Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bundling of information goods: a value driver for new mobile TV services

Information goods have several characteristics that make their pricing especially challenging. From the point of view of revenue management, bundling has many advantages that seem to match the challenges of pricing information goods. Because bundling is a value-based pricing strategy, segmentation has a significant role in supporting and increasing efficiency of bundling. In this context, we develop a conceptual model showing how many characteristics of information goods support or limit the selection of bundling as a pricing strategy. The conceptual model developed and the hypotheses stated are tested with conjoint analysis in the context of a new mobile TV service bundle. The mobile TV is a new innovation, and the service is expected to be launched in Finland in 2006. Totally 164 respondents gave answers to our internet survey. In this study, bundling increased the demand in all cases. However, consumers strongly preferred two-part pricing and flat access rates of new mobile TV services. Actually, our research findings give support to segmentation on the basis of bundling.
Instruments for exploring organizational culture: A review of the literature

Organizational culture is widely considered to be one of the most significant factors in reforming and modernizing public administration and service delivery. This article documents the findings of a literature review of existing qualitative and quantitative instruments for the exploration of organizational culture. Seventy instruments are identified, of which 48 could be submitted to psychometric assessment. The majority of these are at a preliminary stage of development. The study's conclusion is that there is no ideal instrument for cultural exploration. The degree to which any measure is seen as “fit for purpose” depends on the particular reason for which it is to be used and the context within which it is to be applied.
Best practice in business excellence

This paper presents the results of several man-years' work to identify and understand best practice under the criteria and sub-criteria of the EFQM Excellence Model. A new implementa-tion framework for the Excellence Model, based on a value chain, is used to show how organizations, from both the public and private sectors, have addressed the requirements of the Model to bring about excellent performance. There are short illustrations of best practice under each of the criteria, together with an analysis of how successful organizations achieve total quality through feedback, learning and innovation.
The Choice of Exchange Rate Regime and the Volatility of Exchange Rates after the Asian Crisis: A Counterfactual Analysis

The objective of this paper is to carry out a counterfactual analysis of the impact of alternative exchange rate regimes on the volatility of the nominal effective exchange rate (NEER) and the bilateral rate against the US dollar for nine East Asian countries after the Asian financial crisis. Our hypothetical regimes include a unilateral basket peg (UBP), a common basket peg (CBP) and a hard peg against the dollar. We find that a UBP would minimise effective exchange rate volatility for all countries and provides the highest regime gains compared to actual. Although the gains for a CBP are always less than those for a UBP, the absolute differences between the two regimes appear to be small. In terms of the bilateral relationship against the dollar, the gains from a UBP or CBP could be quite significant for the non-dollar peggers since a fall in effective instability would be accompanied by a fall in bilateral instability.
Limiting Moral Hazard and Reducing Risk in International Capital Flows: The Choice of an Exchange Rate Regime

Monetary and financial management is much more difficult in emerging markets on the periphery of the industrial world than at the center. On the periphery, the domestic term structure of finance is short, and all foreign borrowing is denominated in foreign currency--usually dollars. An acute policy issue is whether the exchange rate should be fixed or more flexible in inhibiting banks and other financial institutions from cycles of overborrowing and undue foreign exchange exposure. This article shows that a "good" fix is better than floating, which in turn is better than a "bad" fix. But even a good fix must be complemented by strict domestic regulations forcing banks to preserve their capital and hedge their net foreign exchange exposure to stay good.
Ergotrid Flap: A Local Flap for Cutaneous Defects of the Upper Lateral Lip

Background: Defects of the upper lateral lip can prove difficult for surgical repair, as even minute distortion of adjacent tissue may compromise aesthetic and functional results. Options for reconstruction include primary closure, healing by secondary intention, and local flap transfer. Methods: In this article, the authors introduce and review their experience with the ergotrid flap for reconstruction of defects of the upper lateral lip. Twenty patients with the aforementioned defect underwent reconstruction with the ergotrid flap with adequate postoperative follow-up and photographs. Results: All 20 patients underwent successful reconstruction with ideal tissue match. There were no cases complicated by distortion of the nasal base or vermilion border. All patients reported satisfaction with their results and scar camouflage. Conclusion: The ergotrid flap serves as a viable option in defects of the lateral upper lip. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.
Productivity Growth, Technological Progress, and Technical Efficiency Change in China: A Three-Sector Analysis1

Abstract This paper examines total factor productivity growth, technological progress, and technical efficiency change in postreform China. Production functions are estimated for three sectors, state industry, rural industry, and agriculture, using panel data from 1985–1991. The major issues considered include (1) introducing a model in which productivity growth is decomposed into two components, technological progress and changes in technical efficiency, and (2) comparing productivity and efficiency performance among the regions as well as across the sectors.
Hyperhomocyst(e)inemia is a risk factor for arterial endothelial dysfunction in humans.

