Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-Insuring Against Liability Risk: Evidence from Physician Home Values in States with Unlimited Homestead Exemptions

When faced with financial uncertainty, rational agents have incentives to take steps ex ante to reduce the probability (self-protection) or size (self-insurance) of a loss. However, in the case of liability risk, especially physician responses to malpractice risk, most empirical analyses have focused exclusively on measuring self-protection. This paper studies whether physicians invest in self-insurance by exploring how they respond to policies that allow them to lower the financial cost of malpractice liability. Specifically, we test whether physicians exploit provisions of bankruptcy laws and adjust the value of their home purchases to protect assets from liability claims exceeding their malpractice policy limits. We find that in states with unlimited “homestead” exceptions—provisions of state law that protect home equity when individuals file for bankruptcy—physicians invest 13% more in the value of their homes compared to what they would have invested in the absence of an exemption, whereas no such effect is true for other professionals of similar family income, family size, demographics, and city of residence. Additionally, the response of physicians to unlimited homestead exemptions is larger in areas with higher liability risk, where physicians would have greater incentive to insure against financial risks. Our findings suggest that physicians take financially costly decisions to protect themselves from uninsured malpractice risk, implying more generally that individuals self-insure against liability risk when insurance markets are incomplete.
Research note: marketing awareness in UK primary schools

UK primary schools now operate in a competitive environment, with successful recruitment of children being critical to their ability to survive. A sample of primary schools from Staffordshire was questioned about marketing activity that took place within. It was found that whilst most recognised the importance of recruitment, few had any idea about planned and structured marketing activity. If those who manage schools can gain marketing skills and knowledge, they could well give their schools a clear competitive advantage in the future.
Are you providing the “right” customer experience? The case of Banca Popolare di Bari

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to model customer experience (CE) as a “continuum”, labelled customer experience continuum (CEC). The paper adopts a CE quality construct and scale (EXQ) to determine the effect of CE on a bank's marketing outcomes. The paper discusses the study's theoretical and managerial implications, focusing on CE strategy design. Design/methodology/approach – The paper empirically test a scale to measure customer experience quality (EXQ) for a retail bank. The paper interviews customers using a means-end-chain approach and soft-laddering to explore their CE perceptions with the bank. The paper classifies their perceptions into the categories of “brand experience” (pre-purchase), “service experience” (during purchase), and “post-purchase experience”. After a confirmatory factor analysis, the paper conducts a survey on a representative customer sample. The paper analyses the survey results with a statistical model based on the partial least squares method. The paper tests three h.
Fighting the wrong enemy

A government debt crisis is ravaging the Eurozone. This column argues that its cause is misunderstood. The culprit is a profligate private banking sector that has put strain on otherwise manageable government finances. The increase in debt has reached crisis point because the Eurozone is a monetary union without being a political union – it has no fire brigade to put out the fire.
Equity Portfolio Management Using Option Price Information

We survey the recent academic literature that uses option-implied information to construct equity portfolios. Studies show that equity managers can earn a positive alpha by using information in individual equity options, by using stocks' exposure to information in market index options, and by using stocks' exposure to crude oil option information. Option-implied information can also help construct better mean-variance portfolios and better estimates of market beta.
The moderating role of trust in manufacturer‐supplier relationships

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to verify the moderating role of trust in the relationships between environmental uncertainty and a manufacturer's propensity for vertical control over its supplier, and between environmental uncertainty and the manufacturer's satisfaction with the supplier performance. It also confirms a threshold effect of trust, i.e. the moderating role of trust is present up until a threshold value of trust is reached.Design/methodology/approach – Survey research was conducted to collect data from manufacturers; structural equation modeling was used to purify measurement scales, and multiple regression was conducted to test the hypotheses.Findings – This study confirmed that a manufacturer's perception of a supplier's trustworthy behavior weakens the justification for a higher degree of vertical control over its supplier's key decisions. Trust also reduces the manufacturer's discontent with its supplier's performance.Research limitations/implications – Traditional transaction cos.
The usefulness of financial reporting for internal decision‐making in Portuguese municipalities

Purpose – The article aims to analyse the perception of the internal users regarding the usefulness of the municipal financial reporting in the context of decision making in the Portuguese local administration.Design/methodology/approach – This research is quantitative and positive, based on a cross‐section analysis through the online application of a questionnaire to the decision makers (politicians and technicians) of the 308 Portuguese municipalities. The approach is based on the paradigm of information usefulness.Findings – The results indicate a high usefulness for the decision making of the municipal financial reporting, in its current form and content. However, this usefulness would increase if information, other than what is mandatory, were introduced. In general, the two different groups of decision makers, politicians and technicians, behave somewhat differently, regarding the usefulness that the financial reporting holds for them. The technical decision makers consider it of greater value. Ther.
Differential Peripheral Axon Block with Lidocaine: Unit Studies in the Cervical Vagus Nerve

