Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measuring Monetary Policy Expectations from Financial Market Instruments

This paper reviews the main instruments and associated yield curves that can be used to measure financial market participants' expectations of future UK monetary policy rates. We attempt to evaluate these instruments and curves in terms of their ability to forecast policy rates over the period from October 1992, when the United Kingdom first adopted an explicit inflation target, to March 2007. We also investigate several model-based methods of estimating forward term premia, in order to calculate risk-adjusted forward interest rates. On the basis of both in and out-of-sample test results, we conclude that, given the uncertainties involved, it is unwise to rely on any one technique to measure policy rate expectations and that the best approach is to take an inclusive approach, using a variety of methods and information.
The Effects of Muscle Relaxation and Therapeutic Walking on Depression, Suicidal Ideation, and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

Background: The suicide rate of cancer patients is high in Taiwan. Breast cancer has a high incidence rate and is the leading cause of cancer in women. There is a lack of research examining breast cancer–related depression, suicidal ideation, and quality of life. Objectives: This study evaluated the effects of muscle relaxation and therapeutic walking on depression, suicidal ideation, and quality of life in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Methods: An experimental approach was adopted. A group of 87 breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were randomly assigned into an experimental group (n = 44) or a control group (n = 43). The subjects in the experimental group received 2 interventions for 3 months. This study used 3 instruments, including (1) the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, (2) the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, and (3) the World Health Organization Questionnaire on Quality of Life. Results: The results showed no significant difference in any outcome variable in the pretest. The results of the posttest indicated that the 2 groups scored significantly differently only on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (U = 638.00, P < .05). The breast cancer patients who participated in the 3 month muscle relaxation and therapeutic walking interventions had a lower level of depression (RE¯ = 37.00) than those who did not (RC¯ = 51.16). Conclusion: The muscle relaxation and therapeutic walking program was effective in the reduction of breast cancer patients’ depression. Implications for Practice: Nursing staff could teach muscle relaxation and therapeutic walking to breast cancer patients to reduce their depression.
The Economic Lessons of Fisher Body–General Motors

Abstract The Fisher Body–General Motors case illustrates the costs of using inherently imperfect long‐term contracts to solve potential holdup problems, and therefore the advantages of vertical integration. Fisher Body held up General Motors by renegotiating its body supply contract so that, contrary to the original understanding, General Motors made half of the required investments in new body plants. This led to a decline in Fisher Body’s capital to sales ratio and, under the unchanged cost‐plus contract terms designed to provide Fisher Body with a return on its equity capital investments, produced a substantial wealth transfer from General Motors to Fisher Body. General Motors accepted this unfavourable contract adjustment because it was operating under a long‐term exclusive dealing contract that limited its ability to negotiate with Fisher over co‐located body plants. The exclusive dealing contract designed to protect Fisher Body’s original GM‐specific capacity investments against a potential holdup by General Motors thereby created a Fisher Body holdup of General Motors. The way in which Fisher Body accomplished its holdup demonstrates the importance of distinguishing inefficient holdup threats from efficient actual holdups.
Using Lagrangian Relaxation to Obtain Small Portfolios

Investors with small portfolios, or a limited number of securities in their portfolios, may benefit from a new portfolio optimization method. Placing a limit on the number of assets in a portfolio turns the ordinary mean variance portfolio optimization problem into a challenging puzzle, especially for larger investment universes. In response, practitioners typically employ either enumerative methods, such as branch-and-bound based on quadratic programming relaxation, or heuristic methods. Both approaches have their respective disadvantages in that quadratic programming–based branch-and-bound may fail to solve large problems in reasonable time and heuristics may produce solutions of unknown quality. The new method presented by the authors can be used to solve smaller problems to optimality. For larger problems, the method produces good heuristic solutions along with a useful estimate of their quality; that is, the distance from the optimum. The computational results are promising.
Unstable angina in the myocardial infarction triage and intervention registry (MITI): short- and long-term outcomes in men and women.

