Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Four years on: Are the gazelles still running? A longitudinal study of firm performance after a period of rapid growth

This article examines variations in performance between fast-growth – the so-called gazelle – firms. Specifically, we investigate how the level of growth affects future profitability and how this relationship is moderated by firm strategy. Hypotheses are developed regarding the moderated growth–profitability relationship and are tested using longitudinal data from a sample of 964 Danish gazelle firms. We find a positive relationship between growth and profitability among gazelle firms. This relationship is moderated, however, by market strategy; it is stronger for firms pursuing a broad market strategy rather than a niche strategy. This study contributes to the current literature by providing a more nuanced view of the growth–profitability relationship and investigating the potential for the future performance of gazelle firms.
What Do Producers Want? On the Origins of Societal Policy Preferences

In most studies of foreign economic policy, scholars derive the policy preferences of societal actors by using economic theories to determine the returns from various government actions. These policy preferences are then used as independent variables in explaining political outcomes. However, often a number of different policies serve the actor's underlying preference (such as maximizing profit) and, therefore, in order to determine the actor's policy preferences, additional information must be brought in. By examining producer policy preferences for trade, exchange rate and foreign direct investment policies, the article shows the inadequacy of focusing only on economic returns. Producers make a cost-benefit calculation when deciding what policies to support. Some recent literature has examined how actors perceive the benefits from various policies while others have investigated the costs of seeking these policies (namely, collective action obstacles). Estimating expected utility requires analyzing the perceived likelihood of obtaining various policies and these expectations are a function of domestic political variables. Political structures, then, affect not only how much influence groups have, but also what policies they seek in the first place.
Analysing qualitative data: ethnography and the evaluation of medical education

Summary. Quantitative methods of evaluating the outcomes of medical education may not always deliver the information which course organizers and teachers most need in order to improve their courses. Qualitative methods of research could provide such information. However, the use of qualitative methods has been limited by the difficulties associated with the analysis of subjective data and by the validity of its results. Qualitative data from an evaluation of the 2‐year part‐time MSc Course in General Practice at Guy's and St Thomas's Hospitals are presented and a rigorous method of analysis demonstrated. It is argued that for qualitative research validity is progressively achieved through the process of analysis, unlike experimental research where validity is ascribed in the research design. The relationship of research methods and approaches to evaluation is discussed and the potential contribution of qualitative research methods is outlined.
The Economic Crisis Lessons of Transportation Companies by Labour Productivity in Baltic and Central and Eastern Europe Countries

This study main aims to study the lessons of the economic crisis of Europe. This in turn allows the development of measures. The purpose of this article is to analyse the economic crisis lessons of the transportation and storage enterprises of new EU Member States from Baltic and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE-8) or former Soviet-bloc countries, and to compare them on the Europe level. The Eastern European countries were part of the Soviet Bloc. There are topical in connection with political events in 2014 in Eastern Europe. The goal is to analyse the labour productivity before and after the economic crisis by labour productivity, more specifically by gross value added per person employed and employee and turnover per person employed. We will look at how the economic crisis has affected the labour productivity of transportation companies and analyze the changes in the companies. In the background, we look at former Soviet-bloc countries and the countries' economic (GDP) development. What are the lessons learned from the economic crisis? The literature review shows the crisis theory. Based on this and previous publications, we will offer a number of generalized suggestions.
Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion: Classification and Treatment

Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders with different clinical aspects, courses, and probably therapy. Depending on the site of the arteriovenous crossing, we can roughly divide BRVO into 3 main groups: major BRVO, hemispheric retinal vein occlusion, and macular BRVO. Main treatment options include laser treatment, corticosteroid administration, anti-VEGF drugs, and sheathotomy with or without vitrectomy. Laser photocoagulation, as demonstrated by the Branch Vein Occlusion Study, represents the gold standard for the treatment of macular edema and ocular neovascularization following BRVO. The limited functional outcomes achievable by means of laser treatment have prompted researchers to try alternative options, with varying results. The recent introduction of combined therapies for macular edema may provide a superior approach in an attempt to improve and stabilize visual acuity over a long-term follow-up.
Why have so few countries industrialised

When countries develop, their economies become industrial, meaning that the goods and services that they produce are increasingly more diversified and complex. Despite progress, many countries in the world have not industrialised yet. This thesis shows that industrial and macroeconomic policies play a key role for industrialisation. A quantification of industrial policy instruments in East Asia and Latin America shows that larger public investments in East Asia spurred industrialisation. The type of government intervention also mattered: by designing an effective policy mix and by targeting strategic industries, East Asian states were more entrepreneurial than Latin American states. Second, firms’ investment behaviours follow business cycles’ fluctuations: by influencing these fluctuations, macroeconomic policies prove to be significant determinants of firms’ investments.
An examination of the relationship between service quality perceptions and customer loyalty in public versus private Greek banks

