Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Discussions on long-term financial choice

We analyse focus group discussions about long-run (retirement) financial decisions, and explore the extent to which participant responses are related to the oft-used behavioural explanations of financial choice. We find that persons of all ages understand the importance of long-term savings, but face many challenges in preparing for retirement. There is mixed support for a range of associated behavioural explanations. Complexity, relevance of decisions, and uncertainty come up repeatedly in all focus groups, irrespective of the age of the participants. The use of heuristics, confidence, costs of mistakes, mental accounting, and the importance of social interaction appeared of less immediate relevance to all groups. We discuss the implications of these findings for how the financial services and superannuation industries communicate with members. There appears to be a general view from the focus groups that breaking large, complex retirement decisions into more manageable pieces (based on personal circumstances) and providing more focused and relevant information to investors would result in more effort and care expended on retirement decisions.
Utilizing Service‐Learning in Accounting Programs

This paper discusses the use of service‐learning in accounting curriculums as a tool for enhancing learning and student performance in the classroom by addressing the call for accounting education to move beyond “number crunching” to critical analysis and problem solving. First, the paper reviews the educational research supporting the enhanced learning that takes place with service‐learning. Next, the link between service‐learning outcomes and accounting education objectives is discussed. Additionally, specific examples of service‐learning projects successfully implemented in auditing (with evidence of improved performance) and governmental/nonprofit accounting courses are presented. The projects themselves, as well as the administrative tasks required to implement them, are discussed in detail. The concepts presented can be applied to other accounting and/or business classes.
Exploring the determinants of E-loyalty among travel agencies

This study aims to explore and empirically build up an e-loyalty model for the burgeoning e-service of Taiwan's travel agencies. Mailed data and data collected in personal from multiple sources is used for helping to identify the determinants of e-loyalty between Taiwan's wholesaler and retailer travel agencies. Several statistical techniques, including confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and a linear structural relationship (LISREL) are used, and a structural equation is implemented to test the e-loyalty model. The results indicate that Taiwan's wholesaler travel agencies might consider e-quality as well as trust as the most important antecedents to e-loyalty, whereas loyalty results in the increased transaction intentions of retailers. No related studies so far have analysed or tried to discern the cause-and-effect relationship between e-loyalty and transaction intention for travel agencies. This paper also proposes an optimal e-loyalty model that matches the essential development needs of B2B commerce transaction. Finally, the model herein illustrates how wholesalers can realise e-commerce strategic goals by acquiring the e-loyalty of retailer travel agencies.
The Effect of Hospital and Surgeon Volume on Racial Differences in Recurrence-Free Survival After Radical Prostatectomy

Objective:This study investigates associations between hospital and surgeon volume, and racial differences in recurrence after surgery for prostate cancer. Methods:Data from the 1991 to 2002 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results-Medicare database were examined for 962 black and 7387 white men who received surgery for prostate cancer within 6 months of diagnosis during 1993–1999. Cox regression models were used to estimate the relationships between volume (grouped in tertiles), recurrence or death, and race, controlling for age, Gleason grade, and comorbidity score. Results:Prostate cancer recurrence-free survival rates improved with hospital and surgical volume. Black men were more likely to experience recurrence than white men [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.34; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20–1.50]. Stratification by hospital volume revealed that racial differences persisted for medium and high volume hospitals, even after covariate adjustments (medium HR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.04–1.61; high HR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.07–1.73). Racial differences persisted within medium and high levels of surgeon volume as well (medium HR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.10–1.85; high HR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.14–2.16). Conclusions:High hospital and physician volumes were not associated with reduced racial differences in recurrence-free survival after prostate cancer surgery, contrary to expectation. This study suggests that social and behavioral characteristics, and some aspects of access, may play a larger role than organizational or systemic characteristics with regard to recurrence-free survival for this population.
Novel RF MEMS Switches

This paper reviews three novel RF MEMS ohmic contact switches, each being designed for specific applications. All three were developed at Imperial College London. The first is a packaged single-pole double throw (SPDT) version intended for space applications, operating from DC to 6 GHz; the second is a single-pole single throw (SPST) switch for high power applications in the 40 to 60 GHz band; and the third is a single- pole eight throw (SP8T) switch for signal routing applications, operating from DC to 20 GHz. The design, and measurements for all three unique solutions will be briefly summarized.
Productivity Growth in UK Industries, 1970-2000: Structural Change and the Role of ICT

