Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social Democrats and trade unions in Scandinavia: The decline and persistence of institutional relationships

This article examines the institutional arrangements between Social Democratic parties and trade unions in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. First, the authors show how these relations have weakened at a varying pace. Party–union ties are now quite distant in Denmark, but remain relatively close in Norway and, especially, Sweden. Second, the authors explore this variation using a simple model of political exchange. The finding is that the intensity of the relationship is correlated with the resources that each side can derive from the other, which in turn reflects national differences. Yet it is also clear that the degree of change is related to the formative phase of the institutional arrangement itself: the weaker the ties were from the beginning, the more easily they unravel in response to environmental changes.
IPO Market Timing: The Evidence of the Disposition Effect among Corporate Managers

Until now, IPO market timing has been mostly associated with a varying number of IPOs in certain periods of “hot” and “cold” issue markets. We would like to offer a different perspective. We focus on a speed of the IPO process, after the decision to go public was actually made. Our hypothesis is that in “hot market” managers will tend to minimize the time necessary to go public in order to take advantage of high valuations as quickly as possible. On the contrary, if the firm is not ready with the IPO on time and in the meantime the market falls during the going-public process, managers will tend to delay the IPO hoping that the good market conditions will come back soon. We argue that such a behavior might be attributed to the disposition effect among firms' managers.
Temporal information gaps and market efficiency: a dynamic behavioural analysis

This study seeks to explore how market efficiency changes, if ordinary traders receive fundamental news more or less often. We show that longer Temporal Information Gaps (TIGs) lead to fewer but larger shocks and a reduction of the average noise level on the dynamics. The consequences of these effects for market efficiency are ambiguous. Longer TIGs can deteriorate or improve market efficiency. The concrete result depends on the stability of the market together with the interval in which the length of the gap is incremented.
Expected Time Value Decay of Options: Implications for Put-Rolling Strategies

Assuming the underlying asset price remains constant, previous studies show that the time value of an option decays gradually at a rate that accelerates over time and peaks at the expiration date. Thus, a significant portion of time value is lost in the four weeks leading up to expiration. This paper shows the time value of currently at- or near-the-money options should be expected to decay at a rate that decreases over time. The time values of options that are currently deep-in- or deep-out-of-the-money are expected to initially rise and then resume the normal decay pattern.
The Un-Intended Convergence: How the Finnish Unemployment Reached the European Level

The Finnish unemployment rose in the early 1990’s from three to eighteen percent in four years. Unemployment has then decreased to the average European level, being 8.5 percent in October 2002. In this paper, we describe the shocks leading to this unforeseen increase in unemployment. We then discuss the role of labour market institutions in the adjustment process that has brought unemployment back to ‘normal’ levels. We argue that these institutions cannot be blamed for the increase in unemployment, but that more flexible institutions could have lead to a more rapid decline in unemployment.
Netrin-1-Dependent Spinal Interneuron Subtypes Are Required for the Formation of Left-Right Alternating Locomotor Circuitry

Neuronal circuits in the spinal cord that produce the rhythmic and coordinated activities necessary for limb movements are referred to as locomotor central pattern generators (CPGs). The identities and preceding development of neurons essential for coordination between left and right limbs are not yet known. We show that the ventral floor plate chemoattractant Netrin-1 preferentially guides dorsally originating subtypes of commissural interneurons, the majority of which are inhibitory. In contrast, the excitatory and ventralmost V3 subtype of interneurons have a normal number of commissural fibers in Netrin-1 mutant mice, thus being entirely independent of Netrin-1-mediated attraction. This selective loss of commissural fibers in Netrin-1 mutant mice resulted in an abnormal circuitry manifested by a complete switch from alternating to synchronous fictive locomotor activity suggesting that the most ventral-originating excitatory commissural interneurons are an important component of a left-right synchrony circuit in the locomotor CPG. Thus, during development, Netrin-1 plays a critical role for the establishment of a functional balanced CPG.
Interest Rates in Mexico: The Role of Exchange Rate Expectations and International Creditworthiness

The link is explored between interest rates on domestic financial assets in Mexico and expectations of exchange rate changes and perceptions about default risks contained in Mexico's external debt. Interest rate differentials between peso- and U.S. dollar-denominated assets are shown to have reflected concerns about the exchange rate policy during the period considered. The evidence also suggests that the interest rate on a U.S. dollardenominated Mexican domestic asset is linked to the yield implicit in the secondary market price for external debt issued by Mexico.
Multiculturalism In Schools : An Appreciation From The Teachers ` Perspective Of Multicultural Education In The Zimbabwean School System

