Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extent and Determinants of Panel Attrition in the European Community Household Panel

The aim of the paper is to analyse the extent and determinants of panel attrition in the European Community Household Panel (ECHP). The fact that, after five waves, in some countries the response rate has declined to about 50%, leads to concerns about the representativeness of the remaining participants. We find the extent and determinants of panel attrition to reveal high variability across countries as well as for different waves within one country. Differences were also found when comparing attrition behaviour across different surveys running parallel in the same countries, as was the case for Germany and the United Kingdom (UK). Response rates are found to depend strongly on whether households moved during the sample period and whether the interviewer in the sample period changed. Compared to these two influences, all other characteristics are of minor importance. Despite these different attrition rates, neither is the analysis of income biased, nor is the ranking of national results disturbed.
Strategic, Financial, and Design Implications of Extended Producer Responsibility in Europe: A Producer Case Study

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation, making producers responsible for financing and organizing take‐back and recycling of waste batteries, packaging, end‐of‐life vehicles (ELVs), and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), has been or is currently in the process of being implemented in 29 different countries in Europe following introduction of European Union directives. This article reviews the potential impacts of EPR for waste batteries, packaging, and WEEE on producers distributing products in Europe through a case study of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE)—responsible for marketing and distribution of PlayStation products.
Estimation of gene–environment interaction by pooling biospecimens

Case‐control studies are prone to low power for testing gene–environment interactions (GXE) given the need for a sufficient number of individuals on each strata of disease, gene, and environment. We propose a new study design to increase power by strategically pooling biospecimens. Pooling biospecimens allows us to increase the number of subjects significantly, thereby providing substantial increase in power. We focus on a special, although realistic case, where disease and environmental statuses are binary, and gene status is ordinal with each individual having 0, 1, or 2 minor alleles. Through pooling, we obtain an allele frequency for each level of disease and environmental status. Using the allele frequencies, we develop a new methodology for estimating and testing GXE that is comparable to the situation when we have complete data on gene status for each individual. We also explore the measurement process and its effect on the GXE estimator. Using an illustration, we show the effectiveness of pooling with an epidemiologic study, which tests an interaction for fiber and paraoxonase on anovulation. Through simulation, we show that taking 12 pooled measurements from 1000 individuals achieves more power than individually genotyping 500 individuals. Our findings suggest that strategic pooling should be considered when an investigator designs a pilot study to test for a GXE. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
The Trade Union Response to Hrm In the Uk: the Case of the Tgwu

John Fisher has for many years worked closely with the Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU) as a specialist tutor. In this article he tracks and explains the significant movement in this union's response to human resource management. At national and workplace level he observes a shift from an ‘oppositional’ stance to a more complex position. This combines a lingering suspicion of HRM with a new recognition of the need for involvement in the HRM process. the article represents the first report of this significant set of moves from a union long-noted for its implacable opposition to human resource management initiatives.
The Role of Sunk Costs in Entry Deterrence in a Mixed Oligopolistic Market

In this paper we clarify the role of strategic precommitment in a mixed oligopolistic market. We consider a model in which both the public incumbent and the private entrant determine capacity in the long run. In the short run the firms compete according to a capacity restricted Cournot game. We prove that the necessity to invest prior to the output decision restricts a public firm in entry deterrence. Moreover, it is shown that fixed set-up costs can be in favor of the entrant. Although the public firm is solely interested in output, taking into account its budget constraint, the public firm realizes profits and deviates from average--and marginal--cost pricing in equilibrium.
Online Covering with Sum of $\ell_q$-Norm Objectives

We consider fractional online covering problems with $\ell_q$-norm objectives. The problem of interest is of the form $\min\{ f(x) \,:\, Ax\ge 1, x\ge 0\}$ where $f(x)=\sum_{e} c_e \|x(S_e)\|_{q_e} $ is the weighted sum of $\ell_q$-norms and $A$ is a non-negative matrix. The rows of $A$ (i.e. covering constraints) arrive online over time. We provide an online $O(\log d+\log \rho)$-competitive algorithm where $\rho = \frac{\max a_{ij}}{\min a_{ij}}$ and $d$ is the maximum of the row sparsity of $A$ and $\max |S_e|$. This is based on the online primal-dual framework where we use the dual of the above convex program. Our result expands the class of convex objectives that admit good online algorithms: prior results required a monotonicity condition on the objective $f$ which is not satisfied here. This result is nearly tight even for the linear special case. As direct applications we obtain (i) improved online algorithms for non-uniform buy-at-bulk network design and (ii) the first online algorithm for throughput maximization under $\ell_p$-norm edge capacities.
The formalisation of manufacturing strategy and its influence on the relationship between competitive objectives, improvement goals, and action plans