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New Research Agendas on Regional Party Competition

Stateless nationalist and regionalist parties are no longer niche players but part of the mainstream of west European party politics. Yet their significance has yet to penetrate the mainstream of scholarship in political science on parties and elections. This contribution explores why this is so, focusing on a pattern of methodological and geographical fragmentation of research on sub-state party competition which has limited the resonance of that research. But it also sets out areas where this is changing—most notably in the growing combination of sociological and institutional approaches, but also in the study of stateless nationalist and regionalist parties as parties of government, often challenging, at times partnering state-wide parties. The resulting intersection of state-wide and sub-state logics of party competition suggests an opportunity for rethinking what ‘mainstream’ means in understanding party competition in multi-level states.
The HTR3A polymorphism c. -42C>T is associated with amygdala responsiveness in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND & AIMS 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)3 receptor (5-HT3R) antagonists are effective in treating patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and have anxiolytic effects. Their therapeutic effects are related, in part, to reducing amygdala engagement during expected visceral pain. A single nucleotide polymorphism in HTR3A, c. -42C>T;(C178T; rs1062613), is associated with altered reactivity of the amygdala during emotional face processing in healthy subjects (controls). We evaluated the influence of this single nucleotide polymorphism on amygdala reactivity to emotional faces and nonemotional stimuli in female patients with IBS and controls. METHODS We measured brain responses during an affect-matching paradigm in 54 women (26 with IBS, 29 controls) using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We examined associations between HTR3A c. -42C>T genotype (C/C vs T carrier) and responses in amygdala and other regions of brain that expressed high levels of 5-HT3R. RESULTS The C/C genotype was associated with greater anxiety symptoms in patients with IBS and controls and increased activation of the amygdala under emotional and nonemotional conditions. Among patients with IBS, C/C genotype was associated with greater symptom ratings. A subset of IBS patients with the C/C genotype had increased amygdala responses to nonemotional stimuli, compared with other subjects with C/C genotype. CONCLUSIONS Regardless of diagnosis, the C/C genotype of the c. -42C>T polymorphism in HTR3A, compared with T carrier status, is associated with increased anxiety and amygdala responsiveness during emotional and nonemotional tasks. This polymorphism was associated with severity of IBS symptoms. Although this genotype is not sufficient for diagnosis of IBS, it is associated with severity of symptoms.
Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Global Working Group

The probability of being depressed increases dramatically during adolescence and is linked to a range of adverse outcomes. Many studies show a correlation between religiosity and mental health, yet the question remains whether the link is causal. The key issue is selection into religiosity. We exploit plausibly random variation in adolescents’ peers to shift religiosity independently of individual-level unobservables that might affect depression, and show conditions such that an individual effect of religiosity is separated from the potential direct effect of peers. Using a nationally representative sample of adolescents in the US, we find robust effects of religiosity on depression, that are particularly strong for the most depressed. We demonstrate that these effects are not driven by the school social context. We find that religiosity buffers against stressors, possibly through improved psychological resources and religion-based support structures. This has implications especially for effective mental health policy. JEL Codes: I10, Z12 ∗Fruehwirth thanks the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust’s Philip Leverhulme Prize for financial support. We thank Peter Arcidiacono, Donna Gilleskie, Ju Hyun Kim, Brian McManus, Tiago Pires, Valentin Verdier and participants at UNC’s applied microeconomics workshop for helpful comments and Naifu Zhang for excellent research assistance. †University of North Carolina; Address: Department of Economics, Chapel Hill, NC 27599; jane_fruehwirth@unc.edu. ‡University of Cambridge, St. Catharine’s College and IZA; si105@cam.ac. uk §London School of Economics and Political Science; a.zhang6@lse.ac. uk
Occupational Choice, Financial Market Imperfections and Development

We develop a simple model of occupational choice under financial market im- perfections, in the presence of technological convexities. The aim is to analyze the quantitative effect of these imperfections on the level of income. We find that although their effect is relatively large, financial market imperfections alone are not able to explain the observed cross country difference in income. However, when interacted with the issue of mobility, those imperfections become much more relevant, to the point of pushing the economy into a development trap.
Internal Auditor Perceptions on Audit Committee Interactions: A Qualitative Study in Malaysian Public Corporations