This paper uses a new industry-level dataset to quantify the roles of structural change and information and communication technology (ICT) in explaining productivity growth in the United Kingdom, 1970-2000. The dataset is for 34 industries covering the whole economy, of which 31 industries are in the market sector. Using growth accounting, we find that ICT capital accounted for 13% of productivity growth in the market sector in 1970-79 (ie 0.47 percentage points out of 3.62% per annum growth of GDP per hour), 26% in 1979-90, and 28% in 1990-2000. In 1995-2000 the proportion rises to 47%. ICT capital, despite only being a small fraction of the total capital stock, contributed as much to growth as non-ICT capital in 1990-2000 and getting on for twice as much in 1995-2000. Econometric evidence also supports an important role for ICT. Total factor productivity (TFP) growth slowed down in 1995-2000, but we find econometric evidence that a boom in 'complementary investment', ie expenditure on reorganisation that accompanies ICT investment but is not officially measured as investment, could have led to a decline in the conventional measure of TFP growth.
Institutions, exchange and firm growth: evidence from Bulgarian agriculture

The transition from a centrally planned to a more market-oriented economy provides a natural experiment on the role of institutions and exchange in economic development, and more specifically on firm growth. This paper uses survey data from Bulgaria to analyse the impact of exchange problems and institutional innovations on farm growth. Late payments have a negative influence on farm growth, while contracting with interlinked programmes has a positive effect on farm growth. , Oxford University Press.
On the Multi-Country Version of the Solow-Swan Model

I study a multi-country version of the Solow-Swan model of capital accumulation. Capital is perfectly mobile and flows instantaneously to countries providing the highest return. I show that, in general, the model possesses infinitely many stationary equilibria that differ from each other in terms of the world interest rate and world output. Analysing the dynamics of the model, I find that multiple equilibria exist for any given initial allocation of capital. Finally, I discuss a generalization of the golden rule to the multi-country version of the Solow-Swan model and show that it satisfies a Nash equilibrium property.
BENEFICIAL VERSUS DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS OF NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE INHIBITORS IN CIRCULATORY SHOCK LESSONS LEARNED FROM EXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL STUDIES

Septic shock is a physiological derangement of the cardiovascular system characterized by pathological vasodilation. Recent studies have established a role for nitric oxide, previously known as endothelium-derived relaxing factor, in the vascular dysfunction of sepsis. This finding suggests that inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), the enzyme responsible for nitric oxide production, could be a target for therapeutic intervention. Animal studies have provided conflicting results, demonstrating both beneficial and detrimental effects. We provide here an overview of the preclinical studies of NOS inhibitors and an update of the clinical studies. The low toxicity and marked antihypotensive activity of NOS inhibitors in humans highlight some of the drawbacks of certain animal models and provide important insights into the experimental study of septic shock.
The Index of the Financial Safety (IFS) of South Africa and Bayesian Estimates for IFS Vector-Autoregressive Model

This paper proposes an approach to explore the strength of the financial system of a country against the possibility of financial perturbations appearing based on the construction of the Index of Financial Safety (IFS) of a country. The Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and Gibbs sampler technique is used to estimate a Bayesian Vector Autoregressive Model of the IFS of South Africa for the period 1990Q1-2011Q1 and to forecast its value over the period 2011Q2-2017Q1. It is shown that the IFS could capture the disturbances in the financial system and the BVAR models with the non-informative and Minnesota priors could predict the future dynamics of IFS with sufficient accuracy.
Hospitality Industry Web-Based Self-Service Technology Adoption Model

Technology advancement induces information technology infusion in business processes and service encounter. The airline industry employs web-based self-service technology (SST), namely, airline online check-in system, to provide more choice, control, and convenience to passengers. Customer adoption intention of web-based SST is particularly momentous, since customer adoption highly drives the service development. Technology acceptance model (TAM), a robust framework measuring factors affecting technology acceptance intention, has been broadly examined in numerous settings. However, inconsistent results are noted in Western and non-Western countries, and the model is challenged from limited cultural orientation. In response to this criticism, this research aims to identify culturally unique dimensions for TAM and construct a framework for hospitality web-based SST adoption from Westerns’ and Asians’ perspectives. Etic–emic approach, incorporating literature search and focus group interviews with Asian respondents, was employed to provide a thoughtful review of examined factors and generate new factors from an Asian perspective.
Asymmetric Information, Government Fiscal Policies, and Financial Development

