Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is the First to Market the First to Fail? Empirical Evidence for Industrial Goods Businesses

When entering a new market, the first entrant typically faces the greatest market and technological uncertainties. Memorable phrases reflect the associated survival risk, such as “the first to market is the first to fail” and “the pioneer is the one with the arrows in its back. ” Although research estimates the market pioneer's survival rate, the typical pioneer survival rate has not been compared with that of early followers. The authors' study compares survival rates for 167 first-entrant market pioneers versus 267 early followers. For these industrial goods businesses, 66% of the pioneers versus 48% of the early followers survived at least ten years. The main conclusion is that the pioneer's temporary monopoly over the early followers plus its first-mover advantages typically offset the survival risks associated with market and technological uncertainties. These results are consistent with previous research in the sense that first-mover advantages that increase a pioneer's market share also help protect the pioneer from outright failure.
Primary Care Practice Development: A Relationship-Centered Approach

PURPOSE Numerous primary care practice development efforts, many related to the patient-centered medical home (PCMH), are emerging across the United States with few guides available to inform them. This article presents a relationship-centered practice development approach to understand practice and to aid in fostering practice development to advance key attributes of primary care that include access to first-contact care, comprehensive care, coordination of care, and a personal relationship over time. METHODS Informed by complexity theory and relational theories of organizational learning, we built on discoveries from the American Academy of Family Physicians’ National Demonstration Project (NDP) and 15 years of research to understand and improve primary care practice. RESULTS Primary care practices can fruitfully be understood as complex adaptive systems consisting of a core (a practice’s key resources, organizational structure, and functional processes), adaptive reserve (practice features that enhance resilience, such as relationships), and attentiveness to the local environment. The effectiveness of these attributes represents the practice’s internal capability. With adequate motivation, healthy, thriving practices advance along a pathway of slow, continuous developmental change with occasional rapid periods of transformation as they evolve better fits with their environment. Practice development is enhanced through systematically using strategies that involve setting direction and boundaries, implementing sensing systems, focusing on creative tensions, and fostering learning conversations. CONCLUSIONS Successful practice development begins with changes that strengthen practices’ core, build adaptive reserve, and expand attentiveness to the local environment. Development progresses toward transformation through enhancing primary care attributes.
How (In)accurate Are Demand Forecasts in Public Works Projects?: The Case of Transportation

Abstract This article presents results from the first statistically significant study of traffic forecasts in transportation infrastructure projects. The sample used is the largest of its kind, covering 210 projects in 14 nations worth U.S.$59 billion. The study shows with very high statistical significance that forecasters generally do a poor job of estimating the demand for transportation infrastructure projects. For 9 out of 10 rail projects, passenger forecasts are overestimated; the average overestima-tion is 106%. For half of all road projects, the difference between actual and forecasted traffic is more than ±20%. The result is substantial financial risks, which are typically ignored or downplayed by planners and decision makers to the detriment of social and economic welfare. Our data also show that forecasts have not become more accurate over the 30-year period studied, despite claims to the contrary by forecasters. The causes of inaccuracy in forecasts are different for rail and road projects, with political causes playing a larger role for rail than for road. The cure is transparency, accountability, and new forecasting methods. The challenge is to change the governance structures for forecasting and project development. Our article shows how planners may help achieve this. This article was substantially reproduced in the article "Inaccuracy in Traffic Forecasts", published in 2006 in Transport Reviews [Bent Flyvbjerg, Mette Skamris Holm, and Søren L. Buhl, Transport Reviews, Vol. 26, Issue 1, 2006, pp. 1–24 (retracted)] and is the subject of a Notice of Redundant Publication in Journal of the American Planning Association, Vol. 78, Issue 3, page 352, 2012. doi:http://dx.doi. org/10.1080/01944363.2012. 719432
A Collaborative Filtering Algorithm Based on Variance Analysis of Attributes-Value Preference

Collaborative filtering is the state-of-the-art and widely applied method in personalized recommendation systems. However, the problem of precision resulting from sparsity exists chronically. To address the issue, we develop collaborative filtering algorithm that incorporates the variance analysis of attributes-value preference, which can improve recommending precision further. What we operate on is based on the new user-item rating matrix that has been reduced in dimensionality via Singular Value Decomposition. Firstly, user ratings can be mapped to relevant item attributes for establishing attributes-value preference (AP) matrix. Variance matrix of AP (VAP) is proposed to compute the similarity between users that incorporate with the mean of it. Thus, the rating prediction is calculated to generate the top-N items for target user. The experiment suggests that it can increase the precision of collaborative filtering recommendation.
Inward Bound: Domestic Institutions and Military Conflicts