This study aimed at ascertaining the teachers` appreciation of the importance of multicultural education in the primary schools against a background of neglect of some cultural activities, beliefs and expectations. Being concerned with the views, thoughts and beliefs held by teachers, the descriptive survey was deemed the best design for the current study. Open and closed questionnaires were adopted to solicit data from respondents. The population of interest to the current study comprised 356 teachers in Marondera urban primary schools. Most cultural activities in Zimbabwe are mostly concentrated in the primary schools and the selection of these teachers was based on the premise that they are the people responsible for the teachinglearning of multiculturalism. Out of 356 teachers, 50 were sampled through stratified simple random sampling according to gender. Results from the study show that the majority of the teachers had scanty knowledge about what multicultural education was. While the majority of teachers were unable to provide a comprehensive definition of multicultural education, evidence of the ground suggested that there was multiculturalism being practised in a significant number of schools. The majority of teachers could point out to some aspects of multicultural education being practised in schools. There was also general belief among respondents that multicultural education was beneficial in a number of ways. The study recommended that there be change of attitudes among teachers and heads so that they fully appreciate the need for multicultural education. There is also need for training of teachers who are fully conversant with the issues related to multicultural education. Tertiary institutions should, therefore, spearhead the drafting of curricula and production of textbooks that emphasise multicultural education in primary schools.
A specialist breast care nurse role for women with metastatic breast cancer: enhancing supportive care.

lthough improvements have been made in outcomes for women with early-stage breast cancer, as many as one third of women will develop and, subsequently, die from metastatic breast cancer. Although the prognosis for metastatic breast cancer generally is poor, median survival time from diagnosis of secondary disease is about three years; therefore, survival is highly variable (Johnston, 2010). Some women have rapidly progressive disease, whereas others can live with metastatic disease for as many as 10–15 years (John -ston & Swanton, 2006). A diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer has a profound emotional impact (Beacham, Hill, Mc-Dermott, O’Brien, & Turner, 2005), with the majority of women considering the recurrence more distressing than the original diagnosis (Warren, 2010). Some of these women experience clinically significant levels of distress (Caplette-Gingras & Savard, 2008; Turner, Kelly, Swanson, Allison, & Wetzig, 2005). A wide variety of treatment options are available, including hormone ther-apy, chemotherapy, and new targeted therapies. These therapies are improving tumor response rates and, potentially, the survival of women with metastatic breast cancer (Geyer, Forster, & Lindquist, 2006; Miller, Wang, & Gralow, 2005). The care of women with metastatic disease usually involves a multidisciplinary team (MDT) of healthcare profession-als, including medical and radiation oncologists, breast care nurses (BCNs), and palliative care specialists (Amir, Scully, & Borrill, 2004). Although the ob -jective of the MDT is to provide optimal patient care, treatment and care may be fragmented.Women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer have unique and pressing
Efficient architectures for soft-output algorithms

Algorithms which compute either the a posteriori probability (APP) or the minimum sequence metric (MSM) of an input symbol to a finite state machine based on some portion of the observation sequence are developed. Full-record (i.e., type-I) and fixed-delay algorithms are both considered and related to existing algorithms. In particular, the fixed-delay APP and MSM algorithms developed are shown to be significantly less complex than the equivalent algorithms of Li, Vucetic, and Sato (1995) i.e. the optimal soft-output algorithm (OSA) and the simplified version (SSA), respectively.
Older People in Transition From Illness to Health: Trajectories of Recovery

Despite growing interest in the meaning of illness and recovery in older age, much of the research has focused on particular conditions, such as stroke; yet, illness in later life is considerably more diverse. In this article, we examine the experience of illness and process of recovery through interviews with 64 older people receiving intermediate care, a form of transitional care to support people between illness and resumption of everyday life routines. They describe four recovery trajectories generated from individuals' accounts of illness and their perspective on recovery: cure and restoration, adjusting to discontinuity and establishing markers of continuity, getting back and keeping going, and managing uncertainty. We conclude that several interacting factors shape the meaning of illness and the process of recovery in later life: prior circumstances, illness onset and trajectory, comorbid health problems, and cumulative loss in advanced older age.
Adsorption of modified halloysite nanotubes in vitro and the protective effect in rats exposed to zearalenone

