Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS, MARKET EQUILIBRIUM AND CORPORATION FINANCE

AT LEAST THREE conceptual frameworks have been developed to study the effects of uncertainty on financial and economic decision-making in recent times. Of these, the homogenous risk-class concept constructed to eliminate the need for a general equilibrium model by Modigliani and Miller [20, 21, 22], henceforth abbreviated to MM, is most familiar to those interested in corporation finance. On the other hand, the most common basis for making personal or institutional investment decisions is the portfolio model first developed by Markowitz [16, 17]. Little has been developed rigorously to cross the finance fields using either of these two uncertainty frameworks.1 More recently, a third uncertainty model has been revived by Hirshleifer [8, 9, 10] and labeled the time-state preference approach.2 This last model is undoubtedly the most general approach to uncertainty and was used by Hirshleifer [10] to prove the famous MM no-tax Proposition I. Unfortunately, thus far, this generality has its cost. Using a time-state preference formulation, it is difficult to test its propositions empirically (since markets do not exist for each state) or to derive practical decision rules for capital budgeting within the firm. The purpose of this paper is to derive the three MM Propositions using the standard deviation-mean portfolio model in a market equilibrium context. This approach to some of the major issues of corporation finance enables us to derive these propositions in a somewhat more direct way than with the use of the risk-class assumption and the arbitrage proof of the MM paper. Instead, a model is substituted relating the maximization of stockholder expected utility to the selection of portfolios of assets to, finally, the financing and investment decisions within the corporation. A link will be provided between two branches of the field of finance that have so far been evolving more or less separately. In Section II, the assumptions are enumerated and the equilibrium capital asset pricing model is presented. MM's Propositions I and II, the effects of
Characterization of the relA Gene ofPorphyromonas gingivalis

ABSTRACT Based upon the nucleotide sequence of the relA gene from Escherichia coli, a gene fragment corresponding to the homologous gene from the pathogenic oral bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis 381 was isolated by PCR and utilized to construct arelA mutant. The mutant, KS7, was defective in ribosome-mediated ppGpp formation and also in the stringent response.
MEAN–VARIANCE PORTFOLIO CHOICE: QUADRATIC PARTIAL HEDGING

In this paper we investigate the problem of mean–variance portfolio choice with bankruptcy prohibition. For incomplete markets with continuous assets' price processes and for complete markets, it is shown that the mean–variance efficient portfolios can be expressed as the optimal strategies of partial hedging for quadratic loss function. Thus, mean–variance portfolio choice, in these cases, can be viewed as expected utility maximization with non‐negative marginal utility.
Analysing the competence requirements of managers

Describe a methodology for analysing competence requirements and pinpointing competence enhancements, together with the appropriate training media, which is applicable to all management and technical specialist functions. Argues that the methodology may be integrated with corporate career planning for professionals, and provides a cost‐effective tool for corporate human resource management. Concludes that continual professional development needs to be incorporated in the human resource development policy in order for business organizations to face the challenge of business change successfully.
MY IDEA IS OUR IDEA! SUPPORTING USER-DRIVEN INNOVATION ACTIVITIES IN CROWDSOURCING COMMUNITIES

There is a growing stream of research unraveling individual motivations to participate in idea crowdsourcing and online user communities. While the current research has largely focused on individual user characteristics and overlooked the features of surrounding communities, our research turns the focus onto the actual community where knowledge is shared and created. We investigate the relationships between perceived support from a crowdsourcing community, and the users' intentions to share knowledge. Our research is based on a survey of 241 Chinese users of IdeasProject and shows that (1) for community trust, trust in the hosting firm has a significant effect on knowledge-sharing intentions, while collaborative norms do not; (2) for community support, both technology-based support and knowledge-based support have an effect on knowledge-sharing intentions. From a community management viewpoint, our results demonstrate the importance of providing continued support for knowledge integration, such as more opportunities for user-to-user interaction and features for providing constructive feedback.
The role of the physical work environment for creative employees – a case study of digital artists

The purpose of the study was to explore the role of the physical environment for creative employees. The results are based on interviews with office-working digital artists. The physical work environment was considered to offer three types of support for creative work for the participants: functional, psychosocial and inspirational. Creative processes would find better breeding ground if functional support, such as adequate lighting and tools, and psychosocial support, such as spatial possibilities for both privacy and communication, were provided. Without inspirational support, such as brainstorming rooms, dynamic planning and imaginative interior design, the work outcome was believed to become less creative. The physical environmental support model can be used by companies with an interest to provide creativity supportive workplaces.
The impact of sudden changes on the persistence of volatility: evidence from the BRIC countries