In this article I explore the propensity of democracies to use military force when involved in international disputes. I argue that the use of force by democracies in large part results from the domestic circumstances confronting their chief executives and that those circumstances vary predictably across democracies based on the structure of their domestic institutions. For example, U.S. presidents must garner public support before elections and maintain widespread congressional support if they involve the country in long-term military conflicts. Conflicts are risky without either of these domestic prerequisites. Consider President Lyndon Johnson's decision to escalate U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Johnson and his advisors reached their decision in 1964 but waited until early 1965, after the November 1964 national election, to announce this decision publicly and implement it on the ground. President George Bush's 1990 decision to double the number of troops deployed to Kuwait and move from deterring an attack on Saudi Arabia to compelling an Iraqi withdrawal was made in a similar manner. The Bush administration decided on its new policy in early October but announced that decision only after Congress recessed and the midterm elections were completed.
Quantification of image contrast of infarcts on computed tomography scans

Introduction Accurate identification of infarcts in non-contrast computed tomography (NC-CT) scans of the brain is fundamental in the diagnosis and management of patients with stroke. Quantification of image contrast properties at the boundaries of ischemic infarct regions in NC-CT can contribute to a more precise manual or automatic delineation of these regions. Here we explore these properties quantitatively. Methods We retrospectively investigated 519 NC-CT studies of 425 patients with clinically confirmed ischemic strokes. The average and standard deviation (SD) of patients’ age was 67.5 ± 12.4 years and the average(median)±SD time from symptoms onset to NC-CT examination was 27.4(12)±35.7 h. For every scan with an ischemic lesion identified by experts, the image contrast of the lesion vs. normal surrounding parenchyma was calculated as a difference of mean Hounsfield Unit (HU) of 1–5 consecutive voxels (the contrast window width) belonging to the lesion and to the parenchyma. This contrast was calculated at each single voxel of ischemic lesion boundaries (previously delineated by the experts) in horizontal and vertical directions in each image. The distributions of obtained horizontal, vertical and both contrasts combined were calculated among all 519 NC-CTs. Results The highest applicative contrast window width was identified as 5 voxels. The ischemic infarcts were found to be characterized by 6.60 HU, 8.28 HU and 7.55 HU mean values for distributions of horizontal, vertical and combined contrasts. Approximately 40–50% of the infarct boundary voxels were found to refer to the image contrast below 5 HU. Conclusion Low image contrast of ischemic lesions prevents accurate delineation of the infarcts in NC-CT.
Do individuals with schizophrenia and a borderline intellectual disability benefit from psychoeducational groups?

Studies on psychoeducation in schizophrenia demonstrate significant effects on rehospitalization rates, compliance and knowledge. Within the framework of the Munich COGPIP study we examined whether borderline intellectual disability in patients with schizophrenia limits the benefit from psychoeducational groups. A total of 116 inpatients with schizophrenic or schizoaffective disorders were recruited for the COGPIP study. A manualized, interactive psychoeducational programme of eight sessions (4 weeks) was initiated. Measures of knowledge, adherence and the concept of illness were completed before and after the groups. The short-term outcome of 22 participants with schizophrenia and borderline intellectual disability (IQ 70—85) was compared with the outcome of 75 participants with schizophrenia and IQ > 85. Results showed that individuals with schizophrenia and borderline intellectual disability could be successfully integrated into general psychoeducational groups. The conclusion is that borderline intellectual disability should not be an exclusion criterion for participation in such groups.
Platelet Regulation of Angiogenesis, Tumor Growth and Metastasis

Angiogenesis formation of new capillary blood vessels is essential during development and physiological conditions, such as wound healing and the reproductive cycle. Prolonged and excessive angiogenesis has been implicated in a number of pathological processes, for instance rheumatoid arthritis, retinopathy and tumor growth. The normal vasculature is tightly regulated by a balance between proand anti-angiogenic factors. The most well studied pro-angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor-A(VEGF-A) – is required for development of a vascular system during embryogenesis and is also a central regulator of adult neovascularization (Olsson et al., 2006). Angiogenesis is a multistep process involving oxygen sensing, growth factor signaling, matrix degradation, endothelial cell proliferation, migration and differentiation into a functional blood vessel. This process formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones must take place without compromising blood flow. Platelets are central players in maintaining hemostasis of the blood. At sites of blood vessel injury, platelets are activated to induce blood coagulation and form aggregates at the site of the damaged endothelium to prevent hemorrhage and thereby protects us from fatal bleedings. Besides their role in hemostasis, platelets have been shown to contribute to nonhemostatic processes such as wound healing, immunity, angiogenesis, cardiovascular disease and tumor metastasis (Felding-Habermann et al., 1996; Jurk and Kehrel, 2005). A connection between platelets and malignant disease has been recognized since the end of the 19th century, when Armand Trousseau observed increased thrombotic events in patients that were later diagnosed with cancer (Trousseau, 1865). This enhanced tendency to form blood clots, or hypercoagulability, is named Trousseau’s syndrome (Varki, 2007) and is especially pronounced in certain forms of cancer such as pancreatic and lung cancer. Growth of solid tumors, like all expanding tissues, is dependent on angiogenesis for oxygen and nutrient supply, as well as for removal of waste products. The hypotheses that platelets contribute to tumor-induced angiogenesis was put forward by Pinedo and collegues in 1998 (Pinedo et al., 1998). During the last decade, this hypotheses has been experimentally supported by several independent research groups, demonstrating that platelets can regulate endothelial cell behavior and angiogenesis. Platelets are now recognized as the major source of VEGF-A in the body (Holmes et al., 2008; Peterson et al., 2010; Verheul et al., 1997). In addition to stimulation of tumor growth and angiogenesis, platelets have also been found to regulate metastasis. Possible explanations involve protection of the tumor cells
Estrogen alters hippocampal dendritic spine shape and enhances synaptic protein immunoreactivity and spatial memory in female mice