BACKGROUND Studies of unstable angina have focused on hospital mortality; long-term mortality studies have been limited by small numbers of patients or health care providers. The objectives of this study were to determine whether men and women with unstable angina had different presentations, mortality rates, and procedure utilization. METHODS We analyzed a prospective observational registry of 4305 men (60%) and 2847 women (40%) with unstable angina who were admitted to coronary care units in King County, Washington, between 1988 and 1994. We compared the rates of symptoms, survival, and procedure utilization between sexes after adjustment for age, race, insurance status, and medical history. RESULTS Women were older and had higher rates of hypertension and congestive heart failure than men but had lower rates of cigarette smoking, previous myocardial infarction, and previous procedure use (P <.0001). Women had significantly higher rates of dyspnea, nausea, and epigastric pain and less diaphoresis than men did (P <.0001). Women underwent fewer procedures, but after adjustment for age and medical history this difference was no longer significant except for coronary bypass grafting (odds ratio 0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37-0.69); after index hospitalization, men and women underwent procedures at similar rates. Although women had higher rehospitalization rates than men, early mortality (odds ratio 0.89, 95% CI 0.55-1.4) and late mortality (hazard ratio 0.98, 95% CI 0.95-1.0) were similar between men and women after adjustment for age. CONCLUSIONS Women and men with unstable angina have different risk factors and symptoms upon presentation but have similar procedure use and mortality rates.
Cyclodextrin-Based Nanosponges for Delivery of Resveratrol: In Vitro Characterisation, Stability, Cytotoxicity and Permeation Study

The aim of this work was to increase the solubility, stability and permeation of resveratrol by complexation with cyclodextrin-based nanosponges (NS). Nanosponges are recently developed hyper-cross-linked cyclodextrin polymers nanostructured to form three-dimensional networks; they are obtained by reacting cyclodextrin with a cross-linker such as carbonyldiimidazole. They have been used to increase the solubility and stability of poorly soluble actives. This study aimed at formulating complexes of resveratrol with β-cyclodextrin nanosponges in different weight ratios. DSC, FTIR and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) studies confirmed the interaction of resveratrol with NS. XRPD showed that the crystallinity of resveratrol decrease after encapsulation. The particle sizes of resveratrol-loaded NS are in between 400 to 500 nm with low polydispersity indices. Zeta potential is sufficiently high to obtain a stable colloidal nanosuspension. TEM measurement also revealed a particle size around 400 nm for NS complexes. The in vitro release and stability of resveratrol complex were increased compared with plain drug. Cytotoxic studies on HCPC-I cell showed that resveratrol formulations were more cytotoxic than plain resveratrol. The permeation study indicates that the resveratrol NS formulation showed good permeation in pigskin. The accumulation study in rabbit mucosa showed better accumulation of resveratrol NS formulation than plain drug. These results signify that resveratrol NS formulation can be used for buccal delivery and topical application.
Technology and Bilateral Trade

We develop a Ricardian model to explore the role of trade in spreading the benefits of" innovation. The theory delivers an equation for bilateral trade that gravity specification, but identifies underlying parameters of technology. We estimate the" equation using trade in manufactures among the OECD. The parameter estimates allow us to" simulate the model to investigate the role of trade in spreading the benefits of innovation and to" examine the effects of lower trade barriers. Typically foreigners benefit by only a tenth as much" as the innovating country, but in some cases the benefits to close neighbors approach those of the" innovator.
Book review: Confronting Global Neo-liberalism: Third World Resistance and Development Strategies, by Richard Westra (ed.)

the debt owed to Marx and how a reintroduction of the Marxist tradition into the discourse will only further the cause. Although The abcs of the Economic Crisis is short on prescription, the authors proffer a set of principles worth fighting for. These principles undoubtedly would work to right the wrongs of a system ‘rotten to its core’. Moreover, the implementation of the tendered principles would build a more economically equitable and ecologically just society. Ultimately, the promulgation of ideas that demonstrate the unjust nature of capitalism to workers is a critical step toward holding those in Wall Street and Washington more accountable and fostering a more humane and rational world. Magdoff and Yates’s book provides a valuable service in this effort.
Controversies in prostate cancer staging implementation at a tertiary cancer center.

OBJECTIVE To assess accuracy of recorded prostate cancer stage after implementation of a quality assurance staging improvement plan. METHODS AND MATERIALS Genitourinary multidisciplinary TNM staging guidelines were prospectively implemented. Educational programs for health records technicians (HRT) and clinicians preceded implementation of the new guidelines. Patient stage information was entered into the Oncology Patient Information System (OPIS) as part of the usual operations of the cancer center by an HRT. Physician and HRT auditors performed a subsequent quality assurance audit on 97 prostate cancer patients seen over a 2-month period. Assessment of staging accuracy and reasons for discrepancies between the OPIS stage and auditor stage were analyzed and reported. RESULTS Fifty-four (52%) charts showed discrepancies between auditors. Of the fifty-four, twelve (22%) had discrepancies between OPIS and auditor, thirty (56%) showed discrepancies between auditors, and twelve (22%) had discrepancies between OPIS, physician auditor, and HRT auditor. Forty-three (41%) cases had no discrepancies. Reasons for discrepancies included: misinterpretation of the digital rectal examination (16/54), inappropriate use of TRUS/MRI (9/54) in staging, stage not assigned at initial diagnosis (9/54), misinterpretation of pathology (7/54), TNM staging confusion (4/54), OPIS update not performed (3/54), inappropriate use of biopsy data (3/54), disagreement between consultants (2/54), and misinterpretation of TURP result (1/54). Overall staging accuracy was 76% for OPIS, 65% for the physician auditor and 62% for the HRT auditor. CONCLUSIONS Despite guidelines and educational interventions, computer registry staging accuracy remains an issue. On-going audit procedures are proposed to identify and correct both published and institutional staging guidelines.
Conceptualizing the Learning Process in SMEs

