Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Changing Role of Intermediation

Intermediation and intermediaries are primarily dealt with in literature on distribution channels, corresponding to an era when mass production and mass distribution ruled the game. Vertical integration in manufacturing was used to secure efficient operations, and intermediaries were providing functions such as promotion, physical distribution, warehousing, financing etc, in order to capture the discrepancies in producer stocks and customer assortments. However, in today’s industrial reality vertical integration is no longer the primary alternative for manufacturing operations and the reliance of outsourcing implies that operations are distributed over many specialised companies. Moreover, the previous sharp distinction between production and distribution are blurred, and just-in-time deliveries and build-to-order production change the division of labour and impact on the forms of intermediation. Thus, the aim of this paper is to explore the role of intermediation and intermediaries in today’s industrial arrangements. We will rely on the industrial network model (Håkansson et al., 2009) and an empirical study in the textile industry. In order to capture the complex issues described above a case study approval is required, suggested to be particularly useful when a holistic perspective is needed. Our findings show that in today’s business reality the understanding of intermediation as the process of bringing together heterogeneous supply and heterogeneous demand is enhanced if the analysis of actor intermediation is supplemented with analysis of intermediation in the activity and resource layers. However, in relation to this conclusion it is important to clarify that the call for enhanced attention to intermediation in the activity and resource layers is not due to changes in the actual occurrence of intermediation in these two layers. Intermediation in these respects has always been critical to business performance and historically it was considered so important that it had to be controlled within the ownership boundary of the company (vertical integration), while today intermediation of activities and resources increasingly cross ownership boundaries. Thus, the main difference is related to intermediation in the actor layer. Furthermore, the changes in business reality make intermediation increasingly important since when firms specialize in their activities and increasingly rely on the resources of others, various forms of intermediation have their particular consequences for efficiency and effectiveness. Thus, intermediation has to be on the top of the management agenda. Moreover, historically intermediation was associated with particular firms identified as intermediaries. However, today all firms must see themselves as involved in intermediation through numerous connections to different business partners and their activities and resources. In this respect, from a network point of view every actor is an intermediary.
Study and analysis of two GMR-based eddy-current probes for defect-detection

This paper presents the study and detailed analysis of two different eddy-current probe configurations based on giant-magnetoresistance (GMR) sensors for characterization of defects in metallic plates. The probes have an excitation coil that induces eddy-currents in metallic test-plate and a suitably-aligned GMR sensor as main components. When the probe is near a defect, the eddy-current loops get disturbed, leading to a change in magnetic field distribution seen by the GMR sensor. Latter's output-signal is processed to obtain the defect characteristics. The working-principles of the probes are initially derived using basic principles and later validated using finite element analysis. It is shown that output of the probes can directly reveal important features of a rectangular-type defect. A compensation method is developed next to minimize sensor-coil misplacement errors. Prototype hardware probe-models was developed and tested. Test results show fair degree of agreement with simulation studies. Finally, a basic study is presented to estimate the nature and dimensions of some typical defects.
Randomly connected neural networks displaying 1/f spectra

It is known that electroencephalogram (EEG) is broadly scale-invariant over several orders of frequencies. Applying the renormalization group method to the neural network model, we obtain the self-similar solution from which the scaling exponent -1 of the spectrum fall-off. This paper permits one to study the self-similar behavior and helps in understanding the basic ingredients underlying 1/f spectra of EEG.
Hedge Funds, Insiders, and Empty Voting: Decoupling of Economic and Voting Ownership in Public Companies

A gallium nitride compound semiconductor light-emitting device uses a sapphire substrate as a support and has n- and p-type electrodes on the top and bottom surfaces. A trench is formed in the sapphire substrate. This trench has two side wall surfaces which extend from the top surface to the bottom surface and so incline as to converge downward. A buffer layer is formed on the sapphire substrate. A gallium nitride compound semiconductor multiple layer having an n-type layer and a p-type layer are formed on the buffer layer. This semiconductor multiple layer has two side portions arranged along the two side wall surfaces of the trench and a central portion positioned between these two side portions and formed integrally with the two side portions. N- and p-type electrodes are so formed as to oppose each other on the two sides of the central portion of the semiconductor multiple layer.
The Association between Nonearnings Disclosures by Small Firms and Positive Abnormal Returns

