Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Earning Management: Do Firms Play 'Follow the Leader'?

In this study we examine whether the reported performance of one firm affects the discretionary reporting behavior of another firm. We do this by identifying the leader within each industry, defined as the first large announcing firm. We find that the discretionary performance of followers (those firms announcing after the leader) relates positively to the leader's reported performance. Specifically, when the leader misses analysts’ expectations, followers report lower discretionary accruals, have fewer income-decreasing special items, and are less likely to meet analysts’ expectations. In contrast, when leaders report good news, followers report higher discretionary accruals and are more likely to meet expectations (although we do not find evidence of a positive association between leaders’ good news and followers’ income-decreasing special items). Overall, the results are consistent with managers of followers perceiving that earnings news of the leader will affect investors’ and others’ performance expectations for their firms.
Employee retention and turnover: Using motivational variables as a panacea

This research looked at the extent to which identified intrinsic and extrinsic motivational variables influenced the retention and reduction of employee turnover in both public and private sector organisations. The research was aimed at achieving the following objectives: identify and establish the key intrinsic and extrinsic motivational variables being used by selected public and private sector organisations in retaining their employees; determine the extent to which the identified intrinsic and extrinsic motivational variables are influencing employees’ retention and turnover in the selected organisations; and make recommendations to management of the selected organisations on how to effectively retain employees and reduce turnover. The study adopted the cross-sectional survey research design, investigating the extent to which selected motivational variables influence employees’ decision to either remain or quit an organisation. Quantitative research design was used and this design was chosen because its findings are generaliseable and the data objective. The study examined two public and two private sector organisations in South Africa. The total population of the research comprised 1800 employees of the surveyed organisations with a sample size of 145 respondents. A self-developed questionnaire, measured on a Likert Scale was used to collect data from respondents. The questionnaire had a Cronbach alpha coefficient of α = 0.85 suggesting that the instrument was reliable. The Chi-square test of association was used in testing the hypothesis of the study. The result showed that employees in both public and private sector organisations were, to a very large extent, influenced to stay in their respective organisations by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors. The following motivational variables were found to have significantly influenced employee retention in both the public and private sector organisations: training and development, challenging/interesting work, freedom for innovative thinking, and job security. Key words: Employee, retention, turnover, motivation, intrinsic, extrinsic.
Primary Tumors of the Spine in Children: Natural History, Management, and Long‐term Follow‐up

Study Design. Patients 16 years of age and younger with primary vertebral neoplasms diagnosed between 1951 and 1996 at The University of Iowa were reviewed retrospectively with specific consideration given to follow‐up. Objective. Follow‐up extending beyond the growth of the axial skeleton was used to establish the natural history, management, outcome, and current approach to treatment. Summary of Background Data. Primary tumors of the spine are uncommon. The treatment of such lesions generally has been based on small series of tumors, or extrapolated from the treatment of tumors in other regions and tumors in adults. Given the unique developing anatomy and dynamic nature of the growing spine in children, delineating appropriate modalities of treatment for these tumors beyond the growth of the axial skeleton is essential. Methods. Clinical history, radiographs, radiographic reports, and interviews were used to establish this database. Outcome with respect to the various approaches to treatment was then compared in detail. Results. Forty‐five patients were identified in which follow‐up greater than 10 years was available for 58% of patients. There were 29 histologically benign and 16 malignant tumors. Patients presented most frequently with pain (79%) and neurologic deficits (74%). The duration of symptoms was significantly shorter with malignant tumors (11 weeks) compared with benign tumors (26 weeks). Radiographic abnormalities were demonstrated on plain radiographs in 98% of cases. Tumor excision was achieved in 80%. Follow‐up studies were available beyond the growth of the axial skeleton in these patients, with an average follow‐up of 14 years. Recurrence was seen in 6 of 45 children, and the overall mortality rate was 6.7%, occurring only with malignant tumors. Conclusion. Our current approach to treatment of spinal neoplasms varies from that used in the earlier part of the series and reflects the need for single stage complete resection and stabilization.
Do Depositors Benefit from Bank Mergers? An Examination of the UK Deposit Market

Abstract This study examines whether depositors benefit from bank mergers Specifically, do horizontal retail bank mergers influence the availability and interest rates of deposit services? This examination is important, as the effect of mergers on customers is a primary merger assessment criterion in the European Union and the United States. The research question is addressed by considering 57 UK banking mergers over the period 1989–2008. It is reported that different deposit services and deposits of different values face statistically insignificant levels of interest-rate change after mergers. The availability of notice deposit services for low and high levels of investment are reduced after mergers and are largely unchanged for other deposit services. It is concluded that UK depositors benefit little from bank mergers, and different types of depositor face differences in the availability of deposit services after mergers.
Molecular cloning of the gene encoding the mosaic neurotoxin, composed of parts of botulinum neurotoxin types C1 and D, and PCR detection of this gene from Clostridium botulinum type C organisms

