Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Derivatives use and risk management practices by UK nonfinancial companies

Purpose – In the last two decades, a number of studies have examined the risk management practices within nonfinancial companies. For instance, some studies report on the use of derivatives by nonfinancial firms. Yet, another group of researchers has investigated the determinants of corporate hedging policies. These and other studies of similar focus have made important contributions to the literature. This study sheds light on derivatives use and risk management practices in the UK market. Design/methodology/approach - This paper presents the results of a questionnaire survey, which focused on determining the reasons for using or not using derivatives for 401 UK nonfinancial companies. Furthermore, it investigates the extent to which derivatives are used, and how they are used. Findings - The results indicate that larger firms are more likely to use derivatives than medium and smaller firms, public companies are more likely to use derivatives than private firms, and derivatives usage is greatest among international firms. The results also show that, of firms not using derivatives, half of firms do not use these derivative instruments because their exposures are not significant and that the most important reasons they do not use derivatives are: concerns about disclosures of derivatives activity required under FASB rules, and costs of establishing and maintaining derivatives programmes exceed the expected benefits. The results show that foreign exchange risk is the risk most commonly managed with derivatives and interest rate risk is the next most commonly managed risk. The results also indicate that the most important reason for using hedging with derivatives is managing the volatility in cash flows. Research limitations/implications - As with other survey research, a major limitation is that responses might represent personal opinions. We cannot verify that the opinions coincide with actions. We suggest that further research could improve the understanding of firms’ derivatives use by including more detailed data, different time spans, and larger samples. Originality/value - To highlight the extent of derivatives usage and risk management practices in UK nonfinancial companies.
Tuning of agent-based computing

In this paper an Evolutionary Multi-agent system based computing processis subjected to detailed analysis of the parameters in order to ground a basefor better understanding this meta-heuristics from the practitioner's point of view.After reviewing the concepts of EMAS and its immunological variant, a series of experiments is shown and theresults of influencing of search outcomes by certain parameters are discussed.
The public administration turn in integration research

ABSTRACT This article highlights how the study of public administration is brought back into the study of European integration and European Union (EU) governance. The public administration turn in integration research has brought generic insights into the broader field of public administration but has also brought theories, concepts and hypotheses from public administration into the field of integration research. The purpose of this overview is to reveal the variegated and rich research agendas in public administration research and to stimulate further research. This public administration turn highlights (i) the impact of the formal organization of core executive institutions such as the European Commission; (ii) the conditional autonomy of subordinate administrative units such as EU-level agencies; (iii) the integration of multi-level administrative systems through collegial structures such as EU-level committees; and (iv) the external penetration and differentiated impact of EU-level institutions on domestic public administration. The lack of systematic knowledge about the impact of administrative structures within EU-level and domestic public administration is thus steadily reduced.
Bacteriology of Adenoids and Tonsils in Children with Recurrent Adenotonsillitis

Adenoids and tonsils electively removed from 25 children with a history of recurrent group A β-hemolytic streptococci (GABHS) adenotonsillitis were cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Two hundred twenty-four organisms (112 aerobes and facultatives, 110 anaerobes, and 2 Candida albicans) were isolated from the tonsils, and 229 (111 aerobes and facultatives and 118 anaerobes) were isolated from the adenoids. Mixed infection was present in all instances, with an average of 9.1 isolates per specimen. The predominant aerobes were Streptococcus sp, Haemophilus influenzae, and GABHS, and the prevalent anaerobes were Peptostreptococcus, Prevotella, and Fusobacterium spp. β-Lactamase-producing bacteria were detected in 72 isolates recovered from 22 tonsils (88%) and in 74 isolates recovered from 21 adenoids (84%). Discrepancies in the organisms recovered were found between the tonsils and adenoids. Of the aerobic isolates, 20% were isolated only in tonsils and 18% only in adenoids. Of the anaerobes, 20% were found only in tonsils and 26% only in adenoids. This study demonstrates a polymicrobial aerobic-anaerobic flora in both adenoids and tonsils, and discrepancies in recovery of pathogens such as GABHS. The adenoids may serve as a potential source of tonsillitis caused by GABHS.
Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) Version 3.1 Message Specification

This document defines Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) version 3.1. S/MIME provides a consistent way to send and receive secure MIME data. Digital signatures provide authentication, message integrity, and non-repudiation with proof of origin. Encryption provides data confidentiality. Compression can be used to reduce data size. This document obsoletes RFC 2633. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
Special Issue on New Forms of Teamworking: Editorial Introduction