Most attempts to model the process of organizational learning (OL) are based on large organizations. This article represents an attempt to better understand the unique learning processes in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Such firms are generally limited in both their managerial capabilities and mechanisms for accessing knowledge from external sources. Data were obtained as part of an ongoing Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) project concerned with the evolution of business knowledge in small firms operating in the North West of England. A conceptual framework was developed and used as the basis for analysing data obtained from interviews with 26 owner-managers. Our findings indicate two distinct groups, which we term innovative and stable firms. Owner-managers in ‘stable’ firms were inward facing, and learning was generally experiential and concentrated on single individuals or small groups. In contrast, owner-managers in innovative firms were outward facing and encouraged the development of ‘deeper and wider’ learning.
Glucose repression of yeast mitochondrial transcription: kinetics of derepression and role of nuclear genes

Yeast mitochondrial transcript and gene product abundance has been observed to increase upon release from glucose repression, but the mechanism of regulation of this process has not been determined. We report a kinetic analysis of this phenomenon, which demonstrates that the abundance of all classes of mitochondrial RNA changes slowly relative to changes observed for glucose-repressed nuclear genes. Several cell doublings are required to achieve the 2- to 20-fold-higher steady-state levels observed after a shift to a nonrepressing carbon source. Although we observed that in some yeast strains the mitochondrial DNA copy number also increases upon derepression, this does not seem to play the major role in increased RNA abundance. Instead we found that three- to sevenfold increases in RNA synthesis rates, measured by in vivo pulse-labelling experiments, do correlate with increased transcript abundance. We found that mutations in the SNF1 and REG1 genes, which are known to affect the expression of many nuclear genes subject to glucose repression, affect derepression of mitochondrial transcript abundance. These genes do not appear to regulate mitochondrial transcript levels via regulation of the nuclear genes RPO41 and MTF1, which encode the subunits of the mitochondrial RNA polymerase. We conclude that a nuclear gene-controlled factor(s) in addition to the two RNA polymerase subunits must be involved in glucose repression of mitochondrial transcript abundance.
Sustainability Planning for Baxter International Inc. Climate Change Policies in the UK

Introduction Large, multinational companies like Baxter International Inc. (Baxter) are increasingly exposed to costs and risks related to climate change policy. The government regulations aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions are evolving with significant spatial, temporal, and logistical variability. The resulting uncertainty presents a challenge to businesses attempting to develop climate change strategies that align with performance goals and stakeholder expectations. Through active engagement, low-regret choices, and sustainability initiatives, leading companies have been able to reduce costs and even create business opportunities in the short-term. However, the potential value to managing long-term carbon emissions-related costs and opportunities remains largely untapped. This study seeks to evaluate future policy possibilities in order to inform long-term strategic investments and decisions that will allow global companies to better manage these risks and possibly gain a competitive advantage. The research focuses specifically on the future consequences of emission management systems in the United Kingdom. Recognized for the advanced state of its carbon tax and trading schemes, the UK is a useful case study for evaluating the impacts to business and anticipating future outcomes in other countries. The UK is also an important manufacturing and customer base for Baxter. The effects of carbon pricing will be felt throughout the value chain, from increased costs of supplies, to higher energy costs, to demands for energy efficient products and services. This study focused on the policy implications for Baxter's manufacturing plants for several reasons: Baxter is accountable for plant emissions; carbon pricing will translate directly to increase plant operating costs; plant emissions are directly controllable; and plant energy use represents a significant portion of Baxter's emissions and costs. The study quantifies the price effects of long-term climate change policies in the UK on electricity and natural gas, which are the primary sources of energy and emissions for manufacturing facilities. Projections of alternative " policy scenarios " are developed to examine the price implications if policies are more or less stringent than currently expected. The projections also include wholesale energy price sensitivity, which greatly influence electricity and gas prices, and have significant future uncertainty. The electricity and gas prices are projected to 2030 using an Excel model developed for this study. The model is also designed to replicate Baxter manufacturing plant conditions in order to project costs and 4 greenhouse gas emissions at the plant level. By controlling various inputs, the model allows users to estimate the long-term consequences …
Political advertising and the demonstration of market orientation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to relate manifest market orientation to the achievement of electoral objectives.Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents an analysis of advertising content against a framework of criteria drawn from key marketing concepts using examples from recent New Zealand general elections.Findings – There is a relationship between parties demonstrating a strong voter orientation in their political advertisements and achievement of electoral success. By viewing advertising as a symptom of parties' broader market orientation, the political marketing factors that differentiate the “winner/s” from the others in an election campaign may be uncovered.Research limitations/implications – The framework has only been applied to New Zealand Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) election campaigns. To make a more concrete connection between demonstration of market orientation and electoral success the framework needs to be tested in more than one electoral system, in more than one count.
The experience of work in India's domestic call centre industry

