Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financial distress, earnings management and market pricing of accruals during the global financial crisis

Purpose - The aim of this paper is to examine empirically the managerial earnings management practices of financially distressed firms, and to consider whether these practices changed during the recent global financial crisis. Although corporate distress has been a topic of research interest for many years, earnings manipulation by distressed firms has received relatively little attention. Design/methodology/approach - The paper uses three measures of distress, and discretionary accruals, a popular proxy for earnings management, to investigate the impact of distress on earnings management. Findings - The paper finds that managers of distressed firms engage more in income-decreasing earnings management practices compared to their healthy firm counterparts. The paper also finds some evidence of the effect of the global financial crisis on the association between financial distress and earnings management. Finally, the paper shows some evidence of positive market pricing of discretionary accruals in the non-crisis period, but a substantial reduction in pricing coefficients during the global financial crisis period. Practical implications - Financial distress experienced by firms provides incentives to managers for earnings manipulation. However, the direction of the earnings management could be income-increasing or income-decreasing. The findings from this study will allow investors to make better investment decisions for firms that are experiencing financial difficulties. Originality/value - This paper is the first in New Zealand to investigate the association between firm distress and managerial earnings management decisions. Recently, New Zealand experienced a spate of finance company collapses that somewhat contributes, indirectly, to financial distress experienced by firms. The New Zealand reporting environment is characterized by concentrated ownership, relaxed monitoring by regulatory authorities, and a very low litigation threat that provides an interesting setting to examine the research question. This paper is also the first to test the market pricing of earnings components in New Zealand.
Activation of the Regulatory T-Cell/Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase Axis Reduces Vascular Inflammation and Atherosclerosis in Hyperlipidemic Mice

T-cell activation is characteristic during the development of atherosclerosis. While overall T-cell responses have been implicated in disease acceleration, regulatory T cells (Tregs) exhibit atheroprotective effects. The expression of the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1), which catalyzes the degradation of tryptophan (Trp) along the kynurenine pathway, has been implicated in the induction and expansion of Treg populations. Hence, Tregs can reciprocally promote IDO1 expression in dendritic cells (DCs) via reverse signaling mechanisms during antigen presentation. In this study, we hypothesize that triggering the “Treg/IDO axis” in the artery wall is atheroprotective. We show that apolipoprotein B100-pulsed tumor growth factor beta 2-treated tolerogenic DCs promote de novo FoxP3+ Treg expansion in vivo. This local increase in Treg numbers is associated with increased vascular IDO1 expression and a robust reduction in the atherosclerotic burden. Using human primary cell cultures, we show for the first time that IDO1 expression and activity can be regulated by cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein-4, which is a constitutive molecule expressed and secreted by Tregs, in smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and macrophages. Altogether, our data suggest that Tregs and IDO1-mediated Trp metabolism can mutually regulate one another in the vessel wall to promote vascular tolerance mechanisms that limit inflammation and atherosclerosis.
Design of circularly symmetric two-dimensional linear-phase low-pass FIR filters using closed-form expressions

A design technique is presented for two-dimensional linear phase low-pass FIR filters based on a constrained minimization formulation. The minimization criterion is a convex combination of two criteria representing measures of the error between the actual and ideal frequency responses in the pass and stop bands. The constraints can for example represent flatness conditions at the origin. The result is applied to the case of a circularly symmetric low-pass filter and closed-form expressions are derived for the elements of the relevant matrices which appear in the minimization criterion so that numerical integration can be avoided.
ChiCaRo: Tele-presence Robot for Interacting with Babies and Toddlers

This paper reports a tele-presence robot named ChiCaRo, which is designed for interaction with babies and toddlers. ChiCaRo can physically interact with babies and toddlers by moving around and using its small hand. We conducted a field trial at a playroom where babies and toddlers can freely play to investigate ChiCaRo's effectiveness. In the experiment adult participants interacted with their babies and toddlers by ChiCaRo and another robot. The adult participants evaluated ChiCaRo highly in the context of remote interaction with their babies and toddlers.
Missing in action? EU crisis management and the link to the domestic political debate