The DNA fragment common to the genes encoding botulinum neurotoxin types C1 (BN/C1) and D (BN/D) was amplified by PCR from the culture supernatant of Clostridium botulinum type C strain 6813 (C6813) that was treated with either DNase I or proteinase K but not from the supernatant that was treated with both DNase I and proteinase K, suggesting the neurotoxin gene is located on a certain bacteriophage DNA. Thus, to isolate the neurotoxin gene, we performed PCR with the culture supernatant of C6813 and seven primer pairs designed from the genes encoding BN/C1 and BN/D. The coding region in the connected sequence encodes a neurotoxin composed of 1,280 amino acids with a molecular weight of 147,817. The neurotoxin from C6813 has 95% amino acid identity to BN/C1, except for its C-terminal one-third, which is quite similar to the C-terminal one-third of BN/D (95% identity). When we performed PCRs with four primer pairs designed from the 5'-terminal two-thirds of the BN/C1 gene and two primers from the 3'-terminal one-third of the BN/D gene, DNA fragments of the expected sizes (0.5 to 1.3 kbp) could be amplified from C. botulinum type C strains 6812 and 6814. These results suggest that some strains of C. botulinum type C contain the gene encoding the mosaic neurotoxin composed of parts of BN/C1 and BN/D.
Choosing whom to betray: populist right-wing parties, welfare state reforms and the trade-off between office and votes

This article analyses the impact of populist right-wing parties (PRWPs) on welfare state reforms in Western Europe in the light of the trade-off that they face between office and votes. On the one hand, PRWPs appeal to traditionally left-leaning blue-collar ‘insiders’ supportive of social insurance schemes. On the other hand, they have only been able to take part in government as junior coalition partners with liberal or conservative parties who are more likely to retrench these very same welfare programmes. In this context, the article argues that these parties have to choose between betraying their electorate (and losing votes), and betraying their coalition partners (and losing office). When they choose office, it enables welfare state retrenchment by allowing their coalition partners to curtail left-wing opposition, but entails high electoral costs for PRWPs. When they choose votes, it generates deadlock and potentially jeopardizes their participation in government. The paper draws on a comparative analysis of pension reforms during three periods of government participation of PRWPs: the Schüssel I and II cabinets in Austria (2000–06), the Rutte I cabinet in the Netherlands (2010–12) and three pension reforms in Switzerland between 1995 and 2010. The analysis draws on original primary material and interviews.
Delineating buildings by grouping lines with MRFs

Traditionally, Markov random field (MRF) models have been used in low-level image analysis. The article presents an MRF-based scheme to perform object delineation. The proposed edge-based approach involves extracting straight lines from the edge map of an image. Then, an MRF model is used to group these lines to delineate buildings in aerial images.
Effectiveness of supportive supervision on the consistency of integrated community cases management skills of the health extension workers in 113 districts of Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND Consistency in the adherence to integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) protocols for common childhood illnesses provided by Ethiopia's Health Extension Program (HEP) frontline workers. One approach is to provide regular clinical mentoring to the frontline health workers of the HEP at their health posts (HP) through supportive supervision (SS) following the initial training. OBJECTIVE To Assess the effectiveness of visits to improve the consistency of iCCM skills (CoS) of the HEWs in 113 districts in Ethiopia. METHODS We analyzed data from 3,909 supportive supervision visits between January 2011 and June 2013 in 113 districts in Ethiopia. From case assessment registers, a health post was classified as consistent in managing pneumonia, malaria, or diarrhea cases if the disease classification, treatment, and follow-up of the last two cases managed at the health posts were consistent with the protocol. We used regression models to assess the effects of SS on CoS. RESULTS All HPs (2,368) received at least one supportive supervision visit, 41% received two, and 15% received more than two. During the observation period, HP management consistency in pneumonia, malaria, and diarrhea increased by 3.0, 2.7 and 4.4-fold, respectively. After controlling for secular trend and other factors, significant dose-response relationships were observed between number of SS visits and CoS indicators. CONCLUSIONS The SS visits following the initial training were effective in improving the CoS.
Determinants of innovation performance in Spanish hospitality companies: analysis of the coexistence of innovation strategies