Audit committees (AC) and the internal audit function (IAF) are two key corporate governance mechanisms. The primary objective of this study is to provide insights into internal auditors' perceptions of their interactions with AC members in Malaysia. The paper thus contributes to the extant literature by providing additional evidence from a South-east Asian country which is recognised as being characterised with a high power distance culture and a developing capital market. The findings are based on in-depth interviews of the heads of the internal audit function (HIAFs) from 11 publicly listed companies. The results indicate infrequent informal communications and limited private meetings between the HIAFs and ACs, and a need for clear reporting lines. Further, ACs are seen to be held in high esteem for their authority and are expected to take on greater leadership in the inquiry of management's decision-making. These findings highlight the importance of the leadership role of ACs in supporting the IAF.
Additional Effects of an Individualized Risk Factor–Based Approach on Pain and the Function of Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of adding risk factor–based approach (including appropriate exercises and orthoses) to routine quadriceps strengthening exercise with respect to pain and function in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Design:A parallel group nonblinded randomized controlled trial with 12-week follow-up. Setting:An outpatient Sports Medicine Clinic of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Participants:Patients (both sexes, 18-40 years) with clinically diagnosed PFPS of the duration over 2 months. Intervention:The intervention group received an individualized program, including exercise therapy plus risk factor modification, and was instructed to practice the tailored interventions at home for 12 weeks. The control group received an exercise program, only focusing on quadriceps strengthening. Main Outcome Measures:The primary outcomes were pain severity during the activities of daily living (0- to 100-point visual analog scale), and function (0- to 100-point Kujala patellofemoral score) at a 12-week follow-up. Results:A total of 53 participants completed the trial: 26 in the intervention and 27 in the control group. After 12 weeks, both groups showed improvements in pain and function, but the changes were significantly greater in the intervention group with regard to pain [adjusted difference, −14.90; 95% confidence interval (CI), −5.86 to −23.93, P = 0.002], and function (adjusted difference, 6.82; 95% CI, 2.54-11.10, P = 0.002). Conclusions:Assessment and modification of the risk factors may add to the treatment effects on pain and function at a 12-week follow-up in patients with PFPS. These findings may lead to a more comprehensive clinical approach to this very common problem. Clinical Relevance:It seems that incorporating risk factor assessment into our clinical practice may add to treatment effects with regard to pain and function in patients with PFPS.
Race to give? The selective effectiveness of United States trade capacity building assistance

ABSTRACT Pundits and scholars have long debated the effectiveness of foreign aid: does it lead to economic growth or is it simply throwing money ‘down the rat hole’? This paper re-invigorates the debate by examining the question through a new lens. Rather than examining the effectiveness of general foreign aid on economic growth, this paper tests the impact of targeted foreign aid on a narrower economic activity. Specifically, this paper investigates the impact of United States trade capacity building aid. This targeted aid aims to increase recipient countries’ exporting capacity, which may lead to growth, rather than directly increasing growth. If trade capacity building assistance is universally effective, one would expect to see increases in recipient-country exports to both the US and the rest of the world. If trade capacity building is selectively effective, recipient-country exports should increase only to the US. If trade capacity building is ineffective, one would expect no impact on recipient-country exports. This paper finds substantial support that US trade capacity building is selectively effective. US trade capacity building tends to increase recipient-country exports to the United States, but not to the rest of the world. Although the US results may not be generalizable to other donors, this approach suggests an easily expandable research program.
Methodology for the development of normative data for ten Spanish-language neuropsychological tests in eleven Latin American countries.

BACKGROUND Within the field of neuropsychology, there is a significant lack of normative data for individuals in Latin America. OBJECTIVE To describe the methodology utilized to obtain the data and create norms for 10 Spanish-language neuropsychological tests administered in 11 Latin-American countries in a sample of 3,977 healthy individuals between the ages 18 and 90. METHOD The same data manipulation process was applied to the data collected (regardless of the scale or country) using a regression-based procedure that takes into account sex, age, and educational influences on neuropsychological test scores. CONCLUSIONS Following this procedure, we were able to generate age, education, and sex (if relevant) based norms for each test in each of the 11 countries studied. These norms are presented in the 10 articles that comprise this special issue.
Endothelial progenitor cell capture stents: will this technology find its niche in contemporary practice?