One of the key themes in recent discussions about the EU’s foreign and security policy has been the question of Europeanization. This article seeks to contribute to this field of research by investigating the way in which a single EU military crisis management operation, the EUFOR Chad/CAR, has been perceived and debated on a national parliamentary arena in two member states, Sweden and Finland. The results suggest that a marked discontinuity prevailed between these nations’ policies in the context of the CSDP/ESDP and the discourse on CSDP/ESDP in the respective parliaments. While highlighting the need to pay more attention to the domestic dimension of Europeanization, these findings also call into question some of the basic premises of the discussion on Europeanization.
CBX3/HP1γ is upregulated in tongue squamous cell carcinoma and is associated with an unfavorable prognosis

Increased expression of CBX3/HP1γ, a core component of heterochromatin protein 1, has recently proved to be involved in human tumorigenesis and patient prognosis. The present study aimed to investigate the expression of CBX3/HP1γ and its clinicopathological significance in primary tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). Gene expression profiles of CBX3/HP1γ in TSCC from Oncomine database were analyzed. The expression of CBX3/HP1γ at protein level was measured using immunohistochemistry (IHC). The potential associations between CBX3/HP1γ expression and multiple clinicopathological parameters were estimated using the Chi square test. In addition, the effect of CBX3/HP1γ expression on patients' survival was further assessed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. The agreement of elevated CBX3/HP1γ expression was indicated in four datasets on the Oncomine database. Aberrant overexpression of CBX3/HP1γ was identified in TSCC tissues compared with cancer-adjacent normal tissue, which was significantly associated with cervical nodes metastasis (P=0.010) and clinical stage (P=0.025). Furthermore, patients with high CBX3/HP1γ expression exhibited a reduced survival compared with those with low expression (Log-rank test, P=0.004). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that the expression status of CBX3/HP1γ could be regarded as an independent prognostic factor for TSCC patients (HR=2.461; 95% CI=1.128–5.370; P=0.024). The present study indicated that aberrant overexpression of Cbx3/HP1γ was associated with cervical nodes metastasis and unfavorable survival in TSCC. These findings suggest that CBX3/HP1γ may serve an important role in tongue tumorigenesis and may be a valuable candidate diagnostic and prognostic marker for TSCC patients.
The relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction and buying intentions in the private hospital industry

The objective of this study was to investigate whether superior service quality and superior transaction-specific customer satisfaction will enhance loyalty (as measured by purchasing intentions) among patients in the private health care industry. The research design allowed an assessment of the relative impact of individual dimensions of service quality and transaction-specific customer satisfaction on two dependent variables, namely loyalty (as measured by intentions to repurchase) and customer satisfaction, the latter measured as ‘overall’ or cumulative satisfaction. The results reveal that the service quality dimensions Empathy of nursing staff and Assurance impact positively on both Loyalty and Cumulative satisfaction. The customer satisfaction dimensions Satisfaction with meals, Satisfaction with the nursing staff and Satisfaction with fees all impact positively on both Loyalty and Cumulative satisfaction.
Factors Affecting Soccer Club Season Ticket Holders’ Satisfaction: The Influence of Club Image and Fans’ Motives

Abstract This research is based on an integrated approach to understanding factors influencing soccer season ticket holders’ satisfaction. It attempts to extend the theoretical and empirical evidence on the causal relationships between club's image, motives to attend to a home match and to purchase to a season ticket, and satisfaction. These relationships were empirically validated using a structural equations modeling. Results indicate that both club image and motives lead to higher satisfaction among season ticket holders. Furthermore, the effect of a cognitively oriented motive (expressing financial advantages) is twice as strong as the effect of the motive linked with the image of a major club, which is both cognitively and emotionally driven. In addition, implications for sport marketers are discussed and suggestions are made for possible future research.
Microsporidial Stromal Keratitis: Clinical Features, Unique Diagnostic Criteria, and Treatment Outcomes in a Large Case Series

