Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Institutional pressures and isomorphic change in a high-fashion company: the case of Brioni Roman Style, 1945–89

Abstract Towards the end of 1945 a small tailoring shop named Brioni was opened in Rome to craft elegant garments for the international social elite. Although the original business idea proved successful, in the post-war period several endogenous and exogenous factors stimulated changes in managerial behaviour. The main object of this paper, which is informed by institutional sociology, is to elucidate the economic, coercive, mimetic and normative pressures that shaped key decisions of senior management in what became a high-fashion company. The most important isomorphic changes are portrayed as is the role played by two key actors in the company whose entrepreneurial activity stimulated institutionalisation processes inside the high-fashion environment. ‘In memory of Nazareno Fonticoli and Gaetano Savini:two pioneers of the high-fashion world’
The Precautionary Savings Motive and Household Savings

We quantified the relative importance of the precautionary motive in determining savings. Existing empirical evidence suggests that the impact of precautionary savings is small if one uses a subjective (based on self-reported expectations) measure of uncertainty about next year income. However, other studies use more objective (based on income data) methods to proxy for income uncertainty by exploiting life-cycle income variation. These studies find a large effect of precautionary savings. These contradictory results may be either suggestive of methodological shortcomings or the result of institutional differences between countries. We refined the subjective method by taking into account the uncertainty as perceived by the second income earner. We then apply the 'objective' and 'subjective' method to the same data set and obtain similar results: the subjective and objective methods suggest that precautionary savings account for approximately 30% of savings. Copyright 2014 Oxford University Press 2013 All rights reserved, Oxford University Press.
Developing a prototype for short-term psychodynamic (supportive-expressive) therapy: An empirical study with the psychotherapy process Q-set

Abstract Objective: A Psychotherapy Process Q-set (PQS) prototype characteristic of short-term psychodynamic therapy (STPP) does not yet exist. Method: Experts in supportive-expressive (SE) therapy used the 100-Item PQS questionnaire to rate an ideal short-term SE therapy. Results: Agreement between raters was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94). The prototype for SE therapy showed a significant correlation with the psychoanalytic prototype, but with 28% of variance explained, the majority of variance of the former was not explained by the latter or vice versa. Furthermore, the SE prototype showed significant correlations with the cognitive-behavioral prototype and the prototype of interpersonal therapy by Ablon and Jones (r = 0.69, 0.43). Conclusions: We recommend using the PQS prototype presented here for future process research on STPP.
Küresel kriz sonrası para politikası

Turkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankasi (TCMB) 2010 yilinin sonlarindan itibaren yeni bir para politikasi cercevesi tasarlayarak uygulamaya koymustur. Bu makalede, yeni politikanin ortaya cikis nedenleri, uygulamasi ve sonuclari ozetlenmekte; soz konusu politika cercevesinin, orta vadeli enflasyon beklentilerini bozmadan Turkiye ekonomisini dengeli bir buyume patikasina yonlendirmekte oldukca etkili oldugu gosterilmektedir.
The effects of government spending shocks on the real exchange rate and trade balance in Turkey

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of government spending shocks on the real exchange rate and foreign trade balance in Turkey for the period of 2002:01–2012:04 within a structural VAR framework. The analysis shows that a positive shock to the government spending tends to induce real exchange rate appreciation and deterioration in trade balance. We also find that the composition of the government spending matters. Although shocks to the government nonwage consumption generate an appreciation in the real exchange rate and worsening of the trade balance, the effects of government investment shocks remain insignificant. Furthermore, the analysis demonstrates that shocks to government spending are associated with a rise in taxes, which is indicative of a spending-driven tax adjustment process in Turkey.
The Value of Relationship Lending: Small Banks in an Era of Consolidation

