Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk Behavior Regarding Banking Profitability: A Panel Data Analysis for Western Countries and the USA (1997 – 2008)

In the present paper it will be shown econometrically with panel data that bank shareholders regarding profitability are “neutral to risk”, while bank managers are “risk averters”. Especially in the northern countries bank managers are more “risk averters” than in the whole sample. In the small banks however in the south bank shareholders are “risk lovers”, since they aim to increase own banking market share. Finally, in the southern region bank managers are “risk averters” too. The sample covers annually most western countries and the United States for the period 1997 - 2008 and data are drawn from OECD. The elaboration of these panel data is made feasible by means of the Eviews software package.
Assessing and managing the value of supply chain collaboration: developing strategies for b2b e-commerce with web-based process sharing

The goal of this dissertation is to identify the values of supply chain collaboration and design a measurement system to quantify them. The framework is first designed for a general IOS for supply chain collaboration. To further verify it, I apply the generic model to a specific case of implementing process sharing in high-tech industry. Treating process sharing as a special form of supply chain collaboration, we focus on developing measures for evaluating the performance of RosettaNet technology. The empirical findings show that the supply chain readiness factors collectively determine how different value components affect the performance of supply chain collaboration. Therefore, we develop a new dimension ‘index of supply chain readiness’ to capture the effect. By calculating the readiness index, each firm can determine where they are in terms of the collaboration stage and thereby draw roadmaps for better supply chain performance. From the empirical observations, technology readiness and large trading volumes are key conditions for non-adopters to improve their readiness for adoption. Adopters develop their expansion strategies by first putting their focus on improving their business processes and then on improving their interactions with industrial environments. Therefore, this new theory provides companies a guideline for measuring their readiness for supply chain collaboration as well as the value they should target on.
Status and Conspicuousness – Are They Related? Strategic Marketing Implications for Luxury Brands

The purpose of this paper is to develop a scale to measure luxury brands' status and conspicuousness using the new luxury brand context as a reference point. This scale will be utilized to establish empirical evidence that allows an exploration of the relationship between status and conspicuousness as dimensions of luxury brand perception. The study used Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Attribute Rating. The data were collected from 204 consumers in France. Status and conspicuousness are revealed to constitute two different, although related, dimensions of luxury brands and should therefore be measured as distinct constructs when assessing brand luxury. Strategic marketing implications for marketing managers are identified and discussed within the context of the three product categories. This is the first empirical study to use actual consumers in order to explore the difference between status and conspicuousness in assessing luxury brands.
Herpes Simplex Virus and Human Papillomavirus Infection in Cervical Disease in Argentine Women

Summary: The aim of the present study was to determine that prevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 and 2 in cervical samples from Argentine women and to assess the role of HSV-2 in cervical cancer. A sample of 79 normal and 200 neoplastic cervical tissues (35 invasive cervical carcinomas, 75 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, 79 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and 11 abnormal squamous cells of undermined significance) was analyzed for herpes simplex and human papillomavirus DNA using the polymerase chain reaction method. Viral genotyping was performed by single strand conformation polymorphisms and restriction fragment length polymorphisms. The overall prevalence of HSV was 21.5% in controls and 29% in cases. Among women with normal cytology, herpes simplex prevalence in HPV positive (20.8%) women was approximately the same as in negative (21.8%) women. HPV- and age- adjusted ORs of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and invasive cervical carcinomas for HSV-2 were 1.4 (p = 0.6) and 1.6 (p = 0.5), respectively. The obtained results indicated that herpes simplex virus may not be involved in cervical cancer development. Future investigations are needed to provided conclusive evidence on the role of this pathogen in cervical cancer.
Hemodynamic and Volume Changes Associated with Captopril

SUMMARY The effects of captopril on bemodynamic, rolmne, and neurohumoral indices were inrestigated in 33 patients with essential hypertension or renal arterial disease. Changes associated with treatment were studied under two conditions: immediately (V4 to 1 boar) after administration of the drug, or after 5 to 7 days of therapy. Blood pressure (BP) reduction in both conditions was due to a reduction in total peripheral resistance (TPR) (r = 0.714, p < 0.001 for A MAP / TPR); there was no significant change in either cardiac output or heart rate. The immediate BP and TPR responses were significantly related to pretreatment plasma renin activity (PRA) (r = 0.737, p < 0.001), but this correlation was much weaker (r - 0392, p > 0.50) after maintained treatment. Response to therapy could not be predicted from either bemodynamic or volume characteristics of the patients (r - 0.265, NS for A MAP / TBV and -0.262, NS for A MAP / cardiac output). There was no significant change in body weight during treatment, while plasma volume Increased slightly (+7% ± 2.8 SE, p < 0.05) but only in those patients who maintained a good BP response to captopril. Simultaneously, plasma aldosterone (PA) levels were reduced in relation to pretreatment level (r = 0.955, p < 0.001). Thus, whereas the hemodynamic pattern of response to captopril remained unchanged during therapy, its relationship to pretreatment PRA became progressively weaker. The clinical antihypertensive effectiveness of captopril was therefore not related to either humoral, hemodynamic, or volume characteristics of this group of patients. The unusual pattern of lack of significant plasma volume expansion during therapy might be related in part to sustained reduction of plasma aldosterone levels.
The need to change the method for defining mild airway obstruction

