Significant Predictor Of Growth Research Articles (Page 1)

Abstract Purpose This study assesses the impact of networking capability, experimentation capability, and access to financing on the accelerated growth of startups. Design/methodology/approach A quota sample of 119 Peruvian startups was analyzed using binary logistic regression across five models, each comprising different combinations of the three predictor variables. Findings The results indicate that family and friendship networks, academic background, and private capital exceeding USD 15,000 are significant predictors of growth. In contrast, professional networks and public funding programs show no statistically significant effect. Furthermore, experimentation capabilities—particularly those involving scientific knowledge and business model consolidation—are strongly associated with growth. Practical implications Managers should consider that a combination of access to funding, experimentation capability, and networking capability offers a better prediction of accelerated growth than any of these factors individually. In addition, policymakers should note that the amount of funding is crucial for the early-stage growth of startups. Originality/value This study contributes to the understanding of how dynamic capabilities drive the accelerated growth of startups in nascent ecosystems, such as the Peruvian context.

Understanding the relationships between species' demography and functional traits is crucial for gaining a mechanistic understanding of community dynamics. While leaf morphology represents a key functional dimension for plants worldwide (i.e., the leaf economics spectrum), its ability to explain variation in trees' life history strategies remains limited. Plant growth is influenced by both leaf morphology and allocation; hence, incorporating both dimensions is essential but rarely done. Additionally, trait–performance relationships have mainly been studied in tropical communities, leaving gaps in our understanding of temperate forests where different seasonality patterns may alter these relationships. We examined whether species' leaf area index (leaf area per crown size, LAI), a measure of leaf allocation, explains the variation of juvenile tree species' potential growth rates in a winter‐deciduous broadleaf forest. LAI has not been characterized as a species‐level trait, but its ability to predict plant productivity at the ecosystem scale highlights its potential for explaining plant growth. We evaluated species' maximum LAI both individually and in conjunction with wood density (WD) and leaf mass per area (LMA). We expected that models would improve when both leaf morphology (LMA) and leaf allocation (LAI) were included and that species with denser crowns would have higher potential growth rates. LAI and LMA were significant predictors of growth but only when both were incorporated, and together explained a high proportion of species' growth variations (R2adj = 0.59). We found evidence of a trade‐off between LAI and LMA, with a negative relationship between them and each having a positive influence on species' growth, suggesting that there are multiple allocation strategies to achieve fast growth. A surprisingly positive LMA–growth relationship contrasts with observations from tropical forests. We did not find significant relationships with WD in this forest. Our results highlight that incorporating leaf allocation improves models of trait–performance relationships. They also suggest, in agreement with the limited literature, that temperate forests may exhibit different trait–performance relationships from those of tropical forests, where LMA is negatively related to growth and WD is often important. Clarifying the details and contexts of trait–performance relationships is crucial for applying the functional trait framework to understanding community structure and dynamics of forests globally.