This paper intends to contribute to a better understanding of manufacturing strategy content by describing and analysing the content and formalisation of manufacturing strategies, and by exploring the relationships between the formalisation of manufacturing strategy, business/competitive objectives, improvement goals, and action plans. The study is based on the data from the third International Manufacturing Strategy Survey, which was conducted in more than 20 countries. The analysis shows that in companies with a formal strategy competitive priorities, improvement goals and action programs are significantly better aligned in companies without such a strategy. This finding is encouraging for operations management scholars, as it suggests that after 30‐odd years Skinner's missing link has been re‐discovered, and it supports OM practitioners in their ongoing battle to safeguard the position of manufacturing in the corporate debate.
Definition and Evaluation of the Monotonicity Condition for Preference-based Instruments

Background: Preference-based instrumental variable methods are often used in comparative effectiveness research. Many instrumental variable studies estimate the local average treatment effect (ie, the effect in the “compliers”) under the assumption of monotonicity, ie, no “defiers,” and well-defined compliance types. However, the monotonicity assumption has not been empirically tested and the meaning of monotonicity itself is unclear. Methods: Here, we clarify the definition of local and global monotonicity and propose a novel study design to assess the monotonicity assumption empirically. Our design requires surveying physicians about their treatment plans and prescribing preferences for the same set of patients. We also discuss measures of monotonicity that can be calculated from this survey data. As an illustration, we conducted a pilot study in a survey of 53 physicians who reported treatment plans and prescribing preferences for hypothetical patients who were candidates for antipsychotic treatment. Results: In our study, nearly all patients exhibited some degree of monotonicity violations. In addition, patients could not be cleanly classified as compliers, defiers, always-takers, or never-takers. Conclusions: We conclude that preference-based instrumental variable estimates should be interpreted cautiously because bias due to monotonicity violations is likely and because the subpopulation to which the estimate applies may not be well defined. Investigators using preference-based instruments may consider supplementing their study with a survey to empirically assess the magnitude and direction of bias due to violations of monotonicity.
Full service extended schools and educational inequality in urban contexts—new opportunities for progress?

This paper examines the extent to which the UK government's full service extended schools programme has the capacity to ameliorate educational inequality in urban contexts. It starts by examining a variety of explanatory narratives for educational inequality in urban contexts in the UK and suggests that the dynamics of social exclusion created by urban decline has generated particular types of polarised urban communities whose analysis has often been decoupled from research on educational reform programmes in urban schools. The paper argues for the need to re‐couple educational process with the dynamics of urban context and suggests that the most recent educational policy development of full service extended schools (FSES) may present distinctive opportunities to complete such a synthesis. The paper then locates FSES within a broader set of government approaches that attempt to deal with social exclusion and educational disadvantage. It then draws on research conducted by the authors and others that has examined notions of FSES in the UK and beyond. It will argue that at present the evidence for the capacity of such an initiative to synthesise effectively educational process with the dynamics of urban context and hence resolve successfully the problems of educational inequality in such contexts is at best inconclusive.
Discursive “Policy Logics” of Mergers in US Higher Education: Strategy or tragedy?

Mergers are part of the historical fabric of US higher education. However, the current economic recession and other policy issues have experts and academicians predicting an increase in higher education mergers in the USA. Consequently, this study analysed the discursive “policy logics” surrounding merger negotiations in US higher education. The study employs a qualitative textual-content analysis using an initial review of 32 media accounts of higher education mergers followed by a thorough investigation of institutions’ official documents for 18 selected merger negotiations. Results indicate that merging related to higher education institutions is a social construction or deconstruction of meaning and discourse; perceptions about them are expressed in discursive ways using metaphorical and symbolic vernacular. Decision-makers’ expressed discursive perceptions about them can often determine their success or failure while having a great impact on the institution as a whole.
Finance and Stability: The Limits of Capitalism