Dear colleagues, members of GOLD committee, This letter arises from discussions and correspondence between colleagues involved in respiratory research or the diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases, as well as from a review of the literature on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As discussed below, it is written in the hope that we can persuade members of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) committee to vote to change the method by which mild airway obstruction is defined by the GOLD guidelines. We very much welcome the continued efforts of the GOLD group to stimulate interest and awareness of the high prevalence of COPD, its morbidity, effects on quality of life and on mortality. There is no doubt that COPD is a major public health problem of which the public, health workers and health authorities were insufficiently aware. It is therefore an important achievement that the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Respiratory Society (ERS), the American Thoracic Society (ATS), the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR), the Asociacion Latinoamericana de Torax (ALAT), and the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) and many distinguished individuals have joined forces to increase awareness about the burden of disease, by publishing reports and guidelines for diagnostic procedures and interventions which have been adopted by numerous international and national organisations. However, there is one area which has given rise to continuous published criticism: the criterion for confirming airway obstruction. It is well known that the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio declines with increasing age and height, even in healthy lifelong nonsmokers, in whom the lower limit of normal drops below a ratio of 0.7 from about 45 yrs of age [1–6]. It has been shown 4–27 that using the fixed ratio causes up …
An Empirical Comparison of Standardized Portfolio Models

Given the popularity and diversity of the various standardized portfolio models, a critical management question is which of the various standardized portfolio models to select. Using PIMS data for 15 businesses (SBUs) of a Fortune 500 firm, this paper compares the positionings of these businesses on a number of standardized portfolio models. Managerial implications of these results are discussed.
Transplanting the Highly Sensitized Patient: The Emory Algorithm

Renal transplant patients sensitized to HLA antigens comprise nearly one‐third of the UNOS wait‐list and receive 14% of deceased donor (DD) transplants, a rate half that of unsensitized patients. Between 1999 and 2003, we performed 492 adult renal transplants from DD; 120 patients (∼25%) had a panel reactive antibody (PRA) of >30%, with nearly half (n = 58) having a PRA of >80%. Our approach is based upon high‐resolution solid‐phase HLA antibody analysis to identify class I/II antibodies and a ‘virtual crossmatch’ to predict compatible donor/recipient combinations. Recipients are excluded from the United Network for Organ Sharing match run if donors possess unacceptable antigens. Thus, when sensitized patients appear on the match run, they have a high probability of a negative final crossmatch. Here, we describe our 5‐year experience with this approach. Five‐year graft survival ranged from 66% to 70% among unsensitized (n = 272), moderately sensitized (PRA < 30%, n = 100) and highly sensitized (>30% PRA; n = 120) patients, equal to the average national graft survival (65.7%). The application of this approach (the Emory Algorithm) provides a logical and systematic approach to improve the access of sensitized patients to DD organs and promote more equitable allocation to a highly disadvantaged group of patients awaiting renal transplantation.
On the development of moving object detection from traditional to fuzzy based techniques

Moving object detection or background subtraction is considered to be one of the active area of research in the field of computer vision. Background subtraction is a key module in moving object detection. It is the process of separating background from the captured frame. The fundamental method of detecting a moving object is to segregate the background from the frames. During object detection, background can be treated either as static or dynamic. However, it is difficult to detect an object in dynamic background due to certain factors like varying in illumination, sudden change in a scene, occlusion, shadow, etc. So keeping this in mind, this paper reviews some of the background subtraction methods in context to moving object detection. Both traditional as well as fuzzy based approaches are reviewed. In most of the observations the traditional based approaches fail to produce a better object detection accuracy in dynamic environment. So fuzzy based approaches are the better alternatives over traditional one. So, a comparative analysis is presented using fuzzy based approach to give a clear insight to the readers about the state of the art of the techniques with respect to moving object detection.
Firms' Investment Decisions and Interest Rates

