Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Frontier Estimation and Firm-Specific Inefficiency Measures in the Presence of Heteroscedasticity

The purpose of this article is to illustrate a straightforward and useful method for addressing the problem of heteroscedasticity in the estimation of frontiers. A heteroscedastic cost-frontier model is developed and estimated using bank cost data similar to that used by Ferrier and Lovell. Our results show dramatic changes in the estimated cost frontier and in the inefficiency measures when accounting for heteroscedasticity in the estimation process. We find that the rankings of firms by their inefficiency measures is affected markedly by the correction for heteroscedasticity but not by alternative distributional assumptions about the one-sided error term.
Segmentation of Natural Scenes Based on Visual Attention and Gestalt Grouping Laws

Detection of salient regions in images of natural scenes can be applied as a pre-processing step for computer vision algorithms as image segmentation, content based image retrieval, object recognition or image compression. This paper presents a visual attention method that analyses the input image in multiple scales using stability information of image regions. The saliency maps constructed have the advantage of preserving well-defined boundaries and making a better separation between background and the salient object, without suffering from undesired effects of multi-scale approaches. Furthermore, a segmentation approach that models Gestalt grouping laws is also applied. The experiments using a database containing 1,000 images showed that our saliency maps outperform the results obtained by other seven visual attention algorithms in terms of F-Measure. In addition, our segmentation approach obtained better results if compared to three classic thresholding algorithms.
Economies of Scale in Multi-product Firms: An Empirical Analysis

This paper presents new evidence on scale economies in multiproduct firms. Previous studies are limited in view of r ecent advances in the theory of the multiproduct firm. The water util ity is chosen here as a multiproduct firm providing multiple services to various classes of customers with spatial variation. A translog m ultiproduct cost function is estimated, based on duality between tran sformation and cost functions. The paper analyzes overall, as well as product-specific, scale economies. It also discusses ray average cos t curves and derives the M locus which provides useful information on scope economies and the cost-minimizing number of firms. Copyright 1987 by The Review of Economic Studies Limited.
Missed Central Venous Guide Wires: A Systematic Analysis of Published Case Reports

Objective:The inadvertent loss of an entire guide wire during central venous catheterization can lead to serious patient harm and require additional investigations as well as retrieval procedures. We aimed to analyze globally published reports of lost wires during central venous catheterization to understand its possible etiology, presentation, treatment, and outcomes with an objective of finding solutions to make the procedure safer. Data Sources:MEDLINE, Scopus, and CINAHL, supplemented by scanning the reference lists of relevant publications. Study Selection:All reports describing an inadvertent intravascular loss of a complete guide wire during placement of central venous catheters published up to December 2014 were included. Reports exclusively describing the 1) retrieval method, 2) partially retained guide wires, and 3) entrapped guide wires during withdrawal were excluded. Data Extraction:In each instance, we collected data about the method of the missed guide wire detection, the time interval between the procedure and detection, the supplementary investigations performed to confirm the diagnosis, and the risk factors associated with such events as well as the complications, the final outcome, and the wire retrieval methods used. Data Synthesis:A systematic analysis of the accessed publications was performed. Conclusions:Over the last decade, the number of reported instances of lost guide wires during central venous catheterization has increased rapidly. Unsupervised or improperly supervised insertions of the central catheters by trainees, distractions during insertions, and high workload are the main risk factors. A retained guide wire increases the risk and cost of additional diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, as well as imposing many minor-to-serious life-threatening complications. Continuing education along with simulator-based skill development, vigilant supervision, and a shared workload during out of hours working are likely to prevent such occurrences.
Attempting global standards: national governments, international finance, and the IMF's data regime