Consolidation in the banking industry has caused concern about the survival of small banks. Empirical evidence, however, shows that small banks are performing better than larger banks in terms of loan growth and profitability. This paper investigates the determinants of such unexpected superior performance; in particular we posit that peculiarities of small banks, like their ability to lever on relationship lending, are good explanatory variables of their recent loan growth.
Metacognition: As a Predictor of One's Academic Locus of Control.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of metacognition on one’s academic locus of control. The study’s sample group consists of 451 university students enrolled in various programs at Sakarya University, Turkey. In this study, the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory and the Academic Locus of Control Scale were used. The correlations and path analysis were examined. The hypothesis model was tested through path analysis. The findings of the path analysis reveal that while an internal academic locus of control was predicted to have a positive relation with metacognition, an external academic locus of control was predicted to have a negative relation. In conclusion, the research indicates that metacognition affects academic locus of control in that students whose internal academic locus of control is high are more likely to adopt metacognition than are students whose external academic locus of control is high. Therefore, the current findings act to increase our understanding of the different relationships between metacognition and academic locus of control.
Gray Matter Alterations in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Comparing Morphometry at the Voxel and Regional Level

Sophisticated algorithms to infer disease diagnosis, pathology progression and patient outcome are increasingly being developed to analyze brain MRI data. They have been successfully implemented in a variety of diseases and are currently investigated in the field of neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We aim to test the ability to predict ASD from subtle morphological changes in structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI).
Effects of Sevoflurane with and without Nitrous Oxide on Human Cerebral Circulation: Transcranial Doppler Study

Background This study was designed to evaluate the effects of sevoflurane with and without nitrous oxide on human middle cerebral artery (MCA) flow velocity, cerebrovascular carbon dioxide reactivity, and autoregulation compared with the awake state using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. Methods In 14 patients, the time‐mean middle cerebral artery flow velocity (Vmca) was measured when the end‐tidal carbon dioxide level was approximately 30, 40, and 50 mmHg under the following conditions: (1) awake; (2) with 2% (1.2 MAC) sevoflurane; and (3) with 1.2 MAC sevoflurane‐60% nitrous oxide. In six other patients, the cerebrovascular autoregulation during anesthesia was determined using intravenous phenylephrine to increase blood pressure. Results Sevoflurane (1.2 MAC) significantly decreased Vmca compared with the awake value at each level of end‐tidal carbon dioxide, whereas 1.2 MAC sevoflurane‐60% nitrous oxide did not exert significant influence. The Vmca in normocapnic patients decreased from 69 cm/s to 55 cm/s with 1.2 MAC sevoflurane and then increased to 70 cm/s when nitrous oxide was added. Sevoflurane (1.2 MAC) with and without 60% nitrous oxide had a negligible effect on cerebrovascular carbon dioxide reactivity. A phenylephrine‐induced increase of mean arterial pressure did not influence Vmca during anesthesia. Conclusions Sevoflurane (1.2 MAC) reduced Vmca compared with the awake condition, whereas the addition of nitrous oxide caused Vmca to increase toward the values obtained in the awake condition. The cerebrovascular carbon dioxide reactivity and autoregulation were well maintained during 1.2 MAC sevoflurane with and without 60% nitrous oxide.
Ageing and the Tax Implied in Public Pension Schemes: Simulations for Selected OECD Countries

A key figure suited to measuring intergenerational imbalances in unfunded public pension schemes is given by the 'implicit tax rate' imposed on each generation's lifetime income. The implicit tax arises from the fact that, quite generally, pension benefits fall short of actuarial returns to contributions paid to these systems while actively working. Under current pension policies, implicit tax rates will increase sharply for younger generations in most industrialised countries. In this paper, this is illustrated for the cases of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, the UK and the USA. Nevertheless, there are remarkable differences across countries regarding both the level of implicit taxes and their development over successive age cohorts, which can be attributed to differences in ageing processes and in the institutional features of national pension systems. In addition, we can demonstrate how effective different approaches to pension reform are in smoothing the intergenerational profile of implicit tax rates.
Economic Risk Premia in the Fixed Income Markets: The Intra-Day Evidence

