Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of laser ablation using multidirectional and forward-firing fibers in breast cancer

Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic effect of laser ablation using the forward-firing fiber and the multidirectional-firing fiber for breast cancer treatment with pathologic results. Material and methods: An ex vivo study of laser ablation was conducted using normal breast and breast cancer tissue. Each ablated area was demarcated into three zones, and the temperature was measured. Laser ablations using multidirectional and forward-firing types of fiber were compared regarding the shape, diameter and aspect ratio of the ablated lesions. Results: The ablated lesions were classified into three zones: a carbonized zone with complete tissue loss; a coagulated zone with no viable cells; and a non-damaged zone. The shape of the ablated lesion was elliptical using the forward-firing fiber and round using the multidirectional-firing fiber. Compared with normal breast tissue, breast cancer tissue required a more powerful setting for laser ablation to achieve necrosis, and the aspect ratio of the thermal lesion was higher for laser ablation using the multidirectional-firing fiber. Conclusions: The experimental results on breast tissue have shown that multidirectional-firing fiber is more effective than using forward-firing fibers and that this may prove to be another feasible therapeutic option for management of breast cancer.
Negotiation Analysis: The Science and Art of Collaborative Decision Making

Preface Part I. Fundamentals 1. Decision Perspectives On four approaches to decision making 2. Decision Analysis On how individuals should and could decide 3. Behavioral Decision Theory On the psychology of decisions on how real people do decide 4. Game Theory On how rational beings should decide separately in interactive situations 5. Negotiation Analysis On how you should and could collaborate with others Part II. Two-Party Distributive (Win-Lose) Negotiations 6. Elmtree House On setting the stage for adversarial bargaining 7. Distributive Negotiations: The Basic Problem On the essence of noncooperative, win-lose negotiations 8. Introducing Complexities: Uncertainty On deciding to settle out of court and other problems of choice under uncertainty 9. Introducing Complexities: Time On entrapments and downward escalation on real and virtual strikes 10. Auctions and Bids On comparing different auction and competitive bidding procedures Part III. Two-Party Integrative (Win-Win) Negotiations 11. Template Design On brainstorming alone and together on deciding what must be decided 12. Template Evaluation On deciding what you need and want 13. Template Analysis (I) On finding a joint compromise for a special simple case 14. Template Analysis (II) On finding a joint compromise for the general case 15. Behavioral Realities On learning how people do negotiate in the laboratory and the real world 16. Noncooperative Others On how to tackle noncooperative adversaries Part IV. External Help 17. Mostly Facilitation and Mediation On helping with people problems 18. Arbitration: Conventional and Nonconventional On how a neutral joint analyst might help 19. What Is Fair? On principles for deciding joint outcomes 20. Parallel Negotiations On negotiating without Negotiating Part V. Many Parties 21. Group Decisions On organizing and managing groups 22. Consensus On how to achieve a shared agreement for all 23. Coalitions On the dynamics of splitting and joining subgroups 24. Voting On anomalies of collective action based on voting schemes 25. Pluralistic Parties On dealing with parties fractured by internal conflict 26. Multiparty Interventions On the role of external helpers in multiparty negotiations 27. Social Dilemmas On the conflict between self-interest and group interest References Note on Sources Index
Market Reactions to the Passage of the Financial Holding Company Act in Taiwan

We examine how financial institutions react to various events surrounding the passage of Taiwan's Financial Holding Company Act in June 2001. Empirical results indicate that the financial system experiences significant abnormal returns along the legislative process. Smaller firms have significantly higher abnormal returns, thus lending no support for the hypothesis that larger firms benefit more from the Act. Further analysis shows that the significance of market value is replaced by a significant securities industry effect, thereby consistent with the observation that Taiwan's securities firms are generally smaller in market values and are potential target firms for financial holding companies. Copyright 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation 2008 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
Indonesian Agricultural Development: The Awkward Case of Smallholder Tree Crops 1

The problems of transforming smallholder tree crops from traditional low-yielding to modern high-yielding technology are examined, using a meta production function approach to analyse the changes. The role of government in transformation is considered, and various ‘individual’ and ‘black’ improvement schemes implemented since the 1950s are analysed. Many of these schemes have not teen successful owing to poor planning and inadequate managerial and financial support, and their coverage has been small in relation to the huge areas needing improvement. The paper suggests a more modest ‘dispasal’ approach to transformation, concerned with setting up nurseries to provide better quality planting material and advice to individual fanners. But even this revised approach should be carefully planned and executed light of previous mistakes if it is to have widespread impact. 1 The authors wish to thank the Director of the Center for Policy and Implementation Studies, Jakarta, for providing some of the facilities whi.
Corporate diversification, executive compensation and firm value: Evidence from Australia