Once again the United States economy is facing a crisis, resolution of which first requires the realization that there are many types of capitalism: Solutions implemented in the past, therefore, may or may not be an appropriate solution today, as they could have been implemented as an answer to a problem posed within the context of a different model. Alternatively, the solution may lie in the implementation of a totally new economic regime in answer to reoccurring problems inherent in capitalism in general. The implementation of a new model is not a unique happening in United States economic history. The interventionist model-set in motion by President Roosevelt in answer to the failure of the laissez-faire model in the 1930s-dealt with the obvious flaw inherent in capitalism in general namely, its inability to maintain a level of aggregate demand consistent with full employment. Implementation of the interventionist model prevented a massive depression of the type experienced in the 1930s from being repeated due to the larger role played by the government sector in maintaining demand via active fiscal policy, while moderating inflation through the use of monetary policy. The interventionist model also recognized the less obvious, deeper flaw of capitalism-namely, the manner in which the financial system can adversely affect the price of assets relative to that of current output. Absent any interventionist policy, the resulting decline in private investment and profits leads to a downward spiral and collapse of the financial sector. The institutional roadblocks included in the interventionist model were sufficient to avert large disequilibriums in asset and output prices, thereby sustaining profits and precluding a deep recession. (Indeed, the Federal Reserve was not forced to act to avert a financial crisis until 1968, when problems arose in the commercial paper market.) The interventionist model, however, was abrogated during the 1980s with the reinstitution of a new laissez-faire model. The new model eliminated many of the restrictions imposed on financial sector, massive increases in national deficits through unproductive public sector spending (made even more inefficient by the resulting interest on the debt), and the growth of speculative financing schemes that left us with too many highly indebted firms. A large, financially induced depression was contained only through the reintroduction of massive governing monetary and fiscal intervention in the form of the S&L bailout and the maintenance of profits with massive deficits. Although the subsequent drop in interest rates has resulted in a rise in asset values and somewhat abated the turmoil in the financial markets, the economy continues to stagnate.
The Impact of SOX Section 404 Internal Control Quality Assessment on Audit Delay in the SOX Era

This study analyzes the impact of internal control quality on audit delay following the implementation of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act (2002) (SOX). Unlike prior studies of audit delay that obtain information about internal control strength via surveys, or use fairly crude proxies for internal control quality, our study employs external auditor assessments of internal control over financial reporting (ICOFR) that are publicly disclosed in SEC 10‐K filings under SOX Section 404. Thus, the empirical evidence provided in this study is both timely and reliable (i.e., not subject to small sample bias or weak proxies). Consistent with our expectation, we find that the presence of material weakness in ICOFR is associated with longer delays. The types of material weakness also matter. Compared to specific material weakness, general material weakness is associated with longer delays. Additional analyses indicate that companies with control problems in personnel, process and procedure, segregation of duties, and closing .
Real-time IP facsimile: Protocol and gateway requirements

In an attempt to integrate telephony and data networks into a single analogous framework, techniques have been developed to enable telephony signals to be packetized and transmitted over Internet protocol (IP) networks. Although the largest potential contributor to telephony traffic over IP is voice data, facsimile is a widely used service and must therefore be considered as an important feature of the IP telephony framework. It is argued that facsimile and voice traffic not only have different properties, but also different requirements for service implementation. Consequently, it is proposed that in order to provide an IP telephony system (including both voice and facsimile) with a given quality of service, the mechanisms behind transfer of facsimile information shall differ from those for voice. Many of the requirements of an IP telephony system can be found in ITU-T Recommendation H.323. Covering a broad spectrum of possible media applications, the recommendation's generality is complemented by its recognition that different media streams require different transport mechanisms. For instance, H.323 defines separate transport protocols for data and voice media streams: voice streams are to be transported using real-time protocol (RTP) while data streams are to be transported using transmission control protocol (TCP). This paper presents a descriptive analysis of the differing requirements for reliable voice and facsimile media transfer over IP networks. These requirements lead to a set of protocol and gateway characteristics that enable high-quality facsimile transfer over packet-oriented networks such as the Internet.
Direct Investment in Real Estate

Momentum strategies have the potential to generate extra profits in private real estate markets. Tests of a variety of frequencies of portfolio reweighting identify periods of winner and loser performance. There are strong potential gains from momentum strategies that are based on prior returns over a 6- to 12-month period. Whether these gains are attainable for real-world investors depends on transaction costs, but some momentum strategies do produce net excess returns. The findings hold even if returns are unsmoothed to reflect underlying market prices.
Performance enhancing of storage system for point cloud geographic data

This paper deals with the problem of storing and distribution of geographic point cloud data. A scalable file based database system for storing and accessing a large amount of point cloud geographic data was developed. The principle of the system is briefly described and the results of experiments with different file formats and their impact on the overall performance of the system as well as to space occupied on hard disk drives are presented. Based on results, one format was chosen for a data layer of the system. This paper also offers results of tests focused on scaling the main data structure and its optimal setting under certain circumstances.
Acute Constant Dizziness