Purpose: To describe the history, clinical features, and outcomes of a large case series of microsporidial stromal keratitis with emphasis on probable predictors of the etiology in this rare and unspecified form of keratitis. Methods: Retrospective analysis of cases seen between January, 2002, and December, 2013, diagnosed at LV Prasad Eye Institute as having microsporidial stromal keratitis based on clinical, microbiology, and histopathology examination. Outcomes of medical and surgical management with visual recovery were documented. Results: There were 34 cases of microsporidial stromal keratitis with a mean age of 43.3 years (range 2–77 years) and male preponderance. The duration of symptoms was chronic in most cases (mean duration of 288 days). Nearly half of the cases had a history of trauma, in the age group of 20 to 50 years. The most common clinical misdiagnosis was herpes simplex virus keratitis (26.5%) followed by fungal keratitis (17.6%). This could be attributed to the nonspecific clinical picture of diffuse multifocal stromal lesions in 82.4% of cases. The organisms were detected in microbiological evaluation of corneal scrapings in 47% cases, and histopathological detection of the organisms showed a positivity rate of 92.3%. Surgical management was necessary in the majority of the cases (73.5% of patients). Conclusions: The typical history of trauma with a smoldering, diffuse form of keratitis refractory to conventional medical therapy, responding to surgical removal for recovery is clearly demonstrated as a recurring feature in the majority of the cases. Patients presenting with this characteristic clinical picture should be suspected to harbor this rare pathogen, and early surgical interventions should be considered.
Risk Aversion in Rent�?Seeking and Rent�?Augmenting Games

The effects of risk aversion are examined for two types of expenditures in rent-seeking contests: (a) Rent-Seeking Expenditures, which improve the probability that the rent is obtained; and (b) Rent-Augmenting Expenditures, which increase the size of the rent to be awarded. Risk aversion is shown to reduce expenditures of type (b) unambiguously, while having an indeterminate effect on those of type (a). These two contrasting results are shown to derive from the very different effects rent-seeking and rent-augmenting expenditures have on the riskiness of a player's position.
Systematic Literature Review: Security Challenges of Mobile Banking and Payments System

Mobile banking is more easily and fast banking today, but its challenges to payments security system. Many organization or financial institutions are now incorporating mobile banking and financial services as a key component of their growth strategy, and use of the mobile phone to conduct banking and financial services tasks continues to rise among early adopters. Large number of security challenge of mobile banking and payment system have been proposed in to the current research issues, our goal is to gain insight into the current status of mobile banking and payment system security challenge research issues published to date, conducted a systematic literature review mobile banking security challenges that have been claimed between January 2008 to December 2012.this paper presents the result of the systematic review, 10 publication and 20 were selected as primary studies, from which a large number of challenges were elicited. By applying qualitative data analysis methods to extracted data from the review. However among the majority of consumers, security threats are most commonly listed as the primary reason for not trying mobile banking. This review will attempt to technically address these largely unfounded consumer security fears while helping to lay a roadmap for financial institutions successful implementation of mobile banking technology. A clear and emerging new channel in the space of banking and payments is mobile. A key challenge with gaining user adoption of mobile banking and payments is the customer’s lack of confidence in security of the services. Understanding the mobile banking and payments market and ecosystem is critical in addressing the security challenges. There are new security risks introduced with mobile banking and payments that must be identified and mitigated.
Monopolistic competition in a large economy with differentiated commodities

Presents a study that clarified and developed the idea of a monopolistic competition in a general equilibrium model with differentiated commodities. Cause of monopolistically competitive behavior; Example illustrating the insignificance of an agent's monopoly power if the agent is small relative to the aggregate economy; Development of the model; Interpretation of the results. (Из Ebsco)
Involvement of interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme in apoptosis of irradiated retinoblastomas.