Firms typically evaluate investment opportunities by calculating expected rates of return and the payback period (the time taken to recoup the capital outlay). Liaison and survey evidence indicate that Australian firms tend to require expected returns on capital expenditure to exceed high ‘hurdle rates’ of return that are often well above the cost of capital and do not change very often. In addition, many firms require the investment outlay to be recouped within a few years, requiring even greater implied rates of return. As a consequence, the capital expenditure decisions of many Australian firms are not directly sensitive to changes in interest rates. Furthermore, although both the hurdle rate of return and the payback period offer an objective decision rule on which to base expenditure decisions, the overall decision process is often highly subjective, so that ‘animal spirits’ can play a significant role.
Understanding Equitable Infrastructure Investment for California

The California 2025 project www.ca2025. org, conducted with support of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, addresses issues that will affect the state of the State in 2025. The Technical Report series provides more information on topics discussed in chapters of the project's major report, California The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) is a private operating foundation established in 1994 with an endowment from William R. Hewlett. The Institute is dedicated to improving public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research. PPIC's research agenda focuses on three program areas: population, economy, and governance and public finance. Studies within these programs are examining the underlying forces shaping California's future, cutting across a wide range of public policy concerns, including education, health care, immigration, income distribution, welfare, urban growth, and state and local finance. PPIC was created because three concerned citizens – William R. Hewlett, Roger W. Heyns, and Arjay Miller – recognized the need for linking objective research to the realities of California public policy. Their goal was to help the state's leaders better understand the intricacies and implications of contemporary issues and make informed public policy decisions when confronted with challenges in the future. Short sections of text, not to exceed three paragraphs, may be quoted without written permission provided that full attribution is given to the source and the above copyright notice is included. PPIC does not take or support positions on any ballot measure or on any local, state, or federal legislation, nor does it endorse, support, or oppose any political parties or candidates for public office. Research publications reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff, officers, or Board of Directors of the Public Policy Institute of California.
Modelling the barriers of green supply chain practices: an Indian perspective

Owing to ever-increasing scarcity of natural resources and mounting concern in the market for 'green' products and processes, environmental issues are fast emerging as one of the most important subject of management's decisions in manufacturing organisations. Green business practices are not easy to adopt and implement, due to the presence of many barriers. The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyse these barriers. A questionnaire based survey was conducted to rank these barriers. The results of this survey and Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) approach have been used to model and analyse key barriers and drive managerial insights.
H A N G A N U T Z I U - D E I C H E R ANTIGEN A N D A N T I B O D Y IN PATHOLOGIC SERA AND TISSUES 1

H e t e r o p h i l e , H a n g a n u t z i u D e i c h e r (H-D) a n t i g e n w a s s t u d i e d in p a t h o l o g i c s era b y m e a n s o f inh ib i t i on o f a g g l u t i n a t i o n o f b o v i n e e r y t h r o c y t e s b y H-D ant ibod ie s . H-D a n t i g e n w a s d e m o n s t r a t e d in 38% o f r a n d o m c a n c e r sera , 25% o f l y m p h o m a or l e u k e m i a sera , 25% o f l e p r o s y sera , 8% o f i n f e c t i o u s m o n o n u c l e o s i s sera , 6% o f rheum a t o i d ar thr i t i s sera , and 27% of s y n o v i a l f lu ids o f r h e u m a t o i d ar thr i t i s pa t i en t s . N o n e o f 134 n o r m a l h u m a n sera g a v e p o s i t i v e re su l t s . S o m e o f the inh ib i t i on -pos i t i ve c a n c e r s era f o r m e d p r e c i p i t a t i o n l ines w i t h H-D a n t i b o d y c o n t a i n i n g sera . O v e r 50% of v a r i o u s e x t r a c t s o f c a n c e r t i s s u e s as w e l l as s p l e e n s o f l y m p h o m a o r l e u k e m i a p a t i e n t s w e r e s h o w n to c o n t a i n H-D a n t i g e n b y m e a n s o f the inh ib i t i on tes t .
Software Defined Radio (SDR) architecture to support multi-satellite communications

Software Defined Radio (SDR) is a key area to realise new software implementations for adaptive and reconfigurable communication systems without changing any hardware device or feature. A review on efficient use of limited bandwidth and increasing distributed satellite missions can lead to the need for a generic yet configurable communication platform that can handle multiple signals from multiple satellites with various modulation techniques, data rates and frequency bands that must be compatible to typical small satellite requirements. SDR is beneficial for space applications as it can provide the flexibility and re-configurability and this is driven by fast development times, new found heritage, reduced cost, and low mass Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components. The implementation of a combined System-On-Chip (SoC) and SDR communication platform enables additional reduction in cost as well as mass. This paper proposes a SDR architecture in which Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) System-on-Chip (SoC) is paired with a Radio Frequency (RF) programmable transceiver SoC to solve back-end and front-end re-configurability challenges respectively. The test-bed is aimed at implementing the signal processing software functions in both the dual-core ARM processors and associated FPGA fabric. The distribution of the functions between the FPGA fabric and dual-processor is based on profiling experiments using signal processing blocks, implemented on the development platform, in order to identify where bottlenecks exist. This paper discusses further the results from the new multi-signal / multi-satellite pipeline architecture and the subsequent bandwidth, data rate and processing requirements. Aspects of implementing and testing signal processing chains needed for CubeSat Telecommand, Telemetry and Control (TT&C) are presented together with initial results. Thus the proposed technology not only contributes for a lightweight and portable ground station but also for an on-board satellite transceiver.
Social Impact Bonds: Implementation, Evaluation, and Monitoring