Executive function (EF) is thought to be a core component of various cognitive processes. Two common ways to measure EF are through report-based measures that assess EF by collecting informant(s) reports on children's behaviors and performance-based measures that assess EF through the completion of a task related to EF dimension(s). However, most research reports low associations between these measures. The goal of this study was to determine the unique and overlapping contributions of a report- and a performance-based measure of EF on children's academic outcomes over time. The sample consisted of 1,152 children (636 boys, 516 girls) who were part of a large-scale preschool intervention study. Children completed measures of academic achievement in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade, and they completed a performance-based measure of EF in kindergarten; teachers reported on children's EF during the fall of kindergarten. Structural growth modeling was utilized to determine the unique and shared contributions of EF measures on concurrent ability and growth of academic outcomes. Structural growth models indicated that the separate EF measures were both significant predictors of concurrent ability and growth of all academic outcomes, with one exception; the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task was not a significant predictor of growth in math skills. Results of this study suggested that report- and performance-based measures of EF should not be used interchangeably, and these findings have implications for the utility of EF as a risk factor for poor academic achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Debate exists regarding the true pathogenicity of cerebral infundibula (CI). Pre-aneurysmal lesions and benign anatomical variants have both been proposed. In this study, we present the largest single cohort series on the natural history of CI. Retrospective review of prospective surveillance of 420 CI was undertaken in a single tertiary cerebrovascular centre. All CI diagnosed by a neuroradiologist, diagnosed on either a Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), Computed tomography angiography (CTA) or Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were eligible for inclusion. Imaging and demographic characteristics were recorded at baseline. CI growth and aneurysm transformation were the outcomes of interest. Groupwise comparison was conducted via Fischer exact testing. Kaplan Meir curves and Cox proportional hazard ratios were used to assess variables of interest with respect to time on surveillance. 402 patients with 420 CI were surveyed over 2418 infundibula-years. Eleven CI (2.62%) grew on surveillance, and three (0.7%) transformed into aneurysms. Median time to growth was 85 months (36-263) and median time to aneurysm transformation was 112 months (96-142). Of the CI that grew, male sex and CI >2 mm at diagnosis were significant predictors of growth (all p<0.05). Of the CI that grew in surveillance, 2/11 (18.2%) transformed into aneurysms (p=0.001). Aneurysm transformation occurred at a rate of 1.27 per 1000 infundibula years. CI growth on surveillance (p= 0.00016) and size at diagnosis (p=0.038) remained significant predictors of aneurysm transformation on Kaplan Meir curves. The transformation of a CI to an aneurysm occurs at a low rate. A history of growth on surveillance imaging represents significant risk for aneurysm transformation.

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between selected governance factors and growth rates in the manufacturing sector's output among the member states of BRICS. This study examined the institutionalized growth theory and explored four governance factors: government effectiveness, regulatory quality, control of corruption, and voice and accountability. The study also considered factors associated with both exogenous and endogenous growth theories. The estimation process involves applying the first difference generalized method of moments (D-GMM) on a linear dynamic panel model. The data spans from 2010 to 2021. The findings of this study suggest that among the BRICS nations, government effectiveness is the most significant predictor of growth in the manufacturing sector, out of the four governance factors that were examined. The factors of voice and accountability, control of corruption, and regulatory quality did not demonstrate the capacity to exert influence on variations in the growth of the manufacturing sector within the BRICS countries. Unlike prior studies, our research incorporates a range of established growth theories in constructing the empirical model. Additionally, we employ an instrumental variable approach for dynamic panel data analysis. We utilize robust standard errors to address potential issues of endogeneity and model misspecification. Therefore, BRICS countries should devote a sizeable portion of their resources to building solid mechanisms that make it easier for the implementation, oversight, and thorough reporting of government activities inside their manufacturing sector. This strategy could increase governmental effectiveness, which would encourage overall manufacturing sector growth.

Identifying the functional traits that enable recovery after extreme events is necessary for assessing forest persistence and functioning. However, the variability of traits mediating responses to disturbances presents a significant limitation, as these relationships may be contingent on the type of disturbance and change over time. This study investigates the effects of traits on tree growth-for short and longer terms-in response to two vastly different extreme climatic events (droughts and hurricanes) in a Puerto Rican forest. I found that trees display a dynamic functional response to extreme climatic events. Leaf traits associated with efficient photosynthesis mediated faster tree growth after hurricanes, while trees with low wood density and high water use efficiency displayed faster growth after drought. In the longer term, over both drought and hurricanes, tree size was the only significant predictor of growth, with faster growth for smaller trees. However, despite finding significant trait-growth relationships, the predictive power of traits was overall low. As the frequency of extreme events increases due to climate change, understanding the dynamic relationships between traits and tree growth is necessary for identifying strategies for recovery.