This article explores the conditions under which international financial standards succeed. While rationalist accounts treat the successful creation of international standards as a relatively straightforward exercise, I suggest otherwise. The cooperation of private sector agents is a necessary condition for successful standards, and this cooperation hinges on certain elements of institutional design. Using an assessment of the IMF's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS), I explore issues of institutional design and effectiveness. On the basis of surveys of mutual fund managers and government officials, I argue that because the private sector has yet to become involved fully in the promulgation of the SDDS, the SDDS effort has not yet achieved its goals.
A Novel Intravenous Iron Formulation for Treatment of Anemia in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The Ferric Carboxymaltose (FERINJECT®) Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND AIMS:Anemia is a common complication of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) This multicenter study tested the noninferiority and safety of a new intravenous iron preparation, ferric carboxymaltose (FeCarb), in comparison with oral ferrous sulfate (FeSulf) in reducing iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in IBD.METHODS:Two hundred patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio (137 FeCarb:63 FeSulf) to receive FeCarb (maximum 1,000 mg iron per infusion) at 1-wk intervals until the patients' calculated total iron deficit was reached or FeSulf (100 mg b.i.d.) for 12 wk. The primary end point was change in hemoglobin (Hb) from baseline to week 12.RESULTS:The median Hb improved from 8.7 to 12.3 g/dL in the FeCarb group and from 9.1 to 12.1 g/dL in the FeSulf group, demonstrating noninferiority (P = 0.6967). Response (defined as Hb increase of >2.0 g/dL) was higher for FeCarb at week 2 (P = 0.0051) and week 4 (P = 0.0346). Median ferritin increased from 5.0 to 323.5 μg/L at week 2, followed by a continuous decrease in the FeCarb group (43.5 μg/L at week 12). In the FeSulf group, a moderate increase from 6.5 to 28.5 μg/L at week 12 was observed. Treatment-related adverse events (AEs) occurred in 28.5% of the FeCarb and 22.2% of the FeSulf groups, with discontinuation of study medication due to AEs in 1.5% and 7.9%, respectively.CONCLUSIONS:FeCarb is effective and safe in IBD-associated anemia. It is noninferior to FeSulf in terms of Hb change over 12 wk, and provides a fast Hb increase and a sufficient refill of iron stores.
Ergonomics, Employee Involvement, and the Toyota Production System: A Case Study of Nummi'S 1993 Model Introduction

New United Motors Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) is a GM-Toyota joint venture that has been lauded by some for achieving performance based on high employee involvement, and criticized by others for intensifying work and harming workers. In 1993, OSHA cited NUMMI for paying insufficient attention to ergonomic issues during the introduction of a new car model. The authors analyze the origins of NUMMI's ergonomic problems and the responses of the company, union, and regulators. They also discuss a more ergonomically successful model introduction two years later. This case suggests that although employee involvement does not eliminate all divergence of interests between management and workers, it can change the terms of that divergence. When management reliance on employee involvement is complemented by strong employee voice and strong regulators, managers may find it in their interest to improve safety as a means of maintaining high employee commitment and thereby improving business performance.
Share price reactions to advertising announcements and broadcast of media events

Over the last two decades, marketers have gravitated toward placing their ads in specific television programs such as the Super Bowl, Academy Awards, and the last episodes of sitcoms. While anecdotal evidence of positive outcomes in the form of increased sales, phone inquiries, and hits on the web sites of advertisers, there has not been any credible measurement of investor returns in this expensive strategy. We find that firms advertising for the first time, with greater advertising expenditures relative to sales, and with more effective|creative campaigns fare better in terms of the market reaction to their campaigns. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Direct-to-Consumer Marketing of Predictive Medical Genetic Tests: Assessment of Current Practices and Policy Recommendations

This research reviews the current state of affairs in the fast-growing area of direct-to-consumer marketing of genetic tests. The authors identify the unique nature of genetic tests and the ensuing consumer vulnerability. They also present a comprehensive examination of the current legal environment and an empirical analysis of genetic testing companies’ online marketing practices. On the basis of the analysis and review, they make a set of policy recommendations that consists of consumer education, physician intervention and education, and direct regulation of marketing activities, especially as they relate to the online medium.
Pharmacokinetic Interactions between Nelfinavir and 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase Inhibitors Atorvastatin and Simvastatin

ABSTRACT 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors are effective agents in lowering cholesterol and triglycerides and are being used by human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients to treat the lipid elevation that may be associated with antiretroviral therapy. Many HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and protease inhibitors are metabolized by the same cytochrome P450 enzyme 3A4 (CYP3A4). In addition, many protease inhibitors are potent inhibitors of CYP3A4. Therefore, coadministration of these two classes of drugs may cause significant drug interactions. This open-label, multiple-dose study was performed to determine the interactions between nelfinavir, a protease inhibitor, and two HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, atorvastatin and simvastatin, in healthy volunteers. Thirty-two healthy subjects received either atorvastatin calcium (10 mg once a day) or simvastatin (20 mg once a day) for the first 14 days of the study. Nelfinavir (1,250 mg twice a day) was added on days 15 to 28. Pharmacokinetic assessment was performed on days 14 and 28. The study drugs were well tolerated. Nelfinavir increased the steady-state area under the plasma concentration-time curve during one dosing period (AUCτ) of atorvastatin 74% and the maximum concentration (Cmax) of atorvastatin 122% and increased the AUCτ of simvastatin 505% and theCmax of simvastatin 517%. Neither atorvastatin nor simvastatin appeared to alter the pharmacokinetics of nelfinavir. It is recommended that coadministration of simvastatin with nelfinavir should be avoided, whereas atorvastatin should be used with nelfinavir with caution.
Growth and Size of Firms