PURPOSE To investigate whether interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme (ICE), a mammalian homologue of the Caenorhabditis elegans cell death gene ced-3, is involved in gamma-irradiation-induced apoptosis (programmed cell death) of human retinoblastoma cells. METHODS The induction of apoptotic cell death in human retinoblastoma cell lines WERI-Rb-1 and Y79 by gamma-irradiation was determined with a modified 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide colorimetric assay and the DNA-binding fluorochrome bis (benzimide) trihydro-chloride (Hoechst 33258) staining. The change of ICE protein level in tumor cells during apoptosis was determined by immunoblotting assay. Whether the specific tetrapeptide ICE inhibitor Ac-YVAD-CMK affected gamma-irradiation-induced apoptosis in tumor cells was also examined. The effect of ICE overexpression on tumor cells was evaluated by a transient transfection assay using ICE expression vector. RESULTS Gamma-irradiation inhibited the cell viability of WERI-Rb-1 and Y79 cells in a dose-dependent manner and induced apoptosis. The protein level of ICE was remarkably enhanced after the treatment. The apoptotic cell death induced by gamma-irradiation was suppressed by the tetrapeptide ICE inhibitor Ac-YVAD-CMK. Moreover, overexpression of ICE induced apoptosis in tumor cells. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that ICE may play an important role in gamma-irradiation-induced apoptosis in retinoblastoma cells. Transfer of the ICE gene induces apoptosis in these cells without gamma-irradiation.
Power and Military Effectiveness: The Fallacy of Democratic Triumphalism

Since 1815 democratic states have emerged victorious from most wars, leading many scholars to conclude that democracies are better equipped to triumph in armed conflict with autocratic and other non-representative governments. Political scientist Michael C. Desch argues that the evidence and logic of that supposition, which he terms "democratic triumphalism," are as flawed as the arguments for the long-held and opposite belief that democracies are inherently disadvantaged in international relations. Through comprehensive statistical analysis, a thorough review of two millennia of international relations thought, and in-depth case studies of modern-era military conflicts, Desch finds that the problems that persist in prosecuting wars-from building up and maintaining public support to holding the military and foreign policy elites in check-remain constant regardless of any given state's form of government. In assessing the record, he finds that military effectiveness is almost wholly reliant on the material assets that a state possesses and is able to mobilize. Power and Military Effectiveness is an instructive reassessment of the increasingly popular belief that military success is one of democracy's many virtues. International relations scholars, policy makers, and military minds will be well served by its lessons.
Paroxysmal extreme pain disorder

Paroxysmal extreme pain disorder (PEPD or PEXPD OMIM #167400)was previously known as familial rectal pain syndrome. It is extremely rare, of very earlyonset and may be life-long. It is autosomal dominant and recently has been found to be caused by mutations on the sodium channel subunit gene SCN9A. Its manifestations, which are of multiple types, are paroxysmal and are frequently misdiagnosed as epileptic. The definitive clinical description of PEPD is is based upon 77 individuals from 15 families, representing nearly all families known with the disorder world-wide [1].
Commonality in Liquidity: Transmission of Liquidity Shocks Across Investors and Securities