Previous studies assert that the optimal share of public spending is equal to the output elasticity of public spending and that relying on capital income taxation to finance public spending is either beneficial or harmful to capital accumulation and economic growth. The authors incorporate asymmetric information into an endogenous growth model and reexamine how the presence of asymmetric information in financial markets affects the consequences of the government’s expenditure and financing policies. With this asymmetric information, the authors find an optimal tax rate for capital income and an optimal share of government spending that maximize economic growth. These two optimal levels are more reasonable in comparison with recent empirical works. The authors find that financial development, measured by a decrease in the information cost, is positively correlated with the optimal share of government spending and the optimal tax rate for capital income. Some preliminary evidence in support of these implications is also found.
Forecasting in the presence of in and out of sample breaks

We present a frequentist-based approach to forecast time series in the presence of in-sample and out-of-sample breaks in the parameters of the forecasting model. We first model the parameters as following a random level shift process, with the occurrence of a shift governed by a Bernoulli process. In order to have a structure so that changes in the parameters be forecastable, we introduce two modifications. The A–rst models the probability of shifts according to some covariates that can be forecasted. The second incorporates a built-in mean reversion mechanism to the time path of the parameters. Similar modifications can also be made to model changes in the variance of the error process. Our full model can be cast into a non-linear nonGaussian state space framework. To estimate it, we use particle filtering and a Monte Carlo expectation maximization algorithm. Simulation results show that the algorithm delivers accurate in-sample estimates, in particular the filtered estimates of the time path of the parameters follow closely their true variations. We provide a number of empirical applications and compare the forecasting performance of our approach with a variety of alternative methods. These show that substantial gains in forecasting accuracy are obtained.
High leukocyte count is associated with peripheral vascular dysfunction in individuals with low cardiovascular risk.

BACKGROUND Vascular dysfunction is a surrogate marker of early-stage atherosclerosis. Serum leukocyte count is a non-traditional risk factor of cardiovascular (CV) disease and has predictive value for CV outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between leukocyte count and peripheral vascular dysfunction. METHODS AND RESULTS In this cross-sectional study, 357 individuals without known CV disease and with low Framingham risk (10-year hard coronary heart disease risk <10%) were identified. Vascular function was measured by assessing reactive hyperemia-induced vasodilation (reactive hyperemia index, RHI). In 105 individuals with vascular dysfunction (29.4%), the median leukocyte count was significantly higher than in those with normal RHI (6.4 × 10(9)/L vs. 6.0 × 10(9)/L; P=0.04). The neutrophil count was the strongest predictor of impaired vascular function among leukocyte subtypes (odds ratio [OR], 2.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.58-4.60, P<0.001). In a multivariate logistic regression model, the highest quintile of neutrophil count (OR, 2.36; 95% CI: 1.35-4.12; P=0.003), body mass index (OR, 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01-1.09; P=0.009) and systolic blood pressure (OR, 0.97; 95% CI: 0.97-0.99; P<0.001) were independently predictive for vascular dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS The highest quintile of leukocyte count is independently associated with vascular dysfunction in individuals with low CV risk. This suggests that subclinical inflammation affects vascular function. Leukocyte count may be useful for personalized risk stratification.
Trust in Financial Markets

This paper examines contemporaneous and historical evidence on the structure of ownership and control of corporate sectors in developed countries to draw lessons for development of financial markets. It records the critical role that equity markets played in the ownership and financing of corporations at the beginning of the 20th century. It notes that this occurred in the absence of formal systems of regulation and that equity markets functioned on the basis of informal relationships of trust. These were sustained through local stock markets in the UK, banks in Germany, and business coordinators and family firms in Japan. The paper explores the concept of trust that is required to promote the development of financial markets.
Explaining the adoption of Internet stock trading in Malaysia: comparing models

Internet stock trading is a technological service innovation that is rapidly revolutionizing the financial services sector. This study investigated the factors influencing the behavioural intention to adopt Internet stock trading in Malaysia using the Integrated Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour (IDTPB) model. The study also compared the explanatory power of other intention-based models, specifically the technology acceptance model (TAM), the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Integrated Theory of Planned Behaviour with the IDTPB model. Data analysis on a sample consisting of 144 respondents indicated that the IDTPB model has better explanatory power than the other considered models. In addition, results suggest that, despite the importance of facilitating conditions and social norms, as indicated by the Diffusion of Innovations Theory, qualities of a technological innovation remain a constant determinant of successful innovation adoption.
An Empirical Approach to Coastal Leisure Shipping in Greece and an Assessment of its Economic Contribution