This article analyses sudden changes of volatility in the stock markets of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) using the iterated cumulative sums of squares algorithm for the period 1990 to 2007 and examines their impacts on the persistence of volatility. The results show that when endogenously determined sudden shifts in variance are taken into account in the Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (GARCH) model, the estimated persistence in return volatility is reduced significantly in every return series. These results suggest that the findings of previous studies could have overestimated the degree of the persistence of volatility existing in the financial time series. These results have important policy implications for the financial market participants and policy makers.
Understanding the Characteristics of Price Elasticities for Frequently Purchased Packaged Goods

This study examines category and brand level factors of packaged goods to determine which ones are related to brand price elasticities. A new nonparametric method of elasticity calculation is presented that is suited to situations where detailed feature and display information is not available. To obtain results that lead to strong and reliable generalisations, we examine 26 categories and 110 brands using store level weekly scanner data. We also synthesise our results with four previous studies that have looked at determinants of price elasticities. Three factors consistently emerge as important drivers of elasticity. They are, competitive intensity in the category, whether or not the product is storable and the brand market share. A further, less certain, factor is the frequency of promotion activity, with categories and brands having more frequent promotions exhibiting lower sales increases when one or more of the brands price promotes.
The many faces of tissue factor

Summary. Tissue factor (TF) is a member of the cytokine receptor superfamily and binds FVII/VIIa. The TF:FVIIa complex has both procoagulant and signaling activities. It functions in many biological processes, including hemostasis, thrombosis, inflammation, angiogenesis and tumor growth. Importantly, TF is essential for hemostasis. However, increased TF expression within atherosclerotic plaques and elevated levels of circulating TF‐positive micro particles promote thrombosis. TF increases inflammation by enhancing intravascular fibrin deposition, by increasing the formation of pro‐inflammatory fragments of fibrin and by generating coagulation proteases, including FVIIa, FXa and thrombin, that activate protease‐activated receptors (PARs). In endotoxemia and sepsis, TF‐dependent thrombin generation and activation of PAR1 on dendritic cells enhance inflammation. Finally, the TF:FVIIa complex contributes to tumor growth by activating PAR2.
Community Groups' Perceptions of and Preferences for Tourism Development: Evidence from Crete

Despite the increasing research on residents'attitudes toward tourism development, there is limited research on other community groups'perceptions of various tourism matters. The literature suggests that it is essential to appreciate community groups' perceptions and preferences because the measurement of these perceptions plays a vital role in the future success of a destination. As a result, this study was conducted to measure the perceptions of tourism development in three Cretan community groups: residents reliant on tourism employment, nonreliant residents, and tourism business people. The aim was to investigate whether, as social exchange theory suggests, tourism business people and reliant residents are more positive toward tourism and further tourism development due to their economic and/or employment dependency on tourism, and to use community perceptions as a guide for the future tourism development of the island. From the findings, it is evident that the three groups expressed a high degree of positivity toward tourism and tourism development, although there were some differences in their agreement for the types of tourists, facilities, and actions considered beneficial for the island.
Hypoxia and cyanide induce depolarization and catecholamine release in dispersed guinea‐pig chromaffin cells

1 The perforated patch method and amperometry were used to determine whether the adrenal medullary cell itself is capable of sensing hypoxia and, if so, how such sensation is transduced to secretion of catecholamines (CA). 2 Exposure to hypoxia, cyanide (CN), or muscarine facilitated CA secretion from dissociated chromaffin cells. The CN‐induced secretion was not affected by removal of glucose, indicating that the CN release is due to chemical hypoxia. 3 The secretions induced by CN and muscarine were markedly diminished by removal of Ca2+ ions or by application of Cd2+ or methoxyverapamil (D‐600). 4 Cyanide and muscarine produced depolarizations with generation of action potentials and increased intracellular Ca2+ concentrations determined using the acetoxymethyl (AM) ester form of fluo‐3 in the presence of external Ca2+ ions, but not in their absence. 5 Hypoxia and CN produced inward currents at an equilibrium potential for Cl− ions, irrespective of whether or not Na+ ions were present in the cells, and substitution of N‐methyl‐D‐glucamine for 134 mM Na+ ions in the perfusate inhibited the CN current by 71 %. The reversal potential for the CN current was −24 mV in the standard perfusate. 6 The hypoxia‐, CN‐ and muscarine‐induced currents decreased in parallel with hyperpolarizations, and exposure to CN prevented muscarine, but not nicotine, from inducing a further inward current. 7 We conclude that hypoxia and CN induce CA secretion through depolarization and the subsequent activation of voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channels and that this depolarization is due to opening of cation channels, which are possibly identical to muscarinic cation channels.
The securitisation of NGOs post-9/11