ABSTRACT Traditional approaches to public policy increasingly fail to resolve social challenges, particularly in the field of criminal justice. High rates of juvenile recidivism, for example, are often linked to inequality in education and persistent, long-term unemployment—factors which, while complex, are nonetheless conducive to preventative strategies. Social impact bonds (SIBs) are “pay-for-success” programs that attract private-sector, upfront funding for social interventions. If the program achieves agreed targets, taxpayer funds repay the investor. If the program fails to meet agreed targets, investors take the loss. This innovative form of social finance through public–private partnership has helped spur efficiencies and improvements in the provision and outcomes of criminal justice services. However, the success of a SIB depends on careful implementation, evaluation, and monitoring.
Does Doing Good Always Lead to Doing Better? Consumer Reactions to Corporate Social Responsibility

In the face of marketplace polls that attest to the increasing influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on consumers' purchase behavior, this article examines when, how, and for whom specific CSR initiatives work. The findings implicate both company-specific factors, such as the CSR issues a company chooses to focus on and the quality of its products, and individual-specific factors, such as consumers' personal support for the CSR issues and their general beliefs about CSR, as key moderators of consumers' responses to CSR. The results also highlight the mediating role of consumers' perceptions of congruence between their own characters and that of the company in their reactions to its CSR initiatives. More specifically, the authors find that CSR initiatives can, under certain conditions, decrease consumers' intentions to buy a company's products.
The Effect of Emotion and Physician Communication Behaviors on Surrogates’ Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions: A Randomized Simulation Experiment*

Objective:Surrogate decision makers for critically ill patients experience strong negative emotional states. Emotions influence risk perception, risk preferences, and decision making. We sought to explore the effect of emotional state and physician communication behaviors on surrogates’ life-sustaining treatment decisions. Design:5 × 2 between-subject randomized factorial experiment. Setting:Web-based simulated interactive video meeting with an intensivist to discuss code status. Subjects:Community-based participants 35 and older who self-identified as the surrogate for a parent or spouse recruited from eight U.S. cities through public advertisements. Interventions:Block random assignment to emotion arousal manipulation and each of the four physician communication behaviors. Measurements and Main Results:Surrogate’s code status decision (cardiopulmonary resuscitation vs do not resuscitate/allow natural death). Two hundred fifty-six of 373 respondents (69%) logged-in and were randomized: average age was 50; 70% were surrogates for a parent; 63.5% were women; 76% were white, 11% black, and 9% Asian; and 81% were college educated. When asked about code status, 56% chose cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The emotion arousal manipulation increased the score on depression-dejection scale (&bgr; = 1.76 [0.58 – 2.94]) but did not influence cardiopulmonary resuscitation choice. Physician attending to emotion and framing the decision as the patient’s rather than the surrogate’s did not influence cardiopulmonary resuscitation choice. Framing no cardiopulmonary resuscitation as the norm rather than cardiopulmonary resuscitation resulted in fewer surrogates choosing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (48% vs 64%, odds ratio, 0.52 [95% CI, 0.32–0.87]), as did framing the alternative to cardiopulmonary resuscitation as “allow natural death” rather than do not resuscitate (49% vs 61%, odds ratio, 0.58 [95% CI, 0.35–0.96]). Conclusions:Experimentally induced emotional state did not influence code status decisions, although small changes in physician communication behaviors substantially influenced this decision.
Management Accounting Practices in the Developing Economies: The Case of Nigeria Listed Companies

This study investigated the management accounting practices in developing economy with a particular reference to the Nigeria listed manufacturing organizations. The three objectives for this study were the investigation of the adoption level of the new management accounting techniques, identification of factors influencing the choice of management accounting practices in manufacturing organizations and the extent to which management accounting practices were influenced by those factors. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out on the opinion of 148 randomly selected staff of listed manufacturing companies in Nigeria. The findings revealed that cost volume profit analysis, marginal costing, accounting rate of return, discounted net present value, and internal rate of return were very prominent in manufacturing companies in Nigeria.Since the activity based management and balanced score card has not been fully embraced, it is therefore recommended that adequate awareness should be created for the said techniques.