We use intra-day data to precisely estimate risk premia of portfolios mimicking scheduled macroeconomic announcements. Average risk premia are consistently positive (negative) for macro variables affecting positively (negatively) bond prices. Mimicking-portfolio Sharpe ratios are remarkably similar (in absolute value) across announcements, consistent with a single economic-news factor driving returns at announcement times. The premium associated with the economic-news factor is time-varying, increasing (decreasing) with the level of interest rates (economic activity), and mainly earned before announcement releases and during inflation announcements. Economic-news betas explain bond risk premia at least as well as short-rate betas.
Dividends, Corporate Monitors and Agency Costs

We report new evidence on the hypothesis that dividends reduce agency costs. Consistent with dividends as a mechanism to reduce agency costs, we find that, on average, firms with a majority of strict outside directors on their boards experience significantly lower mean abnormal returns around the announcements of sizeable dividend increases. Our results are robust to multivariate controls for firm size, leverage, ownership, growth options, and change in dividend yield. However, we find no evidence that dividend increases reduce agency costs as measured by poison pills or outside blockholdings.
Abnormal activation and inactivation mechanisms of rod transduction in patients with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa and the pro-23-his mutation.

PURPOSE The leading edge of the rod a-wave in normal human subjects can be fit with a computational model of the activation phase of transduction to provide parameters analogous to those obtained from individual photoreceptors. The authors extend this work to the kinetics of recovery after saturating flashes. METHODS Electroretinograms were recorded from three patients with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa and the pro-23-his rhodopsin mutation, two patients with rod monochromatism, and five normal subjects. Rod-only a-waves were obtained for a series of flashes ranging from 4.4 to 10.1 ln (1.9 to 4.4 log) scot td-sec. One set of parameters describing the activation process was derived from fits to the a-wave model. A double-flash paradigm was used to study inactivation mechanisms. The first flash was achromatic and varied in intensity (I(f)) from 6.1 to 13.9 ln (2.6 to 6.0 log) scot td-sec. The second flash was a short-wavelength probe held constant at 9.3 ln (4.0 log) scot td-sec. Cone components were elicited with a photopically matched long-wavelength stimulus and were computer subtracted. Recovery at each I(f) was followed by measuring the amplitude to the probe flash at various interstimulus intervals (ISI). The critical time (Tc) before the initiation of rod recovery was determined from the function relating relative rod amplitude to ISI. RESULTS Recovery from activation was similar in normal subjects and in patients with rod monochromatism. Over a large range of I(f) above rod saturation, Tc increased in proportion to ln I(f). The mean slope of the function relating Tc to I(f) was 2.3 s/ln I(f) when I(f) varied between 11 and 13.9 ln scot td-sec. Patients with retinitis pigmentosa and the pro-23-his rhodopsin mutation had a decrease in the gain of activation. They also had significantly slower than normal recovery after high test flash intensities, such that the slope of the function relating Tc to ln I(f) was 12.1 seconds. CONCLUSION Available data from other species imply that complete, transient activation of transducin (T saturation) occurs within or below the investigated range of flash intensities. Based on the slope of the delay function (delta Tc/ delta ln I(f)) above 11 ln scot td-sec, the authors hypothesize that the lifetime of activated rhodopsin (R) in normal human rods is approximately 2.3 seconds. In patients with the pro-23-his mutation, the gain of the activation mechanism is reduced and the reaction determining the delta Tc/ delta ln I(f) slope is markedly slowed. The activated species that exhibits this prolonged lifetime could be the mutant rhodopsin itself.
Socially Responsible Funds and Market Crises

