Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Referrals in Regulated Financial Services : Myths, Misunderstandings & Misapprehensions

It is the contention of this paper that the field of regulated financial services has been illserved by marketing theory and that, as a consequence, the nature of marketing in this sector has been misunderstood, the key mechanism for generating new business in the field, namely referrals, has been the subject of serious misapprehension, and the guidance offered to practitioners has been negligible. The principal source of these misunderstandings and misapprehensions has been, as the conference organiser presage in their call for papers, an inadequate grasp of the complexity of this field of business. In particular, the role of the independent financial adviser (IFA) appears to have been conceptualised as a sales role, and the nature of the relationship between the IFA and the client has been addressed as though it were a straightforward buyer-seller relationship, with the IFA selling products to the client. It is unlikely that these conceptualisations were ever satisfactory and, following recent regulatory changes in the sector, they have become even less relevant. Most notably, since January 1 st 2013 financial advisers have been prohibited from receiving commission for the sale of products on behalf of financial services companies, and so independent financial advice has become a fee-based service. Prior to this change, when financial advisers were permitted to work on a commission basis, it was perhaps reasonable to conceive of those who did as, in some sense, agents operating as sales-people on behalf of financial services companies. Subsequent to this change, however, personal financial advice for investment products in the UK has become an entirely fee-based service delivered by a qualified professional to a client, and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority 1 .
Size, ownership and innovation in newspapers

This chapter analyses the relationship between the size and ownership of newspapers and their approaches to the challenges from the tablet market, e.g. the iPad. Which newspapers were inclined to innovate by launching iPad apps? The hypotheses tested are that: (1) the size of newspapers and (2) having corporate owners, i.e. being owned by a media group, have positive effects on the strategies of the individual newspapers. The empirical analysis supports the hypotheses. Only newspapers owned by corporate owners, i.e. media groups, had plans for iPad apps. Newspapers owned by media groups were also more positive towards new media developments. These differences are explained by reference to two types of resources provided by media groups: analytical capabilities and capabilities to enhance joint product development.
Designing for Situation Awareness in Complex System

We are living in what has been termed the "information age". In many domains, this has meant a huge increase in systems, displays and technologies. From voice control to sophisticated line of sight head mounted displays, almost anything is possible in today's world, but too much is proving to be as big a challenge as too little once was. The problem is no longer lack of information, but finding what is needed when it is needed.
Feedback Trading and International Portfolio Allocation

This paper explores the effect of feedback trading on expected returns and international portfolio allocation using stock market data for the US and Latin America. Autocorrelation in monthly returns are shown to vary with volatility as suggested by the Shiller-Sentana-Wadhwani feedback trading model. While the feedback model fits the data considerably better than a conditional version of the zero-beta CAPM, differences between the feedback model and alternative models with a first-order autoregressive term are more modest. Global factors have no explanatory power for expected returns in addition to the feedback model. Investors can improve their portfolio optimization between developed and emerging stock markets by taking feedback trading into consideration.
Foot Placement Characteristics and Plantar Pressure Distribution Patterns during Stepping on Ground in Neonates

