Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Can Z-Score Model Predict Listed Companies’ Failures in Italy? An Empirical Test

The Altman Z-score model for predicting bankruptcy of businesses was constructed and fine-tuned in the USA in 1968 and updated in 1999. It is therefore possible that its results cannot be extended to non-Anglo-Saxon countries in today’s context. This paper ascertains if the Z-score can correctly predict the failure of industrial listed companies in Italy. First, we have analyzed the theoretical and practical characteristics of the original Z-score model and we highlight some of its potential shortcomings. Second, we have examined a sample of 102 industrial companies, quoted on the Italian Stock Exchange in the period 1995-2013 – 51 companies had had their shares permanently suspended or delisted because of a default, whereas the remaining 51 companies, which have been selected based on same core business and year of data collection, did not go bankruptcy or had their shares permanently suspended. We investigated whether the Z-score model could have predicted the default of the firms in the sample for up to three years earlier, with a degree of accuracy and reliability comparable to the one obtained by Altman (and by many other authors) in the tests performed nowadays in the U.S. and Anglo-Saxon contexts. We found that the Z-score works effectively and performs well in predicting failures of Italian firms, although with a slightly lower degree of reliability when applied to Anglo-Saxon companies. Therefore, we conclude that the Z-score can be applied to the Italian context, provided that some critical points illustrated in this study are taken into account.
Chaetognath community and their responses to varying environmental factors in the northern Indian Ocean

The ecology of the chaetognath community and its relation to varying environmental factors were studied in the eastern half of the northern Indian Ocean. Analysis of data from two major oceanographic programmes performed over four decades apart suggests a pronounced shift in the community composition and a poleward migration of chaetognaths. This migration has led to an aggregation in the north, as the Eurasian land mass prevents further movement beyond 308N.
Impact of Information Asymmetry on Municipal Bond Yields: An Empirical Analysis

Problem statement: There is a significant difference between the interest rates on the GO and the RV municipal bonds. We sought explanation for this difference in differences in information asymmetry between the two types of municipal bonds. GO bonds finance general municipality expenditures and repayment is from general tax revenues. RV bonds finance special projects and repayment is from cash flows of the special projects. These projects are assumed to be more asymmetric than the general municipality tax revenues. Previous studies examined this issue but did not explicitly consider the information asymmetry differences. Approach: We used issue transaction spread as a proxy for information asymmetry. Average spread for RV bonds is 1.172% while that for GO bonds is 0.892%. We controlled for external economic factors, issue and issuer features and contractual terms that might affect yield on debt. We used two-step regression analyses to explain yields on the two types of municipal bonds. Results: RV bonds cost 74 basis points more on the average than GO bonds. After controlling for external economic factors, issue and issuer features and contract terms, the difference shrank to an average of 44 basis points. Issue transaction spread, our proxy for information asymmetry and credit rating were important determinants of bond yields. Conclusion/Recommendations: Issue transaction spread, as a proxy for information asymmetry, explained differences in bond yields. Other variables that affect yield differences were credit rating, maturity, economic activities, contract terms and other issue and issuer features. Still, there remained an unexplained difference in the yields between RV and GO bonds of 44 basis points that we left for further research. This difference was inversely related to the credit rating of the bond.
Can Regional Decentralisation Shift Health Care Preferences?

Uniform health care delivered by a mainstream public insurer - such as the National Health Service (NHS), seldom satisfies heterogeneous demands for care, and some unsatisfied share of the population either use private health care, or purchase private insurance (PHI). One potential mechanism to partially satisfy heterogeneous preferences for health care, and discourage the use of private health care, is regional health care decentralisation. We find robust estimates suggesting that the development of regional health services shifted both perceptions of, and preferences for, using the NHS, making it more likely individuals would use public health care and, consequently, reducing the uptake of PHI. These results are heterogeneous by income, education, and age groups; and are robust to placebo and other robustness and falsification checks.
A Comprehensive Model for Stiffness Coefficients in V-Shaped Cantilevers