This article argues that the securitisation of an issue can involve not only negative, exclusionary and repressive extraordinary measures but also more positive, inclusionary and productive strategies of engagement. It also argues that such bifurcated strategies of security can evoke a spectrum of responses that sets limits on the process of securitisation. It examines these two arguments through the lens of the securitisation of development NGOs post-9/11. Development NGOs have become associated as a potential ‘second-order’ security issue related to the macro-securitisation of the War on Terror. After the launch of President Bush's War on Terror, US and allied governments shifted their approach to development NGOs from one of enthusiastically courting them as co-producers of development and security to an approach that cast greater suspicion on their activities. Aware that development NGOs still had a positive role to play in development and security, Western governments adopted a bifurcated strategy of containment and engagement towards development NGOs. State attempts to restrict development NGOs have evoked a spectrum of responses, ranging from ready compliance to outright resistance that has led to only partial success in securitising development NGOs.
The challenges of economic diversification through tourism: the case of Abu Dhabi

In recent years, tourism has become a ubiquitous vehicle for economic development and diversification and, for many regions and countries both in the developed and less developed worlds, tourism has become an integral element of economic development policy. Even those countries that, in the past, have had neither the desire nor the need to seek alternative economic sectors increasingly have been turning to tourism as a potentially effective means of achieving economic growth and diversification. As this paper argues, however, the justification for using tourism as an agent of economic development must be treated with some caution. Focusing upon the case of Abu Dhabi, the oil-rich emirate that in recent years, and in common with other countries in the region, has been seeking economic diversification through tourism to counter instability in global oil prices, a number of challenges to tourism development are identified. These may be overcome collectively through significant investment in product and promotion but, as the example of Abu Dhabi demonstrates, tourism may not always be an easy or cost-effective means of achieving economic growth and diversification. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Multidimensional Scale of Switching Barriers in the Full-Service Restaurant Industry

This research attempted to develop a measurement scale of switching barriers in full-service restaurants by identifying existing components of switching barriers. A qualitative procedure identified the following four categories of switching barriers: preference, switching costs, relational investment, and lack of alternatives. A further quantitative analysis resulted in production of a multi-item scale of switching barriers. The quantitative analysis found that the two positive dimensions (preference and relational investment) were far stronger barriers in encouraging patrons to return to a restaurant than were negative barriers (switching costs and lack of alternatives) in terms of keeping customers from defecting. As a caveat, due to sample limitations, the findings apply only to full-service restaurants in the United States.
Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance among clinical isolates recovered from a tertiary care hospital in Al Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND The emergences of antimicrobial-resistances have become an important issue in global healthcares. Limitations in surveying hinder the actual estimates of resistance in many countries. THE AIM the present study was designed to retrospectically survey antimicrobial susceptibility for resistance profiling of dominant pathogens in a tertiary-care center in Buraidah, Saudi Arabia from January-2011 to December-2011. MATERIALS AND METHODS the design was cross-sectional and spanned records of a 1000 bacterial non-related isolates. Antibiograms were based on the 2012 Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. RESULTS showed that Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Escherichia coli, were the most resistant. All isolates of S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and Staphylococcus haemolyticus, were resistant to penicillin (100%), and oxacillin with 52%, 75%, and 82%, respectively. Interestingly, an increasing trend of resistance-pattern was seen for the three species against gentamicin 26%, 50%, 68% ciprofloxacin 22%, 50%, 68%, tetracycline 30%, 44%, 27%, erythromycin 26%, 64%, 73%, and clindamycin 20%, 47%, 50% suggesting potential between-species transfer of resistances. Acinetobacter baumannii was resistances to all antibiotics tested including ciprofloxacin (90%), ceftazidime (89%), cefepime (67%), Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (66%), amikacin (63%), gentamicin (51%), tetracycline (43%), piperacillin-tazobactam (42%), and imipenem (9%). A similar pattern was seen by P. aeruginosa. Furthermore, a typical pattern of resistance in K. pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing organisms was observed. CONCLUSION we have shown staphylococci, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and enteric bacteria were the most resistant species in this region.
Effect of Surgical Safety checklist implementation on the occurrence of postoperative complications in orthopedic patients.