We formulate and test the hypothesis that nonearnings disclosures of small, but not large, firms generally are good news. Nonearnings disclosures are defined as disclosures by managers and outsiders about news other than earnings (e.g., stock splits, takeovers, new orders). Good news is defined as a positive stock pi-ice reaction at the time of the information disclosure. Our hypothesis is motivated by two lines of prior research. First, managers have incentives to disclose their private information voluntarily when they expect the effects of the information on firm value to exceed the disclosure costs (Verrecchia 19831. Second, the firm-size differential information hypothesis, advanced by Atiase (1980, 1985) and the corroborating empirical evidence of Atiase (1985, 1987), Freeman (1987), and Bhushan (1989) suggest that incentives for information production and dissemination by outsiders are an increasing function of firm size. Thus, assuming that nonearnings disclosures concerning small firms are initiated primarily by managers, whereas those of large firms are not, small (but not large) firms' nonearnings disclosures are more likely to be good rather than bad news. Using firm-specific nonearnings disclosures, identified from the Dow Jones News Retrieval Service data base over the 1982 to 1987 period, we show that small firms' nonearnings disclosures, on average, are associated with significant stock price increases, whereas large firms' nonearnings disclosures, on average, are valuation-neutral. Given these results and the evidence that nonearnings disclosures are often made around the time of earnings announcements (Hoskin et al.1986; Thompson et al. 1987), we reexamine the puzzling result of Chari et al. (1988) that on-time earnings announcements of small, but not large, firms are associated with positive abnormal returns, unconditional upon the nature of the earnings news. We hypothesize that this phenomenon is attributable to nonearnings disclosures of good news around the time of small firms' earnings announcements. We show that small and large firms' pure on-time earnings announcements are not associated with positive abnormal returns, and that small (but not large) firms' contaminated on-time earnings announcements are associated with positive abnormal returns. We conclude that the Chari et al. (1988) results do not pertain to small firms' on-time earnings announcements per se, but to those that are accompanied by nonearnings news.
Cerebrospinal fluid cystatin C levels following treatment for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

AIM To investigate the changes of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cystatin C (CC) levels associated with the postoperative ischemic conditions and prognostic outcome in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). MATERIAL AND METHODS The study group consisted of 40 patients with microsurgically clipped intracranial aneurysms (IA's) and 22 control CSF samples. In patients, CSF samples were taken from the lumbar intrathecal catheter for CC measurement, at the beginning of operation, immediately after the operation (early postoperative), and the first postoperative day (late postoperative). RESULTS CC levels in three periods were significantly higher in patients with Hunt-Hess scores of 4, 5 than 1, 2, 3. There was a significant difference between the CC concentrations on the first postoperative day and controls. In patients who developed focal cerebral ischemia, CC levels at early and late postoperative periods were significantly higher than the group without ischemia. In addition, patients with poor prognostic outcome (GOS score of 1, 2, 3) had significantly higher levels of CC in all three periods than that of patients with good outcome (GOS score of 4, 5). CONCLUSION The raised CSF CC concentrations appear to be associated with the severity of bleeding, intraoperative ischemic events and poor prognostic outcome in patients with aneurysmal SAH.
Measuring the performance of office buildings maintenance management in Malaysia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the key aspects of performance measurement for maintenance management of office buildings, in order to enhance maintenance service delivery.Design/methodology/approach – A mixed method was adopted with the selection of five buildings as the case studies. In total, 1,230 questionnaires were distributed to the end‐users of the buildings.Findings – This paper proposes a performance measurement system that is proved to be practical and suitable to measure the effectiveness of maintenance service delivery of office buildings.Research limitations/implications – Future research could focus on developing a performance measurement system from a strategic approach.Practical implications – The proposed performance measurement system is anticipated to facilitate the evaluation process for maintenance providers, as it has taken into account the key elements of a maintenance management system.Originality/value – The outcomes of this research are significant in their ow.
Mental health antecedents of early midlife insomnia: evidence from a four-decade longitudinal study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Insomnia is a highly prevalent condition that constitutes a major public health and economic burden. However, little is known about the developmental etiology of adulthood insomnia. DESIGN We examined whether indicators of psychological vulnerability across multiple developmental periods (psychiatric diagnoses in young adulthood and adolescence, childhood behavioral problems, and familial psychiatric history) predicted subsequent insomnia in adulthood. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS We used data from the ongoing Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a population-representative birth cohort study of 1,037 children in New Zealand who were followed prospectively from birth (1972-1973) through their fourth decade of life with a 95% retention rate. MEASUREMENTS Insomnia was diagnosed at age 38 according to DSM-IV criteria. Psychiatric diagnoses, behavioral problems, and family psychiatric histories were assessed between ages 5 and 38. RESULTS In cross-sectional analyses, insomnia was highly comorbid with multiple psychiatric disorders. After controlling for this concurrent comorbidity, our results showed that individuals who have family histories of depression or anxiety, and who manifest lifelong depression and anxiety beginning in childhood, are at uniquely high risk for age-38 insomnia. Other disorders did not predict adulthood insomnia. CONCLUSIONS The link between lifelong depression and anxiety symptoms and adulthood insomnia calls for further studies to clarify the neurophysiological systems or behavioral conditioning processes that may underlie this association.
CARESS Working Paper # 00-06 " Investment and Concern for Relative Position "