The present study attempts to determine the influence of different sources of technological knowledge on the innovation performance of hospitality companies in Spain (Europe) and analyze the degree of coexistence between innovation strategies in the companies. The paper considers a number of ways of incorporating technology and evaluates the impact of different innovation strategies on innovative performance in hospitality companies, in order to assess the importance of each in the Spanish hospitality industry. Employing data from the 2000 Survey on Technological Innovation, two databases were built with information on the Spanish hospitality industry. The first includes all hospitality companies and the second only companies engaged in innovation activities. With the second database, an analysis of the coexistence of innovation strategies is done by means of seven logit regressions. The results show that the innovation strategies that coexist most frequently are, first, the acquisition of external technology services and research and development cooperation, and second, the acquisition of machinery and non-material technologies. Additionally, the influence of different innovation strategies on companies' innovation performance is analyzed by means of a two-step logit model applied to both databases. The findings suggest that only the acquisition of machinery has a statistically significant impact on innovation performance. However, contrary to expectations, the influence appears to be negative.
Changes in the Inequality of Earnings for Young Men in Metropolitan Labor Markets, 1979–1989: The Effects of Declining Wages and Sectoral Shifts within an Efficiency Wage Framework

Abstract Inequality in the earnings of young men with different educational backgrounds has grown rapidly in the United States in recent years, but the growth of inequality has varied widely across different metropolitan labor markets. We examine the increasing inequality of earnings among young men in the largest metropolitan areas of the United States for the 1979–1989 period and develop explanations for the growth of inequality that involve shifts of employment from highly paid to poorly paid sectors and declines in earnings within sectors. Our explanations depend on the logic of efficiency wage models. Efficiency wage models allow wages to include noncompetitive premiums that may differ across industries and regions because of differences in production conditions. This makes it possible for the real wages of identically qualified workers to differ across industries and regions, even at equilibrium. Shifts in the employment of less-educated young men from well-paid to poorly paid sectors (such as manufacturing to services) accounted for only minor portions of the growth of inequality. Most of the growth of inequality resulted from declining earnings within sectors, especially in those sectors and metropolitan areas where earnings for less-educated young men were highest in 1979, relative to the earnings of young men with more education. This pattern of earnings declining most rapidly in sectors and cities where they had been highest also accounts for much of the variation in the growth of inequality across metropolitan areas and is consistent with the demise of efficiency wage premiums that were previously available in particular industries and localities.
Humeral Avulsion of the Glenohumeral Ligament: Indications for Surgical Treatment and Outcomes—A Systematic Review

Background: The inferior glenohumeral ligament, the most important static anterior stabilizer of the shoulder, becomes disrupted in humeral avulsion of the glenohumeral ligament (HAGL) lesions. Unfortunately, HAGL lesions commonly go unrecognized. A missed HAGL during an index operation to treat anterior shoulder instability may lead to persistent instability. Currently, there are no large studies describing the indications for surgical repair or the outcomes of patients with HAGL lesions. Purpose: To search the literature to identify surgical indications for the treatment of HAGL lesions and discuss reported outcomes. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Two reviewers completed a comprehensive literature search of 3 online databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library) from inception until May 25, 2016, using the keywords “humeral avulsion of the glenohumeral ligament” or “HAGL” to generate a broad search. Systematic screening of eligible studies was undertaken in duplicate. Abstracted data were organized in table format, with descriptive statistics presented. Results: After screening, 18 studies comprising 118 patients were found that described surgical intervention and outcomes for HAGL lesions. The mean patient was 22 years (range, 12-50 years), and 82% were male. Sports injuries represented 72% of all HAGL injuries. The main surgical indication was primary anterior instability, followed by pain and failed nonoperative management. Commonly associated injuries in patients with identified HAGL lesions included a Bankart lesion (15%), Hill-Sachs lesions (13%), and glenoid bone loss (7%). Reporting of outcome scores varied among the included studies. Meta-analysis was not possible, but all included studies reported significantly improved postoperative stability and function. There were no demonstrated differences in outcomes for patients treated with open versus arthroscopic surgical techniques. All but 2 patients undergoing operative management for HAGL lesions were able to return to sport at their previous levels; these included Olympians and professional athletes. Conclusion: HAGL lesions typically occur in younger male patients and are often associated with Bankart lesions and bone loss. Open and arthroscopic management techniques are both effective in preventing recurrent instability.
Adventure Tourism as a ‘New Frontier’ in Leisure