The differential susceptibility of large and small axons to lidocaine was studied on units in the rabbit vagus nerve. The results classified the units into three groups: 1) myelinated, conduction velocity 37.5–5 m/s, which were blocked by lidocaine 0.4–0.8 mM; 2) slow, unmyelinated axons, conduction velocity 1.2–0.5 m/s, and these axons were not blocked by 0.2, 0.4, or 0.6 mM lidocaine but usually were blocked by 0.8 mM lidocaine; and 3) Axons of intermediate conduction velocity, between 1.2 and 4 m/s. The last group of axons was the most sensitive: some were blocked by as little as 0.2 mM lidocaine. No size-related trend was detected within the groups.
Efficacy and safety of desloratadine/pseudoephedrine combination vs its components in seasonal allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND Antihistamines are first-line therapy for the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis (AR); however, an oral decongestant is often added to improve control of nasal congestion. OBJECTIVE To examine whether a tablet combining the nonsedating antihistamine desloratadine and the decongestant pseudoephedrine was more effective than either drug administered alone in reducing the symptoms of seasonal AR, including nasal congestion. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this multicenter, double-blind study, participants (N = 598) with symptomatic seasonal AR were administered either a combination tablet of desloratadine 2.5 mg/pseudoephedrine 120 mg (DL/PSE) bid, a desloratadine 5.0 mg qd and a placebo tablet, or pseudoephedrine 120 mg bid. Participants assessed their symptom severity twice daily over the 2-week treatment period. RESULTS The primary variable to assess the effects of the antihistamine component--mean change from baseline in average AM/PM reflective total symptom score (TSS), excluding nasal congestion--was significantly greater (-6.54) for DL/PSE than for desloratadine (-5.09) or pseudoephedrine (-5.07) monotherapy (P < .001 for both). The primary variable to assess the effects of the decongestant component--mean change from baseline in average AM/PM reflective nasal congestion score--was also significantly greater (-0.93) for DL/PSE than for desloratadine (-0.66) or pseudoephedrine (-0.75) (P < .001 vs desloratadine; P = .006 vs pseudoephedrine). CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that DL/PSE therapy was more effective in reducing symptoms of seasonal AR, including nasal congestion, than the individual components when administered alone, thus supporting use of this combination in participants with symptomatic seasonal AR and prominent nasal congestion.
Review of Bioluminescence for Engineers and Scientists in Biophotonics

Different light producing chemical systems isolated from organisms such as fireflies, jellyfish, copepods, and bacteria have been harnessed to illuminate the inner workings of cells, as a reporter to map and identify genes, as a powerful means of tracking the progression of diseases in animal models and as a tool for mapping pollution in ecosystems. In this review we provide an overview of bioluminescence with the focus on the extreme diversity of chemistries, their evolutionary origins and functions, how they have been applied in biophotonics and possible new applications in the future.
Vertically stacked-NanoWires MOSFETs in a replacement metal gate process with inner spacer and SiGe source/drain

We report on vertically stacked horizontal Si NanoWires (NW) /»-MOSFETs fabricated with a replacement metal gate (RMG) process. For the first time, stacked-NWs transistors are integrated with inner spacers and SiGe source-drain (S/D) stressors. Recessed and epitaxially re-grown SiGe(B) S/D junctions are shown to be efficient to inject strain into Si/-channels. The Precession Electron Diffraction (PED) technique, with a nm-scale precision, is used to quantify the deformation and provide useful information about strain fields at different stages of the fabrication process. Finally, a significant compressive strain and excellent short-channel characteristics are demonstrated in stacked-NWs /-FETs.
Listed Private Equity