The idea to organize work in groups is by now one of the classical forms of work organization. A lot of research and experiments have been conducted in companies with this type of organization, mainly in manufacturing. In the 1990s, ‘team’ was substituted for ‘group’ in industry aswell as in research, illustrating also a conceptual shift. Teams, and even more, teamworking, put the focus on new dimensions of work organization, not least the relations between the members. It is the aim of this special issue of Economic and Industrial Democracy to present new research in this area, especially on new forms of teamworking in projects and in the service sector. Project organization is increasingly used to organize work, especially to organize change. The projects are normally organized as teams, however with a heterogeneous composition of competencies among the team members. Project teams practise a very strategic use of teamworking. Teamworking in the service sector is in focus today. The work in call centres could be seen as an attempt to organize service work in an industrial manner. Teamworking is strategically used for normative reasons. An interesting research question is how much cooperation in fact is possible when the worktasks are conducted individually and in direct interaction with the customers most of the time?
Protest and disengagement in the Russian federal elections of 2003–04

Abstract The 2003–04 electoral cycle witnessed a substantial victory for President Putin and parliamentary forces loyal to him. However, less attention was devoted to a substantial fall in turnout and an increase in voting ‘against all’ parties and candidates. The present paper sets out the legal and historical background to these questions before examining the results of the 2003–04 State Duma and presidential elections in more detail and attempting to explain the reasons for this increasing disengagement and disenchantment with the political process. It finds that the increase in the protest vote and falling turnouts which were observed from the mid‐1990s continued, although the impact of these was limited owing to the dominance of pro‐presidential forces. Analysis of the bases of these phenomena suggests that voters have become increasingly disenchanted with the political process. Whilst a substantial number have ceased participating altogether there is an ever‐growing number who are prepared to register their protest at the increasing gap between the rulers and the ruled.
Heading into uncharted territory? Exploring the institutional robustness of self-regulation in the Antarctic tourism sector

This paper analyses the main strengths and weaknesses of self-regulation in the Antarctic tourism sector. Ostrom's theory of collective action and especially the design principles for robust management of common pool resources provide the framework for this analysis. The paper notes the rapid growth and diversification of tourism in Antarctica over the past two decades. It examines why formal tourism legislation has been limited because of the complex governance structure in Antarctica. It describes the self-regulation of tourism management that occurs through the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). The success of IAATO is attributed to the high degree of organisation in the sector, largely because of the perceived benefits of membership. Continued incentives for self-organisation are needed but changing circumstances may lead tour operators to believe that IAATO membership is no longer advantageous. The paper shows that, under current conditions, the Antarctic tourism self-regulatory regime is a robust institution. However, with increasing numbers of tourists and operators the institutional structure may be weakened in the future.
Construction Project Cost Escalation Factors

Construction projects, private and public alike, have a long history of cost escalation. Transportation projects, which typically have long lead times between planning and construction, are historically underestimated, as shown through a review of the cost growth experienced with the Holland Tunnel. Approximately 50% of the active large transportation projects in the United States have overrun their initial budgets. A large number of studies and research projects have identified individual factors that lead to increased project cost. Although the factors identified can influence privately funded projects the effects are particularly detrimental to publicly funded projects. The public funds available for a pool of projects are limited and there is a backlog of critical infrastructure needs. Therefore, if any project exceeds its budget other projects are dropped from the program or the scope is reduced to provide the funds necessary to cover the cost growth. Such actions exacerbate the deterioration of a state's transportation infrastructure. This study is an anthology and categorization of individual cost increase factors that were identified through an in-depth literature review. This categorization of 18 primary factors which impact the cost of all types of construction projects was verified by interviews with over 20 state highway agencies. These factors represent documented causes behind cost escalation problems. Engineers who address these escalation factors when assessing future project cost and who seek to mitigate the influence of these factors can improve the accuracy of their cost estimates and program budgets.
The impact of research and development on relative performance evaluation in the UK

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether R&D spending influences the association between the cash compensation of boards of directors and relative performance evaluation (hereafter RPE). Design/methodology/approach Design/methodology/approach - The empirical modelling of directors' compensation focuses on the multiperiod compensation approach suggested by Lambert, Lambert and Larcker and Janairaman, Lambert, and Larcker. A panel sample of 586 UK non-financial public listed firms for the period 1990 to 1998 is employed to test for the existence of RPE in both R&D intensive and non/low R&D firms. Findings - The main results suggest that implicit RPE is used to determine directors' cash compensation before the institutional influences and self-regulation are likely to have taken effect. We find that the association between the cash compensation of directors and accounting measures of relative performance is lower in R&D intensive firms compared to firms with non/low R&D. It is possible that R&D intensive firms do not use accounting-related RPE at all. In comparison, a statistically significant relationship indicates that non/low R&D firms do use accounting-based RPE. The results also show that, in both intensive and non/low R&D firms, cash compensation is negatively related to own firm stock returns and industry average stock returns. Originality/value - This paper contributes to the limited RPE found in the existing UK compensation literature by establishing the implicit use of accounting-based RPE for non/low R&D firms in the UK.
Elevating Women’s Voices in Congress