During past decade the AFM based nanomanipulation has been focus of attention as the promising nano fabrication approach. The main challenge in this process is the real-time monitoring. Consequently, the dynamic models have been proposed as a solution to the existing challenge. In the modeling approach the magnitudes of the forces are proportional to the stiffness coefficients of cantilevers. The precise calculation of these coefficients has been introduced in numerous works. The proposed stiffness coefficients for the V-shaped cantilevers fail to present in all commercial cantilever geometry. The geometrical deviation has a considerable impact on the magnitude of stiffness coefficients. Therefore, in this paper the existing model has been modified to include the commercial cantilever and take into account the effect of geometry variation. FEM simulation has been used to investigate the effect of geometry change and the results of these simulations have been exerted to the model which resulted in proposed comprehensive model. The proposed new stiffness model covers a wide range of commercial Vshape cantilevers and makes the process more practical.
Study of Bacillus megaterium potential application for high metal content residues biotreatment

Previous work has demonstrated that Bacillus megaterium, besides showing an elevated resistance to heavy metals, possesses the ability to remove metals like Ni, Hg, and V from liquid media. Notably, Ni represents a highly valuable metal commonly found in industrial wastes, whose removal from environment is crucial, as it is considered a dangerous toxic metal.
Risk Factors and Their Effects on the Comorbidity of Asthma and Anxiety Disorders in School Aged Children

Anxiety and Asthma 2 Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease, characterized by attacks that make a child or adult feel like they are unable to breathe (Shohat, Graif, & Garty, 2005). Currently, nearly 6.3 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 are afflicted with asthma (EPA, 2006) Children with asthma are also more prone to developing other disorders especially, anxiety. The prevalence of child patients with asthma suffering from anxiety disorders is found to be as high as 4.7% (Katon, Richardson, Lozano & McCauley, 2004). The current study aims to examine the risk factors that contribute to the comorbidity of asthma and anxiety in pediatric patients. Several risk factors can lend themselves to this comorbidity and it is hypothesized that there are four prevalent ones. The risk factors were drawn from the biological, environmental, and familial domains. They include asthma severity levels, socioeconomic status, amount of stress in the family and parent mental health. There were five main measures used in the study. The Functional Severity Scale determined asthma severity. Socioeconomic status was determined by using the Hollingshead Index. Parent mental health status was assessed through the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and family stress levels through the Family Inventory of Life Events (FILE). The primary caregiver completed all four measures during their lab visit. Participants ranged between 8-12 years of age along with their primary caregivers. Ninety-three percent of the primary caregivers were mothers. They were drawn from a sample pool from the Family Life and Asthma Project, an on-going study based in Syracuse, New York. Seventy-two families were selected based on which children completed the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC), a measure of childhood anxiety. Overall, it was found that family stress levels, socioeconomic status, and the severity of the child’s asthma all had significant effects on child anxiety levels. The only factor that did not have a significant effect was the level of parent depression or anxiety. When the risk factors were looked at as one combined risk factor, levels of anxiety rose with the presence of zero, one, or two risk factors. However, when children had three, four, or five risk factors in their lives, anxiety increased and decreased inconsistently. Table of
mentoring relationships Examining commitment and relational maintenance in formal youth

This study utilizes a social exchange perspective to examine mentors’ reported commitment and relational maintenance in formal youth mentoring relationships. One hundred and forty-five adult mentors from four mentoring programs completed surveys about aspects of their current youth mentoring relationship. Study measures assessed Investment Model variables (satisfaction, alternatives, investments, and commitment), stay/leave behavior, and reported use of relational maintenance strategies. Analyses supported hypotheses derived from the Investment Model, and commitment, in turn, predicted stay/leave behavior for mentors. In addition, a mediation model demonstrated that commitment mediates the relationships between some Investment Model variables and three of five relational maintenance strategies. The unique nature of formal youth mentoring relationships as prescribed is discussed, as are practical applications for mentoring programs.
Discriminating trait‐convergence and trait‐divergence assembly patterns in ecological community gradients