Research on Indian call centres has focused almost exclusively on international-facing operations, at the expense of its domestic sub-sector, which is driven by different economic dynamics, namely the expanding Indian ‘new economy’ and the growth of discretionary spending by the country's new middle class. The paper breaks new ground with its detailed examination of the experience of work in this domestic sector and draws upon extensive employee survey and interview data. The findings demonstrate that Indian domestic work lies at the extreme quantitative end of the call centre spectrum – its employees subject to tight controls, extensive work hours and authoritarian management practices in common.
Cooperative Effect of Calcium Binding to Adjacent Troponin Molecules on the Thin Filament-Myosin Subfragment 1 MgATPase Rate*

The myosin subfragment 1 (S1) MgATPase rate was measured using thin filaments with known extents of Ca2+ binding controlled by varying the ratio of native cardiac troponin versus an inhibitory troponin with a mutation in the sole regulatory Ca2+ binding site of troponin C. Fractional MgATPase activation was less than the fraction of troponins that bound Ca2+, implying a cooperative effect of bound Ca2+ on cross-bridge cycling. Addition of phalloidin did not alter cooperative effects between bound Ca2+ molecules in the presence or absence of myosin S1. When the myosin S1 concentration was raised sufficiently to introduce cooperative myosin-myosin effects, lower Ca2+concentrations were needed to activate the MgATPase rate. MgATPase activation remained less than Ca2+ binding, implying a true, not just an apparent, increase in Ca2+ affinity. MgATPase activation by Ca2+ was more cooperative than could be explained by cooperativeness of overall Ca2+binding, the discrepancy between Ca2+ binding and MgATPase activation, or interactions between myosins. The results suggest the thin filament-myosin S1 MgATPase cycle requires calcium binding to adjacent troponin molecules and that this binding is cooperatively promoted by a single cycling cross-bridge. This mechanism is a potential explanation for Ca2+-mediated regulation of cross-bridge kinetics in muscle fibers.
Rangeland Degradation in North China Revisited? A Preliminary Statistical Analysis to Validate Non-Equilibrium Range Ecology

Over the past decades, the concepts of carrying capacity and Clementsian vegetation succession have come under attack from the theory of Non-Equilibrium Range Ecology. The new theory hypothesises that in arid regions with high rainfall variability the ecology is mainly determined by climatic and not biotic factors, such as animal grazing. The argument carried further implies that 'rangeland degradation' or 'desertification' are not caused by overgrazing but are part of a natural process of vegetation decline and growth in response to rainfall, which ruminant numbers merely follow. Few empirical studies involving time-series data have been executed to substantiate Non-Equilibrium Range Ecology. This article, hopes to make a contribution to the current debate with a statistical validation of one of its main postulates: the correlation between ruminant numbers and rainfall. The analysis is conducted with figures from the People's Republic of China: a state in which rangeland policy is an outstanding example of management on the basis of carrying capacities and Clementsian succession theory.
Modeling liquidity management for Indian FMCG firms

Purpose – The present study aims to investigate the impact of liquidity management on profitability of Indian Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) firms, as well as the relationship among them, using econometric models. Design/methodology/approach – Liquidity indices like current ratio, liquid ratio, absolute liquid ratio and cash conversion cycle are taken as explanatory variables, whereas age of creditors, age of debtors, age of inventory, sales and inter-temporal growth in sales are taken as control variables. Profitability is measured in terms of return on investment. The sample size is restricted to 18 Indian FMCG firms, and the secondary data for analysis are retrieved from Prowess Database of Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy for 10-year period from 2001-2002 to 2010-2011. Apart from using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation analysis, panel data regression analysis like fixed-effects model and random effects model are used in the study. Hausman test is also used to make a choice betwee.