Purpose of Review: This article describes an approach to the diagnosis and management of acute constant dizziness, one of the most unnerving presentations in medicine. Patients with acute constant dizziness can be completely debilitated by the symptoms. Most cases are caused by a self-limited disorder, typically vestibular neuritis. However, a significant proportion of cases harbor a stroke that could be life threatening. Discriminating a self-limited disorder from a life-threatening disorder can be challenging and often hinges on findings, which may be subtle, from the ocular motor examination.Recent Findings: Early research indicates that bedside ocular motor findings play a critical role in differentiating vestibular neuritis from stroke.Summary: This article describes an approach to the patient with acute constant dizziness.
Assessment of in vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the liver: a review

With increased availability of magnetic resonance (MR) systems at ultra‐high field strength for clinical studies, other organs besides the brain have received renewed consideration for MR spectroscopy (MRS). Because signal‐to‐noise ratio and chemical shift increase proportional to the static magnetic field, a concomitant increase in signal intensity and spectral resolution of metabolite resonances can be exploited. Improved resolution of adjacent metabolite peaks would not only provide for more accuracy of metabolite identification but also metabolite quantification. While the superiority of high‐field imaging and spectroscopy has already been demonstrated clearly in the brain, this article reviewed issues around 1H MRS of the liver. These include optimization strategies such as coil technology, minimizing of motion artefacts using breath‐holding and postprocessing of the spectra. Moreover, we reviewed the pertinent experience hitherto reported in the literature on potential clinical issues where liver MRS may be useful. These included determination and characterization of liver fat content, liver tumours and focal lesions. While these applications have been used experimentally, liver MRS does not yet have a clearly defined role in the clinical management of any disease state. Accordingly, it remains primarily a research modality to date.
AVL trees with relaxed balance

AVL trees with relaxed balance (G.M. Adel'son-Vel'skii et al., 1962) were introduced with the aim of improving runtime performance by allowing a greater degree of concurrency. This is obtained by uncoupling updating from rebalancing. We define a new collection of rebalancing operations which allows for a significantly greater degree of concurrency than the original proposal. Additionally, in contrast to the original proposal, we prove the complexity of the rebalancing. If N is the maximum size the tree could ever have, we prove that each insertion gives rise to at most /spl lsqb/log/sub /spl phi(N+3/2)+log/sub /spl phi(/spl radic/(5))/spl minus/3/spl rsqb/ rebalancing operations and that each deletion gives rise to at most /spl lsqb/log/sub /spl phi(N+3/2)+log/sub /spl phi(/spl radic/(5))/spl minus/4/spl rsqb/ rebalancing operations, where /spl phi/ is the golden ratio. <<ETX>>
Transparency, Prices and Welfare with Imperfect Substitutes

Markets that are not completely transparent feature complex comparative statics with respect to the effect of number of firms, elasticity of substitution between goods and degree of transparency on equilibrium prices. The main result is that the following 'common wisdom' is incorrect: more transparent markets always feature lower prices, higher consumer welfare and lower price dispersion.
Considering perception errors in network efficiency measure: an application to bridge importance ranking in degradable transportation networks

In this paper, a new network efficiency measure that takes into account of traveller's perception errors as well as flows, behaviours, and costs is developed for assessing link importance in congested transportation networks. The core component of the network efficiency measure is a probabilistic route choice model embedded in a network equilibrium framework, which explicitly captures the interactions between travellers’ perception errors and link cost functions to produce a stochastic user equilibrium (SUE) flow pattern. The importance measure defined as the relative network efficiency drop is developed to rank the links in the network. The network efficiency and importance measures can work for both uncongested and congested transportation networks. To show proof of concept, we use two networks to demonstrate the features and applicability of the proposed measures. In the Braess network, we examine the value of link efficiency, link importance, and link ranking in comparison with the topological measure and the user equilibrium (UE) measure. In addition, we investigate the effects capacity degradation level, demand level, and degree of perception error. In the Winnipeg network, we apply the network efficiency and importance measures to assess the bridges in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. We compare the SUE importance with the localised volume to capacity (V/C) ratio method, and investigate the bridge importance measures in the context of a flooding scenario to examine the effect of providing information to drivers. The results demonstrate that the SUE network efficiency and importance measures are useful in both theory and applications.