The aim of the present study was to investigate the sorption properties in vitro and the application feasibility of modified halloysite nanotubes (HNT) in reducing the toxic effect of ZEN in rats in vivo. HNT were modified using the surfactant stearyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride. Modified HNT (MHNT) was evaluated using electron microscopy, which revealed that the modification had successfully enlarged the nanotube inner diameter from 11.35 to 20.12 nm. In an in vitro study, the efficiency of MHNT to adsorb zearalenone (ZEN) from simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) was investigated in comparison with HNT or a montmorillonite mixture (MON). For all tested adsorbents, the adsorption efficiency for ZEN was increased when the adsorbent dose rose from 0.4 to 1.0 mg/ml and became stable beyond this dose. Moreover, the ZEN adsorption increased with the extension of adsorption times from 20 to 90 min (SGF) and from 30 to 120 min (SIF) without further increase afterwards. Already at the first measuring times (20 and 30 min for SGF and SIF, respectively) MHNT showed a higher adsorptive property then HNT. The ability of MHNT to prevent lesions caused by ZEN was evaluated in 60 female rats. The rats received five experimental diets for two weeks: Control (per kg diet 0.001 mg ZEN); ZEN (0.5 mg ZEN), HNT (0.5 mg ZEN + 1% HNT), MHNT (0.5 mg ZEN + 1% MHNT) and MON (0.5 mg ZEN + 1% MON). The results indicated that the tested adsorbents mitigated toxic and estrogenic effects of ZEN exposure including changes in oxidative stress biomarkers and organ weights. In some parameters (gain, oestradiol content in serum and ZEN concentration in reproductive organs), MHNT exceeded the effectiveness of HNT. Thus, it can be concluded that the modification enhances the adsorbent properties of HNT and that MHNT can bind to ZEN in animal feed or in the gastrointestinal tract.
Synthesis of cementum-like tissue in vitro by cells cultured from bone: a light and electron microscope study.

Cells obtained from calvariae of fetal rats, human gingival connective tissue and periodontal ligament of rat molars were each co-cultured in vitro with non-demineralized and partly demineralized root slices in nutrient medium containing 50 μGg/ml ascorbic acid and 10 mM B-glyeerophosphate, in order to determine whether the root slices could affect the phenotype expressed by the cells. The cultures were examined by light and transmission electron microscopy. Nodules of bone-like tissue, resembling those previously described by others, were observed in the multilayers of cells obtained from rat calvariae. but not in the multilayers of gingival and periodontal ligament cells, after 30 days of culture. Calvaria cells associated with the root slices produced tissues exhibiting ultrastructure that resembled that of bone or cellular cementum. acellular cemenlum and afibrillar cementum in vivo when examined after the same length of time. The tissues were never found in cultures of gingival fibroblasts or periodontal ligament cells. These observations suggest, first, that cells derived from bone can express in vitro the phenotype for the cementums; second, that cells obtained from human gingival and rat periodontal ligament do not do so when cultured under similar conditions; and third, the possibility that the osteoblasts, cementoblasts and their progenitors that are found in the periodontal ligament could, at least in part, have their origin and migrate there from the endosteal spaces of the alveolar process.
Auditor Specialization, Auditor Dominance and Audit Fees: The Role of Investment Opportunities

ABSTRACT: A report issued by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) in 2003 identified auditors’ industry expertise as a critical factor for firms choosing an auditor, and highlighted the extreme levels of auditor concentration in some industries. We posit that the investment opportunity set (IOS) plays a fundamental role in determining whether an industry is an attractive target for auditor specialization. When industry-specific IOS is high, specialist auditors make costly investments in industry-specific knowledge, allowing them to offer a differentiated product and to create entry barriers for other audit firms. When the IOS of firms within an industry is relatively homogeneous, auditors can transfer such knowledge across clients in the industry more easily, resulting in cost savings and scale economies. However, greater homogeneity of IOS in an industry can also increase a client’s aversion to sharing an auditor with its competitors because of concerns about transfers of proprietary information, sug.
Measurement of urinary S100B protein concentrations for the early identification of brain damage in asphyxiated full-term infants.

BACKGROUND Perinatal asphyxia is a major cause of mortality and morbidity. To date there are no reliable methods to detect which infants will develop brain damage after asphyxia insult. We investigated whether measurements of urine levels of S100B in asphyxiated full-term newborns may be a useful tool for early detection of postasphyxia brain damage. METHODS A prospective study of 38 infants with perinatal asphyxia and 96 control subjects, recruited at 3 tertiary departments of neonatology between April 1, 1999, and July 31, 2001. Routine laboratory variables, neurologic patterns, and urine concentrations of S100B protein were determined at 4 predetermined time points (first urination and 12, 24, and 72 hours after birth). The concentrations of S100B protein in urine were measured using an immunoluminometric assay. The results were correlated with the presence or absence of neurologic abnormalities at age 12 months. RESULTS S100B protein levels were significantly higher in samples collected at all monitoring times from new-borns with abnormal neurologic findings on follow-up (first urination, 1.92 +/- 0.33 micro g/L; 12 hours, 2.78 +/- 1.71 micro g/L; 24 hours, 4.75 +/- 4.08 micro g/L; 72 hours, 5.93 +/- 1.63 micro g/L) than in samples from those without (first urination, 0.24 +/- 0.06 micro g/L; 12 hours, 0.13 +/- 0.06 micro g/L; 24 hours, 0.21 +/- 0.07 micro g/L; 72 hours, 0.12 +/- 0.04 micro g/L) or from healthy infants (first urination, 0.11 +/- 0.01 micro g/L; 12 hours, 0.12 +/- 0.03 micro g/L; 24 hours, 0.12 +/- 0.02 micro g/L; 72 hours, 0.12 +/- 0.02 micro g/L) (P<.001 for all). An S100B concentration cutoff of 0.28 micro g/L at first urination had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 87.3% for predicting the development of abnormal neurologic findings on follow-up. The sensitivity and specificity of measurements obtained between 12 and 72 hours were up to 100% and 98.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION Longitudinal S100B protein measurements in urine soon after birth are a useful tool to identify which asphyxiated infants are at risk of long-term neurologic sequelae.
Conceptualizing consumer “trust” in online buying behaviour: an empirical inquiry and model development in Indian context