Researchers have not addressed the relationship between customer perceptions of bank service quality and customers' loyalty in a sufficient and direct manner. Indirect attempts on the subject lead to contradictory conclusions. This paper examines the factors shaping bank customer perceptions of service quality, sheds light on the direct influence of perceptions on customer loyalty, and compares customer perceptions and switching intentions between public and private bank customers. Based on analysis results, the paper concludes with the presentation of several managerial implications regarding the improvement of service quality level perceptions and bank customer retention.
Examination and Comparison of Hispanic and White Unemployment Rates

This research documents the time series behavior of unemployment rates for Hispanics and whites over the period of 1976-2008. In particular, we provide insight as to how Hispanics fared relative to whites by examining the unemployment rate, the unemployment rate gap, and the cyclical component of unemployment. The results should prove useful to those involved in applied economic analysis.
S100B maternal blood levels are gestational age- and gender-dependent in healthy pregnancies

Abstract Background: S100B is a well-established biomarker of central nervous system (CNS) development and damage in the perinatal period. Because the fetal CNS induces an overproduction of S100B measurable in the maternal bloodstream we evaluated S100B protein in healthy pregnancies in order to provide a reference curve of the protein in the second and third trimesters and to provide information on CNS development when standard monitoring procedures could be silent or unavailable. Methods: Between July 2012 and December 2014 we conducted a prospective study in 1213 healthy pregnancies delivering healthy newborns. Maternal blood samples were collected for standard monitoring procedures and S100B assessment. S100B correlations with selected outcomes (gestational age at sampling, gender of fetus, gestational age and weight at birth, delivery mode) were calculated using multiple forward stepwise regression analysis. Results: S100B concentrations in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy were found to be gestational age-, gender- and delivery mode-dependent (p<0.05, for all). Multiple forward stepwise regression analysis with S100B as the dependent variable and gestational age at sampling, gender, delivery mode, gestational age and weight at birth as independent variables, showed a significant correlation between S100B and gestational age at sampling (R=0.13; p<0.001). Conclusions: The present findings offering a S100B protein reference curve in maternal blood suggest that non-invasive fetal CNS monitoring is becoming feasible and open the way to further research in neuro-biomarker assessment in the maternal bloodstream.
Constricted, Lame and Pro-Cyclical? Fiscal Policy in the Euro Area Revisited

It is often argued that fiscal stabilisation in the euro area compares unfavourably with the USA, not least because of the perceived limitations of the stability and growth pact. This paper qualifies this perception. It examines a number of elements which are generally overlooked or not considered in the analysis of fiscal stabilisation. On top of discretionary fiscal policy, which is generally at the core of existing studies, it also takes into account the size of automatic stabilisers. Moreover, it considers the difference between policy intentions, as formulated or perceived in real time, and actual outturns, and possible reasons for the gap between the two. On the basis of such an analysis, fiscal stabilisation in the euro area appears less dire than commonly assumed. This paper also advances a number of points on how to improve the track record of fiscal policy making in the euro area, in particular on how to make is less pro-cyclical and, in the end, more sustainable.
(Re)assessing Parliamentary Policy Impact: The Case of the Australian Senate

A recent article in this Journal suggested that assumptions about the legislative influence of the Australian Senate may overstate its de facto power. Stanley Bach indicated that compromise with the Senate was relatively rare, and pointed out that most successful Senate amendments were government amendments. This paper provides an alternative view. We suggest that legislative influence is more subtle than Bach acknowledged, and that it is necessary to dig deeper in the data to fully understand the Senate's role. We therefore supplement his analysis in two ways: (1) through tracking the ultimate outcome of government defeats in the Senate; and (2) through analysis of two case study bills. We find that in confrontations with government the Senate ‘wins’ the great majority of the time. This shapes government behaviour in the chamber, such that many government amendments actually respond to non-government concerns. The most important element of Senate influence is therefore ‘soft power’– exercised through negotiation – backed up only in extremis by the ‘hard power’ of government defeat. This holds important lessons for the study of legislative influence more broadly, as well as demonstrating the true power of the Australian Senate.
Corruption and Democratic Performance