The authors use a data set of 87,000 independent U.K. companies to investigate the relationship between firm size and growth. For the sample as a whole, a Galton-Markov model of regression towards the mean shows that growth is negatively related to initial size. However, when the sample is broken down by size group, the authors find that regression towards the mean only occurs for the smallest firms, e.g., those with eight employees or less. For larger firms, there is essentially no relationship between growth and size. Even for the smallest firm, the authors' results may be due to transitory factors. Copyright 1996 by Royal Economic Society.
Governance & local environmental management in Africa

Current policy prescriptions for environmental management in Africa emphasise devolution of resource management to local non‐government and community organisations. They challenge the long‐standing orthodoxy of environmental conservation based on land privatisation, and instead favour local institutions managing resources as common property. This challenge has been reinforced by arguements from a reappraisal of dryland ecology in Africa, and by empirical and economic theoretical research on common property management. Implicit within much of current policy is the assumption that devolution of natural resource management will be socially redistributive as well as environmentally benign. Evidence from Maasai group ranches in southern Kenya suggests this assumption may be misplaced, and that, to address equality goals, policy must take more explicit account of the social dynamics underlying local power relations, and the way these are conditioned by the non‐local political environment.
Susceptibility to Polymyxin B of Penicillin G-induced Proteus mirabilis L Forms and Spheroplasts

A polymyxin B-resistant strain of Proteus mirabilis was converted into L forms and spheroplasts in the presence of penicillin G. This treatment caused a 400-fold increase in polymyxin B susceptibility. The acquired susceptibility was in the range of the natural susceptibility reported for susceptible gram-negative bacteria (∼1 μg/ml). The high susceptibility to polymyxin B was lost as soon as the spheroplasts and L forms were allowed to reconvert into the bacillary form in penicillin-free media. This behavior is strong evidence that the natural resistance of Proteus strains to polymyxins is due to the impermeability of the outer cell wall structures to these antibiotic substances.
Speaker system with 100-W high output power and 0.17% THD using 9-V power supply with digitally direct-driven technique

In recent years, high-quality and high-efficiency speaker systems and high-image-quality televisions and monitors have grown in importance. However, to improve sound quality, implemented electric circuits increase in size and consume more power. In addition, efficiency at low output power and total harmonic distortion (THD) at high output are degraded. In this paper, we report on a small speaker system that can output 110 W and higher from an 9-V input without using analog circuits such as a D/A converter or a power amplifier. Using only digital processing, we build a low-power, fully digital speaker using a digital direct-driven speaker system (DDDSP) that can achieve high efficiency, low noise (by increasing the number of speaker units), and low THD. With this system, a high-quality and low-power-consumption speaker system can be used at home and at amusement facilities.
Bank Ownership and Efficiency

Agency issues associated with different types of firm ownership are an area of concern in many banking systems where state-owned banks operate alongside mutual and private-sector institutions. This paper uses a variety of approaches to model cost and profit inefficiencies as well as technical change for different ownership types in the German banking market. We find little evidence to suggest that privately owned banks are more efficient than their mutual and public-sector counterparts. While all three bank ownership types benefit from widespread economies of scale, inefficiency measures indicate that public and mutual banks have slight cost and profit advantages over their private sector competitors.
Irradiation Modes’ Impact on Radical Entrapment in Photoactive Resins

Different irradiation protocols are proposed to polymerize dental resins, and discordances remain concerning their impact on the material. To improve this knowledge, we studied entrapment of free radicals in unfilled Bis-GMA/TEGDMA (50:50 wt%) resin after light cure. The tested hypothesis was that various irradiation parameters (curing time, irradiance, and radiant exposure) and different irradiation modes (continuous and pulse-delay) led to different amounts of trapped free radicals. The analysis of cured samples (n = 3) by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) revealed that the concentrations of trapped free radicals significantly differed according to the curing protocol. When continuous modes with similar radiant exposure were compared, higher concentrations of trapped free radicals were measured for longer times with lower irradiance. Concerning pulse modes, the delay had no influence on trapped radical concentration. These results give new insights into the understanding of the photopolymerization process and highlight the relevance of using EPR when studying polymerization of dimethacrylate-based materials.
Burnout Syndrome among Medical Workers at Kenyatta National Hospital(KNH), Nairobi, Kenya

