Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Top Executive Rewards and Firm Performance: A Comparison of Japan and the U.S

This paper compares CEO and top management turnover and its relation to firm performance in the largest companies (by sales) in Japan and the U.S. Japanese top managers are older and have shorter tenures as top managers than their U.S. counterparts. Overall, however, turnover-performance relations are economically and statistically similar: turnover is negatively related to stock, sales, and earnings performance in both countries. Turnover in Japan is particularly sensitive to low earnings. Evidence on executive compensation confirms that Japanese executives own less stock and receive lower cash compensation than U.S. executives. Cash compensation performance relations, nevertheless, are also similar in magnitude to those found in previous work for U.S. executives.
Quantitative image quality analysis of a nonlinear spatio-temporal filter

Digital temporal and spatial filtering of fluoroscopic image sequences can be used to improve the quality of images acquired at low X-ray exposure. In this study, we characterized a nonlinear edge preserving, spatio-temporal noise reduction filter, the bidirectional multistage (BMS) median filter of Arce (1991). To assess image quality, signal detection and discrimination experiments were performed on stationary targets using a four-alternative forced-choice paradigm. A measure of detectability, d', was obtained for filtered and unfiltered noisy image sequences at different signal amplitudes. Filtering gave statistically significant, average d' improvements of 20% (detection) and 31% (discrimination). A nonprewhitening detection model modified to include the human spatio-temporal visual system contrast-sensitivity underestimated enhancement, predicting an improvement of 6%. Pixel noise standard deviation, a commonly applied image quality measure, greatly overestimated effectiveness giving 67% improvement in d'. We conclude that human testing is required to evaluate the filter effectiveness and that human perception models must be improved to account for the spatio-temporal filtering of image sequences.
Portability regimes of pension and health care benefits for international migrants: an analysis of issues and good practices

The paper provides a first investigation into the portability of pension and health care benefits for international migrants. It is based on available literature and newly minted data, but more importantly on selective case studies from main migrant-sending and receiving countries. While exploratory, the paper achieves a better understanding of the realities on the ground and is able to distill key issues as well as identify good and best practices. The main conclusions include the following: First, only around 20 percent of migrants worldwide work in host countries where full portability of pension benefits, but not necessarily of health care benefits, to their home countries is ensured. Second, bilateral agreements are seemingly the current best practice to ensure portability for pension and health care benefits, although for the latter this is not always the case. Third, more actuarial-type structures should help to enhance portability. This is, in principle, straightforward for pensions and a defined contribution-type design. It is much more complicated for health care benefits. Last but not least, for improved benefit design and implementation, the information base needs to be broadened, including through more country case studies and tracer studies of migrants.
Iridoid and Megastigman Glucosides from Plantago lagopus

Two iridoid glucosides, catalpol and aucubin, one chlorinated iridoid aglycon, rehmaglutin D were isolated from the iridoid fraction of the aerial parts of Plantago lagopus L. together with the megastigman glucoside, phlomuroside. The structures of the isolated compounds were identified by means of spectroscopic (UV, HR-ESI, 1H-NMR, 13C NMR , HMQC, HMBC, COSY) methods. This is the first report for the first isolation of rehmaglutin D and phlomuroside from the genus Plantago.
Returns to Managerial and Technical Competencies of IT Professionals: An Empirical Analysis

In this study, we examine the effect of managerial and technical competencies of information technology (IT) professionals on their salaries. Based on a large nationally representative dataset of more than 55,000 IT professionals in the U.S. for the period 1999-2002, we find that both managerial and technical competencies have a significant effect on salaries of IT professionals. In contrast with findings of previous studies, we find that compared to firms in other industries, firms in the IT industry pay a significant amount of premium to IT professionals. Our results also show that IT professionals in the non-profit and governmental sector receive less compensation compared to their counterparts in the for-profit sectors of the economy. Similar to the dotcom effect for abnormal returns in stock markets, we observe a pronounced dotcom effect in salaries of IT professionals during the 1999-2002 period. Our findings provide evidence of pronounced wage inequalities on the basis of gender and male IT professionals receive 7.8% more in total compensation than their female counterparts. Finally, we estimate the causal effect of MBA education on the salaries of IT professionals using a matching estimator and demonstrate how bounding such a matching estimator provides an assessment of sensitivity of estimated causal effects with respect to selection due to unobservable factors.
A halo in the heart during coronary angiography: calcified left ventricular aneurysm with thrombus formation