The authors analyze gender differences in members’ speech participation on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. Speeches increase members’ visibility and voice in the legislative process, providing opportunities for members to highlight their policy knowledge, constituents’ concerns, and partisan commitments. The authors hypothesize that women’s underrepresentation, coupled with the related challenges that female legislators face in a predominantly male institution, motivates congresswomen of both parties to speak at greater rates than congressmen. Analyzing over ten thousand floor speeches during the 103rd and 109th Congresses, the authors find strong support for their hypothesis, demonstrating that congresswomen’s participation in legislative debate increases their visibility and enhances women’s substantive representation.
Selective extracellular vesicle exclusion of miR-142-3p by oral cancer cells promotes both internal and extracellular malignant phenotypes

Packaging of small molecular factors, including miRNAs, into small extracellular vesicles (SEVs) may contribute to malignant phenotypes and facilitate communication between cancer cells and tumor stroma. The process by which some miRNAs are enclosed in SEVs is selective rather than indiscriminate, with selection in part governed by specific miRNA sequences. Herein, we describe the selective packaging and removal via SEVs of four miRNAs (miR-142-3p, miR-150-5p, miR-451a, and miR-223-3p) in a panel of oral dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. Inhibition of exosome export protein Rab27A increased intracellular concentration of these miRNA candidates and prevented their exclusion via SEVs. Increased intracellular miR-142-3p specifically was found to target TGFBR1, causing a decrease in TGFBR1 expression in donor cells and a reduction of malignant features such as growth and colony formation. Conversely, increased excretion of miR-142-3p via donor cell SEVs and uptake by recipient endothelial cells was found to reduce TGFBR1 activity and cause tumor-promoting changes in these cells in vitro and in vivo.
How technically efficient are Singapore's manufacturing industries?

This study attempts to understand the technical efficiency performance (i.e. how well resources and given technology are being used) in 28 manufacturing industries in Singapore from 1975–1994, using an improved version of the stochastic frontier model. In addition, an analytical model is used to investigate the causes of technical inefficiency in these industries to help policy formulation. The efficiency performance of foreign and local-dominated industries is also closely examined.
The Impact of Endogenous Tax Treaties on Foreign Direct Investment: Theory and Evidence

This paper investigates the effect of tax treaties on bilateral stocks of outward FDI. For this purpose we employ a numerically solvable general equilibrium model of trade and multinational firms to study the impact of tax treaties on both welfare and outward FDI. The model indicates under which factor endowment configurations countries gain in welfare when implementing a tax treaty. This motivates an empirical specification of the endogenous selection into implementing new tax treaties. Using data of bilateral OECD outward FDI between 1985 and 2000, we find a significant negative impact of newly implemented tax treaties on outward FDI stocks.
How International is Entrepreneurship?

Nine major entrepreneurship, international business (IB), and management journals used by the Financial Times to rank business schools were examined to see if the amount of international entrepreneurship (IE) research published in major entrepreneurship, IB, and management journals is increasing over time. Findings from two time periods spaced a decade apart indicate that although IE content more than doubled in the entrepreneurship journals, only a modest increase occurred in the international business journals and no increase occurred in the management journals. We proposed and found that: (1) entrepreneurship journals tend to favor replication studies while IB and management journals prefer nonreplications; and (2) because replication is straightforward while nonreplication is more difficult to conceptualize and execute, there are many more replication than nonreplication IE studies. As a result, IE studies appear more frequently in entrepreneurship journals. Managerial and scholarly implications are discussed.
Pakistan’s nuclear weapons: how safe is safe enough? Transparency versus opacity

Due to expanding and increasing religious extremism and terrorism coupled with political instability in Pakistan, most western observers believe that Pakistan's nuclear weapons are not secure and could be taken over by terrorists. This would have adverse implications for the region and for global peace, especially for the security of USA and Europe. This article argues that this perception is based on a flawed understanding and knowledge of how Pakistan's command and control setup has evolved and operates. Pakistan's nuclear weapons are as safe as any other state's nuclear weapons. Pakistan has also been active in supporting and participating in global efforts to improve nuclear safety and security. Over the years, Pakistan has been quite open in sharing information regarding how it is improving its command and control system with western governments as well as scholars. This article argues that the steps Pakistan has taken to secure its nuclear weapons are adequate and that Pakistan would continue to further strengthen these measures; however, it is the expanding religious extremism, terrorism and anti-Americanism in the country which make the international perception of Pakistan extremely negative and then seep into the perception of Pakistan's nuclear weapons safety and security.
Human resource information systems: a review and empirical analysis