Estrogen (E) treatment induces axospinous synapses in rat hippocampus in vivo and in cultured hippocampal neurons in vitro. To better explore the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, we have established a mouse model for E action in the hippocampus by using Golgi impregnation to examine hippocampal dendritic spine morphology, radioimmunocytochemistry (RICC) and silver-enhanced immunocytochemistry to examine expression levels of synaptic protein markers, and hippocampal-dependent object-placement memory as a behavioral readout for the actions of E. In ovariectomized mice of several strains and F1 hybrids, the total dendritic spine density on neurons in the CA1 region was not enhanced by E treatment, a finding that differs from that in the female rat. E treatment of ovariectomized C57BL/6J mice, however, caused an increase in the number of spines with mushroom shapes. By RICC and silver-enhanced immunocytochemistry, we found that the immunoreactivity of postsynaptic markers (PSD95 and spinophilin) and a presynaptic marker (syntaxin) were enhanced by E treatment throughout all fields of the dorsal hippocampus. In the object-placement tests, E treatment enhanced performance of object placement, a spatial episodic memory task. Taken together, the morphology and RICC results suggest a previously uncharacterized role of E in synaptic structural plasticity that may be interpreted as a facilitation of the spine-maturation process and may be associated with enhancement of hippocampal-dependent memory.
Understanding the Growth in Emerging Stock Markets

This article investigates the relationship between stock market growth and economic growth, financial liberalisation policies, foreign portfolio investment and country risk in 40 emerging economies between the period 1980–2000. Two Stages Least Squares combined with Fixed Effect technique are employed. The results suggest that economic growth, financial liberalisation policies and foreign portfolio investments were the leading factors of the emerging stock markets growth. This seems to validate the demand-following hypothesis suggesting that economic growth has indeed activated stock markets in these countries. In addition, the findings imply that stock markets development and expansion is a multifaceted process.
Wnt3a/β-catenin signaling controls posterior body development by coordinating mesoderm formation and segmentation

Somitogenesis is thought to be controlled by a segmentation clock, which consists of molecular oscillators in the Wnt3a, Fgf8 and Notch pathways. Using conditional alleles of Ctnnb1 (β-catenin), we show that the canonical Wnt3a/β-catenin pathway is necessary for molecular oscillations in all three signaling pathways but does not function as an integral component of the oscillator. Small, irregular somites persist in abnormally posterior locations in the absence of β-catenin and cycling clock gene expression. Conversely, Notch pathway genes continue to oscillate in the presence of stabilized β-catenin but boundary formation is delayed and anteriorized. Together, these results suggest that the Wnt3a/β-catenin pathway is permissive but not instructive for oscillating clock genes and that it controls the anterior-posterior positioning of boundary formation in the presomitic mesoderm (PSM). The Wnt3a/β-catenin pathway does so by regulating the activation of the segment boundary determination genes Mesp2 and Ripply2 in the PSM through the activation of the Notch ligand Dll1 and the mesodermal transcription factors T and Tbx6. Spatial restriction of Ripply2 to the anterior PSM is ensured by the Wnt3a/β-catenin-mediated repression of Ripply2 in posterior PSM. Thus, Wnt3a regulates somitogenesis by activating a network of interacting target genes that promote mesodermal fates, activate the segmentation clock, and position boundary determination genes in the anterior PSM.
Price Discovery in the European Aluminium Market

We use an extended version of the Beveridge-Nelson (1981) decomposition and the Kalman filter to examine how the noise content, and therefore the informativeness, of the LME aluminium price has evolved since the start of aluminium trading on the LME in 1978. We compare the LME price with the reference price published in a trade journal. We also consider whether futures trading in aluminium has been associated with any change in price volatility.
Biosorption of mercury by the inactivated cells of pseudomonas aeruginosa PU21 (Rip64)

