussing assessment of governance within land administration systems. This work is being undertaken under a contract with the World Bank. There is general acceptance that good governance is based on a set of objectives that include: participation; fairness; decency; accountability; transparency; and efficiency. Until recently, measures of good governance and measures of land administration reform effectiveness have largely developed in separate silos of thought. The Conceptual Framework consisting of eight objectives aims to reduce this gap using a range of examples from around the globe. A set of indicators will be agreed and pilot case studies will test these in late 2008, however these initiatives are not discussed in this paper. Attention is given to the first phase of the project which is to establish the Conceptual Framework for good governance in the land sector.