Question: Whereas similar ecological requirements lead to trait-convergence assembly patterns (TCAP) of species in communities, the interactions controlling how species associate produce trait-divergence assembly patterns (TDAP). Yet, the linking of the latter to community processes has so far only been suggested. We offer a method to elucidate TCAP and TDAP in ecological community gradients that will help fill this gap. Method: We evaluated the correlation between trait-based described communities and ecological gradients, and using partial correlation, we separated the fractions reflecting TCAP and TDAP. The required input data matrices describe operational taxonomic units (OTUs) by traits, communities by the quantities or presence-absence of these OTUs, and community sites by ecological variables. We defined plant functional types (PFTs) or species as community components after fuzzy weighting by the traits. The measured correlations for TCAP and TDAP were tested by permutation. The null model for TDAP preserves the trait convergence, the structure intrinsic in the fuzzy types, and community total abundances and autocorrelation. Results: We applied the method to trait-based data from plant communities in south Brazil, one set in natural grassland experimental plots under different nitrogen and grazing levels, and another in sapling communities colonizing Araucaria forest patches of increasing size in a forest-grassland mosaic. In these cases, depending on the traits considered, we found strong evidence of either TCAP or TDAP, or both, that was related to the environmental gradients. Conclusions: The method developed is able to reveal TCAP and TDAP that are more likely to be functional for specified ecological gradients, allowing establishment of objective hypotheses on their links to community processes.
Kinetic micro-instabilities in the presence of impurities in toroidal magnetized plasmas

The theoretical and numerical studies on kinetic micro-instabilities, including ion temperature gradient (ITG) driven modes, trapped electron modes (TEMs) in the presence of impurity ions as well as impurity modes (IMs), induced by impurity density gradient alone, in toroidal magnetized plasmas, such as tokamak and reversed-field pinch (RFP) are reviewed briefly. The basic theory for IMs, the electrostatic instabilities in tokamak and RFP plasmas are discussed. The observations of hybrid and coexistence of the instabilities are categorized systematically. The effects of impurity ions on electromagnetic instabilities such as ITG modes, the kinetic ballooning modes (KBMs) and kinetic shear Alfven modes induced by impurity ions in tokamak plasmas of finite β (=plasma pressure/magnetic pressure) are analyzed. The interesting topics for future investigation are suggested.
Fire Plume Property From A Single Rectangular Fire Source In The Presence Of An External Wind

Experimental study was carried out to understand the tilt angle and temperature property of a flame and fire plume from a rectangular fire source in an unconfined space with the presence of external wind. The rectangular fire sources having the aspect ratio of 1/3, 1/5 and 1/12 were used. Two setting arrangements, the long side and the short side of the rectangular fire source faced to the wind direction, were adopted as the parallel and perpendicular arrangement, respectively. The fire plume axis was estimated based on the isothermal curves in the downwind temperature field. The concept of virtual source was employed to describe the relationship between the excess temperatures, ΔT, and traveling distance normalized by Q for parallel arrangement and those by Q for rectangular arrangement, respectively. The decreasing modes of excess temperature along the traveling distance showed the similar but greater gradient than those from a circular/square fire source and from a rectangular without external wind, respectively. The tilt angle of the inclined flame from the source in parallel arrangement is greater than that from a circular/square fire source, and tilt angle from the perpendicular arrangement is much greater than that. The simple model to estimate the tilt angles for those fire source arrangements was established as the coupled function of Froude number, HRR, and characteristic source length. No obvious dependence on aspect ratio was recognized on the inclination behavior of the flame. Copyright © International Association for Fire Safety Science 213
Walking the Walk Vs Talking the Talk: An Evaluation of Social Responsibility Strategies and Firm Performance