Summary A 74-year-old man presented with chest pain and dyspnoea at the cardiology outpatient clinic. His past medical history included an anterior myocardial infarction in 2008. In the coronary angiogram, a ‘halo image’ was seen right after the injection of the contrast agent, and it corresponded with the location of the left ventricular aneurysm. A calcified left ventricular aneurysm with mural thrombus was confirmed with cardiac MRI and a CT scan.
Investment Patterns and Financial Leverage

This study Investigates the influence of the type of investment opportunities facing a firm on its choice of capital structure. It is shown that the more discretionary investment opportunities a firm faces,the lower its financial leverage. Inclusion of other possible determinants of capital structure, such as availability of internal funds, tax effects and risk, while significant, do not affect the importance of discretionary investment. The evidence supports (1) the existence of a moral bazzard problem which inversely relates risky debt and discretionary investment choice, and (2) a desire by most firms to use sources of internal funds prior to entering the capital market.
The association between delirium and the apolipoprotein E ϵ4 allele in the elderly

Objective As not all patients with similar risk factors and eliciting conditions develop delirium; it may be hypothesized that genetic variation may play a role in the risk of delirium. On the basis of the relationship between dementia, respectively reduced cholinergic activity, and the APOE ϵ4-allele, and the similarities between dementia and delirium in reduced cholinergic activity, the APOE ϵ4-allele is a rational candidate-gene for delirium. This study examined the association between APOE ϵ4-allele and delirium in elderly patients. Methods Acutely admitted patients to the Department of Medicine of 65 years and over were included during a 27-month time period. Delirium was scored by the confusion assessment method. Cognitive impairment was diagnosed by Mini Mental State Examination and informant questionnaire on cognitive decline. Genotyping was done with matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of flight mass spectrometry. Results Of 415 included patients, a random sample of 264 patients was genotyped for APOE. The patients who met the criteria for delirium (35%) were significantly older and more frequently had preexisting functional and cognitive impairment. APOE genotype was borderline significantly associated with cognitive impairment in patients below 75 years (P=0.057). The odds ratio for carriers of an APOE ϵ4-allele compared with patients without an APOE ϵ4-allele for developing delirium was 1.17 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49–2.78) in the cognitively intact patients and 0.42 (95% CI: 0.14–1.30) in the cognitively impaired patients. No relation existed between the total number of APOE ϵ4-alleles and the different delirium subtypes (P=0.12). Conclusions We found no convincing evidence that carriers of the APOE ϵ4-allele have a higher risk of delirium.
Retromer Binds the FANSHY Sorting Motif in SorLA to Regulate Amyloid Precursor Protein Sorting and Processing

sorLA is a sorting receptor for amyloid precursor protein (APP) genetically linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Retromer, an adaptor complex in the endosome-to-Golgi retrieval pathway, has been implicated in APP transport because retromer deficiency leads to aberrant APP sorting and processing and levels of retromer proteins are altered in AD. Here we report that sorLA and retromer functionally interact in neurons to control trafficking and amyloidogenic processing of APP. We have identified a sequence (FANSHY) in the cytoplasmic domain of sorLA that is recognized by the VPS26 subunit of the retromer complex. Accordingly, we characterized the interaction between the retromer complex and sorLA and determined the role of retromer on sorLA-dependent sorting and processing of APP. Mutations in the VPS26 binding site resulted in receptor redistribution to the endosomal network, similar to the situation seen in cells with VPS26 knockdown. The sorLA mutant retained APP-binding activity but, as opposed to the wild-type receptor, misdirected APP into a distinct non-Golgi compartment, resulting in increased amyloid processing. In conclusion, our data provide a molecular link between reduced retromer expression and increased amyloidogenesis as seen in patients with sporadic AD.
Are institutional investors an important source of portfolio investment in emerging markets