Economists typically analyze individuals' market behavior in isolation from their nonmarket decisions. While this research strategy has generally been successful, it can lead to systematic errors when agents' nonmarket behavior affects their market choices. In this paper we analyze how in­ dividuals' investment behavior changes as a result of nonmarket behavior. Specifically, we analyze a model in which individuals must decide how to al­ locate their initial endowment between two random investments, where the returns are perfectly correlated across individuals for the first investment but independent across individuals for the second. We consider an environment in which men and women match, with wealthier individuals more successful in matching. We show how individuals' concern about relative wealth can affect their investment decisions, and we provide conditions under which in­ dividuals bias their investments either toward or away from the investment with correlated returns. A modification of the model is used to explain why agents investments might exhibit a home country bias. 'Support from the NSF is gratefully acknowledged.
Iterative maps with multiple fixed points for excitation of two level systems

Iterative schemes have been used in NMR to generate pulse sequences which excite spin systems over narrow or broad ranges of transition frequencies and radio frequency amplitudes. Mathematical methods employing iterative maps and related concepts from nonlinear dynamics have been applied in the analysis of these schemes. The effect of transforming a pulse sequence by an iterative procedure can be represented as an iterative map on a quantum statistical propagator space, with fixed points in this space corresponding to certain desired responses of the spin system. The stability of these points with respect to variations of parameters, such as amplitudes or energies, determines the bandwidth characteristics of the corresponding sequence; broadband behavior results from stable fixed points, and narrowband behavior from unstable fixed points. This paper examines schemes which produce maps with more than one stable fixed point. Such schemes are shown to generate sequences which exhibit bistable or selective, b.
Identifying Factors Significant to Continuity in Basic Palliative Hospital Care—From the Perspective of Patients with Advanced Cancer

Based on the research method grounded theory and semistructured patient interviews at home following hospitalization, the aim was to provide information on issues relating to the identification and alleviation of patients’ physical and emotional problems, understood as continuity in palliative care. The interviews were based on selected problems that patients found significant. The results are distilled into the core category disheartening interactions and four categories: falling outside the professional framework, not being seen as a person, unidentified/unmet need for guidance and involvement, and patient strategy–minimizing conflict. The categories are significant in generating and maintaining continuity in basic palliative care.
Corporate governance practices at South African higher education institutions : an annual report disclosure analysis

Higher education institutions are presently facing many challenges, ranging from economic and financial constraints to social and educational issues. Accordingly, sound management and governance are essential, and this brings the governance model of HEIs more in line with business corporations. This article provides an overview of the state of governance practices at higher education institutions in South Africa, and an assessment of the corporate governance disclosures in their annual reports. This was done through a literature review of higher education developments, including a South African perspective, supported by empirical evidence obtained from assessing the annual reports of these institutions. The study found that, although most of these institutions are providing disclosure on their corporate governance structures and practices in line with the recommendations of the Higher Education Act and King II, such disclosure is often lacking in detail and could be improved.
The Entrepreneurial Process