Abstract This paper is concerned with developing discussion around the model of serious and casual leisure, first proposed by Stebbins (1992), in relation to the emergence of adventure tourism. In particular the discussion uses the concept of ‘frontier’ to interrogate the model and its utility in understanding the apparent attractiveness of adventure sports and activities to tourism today. It is suggested that conceptually frontier is useful because of its evocation of culturally embedded ideas such as exploration, expedition and engagement with otherness which generates the potential for excitement and suggests a serious engagement in active leisure. However, by drawing upon Mortlock (1984) and others it is suggested that adventure is both subjective and variable in time and place. One important dynamic is the potential of the ‘centre’ to undermine the extraordinariness of an adventure situation through the imposition of risk management strategies and tourism infrastructure. The outcome of such developments is an inclination towards casual leisure. Thus, although adventure tourism does engage with frontier activities it also offers leisure career opportunities consistent with other aspects of tourism. It is concluded that serious and casual leisure trajectories are a mixture as active tourists move towards and then back from frontiers in an ongoing social and spatial dynamic.
The Effects of Visual and Auditory Cues on Freezing of Gait in Patients with Parkinson Disease

ObjectiveThe aims of this study was to investigate the effects of visual and auditory cues on the freezing of gait in Parkinson disease patients (PDF) compared with Parkinson disease patients without freezing of gait (PDNF). DesignFifteen PDF, 10 PDNF, and 10 age-matched healthy volunteers were recruited. Subjects walked back and forth on a 7-m walkway under three different conditions: baseline condition without cues, with visual cues, and with auditory cues. Visual cues consisted of white stripes located along the walkway. For auditory cues, a metronome was used. Gait was analyzed using three-dimensional computerized analysis. ResultsIn the PDF group, both visual and auditory cues significantly affected visuospatial and kinematic gait parameters. PDF group benefited more from visual cues than auditory cues. In the PDNF and healthy volunteer groups, visual cues significantly decreased patient velocity. Auditory cues affected some kinematic parameters on PDNF group. Compared among three groups, visual cues more positively affected the PDF group, and auditory cues more positively affected kinematic parameters in the PDNF group. ConclusionsThis study suggests that gait training using visual and auditory cues can improve PDF patient gait and that auditory cues enhance gait in PDNF patients with hypokinetic gait patterns.
Performance Persistence in Hedge Funds: Australian Evidence

Using the most comprehensive database on Australian hedge funds, we test the performance persistence for the period July 2000 to June 2005. We employ both parametric and nonparametric approaches to identify persistence. We report evidence of short-term persistence and no evidence of long-term winning persistence. Tests of multiperiod performance reveal weak evidence of losing persistence. We also do not find any evidence of persistence in both stock picking and market timing. We report evidence of mean reversion for both stock picking and market timing at the medium horizon.
Taxes, M-M Propositions and Government's Implicit Cost of Capital in Investment Projects in the Private Sector

The corporate tax claim of the government is internalized in the analysis of the corporation's capital structure. In this framework the M-M Propositions are rederived. In the proposed approach, the current value of the firm is calculated on a before-tax basis, and is equal to the sum of present values of equity, debt, and government claim. An enhanced M-M model is derived, which is more representative of modern financial realities, and has significant implications for the practice of financial analysis. The paper highlights the potential conflict of interest among the different claimholders in making an investment decision. The model presented here allows us to analyze the tradeoffs among various policies available to the government to encourage investments to their socially optimal level.
Relatedness of decisions in business services outsourcing

The literature of service outsourcing is mainly focused on case studies or specific service activities. However, there is no evidence about the pattern of relatedness among outsourcing of services. This paper analyses this issue by a relatedness index previously applied in the framework of product and technological diversification. The index is applied to analyse the degree of relatedness for outsourcing decisions among an array of fourteen services in a large data set of Spanish manufacturers in 1990–2006, detecting four time-constant clusters. An econometric analysis tests the alternative explanations about this pattern of joint decisions, based on shared knowledge and on workers' expertise.
Assessing Hedonic Indexes for Housing

This paper presents a hedonic index of residential services fit to 1975 data for the St. Joseph County, Indiana, rental housing market. The work it reports is part of a larger research effort, the Housing Assistance Supply Experiment (HASE), being conducted for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Does capital and financing structure have any relevance to the performance of microfinance institutions?

This paper aims to explore the impact of capital and financing structure on the performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs) from an agency theoretic standpoint. GMM and IV estimations with instruments have been performed using a panel dataset of 782 MFIs in 92 countries for the period 2000–2007. Results confirm the agency theoretic claim that an increase in leverage raises profit-efficiency in MFIs. The study also finds that cost efficiency deteriorates with decreasing leverage. Likewise, the negative significant impact of leverage on depth of outreach can also be explained. However, the study finds that capital structure does not have any noticeable impact on breadth of outreach and neither is it significantly related with women’s participation as loan clients.