The author examines five major industrial countries' portfolio investment in developing countries to learn if institutional investors are significant investors in emerging developing countries. The data reveals considerable divergence in the pattern of outward portfolio flow for the industrial countries studied. Evidence on asset composition and discussion with market participants suggest that major institutional investors (such as pension funds and insurance companies) have tended to approach the markets for emerging developing countries cautiously. They invest only a tiny fraction of their portfolios in emerging market securities. The author finds that investor-country regulations governing outward portfolio investment were a significant constraint only in Germany.
Distribution and Expression of Adrenomedullin in Human Gastrointestinal Tissue

Adrenomedullin (AM) is a biologically active peptide recently isolated from phaeochromocytoma. We report here the distribution and characterization of immunoreactive AM and gene expression of AM in human gastrointestinal tissue. Using a sensitive radioimmunoassay system for the peptide, immunoreactive human AM was detected in the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon. The AM concentration of these tissues was about 0.4–0.8 pmol/g wet tissue. Reverse phase and gel filtration high-performance liquid chromatographies showed that most of the immunoreactive AM in stomach and jejunum was identical to authentic human AM. By northern blot analysis, human AM mRNA was found to be expressed ubiquitously in the human gastrointestinal tissues. Furthermore, an immunohistochemical study revealed that immunoreactive AM cells were present in the gastrointestinal glands. These results suggest that AM may play some role as a gastrointestinal hormone.
Differential exocytosis from human endothelial cells evoked by high intracellular Ca2+ concentration

Endothelial cells secrete a range of procoagulant, anticoagulant and inflammatory proteins by exocytosis to regulate blood clotting and local immune responses. The mechanisms regulating vesicular exocytosis were studied in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) with high‐resolution membrane capacitance (Cm) measurements. The total whole‐cell Cm and the amplitudes and times of discrete femtoFarad (fF)‐sized Cm steps due to exocytosis and endocytosis were monitored simultaneously. Intracellular calcium concentration [Ca2+]i was elevated by intracellular photolysis of calcium‐DM‐nitrophen to evoke secretion and monitored with the low‐affinity Ca2+ indicator furaptra. Sustained elevation of [Ca2+]i to > 20 μm evoked large, slow increases in Cm of up to 5 pF in 1‐2 min. Exocytotic and endocytotic steps of amplitude 0.5‐110 fF were resolved, and accounted on average for ≈33 % of the total Cm change. A prominent component of Cm steps of 2.5‐9.0 fF was seen and could be attributed to exocytosis of von‐Willebrand‐factor‐containing Weibel‐Palade bodies (WPb), based on the near‐identical distributions of capacitance step amplitudes, with calculated estimates of WPb capacitance from morphometry, and on the absence of 2.5‐9.0 fF Cm steps in cells deficient in WPb. WPb secretion was delayed on average by 23 s after [Ca2+]i elevation, whereas total Cm increased immediately due to the secretion of small, non‐WPb granules. The results show that following a large increase of [Ca2+]i, corresponding to strong stimulation, small vesicular components are immediately available for secretion, whereas the large WPb undergo exocytosis only after a delay. The presence of events of magnitude 9‐110 fF also provides evidence of compound secretion of WPb due to prior fusion of individual granules.
Customer Relationship Management ( CRM) in Hotel Industry : A framework Proposal on the Relationship among CRM Dimensions, Marketing Capabilities, and Hotel Performance