Background: Little has been documented on the extent of the impact of work environment, interpersonal relationships, coping mechanisms and the burnout syndrome on medical workers in Kenya. Worldwide, medical workers have been found to be vulnerable to burnout syndrome, which in turn lowers the quality of their lives and health services provision. Objective: To establish the prevalence rate of and factors associated with burnout syndrome among medical workers at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi. Setting: Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi. Design: Descriptive cross-sectional. Subjects: Three hundred and forty five (345) medical practitioners and nurses with six or more months of work experience at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya. Outcome measures: Prevalence rate, socio-demographic characteristics, factors associated with and influencing burnout syndrome among the medical workers at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi. Methods: Proportionate allocation and simple random sampling strategy were used to recruit medical practitioners and nurses on the basis of qualifications, departments and distribution. Results: The crude prevalence rate of burnout syndrome was 95.4%. All sociodemographic factors and work environment related factors were found to be strongly contributing to their burnout syndrome. The burnout syndrome for socio-demographic factors were in excess of 95.0 and â€˜self-factorsâ€™ contributed 14.0%. Patients and their relatives contributed 40.5% while work environment contributed the largest proportion (55.5%) of the total scores for burnout intensity. Conclusion: Burnout syndrome was found to be high among medical workers at KNH, Nairobi. The prevalence rate (95.4%) in this study was higher than that found in studies in other countries worldwide (66.0%). The major contributors to burnout intensity scores were work environment (56.0%), patientsâ€™ relatives (41.0%) and self factors (14.0%).
CD103+ Dendritic Cell Function Is Altered in the Colons of Patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Background: Human intestinal innate myeloid cells can be divided into 3 subsets: HLA-DRhighCD14+ cells, HLA-DRhighCD103+ dendritic cells (DCs), and HLA-DRhighCD14−CD103− cells. CD103+ DCs generate Treg cells and Th17 cells in the ileum, but their function in the colon remains largely unknown. This study characterized CD103+ DCs in the colon and investigated whether these cells are implicated in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods: Normal intestinal mucosa was obtained from intact sites of patients with colorectal cancer (n = 24). Noninflamed and inflamed colonic tissues were obtained from surgically resected specimens of patients with UC (n = 13). Among Lin−CD45+HLA-DRhigh intestinal lamina propria cells, CD14+ cells and CD103+ DCs were sorted and analyzed for microRNA expression of cytokines and toll-like receptors by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. In addition, IL-4/IL-5/IL-13/IL-17/IFN-&ggr; production and Foxp3 expression by naive T cells cultured with CD14+ cells and CD103+ DCs were analyzed. Results: CD103+ DCs in the normal colon showed lower expression of toll-like receptors and proinflammatory cytokines than CD14+ cells. Coculture with naive T cells revealed that CD103+ DCs generated Treg cells. CD103+ DCs from patients with UC did not generate Treg cells, but they induced IFN-&ggr;-, IL-13-, and IL-17-producing CD4+ T cells and showed higher expression of IL6 (P < 0.0001), IL23A (P < 0.05), IL12p35 (P < 0.05), and TNF (P < 0.05). Conclusions: In patients with UC, CD103+ DCs show the impaired ability to generate Treg cells, but exhibit a colitogenic function inducing Th1/Th2/Th17 responses. These findings show how human CD103+ DCs could contribute to the pathogenesis of UC.
Four (or Five) Easy Lessons From Enron

At the time that Enron filed for bankruptcy, it had substantial assets, thousands of creditors, an opaque capital structure, and more than a whiff of fraud. By the traditional account, Enron is a prototypical example of a firm with problems that a law of corporate reorganizations is designed to solve. Like the 19th century receiverships of the great railroads, the reorganization of Enron could have allowed creditors and others to negotiate with each other and find a way to preserve the value of the firm as a going concern at the same time misdeeds are uncovered and losses are allocated among the different players. Negotiations aimed at preserving Enron's value as a going concern never took place, however. As is increasingly the case in large Chapter 11s, Enron's assets were sold quickly, most within a few weeks or months of the filing. The decision as to how to deploy Enron's assets lay not in the court but in the new owners. After selling the assets, the bankruptcy court quickly turned to what courts do best - sorting out complex and perhaps conflicting legal entitlements. This pattern of a prompt sale followed by litigation over the distribution of the proceeds reflects a dramatic change in large firm bankruptcy practice. It suggests that we should no longer think of Chapter 11 as a collective forum in which the interested parties gather to bargain over the fate of the firm.
The effects of grouping parts of ready‐to‐assemble products on assembly time: an experimental study

The problems involved in assembly of packaged ready‐to‐assemble (RTA) products such as bicycles, furniture, etc., are well known. Some of the factors that contribute to the difficulty in assembly are unclear assembly instructions and poor grouping of parts in packages. Typically, RTA products are packed in one bulky carton with some parts, such as hardware, grouped in a separate package within the carton. As a result, consumers often spend a significant portion of the assembly time on searching for the right part. Through an experimental study we demonstrate that the assembly time can be significantly reduced by forming logical part groups (packages within the carton) according to the sequence of assembly operations. Our result is significant in the context of recent surveys that indicate customer dissatisfaction with the assembly of RTA products.