The phrase 'private equity' became widespread in the late 1980s following major buyout fund activity. What has been neglected for some time is the existence of listed private equity - an exposure through a share in a private equity company traded on a stock exchange. While the listed market is small compared to its unlisted counterpart, it benefits from a variety of advantages that make this form of private equity worth further consideration. But is public private equity a contradiction in terms? We conclude that although there are different organizational structures between listed and unlisted private equity, an investment in listed private equity exhibits similar or even equivalent characteristics to an investment in unlisted private equity. Finally, we present an empirical overview of the listed private equity market.
Serum fatty acid profiles and potential biomarkers of ankylosing spondylitis determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and multivariate statistical analysis.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a common chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease. Early and accurate detection is essential for effective disease treatment. Recently, research has focused on genomics and proteomics. However, the associated metabolic variations, especially fatty acid profiles, have been poorly discussed. In this study, the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) approach and multivariate statistical analysis were used to investigate the metabolic profiles of serum free fatty acids (FFAs) and esterified fatty acids (EFAs) in AS patients. The results showed that significant differences in most of the FFA (C12:0, C16:0, C16:1, C18:3, C20:4, C20:5, C22:5 and C22:6) and EFA (C12:0, C16:1, C18:0, C18:1, C18:2, C18:3, C20:4 and C22:6) concentrations were found between the AS patients and healthy controls (p < 0.05). Principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis were performed to classify the AS patients and controls. Additionally, FFAs C20:4, C12:0, C18:3 and EFAs C22:6, C12:0 were confirmed as potential biomarkers to identify AS patients and healthy controls. The present study highlights that differences in the serum FFA and EFA profiles of AS patients reflect the metabolic disorder. Moreover, FFA and EFA biomarkers appear to have clinical applications for the screening and diagnosis of AS.
Commentary: Randomised trials of surgical and non-surgical treatment: a role model for the future

Symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn are increasingly common, and doctors need to understand the benefits and risks of surgical and medical treatment from the patients’ perspective when offering treatment. Obtaining reliable information from randomised controlled trials to fully inform patients is difficult, however, because of the many recognised obstacles to undertaking such trials of diverse treatments, including difficulties with recruitment and standardising treatments and the inability to provide blinding. In the linked study (doi:10.1136/bmj.a2664), Grant et al carried out a multicentre pragmatic randomised trial of minimal access surgery (laparoscopic fundoplication) compared with optimised medical management (standard proton pump inhibition) for chronic gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). 1 The results were clear: up to 12 months after starting treatment, surgery was …
Do the investment determinants of new SMEs differ from those of existing SMEs? Empirical evidence using panel data

ABSTRACT In this study we investigate whether the investment determinants of new SMEs differ from those of existing SMEs. To do so, we use two samples of Portuguese SMEs: 495 new SMEs and 1350 existing SMEs, and to estimate the results we use the two-step estimation method. The empirical evidence allows us to conclude that cash flow, age, growth opportunities and GNP are of greater importance for stimulating investment in new SMEs than they are in existing SMEs; sales are of greater importance in stimulating investment in existing SMEs than they are in new SMEs; and debt and interest rate are of greater importance in reducing investment in new SMEs than they are in existing SMEs. Also, the persistence of investment over time is greater in new SMEs than it is in existing SMEs. These findings suggest that problems of information asymmetry between SME owners/managers and creditors are particularly important in the context of new SME activity. As guidelines for economic policy, we suggest adding effective support through the creation of beneficial lines of credit designed specifically to support new SME activity.
International retail franchising: an agency theory perspective

International retailers are increasingly using franchising as a means of entering foreign markets. However, international retail franchising lacks a conceptual basis from which an explanation of the major elements of this activity can be generated. Agency theory and its major premises of information asymmetry, monitoring costs, moral hazard and opportunism, are introduced in an attempt to provide an initial effort at bridging this conceptual gap. The paper reviews international retailing and franchise research before explaining agency theory. A discussion follows on how agency theory can explain major elements of international franchise activity of retail firms such as the international retail franchise process and the operationalisation of the international retail franchise system.
Ownership Structure and Firm Performance: Evidence from Vietnamese Listed Firms

type="main"> We examine the effect of ownership structure on firm performance, for firms listed on Vietnamese stock exchanges, using 2744 firm-year observations over the period from 2007 to 2012. We find a non-linear relationship between ownership structure and firm performance. State ownership has a convex relationship with firm performance. This paper finds that firm performance increases beyond 28.67 percent level of state ownership. Foreign ownership has a concave relationship with firm performance. We find that firm performance increases with an increase of foreign ownership up to a level of 43 percent and then decreases. Policy makers should encourage foreign ownership and widely dispersed state ownership in firms, which can help improve firm performance.
The impact of financial sector reforms on the Nigerian agricultural export performance.