Customer relationship management (CRM) has a growing popularity and is becoming one of the hottest academic and practical topics in the business field. In fact, due to the competitive environment, CRM is crucial and has become a niche for firm performance. However, there is limited research that reveals the relationship between CRM dimensions and hotel performance. Therefore this study is an attempt to provide a value conceptual model that explains the theoretical linkages existing between CRM dimensions and hotel performance. This study serves not only to clarify the relationship between CRM dimensions and hotel performance, but also to explain the mediation role of marketing capabilities in this relationship.
Dlx homeobox gene control of mammalian limb and craniofacial development

The Dlx homeobox gene family is of ancient origin and crucial for embryonic development in invertebrates and vertebrates. The Dlx proteins are thought to function as DNA‐binding transcriptional regulators, likely controlling large numbers of downstream effector genes. In mammals gene expression analysis of the six members of the Dlx gene family has been demonstrated in the nervous system, neural crest derivatives, branchial arches, and developing appendages. Through genetic approaches the Dlx genes have been implicated in patterning and development of the brain, craniofacial structures, and the axial and appendicular skeleton. Substantial functional redundancy within the Dlx gene family has prevented the analysis of single gene mutations from demonstrating the full developmental control exerted by the Dlx proteins. Here, we will discuss data from recent combined loss and gain‐of‐function genetic mutations, which have given greater insight into the role of Dlx homeobox genes in craniofacial, limb, and bone development. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Credit Ratings and Litigation Risk

We develop a model of a credit rating agency in which the rating agency expends due-diligence effort to learn about the issuer's credit risk, and the precision of its rating is predicated both on this effort and the rating agency's a priori unknown ability. We model the communication of ratings as a cheap-talk game. The coarseness of ratings is endogenously solved for. Reputational concerns motivate the rating agency to expend effort to learn more in a setting in which the agency optimally chooses coarse ratings ex ante. With this model in place, we examine the impact of legal liability for "misrating" on the rating agency's behavior. Like reputational concerns, legal liability is a two-edged sword. On the one hand, as the legal penalty for suspected misrating increases, the rating agency expends greater due-diligence effort, holding fixed the number of ratings. On the other hand, higher legal liability induces the rating agency to reduce the number of ratings. If the legal liability increases asymmetrically - higher legal liability only for ratings deemed ex post to be too high - the rating agency responds by increasing its downward bias in ratings. We also discuss other possible implications of recent legislative changes that have increased rating-agency legal liability.
Foreign direct investment and SME development: some policy issues for transition and developing countries

The paper is concerned with one of the ways of contributing to strengthening the indigenous SME sector in a situation of resource scarcity. Specifically, the paper is concerned with the potential role of foreign direct investment (FDI) in relation to the long-term competitive development and internationalization of the SME sector in transition and developing countries. Whilst this is not a new topic, a number of recent trends suggest there may be greater scope for developing such linkages in the future than in the past. These include the emergence of new sources of FDI in developing and emerging economies themselves; increasing signs of SMEs internationalizing their operations rather than simply exporting from their domestic base, as well as a continued increase in outsourcing by MNEs. Whilst such trends undoubtedly present challenges to SMEs in transition and developing countries, they also present opportunities. More specifically, the paper aims to contribute to the development of policies that can help to strengthen the SME sector in developing and transition economies, through promoting their integration into, and potential benefits from, the global economy. This involves firstly, policies to increase the attractiveness of transition and developing economies for foreign investors, who are willing and able to contribute (indirectly) to the strengthening of the capacity of the SME sector in these countries; and secondly, policies designed to strengthen the benefits of foreign investment to local economies through the facilitation of SME trade and investment linkages and building the capacity of local SMEs to take advantage of new market opportunities created. The challenge for governments in all countries is to create a facilitating and supportive environment for SME development that enables SMEs to exploit the potential benefits arising from increasing internationalization, whilst avoiding becoming protective or intervening in ways that displace, distort or crowd out market solutions and, ideally, helping to contribute to building market capacity. The paper represents a review of existing literature and case material, rather than being based on original empirical evidence. Following the introduction, the rest of the paper is divided into two main sections and a conclusion. Section 2 reviews recent trends in FDI; the potential benefits of developing FDI-SME linkages, together with an assessment of the evidence of such relationships in practice. Section 3 considers the main policy implications of the analysis, paying attention to policy making in different contexts, including public policy makers in mature market economies as well as in developing and transition economies; but also business policy makers in FDI enterprises and SMEs in a developing/transition economy context.
Prospective study of Clostridium difficile intestinal colonization and disease following single-dose antibiotic prophylaxis in surgery