Purpose – India has a large internet savvy population that is not only accessing the internet but also buying online. With a revolution in the very basics of transaction from a physical store format to a non‐store one, the retail industry has begun to understand the indispensability of the internet as a medium of transaction. However, the rate of diffusion and adoption of the new phenomenon amongst consumers is still relatively low. Trust on online transactions is one of the key barriers to vendors succeeding in online transactions. A lack of trust discourages consumers from participating in online buying. With the internet advancing new opportunities, it is important to understand the factors that generate trust of Indian consumers in the online buying system. The purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of trust in online buying behavior of consumers. This paper is a theoretical attempt at conceptualizing “trust” as a construct, in the context of online buying and testing it empirically. The.
Does Board Social Capital Influence Chief Executive Officers' Investment Decisions in Research and Development?

The findings of the chief executive officer (CEO) characteristics–research and development (R&D) investment relationship remain incomplete if previous unexamined contingencies are not considered. Very few studies in this area have invariably focused on the constraints from the external environment and overlooked the important influence of board social capital on such relationship. This study uses insights from resource dependence theory to examine how the effects of CEO characteristics on R&D investment are contingent on board social capital. The results show that board social capital mitigates/enhances the negative/positive effect of CEO tenure/CEO educational level on R&D investment, supporting the view that board social capital, as an important conduit to link firms to critical information and essential resources in the environment, may offer better counsel to CEOs and enhance their decision‐making capabilities in moving toward R&D. One important implication is that firms wishing to encourage innovation through R&D spending should consider nominating directors with rich social capital to the board because they may assist CEOs in coping with R&D complexities and acquiring requisite resources, leading to a better planning of R&D.
Venture Capitalists and the Oversight of Private Firms

This article examines the representation of venture capitalists on the boards of private firms in their portfolios. If venture capitalists are intensive monitors of managers, their involvement as directors should be more intense when the need for oversight is greater. The authors shows that venture capitalists' representation on the board increases around the time of chief executive officer turnover, while the number of other outsiders remains constant. He also shows that distance to the firm is an important determinant of the board membership of venture capitalists, as might be anticipated if the oversight of local firms is less costly than more distant businesses. Copyright 1995 by American Finance Association.
Safety of bevacizumab plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: Updated results from a large observational registry in the US (BRiTE).

3536 Background: Bevacizumab (BV) prolongs overall survival and progression-free survival when added to standard chemotherapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). BRiTE is a large, community-based observational registry of patients with mCRC receiving BV plus first-line chemotherapy. Safety and efficacy information in unselected patients with mCRC are collected. Chemotherapy regimen choice is at the physician's discretion. METHODS To facilitate and evaluate enrollment of a typical community-based mCRC population, eligibility criteria were minimized. Cohort demographics were consistent with the NCI Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for mCRC. Patients are followed for up to 3 years, and safety data including targeted BV-associated serious adverse events (SAEs) are updated every 3 months (mo). Results are based on descriptive analyses and are not adjusted for propensity of treatment, baseline characteristics, and treatment effects. RESULTS 1968 patients were enrolled between Feb 2004 and Jun 2005. Median study follow-up was 10 mo by Nov 4, 2005. SAEs were reported in 12.0% of patients including gastrointestinal perforation (GIP) (1.7%), postoperative bleeding/wound healing complications (1.2%), arterial thromboembolic events (ATE) (2.1%), and grade 3-4 bleeding (1.9%). 3.2% of patients discontinued BV due to a BV-related toxicity, most commonly bleeding. For patients with the respective event(s), median time to first event was 2.1 mo for GIP, 3.5 mo for ATE and 4.0 mo for grade 3-4 bleeding. 8.9% of patients with no history of hypertension (HTN) developed HTN requiring medication and 6.2% of patients who had HTN requiring medication at baseline experienced worsening of their HTN while on study treatment. CONCLUSIONS In this unselected population of patients with mCRC, the safety profile of BV plus various chemotherapy regimens appears consistent with that observed in the pivotal BV trial. Overall discontinuation of BV due to a BV-related toxicity was uncommon. In this large community-based observational registry, no new BV associated safety issues have been identified. [Table: see text].