Stepping on ground can be evoked in human neonates, though it is rather irregular and stereotyped heel-to-toe roll-over pattern is lacking. Such investigations can provide insights into the role of contact- or load-related proprioceptive feedback during early development of locomotion. However, the detailed characteristics of foot placements and their association with motor patterns are still incompletely documented. We elicited stepping in 33 neonates supported on a table. Unilateral limb kinematics, bilateral plantar pressure distribution and EMG activity from up to 11 ipsilateral leg muscles were recorded. Foot placement characteristics in neonates showed a wide variation. In ~25% of steps, the swinging foot stepped onto the contralateral foot due to generally small step width. In the remaining steps with separate foot placements, the stance phase could start with forefoot (28%), midfoot (47%), or heel (25%) touchdowns. Despite forefoot or heel initial contacts, the kinematic and loading patterns markedly differed relatively to toe-walking or adult-like two-peaked vertical force profile. Furthermore, while the general stepping parameters (cycle duration, step length, range of motion of proximal joints) were similar, the initial foot contact was consistently associated with specific center-of-pressure excursion, range of motion in the ankle joint, and the center-of-activity of extensor muscles (being shifted by ~5% of cycle toward the end of stance in the “heel” relative to “forefoot” condition). In sum, we found a variety of footfall patterns in conjunction with associated changes in motor patterns. These findings suggest the potential contribution of load-related proprioceptive feedback and/or the expression of variations in the locomotor program already during early manifestations of stepping on ground in human babies.
Levosimendan improves renal outcome in cardiac surgery: a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE The effect of levosimendan on renal function in patients with low ejection fraction undergoing mitral valve surgery was investigated. DESIGN A prospective, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial. SETTING Tertiary teaching and research hospital. PARTICIPANTS Of a total of 147 patients, 128 patients completed the study. In the levosimendan group (n = 64), levosimendan was administered in addition to standard inotropic support; whereas, in the control group (n = 64), only standard inotropic support was given. INTERVENTIONS In the levosimendan group, a loading dose of levosimendan (6 μg/kg) was administered after removal of the aortic cross-clamp, followed by an infusion (0.1 μg/kg/min) in addition to standard inotropic therapy for 24 hours. In the control group, only standard inotropic therapy was administered. Preoperative characteristics, serum creatinine (sCr) levels, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were determined preoperatively, on postoperative days 1, 3, and 10. Independent risk factors for renal replacement therapy (RRT) requirement were investigated with stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The primary endpoint was the effect of levosimendan on postoperative renal clearance (sCr and eGFR). The secondary endpoint was the effect of levosimendan on clinical outcomes (length of intensive care unit and hospital stays, need for RRT). Preoperative characteristics and eGFR were similar between the groups (p>0.05). On postoperative days 1 and 3, sCr values were lower and eGFR values were higher in the levosimendan group in comparison with the control group (p = 0.0001, p = 0.009, respectively). Six patients (9.4%) in the levosimendan group and 10 patients (15.6%) in the control group required RRT therapy (p = 0.284). Independent risk factors for need of RRT include preoperative sCr value between 1.2 to 2.09 mg/dL and≥2.1 mg/dL (p< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Perioperative treatment with levosimendan in addition to standard inotropic therapy in patients with a low ejection fraction undergoing mitral valve surgery improved immediate postoperative renal function and reduced need for RRT.
Agency Conflicts, Corporate Governance, and Corporate Diversification - Evidence from Switzerland

This paper is concerned with the causes and consequences of industrial diversification in a cross-section of 159 Swiss firms and contributes to the existing literature in two important ways: First, it investigates the causes of corporate diversification by taking into account the overall structure of firm-level corporate governance including a broad survey-based corporate governance index. Second, by employing a simultaneous equations framework, we are able to provide some important insights on the interrelation between corporate diversification, corporate governance, and firm value. Consistent with earlier U.S. evidence, we find a diversification discount in the range of 14 to 24 percent. Moreover, our results indicate that outside blockholdings and the survey-based corporate governance index are effective deterrents to corporate diversification strategies while managerial shareholdings have neither an effect on the level nor on the value of diversification.
Comparative evaluation of different types of blood culture media for isolation of aerobes

The possible advantage of hypertonic sucrose medium over isotonic medium for isolating aerobic organisms from blood was studied. Approximately 50 ml of medium and 5 ml of blood inoculum were present in each culture bottle. In the first phase of the study, supplemented peptone broth (SPB) was compared with brucella broth containing 10% sucrose (BB-10S). There were 194 significant clinical isolates in at least one of the two bottles in each set during a 7-month period; 160 (82%) of the isolates grew in SPB, whereas 191 (98%) grew in BB-10S (P less than 0.01). Of the 158 isolates that grew in both media, 13 (8%) appeared earlier in BB-10S, whereas none did so in SPB. In the second phase of the study, SPB with 10% sucrose (SPB-10S) was compared with BB-10S. There were 187 isolates during a 9-month period; 173 (93%) grew in SPB-10S compared with 179 (96%) for BB-10S. In this comparison there was no apparent difference in the time interval required for recovery of organisms. The two hypertonic sucrose media (SPB-10S and BB-10S) were comparable for isolating organisms under aerobic conditions and superior to the nonhypertonic medium (SPB).
Board involvement in international joint ventures

The last two decades have witnessed substantial scholarly interest in corporate boards, yet little research has been devoted to boards of international joint ventures (IJVs). We combine the corporate governance and alliance governance literatures in order to study this important ex post governance mechanism for IJVs. We identify a fundamental tension inherent in IJVs, which arises from the unique features of this organizational form and influences the level of involvement by their boards. International joint ventures are hybrid organizational forms that can require administrative control to facilitate monitoring and coordinated adaptation in the presence of exchange hazards. At the same time, the fact that IJVs operate in different host countries can make it efficient to delegate authority to local management for certain collaborations. In investigating the determinants of IJV board involvement, we therefore examine characteristics of IJVs that reflect this underlying tension. We conclude that board involvement reflects efficiency considerations in individual ventures, and the administrative control provided by boards is an important dimension of IJV governance.
ENCOUNTER FINANCIAL DISTRESS IN THE CRISIS 2008-2009: A comprehensive study of factors which possess the ability to predict financial distress among the firms listed on the Nasdaq OMX First North