BACKGROUND Surgical adverse events are errors that emerge during perioperative patient care. The World Health Organization recently published "Guidelines for Safe Surgery. " OBJECTIVES To estimate the effect of implementation of a safety checklist in an orthopedic surgical department. METHODS We conducted a single-center cross-sectional study to compare the incidence of complications prior to and following implementation of the Guidelines for Safe Surgery checklist. The medical records of all consecutive adult patients admitted to the orthopedics department at Wolfson Medical Center during the period 1 July 2008 to 1 January 2009 (control group) and from 1 January 2009 to 1 July 2009 (study group) were reviewed. The occurrences of all complications were compared between the two groups. RESULTS The records of 760 patients (380 in each group) hospitalized during this 12 month period were analyzed. Postoperative fever occurred in 5.3% versus 10.6% of patients with and without the checklist respectively (P = 0.008). Significantly more patients received only postoperative prophylactic antibiotics rather than both pre-and postoperative antibiotic treatment prior to implementation of the checklist (3.2% versus 0%, P = 0.004). In addition, a statistically non-significant 34% decrease in the rate of surgical wound infection was also detected in the checklist group. In a logistic regression model of postoperative fever, the checklist emerged as a significant independent predictor of this outcome: odds ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.29-0.96, P = 0.037. CONCLUSION A significant reduction in postoperative fever after the implementation of the surgical safety checklist occurred. It is possible that the improved usage of preoperative prophylactic antibiotics may explain the reduction in postoperative fever.
Revascularization of Calvarial, Mandibular, Tibial, and Iliac Bone Grafts in Rats

Some studies have suggested that membranous bone grafts undergo less resorption than endochondral grafts, and faster revascularization of the former has been proposed as the explanation. We studied fresh syngeneic full-thickness bone grafts from calvaria, mandibula, tibia diaphysis, and iliac bone implanted in the back muscles of young Lewis rats. As a measure of the quantity of cancellous bone in grafts before implantation, the ratio of the total area of soft-tissue spaces to the total area of the graft was measured histomorphometrically. Revascularization in grafts 3 weeks postoperatively was evaluated by deposit of 141Ce-labeled microspheres. Both the quantity of cancellous bone (before implantation) and the revascularization (3 weeks postoperatively) were greater in the mandibular and iliac bone grafts than in the calvarial and tibia diaphyseal grafts. The results suggest that the anatomical area of harvest of bone graft is important regarding early revascurarization, but the results do not support the theory that different embryological mode of development is the cause since mandibula (high 341Ce index) and calvaria (low 141Ce index) are of membranous origin and iliac bone (high 141Ce Index) and tibia (low 141Ce index) are of endochondral origin. The difference in revascularization between the different grafts may be explained by differences in quantity of cancellous bone since cancellous bone is revascularized faster than cortical bone.
Soil Chemistries Define Aquatic Habitats with Immature Populations of the Culicoides variipennis Complex (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Abstract Aquatic habitats with immature populations of the Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett) complex were sampled across the United States and tested for soil chemistry parameters. Indicators of organic loading, phosphate, percentage of organic matter, and nitrate were high for C. variipennis and C. sonorensis, reflecting the common occurrence of larvae in sediments contaminated with livestock waste; these factors were low in western playa lake habitats with immature C. occidentalis. Levels of salt-forming ions and indicators of salinity, notably sodium, chloride, magnesium, sulfate, boron, and conductivity, were elevated in substrates supporting all 3 species, with values that declined from very high to high across the arid west to moderate east of the Mississippi river, and differed significantly among species. Concentrations of boron differed most strongly among habitats of the respective species, ranging from exceptionally high values in playa lake substrates with C. occidentalis, to high and moderate levels in western and southeastern sites with C. sonorensis, to moderate levels for substrates in the east with C. variipennis. The presence of C. sonorensis in dairy wastewater lagoons and saline springs in geographic regions that are otherwise inhabited by C. variipennis may reflect salinity factors that regulate the distribution of the C. variipennis complex.
Index Options: The Early Evidence

Index options became the most important traded contracts during their first year of existence. Two contracts, namely those on the S&P100 and the Major Markets Index, have a trading volume which typically surpasses the trading volume in all individual stock option contracts. In this paper, we examine the pricing of the options on the S&P100 and the Major Markets Index. Using intra-day prices, we find the options frequently violate the arbitrage boundary, put/call parity, and are substantially mispriced relative to theoretical values. Our results suggest that tests of option pricing models may be more difficult than previously realized due to nonsynchronous prices, even using “real-time” data from the exchanges.