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Today, companies face intense pressure from stakeholders to be more socially responsible. Firms could choose to respond to these pressures in two ways – either ‘communicating’ their goals and beliefs or by implementing ‘actions’ within the organization to promote social responsibility. In this study, we specifically compare corporate responses to labor and environmental issues. We find that corporate ‘communication’ impacts market valuation while ‘actions’ impact operational performance. However, the payoffs for responses related to labor and environmental practices are significantly different. We develop theoretical rationale based on decoupled communication, issue salience and conformity-based actions and articulate how they play a significant role in determining the outcome of socially responsible practices. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Level of Implementation of the Strategic Management in Primary Schools

In this study, primary school principals and teachers apply determination of the degree to which the views of the primary institutions. The research was carried out in the scan; working population in İstanbul province, Turkey on the Asian side in the Ataşehir, Kadıköy, Kartal, Maltepe and the townships of Sultanbeyli the academic year 2011-2012, who served 192 primary school principal, and 400 teachers. Primary school principal and teachers for the purposes of determining views are applied to the “Strategic level of Management Schools Measuring Scale" data collection tool was used. Statistical methods of evaluating identifier data (number, percentage, mean, standard deviation). Quantitative data to compare the difference between the two groups of T-Test, is the number of n low Man Whitney U Test was used. In the case of more than two group comparisons between the groups of One-Way Anova Test and the diversity of the group, the number of cases where the Scheffe, Wallis Test has been used low Kruskal. Based on the findings of the research, the following conclusions: All subjects participating in the study, according to the average of: strategic management in primary schools; "strategic thinking", "creating a strategic analysis, routing, and strategy", "a high level of strategic application and evaluation".
Effect of Bean Extract (Phaseolus Vulgaris L) to LDL and Ox-LDL and Relation of Ox-LDL on Lox-1 Gene Polymorphism 3'utr

Aim: To find out whether bean extract has effects on levels of LDL and Ox-LDL and relation of Ox-LDL on LOX-1 gene polymorphism 3'UTR188CT. Method: This research is true randomized experiment with a pretest - posttest design and control group. Samples were 35 subjects divided into 4 groups. Laboratory experiments using bean extract test affects LDL and plasma levels of Ox-LDL by Enzyme -linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), test LOX-1 gene polymorphism 3'UTR188CT with restriction enzyme. To evaluate effect of bean extract to LDL and Ox-LDL level were compared with unpaired t-test. To evaluate difference of Ox-LDL level on LOX-1 gene polymorphism 3'UTR188CT using ANOVA. Results: There was a decrease of LDL found in all treatment groups and elevated levels of Ox-LDL. TT genotype had higher levels of plasma Ox-LDL both before (49,9 ± 8,3 vs. CC 39.9 ± 19.4 and CT 42,8 ± 61,2,p .648 ) and after treatment (60.3 ± 5.7 vs. CC 55.93 ± 12.6 and CT 53.9 ± 10.3, p .630) than other genotype.Conclusion: Bean extract can lower LDL cholesterol although it can also increased plasma level of Ox-LDL. TT genotype had higher levels of plasma Ox-LDL than other genotypes. Require further study to other antioxidants may have a beneficial effect by lowering the levels of Ox-LDL.
Optimal board independence and non-strictly independent directors

We analyze whether firms fill the gap between their optimal board independence level and the recommended level of independence with nonstrictly independent directors. We derive the consequences of such behavior in term s of the reaction of several board independence measures to optimal board independence terminants. We implement the analysis on a sample of Spanish listed firms from 2 004 to 2012, where large controlling shareholders are predominant. Our results are not c onsistent with such behavior. Our results also suggest that ownership determinants of optimal board independence are the most relevant, and that formal independence require ments are of little value for firms.
Prevention of Pain on Propofol Injection: A Comparative, Randomized, Double Blind Study between Lignocaine, Pethidine, Dexamethasone and Placebo