The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors which possess the ability to predict the probability to encounter financial distress during a financial crisis. It is of particular interest to test whether financial leverage has a significant effect on financial distress since prior studies as Graham et al. (2011) advocates that the likelihood of financial distress can be explained by a firm’s indebtedness and credit rating. The firms listed on Nasdaq OMX First North 2007-12-31, are examined during the period; 2007-12-31 to 2011-12-31, to determine what pre-financial crises characteristics can predict the probability to encounter financial distress during a financial crisis and the subsequent economic downturn. The investigation is done using logistic regression analysis to asses the probability of financial distress. The theoretical framework is based on previous research within the field of financial distress prediction during times of stable and unstable macro-economical conditions.The obtained results determine age, liquidity and profitability to have the ability to predict the probability to encounter financial distress during the financial crisis 2008-2009. The result in this study differs from the results by Graham et al. (2011), as financial leverage surprisingly turned out to have an insignificant predictable power of financial distress.
The Effects of Faulty or Potentially Harmful Products on Brand Reputation and Social Responsibility of Business

Building a strong brand requires a good management of brand reputation over time. Social responsibility of business is a key factor in evoking a positive brand reputation. Both the product itself and brand related actions and communications define brand reputation in the eyes of consumers, thus influencing perceived corporate social responsibility. As a consequence, it can be easily hindered or endangered by many product related issues such as faulty products or potentially harmful products. The purpose of this article is to provide an insight on the link between brand reputation and social responsibility in order to help organizations provide better services and protection for consumers. We examined how brand reputation is influenced by the negative bias generated by brand related communications regarding potentially harmful products. This study also analyzes how under normal consumption circumstances, consumers` experiences related to faulty products can influence brand reputation. To investigate this, we propose a model based on perceptual brand constructs and possible outcomes of brand reputation. In both circumstances, negative spillover effects are highlighted using structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that both faulty products and potentially harmful products have a negative bias on brand reputation, but affected perceptual brand constructs are different.
Participants at Your Fingertips

The literature suggests students gain important skills when directly involved with faculty in research. However, students at smaller institutions are often faced with limited research opportunities and faculty members are faced with limited participant-pools, funding, and space to perform research. Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) may provide a solution to many of these problems. MTurk provides an online human participant-pool, along with tools to build experiments, and it allows data to be collected quickly and inexpensively. In this study of narrative fiction and empathy, data was collected using the traditional, laboratory-based approach, and on MTurk using identical measures and protocols. Results indicated MTurk data exhibits comparable reliability, gender and ethnicity composition to data collected in the laboratory. Two important differences emerged: MTurk participants were 10 years older, on average, and they demonstrated higher scores on trait measures of empathy and state measures of involvement into the story presented in the study. A brief user’s guide to MTurk is presented that caters to first-time users. Finally, common pitfalls and their solutions are presented with the hope that faculty and students can begin doing research on MTurk immediately.
Trends in Institutional Stock Ownership and Some Implications

Institutional investors have rapidly increased their percentage holdings of US equities in recent years. In this paper we update previous research on the nature of institutional stock ownership, extending the evidence by ten years to the end of 2006. In contrast to previous research, we find that institutions and mutual funds have increased their holdings of smaller stocks and decreased their holdings of larger stocks over this period. They now underweight the largest stocks and overweight the smaller stocks relative to market weights. We examine the implications of this increasing institutional presence in equity markets for the liquidity of the market, the behavior of stock prices, and institutional investment returns.
Delphi Technique Theoretical Framework in Qualitative Research

-------------------------------------------------------------- ABSTRACT -------------------------------------------------------Using specialized knowledge and perspectives of a set in decision-makings about issues that are qualitative is very helpful. Delphi technique is a group knowledge acquisition method, which is also used for qualitative issue decision-makings. Delphi technique can be used for qualitative research that is exploratory and identifying the nature and fundamental elements of a phenomenon is a basis for study. It is a structured process for collecting data during the successive rounds and group consensus. Despite over a half century of using Delphi in scientific and academic studies, there are still several ambiguities about it. The main problem in using the Delphi technique is lack of a clear theoretical framework for using this technique. Therefore, this study aimed to present a comprehensive theoretical framework for the application of Delphi technique in qualitative research. In this theoretical framework, the application and consensus principles of Delphi technique in qualitative research were clearly explained.
Portal hypertension in schistosomiasis: A long‐term follow‐up of a randomized trial comparing three types of surgery