PD38-12 NATURAL HISTORY OF SMALL INDEX LESIONS ON MULTIPARAMETRIC MRI: IMPLICATIONS FOR ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE

This paper examines the role of tourism in foreign direct investment-growth relation in upper-middle income countries. We deploy static and dynamic panel analysis to evaluate how tourism indicators influence the impact of FDI net inflows on growth using an unbalanced panel data on 29 upper middle-income countries from 2010-2019. The tourism indicators are receipts, arrivals and expenditures. The results from static and dynamic analyses indicate that for the most part (1) FDI and tourism exert asymmetric effects on growth, (2) tourism indicators reduce the negative effect of FDI on growth, (4) trade openness is a positive and significant predictor of growth, and (5) domestic credit negatively contributes to growth. Deductively, results evidence that tourism indicators are critical drivers of economic growth in upper middle-income countries. Overall, tourism receipts show the largest influence on FDI to spur the most appreciable impact on growth. Despite this, the fact that tourism indicators cannot completely eliminate the destructive impact of FDI on economic growth shows that tourism development policies should be based on a greener and sustainable ground, taking into account the effects of the coronavirus.

Evaluation of milkweed (Asclepias spp.) restoration in the Rolling Plains ecoregion of West Texas for the enhancement of monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) habitat

Influences of the home language and literacy environment on Spanish and English vocabulary growth among dual language learners

Global Health Learning Outcomes in Pharmacy Students Completing International Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

Introduction: Intracranial aneurysms (IA) which occur in adults are assumed to undergo growth at some point during their natural history. However, the factors which may contribute to IA growth in certain individuals are largely unresolved, with significant variation between previous studies. In this study we examine 520 IA which were longitudinally followed by 3D CT images. We examined 21 patient- and aneurysm-specific factors (including patient medical history, aneurysm size, location and multiply) with potential relevance to IA growth. Hypothesis: Patient- and aneurysm-specific characteristics may determine whether an IA is likely to grow. Methods: IA were diagnosed between 2005-2015 and were longitudinally followed with medical imaging (CTA). Univariate logistic regression with calculation of odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were determined using univariate logistic regression with a growth threshold defined as an IA size increase greater than 0.6 mm. Results: Every 1 mm increase in initial IA size was associated with a significant 1.09-fold increase in risk of growth (95% CI: 1.04-1.15; P=0.001). Compared to patients with single IA, in patients with multiple IA, IA were 2.43-fold more likely to grow (95% CI: 1.36-4.35; P=0.003). A diagnosis of hypertension was found to associate with a borderline significant 1.76-fold increased risk of IA growth compared to patients who did not have hypertension (95% CI: 0.93-3.32; P=0.082). Conclusions: Previous meta-analyses have found predictors of IA growth to be extremely heterogeneous, exacerbated by the relatively small sample size of many of the included studies. In this context, our finding of IA size to be a significant predictor of growth and hypertension to be borderline significant in a relatively large set of cases contributes valuable additional data to understanding IA growth.

The natural history of large renal masses followed on observation

Background: Dietary diversity (DD) is an indicator of food security, accessibility, availability, and also a significant predictor of growth. Poor feeding practices are responsible for low DD which affects the nutritional status of child. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the association of DD with nutritional status of urban slum children. Methodology: Data were collected using structured interview schedule on 823 children from 16 slums of western suburbs of Mumbai city. DD score was calculated using food frequency questionnaire as per Food and Agriculture Organization. Weight and height measurements of all children were taken using standard techniques, and nutritional status was assessed using Z scores in terms of wasting, stunting, and underweight as per the World Health Organization norms. Results: About 5.4% children were severely wasted, 10.2% children were severely underweight, and 24.7% children were severely stunted. About 22.1% children had low DD scores, 41.3% had scores indicating medium diversity, and 36.6% children had high scores for DD. Children who were severely undernourished, i.e. those whose Z scores were ?3 tended to have lower DD scores than their better-nourished counterparts for all three nutritional status indicators - weight for height, weight for age, and height for age. Conclusion: DD plays an important role in improving the nutritional status of child. Therefore, there is need to educate mothers in terms of DD to improve nutritional status of children.