What are the causes and consequences of commonality in liquidity? We examine this issue using a model of liquidity trading in which liquidity shocks are decomposed into common (systematic) and idiosyncratic components. We show that common liquidity shocks do not give rise to commonality in trading volume. Indeed, trading volume is independent of systematic liquidity risk, and this risk is always priced irrespective of market liquidity. In contrast, idiosyncratic liquidity shocks create liquidity demand and volume, and investors can diversify their risk by trading. Hence, pricing of the risk of idiosyncratic liquidity shocks depends on market liquidity, with idiosyncratic liquidity risk being fully priced only in perfectly illiquid markets. While trading volume increases with the variance of idiosyncratic liquidity shocks, price volatility increases with the variance of both idiosyncratic and systematic liquidity shocks. Surprisingly, our results are largely independent of the number of different securities traded in the market. When asset returns are uncorrelated, there is no transmission of liquidity across assets even when investors experience common liquidity shocks, suggesting that such liquidity shocks may not be the source of commonality in liquidity across assets detected in the literature. However, under limited conditions, more liquid securities can act as substitutes for less liquid securities. Overall, our findings suggest that common factors in liquidity may be the outcome of covariation in investor heterogeneity (e.g., as measured by co-movements in the volatility of idiosyncratic liquidity shocks) rather than of common liquidity shocks. Moreover, we find that different liquidity proxies measure different things, which has implications for future empirical analysis.
Capital Forbearance, Ex Ante Life Insurance Guaranty Schemes, and Interest Rate Uncertainty

Insurance guaranty funds have been adopted in many countries to compensate policyholders for losses resulting from insurers’ insolvencies. In this article we focus on the risk-based premiums in ex ante insurance guaranty schemes since a preassessment mechanism could reduce the shareholders’ incentive to engage in risk-taking behavior. We derive the closed-form solutions of the risk-based premium charged by the insurance guaranty fund in a setting that incorporates financial leverage, asset allocation, early closure, and capital forbearance during the grace period. Most importantly, we assume that the interest rate is stochastic, and we find that the premium is underpriced if the uncertainty of the interest rate is neglected by the insurance guaranty fund. Moreover, the influence of stochastic interest rate for the premium is more significant when we consider the capital forbearance mechanism. The impacts of the key factors in our model that decide the fair premium of the guaranty fund are examined numerically. The results of our analysis could provide valuable insights for regulators in terms of revising regulatory policies and insurance guaranty schemes.
Total Gastric Necrosis Due to Mucormycosis: A Rare Case of Gastric Perforation

Patient: Female, 52 Final Diagnosis: Gastric mucormycosis Symptoms: Sepsis • surgical abdomen Medication: Liposomal amphotericine b Clinical Procedure: Total gastrectomy Specialty: Surgery Objective: Rare disease Background: Spontaneous gastric perforation is usually a complication of peptic ulcer disease, or a postoperative complication resulting from gastric torsion. Mucormycosis (or zygomycosis) is an uncommon opportunistic fungal infection that is usually seen in immunocompromised patients and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This report is of a rare case of spontaneous gastric perforation due to mucormycosis infection. Case Report: A 52-year-old woman, with a past medical history of heroin abuse, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease treated by dialysis, presented to the emergency department with cellulitis of the arms. Following hospital admission, her medical condition deteriorated, and she developed septic shock and multiorgan failure, requiring transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU), where she was diagnosed with a perforated hollow viscus as the cause. Surgical exploration showed that the mucosa of the stomach was necrotic and perforated, but the remaining bowel appeared normal. Total gastrectomy was performed, and a jejunostomy feeding tube was inserted. Histopathology of the gastric tissue confirmed infection with mucormycosis. The patient was treated with adjunctive liposomal amphotericin B, her condition improved, and she was extubated on postoperative day 2. However, the patient died on postoperative day 21 due to sepsis and multiorgan failure. Conclusions: Mucormycosis is an opportunistic angioinvasive fungal infection, and gastric perforation is a rare clinical presentation. However, knowledge of the association between gastric necrosis and perforation and mucormycosis infection might lead to early diagnosis and treatment and reduce patient morbidity and mortality.
Lessons for Lean in Healthcare from Using Six Sigma in the NHS

In the UK the National Health Service (NHS) has applied a number of quality improvement approaches from manufacturing, often in a piecemeal fashion; most notably Six Sigma and, more recently, Lean. This article reports on an evaluation of a programme used in the NHS to consider what can be learned about the application of such approaches—including what themes also apply to Lean, and its implementation, particularly in the healthcare context.