This paper analyses coastal leisure shipping activity in Greece and estimates its economic contribution to the national economy. Even though the activity is encompassed by the shipping transport sector and is supervised by the Ministry of Merchant Marine, its product appears to be offered exclusively to tourists. The magnitude of the economic contribution of coastal leisure shipping to the Greek economy is assessed through the implementation of the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA). Although the contribution of coastal leisure shipping to the national economy is not very substantial, it is significant to the local economies of the insular and coastal regions. The tourist ‘day ships’ constitute a dependable means of connecting the small islands with the larger islands and the ports of continental Greece. The role of the daily sea tours for the inhabitants of small islands is purely that of a means of transportation, since for most of them the tourist boats are an alternative, or sometimes the only means of connection with the rest of the world.
Comparing Changes in Stockholdings of Different Institutional Investors

This paper examines differences in the changes in stockholdings of five groups of institutional investors: banks, insurance companies, investment companies, investment advisors, and “other” institutions (consisting of colleges and universities, private foundations, and private and public pensions). Other institutions have the fewest quarterly changes in holdings, followed by banks, insurance companies, investment companies, and investment advisors. There are significant differences in the length of time that institutional investors hold their portfolios (their investment horizons). These results are one input into understanding the impact of institutional investors' time horizons on managerial decision-making.
The effect of recommended contributions in the voluntary provision of public goods

Recommended contributions are often observed in fundraising campaigns for charitable and other public goods. We present an experiment investigating the impact of recommended contributions in a voluntary threshold public goods process. We find that when valuations for the public good are heterogeneous, recommended contributions significantly increase the likelihood of efficient provision, although when valuations are homogeneous, the effect of recommendations is less compelling. This article represents a fast step in understanding recommended contributions and other nonbinding, cheap-talk announcements in public goods provision and charitable contributions. Copyright 2001 by Oxford University Press.
Population‐based survival analysis of colorectal cancer patients in Singapore, 1968–1992

Since the 1980s, colorectal cancer incidence in Singapore has ranked second to lung in males and females. We describe a population‐based analysis of survival of colorectal cancer patients diagnosed from 1968 to 1992 in Singapore. Data of colorectal cancer patients diagnosed during 1968–1992 were retrieved from the Singapore Cancer Registry. Patients were passively followed up for death to the end of 1997. The final dataset consisted of 10,114 subjects. Observed and relative survival rates were calculated by stage (localized, regional metastases and distant metastases), age, ethnicity and calendar period for both genders. Over the study period, a significant progress in survival of colorectal cancer patients was observed. For localized cancer of the colon, the 5‐year age‐standardized relative survival (ASRS) increased from 36% in 1968–1972 to 66% in 1988–1992 for males and from 32 to 71% for females. For localized rectal cancer, the 5‐year ASRS improved from 25 to 66% for males and from 23 to 66% in females. Similarly, improvement was observed in colorectal cancer patients with regional metastases, but not in those with distant metastases. Calendar year period and clinical stage of disease were identified as major significant prognostic factors of survival for colorectal cancer. The substantially improved colorectal cancer survival rates reflected the interplay of cancer control activities in various areas, such as health promotion, early diagnosis and treatment. Our study shows a unique changing pattern of survival experience for colorectal patients from a country undergoing rapid economic development. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Best Value Agenda for Auditing

The developments in the public sector auditing can be seen against a backcloth of adverse publicity for private sector audits. This focus on the private sector has meant public sector developments have gone largely unnoticed. The advocacy of Best Value is a logical and useful development in addressing the needs of the citizen with an active interest in the public sector.
Examining the role of employee focus in the Turkish healthcare industry

The role of quality management (QM) is becoming more evident in healthcare organisations where lack of focus on employees may have immediate impact on employee turnover and quality of care. As a field, QM has recently been established in the Turkish context; and its potential role and impact is yet to be explored in the healthcare organisations. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of employee focus of QM through the perceived relationship among organisational commitment, organisational trust, and job satisfaction of healthcare professionals in Turkey. Strong positive relationships were identified between organisational commitment, organisational trust, and job satisfaction. Furthermore, organisational trust and job satisfaction significantly affect organisational commitment. There are strong inferences among organisational commitment and job satisfaction. The findings of the study call for a more involved QM practices in Turkish healthcare organisations.