AimThis birth cohort study investigated longitudinal infant growth and associated factors in a multiethnic population living in a low‐resource district surrounding the town of Paarl in South Africa.MethodsBetween March 2012 and October 2014, all mothers attending their second trimester antenatal visit at Paarl Hospital were approached for enrolment. Mother–infant pairs were followed from birth until 12 months of age. Comprehensive socio‐demographic, nutritional and psychosocial data were collected at birth, two, six and 12 months. Infant anthropometry was analysed as z‐scores for weight and height. Linear regression was used to investigate predictors of birthweight, and linear mixed‐effects models were used to investigate predictors of infant growth.ResultsLongitudinal anthropometric data from 792 infants were included: 53% were Black African, 47% were mixed race, and 15% were born preterm. Stunting occurred in 13% of infants at 12 months. Maternal height, antenatal alcohol and tobacco use, ethnicity and socioeconomic status were significant predictors of birthweight. In the adjusted mixed‐effects model, birthweight was a significant predictor of growth during the first year of life.ConclusionBirthweight was an important predictor of growth trajectory during infancy. Birthweight and growth were influenced by several important modifiable factors.

ABSTRACTThe authors examined the implementation of a blended learning program for literacy instruction across kindergarten through Grade 5 in a Title I urban elementary school, including a population of students (18%) who are English learners. Student progress in the online component of the blended learning program was a significant predictor of growth in reading performance on a standardized reading assessment (Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation, Pearson Assessment, Boulder, CO) when controlling for student grade level, initial student skill level, and English learner status; however, students in kindergarten through Grade 2 showed more substantial gains than students in later grades. These results suggest there is a benefit of a blended learning approach to literacy instruction for a diverse cross-section of students, particularly when beginning instruction in the early grades.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine how network competence is related to the growth of domestic and international SMEs originating from the Nordic region. Business networks have been found to drive internationalization of SMEs in the Nordic context, but the impact of network-related organizational competencies on them has not been considered.Design/methodology/approach– The authors apply regression analysis on a sample of 298 Finnish SMEs across five industry sectors, gathered via an online survey in 2008, and with the data having been updated for its financial indicators up to 2010.Findings– The authors find that cross-relational network competence is a significant predictor of growth in internationally operating SMEs. This result is robust across measures among the firms. In comparison, the network competence of domestically operating SMEs is not related to their growth, and relationship-specific competence does not influence growth.Research limitations/implications– The study does not account for longitudinal aspect of competence development. Growth is measured by the growth in sales and assets, and there are other ways to measure organizational growth. A single-country context also extends some restrictions on the generalizability of the results, although they could be expected to hold across small, open economies similar to Finland and the Nordic area.Practical implications– The results imply that the strategic aims of SMEs determine their need for network competence, those SMEs seeking internationalization and growth through geographic expansion come to benefit from developing certain types of network competence.Social implications– Policy implications arise where governments in Finland and in the Nordic area may aid SMEs’ internationalization efforts by enabling the growth-seeking firms with increased resources for competence development.Originality/value– This is the first study to examine how the organizational competencies to develop and manage business networks, in particular dyadic and network-level competencies, come to determine realized growth outcomes in domestic and international SMEs. It contributes to the theory of SME internationalization and international entrepreneurship from the business network point of view, while providing further knowledge on internationalization of SMEs originating from the Nordic area.