The long‐term follow‐up of patients with the severe form of Manson's schistosomiasis who had had elective surgical treatment for portal hypertension, in a randomized trial, was clinically evaluated. Of 94 patients, proximal splenorenal shunting was performed in 32, esophagogastric devascularization with splenectomy in 32 and distal splenorenal shunting in 30. Patients were observed during a mean of 85.7 ± 33.1 mo, excluding nine patients (9.6%) who were lost to follow‐up. Recurrence of upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding occurred in 24.1% of the patients, without statistical differences among the three groups, but rebleeding because of varices was more frequent after esophagogastric devascularization with splenectomy. Hepatic encephalopathy was significantly higher after proximal splenorenal shunting (39.3%) when compared with distal splenorenal shunting (14.8%) and with esophagogastric devascularization with splenectomy (0%). Lethality was also significantly higher after proximal splenorenal shunting (42.9%) when compared with distal splenorenal shunting (14.8%) and with esophagogastric devascularization with splenectomy (7.1%). Indirect hyperbilirubinemia was absent after esophagogastric devascularization with splenectomy and more frequent after distal splenorenal shunting (52%) although also present after proximal splenorenal shunting (29.6%). Esophagogastric devascularization with splenectomy was demonstrated to be the best option because of the absence of encephalopathy and because of low mortality rates. Hepatic encephalopathy occurred after distal splenorenal shunting but in a lesser percentage than after proximal splenorenal shunting. The higher incidence of encephalopathy and lethality proscribes proximal splenorenal shunting in Manson's schistosomiasis. (Hepatology 1994;20:398–403.)
Operative Treatment of a Complete Rupture of the Origination of the Rectus Femoris

A 23-year-old male athlete reported both feeling and hearing a pop in his anterior thigh while sprinting. This was followed by immediate pain and an inability to walk. He had swelling and tenderness in his inguinal region. Radiographs were normal. An magnetic resonance imaging revealed a complete avulsion of the rectus femoris from its origin on the anterior inferior iliac spine. Following discussions of his treatment options, the patient chose to undergo operative management of the injury. A surgical repair was performed of the tendon of the direct head to the anterior inferior iliac spine through bone tunnels. He had a full recovery over the next 6 months and subsequently returned to unrestricted active military duty.
The Paf1 complex factors Leo1 and Paf1 promote local histone turnover to modulate chromatin states in fission yeast

The maintenance of open and repressed chromatin states is crucial for the regulation of gene expression. To study the genes involved in maintaining chromatin states, we generated a random mutant library in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and monitored the silencing of reporter genes inserted into the euchromatic region adjacent to the heterochromatic mating type locus. We show that Leo1–Paf1 [a subcomplex of the RNA polymerase II‐associated factor 1 complex (Paf1C)] is required to prevent the spreading of heterochromatin into euchromatin by mapping the heterochromatin mark H3K9me2 using high‐resolution genomewide ChIP (ChIP–exo). Loss of Leo1–Paf1 increases heterochromatin stability at several facultative heterochromatin loci in an RNAi‐independent manner. Instead, deletion of Leo1 decreases nucleosome turnover, leading to heterochromatin stabilization. Our data reveal that Leo1–Paf1 promotes chromatin state fluctuations by enhancing histone turnover.
Spinal—General Anaesthesia Decreases Neuroendocrine Stress Response in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

OBJECTIVE: A randomized clinical study to compare the stress response to laparoscopic cholecystectomy during spinal—general anaesthesia and epidural—general anaesthesia. METHODS: Women undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were assigned to receive either spinal anaesthesia (SA group; n = 12) or epidural anaesthesia (EA group; n = 12), in addition to general anaesthesia. Plasma concentrations of cortisol, adrenocortico trophic hormone (ACTH), noradrenaline, adrenaline and total catecholamines were measured pre- and intraoperatively. RESULTS: Intraoperative cortisol, noradrenaline and total catecholamine levels were significantly lower in the SA group compared with the EA group. When pre- and intraoperative values were compared, the SA group showed a decrease in adrenaline, noradrenaline and total catecholamine levels, and the EA group showed an increase in ACTH and noradrenaline levels. CONCLUSIONS: The type of regional anaesthesia significantly affected the stress response: spinal anaesthesia produced a more favourable endocrine response than epidural anaesthesia. Spinal—general anaesthesia may reduce postoperative morbidity in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
An experimental comparison between two widely adopted phase noise models

In this paper, we provide an experimental verification through circuit simulations of the equivalence between two widely adopted phase noise models in the case of both stationary and modulated white noise sources. The first method is an exact formulation provided by Demir et al., which is based on the so-called perturbation projection vector (PPV). The second is the popular approach based on Hajimiri and Lee's impulse sensitivity function (ISF). Simulations are carried out starting from actual oscillator circuits. The statistical properties of the predicted phase error are found to be practically the same, thus indicating an equivalence between the two descriptions.