We estimate the effect of corporate diversification on firm value using a sample of 766 segment-year observations during 2004–2008 for firms listed on the Australian Stock Exchange as of August 2009. In addition to conventionally used measures of diversification, we develop five new measures of diversification that explicitly take into account the degree to which a multi-segment firm’s various segments are in related lines of business. We use three different excess value measures to estimate the valuation effect of diversification. We find that multi-segment firms in our sample enjoyed a significant diversification premium that ranges from 12.4% to 18% depending on the measures of diversification and excess value. We also find some evidence that multi-segment firms benefit more from diversification when their executives are motivated more through long-term incentives such as stock and stock options.
Social media usage: an investigation of B2B salespeople

A great deal has been written recently in the practitioner press about the strategic importance and usage of social media. However, as practitioners only release limited information about the internal advantages such a tool provides, research in this emerging field remains extremely limited about its usage in the sales area. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to propose and empirically assess a model of social media usage among business-to-business (B2B) salespeople. A survey of 273 B2B salespeople was conducted and then analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results support the hypothesized model suggesting that age negatively affects social media usage, while social media norms positively affect it. Social media usage positively affects sales performance. Customer-oriented selling was not found to be positively related to social media usage, but does have a positive effect on sales performance. This study was conducted by e-mail, and as a result, there might be an existing bias towards respondents who already embrace some usage of an online communication method, indicating overall usage, acceptance, and application of social media may be lower than reported. A potential research agenda offers opportunities for both theoretical development and empirical assessment in social media research. The findings provide an important foundation to advance academic sales research and demonstrate a needed understanding of how to operationally utilize social media to improve outcome performance. This is one of the few studies empirically examining social media usage among B2B salespeople.
The role of knowledge and learning in the internationalisation of professional service firms

This paper explores the role of knowledge and learning in the internationalisation process of a small, professional service firm. It investigates the relationship between key dimensions of knowledge, organisational learning, and knowledge leverage mechanisms and internationalisation. Our findings reveal internationalisation appears most influenced by internal, tacit knowledge. The firm's ability to learn via depth and diversity of employee's experience is moderated by the efficiency of the mechanisms that enable application of knowledge to further internationalisation. This is an interactive, iterative process that builds organisational wisdom.
Predicting the Equity Premium with the Demand for Gold Coins and Bars

In this paper, we propose novel predictor variables for forecasting stock market returns. We investigate the predictive power of the demand for gold coins and bars as a proxy for the risk premium consistent with the safe haven property of gold. The gold demand variables reflect the behaviour of retail investors and thus also represent a new class of predictors. Our analysis shows that the demand for gold is positively correlated with future stock returns and enhances the predictive power of the dividend yield and other variables.
Cooperative forms of governance: Problems of democratic accountability in complex environments

Abstract. Various schools of research in public policy (the literature on ‘governance’ and its continental counterparts) are converging to focus on the growth of policy styles based on cooperation and partnership in networks, instead of on vertical control by the state. This article focuses on issues of democratic accountability and responsiveness with these governance arrangements. It argues that until recently the legitimacy of governance networks was not at the forefront of theoretical developments, even though the ‘democratic deficit’ of governance is problematic both for normative and for pragmatic reasons. There is now increased sensitivity to this problem, but the remedies presented in the literature are unsatisfactory, and critiques of governance presuppose a somewhat idealised image of representative democracy in terms of accountability or responsiveness of decision-makers. They also fail to offer adequate solutions to some of the central legitimacy problems of policy-making in complex societies.
‘You know how it makes you feel’: Low-income parents' childcare priorities and definitions of ideal high-quality childcare

Through focus groups and a written activity, this study explores and compares 41 low-income Maryland parents' childcare priorities and definitions of ideal high-quality care. Features of ideal high-quality care identified by parents align with professional standards and with descriptions found in existing literature, though parents' operationalized definitions of quality varied, and their expectations were lower than most professional standards. There was also strong alignment between identified features of high-quality care and parents' priorities in their most recent childcare searches, though parents focused less on structured learning opportunities when discussing childcare priorities and more on practical features of care. Most features of care discussed by parents are included in Maryland's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), though some of the specific elements parents cited are not included. Findings from this study could be used to inform marketing and design of consumer-education campaigns, QRIS, and survey development.
Job satisfaction and gender segregation