Compared to matched conventional mutual funds, socially responsible mutual funds outperform during periods of market crises. This dampening of downside risk comes at the cost of underperforming during non-crisis periods. Investors seeking downside protection would value the asymmetry of these returns. This asymmetric return pattern is driven by the mutual funds that focus on environmental, social, or governance (ESG) attributes and is especially pronounced in ESG funds that use positive screening techniques. Furthermore, the observed patterns are attributed to the funds’ socially responsible attributes and not the differences in fund portfolio management or the characteristics of the companies in fund portfolios.
Evolution of Decision and Control Rights in Venture Capital Contracts: An Empirical Analysis

We analyze the structure and evolution of the allocation of decision and control rights in venture capital contracts by using a sample of 464 contracts between venture capitalists (VC) and portfolio firms from Germany. We focus on the evolution of control and decisions rights along three time dimensions: the point in time when the contract was signed, the expected duration of the contract and the actual duration of the relationship. We show that contracts are not static but that control rights are adjusted along all three time dimensions. First, we observe a change in the structure but not in the level of the VC’s control rights during the relationship between the VC and the portfolio firm. While venture capitalists return superfluous operational rights to entrepreneurs, they gain (valuable) exit rights during the course of the relationship. Second, we show that the shorter the expected length of the VC’s engagement the more control rights are allocated to the hands of the VC. Finally, we observe that learning took place in the German VC market.
The impacts of e-service quality on customer behaviour in multi-channel e-services

A large number of e-services are multi-channel (MC), combining the Internet with other channels of service delivery, such as the phone and physical facilities. As a result, online customers frequently engage in MC behaviour. Existing research examining the impact of quality on behavioural intentions in e-services has not adequately recognised their MC nature. In order to address this gap, this study sets out to examine the following two-pronged impacts of e-service quality on customer behaviour in an MC e-service: (i) the impact on e-loyalty behavioural intentions; (ii) the impact on customer channel behaviour. Perceptual and objective data were collected from multiple sources in a major retail MC e-banking service. Two basic groups of online customers in terms of channel behaviour were found – Internet-Focused (IF) and MC – with the latter exhibiting a balanced use of channels and being more loyal, older, less educated and less experienced with the e-service. Data analyses revealed that e-service quality had a strong impact on e-loyalty intentions; but did not have an impact on customer channel behaviour. E-service quality does not seem to be an effective lever for influencing customer channel behaviour; however, it is a key driver of e-loyalty intentions. The results raise the possibility that migration of customer interactions to the Internet channel may reduce e-loyalty intentions.
Can VCs Time the Market? An Analysis of Exit Choice for Venture-Backed Firms

We use a sample of 8,163 venture-backed companies over three decades to test the competing hypotheses that levels and relative shares of IPO (initial public offering) and M&A (mergers and acquisitions) exits are affected by market timing, versus pseudo-market timing that reflects market conditions. We find evidence of pseudo-market timing. Venture-backed issuers react to market or sector runups but do not predict downturns. We find no evidence that firm-specific market timing contributes to IPO or M&A waves. We also find that acquirers turn to acquisition when other opportunities are unattractive, and that the market may be slow to recognize that such opportunities are declining. The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for Financial Studies. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. , Oxford University Press.
Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease: Increasing incidence, decreasing surgery rate, and compromised nutritional status: A prospective population‐based cohort study 2007–2009