As the only species exceeding 90 m in height and 2000 years of age,Sequoia sempervirensandSequoiadendron giganteumprovide the optimal platform upon which to examine interactions among tree structure, age, and growth. We climbed 140 trees in old‐growth redwood forests across California, USA, spanning a broad range of sizes and including the tallest, largest, and oldest known living individuals (i.e., 115.86 vs. 96.29 m tall, 424 vs. 582 Mg aboveground dry mass, and 2510 vs. 3240 years old forSequoiaandSequoiadendron, respectively). We used a combination of direct measurements, hierarchical sampling, and dendrochronology to quantify tree structure and annual growth increments through old age. We also developed equations to predict aboveground attributes of standing redwoods via ground‐based measurements. Compared toSequoia,Sequoiadendrondevelops thicker bark on lower trunks, provisions leaves with more sapwood, and delays heartwood production throughout the crown. Main trunk wood volume growth (up to 1.6 vs. 0.9 m3/yr), aboveground biomass growth (up to 0.77 vs. 0.45 Mg/yr), and aboveground growth efficiency (0.55 ± 0.04 vs. 0.22 ± 0.01 kg annual growth per kg leaves, mean ± SE) are all higher inSequoia. Two independent dimensions of structure—size and aboveground vigor—are the strongest predictors of tree‐level productivity in both species. A third dimension, relative trunk size, is a significant predictor of growth inSequoiasuch that trees with relatively large main trunks compared to their crowns produce more wood annually. Similar‐size trees grow at similar rates regardless of latitude or elevation in tall forests of each species. Recent annual growth increments are higher than in the past for the majority of trees, and old trees are just as responsive to environmental changes as young trees. Negative growth–age relationships in previous centuries and positive growth–age relationships in recent decades reflect sampling bias and shifting disturbance regimes. Overall, we find little (if any) evidence for negative effects of old age on tree‐level productivity in either species. Except for recovery periods following temporary reductions in crown size, annual increments of wood volume and biomass growth increase as redwoods enlarge with age until extrinsic forces cause tree death.

There is wide variation in language abilities among young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), with some toddlers developing age-appropriate language while others remain minimally verbal after age 5. Conflicting findings exist regarding predictors of language outcomes in ASD and various methodological issues limit the conclusions that can be drawn about factors associated with positive language growth that could provide insights into more effective intervention approaches for increasing communication skills. Language development was investigated in 129 children with ASD participating in four assessments from mean age 2½years (Visit 1) through 5½years (Visit 4). Language ability was measured by a clinician-administered test of comprehension and production. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to identify predictors of language ability. Stability of language status was examined in subgroups of Preverbal versus Verbal children identified at Visit 1. Discriminant function analysis was used to classify another subset of cases according to Low Language (minimally verbal) versus High Language outcome at Visit 4. ASD severity was a significant predictor of growth in both language comprehension and production during the preschool period, while cognition predicted growth in production. For the highest and lowest language performers at Visit 4, cognition, maternal education, and response to joint attention correctly classified over 80% of total cases. The vast majority of children who were preverbal at 2½years attained some level of verbal skills by 5½years. Findings indicate that it is possible, by 2½years, to predict language growth for children with ASD across the preschool years and identify factors that discriminate between children who remain minimally verbal at 5½years from those with high language proficiency. Results suggest that early intervention focused on reducing core ASD symptoms may also be important for facilitating language development in young children with ASD.

Tree growth is frequently linked to weather conditions prior to the growing season but our understanding of these lagged climate signatures is still poorly developed. We investigated the influence of masting behaviour on the relationship between growth and climate in European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) using a rare long-term dataset of seed production and a new regional tree ring chronology. Fagus sylvatica is a masting species with synchronous variations in seed production which are strongly linked to the temperature in the previous two summers. We noted that the weather conditions associated with years of heavy seed production (mast years) were the same as commonly reported correlations between growth and climate for this species. We tested the hypothesis that a trade-off between growth and reproduction in mast years could be responsible for the observed lagged correlations between growth and previous summers' temperatures. We developed statistical models of growth based on monthly climate variables, and show that summer drought (negative correlation), temperature of the previous summer (negative) and temperature of the summer 2 years previous (positive) are significant predictors of growth. Replacing previous summers' temperature in the model with annual seed production resulted in a model with the same predictive power, explaining the same variance in growth. Masting is a common behaviour in many tree species and these findings therefore have important implications for the interpretation of general climate-growth relationships. Lagged correlations can be the result of processes occurring in the year of growth (that are determined by conditions in previous years), obviating or reducing the need for 'carry-over' processes such as carbohydrate depletion to be invoked to explain this climate signature in tree rings. Masting occurs in many tree species and these findings therefore have important implications for the interpretation of general climate-growth relationships.