Revision with unchanged content. The relationship between corruption and democratic performance has always been a key question for political economists. It is important in terms of understanding the incentives that may improve quality of life in less developed countries. In the past, studies of this relationship have suffered from a lack of analytical sophistication, failed to extract all available information from the data, and assumed causal direction without empirical testing. No previous study has utilized nearly all countries of the world across a large time span. This book goes deeper by overcoming these analytical challenges. The analysis includes data for 186 countries, from 1984 to 2004. The primary finding suggests that IMF and World Bank policies of lowering corruption before structural adjustment is granted are misguided. The book is addressed to advanced scholars of comparative political economy and quantitative analytical techniques, and includes a foreword by Dr. Andrew H. Wedeman and Senator Dr. William P. Avery, providing a broad overview of the topic.
Innovative and Noninnovative Small Firms: Types and Characteristics

This study addresses the proposition that the characteristics of innovative and noninnovative small firms have significant differences. It is based on a sample of 50 Texas manufacturers. Cluster analysis yielded five distinct groups-two innovative and three noninnovative. The two innovative groups were either young firms dubbed the "Young Turks," or, established, managerially competent firms headed by newcomers called the "Blue Chips. " Among the three noninnovative groups, the "Silver Spoons" appeared to be surviving on past success; the "Striving Stoics" displayed continuing managerial effort but were led by executives who had been at the helm far longer than average; and the "Kismets" showed lesser competence and effort, were highly centralized, and were headed by executives tending more towards an external locus of control. Correlational analysis indicated a significant positive relationship between scanning and innovation. Challenges to the firm in the form of environmental dynamism and heterogeneity evoked positive innovatory responses but environmental hostility was a weak negative correlate inducing the firm to "pull in its horns. " Finally, an abundance of resources encouraged proactiveness.
Determinants of capital structure: evidence from Turkish lodging companies.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors affecting capital structure decisions of Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) lodging companies.Design/methodology/approach – A model based on the trade‐off and pecking order theories is specified and implications of both theories are empirically tested. The model is estimated using a dynamic panel data approach for five ISE companies for the period of 1994‐2006.Findings – The findings suggest that effective tax rates, tangibility of assets, and return on assets are related negatively to the debt ratio, while free cash flow, non‐debt tax shields, growth opportunities, net commercial credit position, and firm size do not appear to be related to the debt ratio. Although the findings partially support the pecking order theory, neither the trade‐off nor the pecking order theory exactly seem to explain the capital structure of Turkish lodging companies.Research limitations/implications – The data used in this paper are limited to five companies traded .
Comparison of Mean Deviation With AGIS and CIGTS Scores in Association With Structural Parameters in Glaucomatous Eyes

ObjectiveTo evaluate which of the 3 clinically used visual field indices including mean deviation (MD), Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS) score, and Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS) score are best in evaluating functional damage of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. MethodsIn 213 glaucomatous eyes, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and optic disc configuration were measured with Stratus optical coherence tomography and Heidelberg Retina Tomograph-2, respectively. Visual field was measured with standard automated perimetry 30-2. Correlations of the structural parameters compared with the 3 VF indices using second polynomial regression were calculated. In addition, these correlations were analyzed among eyes of 3 different stages of glaucoma, as defined by MD score (early, MD≥−6 dB; moderate, −12 dB≤MD<−6 dB; advanced, MD<−12 dB). ResultsAmong structure-function relationships in all subjects, the highest correlation determination (R2) was MD with RNFLT (=0.298). CIGTS score showed better R2 than MD or AGIS score with rim area, but these values were not higher than any R2 with RNFLT. In analyses of 3 groups depending on MD, statistically significant structure-function correlations were observed only in patients with an advanced stage. ConclusionsNo clear difference was found among MD and AGIS/CIGTS scores in expressing functional damage of glaucomatous eyes. MD is suggested to be no worse than others in monitoring glaucoma in clinical setting.
Clearance Pricing and Inventory Policies for Retail Chains

Clearance pricing and end of season inventory management are challenging and important problems in retailing. Sales rates depend upon price, seasonal effects, and the remaining assortment of items available to customers. There is little time to react to observed sales, and pricing errors result in either loss of potential revenue or excess inventory to be liquidated. This paper develops optimal clearance prices and inventory management policies that take into account the impact of reduced assortment and seasonal changes on sales rates. Versions of these policies have been tested and implemented at three major retail chains and these applications are summarized and discussed.
Auditor's Reputation and Equity Offerings: The Case of Arthur Andersen

The certifying and monitoring role of auditors is valuable to clients. By examining the impact of Arthur Andersen’s worsening reputation on its clients, we find a 200 basis point more negative reaction to seasoned equity offering (SEO) announcements for firms audited by Andersen. The median firm in our sample loses $31.4 million more than a non-Andersen client. We do not find any unusual underpricing for these SEOs, which suggests that any accounting concerns about the issuers are resolved before the issue dates.
Severe snakebites in northern KwaZulu-Natal: treatment modalities and outcomes.