Using data from the US, the determinants of overall job satisfaction are estimated as part of explaining 'the paradox of the contented female worker'. Confirming earlier studies women report higher job satisfaction than men and higher job satisfaction in workplaces dominated by women workers. The US data allow us to demonstrate that men and women value job flexibility differently and that once differences in the extent of job flexibility are accounted for, the gender composition of the workplace plays no role in determining the job satisfaction of women. Thus, women in female dominated workplaces may report higher job satisfaction because they value job flexibility and so choose to dominate the workplaces that provide job flexibility. Copyright 2005, Oxford University Press.
Tacit Knowledge and the Structure of License Contracts: Evidence from the Biomedical Industry

type="main"> How do contracts deal with the exchange of tacit knowledge, which is difficult to observe, enforce, and verify? This study compares the sample characteristics of 505 license agreements between inventors and developers of biomedical inventions with theoretical prescriptions about contractual terms when the parties’ tacit knowledge is required to commercialize the inventions. The analysis reveals that (a) three- and four-part payments are common in licenses of biomedical inventions; (b) the importance of inventors’ tacit knowledge in development activities is directly related to the magnitude of royalty rates in the licenses; and (c) the importance of developers’ tacit knowledge in development is associated with minimum annual payments when the license includes measurable benchmarks to address the shelving of inventions, and to upfront payments in the absence of such benchmarks. Firms use a complex mix of upfront and state-contingent payments, broadly consistent with theoretical prescriptions, to cope with the incentive issues inherent in the exchange of tacit knowledge.
Is there Any Specific Equity Route for Small and Medium-Sized Family Businesses? The French Experience

This article presents a precise typology of French initial public offerings (IPOs) with the underlying aim of suggesting that small and medium-sized family businesses could have a specific approach to capital dilution. Our analysis breaks free from the traditional “family versus nonfamily business methodology” and is based first on a global cluster analysis. We aimed to prove that family businesses were not only different but also specific. Empirical results make it possible to consider that there is a specific attitude among family businesses aiming at quotation. The sample is composed of 131 IPOs. The study covers the period from January 1997 to May 1999 and includes all the IPOs that ocurred during these two-and-a-half years. This period was probably the most active period for the French sections of the stock exchange dedicated to small and medium-sized companies. What inspired this study was our feeling that there was a new competition between venture capitalist companies and the stock exchange: recent experience on the financial markets clearly highlights the fact that many companies preferred to go public rather than to significantly open their equity structure to private investors. Consequently, the first aim of this research was to prove that the equity route of some small and medium enterprises (SMEs) no longer follows the linear process of dilution as supposed by the classical financial theory (Myers, 1984). The second aim was to demonstrate that the approach of small and medium-sized family businesses is closer to the classical equity route (regular process of dilution), whereas fast-growing and young companies prefer to go public.
Do environmental variables affect the performance and technical efficiency of the European banking systems? A parametric analysis using the stochastic frontier approach

The paper compares the efficiency of the European banking systems in view of the constitution of the European Monetary Union. Since competition among banks will increase, it is important to identify the most efficient banking system able to play a role in that market. A parametric approach is adopted, based on the estimation of a stochastic cost frontier. This methodology enables one to measure X-inefficiency and to model it as a function of environmental variables which may influence firms' efficiency. By means of this analysis it is possible to identify the most efficient banking systems and to focus on the determinants of deviations from cost minimizing. The analysis highlights significant efficiency gaps among the performances of banks in different countries and of different institutional types. In particular, it is found that the Mittel-European model is the one that operates closest to the efficient frontier. This may indicate that, compared with separated banks, the universal banking system allows for production plans which come closer to the optimal frontier. The analysis suggests that, at the beginning of European Monetary Union, national barriers and regulatory frameworks are still responsible for deviation from the efficient frontiers.
Ryanodine receptor phosphorylation and heart failure: phasing out S2808 and "criminalizing" S2814.