Background: The aim was to evaluate the incidence, treatment, surgery rate, and anthropometry at diagnosis of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: Patients diagnosed between January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2009 in Eastern Denmark, Funen, and Aarhus were included from a background population of 668,056 children <15 years of age. For evaluation of incidence, treatment, and surgery rate, a subcohort from Eastern Denmark was extracted for comparison with a previously published population‐based cohort from the same geographical area (1998–2006). Results: In all, 130 children with IBD: 65 with Crohn's disease (CD), 62 with ulcerative colitis (UC), and three with IBD unclassified (IBDU) were included. The mean incidence rates per 106 in 2007–2009 were: IBD: 6.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.4–7.7), CD: 3.2 (2.5–4.1), UC: 3.1 (2.4–4.0) and IBDU: 0.2 (0.05–0.5). Comparing the two cohorts from Eastern Denmark we found higher incidence rates for IBD (5.0 and 7.2 in 1998–2000 and 2007–2009, respectively, P = 0.02) and CD (2.3 versus 3.3, P = 0.04). Furthermore, we found a significant decrease in surgery rates (15.8/100 person‐years versus 4.2, P = 0.02) and an increase in the rate of initiating immunomodulators (IM) within the first year (29.0/100 person‐years versus 69.2, P < 0.001). IM use was associated with a trend towards a decreased surgery risk (relative risk [RR] 0.38; 0.15–1.0). Children with CD had poor nutritional status at diagnosis compared with the general pediatric population. Conclusions: Over the past 12 years we found an increase in the incidence of IBD in children, an increasing use of IM, and decreasing 1‐year surgery rates. CD patients had poor nutritional status.
Cardiovascular and metabolic effects of intensive Hatha Yoga training in middle-aged and older women from northern Mexico

Background: Hatha Yoga (HY) can be an alternative to improve physical activity in middle-aged and older women. However, conventional HY (CHY) exercising may not result in enough training stimulus to improve cardiovascular fitness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an intensive HY intervention (IHY) on cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged and older women from Northern Mexico. Materials and Methods: In this prospective quasiexperimental design, four middle-aged and nine older CHY practicing females (yoginis) were enrolled into an 11-week IHY program consisting of 5 sessions/week for 90 min (55 sessions). The program adherence, asana performance, and work intensity were assessed along the intervention. Anthropometric [body mass index (BMI), % body fat and Σ skin folds], cardiovascular fitness [maximal expired air volume (VEmax), maximal O2 consumption (VO2max), maximal heart rate (HRmax), systolic (BPs) and diastolic blood pressure (BPd)], biochemical [glucose, triacylglycerols (TAG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)], and dietary parameters were evaluated before and after IHY. Results: Daily caloric intake (~1,916 kcal/day), program adherence (~85%), and exercising skills (asana performance) were similar in both middle-aged and older women. The IHY program did not modify any anthropometric measurements. However, it increased VO2max and VEmax and HDL-C while TAG and LDL-C remained stable in both middle-aged and older groups (P < 0.01). Conclusions: The proposed IHY program improves different cardiovascular risk factors (namely VO2max and HDL-C) in middle-aged and older women.
Inventory Investment Behaviour - Evidence from a Panel of Indian Firms

The paper augments production-smoothing specification with cash flows and monetary policy variables in its application for the Indian data. Several interesting findings emerge from the analysis. However, the results obtained need to be viewed with the limitation of non-availability of quarterly data for the Indian firms. Given that our empirical analysis is based on annual data at the level of firm, it is unlikely to pick up the short run responses to sales shocks that are so important to aggregate analyses with monthly or quarterly data.
Clinical Depression and Punishment Sensitivity on the BART

Depression is associated with altered sensitivity to reward and punishment, which can influence complex decision-making. We examined punishment sensitivity in the performance of participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) with that of a comparison group on the automatic Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), which is a direct measure of risk taking. The present study examined the BART performance of 30 individuals with MDD and 30 matched comparison individuals. The comparison group (M = 63.25) entered a significantly (p < 0.001; d = 1.1) higher number of pumps on the BART than the MDD group (M = 50.83). Higher levels of depression symptoms were significantly correlated (r = -0.40, p < 0.05) with entering a lower number of pumps in the MDD group. MDD patients showed an increased sensitivity to punishment on the BART: after a loss, the MDD group decreased (M = 13.7) the number of subsequent pumps they entered by a significantly (p < 0.001, d = 0.81) greater amount than the comparison group (M = 4.35). This difference applied to losses only: no difference was found between the groups regarding the magnitude of change in pumps selected after a win. Findings suggest the presence of elevated punishment sensitivity among individuals with MDD, which may contribute to the maintenance of depressive symptoms.