Biomass of a mercury‐resistant strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa PU21 (Rip64) and hydrogen‐form cation exchange resin (AG 50W‐X8) were investigated for their ability to adsorb mercury. The maximum adsorption capacity was approximately 180 mg Hg/g dry cell in deionized water and 400 mg Hg/g dry cell in sodium phosphate solution at pH 7.4, higher than the maximum mercury uptake capacity in the cation exchange resin (100 mg Hg/g dry resin in deionized water). The mercury selectivity of the biomass over sodium ions was evaluated when 50 mM and 150 mM of Na+ were present. Biosorption of mercury was also examined in sodium phosphate solution andphosphate‐buffered saline solution (pH 7.0), containing 50mM and 150 mM of Na+, respectively. It was found that the presence of Na+ did not severely affect the biosorption of Hg2+, indicating a high mercury selectivity ofthe biomass over sodium ions. In contrast, the mercury uptake by the ion exchange resin was strongly inhibited by high sodium concentrations. The mercury biosorption was most favorable in sodium phosphate solution (pH 7.4), with a more than twofold increase in the maximum mercury uptake capacity. The pH was found to affect the adsorption of Hg2+bythe biomass and the optimal pH value was approximately 7.4. The adsorption of mercury on the biomass and the ion exchange resin appeared to follow theLangmuir or Freundlich adsorption isotherms. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Measuring Corporate Social Responsibility in tourism: Development and validation of an efficient measurement scale in the hospitality industry

Abstract This article aims at developing an efficient measurement scale for corporate social responsibility in the tourism industry, given the contextual character that is recognized in the practice of this construct. Indicators were generated on the basis of a literature review and qualitative research. To assess the reliability and validity, first- and second-order confirmatory factor analysis were carried out. Results show a multidimensional structure of this construct—including economic, social, and environmental issues. This study contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the field of social responsibility through its practical application regarding concepts of sustainable development which have mainly been theoretical. The authors would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for many helpful comments and suggestions.
A Multiperiod Model of Inventory Competition

This paper explores when it is important for firms to consider stockout-based substitution and competitor's inventory levels in making inventory decisions in the context of a duopoly model. To address this question, we consider a model where two newsvendors sell substitutable products in a market with aggregate market demand D. The two firms get a proportion p and (1-p) of this demand, where p is random. We characterize the equilibrium inventory levels of the two firms in a single-period model and show the striking property that under certain reasonable conditions on the cost parameters, the two firms ignore their competitor's inventory levels and potential substitution demand, i.e. their inventory decisions are decoupled. Furthermore, we show under slightly more restrictive conditions on the cost parameters that the single-period results can be extended to the case where D is random. Finally, we extend the "decoupling" property to a multi-period periodic review scenario and show that the resulting Nash equilibrium can be characterized simply as the solution to a single-product dynamic newsvendor problem that ignores substitution demand.
QUANTITATIVE EASING: A KEYNESIAN CRITIQUE

Keynesian economists have generally supported quantitative easing (QE) on grounds it increases aggregate demand and anything that increases demand at this time of demand shortage is welcome. This paper argues that response may be misplaced. QE may back fire with respect to demand stimulus, create potentially significant future dangers, and is supportive of a plutocratic political economy based on “asset market trickle-down” that obstructs needed policy change.
Corporate social responsibility and the UK construction industry

Purpose – This paper offers a preliminary exploration of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues being addressed and reported by some of the UK's leading construction companies.Design/methodology/approach – The paper begins with a short discussion of the characteristics and origins of CSR and this is followed by a brief outline of the construction industry and some of the challenges it is currently facing. The empirical information for the paper is drawn from the CSR reports and information posted on the world wide web by some of the leading construction companies.Findings – The findings reveal substantial variations in the nature and the extent of reporting. The paper specifically focuses upon six sets of CSR issues namely those relating to environment; health and safety; human resources; supply chain management; customers and communities; and governance and ethics. More generally the paper suggests that although construction companies report their recognition of the importance of CSR and their .
Review Article: Putting Polarization in Perspective

Scholarly research has demonstrated rather conclusively that American political elites have undergone a marked partisan polarization over the past thirty years. There is less agreement, however, as to whether the American electorate is polarized. This review article evaluates the evidence, causes and consequences of polarization on both the elite and mass levels. A marked difference between the two is found. Elites are polarized by almost any definition, although this state of affairs is quite common historically. In contrast, mass attitudes are now better sorted by party, but generally not polarized. While it is unclear whether this potentially troubling disconnect between centrist mass attitudes and extreme elite preferences has negative policy consequences, it appears that the super-majoritarian nature of the US Senate serves as a bulwark against policy outcomes that are more ideologically extreme than the public would prefer. Moreover, a public more centrist than those who represent it has also at times exerted a moderating influence on recent policies.