Drug-eluting stents (DES) have significantly reduced rates of restenosis; however, elution from their surface of cytotoxic and cytostatic drugs, together with the presence of non-erodable polymers, is associated with impaired endothelialization, allergic reactions, inflammation, and vascular dysfunction, factors which have all been implicated in the most prominent safety concern with DES today —stent thrombosis (ST). 1–3 The development of newer DES with polymers that are either more biocompatible, biodegradable, or completely absent, together with completely biodegradable stents has been an important step forward to minimize the potential risk of ST. Despite this, however, the rapid restoration of a functional endothelium appears, in theory at least, to be one of the most intuitive ways of minimizing the risk of ST and excessive neointimal proliferation.4 Therefore, it comes as no surprise that soon after the discovery of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs),5 a novel coronary stent, the Genous™ EPC capture stent (OrbusNeich, Florida, USA), was developed which had a proprietary coating that contained anti-human CD34 antibodies ( Figure 1 ). These antibodies were able to capture circulating EPCs, such that the EPC capture stent was considered a potential solution to many of the problems of coronary stenting. Figure 1 Schematic diagram illustrating the underlying principal behind the EPC capture stent. The CD-34 antigen on the EPC binds to the anti CD-34 antibody on the stent's surface to promote rapid endothelialisation. Six years on, and Beijk et al. 6 report the 1-year outcomes of the TRIAS HR study, the first randomized study comparing the Genous™ EPC stent with a conventional DES (the Taxus Liberte stent). This study adds to the paucity of data already available on the EPC stent, and disappointingly reaffirms the disparity between technological promise and real-life clinical results. Prior to the completion of 1-year follow-up this single-centre study was transformed into … *Corresponding author. Tel: +31 10 7035260, Fax: +31 10 4369154, Email: p.w. j.c. serruys{at}erasmusmc.nl
Sensorless control of the hybrid double excitation synchronous aerogenerator in case of high wind speed

This paper deals with the problem of the constant-power operating envelope at high speed in the wind energy conversion systems. The considered aero-generator involves a hybrid excitation synchronous generator (HESG). To operate at constant-power, it is recommended to use a feedback flux-weakening control, the hybrid excitation circuit is compatible with the extended-speed-range constant-power operation, the flux-weakening and the anti-windup controls that can be achieved simultaneously. In addition to this, an optimization of the electromagnetic torque is provided to improve the HESG efficiency. However, these controls require the measure of wind speed, rotor flux, rotor speed and aerodynamic torque, which are all difficult in practice and not very reliable. This paper presents a design of sensorless flux-weakening power controller. For the achievement of the above energetic goal without resorting to mechanical sensors, a control observation strategy is developed, based on the nonlinear model of the whole controlled system using only electrical variables measurements. The effectiveness of the proposed regulator is analyzed using tools from the Lyapunov stability. These theoretical results are proved by a series of simulations to show the contribution of hybrid excitation at a high wind speed.
Genetic and environmental determinants of children's food preferences

Omnivores have the advantage of a variety of food options but face a challenge in identifying foods that are safe to eat. Not surprisingly, therefore, children show a relative aversion to new foods (neophobia) and a relative preference for familiar, bland, sweet foods. While this may in the past have promoted survival, in the modern food environment it could have an adverse effect on dietary quality. This review examines the evidence for genetic and environmental factors underlying individual differences in children's food preferences and neophobia. Twin studies indicate that neophobia is a strongly heritable characteristic, while specific food preferences show some genetic influence and are also influenced by the family environment. The advantage of the malleability of human food preferences is that dislike of a food can be reduced or even reversed by a combination of modelling and taste exposure. The need for effective guidance for parents who may be seeking to improve the range or nutritional value of foods accepted by their children is highlighted.
Reform of Politico‐administrative Relations in the Irish System: Clarifying or Complicating the Doctrine of Ministerial Responsibility?

Abstract There is now widespread acknowledgement that the traditional notion of ministerial responsibility is itself no longer satisfactory and can no longer serve as the sole constitutional touchstone of accountability. However, attempts to reform and give clarity to what is regarded as an outmoded system with the introduction of managerialist ideas such as letting ‘the managers manage’ have not always led to the effectiveness envisaged. This discussion aims to investigate political and managerial accountability in Ireland using the case of the illegal charging of long term residents in state nursing homes since 1976 and the subsequent Travers report that investigated this issue in 2005. The case illustrates that the recent legislative reform seeking to clarify political/managerial roles does not appear to have had the anticipated and desired impact and that the growth in ministerial advisers also seems to complicate interpretations of accountability. The article illustrates the complexities of political/managerial roles for ministers, civil servants and political advisers and underlines the enduring ambiguity concerning the long‐standing principle of ministerial responsibility.