OBJECTIVE We aimed to study the outcomes of severe snakebites in patients admitted to Ngwelezana Hospital in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, the seasonal variations, and the effectiveness and complications of antivenom. DESIGN A prospective observational outcomes study was conducted over one year (1 June 2007 to 31 May 2008). The study group was from the north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa, with a population of approximately 3 million people, and included all patients bitten by snakes and admitted to the Ngwelezana Hospital Emergency Medicine Unit (EMU). Departmental practice guidelines were documented and followed. OUTCOME MEASURES End-points for patient outcomes included transfer from the EMU to the ward, discharge home from the EMU, and follow-up of patients who required surgery or ICU care. RESULTS A total of 243 snakebite patients were recorded. The highest incidence was in the summer months; 46 (18.93%) patients experienced one or more severe complications; 29 (11.93%) patients received some form of definitive management in hospital; and 22 (9.05%) of the latter patients received antivenom. Antivenom was administered to more children than adults. Adverse reactions to antivenom were common: an allergic response occurred in 4 (15.4%) patients, and anaphylaxis in 6 (23.1%); the highest incidence occurred in the <10-year-old age group. No deaths were recorded. CONCLUSIONS Snakebites are common in the summer months in north eastern KwaZulu-Natal. Children are particularly vulnerable to snakebites and the effects of antivenom. Adverse reactions to antivenom are common. Severe snakebites that require antivenom should be managed in a hospital setting with advanced airway support. The syndromic approach to treatment is simple and effective.
In Vitro Amphotericin B Resistance in Clinical Isolates of Aspergillus terreus, with a Head-to-Head Comparison to Voriconazole

ABSTRACT Amphotericin B therapy continues to be the “gold standard” in the treatment of invasive aspergillosis in the immunocompromised host. Although Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus constitute the major species, several reports have described invasive pulmonary or disseminated disease due to the less common Aspergillus terreus and dismal clinical outcomes with high-dose amphotericin B. We therefore evaluated 101 clinical isolates of A. terreus for their susceptibility to amphotericin B and the investigational triazole voriconazole by using the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards M27-A method modified for mould testing. Forty-eight-hour MICs indicated 98 and 0% resistance to amphotericin B and voriconazole, respectively. We conclude that A. terreus should be added to the list of etiologic agents refractory to conventional amphotericin B therapy and suggest the potential clinical utility of voriconazole in aspergillosis due to this species.
Mapping a Region of Hepatitis C Virus E2 That Is Responsible for Escape from Neutralizing Antibodies and a Core CD81-Binding Region That Does Not Tolerate Neutralization Escape Mutations

ABSTRACT Understanding the interaction between broadly neutralizing antibodies and their epitopes provides a basis for the rational design of a preventive hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine. CBH-2, HC-11, and HC-1 are representatives of antibodies to overlapping epitopes on E2 that mediate neutralization by blocking virus binding to CD81. To obtain insights into escape mechanisms, infectious cell culture virus, 2a HCVcc, was propagated under increasing concentrations of a neutralizing antibody to isolate escape mutants. Three escape patterns were observed with these antibodies. First, CBH-2 escape mutants that contained mutations at D431G or A439E, which did not compromise viral fitness, were isolated. Second, under the selective pressure of HC-11, escape mutations progressed from a single L438F substitution at a low antibody concentration to double substitutions, L438F and N434D or L438F and T435A, at higher antibody concentrations. Escape from HC-11 was associated with a loss of viral fitness. An HCV pseudoparticle (HCVpp) containing the L438F mutation bound to CD81 half as efficiently as did wild-type (wt) HCVpp. Third, for HC-1, the antibody at a critical concentration completely suppressed viral replication and generated no escape mutants. Epitope mapping revealed contact residues for CBH-2 and HC-11 in two regions of the E2 glycoprotein, amino acids (aa) 425 to 443 and aa 529 to 535. Interestingly, contact residues for HC-1 were identified only in the region encompassing aa 529 to 535 and not in aa 425 to 443. Taken together, these findings point to a region of variability, aa 425 to 443, that is responsible primarily for viral escape from neutralization, with or without compromising viral fitness. Moreover, the region aa 529 to 535 is a core CD81 binding region that does not tolerate neutralization escape mutations.
Convergence from Discrete to Continuous Time Contingent Claims Prices

This article generalizes the Cox, Ross, and Rubinstein (1979) binomial option-pricing model, and establishes a convergence from discrete-time multivariate multinomial models to continuous-time multidimensional diffusion models for contigent claims prices. The key to the approach is to approximate the N-dimensional diffusion price process by a sequence of N-variate, (N+1)-nomial processes. It is shown that contingent claims prices and dynamic replicating portfolio strategies derived from the discrete time models converge to their corresponding continuous-time limits. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.