Background: Propofol is wonderful drug for short duration procedures. However, pain on injection of propofol, which has been reported to occur in 28-90% of patients, is a major drawback to its use. Different methods have been used to decrease this pain but intravenous lignocaine is most commonly used pretreatment. Methods : A comparative, randomized, double blind study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of three drugs for prevention of pain on propofol injection on induction of anaesthesia 100 female patients of ASA status 1 and 2 posted for intracavitary radiotherapy were allocated randomly in four groups of 25 each, using computergenerated table of random numbers. Venous occlusion was made with tourniquet for one minute. The study drug intravenous lignocaine 1% 2ml (group 1), pethidine 25mg in 2 ml (group2), dexamethasone 4mg in 2ml (group 3), or normal saline 2ml (group 4) was administered over 10 seconds according to random number. There after occlusion was released and intravenous propofol was given. After the first 25% of propofol given, patients were asked for intensity of pain she experienced. Results: Lignocaine, pethidine and dexamethasone significantly reduces the pain on propofol injection in comparison to placebo (p 0.002), but there was no significant difference in pain score among groups 1, 2, 3 (p 0.28). There was no significant difference in recall of pain among groups 1, 2, and 3 (p 0.43). Although there was significant difference between placebo group and other three groups (p 0.009). Conclusion: It was concluded that lignocaine, pethidine and dexamethasone significantly reduces the pain induced by propofol injection pain as compared to placebo but there is no difference in efficacy for prevention of pain among these three groups.
Occurrence of Sporozoa-like microorganisms in the digestive gland of various species of Strombidae

The digestive gland of Strombus (Eustrombus) gigas Linnaeus,1758 has been described by Gros, Frenkiel & Aldana Aranda(2009) as an assemblage of tubules and ducts that are con-nected to the stomach. Three cell types occur in the epitheliumof the blind-ending tubules, according to histological andTEM observations: digestive cells, crypt cells and vacuolatedcells. Several examples of parasitic relationships betweenmarine gastropods and apicomplexan parasites have beendescribed (Friedman et al., 1995; Azevedo & Padovan, 2004). Baqueiro Ca´rdenas et al. (2007) reported the presence of intra-cellular microorganisms that they interpreted as belonging tovarious life cycle stages characteristic of Apicomplexa withinsome cells in the digestive gland of S. gigas. Heterospeciﬁcinteractions between organisms living inside the cells ofanother one are not easy to characterize. The description ofSporozoa-like microorganisms occurring in the digestive glandof S. gigas raises several questions: How broad is the geographicdistribution of the Sporozoa-like microorganism? Are otherspecies of Strombidae also infected? The present study reportsthe occurrence of Sporozoa-like microorganisms from a struc-tural analysis of the digestive gland of six species belonging tothe family Strombidae found in distant geographic regions.Individuals from four Caribbean species: Strombus (Aliger)costatus Gmelin, 1791 (n ¼ 50); S. (Aliger) gallus Linnaeus, 1758(n ¼ 1); S. (Eustrombus) gigas (n
DIRECTION GÉNÉRALE DES ÉTUDES ET DES RELATIONS INTERNATIONALES DID THE CRISIS INDUCE CREDIT RATIONING FOR FRENCH SMES?

This paper focuses on the access of independent French SMEs to bank lending and analyzes whether the observed evolution of credit to SMEs over the recent period was "demand driven" as a result of the decrease in firms’ activity and investment projects or was "supply driven" with an increase in credit “rationing” stemming from a more cautious behavior of banks. Based on a sample of around 60,000 SMEs, we come to the conclusion that, despite the stronger standards used by banks when granting credit, French SMEs do not appear to have been strongly affected by credit rationing since 2008. This result goes against the common view that SMEs suffered from a strong credit restriction during the crisis but is perfectly in line with the results of several surveys about the access to finance of SMEs recently conducted in France.