By the time the heart reaches the pathological state clinically recognized as heart failure (HF), it has undergone profound and often irreversible alterations in structure and function at the molecular, cellular, and organ level. Although the etiologies of HF are diverse (hypertension, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, valvular insufficiency, mutations in genes encoding sarcomeric proteins, etc), some alterations are commonly found in most forms of HF, and they may account for the maladaptive structural remodeling and systolic dysfunction that characterize this syndrome. At the cellular level, there are well-documented changes in ionic channel density and function (electric remodeling), increased ROS production, mitochondrial dysfunction, imbalanced energy intake and consumption, genetic reprogramming, altered excitation-contraction coupling, and, in general, dysregulation of a multitude of other processes and pathways that are essential for proper cardiac function.1 Combined, this myriad of alterations leads to loss in contractility and ejection fraction, ventricular wall remodeling, increased vascular resistance, and dysregulated fluid homeostasis. In this issue of Circulation Research , Respress et al2 report that preventing phosphorylation of cardiac ryanodine receptors (RyR2) at a single residue, S2814, is sufficient to avert many of these alterations and improve cardiac function in HF. The results presented follow a string of papers that touch on the delicate and controversial subject of ryanodine receptor phosphorylation and HF. They offer a new twist to a contentious story and attempt to reconcile many apparently contradicting results, but key issues remain. Article, see p 1474 ### Calcium Leak in HF Although, as mentioned above, the etiologies of HF are diverse, it appears that suppressing the dysfunction of a select group of biological and molecular signaling pathways may substantially improve or even reverse the cardiac deterioration observed in HF. For example, correcting the characteristically depressed sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium content of failing cardiomyocytes is a target of HF gene therapy.3 …
A comparison of relationship marketing and Guanxi: its implications for the hospitality industry

Purpose – This paper describes the variables researchers have found to be significantly associated with relationship marketing, those related to Guanxi, and the similarities and differences between them.Design/methodology/approach – The researchers reviewed 77 articles on the subjects of Guanxi and relationship marketing and identified seven constructs from the literature that apply to both Guanxi and Relationship Marketing.Findings – These six constructs were investigated (bonding, customer loyalty, empathy, reciprocity, and satisfaction, and trust). Four constructs were associated with Guanxi (bonding, empathy, reciprocity, and trust) and while two (satisfaction, and customer loyalty) and a category termed other were commonly used with relationship marketing.Practical implications – Guanxi concentrates on building the bond or relationship before the transaction in such a way that the company and customer become one cooperative unit. Relationship marketing deals with the transaction first and builds the .
Mandatory IFRS adoption and the cost of debt in Italy and UK

This paper analyses the effect of the mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) within the EU on the cost of corporate debt. In order to avoid the imprecision involved in a large-scale cross-country study, we examine the impact of IFRS in two very clearly different institutional settings, the UK and Italy. The UK is a common-law country characterised by strong enforcement and national generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) which are equivalent to IFRS. Italy is a typical European code-law country, characterised by a weak outside investor protection system, and national GAAP significantly different from the IFRS model. No IFRS effect is observed in the UK, consistent with it having standards which are close to IFRS. During the post-IFRS period, in Italy more weight is placed on the accounting numbers to assess the cost of debt. We also find that accruals quality improves in Italy, thus suggesting that public financial reporting data are enhanced relative to privately held information about borrowers' credit ratings.
Morphometric Measurements of Bony Nasolacrimal Canal in Children

Objective: Morphology and dimensions of the bony nasolacrimal canal duct (BNLD) as a key factor in the development of primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction. We aimed to obtain detailed morphometric analysis of BNLD in children without nasolacrimal duct pathology by using computed tomography and provide standard measurements by means of age which could be utilized in planning management or in invasive interventions. Methods: Picture Archiving Communication Systems database of our hospital's radiology department was searched for this retrospective study. Subjects were under 18 years of age who had undergone a paranasal, maxillofacial, or temporal bone high-resolution computed tomography scan in last 2 years with various indications. Those with fractures including facial bones and/or nasolacrimal canal or history of nasolacrimal duct pathology were excluded from the study. We measured the diameter, angle, and surface area of BNLD. Results: A total number of 136 subjects (86 boys, 50 girls) were included in the study. The average age was 7.3 ± 5.1 years. We documented statistically significantly positive correlation between all measured diameters and ages (P < 0.001), whereas there was a negative association between mean angle and age (P < 0.001). Mean angle is defined as the angle between BNLD and nasal floor. The surface area of BNLD was found to be significantly increasing depending on age (P < 0.001). However, we could not find any significant association between gender and measured parameters (P > 0.050). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that development of BNLD continues during childhood, regardless of gender.