Purpose – To present a comprehensive literature review of human resource information systems (HRIS) and to report the results of a survey on the implementation of HRIS in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approach – A structured questionnaire was designed, pre‐tested, modified, and used to capture data on a cross‐section of HRIS users in Hong Kong. The questionnaire was pilot‐tested by practicing HRIS consultants and by HR and MIS managers. Based on the feedback from the pilot‐test, the questionnaire was modified and a final questionnaire was developed and mailed to companies in Hong Kong.Findings – Most Hong Kong industries perceived that the greatest benefits to the implementation of HRIS were the quick response and access to information that it brought, and the greatest barrier was insufficient financial support. Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference between HRIS adopters and non‐adopters, and between small, medium, and large companies, regarding some potential benefits and barriers to .
Selective In Vivo Depletion of CD4+ T Lymphocytes with Anti-CD4 Monoclonal Antibody during Acute Infection of Calves with Anaplasma marginale

ABSTRACT To investigate the in vivo role of CD4+ T lymphocytes during acute anaplasmosis, thymectomized calves were selectively depleted of CD4+ T lymphocytes by treatment with anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (MAb) and were then infected with the Florida strain of Anaplasma marginale in two sequential experiments (experiments 1 and 2). Treatment of thymectomized calves with a total of 5.0 mg of anti-CD4 MAb/kg of body weight during the 1st week followed by 0.3-mg/kg doses administered twice weekly for 7 weeks resulted in significant depletion of CD3+ CD4+ and CD4+ CD45R+ (naive) T lymphocytes from blood, spleen, and peripheral lymph nodes for the duration of the 8-week study, compared to the results for thymectomized control calves treated with a subclass-matched MAb. All calves became parasitemic and pyretic following experimental infection with A. marginale, and decreases in packed cell volume (PCV) coincided with peak parasitemia. No significant differences in PCV or parasitemia were observed between treatment groups. Thymectomized calves treated with anti-CD4 MAb were able to mount an anti-A. marginale antibody response, although in experiment 2, anti-CD4 MAb-treated calves had four- to sixfold lower immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and no detectable IgG2 anti-A. marginale major surface protein 2-specific antibody titers compared to thymectomized control calves treated with a subclass-matched MAb. At the level of CD4+-T-lymphocyte depletion achieved and experimental anaplasmosis induced, thymectomized anti-CD4 MAb-treated calves were able to control acute anaplasmosis. This was in contrast to the prediction that significant depletion of CD4+ T lymphocytes would abrogate resistance to acute infection.
[Vacuum-assisted closure therapy for the treatment of skin and soft-tissue infections. Are wound specimens of use in planning secondary wound closure?].

AIM Vacuum-assisted closure is used frequently for the treatment of skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTI) of the extremities. After debridement and repeated VAC dressing changes, the wounds are closed by secondary suture, split-thickness skin grafts or local flaps. However, no objective parameters describe the time point for secondary wound closure. Our thesis was that negative microbiological results from wound specimens can indicate the time for secondary wound closure. PATIENTS AND METHODS 24 patients with SSTI of the extremities were treated by serial debridements and VAC therapy and analysed prospectively. Debridements were repeated until the wounds were macroscopically free from signs of infection (good granulation/no necrosis). During each revision specimens were taken for microbiological analysis. Moreover, number of revisions, bacterial cultures, type of wound closure and wound status after 3 years and 5 months on average after the last surgery were analysed. RESULTS 6.3 revisions on average were performed until secondary wound closure was possible. In spite of the absence of macroscopic infection, bacteria were still found in tissue samples from 14 of 24 wounds. 6 wounds were free of bacteria for the first time right before wound closure, 3 wounds had become negative during the treatment. After 3.4 years on average, the wounds of all 18 patients available for examination had healed well and were free from signs of infection. CONCLUSION Vacuum-assisted closure resulted in clean, good granulating wounds without necrosis. However, in more than half of the wounds bacteria persisted. This bacterial load had no correlation to wound healing and outcome after over 3 years. In conclusion, microbiological tissue samples are not suitable as indicator for the time point of secondary wound closure in SSTI.