This chapter revolves around research-based insights into the entrepreneurial process. By is meant the process of setting up a new business activity resulting in a new market offer. This new offer may be made by a new or an existing firm, although the main focus here is on the start-up of new, independent firms. Further, the new offer maybe innovative, bringing to the market something that was not offered before or imita­tive i.e., a new competitor enters the market with products or services very similar to what other firms are already offering. Although the lsatter type of process may be less complex and also have less market impact, it still entails most of the steps that typically have to be taken in order to get a business up and running. If successful, it also shares, at least to some degree, the consequences that signify entrepreneurial processes:- it gives consumers new choice alternatives- it gives incumbent firms reason to shape up- it attracts additional followers to enter the market, further reinforcing the first two effects (Davidsson, 2004). Besides, imitative start-ups outnumber by far innovative ones (Reynolds et al., 2003; Samuelsson and Davidsson, 2009).
Spare the Rod, Spoil the Director? Revitalizing Directors' Fiduciary Duty Through Legal Liability

It appears that our society has tacitly agreed to spare corporate directors any significant legal liability - which includes both financial and incarceration - for failing to perform their duties as board members. Thus, over the last twenty years, there has been a virtual elimination of legal liability - particularly in the form of financial penalties - for directors who breach their fiduciary duty of care. This is true despite the fact that we entrust directors with the awesome responsibility of monitoring all of America's corporations as well as the officers and agents within those corporations. More surprisingly, this tacit agreement against legal liability for directors has persisted even reform efforts designed to prevent corporate governance failures. Thus, while Sarbanes-Oxley imposes increased responsibilities on directors, that Act fails to impose any direct legal penalties on directors when they breach those responsibilities. Most corporate scholars appear to support this failure, not only insisting that other extra-legal measures sufficiently ensure directors' compliance with their fiduciary duties, but also arguing that legal remedies are both costly and ineffective. This Article disagrees. Instead, this Article uses Sarbanes-Oxley and events which led to its enactment to demonstrate that most arguments rejecting director liability inappropriately assess the costs and benefits of legal penalties, while failing to appreciate the degree to which extra-legal market or reputational sanctions depend upon legal measures for their effectiveness. Thus, this Article concludes that legal sanctions represent a vital aspect of any system seeking to regulate director misconduct. As a consequence, this Article also concludes that many of our corporate governance reforms may be defective because they impose new and significant obligations on directors, but make no specific provisions for sanctioning directors' failure to fulfill such obligations.
Integrins hold Drosophila together

The Drosophila position‐specific (PS) integrins are members of the integrin family of cell surface receptors and are thought to be receptors for extracellular matrix components. Each PS integrin consists of an α subunit, αPS1 or αPS2, and a βPS subunit. Mutations in the βPS subunit and the αPS2 subunit have been characterised and reveal that the PS integrins have an essential role in the adhesion of different cell layers to each other. The PS integrins are especially required for the function of the cell‐matrix‐cell junctions, where the muscles attach to the epidermis and where one surface of the developing wing adheres to the other. These junctions are similar to vertebrate focal adhesions and hemidesmosomes, which also contain integrins. Integrin‐mediated cell to cell adhesion via the extracellular matrix provides a way for tissues to adhere to each other without intermingling of their cells.
FUNDAÇÃO INSTITUTO CAPIXABA DE PESQUISAS EM CONTABILIDADE, ECONOMIA E FINANÇAS - FUCAPE. PROGRAMA DE PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO MESTRADO PROFISSIONAL EM CIÊNCIAS CONTÁBEIS

Identifying the impacts that public politics cause in the economy is essential for its formulation and management of the application of financial resources received by the State. The study analyzed the brazilian public politics of petroleum royalties and natural gas to identify its relation with Gross National Product municipal per capita, investigating what effect of royalties in the economy of the districts is. Data collect was made in 78 districts of the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, during 1999 and 2004 and through the of data panel statistic model was made the multiple linear regressions and the effective analysis. According to the results the relation between royalties and Gross National Product municipal per capita is not statistically significant, showing the lack of evidences that cause effect of such politics in the economical growing of the Espírito Santo State districts.
The importance of occupational safety and health in management systems in the construction industry: case study of construction in Hermosillo

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) are concepts not fully integrated into management systems in the construction industry. This article shows the results of a research study conducted in two construction sites in the city of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. The objective of this research is to identify and evaluate occupational risks in their activities. As a result, it is intended to demonstrate the importance of including occupational health practice into the management systems and potentially prevent, reduce and / or eliminate occupational risks and hazards in construction activities of buildings. Case study was used as a methodological design. Integrating OSH practices in management systems will facilitate construction industry move toward sustainability patterns and consequently increase the quality of life of its workers.