The performance of the export subsector is one of the vital indices in measuring the impact and successes of several financial reform programmes carried out in Nigeria. Accordingly, the study estimated the effect of financial sector reforms on major agricultural exports in Nigeria from 1970-2009. Secondary data used for the study were analyzed using cointegration and error correction model (ECM). The empirical results disclosed that financial sector reforms significantly affect major agricultural export commodities such as cocoa, palm kernel and palm oil in Nigeria both in the long and short-run. Chow test result showed significant difference between agricultural exports (cocoa and palm oil except palm kernel) function in the pre-financial sector reforms and during the financial sector reforms period. The study advocated for the provision of appropriate promotion incentive and production such as abolishing of export prohibition, establishment of export development funds and researches into producing disease resistance, early maturing and high yielding varieties that will enhance the production of high agricultural yielding crops meant for export. Also, institutional framework that will boost disbursement of funds to cash crops sub-sector in the country needs to be strengthened. Lastly, policies that would reduce interest rate should be formulated.
A Modified Kain–Fritsch Scheme and Its Application for the Simulation of an Extreme Precipitation Event in Vietnam

Abstract From 24 to 26 November 2004, an extreme heavy rainfall event occurred in the mountainous provinces of central Vietnam, resulting in severe flooding along local rivers. The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System, version 4.4, is used to simulate this event. In the present study, the convective parameterization scheme includes the original Kain–Fritsch scheme and a modified one in which a new diagnostic equation to compute updraft velocity, closure assumption, and trigger function are developed. These modifications take the vertical gradient of the Exner function perturbation into account, with an on–off coefficient to account for the role of the advective terms. According to the event simulations, the simulated precipitation shows that the modified scheme with the new trigger function gives much better results than the original one. Moreover, the interaction between convection and the larger-scale environment is much stronger near the midtroposphere where the return flow associated with lower-level .
Uses of ion exchange resins in microbiology.

The use of synthetic ion exchange resins in most fields of chemistry has been expanding steadily for the past two decades. In microbiology, the use has been practically limited to chemical analysis, biochemical preparations, or purification of water. More direct applications, such as isolation of microorganisms or removal of extracellular material by direct treatment of cell suspensions with resins, are scarce. This review is concerned with situations in which a chemical or physical process was accomplished by placing microorganisms directly in contact with ion exchange resins. The aim is to direct the attention of microbiologists towards ion exchange processes which greatly simplify certain type of operations involving microorganisms and which can serve as a powerful tool in physiological studies.
M-Veca (Methotrexate, Vinblastine, Epidoxorubicin and Carboplatin) in the Treatment of Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma

Aims and Background Urothelial cancer is a chemosensitive disease. However, cisplatin or anthracycline-containing regimens still provoke severe toxicity mainly due to reduced renal function and poor performance status (PS) of patients. The aim of this study was to verify the possibility of substituting carboplatin for cisplatin and epirublcin for doxorubicin in the M-VAC regimen in order to reduce toxicity and improve patient tolerance. Methods Twenty patients with advanced urothelial tract tumors were treated with a chemotherapeutic regimen composed of methotrexate (30 mg/mq iv on days 1, 15, 22), vinblastine (3 mg/m2 iv on days 2, 15, 22), epidoxorubicin (35 mg/m2 iv on day 2) and carboplatin (250 mg/m2 iv on day 2) every four weeks (M-VECA). All patients had bidimensionally measurable disease. Results Of the 18 evaluable patients, 3 (17 %) obtained complete response and 7 (33 %) obtained partial response (50 % overall response). The median duration of response was 50 weeks (range, 28-88+). Grade III-IV toxicity (leukothrombocytopenia and mucositis) was observed in 20 % of cases. Nevertheless, recovery was prompt in all but 2 patients with poor PS who died of nadir sepsis. Conclusions M-VECA was an effective regimen for the treatment of patients with metastatic urothelial tumors and was safely employed in patients with a good PS. However, the possibility of substituting carboplatin for cisplatin as neoadjuvant therapy for less advanced stages needs further investigation in randomized studies.
Prevalence of malocclusion among 12-15-year-olds in Moshi, Tanzania, using Bjork's criteria.

OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence of malocclusion in 12-15 -year-olds in Moshi, Tanzania. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Moshi Municipality, Kilimanjaro region, Tanzania. SUBJECTS Two hundred and eighty nine randomly selected primary school children (153 males and 136 females) had a clinical examination for malocclusion traits done. RESULTS The overall prevalence of malocclusion was 97.6%. Angle's Class II and III malocclusion occurred in 6.9% and 11% of the sample respectively. Crowding was encountered very frequently in both jaws, especially in the lower anterior segments. Anterior open bite occurred in 6.2% and the deep bite in 10.7% of the sample. There was no significant gender difference in either the overall prevalence of malocclusion or in the occurrence of the different occlusal traits. CONCLUSION It was noteworthy that some of the malocclusion traits recorded were relatively minor deviations from the normal occlusion. Hence the high prevalence of malocclusion did not necessarily imply a heavy burden of need and demand for orthodontic treatment.