A total of 108 volunteers undergoing an elective surgical procedure were randomly given a single 2-g intravenous prophylactic dose of either a cephalosporin or mezlocillin. Stool samples were cultured for Clostridium difficile the day before the operation and later on postoperative days 4, 7, and 14. C. difficile was detected in 23.0% of patients who received a cephalosporin (cefoxitin, 8.3%; cefazolin, 14.3%; cefotetan, 20.0%; ceftriaxone, 25.0%; cefoperazone, 43.7%), in 3.3% of patients given mezlocillin, and in none of 15 control volunteers given no antimicrobial agent. No patient experienced diarrhea.
Individual Differences in Effectiveness of Cochlear Implants in Prelingually Deaf Children : Some New Process Measures of Performance

The “efficacy” of cochlear implants in deaf children has been firmly established in the literature. However, the “effectiveness” of cochlear implants varies widely and is influenced by demographic and experiential factors. Several “key” findings suggest new directions for research on central auditory factors that underlie the effectiveness of cochlear implants. First, there are enormous individual differences in both adults and children on audiological outcome measures. Some patients show large increases in speech perception scores after implantation whereas others display only modest gains on standardized tests. Second, age of implantation and length of deafness affect all outcome measures. Children implanted at younger ages do better than children implanted at older ages and children who have been deaf for shorter periods of time do better than children who have been deaf for longer periods of time. Third, communication mode affects outcome measures. Children from “oral-only” environments do much better on standardized tests that assess phonological processing skills than children who use “total communication. ” Fourth, there are no preimplant predictors of outcome performance in young children. The underlying perceptual, cognitive and linguistic abilities and skills “emerge” after implantation and improve over time. Finally, there are no significant differences in audiological outcome measures among current implant devices or processing strategies. Taken together, this overall pattern of results suggests that higher-level central cognitive processes such as perception, attention, learning and memory may play important roles in explaining the enormous individual differences observed among users of cochlear implants. Investigations of the content and flow of information in the central nervous system and interactions between sensory input and stored knowledge may provide new insights into individual differences. Knowledge about the underlying basis of individual differences may also help in developing new intervention strategies to improve the effectiveness of cochlear implants in children who show relatively poor development of oral/aural language skills.
Achieving Project Management Success Using Virtual Teams

Introduction Features of Virtual Teams Management of Virtual Teams SummaryManagement of Project Things Requirements Management Scope Definition Estimating and Scheduling Risk Management Progress Monitoring and Reporting Change Management SummaryManagement of Project People Communication Information Technology as an Enabler of the Virtual Project Policies and Procedures for the Virtual Team The Team Charter Virtual Team Performance SummaryCharacterizing Virtual Team Members Critical Dimensions of Project Teams Team Performance Appraisal Motivation and the Project Team The Virtual Team and Collaborative Leadership Virtual Team Project Success SummaryA Maturity Model for Virtual Teams The IDEAL Maturity Model for Virtual Teams Assessing the Virtual Team SummaryProfessional Responsibility and the Virtual Team Individual Integrity Contributions to the Profession Individual Competence Stakeholder's Interests Cooperative Behavior SummaryReferencesIndex